Review: "California Cowboy" by Maggie Casper

California Cowboy by Maggie Casper

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


OMG, this book reminded me of Diana Palmer - with the heat turned on, that is... ;) All her trademarks are present:
1- a domineering alpha hero who loves to yell at the heroine "for her own good";
2- a virgin and supposedly feisty heroine who, deep down, only yearns to be loved by the hero; and
3- a somewhat weak "trauma in the past" that keeps the hero and the heroine apart - except for the lovemaking, of course! - for the most part of the book and is quickly resolved right before the HEA.

It was formulaic, predictable, quick and one heck of a fun ride. Gotta love that, LOL!



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Review: "The Tin Star" by J.L. Langley

The Tin Star by J.L. Langley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was a sweet read, with the right amount of angst (not too much, thankfully) to prevent it from being completely unrealistic.

Dark-haired, blue-eyed, 21-year-old cowboy Jamie Killian is tired of hiding his sexuality and decides to tell his father he's gay. Unexpectedly (to Jamie), his father not only gets the shock of his life but throws him out of the house. Confused and hurt, Jamie is pondering what to do next when Ethan Whitehall, his older brother John's best friend, offers him a place to stay and a job in his ranch, the Tin Star. Naturally, something is bound to happen between Jamie and Ethan soon enough because, unbeknownst to everyone but John and Julia (John and Jamie's sister), Ethan is gay too. A very closeted one, but gay nevertheless. At first, Ethan is wary of getting involved with Jamie, but there's no resisting the young man's charms. However, not everyone in town is happy with having an openly gay man around. Will Ethan come out of the closet and stand beside Jamie against the town's bigots? Will they be able to find their HEA in their hometown? Or will they have to leave and find it somewhere else?

I loved strong, protective and no-nonsense Ethan. I adored headstrong, impulsive and fun-loving Jamie. They were so sweet together! Not even the slightly big age gap between them - Ethan is 11 years older than Jamie - bothered me, because they fit each other. (Cliché, I know, but still true.) There was little conflict in their relationship, which doesn't mean that there was no conflict in the story. Those were caused by other people, namely Jamie's father and some of the town's homophobic troublemakers.

As for the plot, it had some holes. Some were easy to forgive and ignore, as I'm prone to do when I love the characters in the story, but there was one that bugged me big time:

********** SPOILER ALERT **********

When Jamie was born, his brother John was 11 years old and his sister Julia was 9 years old. I can't believe they didn't know Jamie wasn't their mother's son! How did they fail to notice that she was never pregnant in the months before Jamie's sudden "delivery"? If John and Julia had been younger, I could have bought that, but there's no way an 11-year-old and a 9-year-old were that gullible.

********** END SPOILER **********

All things considered, I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading more from this author - especially the next book in the series, featuring Sheriff Hunter. Yum!



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Review: "Colt's Choice" by Patrice Michelle

Colt's Choice by Patrice Michelle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I love cowboys in Romancelandia. I have yet to meet one in real life that lives up to his fictional counterparts, but I don't let that ruin my fantasy. :)

Colt Tanner loves and lives for the Lonestar Ranch and has always believed he'd eventually inherit his uncle's half of the ranch and become its sole owner. But when the time comes, he's surprised to find out that his uncle has left his half of the ranch to someone else - his widow - who in turn gives it to her niece, Elise Hamilton. Colt offers to buy Elise out, thinking that his ranch is the last place a spoiled "princess" used to a wealthy lifestyle like her should be, but she surprises him by refusing his offer and showing up on the ranch wanting to be an active co-owner.

Colt can't help feeling strongly attracted to Elise, but he doesn't believe she's really interested in staying at the ranch in the long run. He's sure she'll be back to her society life as soon as the novelty of living on a ranch wears off, so he holds back. Elise's decision to leave her comfortable (but empty) life in Virginia and move to Texas wasn't made on a whim, and she's determined to convince Colt she's there to stay. If only he wasn't so stubborn...

