There will be a bit of catchup, forgot to post.
Finished
The One (Wild Brothers 1) by Lorhainne Eckhart FREE
Magaret lost her mojo as a top surgeon when one of her operations ended up with her patient having lost major brain functions. She ran back home to her grandpa's house, and live the life of a recluse... without even a phone line. Until one day, a rough cowboy and his son came to visit... the boy has a horse called Storm that is... violent. And Margaret has gained a bit of reputation as the Horse Whisperer in the area. Joe Wilde is a widower trying to raise his son, but it's clear his methods are not working, for the kid's alternately defiant and cowed. But they had a past too, as they both came from this small town and she had secretly desired him... back in school. But he has a girlfriend... who seems to only tolerate his son... When his son along with the temperamental horse disappeared into the wild, can the two unite to save the kid? Can they recognize they are "the one" to each other?
For less than 200 pages, there sure are a lot of plot. Some of the characters could have been introduced a bit better or a bit earlier, IMHO (like Joe's brother) and some of the motivations are a little vague. But still, definitely a 4/5, or 6.5/8 on the OL scale.
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Finished
At Liberty to Love by Caryl McAdoo historical western, but not cowboys
Rebecca is a widow who never had any children, regretably, with her husband. She is determined to travel west to the orphange operated by some relatives and adopt one or two kids all the way in San Francisco... but she's going by boat down to Panama canal first. On the way, she met Marcus, someone who served with her relative in the War. And he was completely smitten, but she's determined to do it by herself, and he has a teaching position in a college in the Northeast... But as soon as they part, he changed his mind... Rebecca is just right for him... And Marcus ended up chasing her, always just a day or three behind, from the coast to Panama to California... And he finally found her. And they really do feel a lot. But Rebecca refused to marry him as she cannot marry a heathen, and he had abandoned God when his wife and child both died. And Rebecca left San Francisco without Marcus for the return trip... What will redeem Marcus' soul besides Rebecca's love?
While I like the adventure aspects, the book basically had Marcus do a switch flip after Rebecca's gone. Meh. 5/8
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Finished
Colorado Summer Stars by Jill Haymaker
WARNING SOME DISTURBING VIOLENCE, readers be warned
Nicole had enough of her controlling and constantly jealous boyfriend who always gets mad about her waitressing job in San Francisco. When that turned to violence and she got a black eye, she packed up and drove all the way back home to Peakview, Colorado to figure out her life... the place she had swore she won't go back to, and ran into old high schoolmate... Rick "Scarecrow" Brady. But the old thin awkward nerd has filled out, and he's now a successful vet on his ranch. He had a crush on the most beautiful girl in school, and now she's back... And he went on to woo her, even as she wasn't quite sure she wanted another man in her life... Then her psycho ex appeared in town and made her life hell...
Pretty standard "protector" plot, though I'd say spotting the tracks in the woods was just way too much luck, but then, it's a novel.
6/8
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Finished
Finding Focus by Jiffy Kate
Sheridan "Dani" Reed is an unemployed photojournalist having a very bad time in NYC. Her boyfriend just left for a vacation... WITHOUT her, and her BFF is doing a job in the deep south. With nothing to do, and her BF being both evasive and controlling, she decided she need to get her mojo back and accepted a freelance job for Southern Style magazine and went down to Louisiana to interview the Landrys, esp. Micah Landry, the playboy. She tried to keep it professional, but that good old Southern Charm is hard to resist... and Micah was similarly drawn to the professional and vivacious beauty in front of him... But when an unexpected development pulled her back to New York, is this romance going to be nipped in the bud?
Somehow, this book just didn't *feel* that Southern to me. I much prefer Jennifer Blake's Galahad in Jeans for Southern Charm. 5/8
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Finished
Wildest Dreams by Savannah Kade FREE
Jenn knew Walker isn't right for her, but she'll take FOB in the meanwhile. She has her career to think about, and talking with her BFF just confirmed that. Walker is an artist, and knew he's not in love with Jenn, but why do his paintings start to have her face in it? When life threw a curveball at Jenn (she's... pregnant, by Walker!) how will they reconcile their relationship? And what happens when fate has one more blow for Jenn, that will either shatter her, or make her realize he was there all along?
