The Good Daughter
THE GOOD DAUGHTER
Third book in the Deep in the Heart Series

Finalist in the 2004 Texas Gold Contest!!

ISBN 0-373-71142-5
Harlequin SuperRomance #1142

July 2003

Read an Excerpt | Purchase Now


"In a book that's character-driven, intense, sensual and fast-paced, Jean Brashear does it again!" --Romantic Times Bookclub


Chloe St. Claire is the quintessential good girl, daughter of privilege and society's darling, but inside her grows a gnawing that asks "Is this all there is?" She took her current job as a police psychologist to broaden her world past charity functions and ladies' lunches. The job has strained relations with her doting parents and the assistant district attorney and rising political star her parents want her to marry.

But Chloe wants to make a difference in the world.

She gets more than she bargained for when she's assigned to the case of Vince Coronado.

Vince is a legend on the force, but if he weren't so effective, he'd have been busted off the force long ago. Abandoned at six by a prostitute mother to a series of foster homes and finally on the streets at thirteen, he was headed for jail until he was arrested by a cop who cared. That cop saved him; now he's dead at the hands of a prison gang leader, and Vince is determined to find justice.

Instead, Vince finds himself suspected of murder—and Chloe holds the key to getting his job back.

An attraction as ill-timed as it is powerful raises the stakes for them both. When evidence mounts that Vince has gone rogue, will Chloe rebel against everyone to defend him or remain, as she's always been, THE GOOD DAUGHTER?


~ Reviews ~

"This story got better and better as it unfolded...A good read. -Delia Larkins, TheBestReviews"

"Jean Brashear writes a fascinating story, a book that is engrossing from beginning to end. She is definitely an author to watch and appreciate and I will be looking forward to the next book in this terrific series. --Marilyn Heyman, TheBestReviews"

"For those of you who fell in love with Superromance author Jean Brashear while reading the first two books in her Deep In The Heart mini series, you ll be excited beyond belief to know that Chloe s story, the last and final installment in the series has finally been released. And let me tell you, after reading The Good Daughter, I can honestly say they saved the best and most exciting for last....

When I hear the name Jean Brashear I immediately think overwhelmingly soul-deep romances I ll never forget. I don t know why unless it s the fact that she constantly writes characters like Chloe, a vulnerable heroine, who constantly pulls at your heartstrings until the breaking point, or Vince, a mouth-watering hero who has readers alternating between wanting him as their own and wanting to just hug him and soothe the abandoned little boy that still lurks inside of him. Both seem to literally jump off the pages and become real to readers as you and me. Like all of Ms. Brashear s past couples, they cause readers to sigh whenever they are together.

So the next time you visit your local bookstore looking to find something exciting, emotional and romantic to read, add a copy of Jean Brashear s The Good Daughter to your TBR pile. You won t be disappointed, because once you start reading you ll know exactly how Ms. Brashear came to be the award-winning best-selling author she is today." --Diana Tidlund, Writers Unlimited Reviewer

"Jean Brashear's The Good Daughter is the third in her Deep in the Heart series, and the characters in this installment are as adeptly drawn, and as painfully real as those in the first two books...Brashear's books cut deep. The emotion, the knowledge both of the painful divide between haves and have nots, sometimes as a result of the historical divide between the ethnic groups of Texas, sometimes because of the human intangibles of opportunity, perspective, perseverance or frailty, hit the reader in each of the stories, and demand a reaction. In The Good Daughter, the elements of suspense and a good police story enrich the passionate encounters between a cool, level-headed psychologist and a brash cop who understands honor as few others do.

Few series have inspired me to run out and buy (or pre-order) the other books in the series. Brashear's Healer made me do that and The Good Daughter has me reading all the fine print looking for the next in the series. Looking impatiently.
---RendezvousReviews

"Opposites attract as THE GOOD DAUGHTER brings together a legendary cop accused of murder and the society girl who can bring him down. Author Jean Brashear's powerful storytelling ability dazzles as sizzling chemistry that lends hope to the impossible in a tale that will touch reader's hearts. Indeed, Brashear's understanding of the heart and the complexities of family relationships lend THE GOOD DUAGHTER emotional depth and gripping angst. Readers will find THE GOOD DAUGHTER to be an outstanding read that belongs on the keeper shelf. THE GOOD DAUGHTER earns the WordWeaving Award for Excellence."
--Wordweaving.com

"Jean Brashear concludes her wonderful Malone sisters trilogy for Harlequin Superromance with another outstanding read in THE GOOD DAUGHTER ...her "Deep In The Heart" series for Harlequin Superromance just keeps getting better and better with endearing characters and memorable plots set in her home state of Texas that will remain deep in readers' hearts!"
-Patricia Rouse, Rouse's Romance Readers Groups


~Excerpt~

"Ask Detective Coronado to come in, please, Wanda." After replacing the receiver, she carefully folded her hands on the desktop to still the sudden attack of nerves as the door opened.

