Tag: Montana Born

Review: Last Year’s Bride by Anne McAllister

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> book reviews
last year's bride by anne McallisterFormat read: ebook provided by the publisher
Formats available: ebook
Genre: Western romance
Series: Great Wedding Giveaway #8
Length: 156 pages
Publisher: Tule Publishing Group
Date Released: June 9, 2014
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon

It’s for the ranch. It’s your duty. A man does his duty, always. His father Sam’s words were carved into Cole McCullough’s brain. His responsibilities lay with Rafter M Arrow, which had been in their family for over a hundred years. Even though they were fighting a losing battle to keep the place going.

The ranch always came first, over personal comfort, sometimes reason and definitely women. Sam had seen both his wives walk away, dismissing them as hot-house city girls who couldn’t survive the wilds of rural Montana. So how had Cole ended up making a spur-of-the-moment marriage last year in Reno to TV director Nell, who was as city as they came? Nell was prepared to give it all up to be with Cole. But he knew how it would end: as it had always ended before. It was time to stop living a pipe dream and sue for divorce.

But then Nell came back to Marietta with The Compatibility Game, a reality program, in which couples discovered what they were willing to do for love by living and working at Rafter M, and Cole found himself taking part too…

My Review:

Last Year’s Bride is a story that almost makes reality TV palatable for me. The story is fun, the romance is sweet, and the main characters are all likeable, which is more than I can say for reality TV usually.

We have a mix of themes in Last Year’s Bride, and the blend makes for a short and lovely read.

Part of the fun is that this is a story where the happily ever after should have already happened! But it didn’t. We start the story with Nell and Cole already 10 months married, but living apart. Her career is in Los Angeles, and his life is his family’s ranch in Marietta Montana.

There isn’t much scope for directing and producing hit TV shows in Marietta. Which is where the problems between Cole and Nell begin.

They met while Nell was filming the rodeo, and had an absolutely whirlwind romance, with just enough breaks in between for them to figure out that they really loved each other, and that their romance wasn’t just a passing fancy.

After their spur-of-the-moment Reno wedding, they should have figured out their future. But they didn’t. Instead, Cole encouraged Nell to go back to LA to finish her degree, and he returned to Marietta to stew in his own juices.

Not quite. But when Cole returned to Marietta, he started telling himself all the reasons why Nell couldn’t and shouldn’t come to Marietta and make a life with him at the ranch. That she would eventually leave him, just the way his stepmother left his dad.

Notice I’m not saying that Cole ever asked Nell what she thought. He decided for her, and sent divorce papers. She not only didn’t sign them, but she brought the reality TV show that she was producing to Marietta to find out what went wrong. Only to discover that there was nothing wrong except for Cole’s fear of repeating his dad’s mistakes.

They love each other, but it takes all of Nell’s storytelling persuasion to get Cole to admit that the future is what they make together, and never something that he can decide for her.

With a little bit of help from the Radio City Rockettes.

Escape Rating B: While I adore the second chance at love aspects of this story, I think I may be burned out on the whole “he THINKS he knows best what’s good for her” self-sacrificing angle. It always adds up to a huge misunderstandammit that could have been avoided. I also can’t help wondering about how wonderful can the guy be if he even remotely thinks that he needs to do her thinking for her, or that she doesn’t know her own mind. In historicals, there’s a possibility that the attitude fits the times, but in a contemporary it gives my willing suspension of disbelief serious twinges.

Nell’s boss also needs a hit in the short and curlies for pulling the exact same attitude. While it grates just as much, he’s her boss and not her husband, so she’s not planning on a happily ever after with the dude.

However, the background story of Nell dragging the entire cast and crew of a reality TV show to Montana just so she can get Cole to either admit they have a future or get closure was terrific. Not just because Cole got a chance to show off in front of the camera, but because we also see Nell’s extreme competence and watch Cole’s family interact with each other and the reality show participants.

The occupation of the ranch by Hollywood turns out to be a revelation for everyone involved, especially some of the participants.

I liked Nell. She came to Montana to find out what went wrong (or not) instead of making assumptions. I also liked the way she stood up to Cole’s attitude, and finally walked away, making him decide what he wanted for himself, and not what anyone else expected.

But my favorite character is Cole’s grandmother Emily. She managed to pretty much call bullshit on both Cole and his father, and all without saying a word. She was absolutely awesome.

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money or borrowed from a public library and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Review: What a Bride Wants by Kelly Hunter + Mothers Day Giveaway Bundle

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> book reviews> Giveaways
what a bride wants by kelly hunterFormat read: ebook provided by the publisher
Formats available: ebook
Genre: contemporary romance, western romance
Series: The Great Wedding Giveaway #1
Length: 84 pages
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Date Released: March 28, 2014
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon

What a bride wants…

Ella Grace Emerson adores her father, but he keeps trying to marry her off to every eligible rancher in Montana. When he puts an ad in the paper on her behalf – for a docile house-husband – Ella retaliates with one of her own, pinned to the noticeboard of the local saloon. No husband required, housebroken or otherwise. What she wants is the perfect lover.

