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Santa Assignment
AN UNLIKELY UNION
She was hiding from a stalker—and from Brayden O'Malley, the man who blamed her for his wife's death. But when Brayden asked for the incredible, Ashley Palmer couldn't refuse: He wanted her to give him a child, so his toddler son would live to see another Christmas. But forging a frightening intimacy with her ex-brother-in-law meant coming out of hiding…and evading the reach of a killer.
Now the key to Ashley's safety lay in solving the clues of a perilous puzzle that only brought her and Brayden closer. But was the combustible desire threatening to consume them the greatest risk of all?
She was hiding from a stalker—and from Brayden O'Malley, the man who blamed her for his wife's death. But when Brayden asked for the incredible, Ashley Palmer couldn't refuse: He wanted her to give him a child, so his toddler son would live to see another Christmas. But forging a frightening intimacy with her ex-brother-in-law meant coming out of hiding…and evading the reach of a killer.
Now the key to Ashley's safety lay in solving the clues of a perilous puzzle that only brought her and Brayden closer. But was the combustible desire threatening to consume them the greatest risk of all?
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 25, 2004
About the author
Delores Fossen
663 books818 followersThank you for finding me on Goodreads!
Want to know more about me? Well, here it is in a nutshell:
I’m a USA Today bestselling author, and I’ve sold over 100 novels. Yes, 100! Needless to say, I write a lot. I’ve had the honor of receiving the Booksellers' Best Award for romantic suspense, the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award, and I was a finalist for the Rita. My books have been featured in Vogue, Woman’s Day and Woman’s World. I’ve also had nearly a hundred short stories and articles published in national magazines. I love hearing from readers, and you can contact me through my webpage at: www.deloresfossen.com.
Want to know more about me? Well, here it is in a nutshell:
I’m a USA Today bestselling author, and I’ve sold over 100 novels. Yes, 100! Needless to say, I write a lot. I’ve had the honor of receiving the Booksellers' Best Award for romantic suspense, the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award, and I was a finalist for the Rita. My books have been featured in Vogue, Woman’s Day and Woman’s World. I’ve also had nearly a hundred short stories and articles published in national magazines. I love hearing from readers, and you can contact me through my webpage at: www.deloresfossen.com.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 4, 2023
Is it just me, or does Delores Fossen have some strange fascination with artificial insemination and the romance between the mother-to-be and the father of the child?
This is my second book by Delores Fossen; I have read Wanted. The thing is, the romance part in both of these books is quite similar. In Santa Assignment, Ashley agrees to get pregnant with her widowed brother-in-law to save the life of her nephew with leukemia. Ashley and Brayden highly dislike each other, so artificial insemination is involved. In Wanted, Lyla decides on artificial insemination, and widowed(!) Wyatt discovers that they used his genetic material. Both couples also struggle with some death threat, too. So, maybe it's just my choice of books, but the plotlines of these two are quite similar.
There are many silly parts in this book, like Ashley trying to help Brayden fight with the killer when the best thing she could do is to stop distracting him. And I admit that I don't know a lot about the procedure of artificial insemination, but I heard somewhere that it takes time to do it. The woman has to be prepared, take some medications, and the ova are tested, and so on. And I haven't heard that you can do it at home, just like that, without any preparations besides one visit to a doctor.
Oh, and the author uses "Mercy!" constantly! That was annoying!
This is my second book by Delores Fossen; I have read Wanted. The thing is, the romance part in both of these books is quite similar. In Santa Assignment, Ashley agrees to get pregnant with her widowed brother-in-law to save the life of her nephew with leukemia. Ashley and Brayden highly dislike each other, so artificial insemination is involved. In Wanted, Lyla decides on artificial insemination, and widowed(!) Wyatt discovers that they used his genetic material. Both couples also struggle with some death threat, too. So, maybe it's just my choice of books, but the plotlines of these two are quite similar.
There are many silly parts in this book, like Ashley trying to help Brayden fight with the killer when the best thing she could do is to stop distracting him. And I admit that I don't know a lot about the procedure of artificial insemination, but I heard somewhere that it takes time to do it. The woman has to be prepared, take some medications, and the ova are tested, and so on. And I haven't heard that you can do it at home, just like that, without any preparations besides one visit to a doctor.
Oh, and the author uses "Mercy!" constantly! That was annoying!
July 22, 2017
A point off for keeping it in the family. Ewww.
