First Love, Second Chance

by Ken Casper and K.N. Casper

Book Overview

Michael First seems to have everything a man could want -- a wife he adores; beautiful children he delights in; loving parents and siblings who live close by the west Texas ranch where he works. Then... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 037371100X
• ISBN13: 9780373711000
• Release Date: December 2002
• Publisher: Harlequin Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.2" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

Highly recommended

A horrible accident sends his wife careening over a mountainside, leaving grief stricken Michael First charged with murder. Someone tampered with the brakes, and all evidence points to him. Family joins rank to support Michael and his four grieving children as he attempts to balance his defense with caring for his family and the ranch. When he seeks legal counsel, however, his lawyer introduces Michael to his partner, Lara Stovall.Michael and Lara had been high school sweethearts until college brought about change. Michael took one look at Clare and fell head over heals in love, eventually marrying her and creating a life together. If he had not met and married Clare, there was a good chance Michael and Lara might have created a life together. Now after twenty years and profound change, any personal relationship they once shared must take a backseat to a murder charge. With FIRST LOVE, SECOND CHANCE, author K.N. Casper provides a strong finish to The First Family of Texas series. The complexities and flaws that make these characters memorable and unique have deeply touched readers who have followed this powerful series. FIRST LOVE, SECOND CHANCE follows its predecessors with a vivid setting, potent conflict, and scintillating dialogue. These mature characters face the ethical dilemmas and family concerns that make Casper's novels memorable. Readers will eagerly await future offerings from this talented author. FIRST LOVE, SECOND CHANCE, comes highly recommended.

A great romantic suspense!

If you enjoy reading romance with a strong suspense element, you'll love K.N. Casper's FIRST LOVE, SECOND CHANCE. With characters the reader can relate to and a distinctive storytelling voice, this is an author I enjoyed reading and will look for again. I loved the idea that attorney Lara Stovall would react in a human way by struggling to balance her emotions and actions between professionalism and following her heart. Yes, she is Michael First's attorney--but he was the young man who set her soul on fire years ago! How hard would that be to resist? I couldn't resist Michael any more than Lara can! And Lara is a strong, intelligent woman who is easy to relate to and admire. All in all--a wonderful story with a fun-filled "whodunit" that keeps the reader guessing as to the villian's identity.

Courtroom Thriller

Michael First manages a portion of his family's ranch which has been parceled off and put under a general manager, but his dream is to unite the parcels. Married with four children, Michael's idyllic life ends when his wife, Clare, dies at the wheel of his restored MGTD. Matters worsen when Michael is charged with Clare's murder. His attorney calls in an expert criminal colleague who is a former girlfriend.Lara Stovall, neither believes nor doubts Michael's innocence, but she's there to do her job. However, an attraction to Michael, one that never completely went away, simmers just beneath the surface. As she digs deeper into his past, she discovers chinks in Michael's armor, things that don't add up, and she's determined to discover the truth.I had a slight problem believing Lara would allow herself to become emotionally involved with her client, but there's enough great courtroom drama and wonderfully descriptive writing for me to suspend my disbelief for the story's sake. Highly recommended.

strong legal procedural romance

As a member of "The First Family of Texas", Michael First seems to live the perfect life that everyone else covets. He comes from a highly respected and wealthy family and has been successful in business. His marriage is considered not only stable, but the happily ever after that exists in fairy tales only. In fact, Michael seems to be the handsome prince who always succeeds in the fairy tales.Michael's allegedly idyllic life abruptly ends when the police charge him with killing his spouse. Michael hires his high school girlfriend, attorney Lara Stovell to defend him in court. As the media fries Michael as a fallen angel, an attraction between the lawyer and her client ignites. This not only a big legal taboo, but also any wrong doing could supply the extra power to the state, known for capital punishment, to execute Michael.Though readers will just have to accept the affluent influential Michael selecting Lara as his dream team lawyer with the choices he has (Cochran anyone?), fans will enjoy this strong legal procedural romance. While the lead couple's attraction intensifies, the suspense grows at the same rate as the prosecution's case against the accused fits like a glove. Though the legal thriller subplot is cleverly designed as the prime theme, the romance boils to a point that augments the main plot with ethical questions. Lara is a fine protagonist as she argues that her client is not guilty. However, Michael owns K. N. Casper's novel as he battles guilt, a depressing feeling of pending doom, and love as much as he tries to prove he is innocent to his beloved and his family.Harriet Klausner