A bad boy. A good girl. Both escaping painful pasts, but discover a passion they can't deny.
Cat Edwards has spent her life playing the wallflower in an effort to escape the repressive weight of her mother’s tarnished name. Dragged to a bar by her best friend in an effort to forget a broken heart, the shy bookworm is determined to be someone else for the night, but quickly gets in over her head. She discovers chivalry isn’t dead after all when a mysterious stranger comes to her rescue. He’s wearing black leather and a mischievous smile that promises to be exactly what she needs.
When his terminally ill father suffers a setback, Michael Brant returns to the town he swore ten years ago he’d never return to. He’s come back this time determined to make peace with the past, but being home brings up memories he doesn’t want to remember anymore. His first night in town, he’s captured by a damsel in distress. Cat’s beauty is made all the more alluring when he realizes she has no idea who he is. He can’t resist spending a single night in her arms. With her, he’s only a man, disconnected from his family’s name and the past that haunts him here.
As the town erupts with the news of his return, Michael’s dark past comes back to haunt him, putting Cat in danger. Someone is threatening her life and the life of her family. Desperate to keep history from repeating itself, Michael offers her his family’s name in order to keep her safe. When the lie spirals beyond their control, can they stop their hearts from becoming entangled as well?
Excerpt
“Follow my lead.” His voice flowed against her ear, rich and smooth and darkly sensual. The kind of voice she could well imagine whispering to her in the dark. It added to the stubble prickling her cheek and, for a moment, her mind twisted off in another direction, filling with naughty fantasies. Suddenly she was dying to see the face behind the voice.
Louder he said, “Miss me?”
Velvet soft lips brushed her earlobe as he spoke, combined with the deep, sensual quality of his voice and sent delicious shivers slipping down her spine. For a moment, Cat forgot to breathe, forgot what in the world she was supposed to be doing. Somewhere through the haze that took over her mind, his meaning finally occurred to her. Her body went limp with relief. She had the sudden urge to turn and hug the man. Chivalry hadn’t died with King Arthur after all.
“You’re late.” Playing her part, she straightened on her stool and reached back to twine her fingers with his. Soft, thick fingers that filled her overheated mind with visions of them sliding over her skin.
The clod’s hand finally released her thigh, and Cat swallowed a sigh of relief then spun to face her savior. “You were supposed to be here...”
Her train of thought derailed as she came face to face with the center of a broad chest. A thickly muscled chest barely contained by the black T-shirt covering it. Her heart skipped several beats as she followed the muscles upward, past even wider shoulders, until her gaze collided with a pair of dark brown eyes that made her breath catch.
Oh boy. She clamped her mouth shut and swallowed hard. A five o’clock shadow covered a strong, square jaw, giving him a rough and rugged edge. His thick, almost black, hair licked at the collar of his worn leather jacket, just long enough to be rebellious, and tousled by the wind. Her fingers itched to reach up and slide through his hair to see if it felt as soft as it seemed.
“Forgive me.” As he bent down to her eye level, his eyes burned into hers, a hidden meaning in the dark depths she couldn’t quite grasp. She couldn’t concentrate much past the fact his face was now a scant inch from hers. His soft, warm breath fanned her lips, and her gaze zeroed in on the mouth that had sent delicious sensations thrumming through her body barely a minute ago.
Before she could ponder what on earth he meant or come up with a proper response, he took their charade a step further.
He kissed her.
Professional Reviews
5 stars, top pick--Harlequin Romance Junkies
Her Knight In Black Leather by J.M. Stewart is an emotionally intense love story that is packed with suspense and intrigue. You won’t be able to put this book down!
Straight laced, Cat Edwards, has agreed to a night out on the town with her roommate and best friend Lisa. While at a bar Lisa has left Cat to her own devices. Cat is forced to fend off the unwanted attentions of a drunk man, when to her surprise and relief a sexy stranger, dressed in black leather, comes to her rescue. The two pretend that they are a couple, and they end up sharing a kiss that sends electrical sparks flying for them both.
Micheal Brant is in town to visit his sick father when he decides to visit the family bar. That is where he comes across Cat and decides to help her out. The two hit it off and decide to go for a ride on his motorcycle back to his place. Unable to keep their hands off each other, the two agree to a one night stand. Unbeknownst to Cat, Micheal is somewhat of a town celebrity, and when their picture ends up on the front page of the newspaper, it becomes clear that someone is stalking them.
Cat begins to receive threatening phone calls, and Micheal feels like it is his duty to keep Cat safe, so he sticks around to make sure no harm comes her way. As the two work together to keep a stalker away things take off for them romantically. They both believe that they are not looking to complicate there lives with a relationship, but sometimes things don’t turn out how you plan them.
