Website of Author Rekha Ambardar

Book Reviews

REVIEWS FOR HIS HARBOR GIRL

Leanna was shocked to see Bryce standing in her shop. She hasn’t seen him since she’d left college and come back home to help her dying mother and to have her baby. When she hears that he’s here to study the wolves, Leanna has to decide how or when she’s going to tell him about her daughter, Kai. Taking the job Bryce has advertised for, Leanna starts seeing things about Bryce that opens her heart again, but she knows he’s going to leave as soon as his study is done. Can they find the road back to each other when she tells him the truth about Kai?

Bryce never knew why Leanna had left him, she was just gone one day. Now he’s here in Pelican Harbor and he wants answers, if only she would talk to him instead of telling him he knew all he needs to. The one questions she won’t answer is about Kai. Bryce figures it’s because she’d gotten pregnant by another man and that’s why she left him. He knows that if Kai was his, Leanna would tell him, wouldn’t she?

Ms. Ambardar’s novel is about second chances and opening up to love once again. Readers will enjoy reading about the paths these two strong and independent people have taken. The scene that pulls it together for me is when Bryce has Leanna come with him and his crew to trap and radio collar the wolves, because it shows she is finally seeing him in a different light.

Reviewed by: Donna, Fallen Angel Reviews, 4 Angels

Five years after she last saw him, Bryce appears in the door of The Tug, the little store that Leanna owns. Her feelings at the sight of him are mixed; back in college she had loved him more than life itself but had to share her love with his workvery heavy competition to a woman in such a state. She had, at that time, finally given up the struggle for his attention, and left him to return to her home. The five years had been long and hard, losing her mother and attempting to make the business succeed. She is also shocked to see him; there is the matter of a small secret that he doesnt know about.
Bryce is in the area to study wolves, on a neighbouring island. Leanna doesnt realize that he wanted to see her, hoping she would be in the area, when this research project was planned. He still doesnt understand why she left him as she did, but he plans on finding out what caused her to leave all those years ago, without an explanation.

I really liked the description of the little shop The Tug. I could envision that being such an eye catcher, and what a creative idea. This story is written so lifelike and with such likable characters, and that Bryce takes matters into his own hands and makes Leanna come clean not only about why she left him, is so heart warming. A delightful story for true romantics.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Sweet

Reviewer: Glenda K. Bauerle, The Romance Studio

HIS HARBOR GIRL has received it's highest rating - five roses!

Even though Leanna Reed loved animal researcher Bryce Robertson, it hadn’t stopped her from leaving him five years ago. Bryce, in her opinion, was a workaholic who had no idea of the definition of the word commitment.

When Leanna and Bryce meet next, Leanna has continued her life with a few changes. She’s now the mother of a beautiful young child, Kai, and she’s also an entrepreneur who has made a success out of her Pelican Harbor gift shop. Bryce is still the same man, traveling across the globe studying wolves. It’s enough for him or so his heart is able to lie until he sees Leanna again and realizes the feelings he had for her in the past have only grown stronger.

Despite her misgivings about Bryce, Leanna is unwilling to tell her heart no again and eventually gives in to her feelings. But when Bryce learns Kai is his daughter, will he forgive Leanna for such a huge betrayal?

The story of a man and a woman ending a relationship and then having a second chance at love only to have it placed in jeopardy by either an incident or the presence of a certain person is a typical romance plot and one, which is often told. Although His Harbor Girl follows along this same storyline, it is far from being an everyday, typical romance novel.

Thanks to Ambardar’s engaging storytelling and a cast of lovable characters, His Harbor Girl is a delightful standout among a sea of romance novels. It’s a simple romance that is so beautiful in its simplicity that the reading of the last page occurs simultaneously with a sigh of joy.

His Harbor Girl will make a splendid addition to any book collection.

Reviewed by Natasha, A Romance Review.

It has been five years since Leanna Reed moved back home to Pelican Harbor, Michigan. When Leanna found out she was pregnant she tried to get Bryce to make a commitment, but Bryce Robertson was married to his work and he had no room in his life for anyone else. So Leanna left him and went back home, without telling Bryce she was going to have his child.