What a bride needs…

Newcomer Cam Sawyer is perfectly willing to tear up the sheets with Ella and be her partner in chaos. She wants a bad boy and he’s had experience aplenty. But what she really needs is a strong and loving partner, and until Sawyer stops running from his past he can never be that.

Sawyer’s the one Ella wants. But can he be the man she needs?

My Review:

The title of this story may be “What a Bride Wants” but I can say for certain that this short, sweet and sexy story is just what a reader wants.

For a relatively short novella, this one has a lot of story packed into it, all good.

At heart, we have a romance between a woman who has been waiting for the right man, and a man who has been looking for the right woman. When they find each other, it’s just right.

What makes this good is that although Ella Grace Emerson has been waiting for the right man when it comes to love and marriage, she has not spent her life waiting for anyone or anything else. Ella is a strong woman with a full life who is exactly where she wants to be, doing exactly what she wants to do.

She’s looking for a man to share her life with, and one who will love her for her, and not for her share of her father’s ranch. Her father thinks she wants a docile house husband, where she is looking for the perfect lover. They even run competing ads in the local bar!

Cameron Sawyer appears to be an aimless drifter with a knack for flirting and pouring drinks. In reality, he’s a man with a lot of painful baggage who is running from his dysfunctional family and criminally psychopathic brother.

In Ella, he finds a woman captivating enough to make him finally put down roots, and strong enough to stand beside him when they and their happiness are threatened.

Escape Rating B+: I really enjoyed visiting Marietta Montana again. The setting for the Montana Born series seems to be tailor-made for romances between strong and equal partners. I like Ella as a heroine, because she knows what she wants and stands up for it. She’s not waiting for a man to complete her life, she’s looking for someone to complement her life. And someone who makes her hormones sit up and take notice.

Sawyer works as the hero because he’s looking for a reason to stop running. He doesn’t need Ella’s money and doesn’t want to compete for the ranch work. What he has to find is a woman who is willing to fight for what she wants, which means standing beside Sawyer when his brother the embezzling, raping, psychopath shows up.

Ella and Sawyer have great chemistry from the minute they meet, but it’s the way they stand up for each other and their future that truly warms the heart. I just wish their story was longer!

~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~

mothers day romance bundle tule

Tule Publishing is generously giving away their Mothers Day Bundle of marvelous romances.

I do mean generous, too! The ebooks included in the collection are: Tempt Me, Cowboy by Megan Crane, Promise Me, Cowboy by C.J. Carmichael, The Sweetest Thing by Lilian Darcy, Christmas at Copper Mountain by Jane Porter, Home for Christmas by Melissa McClone, A Cowboy for Christmas by Katherine Garbera, What a Bride Wants by Kelly Hunter, Second Chance Bride by Trish Morey, Sweet Home Carolina by Kim Boykin, Bet the House by Erika Marks, A Mother’s Day by Kaira Rouda and Sight Seeing by Jane Porter.

To check out more of Tule Publishing and Montana Born, take a look at their website, or follow them on Facebook or Twitter.

I’ve read and reviewed Tempt Me, Cowboy, Promise Me, Cowboy, Christmas at Copper Mountain and today’s featured review of What a Bride Wants above. All of these terrific stories are set in Marietta, Montana, a place that sounds so beautiful I want to visit (but not in the winter!) Enter the giveaway for your chance to visit Marietta.

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***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money or borrowed from a public library and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Review: Good Together by C J Carmichael + Giveaway

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> blog tours> book reviews> ebook giveaway> Giveaways
good together by cj carmichaelFormat read: ebook provided by the publisher
Formats available: ebook
Genre: contemporary romance, western romance
Series: Carrigans of the Circle C
Length: 239 pages
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Date Released: February 3, 2014
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon

Mattie’s twin daughters have flown the nest, and she and her husband feel like strangers. The life she’s known is starting to fall apart. She can’t even count on her gorgeous neighbour, Nathaniel Diamond, any more. Nat was always there for her before, but now he’s suddenly started avoiding her. Is there something that he needs to tell her?

My Review:

I absolutely read Good Together in one sitting. I couldn’t put the story down, because I had to find out what was going to happen next. Although I could guess where the story was going to end up, I empathized with Mattie’s journey, even when I wanted to shake her about how she got into some of her pickle.

Good Together isn’t so much a romance as it is women’s fiction. The real meat of the story is in Mattie finding out that her newly empty nest is only the beginning of the number of ways she needs to re-invent herself.

Mattie always thought that when her twins went to college, she and her husband would have more time together. As much as she hated the thought of her girls leaving home, she was the one who encouraged them to explore new worlds. It was time for them to leave the nest and spread their wings.

But Mattie believed that the nest would always be there whenever they came home. Instead, almost the minute Mattie leaves her daughters at the airport, she discovers that her husband is leaving her for another woman. That’s not all, he’s selling everything–the ranch, the horses, the house. And he can do it, too. It’s his family’s place, and Mattie never got her name on anything.

