The Copper Mountain Rodeo has returned to Marietta and cowboy reputations aren’t the only thing at stake…
Rodeo cowboy Cole McArthur has spent the last ten years running from Marietta, Montana, from his father’s expectations, and from the only woman he’s ever loved. But now his past is at his front door, begging for his help. Jess Clark doesn’t want to face the only man who’s ever claimed enough of her heart to break it, but her foster family needs their prodigal son home, and she owes them too much to not make that happen. Seeing Cole for the first time in a decade unlocks the kind of desire she’s only ever felt for him, and never acted on with anyone. Back in Marietta facing family betrayal and family secrets, heat explodes between them, and feelings buried long ago rise to the surface. But can Jess convince this wandering cowboy that his home is with her?
A broken family, emotionally unable to connect and communicate, with secrets and lies, betrayal and manipulation.
All Jess ever wanted was to be part of a family, but everyone she has loved, has left her without warning or explanation. She let the McArthurs treat her as a servant, and made herself believe she was part of the family. One of those who left her is Cole, and now ten years later she is willing to manipulate and lie, to get Cole back into Marietta, so she could fix the broken McArthur family, in thanks for what they have done for her. Little does she know, it was Dr McArthur, who made Cole to leave, with her as the target of the extortion. There is so much pain from the past, and heartache of the present in this novella. Not just between Cole and Jess, but the whole dysfunctional family is crumbling. The communication skills between the family members are nearly non existent. And they don't seem to even care, or willing to try. I felt frustrated through the story, I just couldn't relate to them, or understand why they were so stubbornly hurting the people they are supposed to care about. Nothing is solved in the story when it comes to the family, and the issues they face. Jess and Cole found some kind of happy for now, let's try to work thing out, at the end. I felt this novella stirred a bee's nest called McArthur family, and left the angry bees to fly around. For a novella to start a family saga, this would have been a perfect story to get the interest, but for a third book in a series of the rodeo, I was left a bit confused and unsatisfied. Hopefully the next book in the series has lots of answers for us. ~ Three Spoons
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To bridal boutique owner Madeline Krug, organizing a Christmas wedding sounds like a joy—until she finds out she'll be working closely with the gorgeous brother of the bride, movie star Jonny Blaze. How will a small-town girl like her keep from falling for the world's sexiest guy? Especially with mistletoe lurking around every corner!
Jonny came to Fool's Gold looking for normal, not for love. Happily-ever-after only happens in the movies. Still, nothing about this quirky town is quite what he expected, and "ordinary" Madeline is the most extraordinary woman he's ever met. Refreshingly honest, disarmingly sweet. Achingly beautiful. Planning the perfect wedding leads to candlelit dinners and strolls through snow-covered streets. And Madeline finds Jonny in real life even more captivating than her celebrity crush. But will the action star be brave enough to risk his heart and step into the role of a lifetime? Another great visit to Fool's Gold. All the old friends from the town are present, the novel gets a visit from the most, as the Christmas time is approaching and all are full of cheer. I liked how Jonny turns out to be a 'normal guy' in the story, despite his movie star status. He is fun, generous, and kindhearted, wanting to fit in, and not expecting a special treatment. And that's great, cause he isn't getting it around there! Madeline has had a celebrity crush on Jonny for a long time. Now working together to organize a wedding, she has to learn to breath around him. And talk in full sentences. The setting in Fool's Gold during Christmas time is very romantic, and as the days and weeks pass, the feelings turn from spark to lightning strike. I liked how it took time for them to get to know each other, in different kind of settings around the town. Also, it really worked for me, how much time Jonny spent with Madeline's family, and how well they all got along. It surprised me that Madeline got scared about the feelings, twice. But she was honest about it, both times, and owned up to it. The story is entertaining, light, and fun. It has lots of humor, lively and amusing moments, as well as adorable romance, and a sweet dog named Raven. Another great Christmas wedding story, that surely will be hit with the romance lovers ~ Four Spoons
Charlotte Morgan grew up in Mustang Creek, Wyoming, and couldn't wait to escape to the big city. But life in New York isn't as fabulous as she'd like to admit—she's lonely, doing a job she doesn't love and dating too many frogs she meets online.
