The Bachelor Party

Always a Bridesmaid #3

by Paula Detmer Riggs

Sheriff Ford Maguire had no time for romance. Keeping the peace in Clover, South Carolina, kept him busy, while reminding him that most people weren't to be trusted. Them single mom Sophie Reynolds came to town, testing Ford's notions about love.

All Sophie had left in the world was her infant daughter -- a child she would protect with her life. She had no intention of getting romantically involved, especially with the town sheriff, the one person who could uncover her startling secret. But Ford wasn't the type of man a woman could resist for long.

Genres: Contemporary, Category Romance

Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 1995

About the author

Paula Detmer Riggs was born in 1944 and earned a BS from the Miami University in 1965. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and Novelists Inc.. She's worked professionally as a ember of the writing faculty of San Diego State University, Long Beach State University, and Irvine State University. Paula Detmer Riggs has written for Silhouette Desire and Silhouette Intimate Moments.

Reviews

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophie is a woman on the run from law. Her husband was an abusive man and when he fell down the stairs and broke his neck Sophie was finally free. But, on her husband’s funeral she was arrested and later convicted for his murder. While in prison she had a baby. When she got out on parole she took her baby and ran away. She made her way to Clover, a charming small town. She settled in nicely, made a lot of friend and met Ford, a man she couldn’t help but fall in love. If only he wasn’t a cop.

Ford is happy with his life. Being a sheriff wasn’t his idea of a perfect job (he wanted to be an Air Force pilot), but after his parent’s deaths he was the only one who could take care of his sister Lucy. He did the responsible thing, found a job and did his best to be her parent. Because of his parent’s disastrous marriage he was sure he would never marry. And then he met Sophie and little Jessie and fell in love.

Throughout the book, Sophie was fighting hard not to care, knowing that that’s the last things she should do. When the truth came out she wouldn’t be the only one hurt. But Ford was patient, charming in his gruff way, and he seduced her.

I love the way Ford treats Jessie, it was obvious from the start that he loves her, and the fact that he thought of her as his was just icing on the cake.

The only thing that could’ve been more developed is the solution to the problem. we have Sophie turning herself in, and then the epilogue when they are getting married, with just a few short explanations of what happened.

Rating:

4.5 stars.

[Saly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Bachelor Party is a book about a woman on the run, with her child.

Sophie married a man who was terribly possessive, he doubted her every moment while he himself was a cheater, when she got pregnant he told her to abort it and when she didn't he attacked her, dying. His family was very powerful and took everything away from Sophie, her freedom, her baby, but Sophie held on and now she is in a new town, trying to create a life for her daughter Jess.

Ford is the town's sheriff. He raised his sister since she was a baby and gave up his dreams when his father killed his mother and her lover. Ford has no interest in marriage, he saw how his mother's constant cheating destroyed his father. Sophie intrigues him. Sophie on her part wants nothing to do with him, he's law-enforcement but things don't work out that way. When Jess falls sick one day Ford is there for her.

Slowly, they kept being thrown together and feeling threatened by her growing feelings for him Sophie decides to leave. Ford, well he didn't go out looking for love or even marriage but Sophie makes him want all of that including becoming a father. I enjoyed the book but the conflict got resolved very quickly in the end.

[Parparak Pink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read some work from Ms. Paula Detmer Riggs, Loved all of them. Always well written and touching. Always great and lovely characters. All of them masterpieces.This one was a masterpiece as well. A super emotional read. Perfectly written, the characters well characterized, storyline well developed. Hero, heroine and all the side character were lovely. Loved it from the start to the end and recommend it to all.