It turns out that Mattie loved the place a LOT more than her husband did. He wastes absolutely no time in selling her beloved horses, and putting the ranch on the market.

Mattie doesn’t merely withdraw, she downright collapses. It takes her a while to pick herself, and even longer to “lawyer up”. She gets a lot of excellent help from Nat Diamond, her nearest neighbor. Once upon a time, he was in close to the same bad place that Mattie is now; he knows how she feels.

But Mattie doesn’t have a clue about the way that Nat feels about her. And has always felt. He tries to keep his feelings under wraps, because Mattie needs a friend, and he doesn’t want to be merely a rebound.

Just when Mattie is ready to think about forever with someone other than her ex, Nat decides that he no longer has a forever to give. It’s up to Mattie to change his mind.

Escape Rating B+: Although the side-characters are terrific, Good Together is Mattie’s story. The title is just a bit ironic, because Mattie first has to figure out how to be “good alone” before she’s ready to be “good together” with anyone else.

Promise Me, Cowboy by CJ CarmichaelWe’ve met Mattie’s family before, not her kids so much as her birth family. Mattie is the sister of Sage Carrigan, the heroine of the lovely Promise Me, Cowboy (reviewed here). Sage’s happily ever after was also a second-chance at love story. It seems like the Carrigan girls need a couple of tries to get it right.

The way that Mattie left herself legally unprotected after her ex leaves broke the willing suspension of disbelief for me a bit. I could understand (barely, I admit) why she hadn’t gotten her name on everything back when they first married, but after he left and started selling their stuff, not so much. Even as devastated as she was, that lack of self-preservation seemed more 20th century than 21st.

Although Nat is incredibly helpful, even at the beginning, it’s the women in this story that stand out. Seeing the girls becoming women who are strong and can help their mother find her strength again was awesome. Even better, the way that the Carrigan sisters pull together and support each other was the heart of the story for me. I’m looking forward to seeing how the other two sisters reach their happily ever after.

~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~

CJ and Tule Publishing are giving away an ebook copy of Good Together. To enter the giveaway, just fill out the rafflecopter below. If you want another chance at a copy, there is a book blast going on right now at Goddess Fish.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money or borrowed from a public library and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Review: Late Last Night by Lilian Darcy + Giveaway

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> blog tours> Book Giveaway> book reviews> ebook giveaway> Giveaways
late last night by lilian darcyFormat read: ebook provided by the publisher
Formats available: ebook
Genre: Contemporary romance, Western romance
Series: River Bend #0.5
Length: 112 pages
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Date Released: January 9, 2014
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon

It’s May 1996 and Marietta High School English teacher Kate MacCreadie is almost at the end of her rope, torn between the demands of her work and her heavy involvement in helping her younger brother Rob and his wife Melinda take care of their five young children on the MacCreadie family ranch.

When Marietta’s fine-looking new sheriff, Harrison Pearce, pulls Kate over for her third traffic violation in as many months, they both know it’s a sign that something has to give.

Kate finds it almost a relief to be told by this calm, strong man to get her life in order, and then she just keeps on seeing him – at school after there’s been a suspicious break-in, on the evening of the prom when he’s off duty and driving his nephew and friends to the event in one of his brother’s gorgeous vintage cars.

Late that night, after prom is over, a tragedy at River Bend Park brings Kate and Harrison together yet again, and this time, in the highly charged atmosphere, Kate discovers that she never wants to let him go. But with his divorce still fresh, is Harrison ready for someone new?

My Review:

Late Last Night is the short romantic tale that links the more western-themed Copper Mountain Rodeo series to the author’s new River Bend series. Based on this intro, the River Bend series starts out with more of a small-town romance flavor.

Both series take place in and around Marietta, Montana, which always seems like a town that would be terrific to visit. And while it is not necessary to have read the Copper Mountain Rodeo books to enjoy Late Last Night, the series is great if you enjoy western-themed romance.

This story takes place in 1996, so it’s a bit of a trip back in time for some of the characters that we’ve met in the other series.

Kate MacCreadie is trying to both help her brother take care of his five kids and keep up her full-time job at Marietta High School. It’s not that her brother Rob isn’t willing or able to take care of his kids, or that there isn’t a Mrs. MacCreadie, because he is, and there is.

rodeo sweethearts by lilian darcyBut Rob is running the family ranch, and Melinda MacCreadie is something beyond scatterbrained. (Their complete story is revealed in Rodeo Sweethearts). But in 1996, Kate doesn’t know why Melinda isn’t any help, all Kate knows is that as long as she continues to be nearly a full-time caregiver at her brother’s house AND have a full-time job, she’s going to either start hating someone, or she’s going to kill somebody.

Literally kill somebody, because the new sheriff keeps having to pull her over for a series of driving offenses. Kate speeds. And she misses stop signs. And her taillight is out. Mostly she just drives too fast because she’s in too much of a hurry and not paying attention.

