Fun and flirty...
If you like romantic comedy with a Christmas theme, a sexy rich guy, an Irish heroine who mutters in Gaelic, a crazy bet, a long held secret, and lots of pets, then chances are you’ll enjoy LOVING LOGAN.

What Bailey O’Donlan wants this Christmas is for Logan Mitchell, the only man she's ever loved, to disappear before he learns her secret.
She's not asking much. After all, Mitch has disappeared before. Bailey’s seen neither hide nor hair of him in eight long years, ever since the Christmas Eve she climbed through his bedroom window with stars in her eyes.
Instead, what she gets is one stray golden retriever, one conga-dancing basset hound with nervous gas, four kittens, and two brothers who can’t wait to meddle in her life.
Rich and successful, Logan has come home to stay, and to escape from being Society magazine’s Most Eligible Bachelor. Ever since the magazine hit the newsstands, he’s been getting letters. And not just your typical fan mail kinds of letters, either. He’s getting marriage proposals by the truckload, and strange women are asking him to father their children. He’s got pictures of women in all manner of dress and some not dressed at all.
When Bailey embarrasses him in front of their friends, he foolishly accepts a bet offered by Bailey’s brother Greg--that Logan can make Bailey fall in love with him again before Christmas day. But Logan’s plans to win Bailey over get completely derailed when he learns that she’s already in love--with the man who left her with a broken heart and a young daughter.
The O’Donlan clan has another agenda, however, and it’s not long before Bailey and Logan square off with super soakers, bologna and brussels sprout casseroles, beer-drenched shirts, a freakish late night pizza delivery, secret decoder rings, a mob of big-haired women, and some wild entertainment called Foreplay.

So what’s going to happen when Logan finds out that Bailey’s daughter is his?
 

USA TODAY - Loving Logan has a sweet, snappy, impish energy that makes for a fun, fast read and a solidly enticing start to what I hope will be the first of many stories featuring the O'Donlan family. Bryan's characters are pleasantly unpredictable — Logan is successful and smart-alecky, but he's also thoughtful, insecure and refreshingly ready to settle down and begin a family — not realizing he got a jumpstart on that eight years ago. Bailey is struggling with her own insecurities, which contrast nicely against her poise as an entertainer at her uncle's bar and her confidence as a single mother. Logan and Bailey are not the most respectful toward each other, but that seems to be their shtick — their love language, if you will.

Logan jerked back, teeth clenched. How could he have ever thought it might be possible to have an adult truce with a woman holding an eight-year grudge, and who still thought it was appropriate behavior to dump beer on someone? "Let me know if I can buy you another drink. Maybe get you a Midol."

Ouch. But don't worry — in this snippet where Bailey's giving herself a talking-to, you can see she doesn't fight fair, either:

No lies, Bailey. If he asks, dodge the question, change the subject, show him your boobs.

The reader knows right away how Logan wronged Bailey, but the author keeps Bailey's transgression an intriguing secret for a good half of the story. The truth is heartbreaking, in more ways than one. At times Logan and Bailey both tend toward childishness, and there's more stubborn in this story than there is Guinness in a pub, but you'll never stop rooting for them. And there's so much lovely smolder.

I especially enjoyed the Irish family feel — the over-protectiveness of Bailey's brothers, the caring and camaraderie and even the occasional skirmish. And Bryan's cast of critters will thoroughly charm you. Meet Bailey's adopted basset hound:
Bailey's gaze locked on Chumley, lying flat out, his extra skin pooled around him like a black and tan puddle, both paws draped melodramatically around an empty dog food bowl, with a look of injured reproach on his face.

See what I mean? Love, lust, laughter and the luck of the Irish — this heart-catching contemporary has it all. If Katie Bryan isn't planning to make Loving Logan part of a series, I just might have to start a petition.

Reviewed by Cheryl Schopen for Readers' Favorite

In Loving Logan by Katie Bryan, Logan returns to his hometown after eight years. He soon makes it his goal to get Bailey to fall in love with him. Having grown up together and having had that one night together eight years ago on Christmas Eve, Logan thinks it’ll be easy. He doesn’t realize just how much he hurt her all those years ago when he left and never looked back. And how will he react when he finds out that Bailey’s daughter is really his? With the help of Bailey’s older brothers, will they be able to forgive each other for what has happened in the past and admit their feelings for one another?

