Jonquils for Jax: The Rousseaus #1 (12) (The Blueberry Lane Series) Paperback – August 19, 2016

“My heart beats only for you.”Fate and destiny are timeless themes in Katy Regnery's beloved Blueberry Lane series, and such is certainly the case in JONQUILS FOR JAX (Rousseaus, Bk 1), when a chance encounter in a moonlit garden changes the course of the hero and heroine’s lives in beautiful and profound ways!When Hollywood movie producer heiress Jacqueline “Jax” Rousseau flees from a drunken wedding reveler on the night of her brother Etienne's nuptials, she suddenly finds herself hurtling into the strong, solid arms of hunky Haverford Park landscaper, Gardener Thibodeaux. “There was something strange, almost mystical, about finding him working in the garden—the way he’d materialized out of shadows and moonlight, the stark contrast between his huge, masculine body and the delicate flowers he was planting so carefully.”An immediate magnetic attraction sparks between them after he swoops to the rescue and protects her from harm. But Jax does not trust easily, and with good cause. She's been holed up at her family estate after being hounded by the paparazzi. Overnight she’d lost her privacy and had only been able to reclaim it by packing up her things, selling her apartment in California, and returning to the safety of Le Chateau in her upscale Philadelphia hometown. Nevertheless she is inexplicably drawn to the gruff, mysterious Gard and she finds herself cajoling her unwitting savior into giving her self-defense lessons. Jax had lost so much control over her life over the last several months so learning to defend herself feels like a step toward reclaiming her self-reliance. The more time she spends with the tight-lipped loner, the harder she falls. But despite their growing closeness, she's left with the more questions than answers. Who is this suave man of mystery who left the police force under mysterious circumstances to work as her neighbor’s gardener? What secrets lurk behind his world weary blue eyes? And why is she harboring forbidden fantasies about a man she barely knows??? Jax is never one to back away from a challenge and she is determined to unravel his secrets one by one.However, Gard does not make it easy on her…at least at first. A devastating work related injury forced the highly decorated cop onto an early retirement and he is now working as a part-time gardener at the English estate as he licks his wounds and tries to adjust to his new normal. He was living a quiet, uncomplicated life until this raven haired breath of fresh air blew into his life. Although they came from different worlds she illuminated the dark corners of his achingly lonely heart "like a burst of something very sweet and very bright in a dark, bitter life. Like a jonquil. Like a kiss of bright orange in the middle of quiet white.”But even as their spark of attraction slowly smolders into hot burning lust, he worries that she will look at him differently once she discovers his devastating secret. Can true love blossom against all odds ?Oh, mon Dieu! This beaming ray of sweet sunshine of a romance kinda caught me off guard. I always relish revisiting the vibrant and memorable characters from the Winslows, Rousseaus and English clans, prominently featured in the long-running Blueberry Lane series, and was totally expecting a whimsical, breezily romantic summer read that would sweep me off my feet. But the intense rush of raw, wild emotions it stirred in my soul kind of blindsided me. Ms. Regnery pours her heart into each and every book she writes, and they are all special and refreshingly unique in their own way, but there was just SOMETHING about this BL tale that resonated so deeply with me that I am still reeling!I always fall head over heels for all of Katy Regnery’s heroes, but the gruff, brooding Cajun Frenchman from Nawlins, with his battered, achingly beautiful heart and fierce male pride owned me from page one!!! The romance between Gard and his Duchess sparkled and shimmered like Jax’s gorgeous “emeralds.” I relished their adorable banter, their fiery sparks, their deliciously hot flirtation…their endearing tenderness. Although in theory the “brassy, sassy” socialite, with her designer clothes, entitled manners and interrogation-style conversational skills was all wrong--and an impossible distraction--for this humble, taciturn ex-cop who was looking for calm and stability as he slowly rebuilt the tattered fragments of his life. But as it turned out, the more time he spent with his Duchess the more she got under his skin and the deeper he leaned into love with her.But would they be able to collaboratively reassemble their lives by taking the pieces that matter and figure out how to fit them together? It’s a Blueberry Lane book…with a guaranteed epic HEA…penned by the #QueenofSwoony Romance. So of COURSE they will! And, as expected, destiny and fate play an indelible role in uniting these trueloves in forever bliss.In closing, I will leave it at this. JONQUILS FOR JAX was absolutely magnifique! A sigh-worthy summer read to savor time and again.

Katy Regnery has slowly but surely become a “go to author” for me when I’m in the mood for a refreshingly sweet but laced with enough passionate romance/back and forth romantic angst between two destined to be together lovebirds that I can’t help but stay fully engaged to the very end.Gard (Gardener) may have been the one to come to Jacqueline’s (Jax) rescue in the very beginning, but Jax paid that forward with her sensitivity, compassion and eventual love that gave this wounded on the job/nearly blind former cop the emotional healing he needed to feel whole again. Turnabout seemed to be fair play as this sweet talking hero also ultimately ended up inspiring her to go after what she really wanted in life.Sure, there were a few things I would have preferred to have been different. Gard’s name for one. A gardener whose name is actually Gardener. Well, need I say more? No, I didn’t think so. That oddity speaks for itself. Jax’s mama drama and letting that OTT selfish woman rant, rave, curse at her a way a mama never should, then order her around made Jax come across extremely weak and immature, folks. For someone who claimed to now be master of her domain, she didn’t stand up to Mommy Dearest and cried at the drop of a hat over, well, almost everything. The scene where she deliberately embarrasses the man who cheated with Gard's ex-girlfriend felt juenvile to me. Just wish she had let it go. Everyone there knew what a loser he was. His former actions spoke for itself. For me, it took away some of her class.I shrugged all that off though and instead concentrated on the sweet back and forth French flirty banter between this sweet, perfect for each other couple as they became friends then lovers. Yeah, it starts off with them actually getting to know each other first before sharing some very graphically smexy scenes.With a fairly predictable ending/romantic gesture that takes care of pretty much all of Jax’s problems, it ends with a happy for now conclusion. If you are looking for an endearing, uncomplicated sweet yet passionate romantic read, you might want to check out this book, as well as the other seemingly linked series written by this author.Title: Jonquils for Jax, Series: The Rousseaus/Blueberry Lane series (Book 1), Author: Katy Regnery, Pages: 243, stand-alone but part of a multi-series, former cop/visually impaired hero, sweet/Hollywood producer heroine, get to know each other first, sweet/slow build up to romance, she completes him, he motivates her to go after what she wants, HEA, no cheating, no love triangle, no OW/OM drama, nonvirgin main couple, both have been celibate for awhile, romance safe.(These comments are based on a purchased copy. This is not a detailed ARC review.)

Jonquils For Jax is just one more reason I love to read any book written by Katy Regnery. It is one of my favorite story lines, of two people from very different worlds, colliding one dark night, and perhaps finding someone they were fated to spent their future with forever.Jax Rousseau had come home to her childhood home Le Chateau to attend the wedding of Jax's older brother Etienne. She also came home to seek sanction from her Hollywood life. Running away from her dinner partner, who was chasing her with lustful and drunken intentions, she ran straight into a wall of something. Teetering on her four-inch heels, she lost the battle with gravity, and landed with an inelegant plop on her backside. That was her first introduction to the neighbor's new gardener named Gardener. Before their time together ended that night, he would rescue her, tend to her injuries, and then reject her attempt at seduction. That might have been the end of their story, but Jax decided it wouldn't be. The next day she would return to the small gardener's apartment, to “thank” the man, who called her Duchess. And just maybe offer to be his “friend”.She was too young, too rich, too uppity, and way too much trouble for someone like Gardener. But if Jax was hiding from life at Le Chateau, he was hiding too, working as a live-in gardener at a fancy house like Haverford Park. His full name was Gardener Pierre Thibodeaux and in spite of all their differences, they were two broken creatures hiding from the world. They were wounded souls that were lonely and fate had brought them together. They were still from different worlds, but they were also crashing into each other like they were fated to be, and they would fight the odds to be together on Blueberry Lane.

A sweet romance betwen beautiful but disslusioned movie Producer, Jacqueline Rousseau who has returned to her childhood home on Blueberry Lane for her brother's wedding; where she accidentally meets Gardener Thibodeaux who has come to Blueberry Lane as a gardener for the one of Jax’s neighbors after sudden end to his own career. Although they both initially fight their instant attraction it isn't long before they both realise that together they feel secure and loved. This is this a lovely addition to the Bluberry Lane Series which is well worth reading if you haven't already found/read it. I'm already excited to see what happens to Jax's twin sister Mad, the next in the series

A sweet and easy read. Jax had success as a Hollywood producer but the attention made her run away and hide in their holiday home. Gardener is hiding for different reasons. They bring out the best in each other.

I really love this series, I can't wait for the next few books! Keep up the good work Katy :-)

Wish these books were longer ! Would be great as a TV show love love LOVE!

As a huge fan of Katy Regnery's Blueberry Lane series I was excited beyond words  for Jonquils for Jax (The Rousseaus #1). As soon as it hit my kindle I started to read it and couldn't put it down until I've reached the end. I was swooning throughout the whole book and was once again reminded why I adore this author. Katy knows how to write a beautiful love story that will touch you deeply and never let you go. I loved all the French words and phrases in this book and every time I came across them my heart filled with love and happiness making me fall more and more for Jax and her Gardener. On the outside Jacqueline “Jax” Rousseau seems to have it all: she is beautiful, smart, rich and successful. Only in terms of love she has no luck at all. She used to date all the "right people" (well-bred guys from good Philadelphia families) but they all only managed to disappoint her. Now Jax has sworn off man, at least until she has an unexpected run-in at her brother's wedding with the gorgeous Gardener Pierre Thibodeaux. Gard is an ex-cop who had to quit his profession because he was injured on a mission. Now he is her neighbor’s new landscaper, living in a cottage at Haverford Park and rebuilding his life into a calm, safe place. Since Jax won an Oscar for her re-make of the Philladelphia Story she is followed by paparazzi everywhere. In order to feel safe again she decides to take self-defense classes. But she doesn't want any instructor, she wants Gard...Will these two people who are both hiding from the world find happiness and love in each others arms? In order to find out you need to read this amazing book.Gard and Jax were both such loveable characters. I loved how protective and gentle Gard was towards his duchess (his nickname for Jax). He is such an honorable man!Jax was beautiful inside and out. Even though she was raised in wealth and luxury she was not a snob. I loved her sizzling chemistry wird Gard and her loving relationship with her siblings (especially her twin sister Mad).JFJ was the perfect summer read and a great addition to the Blueberry Lane series! I highly recommend it and can't wait for the next book "Marry Me Mad" (The Rousseaus #2).