She also likes running into Sheriff Harrison Pierce, she just wishes it wasn’t quite so embarrassing for her when it keeps happening in his line of duty. Kate isn’t aware that Harrison keeps pulling her over because he isn’t quite in a position to ask her out.

Not until his divorce is final.

Harrison tells Kate that she needs to get her life in order before someone dies as a result of her racing thoughts. When he figures out that he’s giving Kate advice he needs to take himself, the steps they each take to move forward with their lives lead them straight to each other.

Escape Rating B+: Late Last Night has a lot going for it. The love story has just the right amount of sexual tension, and it makes sense that the characters are cautious in the circumstances. Unlike a lot of very short novellas, this one is just the right length, it starts at a turning point for Kate, and comes to an ending that feels right for the characters without feeling rushed. Finally, although this story is a setup for the River Bend series, the need to get things setup doesn’t overwhelm the story that needs to be told in this book.

love me cowboy copper mountain rodeoWhile it isn’t necessary to have read the entire Copper Mountain Rodeo series (Tempt Me, Cowboy, Marry Me, Cowboy, Promise Me, Cowboy and Take Me, Cowboy), if you like western romances you’ll enjoy them a lot. I definitely did. But reading Rodeo Sweethearts absolutely helps flesh out Kate’s background, and it’s short, sweet and free.

In Late Last Night, we find out more about how Kate feels than we do about Harrison, at least partly because she’s in the bigger pickle at the beginning. She wants to help her brother, but she needs to have a life. And Rob desperately needs the help, so Kate leaving is going to cause a lot of disruption.

Harrison, on the other hand, his divorce has been coming for a long time. And he recognizes his part in what went wrong. It feels like he’s closer to who he needs to be from the beginning, but it takes quite a leap of faith for him to put his heart on the line. Again.

The ending of the story is tragic, suspenseful and sets up the River Bend series. There’s something seriously wrong in Marietta, and I want to see if Harrison is part of solving it.

~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~

Lilian and Tule Publishing are giving away an ebook copy of Late Last Night to one lucky winner! To enter the giveaway, just fill out the rafflecopter. This giveaway is open to all!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money or borrowed from a public library and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Review: Steal Me Cowboy by Kim Boykin + Giveaway

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> blog tours> Book Giveaway> book reviews> Giveaways
steal me cowboy by kim boykinFormat read: ebook provided by the publisher
Formats available: ebook
Genre: western romance, contemporary romance
Series: Copper Mountain Rodeo
Length: 102 pages
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Date Released: December 29, 2013
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon

Unbeknownst to her boyfriend, Sassy South Carolina hairstylist, Rainey Brown, is headed to Missoula, dead set on giving her minor league baseball player boyfriend of four years an ultimatum. Either put a ring on it or let her go, preferably not the latter.

When Rainey’s piece of crap car dies in the middle of Nowhere, Montana, she’s sure she’s a gonner, until gorgeous restaurateur Beck Hartnett stops to help. Beck falls hard for Rainey, and knows she would admit she’s fallen for him too, if she wasn’t too stubborn to admit it. Beck has five days before the car is repaired to steal Rainey away from a boyfriend who doesn’t deserve her. Five days before she’s gone for good.

My Review:

You can’t buy experience, but you can buy “the experience” at the Nell’s Cut ‘n Curl after Rainey Brown gets stranded in Marietta Montana.

It just takes Rainey a while to figure out that the experience she’s earning is worth even more than the experience she’s helping Nell to sell to the tourists. No matter how much money they’re putting in the karma jar.

Rainey Brown has been true to her minor league baseball playing boyfriend, Adam, for four long and lonely years while Adam has been chasing his dream of the major leagues. She hoped that one day Adam would either make it to the bigs or retire to coaching, and they would be together for good.

Instead, he took up coaching 2,000 miles from their home base in Columbia, South Carolina, and didn’t ask her to come to Missoula, Montana to be with him. He said he wanted her to “visit”. She had finally had enough. But not quite.

She packed up her suitcases and her professional cosmetic and hair dressing boxes into her beat up Honda Civic and set out for Montana. It helped that the salon she worked for had closed and left her unemployed. But still, it was the principle of the thing. It was time for them to be together.

Then her car gave a death rattle outside Marietta. Fate had other plans. Because Rainey was rescued by a cowboy. Sort of a cowboy. Certainly a man who thought that whoever put Rainey into the position of driving across country in that beat-up rat trap should be shot. Or at least horse-whipped.

Beck Hartnett set out to steal Rainey from whoever the jerk was that brought her out to Montana. He started out by alternately being a jerk himself, being marvelously sweet and helpful and pushing too fast past her boundaries.

All he really needed to do was let Nell, and Marietta, work their magic.

And let Rainey figure out what she really wanted all along.

Escape Rating B: Steal Me, Cowboy was surprisingly sweet, with just enough tart to make the perfect romantic treat. It’s also not quite as western-themed as the earlier entries in the Copper Mountain Rodeo series, this one is much more small-town romance than western.

