Review: Betting on the Bull Rider (The Elliotts of Montana #2) by Kaylie Newell

Opposites attract, and then they'll ignite

Alice Bloom plays by a book of rules that’s crushing her alive. She’s resigned to her safety-first lifestyle until she meets local heartbreaker Jake Elliott. Jake is everything she’s not – smooth-talking, fearless, and inconveniently gorgeous. She has every intention of steering clear, until Jake proposes a sexy bet. And then it’s game on.

Ride-like-there’s-nothing-to-lose bull rider Jake Elliott has nothing in common with the straight-laced, look-both-ways-before-crossing-the-street Alice Bloom. But when she tells him that he’s too wild, too reckless for her blood, he can’t get her out of his mind. Jake loves a challenge. And Alice might be his toughest one yet.

What have they got to lose? Problem is, nobody planned on falling head-over-boots in love. 

My Review: 

Alice Bloom and Jake Elliott were as different as night and day.  Alice lets her fears rule her life.  Being a funeral director, she knows how precious life can be, so she refuses to take chances with anything dangerous.  Being a bull rider, Jake is an adrenaline junkie.  When Alice and Jake meet, there is an instant attraction, but Alice knows it can never go far because she couldn't handle Jake's risk-taking lifestyle.  But when they become friends and after a series of harmless bets, Alice just might realize love is worth taking the risk.

This was a fun book to read.  I enjoyed seeing how Alice and Jake's relationship fell in place and how they got their happy ending.  This is a second book in a series, but can be read as a stand-alone.

Review: The Wedding War by Liz Talley

Once upon a time, Melanie Layton and Tennyson O’Rourke were inseparable—but their friends-4ever promises were shattered when an explosive secret was revealed at Mel’s wedding, a secret that destroyed her family. The two haven’t spoken for the past twenty-some-odd years, and they’d be happy if they never crossed paths again.

But now Mel’s daughter and Teeny’s son have fallen in love—and announced their engagement.

Which means the two women must tolerate one another and play nice long enough to plan their children’s dream wedding. From the beginning, they clash. Melanie imagines a classy, elegant event, in keeping with tradition. Teeny’s vision is a bit more extravagant, and thanks to her habit of marrying well, she’s got the cash to plan the flashiest wedding of the season.

Complicating matters are the men in their lives: Tennyson is falling for the wrong guy, and Melanie is trying to hold on to a flailing marriage. Amid the flurry of cake tastings, dress fittings, seating charts, and bridal showers, Mel and Teeny confront their past mistakes—with twenty years of pent-up drama.

When the day of the wedding finally arrives, their friendship might just be something old and something new.

My Review:

Former best friends, Tennyson and Melanie are reunited when their children decide to get married.  In this book, they try to outdo each other, during every step of the wedding planning, making a hilariously entertaining story.  It’s a cat fight until the very end. 

I laughed so hard during some of the scenes.  It was like if anything could go wrong it would.  But I also enjoyed the slow reuniting of best friends as came to terms on their past and learned they could still be friends if they put everything aside for a fresh start.

Thank you to Montlake Romance and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

 

Review: A Case for the Yarn Maker (Ainsley McGregor #2) by Candace Havens

Spin a yarn… at your own risk.

Everyone at Bless Your Art in Sweet River, Texas, is excited about the Yarn Goddess (yes, that’s her real name) coming to town. Ainsley McGregor has set up a special event at the local community center, but when old Mrs. Whedon doesn’t see eye-to-eye with the Goddess about using quality yarn, a fight breaks out. Who knew the octogenarian had ninja moves like that?

It’s all fun and games until George Clooney, Ainsley’s Great Dane, finds Ms. Yarn’s dead body in a booth at Bless Your Art. Now the prime suspect is Mrs. Whedon, and while she’s not the easiest woman to get along with, there’s no way she’s the killer. At least, Ainsley doesn’t think so. As this yarn unravels, Ainsley and her quirky friends learn some interesting things about the case and the Goddess’s checkered past. But there’s a killer on the loose, and George may be the only thing protecting Ainsley from certain death.

My Review: 

There was a murder at Bless Your Art, Ainsley McGregor’s store in Sweet River, Texas.  The victim is Yarn Goddess, a popular crochet and knitting expert, who was there for a book signing and class.  This sends Ainsley and her group of friends on a quest to find the murderer, even though Ainsley’s brother told her to keep her nose out of it. 

This mystery kept me guessing to the very end.  There were so many strong suspects that I couldn’t figure out which one was the killer until it was revealed.  I really enjoyed the first book in this series and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one when I saw it was coming out.  I like the authors writing style and the way each of her characters feels like an old friend by the time you finish reading the book.  I especially like George Clooney, Ainsley’s dog, who always seems to be at the right place at the right time.  He’s a true hero.  Even though this book can be read as a stand-alone, I would recommend reading A Case for the Winemaker first to get to know the characters better.   

 

Review: Montana Cowboy Romance (Wyatt Brothers of Montana #1) by Jane Porter

After the only woman Joe Wyatt ever loved marries another, the Montana rancher swears off romance. He's done playing the game. Only problem? He needs a wife, and kids he can pass the Paradise Valley cattle ranch to. So Joe takes the same no-nonsense approach to marriage as he does to running his family’s business...he places an online ad for a mail-order bride. The ad is a lot like Joe, straight-forward and to-the-point: Wife Wanted.

When Sophie Correia is left at the altar after her groom runs off with her maid of honor, she wants to get as far away from California and her dairy farming family as possible. Sophie doesn't need hearts and flowers, but she's fed up with men who can't commit. And at thirty, she's more than ready to start a family. When she comes across Joe's ad, she thinks she's found the perfect solution — head to Montana, get married, and move forward.

Can a contract for marriage lead to love, or will the arrangement cost them their hearts?

My Review:

A modern twist on a mail order bride story.

It all started with a “Wife Wanted” ad placed by Joe Wyatt in which Sophie Correia answered.  Joe was tired of his mother asking when he would marry and have a family.  He didn’t have time for dating and it was hard to meet women when he spent most of his time working on his family’s cattle ranch high in the Gallatin Mountains overlooking Yellowstone River.  His previous relationship ended because the girl didn’t like living so far from her family, friends and the excitement of town.  When Sophie answered Joe’s ad, Joe thought she was perfect for the businesslike arrangement he was seeking.  Sophie came from farming family, so Joe knew she would understand how hard ranch life could be. 

Sophie wanted a new start far away from California.  Far from her family and ex-fiancé who broke her heart when he betrayed her.  Sophie didn’t plan on falling for Wyatt, but it happened, and it happened fast.  But life wasn’t exactly as Sophie had pictured it.  Wyatt’s mother and grandfather didn’t want anything to do with her and she didn’t get much alone time with Wyatt.   The days were full of frustration and tension for Sophie and Joe, especially when Joe’s mother decided to start planning their wedding.  It will either make them or break them.  

This was such a good book and the perfect start of a new series.  I really enjoyed seeing how Joe and Sophie worked through every obstacle that was thrown in their path until they finally got their happily ever after.  I look forward the books that will follow this one and learning more about the Wyatt brothers.