The Cowboy’s Christmas Courtship (Love Inspired)
In the middle of a heatwave in August, I was REALLY feeling the need for some Christmas Cheer! (Lucky for me? Netgalley had a TON of it available!) I started with this story, needing something uplifting – which is exactly what the Love Inspired line is for!!
I loved this story, I loved the soft religious hints (which occasionally Love Inspired doesn’t take the subtle route!) and even more? I loved Gage and Layla! I loved that it starts as Gage making amends for his actions as a kid, but turned into so much more! I loved how he instantly stepped in to be a male role model for Layla’s brother Brandon (which I normally hate insta-anything! But it worked int his one!)
The Cowboy’s Christmas Courtship is a super sweet, super quick romance that will have you wishing it was time to throw on a scarf and decorate your Christmas Tree! (And it’ll satisfy any need for a Bad-Boy Cowboy that you may have as well! {Releases Sept 17 – but you can pre-order now!)
Waiting for Ty (Lovers and Friends, #2) by Samantha Ann King
Confession – I feel strange reviewing this one right after reviewing a sweet book with religious undertones! LOL! But, hey!
Ok, I’m not even sure what inspired me to request this one on Netgalley (because I don’t even remember the request… SERIOUSLY!) But one night, I was flipping through netgalley looking for my next read, and it was on my shelf, so I downloaded it.
This is more of a novella really, 106 pages, and I read it in a matter of an hour. If you’re looking for STEAM? (And mm romance/erotica is your thing?) this one is the book for you!
It’s fast paced and incredibly HOT!! But definitely only for the 18+ crowd, and even then? You’ve got to be open – as the cover suggests!
The Maverick’s Summer Love by Christyne Butler
I go through phases where all I want is quick, sweet, romances. When I get in those kicks, I reach for HQN and this one definitely kickstarted this phase again!
Dean is in town with his brother, helping to clean up after a flood. His brother is the life of the party, but Dean would rather sit at home and read! (Seriously!! My dream guy!! Maybe we could hook up and go on a date to the library! LOL!) But then he falls for Shelby, the local bartender with a secret of her own! (She’s a single mom – having her baby while she was still in high school.)
This story is sweet, and everything I’ve come to expect from Harlequin! (But that’s the predictability that I really crave sometimes!) The town gossip mill has been holding Shelby down for a long time, and Dean steps in to save the day! (One of my favorite romantic ‘knight in shining armor’ moves ever!)
If you’re looking for a sweet romance? I cannot recommend this one enough!!
The Reluctant Blogger by Ryan Rapier
I’ll be honest – Blogger in the title captured my interest! But I had no clue what to expect with this one!
I had a lot in common with Todd. (If you ignore that he’s a man, he’s Mormon and his wife has died…) See, I don’t like to share my feelings. Not with anyone. (It drives my husband crazy, understandably.) In fact, the blog that Todd’s Doctor suggested is much like the way I have been communicating with my husband (although via emails instead). So I was immediately drawn into this.
Todd uses the blog to share his feelings, his thoughts and how he’s dealing with his wife’s death. This part of the story I loved. What I wasn’t expecting was all of his religous views coming out, I could have done without that! (I suppose I was wishing this book was a bit different than it was in that aspect!) I just am too “liberal” for a lot of that. But I did find it interesting to read more in depth about the LDS faith – I always love learning more about other faiths.
So, in the end? This was a good one, but not great. I would love to see a secular spin on this one! But none the less, my heart broke for Todd and I felt a definite connection with him.
The Maverick & the Manhattanite by Leanne Banks
I ADORE books where one of the main characters is a fish out of water!! I don’t know why, but I just love to watch people adjust to a lifestyle they are so far removed from, and this was no exception! It’s in the same series as The Maverick’s Summer Love – reviewed above – Rust Creek is a compilation by several beloved HQN authors about a small Montana town devastated by a flood.
Lissa has come to town to help coordinate the clean up effort, and she is everything you expect from a Manhattanite in small town Montana! She’s organized and trying to run everything by her plan – but she’s struggling with the culture differences.
Gage is the small town sheriff, and knows better than to get attached to the outsider who will definitely be going back to her big city life.
This story is the perfect opposites attract story! It was my first trip into Rust Creek, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the rest of this series!! (Enough to overlook the idea of several authors collaborating on this series – which normally bugs me!)