Rainey starts out the story already conflicted about Adam. She’s kept the faith throughout their four-year relationship, and she trusts him, but she’s starting to realize that she gives a lot more than she gets. She’s always available whenever he wants, but he’s not there for her in any way. She’s ready to move on, but he won’t stick around long enough for her to even have a conversation about where they are headed, if anywhere.

Beck’s in an interesting position. He falls for Rainey the minute he sees her, and can’t figure out what to do about it. He keeps trying to do the right thing, but can’t quite figure out what the right thing exactly is. He owns the best restaurant in Marietta, he has more than enough money to fix Rainey’s car and send her on her way, but she’s too proud to take his money (and so she should be) and he wants her to stay in Marietta. Also, the more he observes her phone calls with Adam, the more certain he is that her relationship with Adam is a bad idea.

He’s right, but the breakup has to be clean, and that’s not exactly what he has in mind. What Beck has in mind is very, very dirty. An awful lot of fun, but very dirty. To be fair, Beck starts thinking about forever with Rainey pretty darn fast, and that seems to be more than Adam has ever thought about.

Still, Rainey has to get there on her own.

The character who steals the story is Nell, the owner of the Marietta Cut ‘n Curl. Nell has been “fixing” hair forever, and is still wearing a uniform and charging 1960s prices to “her people”. But she’s a friend and a second mother and a mentor to Rainey just when she needs one, and is just a totally awesome lady. Rainey asks Nell for a place to work, but what she gets is a refuge. And together, those ladies are something very special.

~~~~~~ GIVEAWAY~~~~~~

Kim and her publisher, Tule Publishing, are giving away one ebook copy of Steal Me, Cowboy to one lucky winner. To enter the giveaway, just fill out the rafflecopter below. This giveaway is open to all!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money or borrowed from a public library and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Review: Christmas at Copper Mountain by Jane Porter + Giveaway

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> blog tours> book reviews> ebook giveaway> Giveaways
christmas at copper mountain by jane porterFormat read: ebook provided by the publisher
Formats available: ebook
Genre: Holiday Romance; Western Romance
Series: Copper Mountain Christmas
Length: 119 pages
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Date Released: November 29, 2013
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon

Since the loss of her family in a plane crash, Harley Diekerhoff has led a quiet life and keeps to herself. Taking the temporary job at the Copper Mountain Ranch as widower Brock Sheenan’s housekeeper seems perfect for her. But her calm cocoon is invaded with the arrival of Brock’s pre-teen twins, Mack and Molly who’ve never experienced a proper Christmas and before she knows it, Harley’s determined to make their holiday perfect.

Annoyed at first by Harley’s interference, Brock is secretly pleased she’s changed Mack and Molly’s world. It doesn’t hurt that he finds Harley incredibly attractive, fierce, smart and passionate. It’s also an added bonus that she’s not afraid to challenge him and get his blood heated! But when sparks fly and the attractions sizzles between them, Harley’s not so sure she can handle something permanent with this dark, taciturn cowboy who doesn’t know how to let her in. But Brock is determined to hold on to her and praying for a Christmas miracle…

My Review:

Christmas at Copper Mountain would make the perfect Hallmark Holiday Special. It has just that perfect blend of heartwarming family togetherness and holiday miracle sparkle, with a sweet love story as the star on top of the tree.

There’s even a “Grinch” in this holiday tale. Certainly Brock Shennan has lost track of the meaning of Christmas in the decade since his young wife died and left him with 6 month old twins to raise alone. Now Mack and Molly are 11 and while he loves them unconditionally and puts them first in his life, it’s become a hard, cold life without a lot of fun, spontaneity or open affection.

The children see a lot more chores from their dad than they do hugs.

As far as holiday decorations go, well, Brock says they aren’t worth the bother or the expense. (If you are hearing the echo of “Bah, humbug”, it’s intended.) Brock isn’t quite that bad, but the kids are 11. They need a little joy in their lives.

Brock is not a bad father. He’s strict but generally fair. The problem is that he’s walled off all of his emotions, and left the kids on the other side of that wall. They don’t remember their mother, she died when they were infants. Their father treats them like little adults, but they are still kids.

Mack and Molly are looking for someone to let them be kids. They’re looking for someone to love them. They need someone to lighten their father’s heart. And they need someone to care about what they think about how they feel enough to ask them instead of thinking for them. Yes, they are still kids, but at 11, they are definitely starting to have hopes and dreams and feelings that should at least get a listen.

Into all of this walks Harley Deikerhoff. The job of temporary cook and housekeeper at the Copper Mountain Ranch is supposed to be very temporary. Harley was only supposed to be in Marietta, Montana for six weeks, just long enough for the regular cook/housekeeper to get some time off, and for Harley to get away from her well-meaning but smothering family.

The job was supposed to be housekeeping for the owner of the ranch and cooking for the men in the bunkhouse. Nothing was said about children. If she’d been informed about the children, she wouldn’t have taken the job.

