Welcome back to Rock Canyon and meet those trashy Willis
sisters, more precisely Valerie. The sisters have a bad
reputation, but there's so much more than meets the eye.
When they first met, Justin Silverton, 20, was a Marine on
leave and Valerie 16. He was immediately smitten, as was
she. After a wild night, he never heard from her again; she
seemed to have vanished into thin air. What Justin didn't
know is that Valerie had been sent away to school by her
father to keep her in check, and mostly away from him.
Val's
father hates Justin's, for reasons we get to know as we move
along. Edward Willis, Val's father, is a control freak, so
much so that he convinced her to marry a man she didn't love
and she stayed with him for a few years until she could not
stand it any longer, which did not go over well with her
father. Now 26, Val has never been in love because of her
bitter experience with her now ex-husband, and something
else I'd rather readers discover for themselves.
She has
serious anger issues, but it's the only way she's found to
cope with her father's demands, as she's forever hoping he
will demonstrate her some love; treat her like a daughter
and not a pawn to be moved to advance his political career.
Ten years later, Justin is now a civilian, and manages his
father's farm, along with his older brother. His father has
had drinking issues for too long and it has made Justin's
life hard as well. Justin and Val meet again; she is adamant
about not dating anyone, not wanting to get married, but
Justin would like to convince her to take a chance. Due to a
mix-up in a contest and Val's father, Justin and Valerie
both end up attending a matchmaking weekend. At first, the
story seems like a typical reunion of high school kids
picking up where they left off, but the more we read, the
more we learn what makes Valerie tick, and it's very painful
at times.
BAD GIRLS DON'T MARRY MARINES is so much more than a love
story: it's
about standing up for yourself, making your own choices and
taking risks at happiness. Very harsh words are exchanged
between the characters, and the dialogue is so genuine, it
feels like eavesdropping at times. Since it's a romance, we
know there will be a happy ending, but it's a tortuous road
for Justin and Val before they get theirs; honestly, I
wasn't sure until the end that it would end well for them.
BAD GIRLS DON'T MARRY MARINES is a very powerful book, and
I'm very much looking forward to what Codi Gary will offer
us in the future. And, everyone will remember the first kiss
between Val and Justin: it's a very short scene but
unforgettable.
Valerie Willis has done it all: tattoos, one-night stands,
even strip poker. And now she can add getting a messy public
divorce to that list. Back in her hometown of Rock Canyon,
Val just wants to bury her head and wait for the scandal to
pass. But when she suddenly finds herself at a singles'
weekend face-to-face with former flame Justin Silverton,
hiding from her heart—and the sexy Marine—won't be that
simple.
Is just too good to let go …
It's been ten years since Justin kissed Val, but he still
remembers the way they just seemed to … fit. Since then he's
served his country and helped his father keep their ranch
intact, but he's never forgotten Val or her wild ways. So
when a twist of fate brings him the chance to chase her
across state lines and spend a weekend winning her heart,
Justin's all in. Because when he sees something he wants, he
fights for it. And he's ready to fight for the right to call
this bad girl his one and only.