Cantrelle Family Trilogy Series by Patricia Kay, Trisha Alexander

Set in the Louisiana bayou, this emotional story stars two brothers from a close-knit Cajun family, and the woman they both love. For Laura Sebastian, becoming part of the warm and fun-loving Cantrelle family would give her the kind of life she has always longed for, one filled with light, love, and joy. She could finally put the darkness of her past behind her. Yet when Norman Cantrelle, her boss and the youngest Cantrelle son, asks her to marry him, she is torn by doubt... moreSet in the Louisiana bayou, this emotional story stars two brothers from a close-knit Cajun family, and the woman they both love. For Laura Sebastian, becoming part of the warm and fun-loving Cantrelle family would give her the kind of life she has always longed for, one filled with light, love, and joy. She could finally put the darkness of her past behind her. Yet when Norman Cantrelle, her boss and the youngest Cantrelle son, asks her to marry him, she is torn by doubt. She thinks the world of Norman, but she doesn't love him, not the way she knows she should. A tough situation becomes decidedly worse when Laura and Norman are involved in a terrible accident one rainy night as they drive home from a business trip -- an accident that causes Norman's older brother, Neil Cantrelle, to return home to Louisiana to confront his past. Neil and Laura are inexorably drawn to one another and soon that attraction turns to the kind of love and desire that can't be ignored. Both fight against these feelings -- especially Neil -- but no matter how many times he tells himself Laura is off-limits, that he cannot hurt his brother this way -- he cannot wipe her out of his thoughts -- this forbidden woman both he and his brother love. less

She wasn’t the woman he was looking for . . . . But when he found her, he also found it impossible to stay away from her. Jack Forrester, investigative journalist, had been searching for his twin sister’s best friend, who had disappeared from Houston a few months earlier. He’d tracked the missing Elise to New Orleans. But the woman he thought was Elise turned out to be someone else — a beautiful, sexy, spirited someone else named Nicole Cantrelle... moreShe wasn’t the woman he was looking for . . . . But when he found her, he also found it impossible to stay away from her. Jack Forrester, investigative journalist, had been searching for his twin sister’s best friend, who had disappeared from Houston a few months earlier. He’d tracked the missing Elise to New Orleans. But the woman he thought was Elise turned out to be someone else — a beautiful, sexy, spirited someone else named Nicole Cantrelle. Nicole was alarmed by the man who followed her when she got off the streetcar she rode to and from work each day. She whipped out her can of Mace and told him not to come any closer. But something about his explanation — not to mention his charm, good looks, and irresistible smile — told her he was telling the truth. Against her better judgment, she agrees to help him in his quest to find his sister’s friend. Can Jack, a man who lives out of suitcases and travels the world, a man who doesn’t think he needs anyone, and Nicole, a single mother determined to give her daughter a stable home among the culture and family she loves, and dreams of finding a man to share that life, ever find common ground besides their physical attraction to one another? A passionate romance combined with a mystery . . . NEEDING NICOLE continues the saga of the Cantrelle family of Louisiana. PATRICIA KAY is the award-winning, best-selling author of more than 50 novels of romance and women's fiction. She is also an acclaimed writing teacher who has taught hundreds of students all over the world. Visit her website at www.patriciakay.com to read all about her and her books. She formerly wrote under the pseudonym Trisha Alexander. NEEDING NICOLE was originally published in 1992 with the title When Somebody Needs You. HERE'S WHAT REVIEWERS HAVE SAID ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND HER BOOKS "Ms. Alexander steals our hearts away . . . a winning love story with a dandy subplot!" -- Melinda Helfer, reviewing NEEDING NICOLE for Romantic Times Magazine. "A sweet romantic read with a touch of danger . . . " -- review of NEEDING NICOLE for Rendezvous Magazine. "...A master storyteller! . . . This author is bound to become a perennial favorite." -- Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author "Patricia Kay has done a fantastic job of delving into a powerful story that will take your breath away." -- Amy Cunningham, Romance Reviews Today (about FAMILY ALBUM) "If you love LaVyrle Spencer, you'll love Patricia Kay." -- Deborah Smith "Kay's books are character-driven, and the pacing is inexorable, as her characters stumble, walk, and finally race toward redemption." -- Patricia O'Dea Rosen, Happily Ever After newsletter "Full bodied characters, rich emotional scenes, strong conflict, and sensual tension . . ." From a review by Pamela Cohen, Romantic Times Magazine "It was wonderful. You had me sniffling and tearing up at the store in front of my customers. One of the most moving books I've read in a long time." -- Merry Cutler, Annie's book Shop, Sharon, MA (reviewing WITH THIS RING) "A very good job exploring the emotional consequences of a heartbreaking romantic triangle. WITH THIS RING is a touching read." -- Romantic Times Magazine less