The children arrived in the middle of the night two weeks into the job, after they ran away from boarding school in New York and brought themselves home. It was a crazy thing to do. Crazy for them, crazy for Harley, and crazy for Brock.

Because the kids upset all the boundaries. Mack and Molly’s presence forced Harley to deal with why she didn’t want to be around kids at the holidays; something she had been avoiding for three long and painful years.

Watching Brock deal (and sometimes not deal) with his children made Harley step over the line between employee and employer and start telling Brock what she thought his children needed from him, whether he wanted to hear it or not.

And the more they argued about Mack and Molly, the more that Brock and Harley came to see that what they were really talking around was how they might feel about each other; if they gave it a chance.

Escape Rating B: This story contains lots of relationships that get their happy ever after for this Christmas; Mack and Molly and Brock, Mack and Molly and Harley, Brock and Harley, and possibly even Brock and Harley and the universe.

This one ties every possible broken heart back together with a big Christmas bow and sprinkles tinsel on it. Possibly with heavenly intervention (your mileage may vary on that last bit).

Still, this story has a sleigh full of holiday spirit. The best part of the story for me was the development of the relationship between Harley and Mack and Molly. She really does fall in love with the kids first, and the blossoming of that relationship is the one that opens her heart to the possibility that she might be ready to love again.

I wish she hadn’t lectured Brock on being a “friend” to his kids. He can be their parent and still have fun with them, and does he ever need to figure that one out! They can have a trusting and loving relationship while he is their parent. (I’m saying this because I just finished a book where part of the problem was a dad who wanted to be his daughters’ friend and completely forgot about being their parent). I may have a book hangover about this one.

The romantic angle of this story got a bit shorted in the overall holiday tale. It was mostly sweet with a bit of heat, but the majority of the story felt like it was about Harley waking up from her stupor and putting more life into the Copper Mountain Ranch as well as falling for the family.

Falling for Brock (and him finally admitting that he had fallen for her) felt like the icing on the cake!

~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~

Jane is giving away an ebook copy of Christmas at Copper Mountain to one lucky commenter. To enter, use the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money or borrowed from a public library and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Review Take Me, Cowboy by Jane Porter + Giveaway

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> book reviews> ebook giveaway> Giveaways
Take Me, Cowboy by Jane PorterFormat read: ebook provided by the publisher
Formats available: ebook
Genre: Western romance; Contemporary romacne
Series: Copper Mountain Rodeo #4
Length: 128 pages
Publisher: Tule Publishing Group
Date Released: October 27, 2013
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Kobo

When Jenny Wright’s fiancé leaves her standing at the altar in a Vera Wang bridal gown she can’t afford, she’s humiliated and heartbroken. To have Marietta hero bull riding champ Colton Thorpe witness her shame – makes the rejection even more devastating.

Jenny and Colton grew up in the same rough neighborhood and they both left home right after school to pursue big dreams. Now they’re both back, with Colton as the celebrity chair for the 75th Copper Mountain Rodeo, and Jenny in disgrace.

Sexy, rugged Colton didn’t get to be a national champion by chance. He’s a man that takes risks and goes after what he wants. During the rodeo weekend, Colton makes it clear he wants Jenny. Flustered but flattered, Jenny finds it difficult to resist his charm. But what happens when the rodeo ends and Colton leaves town? Will she dare to dream again?

My Review:

Big Sky Mountain by Linda Lael MillerEven though we’ve read it before (most recently for me in Linda Lael Miller’s Big Sky Mountain) the scene is so vivid that I could picture it crystal clear; the bride in the fantastic dress, the groom being an ass at the last minute, and the busted small town wedding.

The difference is what happens next. Jenny Wright walks out into her hometown of Marietta, Montana in her expensive dress with her head held high, and keeps on walking until she has the chance to regroup, letting the town gossips just choke on their own bile for a bit. She’s already heard enough and knows it’s only going to get worse.

Her high-heeled walking tour of her old stomping grounds is interrupted by the one man she’s never forgotten, Colton Thorpe. He wasn’t just the older brother of her one of her high school best friends, Colton was the bad boy secret crush she never truly got over. While she’d rather that anyone else in town have driven by to witness her lonely walk, in some ways, Colton is the perfect witness; she has nothing left but pride to hold her up, and she won’t let herself break down in front of him.

But maybe she should. Jenny has spent all of her life abiding by a set of self-imposed rules and regulations so that she could leave Marietta behind her. She’s done her level-best to become someone other than just “one of the Wright girls”, because everyone in town saw the Wright girls as poor white trash. All those rules have gotten her has been a nose to the grindstone life lived for other people’s goals and other people’s dreams while ruthlessly suppressing any hopes of her own. It’s been a fake life that lead to a dead-end job and a fake fiancee who left her at the altar because he decided she was good enough to be his assistant and his playmate but not his wife.

She finally realized that she didn’t love him. She worked hard to make him successful, but that wasn’t love.