There aren’t even words to explain how much I enjoyed Loving Logan. I literally could not put this book down. Katie Bryan did what a lot of other authors can’t do; she brought these characters to life. Everything they said, thought, and did was real. The dialogue, the characters’ behavior, and their reactions to certain situations were all completely realistic. Before I knew it, I was rooting for Logan and Bailey more than I have during a book in a long time. The tension between them, the obvious love they have for each other, and their history made their relationship so intriguing. There were some humorous parts and some heartfelt moments that had me tearing up. It is ultimately a story about love, forgiveness, and hope, and it is a must-read for any romance fan; if you’re not into romance, this book will make you a fan. This is honestly one of my favorite books now, and I cannot wait to read other books by Katie Bryan.

Here's an excerpt:


Chapter One

Logan hugged the football clenched to his gut as he sailed through the air. He hit the ground with a heavy thud, made heavier by the three full-grown men who immediately landed on his back with grunts and snorts of male satisfaction.
Man, it felt good to be back home, playing ball with the guys again. Just like old times.
And, just like old times, he was once again at the bottom of the dog pile. But hey, it was definitely worth it since he’d just scored the winning touchdown. He spit the grass out of his mouth and smiled. “You guys still can’t catch worth a damn.”
That, apparently, had been the wrong thing to say because someone jabbed an elbow into his ribs and someone else popped him on the back of the head. He laughed and tried getting up, but his arms were pinned beneath him and he couldn’t move. The fact that his cell phone was digging into his hip made his position even more uncomfortable. “Okay, you sissies, get...off...me.”
Logan uttered an oath as he tried twisting his body so that he could somehow escape, and eventually breathe again, but the football was lodged securely against his solar plexus and the three oafs still on top of him weren’t moving. “Oxygen...oxygen would be good here, ladies.”
Kyle Cutler, the only doctor in the small town of Live Oak, and all around wise guy, tightened his grip. “No way, moneybags, we’re holding you for ransom.”
Jeff Mathews, the attorney in the group, laughed. “Yeah, how much you guys figure we can get for the poor SOB?”
“Probably not more than a few cents,” Kyle shot back, sounding disgusted.
“I don’t know,” Jeff said, “he did make Time’s Man of the Year. That should count for something.”
“Hmm, maybe. But making Society’s Most Eligible Bachelor...woohoo, we’ve got a pretty boy here.” This playful taunt came from Greg O’Donlan, a laid-back cop and Logan’s oldest friend. “I’ll give you a whole nickel if ya let me tackle him again.”
Kyle snorted. “Make it a dime and you’re on.”
Logan didn’t mind making the cover of Time, but that stupid article about him in Society was wearing on his nerves. Ever since it hit the newsstands, he’d been getting letters. And not just your typical fan mail kinds of letters, either. He was getting marriage proposals by the truckload, and strange women were asking him to father their children. He got pictures of woman in all manner of dress and some not dressed at all. Thank goodness none of the guys took it seriously.
“A whole dime, huh? Kiss my...ass.” Logan laughed again and managed to free himself just enough to clobber someone.
That did it. The first punch was thrown, and the dog pile turned into a free-for-all. Chaos reigned. Garbled curses came from inside the pile.
“Police brutality!”
“Hey! Where the hell are my handcuffs?”
“A cop, a lawyer, and a doctor all limp into a bar--”
“Forget the handcuffs, where’s your gun?”
“They’re bruised, bloody and will never get it up again, when all of a sudden--“
“Hey, speak for yourself!”
“Bite me!”
“Kick his butt back to the Big Apple!”
“Shoot him, dammit!”
With one last jab for posterity, Logan finally broke free and stood. Breathing hard, he bent over and rested his hands on his knees. A slight breeze teased the air, just enough to cool, and surrounded him with the stirred up scent of grass and dirt. Days like this were surely invented for the sole purpose of a good old-fashioned, rowdy game of football.
Live Oak didn’t see a lot of warm days this close to Christmas, and it felt good just to be outside in the sun. Still panting, Logan flashed a wicked grin. “Curtsy to the king, you pansies.”
Three sets of eyebrows lifted, just daring him to say one more word, but the muted ringing of his cell phone sounded from his pocket and cut off anything he might have been tempted to say.