Leanna was content with her life, she had her daughter Kai, friends and family around to help her out, and she even had her own gift shop called The Tug. It was built inside a tug boat that her father used to be the captain of. The only thing missing was the one man that still held her heart, Bryce. Imagine Leanna’s surprise when she was working in her shop and in walks Bryce.

For five years Bryce has been wondering why Leanna left, without even saying good-bye. When Bryce is offered a job to study the wolves on Benedict Island, right by Pelican Harbor, he figures now was his chance to find out exactly why Leanna left him. Bryce was not prepared for the feelings that surfaced when he saw Leanna, or for the beautiful little girl that called her mommy.

Leanna knew that she had to tell Bryce about his daughter, but she was determined to do it when she was ready. The only problem is Bryce seems determined to get Leanna back into his life. How can Leanna keep Bryce from finding out about Kai until she is ready to tell him, and what will he say when she does tell him?

HIS HARBOR GIRL may be a fast read, but it is also a very fulfilling story. All the characters in HIS HARBOR GIRL touched my heart in one way or another. Rekha Ambardar has written such a sweet story that it will keep the reader turning page after page, and ending just as a romance should, with a smile on your face and warmth in your heart.

Review from Romance Junkies

HIS HARBOR GIRL is a sweet contemporary novel and well written for Ms. Ambardar's debut novel. There's just enough good dialogue and complexity to make it a wonderful read. The characters are well developed. I would classify it as a keeper.

"I found in His Harbor Girl: Bryce's occupation as a scientist and wolf researcher, the authentic sense of community and descriptive details of lakeside living the author has incorporated into the storyline, the bittersweet joys of reunion and the lingering heartaches of the past...Rekha Ambardar makes all of these elements sing oh-so sweetly and entertains readers with the romantic tangles (and the dizzying ups and downs) of Leanna and Bryce's relationship. We may not get to know Bryce very well, but Leanna is a stronger personality and a more forceful part of the plot. Ms. Ambardar is still a developing talent, but her progression as a writer is bound to be a satisfying process to observe."

Mark Runyon needs a new housekeeper and his grandmother is leading the search. Too bad the woman she hires is not exactly what Mark is expecting. Finding the new housekeeper asleep in his home is something Mark is not expecting either. Nikki does not look old enough or strong enough to handle the job but Mark gives her the job anyway. Mark has been hurt in the past and does not easily give his trust to a woman. Mark is attracted to Nikki, even as he is unable to explain the reasons for his attraction. Will Mark be able to open his mind and heart and see how special Nikki is or will Nikki’s secret drive them apart?

Nikki is determined that she will achieve her dream of owning and running a catering business. Working as a housekeeper is only temporary – she needs a place to stay, and working for Mark provides free room and board. Having heard much about Mark from his grandmother, Nikki is surprised by the emotional and physical connections she feels to him. Even as she grows closer to Mark, Nikki fears what will happen when he learns her secret.

Maid to Order is a charming story will not soon be forgotten; the author has brought together two lonely hearts in this tale. Hurts from the past threaten to derail their relationship, but love wins in the end. Having to overcome parents' emotional abandonment and money-hungry people, the couple is able to form a lasting relationship.

Mark Runyon was a very successful businessman. He and his father owned Runyon Corporation. They built skyscrapers and townhouses. He needed a live-in housekeeper/cook for his apartment.

Nikki was taking cooking classes with Ellen Carstens. They had become good friends. Ellen knew that Nikki came from a rich and influential banking family. Nikki wanted to be a chef and have her own catering business. She was trying to do this on her own without using her family’s name or money. Nikki told Ellen that she had to find a new place to live. It turned out that her apartment was being taken over by the Runyon Corporation and everyone had to find new homes. Ellen got her a job as a housekeeper/cook for her grandson, Mark Runyon.