Then there he was. Looking far too good.

His gaze locked on hers. Blue eyes spoke volumes in a voice she couldn't afford to hear...but reverberated deep inside her.

Chloe couldn't tear her gaze away.

"Chloe—"

She stirred. Blinked. "Detective." She nodded carefully.

For a second, something in him seemed almost...vulnerable. An answering softness rose in her; ruthlessly she quelled it.

He searched her face, and disappointment flickered. Then the hard cop took over. He seated himself in front of her desk.

Chloe tried to remember what she'd thought they could talk about. Opening the file in front of her, she grasped at a topic. "About your family-"

"Don't—" His dark tone wounded her. "Just let me go, all right? Cut me loose."

She gripped her fingers together until the knuckles went white. "My terms were clear. I have a job to do."

He slapped both hands on his thighs, then rose to pace, jamming his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. Jaw flexing, he faced her windows, his powerful frame tense.

Chloe waited, trying to give him room. She'd been kidding herself that this wouldn't be hard.

Suddenly, Vince whirled, strode across the room and pulled her to her feet. Before she could react, his lips claimed hers.

Shock stilled her, then she tumbled in the onslaught of too many sensations-his body hard against hers, the tantalizing taste of his kiss. She grabbed his shirt for an anchor, wanting—

More.

When he felt her press closer, Vince groaned. "Chloe—" Against every instinct he possessed, he knew he had to pull back. Now.

But he only wanted to get closer.

With great effort, Vince disentangled his mouth from hers, placing a gentle kiss to the corner, then dragging himself away from the pulse point of her neck.

"Fire me," he said, his voice hoarse.

"What?" Confusion swirled in her eyes.

"I can't be your client. You're driving me crazy."

Chloe stared at him, mourning his distance even as returning reason told her it had to happen. Her fingers tingled with the texture of his shirt, of his warm, muscled torso. Her body hummed with the longings he elicited with little effort. She'd never felt like this-never even imagined it.

If she'd ever doubted it, she was certain now that Roger's time was at an end, but there could be nothing between her and Vince until his troubles were over. If she cared about him at all, she had to help him—and that meant not letting anyone know that he was becoming important to her. If Roger found out, he'd crucify Vince out of damaged pride, if nothing else.

Sobered by the realization that she could do Vince great harm, she escaped toward her credenza and poured a glass of water for her suddenly parched throat. Drawing upon reserves she'd never realized she had, Chloe asked, in her mother's best hostess tone, "Would you care for a glass of water?"

"No." Jaw tight, stance rigid, he looked at the trees. "Thank you."

She desperately wanted to talk about what had just happened; instead, Chloe retreated into a professional mode. "Tell me how you're feeling about being on leave."

"Damn you." Immediately, she looked stricken, and Vince cursed himself. His undercover experience made him as much actor as cop; he could handle this. All he had to do was to forget about her as Chloe. Pretend she was a target. A means to an end.

All he had to do was not remember tendrils of hair curling on her neck. Forget her laughter, blank out her softness—

Hell.

"You know this is our last session," he said.

To his surprise, she didn't immediately refuse.

"I have a responsibility to the department, as well as to you, to be sure you're fit for duty."

He stiffened. "Do you honestly doubt it?"

"At this moment, I doubt everything about my judgment."

The uncertainty in her eyes dampened his building fury. "What would it take for you to trust yourself again?"

Her lips curved with wry amusement. "I have no idea."

Vince dropped his head. "I'm sorry, Doc. I never meant for this to happen." He looked up, grin crooked, dimple winking. "You're not my type, you know."

"Vince—"

"You don't have to tell me," he said, holding up a hand. "You don't date mongrels."

Surprise slid over her features. "You're not a mongrel."

"Get real. You're a registered purebred, and I'm a mutt straight from the alleys."

A flicker of humor united them for one brief instant.

Abruptly, Chloe sobered. "We can't have this discussion right now. I have a report to turn in, and despite how I've botched things so far, I can't live with myself if I release you before I've made my best effort at completing the requirements to render a sound opinion."

"Do you believe them, is that it? Newcombe and Barnes?"

She appeared startled. "No."

"Then what will it take for you to let me go?"

Copyright © 2003 Harlequin Enterprises Limited.  ® and ™ are trademarks of the publisherr.


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