Jenny had forcefully buried her heart when she buried herself. Being left at the altar was the second best thing that ever happened to her. Being picked up by Colton Thorp turned out to be the best.

Escape Rating B+: If Marietta and Parable are examples of life in small-town Montana, I definitely want to visit. The series set in these two towns (which must be in neighboring counties!) have marvelous people with tremendous heart, and seem to be terrific places for romance.

Tempt Me Cowboy by Megan CraneTake Me, Cowboy makes a terrific conclusion (or pause) to the Copper Mountain Rodeo series (after Tempt Me, Cowboy, Marry Me, Cowboy and Promise Me, Cowboy all YUM!) so far. Jenny Wright is an easy woman to empathize with. She’s worked so hard to escape her upbringing, because there were a lot of rough patches, especially in a small town where everyone knows everyone’s business. But she lost a lot of her essential self along the way. Coming home, along with reconnecting with her BFFs, gives her some much needed perspective.

The story of getting to have a second chance (or maybe that’s first chance?) with her high school crush, is a classic for a reason. It was lovely to see her get to make her dream finally come true, AND get the bad boy she dreamed about to sort of settle down, or at least fall in love.

Anyone who loves Linda Lael Miller’s Parable, Montana series really should give the Copper Mountain Rodeo a ride!

~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~

The author is kindly giving away one ebook copy of Take Me, Cowboy to a lucky winner! To enter, use the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money or borrowed from a public library and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Review: Marry Me, Cowboy by Lilian Darcy + Giveaway

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> book reviews> ebook giveaway> Giveaways
Marry Me Cowboy by Lilian DarcyFormat read: ebook provided by the publisher
Formats available: ebook
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Western romance
Series: Copper Mountain Rodeo, #2
Length: 129 pages
Publisher: Tule Publishing Group
Date Released: September 21, 2013
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo

Champion barrel-racer Tegan Ash has nothing left to go home to in her native Australia and every reason to stay in the USA. But her visa is about to expire, and her prospective groom has called off their green-card wedding.

Jamie MacCreadie doesn’t actually want to marry a woman he can’t stand, but his best friend and fellow rodeo rider Chet has just let her down and, somehow, he finds himself offering to do the deed instead.

There’s no chance it could turn into the real thing, because they have nothing in common… do they?

My Review:

A western romance combining frenemies-to-lovers with just a hint of arranged marriage. It’s an arrangement that works pretty darn well!

Tegan Ash starts out the story planning on a green-card marriage with her rodeo buddy Chet Wyndham. This isn’t a love match. Tegan and Chet aren’t even friends-with-benefits. Tegan has been a barrel rider on the rodeo circuit for almost two years, and her visa is up. Her dad and step-mum have sold the family farm in Australia, and she feels like she has no home to go back to. But her rodeo career in the U.S. hasn’t been quite splashy enough for the owner of the rodeo to be willing to sponsor her for an extension of her work visa.

That’s where Chet was supposed to come into the picture. Tegan, Chet and Jamie have been the Three Musketeers for almost two years. Solving Tegan’s problem with a green-card marriage should have been a piece of cake. Except for two things.

Tegan and Jamie scrap like a pair of five year olds every time they’re within talking distance. Or even glaring distance.

And Chet backs out of the ceremony at the last minute. The very, very last minute. Leaving Tegan with less than six weeks to sell her horse, her half of her trailer and everything else she has in the States, and go back to a family she’s lost complete touch with.

Chet finally admits that he won’t marry Tegan, even a half-baked, half-faked marriage, because he’s gay. (About time he made that admission, it’s screamingly obvious what his secret is by that point.)

But Chet leaves behind two friends who suddenly no longer have a wedding between them to hide the other elephant in the barn. All that scrapping has been a dust storm to hide the real heat they feel for each other.

The only problem is that now Tegan and Jamie only have six weeks to undo all the learned fighting behaviors that they’ve always engaged in with each other to see what else they might have besides boiling hot sexual chemistry.

Can they manage to talk to each other? Enough and in time to see where this might lead before Tegan has to go back to Australia for good?

Escape Rating B: The story is all about Tegan and Jamie adjusting their thinking towards each other. Actually, it’s mostly about Tegan adjusting her thinking, Jamie’s is pretty well adjusted. In fact, it’s his supportive reaction to Chet’s reveal of his big secret that turns the tide in his favor.

Tegan doesn’t want to go home because she had originally planned to stay in the U.S. for two years and then go back to her family’s farm. She just hadn’t been ready to settle down when the rodeo offer came along and she thought her father understood that. However, he sold the farm while she was gone, and her stepmother made it seem like it was because her half-brother needed the money for law school. Her relationship with her family is strained.

Jamie’s relationship with his own family is equally strained. His folks weren’t happy he chose a rodeo career either. They wanted him to stay on their ranch and help out, and seemed to be equally of the belief that by the time he was done with his rodeo career, he’d be too banged up to help them out. But when the rodeo comes to Copper Mountain, he and his family manage to come to an understanding.