Gifted writer J.M. Stewart has outdone herself with Her Knight In Black Leather! Her character’s are damaged but show great strength. Micheal is super sexy in his black leather and his hard exterior, but on the inside he is thoughtful and sensitive. While Cat at first appears to be a wall flower, she quickly opens up and shows great courage and tenacity. Together Cat and Micheal have chemistry that is combustible. I highly recommend this outstanding book to all romance lovers who are looking for a deeply satisfying read. This is a Harlequin Junkie top pick! Kudos to Ms. Stewart!
5 lip bites, Top Pick--MsRomanticReads
I love a romance about a bad boy and a good girl. But this isn't just a fanciful love story. Someone isn't happy about the past and even less happy about the little romance being played out in the town's gossip rag. Cat soon finds herself the target of a psychotic stalker. When people she loves get hurt in her stead, Michael can think of only one thing to do - present a united front and offer her the protection of his family and their name.
Cat Edwards was a delightful heroine, and I don't say that often. When we meet her, she's coming to terms of her failed engagement. After catching her fiance/boss with the secretary, she's both out of a relationship and a job. Instead of letting that get her down, she helps out in her father's bookstore, and allows her friend to drag her to a bar to let loose. Getting swept up in the instant, mutual attraction to Michael is her first step towards total abandon. However being in a small town means that the town has a long memory, and her behavior could lead to old wounds being opened - something she wants to avoid at all costs. The last thing she wants is for gossip mongers to compare her to her mother. With Michael's open and honest attention she blossoms from a wallflower into a more confident woman.
Michael was my ultimate romantic hero. His bad boy appearance belied the man beneath the leather clad exterior. He is the black sheep of his prominent family, the son that didn't live up to his father's expectations, and the man who is still paying for the careless actions of his past. While everyone else has already formed a negative opinion of him, only one woman sees his true self. Call it serendipity that these two somewhat broken people should meet. While the timing was perfect for Cat to take a risk, it couldn't come at a worse time for Michael.
I loved the chemistry these two had from the beginning. It was simple attraction fueled by the distraction they both craved. Michael may have been portrayed as a bad boy, but he was such a good person to his core. Between the demons nipping at his heels, the cold shoulder from his ailing father, and his growing attraction to Cat, he was a man who just wanted love and acceptance and sought forgiveness.
Anyone who knows me will tell you that one of my biggest pet peeves is when characters refuse to communicate. Either out of fear of rejection or stubbornness. Ms. Stewart did me a solid by making Cat and Michael really talk. Cat was an open book, and never minced words when asked a direct question that could have embarrassed her. I loved her attitude and approach. It was as if she was saying "Don't like my answer? Too bad. This is who I am, and you can take it or leave it." The same was true for Michael.
He never made it a secret that once he accomplished what he had come home to do, he would leave again. He didn't want to break her heart, and he told her that. That gave her all the power to make her own decisions, to play the game while knowing the rules.
Every one of their love scenes made me swoon rather than get extremely hot and bothered under the collar. The scenes were not graphic, but then they didn't need to be. Their honesty with one another and the words they shared did a good job of ratcheting up the passion to beautiful heights. The ending was emotional and perfect for them as it came full circle. Great, fluid writing, sincere dialogue and loveable characters. I fell in love with this story, and I think you will too.
4.5 Stars--Satin Sheets Reviews
This may be one of the more enjoyable reading I have done for a book of this middle length in a good while, the story while not outlandish was laced with just enough mystery and passion to keep you from getting bored even in the few slower moments.
Cat and Michael both have secrets to hide in their past but while that is a part of the mystery/thriller part of this plot it has very little effect on the romance which was done really well and while this is still an adult book it is not an erotic mess but has an actual story that is the prime attraction of this short novel.
I could tell you more about the mystery and the secrets of the past but it would ruin the story since discovery is a lot of the value of this novel, but let me say the romance is believable, the thriller parts are a bit bizarre but not outside the realm of possibility (as many are).
Bottom Line: I liked it, took me about 2-3 hours to read it, no scanning, good mix of action and romance, you get inside the two main characters very well and it was entertaining above all. The only downside might be that the secondary characters were very 2 dimensional with the possible exception of his father but that was not as fleshed out as it could have been but then you would have had a much longer novel and the length of this is perfect for those times when you just want to read something longer than a short story but don't want a doorstop. Get the book, keep it for when you don't know what else to read, this will do the trick very nicely.
In this heartfelt romantic memoir, Harry and Elizabeth share their passions and feelings about the poignant events that brought them back together after being divorced and estranged for almost twenty years. Filled with emotion, suspense, and humor --