Surprisingly emotional, but mainly due to loss, not love. 6/8
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Finished
ClickandWed.com 1-3 by Bonnie R Paulson
Book 1 reviewed earlier.
Book 2: I_do.com -- A young doormat woman, pushed by her family into EVERY decision (as if she has no will of her own), was emboldened by her best friend into taking the biggest chance of her life... She walked out of her wedding (and earned a hard slap on her cheek from her mother, who also disowned her) to a man she does not love, and went off to meet someone, who she had not seen... and be wedded by proxy... basically a modern mail order bride! Can such a romance work?
The woman seems to be a bit TOO MUCH of a doormat, IMHO, with the parents incredibly insensitive. And guy's okay, but also insensitive sometimes. All in all, Tolerable. 5/8
Book 3: DIY Vows -- the BFF of the previous novel's heroine is going to be matched with someone in SF/Oakland, with a top compatibility score... 99.5%. But he's actually just betting something stupid with his brother, even as he's fixing up his mother's historical building in Oakland... or try to. He is being stretched too thin, as he can't do both at the same time. She's a handywoman who can't wait to get out of her stupid town, and she's setting up her own "The Home Doctor" renovation / fix-up contractor business, when it's clear the guy she matched does NOT want a wife. So she tried to keep her "kinda-wife" and the "Home Doctor" identities separate, even as she fixed up his house. What she didn't know is he knew she's both... and he's falling for her... hard...
Somehow, I honestly don't see all these mental games helping at all. It's really kinda stupid. 5/8
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Finished
Return to Ruby's Ranch by Rhonda Frankhouser
Ruby inherited Ruby's Ranch after her grandma's death. She hadn't been back for two decades... Why did her family dragged her away one night, never to return, what happened to her mother? What drove Granny Rube insane? Her return also brought an unexpected visitor... Billy McCallister, a neighbor, a handsome cowboy, and someone who had a crush on her way back when. And her questions will lead to discovery of profound happiness and sadness, and a reunion that will have you reaching for a kleenex (tm).
The book teased a lot about supernatural, but turned out to have nothing about supernatural stuff. Meh. 5/8
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Finished
In Search of a Love Story by Rachel Schurig FREE
Emily is doomed at love, according to her BFF's Ryan and Ashley, because she's completely a dullard when it comes to romance. When Emily's latest attempt crashed and burned, she accepted her BFF's plan to start a "romance research project" by studying romcoms, romance novels, love songs, and such. it couldn't hurt, right? When Emily found Greg, Ryan and Ashley was sure she found the one. So why is Elliot being a bit angry? is Greg really "the one"? Will Emily find her true love?
Okay, I guess for chicklit it's pretty good. 5.5/8
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Abandoning
Major Cole by dirty brandi
Crap, loaded with more crap. Some random short stories, only one of which has Major Cole, who's basically doing a Rambo impression. There's a like 1000+ pages of crap. 1/5
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Finished
Happily Ever Kissed by Vicky Holt
Ava is co-owner of the Heartbeat Inn, near the historical Heartland Cove Bridge, the 2nd longest covered bridge in North America. Her family always had their first kiss on the bridge, and she's under a deadline... The mayor said the bridge is too dangerous and will be torn down, leaving her not too much time to pick out a candidate for her epic kiss, and that would include her inn's guests... but she doesn't want just any one, he needs to be someone dreamy, like romance novel heroes... and definitely NOT her handyman Sebastian. But asking guests out for a kiss isn't as simple as it seems, even though one of them is definitely drool-worthy... Just who would she pick?
A little contrived, but otherwise, okay, I guess. 5.5/8