The three other men rose to their feet as he checked his caller ID. His secretary. Hopefully with the latest figures on the mall project. And about time too, he’d expected this call hours ago.
“Hey, Dixie, what’ve you got for me?”
Good thing he’d gotten used to Dixie’s rapid-fire delivery, as he automatically processed the stream of numbers pouring from the phone, all the while doing his best to tune out the good-natured mumbling of his friends.
“Dixie, huh?”
“Woohoo! Society’s playboy strikes again.”
“Bet I can guess exactly what she’s got for him.”
“Yeah, me too. Hey, Logan, why don’t you tell her to come here and give it to you in person?”
Logan rolled his eyes as he turned his back on his three friends, hoping his cell wasn’t picking up too much of the ambient noise. “Okay, Dix, tell Richmond he’s more than ten million too high. See if he’ll come down eight, then write it up. If not, go to Blankenship. Take Holcomb’s bid, but cut it down half a million. If he doesn’t like my figures, he can go elsewhere. The architectural team gets a ten percent bonus for coming in early. Same goes with the subcontractors, if they can match my timing. Anything else?” More numbers, along with names and dollar amounts, bounced off cell towers from New York to Georgia. “Okay, got it. I’ll talk to you Monday morning.” Logan ended the call and returned the phone to his jeans pocket.
He glanced at his friends. “I take it this means the game is over and it’s time for a beer?”
“Beer definitely works.” Kyle answered, then looked at Logan as the foursome headed off the field toward their cars. “You up for O’Malley’s?”
O’Malley’s pub. Now there was a place that brought a pang to his chest. Well, not really the place itself, which held more than a few mixed memories, but the thought of seeing Bailey O’Donlan again sure as hell stung.
She used to practically live at O’Malley’s--not surprising since her family owned the place. Back in the day, when he’d worked at the pub as a busboy, cook, or server, Bailey been a persistent thorn in his side--taunting him, playing pranks, dogging his every step--and impossible to ignore.
Even though she now lived in the apartment above the one in which he was currently staying, she’d managed to stay out of sight in the week since he’d been back. He knew she couldn’t avoid him forever, but so far she was doing a darn good job of it.
It might have been eight years since he’d last seen her, but hardly a day had gone by that he hadn’t thought about her. He’d picked up the phone to call her so many times he’d lost count, but each time anger and remorse had him hanging up before the call ever connected.
Logan mentally shook his head, bringing his focus back to the guys, and answered Kyle with his tongue in cheek, “You ladies got your kitchen passes?” All three of Logan’s pals were married, leaving him the lone bachelor in the bunch.
Jeff muttered, “Logan, you need a good woman.”
“If we don’t get him married off pretty soon, we may have to get Greg to actually shoot him just on general principle,” Kyle threatened.
Greg threw a left jab at Logan’s midsection. “Kitchen pass my ass, I don’t need permission to make a stop on the way home.”
Logan blocked the jab and smacked Greg upside the head. “That’s because you call Lana the minute you get there and start sucking up. Then you call two or three more times, not counting the call you make right before you leave.” Logan mimicked Greg’s Irish brogue and said with disgusting sweetness, “Aye, honey, I love you too, baby, nay sugar, I’m not drinking too much, uh huh, uh huh, sure, sweetums, love you, smooch, gag, kissy, kissy noise.” Logan mimed a noose around his neck. “If that’s not a kitchen pass, I don’t know what is.”
Greg smiled. “Jeez, Logan, you’re looking a little green. Is that envy I’m seeing?”
Logan looked up, ready with a smart-assed comeback, but noticed Greg watching him with an odd, thoughtful gleam in his eye. Then Greg made a face at something Kyle mumbled and the look was gone before Logan had a chance to decipher it.
Logan snorted. “Not likely. You guys keep your wedded bliss all to yourselves. No siree, I’m doing just fine the way I am.”
That was a boldfaced lie but no way was he telling this motley crew he was ready to settle down, oh hell no, they’d try to hook him up with every sister, sister-in-law, cousin, friend, co-worker and barmaid in this sleepy little town. And if that didn’t work, they’d no doubt bring reinforcements up from Atlanta.
