Margaret Watson, Family First

Family First

The department rules insist that when an officer uses his weapon he must see a psychologist. In the line of duty Police Detective Jake Donovan killed a dangerous murderer Doak Talbott before the killer murdered his own son and his aunt, but does not want to see the shrink especially to discuss his feelings. He just wants to go back to work, but the SOP forces him to talk with Dr. Kira McGinnis before he can return to field work.

Jake makes the appointments, but does not open up to her about his inner feelings about the killing to the doc, whom he also finds quite attractive. Kira feels the same way about her patient, but hides her heart because she fears involvement and questions the ethics of an off the job relationship with a patient. Besides she has enough to do with raising her five-year-old daughter by herself and helping her troubled teenage brother.

It is elementary that the key to this strong contemporary romance is Kira's relationships with her daughter and her brother as she willingly sacrifices her own needs and desires out of her love for them. Jake wants to do likewise for the shrink he loves, but also fears commitment. Margaret Watson writes a powerful character study of people caring for the wellbeing of others finding love, but fearing its intrusion.

Margaret Watson

Harlequin SuperRomance, Mar 2006, $5.50

ISBN: 0373713371

Harriet Klausner