Mark did not know that Nikki was from a rich family and was distant with her. He thought she was out to take advantage of either him or his grandmother. One evening, Mark brought a special guest home. His Royal Highness Prince Khalid from Dahram was coming for dinner. Nikki fixed a special meal -- leg of lamb. The Prince praised the meal. He extended an invitation to Nikki to come over and teach his household how to cook American cuisine. Nikki teased him and told him that she may take him up on it. After the Prince left, Mark made a scene because he thought she was trying to take advantage of the Prince. In realty, he was jealous of her but would not admit it to himself.

Gradually, Mark and Nikki became friendlier. They liked to talk and share a meal together. Then, Nikki’s mother paid a visit. Mark recognized her. He became angry. Nikki and Mark had a big fight because he thought that she was making a fool out of him. He thought she was trying to trap him into marriage.

This is a very nice love story. The characters and their roles are very believable. It has some good old-fashioned romance in it. Mark’s suspicion of Nikki and his jealousy give the story just the right amount of awareness and sexual tension it needs. I believe that Ms. Ambardar’s next book will be even better. So, sit down and enjoy some light romance tonight.

Maid To Order begins as Mark Runyon is expecting a new housekeeper. He wasn't expecting to find a young woman asleep on his sofa. When he awakens the young woman she introduces herself as Nikki Slater his new housekeeper. She explains how his grandmother Ellen recommended her for the job. Mark is suspicious, it wouldn't be the first time that someone has taken advantage of his grandmother. He plans to keep and eye on Nikki and make sure she does her job and nothing else.
Nikki come from a financially wealthy family. She is determined to succeed on her own and is working her way through cooking school. She does not tell anyone that her family has money because she fears they will not take her seriously. She is surprised to find out that her new employer is the man her mother wanted her to meet and marry. She is attracted to him from the very beginning, but she will not let anything come before her dream of success. Together they will learn to work around each other both trying to deny the attraction they feel. They will continue like this until one or the other admits that they have fallen in love.

Maid to Order is titled for the job Nikki takes as a maid. A job that is just what she needs at the time. The character of Nikki has known the life of the wealthy. She loves her parents but she feels they were never around when she was growing up. Now she means to show them that she does not need them to make her way in the world. Mark is a man that has worked for the money he has and is not looking for a wife. He also does not want anyone taking advantage of his grandmother. He is wary of Nikki and not quite sure what to make of her. Both these characters are not trusting with others especially when it comes to their feelings. Their dialogue shows the difficulty they have in opening up to another person. They both are very goal oriented. When Mark finds out about Nikki, his difficulty trusting will lead him to feel that she has lied to him. He will be hurt and will have a hard time distinguishing Nikki from other people he could not trust. He will lash out in anger. Nikki will feel glad she did not take the risk of telling him how she feels. They will have to get past this not trusting if they ever want to find that special person to love. This is a sweet love story where two people learn to trust their own hearts.

Her Royal Highness Princess Licia Savoi will one day rule Oristano. As of late she has been in the papers too much, so her parents decide to send her to culinary school. It will be a good way to get away from the paparazzi. She will also be able to learn some culinary talents. Licia only agrees to go there because of her mama. When she meets Geoffrey in a market, she has no idea he is the instructor at the culinary school. One look at him and her heart races. He is indeed a wildly attractive man with an electrifying look. Geoffrey Hanks is impressed with Licia and is aware of her background. She knows her English rather well, and he is not shunned by the fact she is a princess. Upon learning that his assistant has to leave, he immediately calls upon Licia to be his helper. Licia grows weak in the knees every time she is near Geoffrey. All she wishes is to be beyond the palace and find someone to love, and that person return her love. As Licia and Geoffrey begin a sweet relationship, will two people from different cultures be able to break the barrier to find that one love to last?

Recipe for Romance is a sweet tender read. I love the premise of the characters being in different upbringings while learning about each other. I thought the learning process was uplifting as the two shared things while working at the school. Licia is an endearing character who is quite charming, and the experiences she endures while being away from the palace are a nice touch. She doesn't act high-minded or snobbish in any way. She emits life-like experiences that make the story feel more genuine. Rekha Ambardar takes two people and gives them a loving story that grows on the reader. I found this a delightful read.