Claim Me, Cowboy (2015 Montana Born Rodeo) by Charlene Sands Review

The Copper Mountain Rodeo has returned to Marietta and cowboy reputations aren't the only thing at stake…

When Summer Nichols inherited half of the Circle W Ranch, she didn't know her rodeo-riding, bad boy ex-boyfriend came with the deal. But sure enough, Tyler Warren, the man who broke her heart and left her in Marietta years ago, is back and living on the ranch again, claiming he wants no trouble. He's certainly not back to rekindle their decade ago romance.

Ty only wants what's rightfully his, and then he's gone, but not even family secrets and Summer's seemingly deep betrayal can keep him from remembering the good times he had with the preacher's sweet, beautiful daughter, once upon a time. Summer is more woman than he expected...

Will Ty seize his second chance, uncover the real truths of the past, and claim Summer's love again?



My Review:

A fabulous second chance romance.

Eleven years ago Summer Nichols lost a bet to Tyler Warren.   Her pay up was to kiss him.  Summer never forgot that kiss or Tyler after he left town to join the rodeo.  Summer went on to marry Ty’s best friend who eventually lost his life in a tractor accident. 

Ty has returned to Marietta for the rodeo and to handle his father’s estate after his death.  Summer had been a nurse when she quit her job to move in and take care of Owen, Ty’s father, after his heart attack.  She remains in the house because she was given half of it in Owen’s will.  The other half belongs to Ty.  But Ty doesn’t plan on staying in town.  He has other plans for his life.

Summer gets the surprise of her life when Ty moves in with a baby.  If it is Ty’s baby, where is the mother?    Summer always wanted a baby, but wasn’t able to have one.  Will baby Becca be the one to reunite Summer and Ty?   

I enjoyed this story a lot.  I couldn’t put it down.  Ty and Summer were perfect for each other.     

The Secret Bride (Secrets of Cherry Lake Book 5) by Jeannie Watt Review

She’s not running anymore…

After a decade away, Jacie Rose has returned with her daughter to Cherry Lake to renovate a historic hotel…and to lay some ghosts to rest. She knows she’ll have to confront mistakes she made in the past, but she didn’t expect to be living right next door to the guy she once asked to be her husband.

When Brett Jackson was approached ten years ago by Jacie Rose with the wild scheme of marrying her to help her out of a jam, his white knight instincts kicked in and he agreed to be her emergency groom. The only problem was that the bride didn’t show up for the wedding. How’s he supposed to get used to seeing the woman he’s never forgotten every day now that she’s his neighbor?

Determined to provide the secure home life for her daughter that she never had, Jacie is not about to bring a man into her life—even one that she sometimes thinks should have been there all along. But Brett and Jacie soon discover the spark between them is even stronger than before… Now that their paths have crossed again, will they lead them back to the wedding that almost was?




My Review:

A second chance for love.

Ten years ago, Jacie Rose left Cherry Lake.  Before doing so, she left Brett Jackson waiting at the courthouse where they were supposed to be getting married.

Jacie has returned to her hometown to oversee the Montreau Hotel renovation.  Jacie didn’t expect to be renting a house right next door to Brett.  Brett has always wondered why Jacie stood him up on their wedding day without any explanation.

Jacie's daughter, Darby, starts attending horse camp with Brett's cousin Molly, which leads Jacie and Brett to seeing each much more than expected.  Then, one night Brett kisses Jacie.  Everything changes after that.  Will this finally be their time to be together?  Or is it just too late for them? 

This was an easy book to get hooked on. I enjoyed how Jacie and Brett got reacquainted and seeing Jacie’s friendship with Lil and Molly grow.  Georgia and Clinton drove me nuts and I could feel Jacie's tension with dealing with them on the renovation job.  All around, this is a great book.

Kitty Smile

The Billionaire's Secret (Amalfi Night Billionaires Book 4) by Kathleen O'Brien Review

High School art teacher Sophie Smith is usually the most honest of women. But when her dearest friend and mentor asks her to be her stand-in on a two-week vacation at an Amalfi Coast luxury resort, she won’t let her down… even if it means posing as a rich, pampered socialite.

As it turns out, Sophie could get used to this, especially handsome, enigmatic gardener Declan Muldoon who’s strangely more thrilling than any of the billionaires buzzing around. She ends up falling for him—hard.

Then Sophie discovers she’s not the only one pretending. Declan’s gardener gig is temporary. He’s actually the black sheep of a very wealthy, powerful family, a man who appears to be in need of an heiress.



My Review: 

A fantastic Italian escape

Art teacher Sophie Smith takes the place her best friend Millie on a trip to Italy’s Amalfi Coast after Millie's cancer returns and she cannot make the trip herself.  Mille will experience the trip through Sophie's daily emails.