It had to be Elise. The beautiful young Cajun woman standing in the rainswept New Orleans street simply had to be the key to the dark mystery that had brought journalist Jack Forrester all the way from Texas. And whatever Desiree Cantrelle said—and whoever she claimed to be—he wasn't leaving until he knew the truth about her. And so he followed her, down a tangled path that led deep into the heart of Louisiana's bayou country—and deep into the past... moreIt had to be Elise. The beautiful young Cajun woman standing in the rainswept New Orleans street simply had to be the key to the dark mystery that had brought journalist Jack Forrester all the way from Texas. And whatever Desiree Cantrelle said—and whoever she claimed to be—he wasn't leaving until he knew the truth about her. And so he followed her, down a tangled path that led deep into the heart of Louisiana's bayou country—and deep into the past. And there, in a world that could not have been more different from his own, he found something beyond the simple truth. He found a woman he wanted as he had never wanted anything, a woman who brought light into his shadowed life... less

He liked everything about her . . . Sloan Devereaux, called Dev, who along with his teenage daughter is spending a year in Louisiana studying Cajun culture and teaching at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette, finds something there he hadn't bargained for . . . a beautiful, strong, courageous and passionate woman who might possibly give him a reason to trust . . . and love again... moreHe liked everything about her . . . Sloan Devereaux, called Dev, who along with his teenage daughter is spending a year in Louisiana studying Cajun culture and teaching at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette, finds something there he hadn't bargained for . . . a beautiful, strong, courageous and passionate woman who might possibly give him a reason to trust . . . and love again. Among the proud Cajun people of her heritage, Elise Cantrelle, who was abused by her former husband, has finally found the peace she's always yearned for. She's also found satisfying work she's passionate about and a sense of belonging she's never before known. What she feels for Dev threatens that peace, because although he wants her, she's not sure he needs or loves her. And Elise won't settle for less. Their story is the third in the series about the Cantrelle family of Louisiana and includes updates on all the characters from books #1 and #2. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Patricia Kay is the award winning, best-selling author of more than 50 novels of romance and women's fiction. She is also an acclaimed writing teacher who has taught hundreds of students all over the world. You can read all about her and her books on her website, www.patriciakay.com . Author's Note: EMBRACING ELISE was originally published in 1993 with the title When Somebody Wants You. It was written under my then-pseudonym, Trisha Alexander. HERE'S WHAT REVIEWERS AND OTHERS HAVE HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND HER BOOKS: "This book tugged at the heart strings." -- from a review of EMBRACING ELISE in Rendezvous Magazine "Ms. Alexander spices up her intriguing tale with a beautifully realized Cajun ambiance that makes you feel right on the spot." -- from a review of EMBRACING ELISE in Romantic Times Magazine ".A master storyteller! . . . This author is bound to become a perennial favorite." -- Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author "Patricia Kay has done a fantastic job of delving into a powerful story that will take your breath away." -- Amy Cunningham, Romance Reviews Today (about FAMILY ALBUM) "If you love LaVyrle Spencer, you'll love Patricia Kay." -- Deborah Smith "Kay's books are character-driven, and the pacing is inexorable, as her characters stumble, walk, and finally race toward redemption." -- Patricia O'Dea Rosen, Happily Ever After newsletter "Full bodied characters, rich emotional scenes, strong conflict, and sensual tension . . ." From a review by Pamela Cohen, Romantic Times Magazine "It was wonderful. You had me sniffling and tearing up at the store in front of my customers. One of the most moving books I've read in a long time." -- Merry Cutler, Annie's book Shop, Sharon, MA (reviewing WITH THIS RING) " . . . A very good job exploring the emotional consequences of a heartbreaking romantic triangle. WITH THIS RING is a touching read." -- Romantic Times Magazine less