He thinks that maybe Tegan can find some middle ground with her folks, but only if she goes there in person. He knows that telephone call don’t really connect people who aren’t good at talking much about their feelings. Like him. And probably like her dad.

Sex turns out to be pretty easy once Tegan’s fake engagement to Chet is out of the way. But a relationship is difficult to work out. Tegan doesn’t want to reveal where her broken places are; she’s afraid of being vulnerable. And she thinks there’s no time for them to be more than sex buddies.

She turns out to be wonderfully wrong.

Tempt Me Cowboy by Megan Crane~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~

The author is giving away an ebook copy of Marry Me, Cowboy and an ebook copy of Tempt Me, Cowboy by Megan Crane (reviewed last week) to a lucky winner! To enter, please use the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money or borrowed from a public library and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Review: Tempt Me Cowboy by Megan Crane

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> blog tours> book reviews
Tempt Me Cowboy by Megan CraneFormat read: ebook provided by the author
Formats available: ebook
Genre: Contemporary romance, Western romance
Series: Copper Mountain Rodeo, #1
Length: 112 pages
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Date Released: September 8, 2013
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon

Too much temptation…

Chelsea Collier wants nothing more than to save the old depot built by her railway baron ancestor and turn it into a museum—until it’s sold out from under her!

Jasper Flint made himself filthy rich in the Texas oil business by the age of 35. Now he wants a quieter life and building a microbrewery in Marietta, Montana is the perfect project.

Neither one of them knows what to do with the passion that explodes between them! But Chelsea knows a man like Jasper will never stay in one place for too long. Can he convince her that this time, he means to stay?

My Review:

Tempt Me, Cowboy is a short, sweet and sassy story about opposites attracting. It’s also about the virtues of blooming where you’re planted, and alternately about how sweet it is to find the place that your spirit calls home.

The surprising thing about Tempt Me, Cowboy, is how many different things it packs into a surprisingly short novella. Yet it still feels completely satisfying when the last page turns (or flips, as the case might be).

There’s an old-fashioned cowboy and schoolmarm tale in here, but this is the 21st century, so it isn’t quite that. Chelsea Collier is a high school history teacher, but she’s not as ready to embrace prissy spinsterhood as she thinks she is. Jasper Flint has been the wandering cowboy that he looks to be, but he’s in Marietta, Montana because something about the places speaks to his heart. Once he remembers that he actually has a heart.

Chelsea and Jasper are on a collision course. She needs him to shake her out of her rutted path towards becoming her history-and-legacy obsessed mother 30 years ahead of schedule. He needs her to remind him that the best parts of life are worth working for, and that includes real relationships with real people.

Chelsea is not a plastic Barbie who will throw herself at him and agree with everything he says for one night. She’s also not interested in his money. He doesn’t give a damn about her family connections. They start even.

But her roots are sunk deep in Marietta, and she’s sure that he’ll want to leave. Even though he’s building a microbrewery, she’s certain that the small town won’t hold someone who’s seen the world and has the means to escape several times over.

Being Jasper’s lover, even for several months, is all the escape that Chelsea has ever allowed herself. She’s always thought she was too afraid, but these months have given her the chance to realize that it’s because she’s where she belongs.

But she’s sure that it’s not where Jasper belongs. And that it’s going to break her heart when he leaves. She doesn’t think he even knows the meaning of the world “permanent”.

It’s only when Chelsea tells him that she’s always known things were “temporary” that Jasper realizes the place he’s made for himself. And that he’s finally home.

Big Sky Mountain by Linda Lael MillerEscape Rating B: For anyone who enjoys Linda Lael Miller’s Parable Montana series, Tempt Me Cowboy hit a number of the same themes, but in a much shorter book with a hotter romance. But I got the same qualities of finding home, small town nosiness/neighborliness, being part of the community, in this story that I did in Parable.
Chelsea is a woman who has tried to do the expected thing in order to keep her dreams, and didn’t quite manage. She’s been dating “safe” men because she’s been looking for someone who wouldn’t make her leave Marietta. Unfortunately, she caught the last one boinking his assistant, in the midst of said boinking. Everyone thinks Chelsea is too prissy to heartily boink, and that she’s broken-hearted over the break-up.

Jasper proves everyone wrong on both counts. The town reaction to Chelsea simply dressing like a normal 30-year-old (which she is) instead of a 50-year-old was pitifully hilarious. But probably typical. Everyone is so sure that Jasper is taking advantage of her, or that she will be left heartbroken at the end. As though she doesn’t have the right to a fling, because everyone knows her business.

And she lives with her mother in a mausoleum. Not quite, but read the book. Bringing mom around takes an act of either God or Congress, possibly both.

Marry Me Cowboy by Lillian DarcyI finished Tempt Me, Cowboy with a smile. I’m looking forward to going back to Marietta. The next book in the series is Marry Me, Cowboy by Lillian Darcy. (I think we have a theme, here people, and it sounds yummy!)

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money or borrowed from a public library and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.