There was one potential prince, though—Jaxon Locke, a veterinarian with definite possibilities—but his move to Idaho to fill in at his dad's vet practice ended things just as they were getting interesting. What Charlotte doesn't know is that he misses her, more than he expected… Meanwhile, Charlotte's great-aunt Geneva—the woman who raised her—needs to enter an assisted-living facility. So, just before Christmas, Charlotte moves back home. When Jax catches wind of her move back West, he's determined to get to Wyoming and do whatever it takes to win her back. Christmas in Mustang Creek is a magical time in a magical place, not least because of a mysterious visitor named Mrs. Klozz. She knows that love is the greatest gift of all, and she's ready to help out Santa by giving these two a push in the right direction!
There's a lot to like in this Christmas story, a sweet second chance romance, lovely small town folks, a bit of Christmas magic, and a lot great food.
The story is riddled with humor, the tone is fun and light, and kept a smile on my face as I was reading. The heat was up a notch from the previous Christmas stories, and the romance, that has lots of potential. Jaxon is caring, honest, good, and sexy vet, taking care of the animals as well as the people around him. I loved his honesty. From the beginning he was not shy about his feelings towards Charlotte. His intentions were openly talked about, he had a goal in his mind, to be with Charlotte, and was willing to work towards it. Charlotte was hesitant, she wasn't sure what she wanted in life, when it came to career, love, or anything else. The only thing she seemed to be sure about, was to try to hold Jaxon on an arm's length. But while she is trying to figure out what her future holds, she keeps falling deeper and deeper for Jaxon, and who could blame her, really. The story is entertaining, Mrs Klozz made me laugh. The town grape wine is hilarious, and the Christmas spirits are high. The whole story takes place in just a few days time, lots of it is lovely Christmas fluff. But I guess that would make this a perfect read during the holidays, and ideal stocking stuffing for any and all romance lovers! ~ Four Spoons
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Oxford #1
Lauren Layne
Releasing Oct 6th, 2015
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Hotshot sports editor Cole Sharpe has been freelancing for Oxford for years, so when he hears about a staff position opening up, he figures heâs got the inside track. Then his boss drops a bombshell: Cole has competition. Female competition, in the form of a fresh-faced tomboy who can hang with the dudesâand write circles around them, too. Cole usually likes his women flirty and curvy, but he takes a special interest in his skinny, sassy rival, if only to keep an eye on her. And soon, he canât take his eyes off her. Penelope Pope knows all too well that she comes off as just one of the guys. Since sheâs learned that wanting more usually leads to disappointment, Penelopeâs resigned to sitting on the sidelines when it comes to love. So why does Cole make her want to get back in the game? The man is as arrogant as he is handsome. He probably sees her as nothing more than a barrier to his dream job. But when an unexpected kiss turns into a night of irresistible passion, Penelope has to figure out whether theyâre just fooling aroundâor starting something real.
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Lauren Layne is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. In 2011, she and her husband moved from Seattle to New York City, where Lauren decided to pursue a full-time writing career. It took six months to get her first book deal (despite ardent assurances to her husband that it would only take three). Since then, Lauren's gone on to publish ten books, including the bestselling Stiletto series, with several more on the way in 2015.
Lauren currently lives in Chicago with her husband and spoiled Pomeranian. When not writing, you'll find her at happy hour, running at a doggedly slow pace, or trying to straighten her naturally curly hair.
âFirst game?â he asked.
Brown eyes flicked to him, barely. âWhat?â âFirst baseball game?â That got her attention. For the first time, she seemed to really look at him. Her eyes drifted over him slowly, before returning to his, her tone just slightly annoyed. âNo. Not my first game.â âAh,â he said, already mentally maneuvering into a backpedal. âBad assumption of me. You were just so into the game . . .â âSo you figured I must be trying to figure out how it all worked?â she asked. âThat I must be trying to understand why some of the field is green and some is brown, and whatever could those white squares on the dirt be, and why-oh-why are those men running toward the white squares, but only sometimes . . .â âAll right,â Cole said with a laugh. âIâm an ass. You know baseball.â Her smile was quick and easy, and he was relieved to see that she wasnât one of those snippy, hold-it-against-him-forever types. âI know baseball.â Is that whatâs in your notebook? Baseball stuff? She took a huge bite of her hot dog, completely unabashed at her bulging cheeks, and Cole hid a smile, pretending instead to be fixated on the game. Hell. When had he ever had to pretend to be fixated on the Yankees? âYou were partially right,â she admitted, after swallowing. He glanced at her. âOh yeah?â She grinned. âThis is my first Yankees game.â âI knew it,â he said, matching her grin full on. âI knew there was something virgin about you. But tell me, how come a baseball fan like you never made it to Yankee Stadium until now?â âWell . . .â She licked a spot of mustard off her finger, but not in the slow, deliberate way that most women he knew would have done it. âItâs a long way from Chicago . . .â Cole tore his eyes away from the way her lips closed around her thumb, sucking off that mustard. âYouâre from Chicago?â âFrom there, yes,â she said. âBut letâs just say that as of two weeks ago, Iâll be spending a lot more time here than at Wrigley.â âAh. Youâre new to New York.â âQuite.â âHow do you like it?â She hesitated. âItâs . . . intense.â âMeaning . . . we New Yorkers are scary as hell?â She smiled. âWell, itâs not as hostile as Iâd been warned, but yeah. We Chicagoans are a bit more openly friendly than you New Yorkers.â âIâm friendly,â he countered. Tiny Brunette laughed. âNo. Youâre just incredibly charming. And a smidgen good-looking.â He gave her his best bedroom look. âAm I?â She smiled. âYou know you are.â Their eyes held for a moment, and Cole was startled to realize it was the most relaxedâthe most himselfâheâd felt around a woman in . . . hell . . . he didnât know. Mostly he was used to throwing out a couple of witty lines, a few slow smiles, and watching women counter with moves of their own. There were no moves with this woman. She merely was. Cole realized he didnât even know her name. âSo tell me, as a Chicago baseball fan, are you Team Cubs or Team White Sox, Ms. . . .â âPope,â she said. âPenelope Pope. And both.â Coleâs subconscious acknowledged that Penelope Pope was somehow exactly what this womanâs name should be. Perky and alliterative. His consciousness, however, latched on to another fact. âBoth?â It was not a typical answer. Most people had one baseball team, even if you were from a city with two teams, as Penelope was. She shrugged. âBaseballâs not about who wins. Itâs not even about whoâs playing. Itâs about the game. The consistent flow of it, the smack of the ball against the glove when youâre lucky enough to be sitting along one of the baselines, instead of stuck up here in this stuffy boxââ He stared at her. The words so closely echoed his own thoughts from just moments before that he wanted to kiss her. She might just be his dream woman. âThat explains the hot dog,â he said. âWhat?â He nodded his chin at the last bite of hot dog, ignored in her left hand. âThe hot dog. Youâre in a luxury suite in Yankee Stadium with a whole buffet of gourmet foods, and yet you went and fetched the most basic hot dog you could find.â She grinned. âGuilty.â Cole turned his body all the way toward her now. âTell me, Penelope Pope, what brings a Cubs and White Sox fan all the way to New York where youâll face a whole new dilemma of choosing between the Yankees and the Mets . . .â Tiny Brunette never got to answer. The shadow of someone coming up behind their seats caused them both to turn. It was Alex Cassidy, Oxfordâs editor in chief, looking down at them with a half-amused, half-worried expression. âCassidy,â Cole said. He lifted an eyebrow and silently added, Nice of you to show up. âSorry Iâm late,â Cassidy said, not really sounding sorry at all. âI got held up.â Automatically, Coleâs eyes scanned the luxury suite until he found the pretty woman he knew was likely to be somewhere around here . . . Yup, there she was. Emma Sinclair, Cassidyâs long-ago runaway bride, with whom heâd recently reconciled, was surreptitiously wiping smudged lipstick from the corner of her mouth. His eyes returned to his boss, this time looking closer . . . âThird button, dude,â Cole said wearily. The always polished Cassidy glanced down, and without so much as wincing, fixed the misaligned buttons of his shirt. Cole should have known. A naked Emma Sinclair was the only thing that could throw Alex Cassidy off his rigid timetable. But Emma and Cassidyâs sex life was where the predictable part of the evening ended, because Cole was absolutely not prepared for Cassidy to reach out a hand to Tiny Brunette, a polite smile on his usually impassive face. âAlex Cassidy. Iâm so sorry Iâm late, Ms. Pope.â Cole glanced between the two of them. They knew each other? âNot a problem,â she said, turning an easy smile on Cassidy. It was the exact same friendly smile sheâd given Cole, and it very much made Cole want to punch his friend in the mouth. âItâs refreshing to see you two playing so nicely,â Cassidy said with a droll look at Cole. He narrowed his eyes at his boss, not sure what he was missing, but certain that he was missing something. Cassidy answered Coleâs silent question with his usual professional businessman smile. âCole, this is Penelope Pope.â âWeâve met,â Cole said slowly. âExcellent. So then you know that Penelope is our late-stage applicant for the sports editor role at Oxford?â Very slowly, Cole turned toward Tiny Brunette. Took in her friendly smile even as he took in the sorry-not-sorry glint in her eyes. This was his competition. This was the person standing between Cole and the job he so desperately wanted. âI suppose I should have been more thorough when I introduced myself,â she said sweetly. âPenelope Pope. Sports editor.â Plus side? At least now Cole knew what was in her damn notebook. The downside? Everything else. Books & Spoons Release Blast with Tasty Book Tours: DANCES UNDER THE HARVEST MOON by Joanne Rock2/10/2015
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DANCES UNDER THE HARVEST MOON
Heartache, TN #3
Joanne Rock
Releasing Oct 1st, 2015
Harlequin Superromance
Heartacheâthe best place to heal
Chance of a lifetime
Itâs finally Heather Finleyâs moment. After spending years looking after her mother in the tiny town of Heartache, Tennessee, Heatherâs about to follow her dream of singing country music. She can nearly hear the audiences holleringâ¦until the townâs handsome mayor, Zach Chance, comes to her with troubling questions about her late fatherâs past. Once again, Heather has to choose: protect her family or chase her heartâs desire? Zach is determined to help, and to convince Heather that she belongs in Heartacheâwith him. But is he just another distraction? Or could he be the one to show Heather how a small-town love can make her big-time dreams come true?
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Three-time RITA nominee Joanne Rock has never met a romance sub-genre she didn't like. The author of over seventy novels enjoys writing contemporary romance and medieval historicals alike, recently exploring Young Adult romance under a pseudonym. An optimist by nature and perpetual seeker of silver linings, Joanne finds romanceâin all its forms-- fits her life outlook perfectly. When she's not writing, Joanne enjoys travel, especially to see her favorite sports teams play with her former sports editor husband and three athletic-minded sons.
Clare Morgan is ready for a fresh start when she moves to the small Massachusetts town of Knights Bridge with her young son, Owen. Widowed for six years, Clare settles into her job as the town's new librarian. She appreciates the warm welcome she and Owen receive and truly enjoys getting the library ready for its role in the annual holiday open house.
Clare expects to take it slow with her new life. Then she meets Logan Farrell, a Boston ER doctor in town to help his elderly grandmother settle into assisted living. Slow isn't a word Logan seems to understand. Accustomed to his fast-paced city life, he doesn't plan to stay in Knights Bridge for long. But Daisy Farrell has other ideas and enlists her grandson to decorate her house on the village green one last time. Logan looks to Clare for help. She can go through Daisy's book collection and help him decorate while she's at it. As Clare and Logan get his grandmother's house ready for the holidays, what neither of them expects to find is an attraction to each other. Better than most, they know all the crazy things that can happen in life, but everything about Knights Bridge and this magical season invites them to open themselves to new possibilities…and new love.
Massachusetts town of Knights Bridge is a small town where everyone knows each other, cares for each other, and in some nice ways, the time seems to have stopped in town. The Christmas traditions are deep, and everyone is willing to help and put in the time and effort to make the whole town look festive in time.
As Logan and Clare starts to decorate the grandmother Daisy's house, a slow simmering attraction, and interest, start to burn. Even though in my mind they seem very similar, in Clare's mind they are totally opposite, and no good match at all. Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is tight with the story. The ghosts keep visiting Logan, and the small town folks seem to have a preconceived notion about what kind of person, a city ER doctor is suppose to be, and not very positive one. I didn't connect that with Logan's personality, or how he was with people, but I guess that was a possibility in the future. The characters didn't have very much depth to them, the dialog wasn't constantly smooth, and the story was proceeding jerky at times. There are lots of food in the story, and the recipes for them are dotted amongst the chapters. I thought that was kind of cute, even though normally when that happens the recipes are at the end of the story, not a part of it. Overall, a good Christmas story, celebrating the circle of life, mixed with history of Daisy and Tom, Logan's grandparents, sweet Christmas traditions, and picture perfect Christmas scenes. ~ Three Spoons |