Nope. He didn’t need his friends, or some frivolous magazine article, to play matchmaker for him. No how, no way. Finding a woman he could fall in love with, and who would love him back, wasn’t the problem. That part was easy--he could mess that up all on his own.
The problem was, he was afraid he already had.
Celebrity status or not, Logan Douglas Mitchell, founder and CEO of Logan Enterprises, lived alone in a world full of people and was, he was beginning to suspect, in love with a woman who apparently hated him.
For all his wealth, it seemed he was still missing out on a lot of the things his friends took for granted. Things like a real home and a family, and a woman who’d fill the empty space inside him. Lord knew, work wasn’t doing it for him anymore. Maybe it never really had, but he’d made a vow to himself years ago that he wouldn’t make the same mistakes his father had. He wouldn’t even consider settling down or getting married or starting a family until he was financially secure enough to care for them--no matter what.
And now, after working his rear off in more countries than he could name, accompanied by some sheer dumb luck, he’d made his money. But success had its price. On his last birthday, when he’d hit the big three-oh, his doctor had warned him to slow down. Logan had an ulcer and his blood pressure was on the rise.
But without nonstop work filling his life, it hadn’t taken long for his feelings for Bailey to resurface. Not that he’d ever managed to get rid of them in the first place, he now grudgingly admitted, but work had helped keep them on the back burner, held at a low flame.
Well, those feelings were on the front burner now. Blazing right alongside another yearning, equally strong, and even older. The yearning for a family and a home, a real home--not just a house--of his own.
That’s mostly why he’d come back, although he didn’t dare admit it to his friends. And especially not to Greg. Logan needed to see if the words his heart had been whispering to him could possibly be true. That the two yearnings were connected. He needed to know if his feelings for Bailey were really as deep, and as lasting, as memory made them seem.
“So, who’s Dixie, anyone special?” Greg asked, falling into step beside him.
Logan glanced at him in surprise. The question was casual enough, but there was something puzzling about his friend’s tone--something a little off. “She’s one of my assistants from the New York office,” he said after a moment. “She was just giving me the latest updates on the mall project.”
Greg nodded. “That mall must be a pretty big deal to command your personal attention.”
Logan frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, you’re a busy man these days, aren’t you, Logan?” Greg shrugged. “You’ve had projects in the county before, but none that have brought you home. Until now. I guess I’m wondering why that is?”
Logan sighed. Greg’s laid back attitude and typically guileless expression made it easy to underestimate his intelligence at times. He was right, of course. Logan had used the opening of a new mall his construction company was building to explain his presence here because he wasn’t ready to talk about the real reason. Or about the house he was in the process of buying.
“The mall’s not that big a deal,” Logan answered. “But the client is. Howard Grove gave me my first big break when I was just starting out, and he’s been a loyal customer ever since. His projects rate my personal attention, when I can spare it.”
Greg nodded thoughtfully. “Loyalty is a good thing, no question. And not only in business either.”
Logan sighed. Personal loyalty was not a subject he wanted to get into with Bailey’s older brother.
He took a deep breath and pushed his own private demons back into their closet, unwilling to give in to the regret and anger that had already eaten up too much of his past.
He could be a big man about this. He could forgive Bailey for what she’d done. And maybe, if he got lucky, she could forgive him, too. Maybe she’d even accompany him on the cruise he was taking next month. And maybe, if he were really lucky, he’d find out that his heart hadn’t just been playing tricks on him that one night so long ago. Maybe Bailey the Aggravator and Bailey the Enchantress were one and the same, and that together they comprised the woman of his dreams.
And what if it doesn’t work out? What are you going to do then--with your house, and your dreams and all your big plans?
Not wanting to dwell on what a long-shot his hopes were, he listened to his buddies’ good-natured grumbling as they all split up and headed for their cars to change into clean shirts. He didn’t know if he could afford to take this gamble on feelings he’d tried to suppress for eight years, but he knew he couldn’t afford not to.