Declan Muldoon left his family is Scotland to work as a gardener at Hotel dei Fiori, the pride of Isola del Sole and his best friend's hotel.  He didn't want any part of his family's business.

Everyone thinks Sophie is a rich American on vacation and several men are vying for her attention.  But Sophie only has eyes for one man, Declan, who she is becoming very good friends with.  Will Sophie be able to keep Declan's attention once he finds out she is just an average art teacher and not the rich woman she was posing as? 

I enjoyed all the vivid details and descriptions in the book.  They made it easy to picture everything in my mind.  Declan and Sophie, a rich man pretending to be average and an average woman pretending to be rich, made for a pleasurable story.

Kitty Smile

The Billiionaire's Betrayal (Amalfi Night Billionaires Book 3) by Nancy Robards Thompson Review

As heir of Dei Fiori Enterprises, Matteo De Luca‘s single focus after his father’s untimely death is rebuilding his family legacy and hotel empire. After two years, he’s close to achieving his goal, but there’s one person standing in his way… A sexy distraction he’d never anticipated.

Two years after her beloved husband’s death, Helena Von Lienz knows it’s finally time to let go. With her share of a hotel business, Helena heads to the Amalfi Coast in search of closure. What she doesn’t anticipate to discover during those hot Amalfi nights are some unexpected truths about her late hubby, and a strong sensual shared desire with Matteo, the sexy and ambitious CEO of Dei Fiori…

Will mixing business with pleasure be the end, or just the beginning, for Matteo and Helena?



My Review:

What was supposed to be just a business trip turns into much more.

Two years after Baroness Helena “Lena” Von Lienz’s husband Anton dies in a car crash, she returns to Italy to open an art gallery in Venice.  An unexpected guest shows up at the gallery, Matteo De Luca, who also lost his father in the car crash.  Lena knows Matteo is only there to convince her to give him the dei Fiori Hotel shares that Lena’s husband left her after he died.  Lena refuses to give in.

Matteo has worked hard reconstructing dei Fiori Enterprises after his father nearly tore apart the family legacy.  He was in Venice to secure a property for a new hotel when he decided to go to the gallery opening to see Lena. 

Lena still has many questions about the night Anton died.  Who were the two women in the car that night and why were they there.  She seeks these answers while she is in Italy too.  Can Matteo help Lena find the answers she seeks?

The love affair between Lena and Matteo was very intense.  But is it strong enough to keep them together?  Or, will it tear them apart when Lena starts thinking it was just a seduction to get the hotel shares back?

I enjoyed this story a lot.  I liked the connection between Lena and Matteo and enjoyed the secondary stories as well.  I look forward to the next book in the series.  There is also a jewel theft plot that I am anxious to learn more about. 

Claimed by the Warrior (International Bad Boys) by Joss Wood Review

Synopsis:

Bad boy Jed Hamilton is ex-special Forces and a current undercover recovery agent who's mentally and physically tough, a lone wolf and, above all, violently allergic to commitment, permanence, and anything wedding related.

So when he learns, in the very sexy McKenna Dixon’s bridal salon, that his younger sister is getting married and wants him to be her “man of honor”, Jed wishes he was anywhere but in Cape Town. Especially now that he'll be spending more time around the one woman who makes him consider perilous phrases like “what if” and “maybe”…

McKenna Dixon loves bad boys, but her past experience with the species has led to nothing but pain and heartbreak. Jed Hamilton is exactly the type of man she should avoid, but when a nasty incident threatens her and her daughter, Jed immediately appoints himself as their protector, even though it’s not a part of his job description.

McKenna is determined not to allow another bad boy to flip her life inside out, and Jed is determined to retain his bachelor status and to keep travelling and working. But, as they both discover, love does its best work when busy making other plans…



My Review: 

Ex-special forces and current undercover recovery agent, Jed Hamilton has come to Cape Town to visit his sister only to find out she is getting married after she asks him to meet her at a bridal salon.  Jed hates everything about weddings and he really doesn’t want to be his sister’s man of honor.  But he will do it for her.  

Single mom and wedding dress designer, McKenna Dixon has always had a thing for bad boys.  Over the years, she has learned to stay clear of them.  Will she be able to stick to her rule when Jed shows up at her Salon?

After McKenna’s shop is vandalized, Jed insists on protecting her and her daughter until he can find out who is behind it.  The threatening emails and messages on her phone are enough for Jed to know whoever is doing it is very dangerous.  Jed soon decides he wants to be more than just McKenna’s protector.  How long will McKenna be able to resist this bad boy? 

This story drew me in right from the start.  The characters were the kind you just want to know more about.  It was a hard book to put down.