Another point off for a tangled web of whodunit
So the heroine, her sister, and three boys - two of which were brothers - grew up together. heroine dates the third wheel amongst the boys. Sister marries a cop. Both girls are attorneys. The brothers beat up the third boy - the boyfriend of sorts. Heroine, for whatever reason, represents one of the brothers. Boyfriend is pissed off, brother represented is pissed off. Someone kills sister, brother-in-law takes upset out on heroine, someone starts stalking heroine (or was that already happening, unsure). Heroine disappears herself.
This is the setup.
Not quite 3 years later, former BIL sicces PI on h because his son - her nephew - is in dire straits and needs a donor. Sibling is the last hope.
Of course, they do try the clinical method, and it may have even worked in spite of the stalker's burning down the clinic. They also try the old fashioned method - as clinically as possible. Eventually, h is grabbed. Eventually, they have a less impersonal encounter, eventually, h is grabbed again...
Because two of the three boys from her childhood held grudges and were after her.
Another point off for a tangled web of whodunit
So the heroine, her sister, and three boys - two of which were brothers - grew up together. heroine dates the third wheel amongst the boys. Sister marries a cop. Both girls are attorneys. The brothers beat up the third boy - the boyfriend of sorts. Heroine, for whatever reason, represents one of the brothers. Boyfriend is pissed off, brother represented is pissed off. Someone kills sister, brother-in-law takes upset out on heroine, someone starts stalking heroine (or was that already happening, unsure). Heroine disappears herself.
This is the setup.
Not quite 3 years later, former BIL sicces PI on h because his son - her nephew - is in dire straits and needs a donor. Sibling is the last hope.
Of course, they do try the clinical method, and it may have even worked in spite of the stalker's burning down the clinic. They also try the old fashioned method - as clinically as possible. Eventually, h is grabbed. Eventually, they have a less impersonal encounter, eventually, h is grabbed again...
Because two of the three boys from her childhood held grudges and were after her.
June 11, 2025
GREAT STORY
The mystery starts almost right away and you find yourself cheering for the couple to make it through a tough time. Someone is after Ashley and when you think you have it figured out, they throw another loop in the mystery. Really loved the ending.
The mystery starts almost right away and you find yourself cheering for the couple to make it through a tough time. Someone is after Ashley and when you think you have it figured out, they throw another loop in the mystery. Really loved the ending.
October 13, 2018
Good book / story-line. Fast read. Kept my interest!
March 3, 2017
Suspense novel complete with stalker. In spite of the likable characters, I didn't enjoy this story as much as I expected to.
March 15, 2017
This one was a sweet story yet such a sad story as it went along.
His son needed a treatment that only another heir could give. Having just lost his wife the year before, he decides to try to find her sister. While he blames Ashley for her sisters death, he's about to ask a very big favor of her. Have his baby to save his son. Well. After problems, they try to do it the ol' traditional way but he can't emotionally handle it. Brayden was a bit of a jerk. But Ashley took as it was and just tried not to fall in love with her brother in law, and her nephew. And she was had to give up this child as that was part of the deal. She would return to hiding and he'd raise the baby. But she began to realize she wanted to be apart of al of their lives if only he'd give her a chance. once he got over himself and realized that Ashley wasn't to blame, she was taken and he already knew he couldn't let her go, Ashley just didn't want anyone else hurt! She loved them too much!
Loved the announcement at the end! That was super cute!
His son needed a treatment that only another heir could give. Having just lost his wife the year before, he decides to try to find her sister. While he blames Ashley for her sisters death, he's about to ask a very big favor of her. Have his baby to save his son. Well. After problems, they try to do it the ol' traditional way but he can't emotionally handle it. Brayden was a bit of a jerk. But Ashley took as it was and just tried not to fall in love with her brother in law, and her nephew. And she was had to give up this child as that was part of the deal. She would return to hiding and he'd raise the baby. But she began to realize she wanted to be apart of al of their lives if only he'd give her a chance. once he got over himself and realized that Ashley wasn't to blame, she was taken and he already knew he couldn't let her go, Ashley just didn't want anyone else hurt! She loved them too much!
Loved the announcement at the end! That was super cute!
August 1, 2012
The romance in this was okay, but more friendly than passionate. There are a couple hot scenes, but also one that's uncomfortably clinical. The intrigue is quite minor in this one. The characters are quite likeable, though, which is a big plus for me. However, if the heroine had said "mercy!" one more time, I might have belted her. Makes for an easy, light read, if not overly memorable. I wavered a bit between 2 and 3 stars, but I think people who generally like short romance will enjoy this for what it is.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews