Knocked Up in Alaska

The author takes the reader back to Captivity, Alaska, where the heroes are always ready to help . Ford Langley is one of these men. A former Army Special Forces, currently bar owner, has been attracted to Lilah for a while But he believes that young Lilah Iquat is off-limits. That said, he’ll do whatever he can to help her. Lilah finds herself pregnant with the baby’s father gone, and a mother that isn’t supportive. But what is Captivity if not a supportive “village”. It was interesting watching the interaction between Lilah and Ford. Two individuals that are opposites, but that doesn’t stop the attraction. Will grumpy Ford and Lilah and her sunshine attitude have them realizing that they belong together? I have to confess that at times I found the story dragging and lost my attention. Because of that it was more of a 3.5 stars story for me. Still, is was an enjoyable story. I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley and Entangled. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

KNOCKED UP IN ALASKA is the third instalment in Samanthe Beck’s contemporary,adult CAPTIVITY ALASKA erotic, romance series. This is thirty-one year old, bar owner and ex-Army Special Forces Ford Langley, and twenty-one year old, Lilah Iquat’s story line. KNOCKED UP IN ALASKA can be read as a stand alone but for back story and cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order as there is an ongoing premise throughout. There is a slight paranormal element to the story line. SOME BACKGROUND: Several months earlier Shay Shanahan, part owner of Captivity Air and Freight, died when his plane slammed into the side of a mountain. In the ensuing months, Shay’s brother and sister found love but all that remained of Shay were memories and grief. A surprise awaits the grieving siblings as Shay will live on with our story line heroine. NOTE: If you have not read the previous instalments there may be spoilers in my review. Told from third person perspective KNOCKED UP IN ALASKA follows the building romance and relationship between thirty-one year old, bar owner and ex-Army Special Forces Ford Langley, and twenty-one year old, Lilah Iquat. The tight knit town of Captivity Alaska has always protected their own, and when twenty-one year old Lilah Iquat’s pregnancy is revealed, the town surrounds our heroine in the wake of her mother’s rejection and hurt. Witnessing the fall-out of the mother –daughter rift, bar owner Ford Langley offers Lilah a job and a place to stay, an offer that pushes the couple closer together. As the pregnancy progresses, Lilah and Ford’s relationship builds but Ford refuses to cross an invisible line, pushing Lilah towards someone else, someone who refuses to back down. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Lilah and Ford, and the potential fall-out as Ford struggles with his attraction to a woman whose entire life is on the precipice of change. Lilah Iquat needed to prove she was a woman; an adult capable of making her own decisions but an unexpected pregnancy was never a possibility and with it, the loss of family, the father, and her mother’s support. When her pregnancy is revealed, the townspeople make sure our heroine knows she is loved and protected including the love for a child they already call their own. Ford Langley never expected to fall for our story line heroine but his need to protect Lilah overrides all common sense until Lilah announces her plans for the future, plans Ford refuses to acknowledge or accept. The relationship between Lilah and Ford is a friends to lovers. Lilah is pregnant ; the father is never coming home; and our heroine has been rejected by the only family she has ever known. Falling for Ford was easy, convincing Ford to take a chance on love may be more difficult than Lilah could have ever imagined. Ford has a secret of his own, a secret that only Lilah knows but said secrets is about to arrive in Captivity, Alaska, and with it, an unexpected change in plans for our story line hero. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and endearing secondary and supporting characters including Trace and Isabelle (Wild in Captivity 1), Bridget and Archer (Play Dirty in Alaska 2), fishing boat captain Jorg Henrickson; pilots Wyatt ‘Wingnut’ Jensen and Maddox ‘Mad Dog’ Douglas; Inn owner and Lilah’s mother Rose, as well as bush pilot Ray Sandoval. KNOCKED UP IN ALASKA is a story of grief and loss, family and friendships, support and understanding, acceptance and love. The small-town premise is emotional and engaging; the romance is seductive; the characters are energetic, charismatic and fun.

I loved Lilah's story! Ever since I read the first book in the Captivity Alaska series, I've been waiting to read Lilah's story. Let me tell you, it was everything I was hoping for and so much more! Ford was also a secondary character (and Bridget showed us just how game he was in her book!) but I don't think I was expecting him to be Lilah's forever hero. Ah, but he is the perfect guy for her! Once he gets off his "I'm too old for her" high horse and starts to see her as a fully grown woman, that is. This heartwarming story charmed me on so many levels. Lilah's relationship with her mother, with Shay's siblings, how Mia just fit right in, the knitting challenge, the jewelry story trip - that one nearly brought me to tears! So much good stuff in this book - I couldn't put it down and I absolutely loved every bit of it. I really loved the light spiritualism in all these books, how they interact with Shay and allow for his input. Not quite on a paranormal level, just a little beyond the terrestrial plane. It was an exquisitely tender way to include a character who plays such an important role in the lives of his family. This is a standalone romance with a wonderful HEA. I highly recommend the entire series for anyone who loves contemporary romance, small towns, strong women, and swoonworthy men. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.