Review: Capturing the Texas Rancher's Heart (The Tremaynes of Texas #1) by Debra Holt

She thought she’d protected her heart…

After a tumultuous childhood, nurse Jamie Westmoreland craves the comfort of predictability. She loves her quiet life in a small Texas ranching town and finally feels in control until a handsome rancher becomes her newest patient. He challenges her at every turn, but Jamie is too stubborn to admit she enjoys their sparring, and that he makes her heart race. But when his charming little cowboy son starts following her around, her long-neglected heart opens.

Thomas Tremayne, the eldest son of a well-respected local ranching family, is both mom and dad to his young son and has no plans to change. When a ranch injury requires an in-house expert, the nurse who called him out on his attitude is sent to help him heal. She’s even harder to resist on his ranch than she was at the hospital, but Thomas is determined to try—except he’s out-numbered. His son decided he wants a mom, and nurse Jamie is his choice.

Can two stubborn adults let down their guard long enough to let love in again?

 

My Review:

A sweet small-town romance.

Jamie Westmoreland and Thomas Tremayne first met in the hospital where he was recovering from an injury that required surgery.  Neither one of them really liked the other.  Jamie soon finds herself in the position of caring for Thomas at his ranch, as a private-duty nurse.  Taking care of a stubborn cowboy was definitely not what she signed up to do.  

Thomas is a single father and a hard worker.  He isn’t going to let this injury keep him down.  He has a ranch to run and a son to raise.  Then he finds out the prickly nurse from the hospital is going to be staying with him to help him through the rest of his recovery.  Little did Thomas or Jamie know, they would soon find themselves falling in love. 

I enjoyed seeing Jamie and Thomas let their guard down enough to get to know each other and finally fall in love.  I really liked Andy, Thomas’s son, a lot.  He sure did steal a few scenes.  This is the perfect start to a new series that I look forward to catching up with. 

 

 

Review: The Wedding Planner Playbook by Shannon Stults

May the best wedding planner win…

After spending years making a name for herself as one of Atlanta’s top wedding planners, Tori Schaefer moved to the small, coastal town of Bedland Shores, Georgia, to take over her mother’s wedding planning business. While attending a wedding to assess the local competition, Tori meets a charming, camera-wielding stranger with a smile that leaves her heart stuttering.

Wyatt Rhodes has always loved helping couples celebrate their special day and created Narrative Weddings to do just that. When he runs into a gorgeous woman at one of his weddings, he’s completely smitten until he learns she’s his competition for the most influential wedding the town has ever seen.

They have two weeks to find the perfect venue and pitch their ideas to the bride. Tori is willing to do whatever it takes to land the gig that’ll put her business on the map. Can she find the balance between attraction and rivalry, or will her determination to win lose her a chance at her own happy ever after? 

 

My Review:

A sweet romance.

Tori Schaefer recently moved to the small coastal town of Bedland Shore, Georgia to take over her mother’s wedding planning business.  She soon finds herself in competition with another wedding planner, Wyatt Rhodes, for the biggest society wedding of the season.

The first scene where Tori and Wyatt first met was so much fun to read.  I could easily visualize it.  I enjoyed the chemistry and banter between them.  Their competitive spirits couldn’t even ruin their friendship.  The romance in this story was slow building, but well worth the wait.  I liked the small town feel and secondary characters in the story too.   

 

 

Review: A Cowboy for April (Three Sisters Ranch, #4) by Jamie K. Schmidt

April Grayson is the responsible one in her family of wild, barrel racing rodeo stars. After years of keeping her sisters out of trouble, she’s finally earned some time to let loose. She indulges in a one-night stand with the cowboy she crushed on in high school. It’s as hot as it is memorable, but the next day she finds out Cole works for her new accounting client. He’s dead set against having one of the "Wild Grayson Sisters" working on Three Sisters Ranch.

Last Stand rodeo youth director Cole Lockwood loves horses, kids, and cowgirls—not necessarily in that order. Even though his night with April leaves him wanting more, his parents’ medical bills have him working 24/7. He’s tempted to go back to his professional gambling ways and enter a high stakes poker game, but April warns that’s a loser’s bet.

Cole and April strike a deal: she’ll teach him about managing his family's finances if he helps her overcome her fear of horses and learn how to be a little more reckless. Can this cowboy make a cowgirl out of her?

 

My Review:

Gambling on love.

April had a huge crush on Cole when she was in school, but didn’t dare make a move on him.  Years later, they run into each other at a bar and things got steamy in the cab of Cole’s pickup.  Days later, they find themselves working together and they pick up where they left off.  But April and Cole are total opposites.  April is the sensible one, when it comes to money.  Growing up poor taught her to make wise choices with her money.  Cole is a risk taker, especially when it comes to poker.  This starts to cause some tension in their new relationship and it is going to take some work to get them on the same page again.

This was a fun, fast paced story.  I enjoyed seeing how April and Cole's relationship grew, and survived, even when Cole goes a little crazy with his gambling.  This book is part of a series, but can be read as a stand-a-lone too.