Hmmm, I kind of liked this story... The characters and the plot were formulaic, reminding me of a much hotter Silhouette Desire book. That in itself wasn't a bad thing, as I don't think there's anything wrong with using a formula that works. I really liked the first 2/3 of the book, but the last 1/3 felt "forced". Some events - like Colt's mother sudden reappearance and timely revelation - didn't ring true and were unnecessary. I mean, Colt finding out that his mother wasn't as coldhearted as he'd always believed would make him reevaluate his opinion about "city girls", but it would have been better to have him love and trust Elise despite his prejudice.

As for Colt and Elise, I liked them - but I didn't love them. Colt was the standard alpha cowboy: dominant, protective, gruff, jealous and oh-so-sexy, yay! Elise was strong and independent, but she agreed to Colt's proposal of a no-strings affair a bit too quickly. There was no sexual tension between them, which was a pity, but I can't complain about their love scenes. They were hot and plentiful! *fans herself*

Due to the need to guard his heart against Elise, Colt made sure to never sleep over at her place. He didn't really sneak out like a thief in the middle of the night, but this pic reminded me of him:



Even though I didn't enjoy this book as much as the previous ones in the series, Ms. Michelle is still one of my authors of interest. I wish she wrote Colt's brothers' books, but I won't hold my breath because it's been more than six years since Colt's Choice was published and there's been no hint about Cade's or Mace's book so far. Oh well.



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Review: "The Promise of Jenny Jones" by Maggie Osborne

The Promise of Jenny Jones by Maggie Osborne

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I'm not a big fan of historical westerns, but this book might turn me into one. Yup, it was that good!

As the story opens, Jenny Jones is in jail, accused of killing a man. It was self defense, but no one believed a Mexican soldier, no matter how drunk he was, would try to force himself on a woman like her, rough and used to taking all kinds of unsavory jobs to earn a living. As Jenny is contemplating her impending death, Marguarita Barrancas, a wealthy Mexican woman who's clearly dying from consuption, enters her cell and offers her a deal: she will take Jenny's place in front of the firing squad tomorrow. As Jenny has requested to be wearing a hood when her time comes, the Mexican guards won't notice the exchange until the deed is done and Jenny is long gone. Naturally, Marguarita wants something in return from Jenny: Jenny's promise to take Marguarita's daughter Graciela safely to her (Graciela's) American father in California. The catch is, Graciela will become the sole heir to a large fortune when Marguarita dies and her cousins won't think twice to kill her in order to get their hands on the fortune. Jenny is a loner and hates kids, but Marguarita convinces her to accept the bargain. After all, the Mexican woman is dying anyway and even though Jenny thinks her (Jenny's) life isn't much to talk about, dying so soon isn't appealing. So the next day, Jenny finds herself saddled down with Graciela, a prissy, spoiled and snotty kid who hates her and blames her for the death of her mother.

Unbeknownst to Jenny, Graciela's estranged (and wimpy) father Robert Sanders has finally decided to fetch his wife and child. Not that he's grown cojones and stood up to his father after years of submission. No, no. The old man has just died and now Robert is free to acknowledge his Mexican wife and daughter. Obviously, he still isn't man enough to go get them himself, so he asks him brother Ty to do it. Humph! Can you tell how much I disliked Robert? :(

As expected, Jenny and Ty end up running into each other and, boy, that was fun. They are slightly attracted to each other, but mutual distrust keeps them apart. Only when Graciela's murderous cousins catch up with them and snatch the girl, Jenny and Ty decide to join forces to get her back. Not an easy task, considering they have to fight Graciela's belief that they are wrong and her cousins mean her no harm. Will Jenny be able to fulfill her promise to Marguarita and take Graciela safely to Robert? Will she get over her hankering for Ty? Or will she be heartbroken when all is said and done?

This book Jenny made me laugh and cry - not at the same time, of course. :) I just adored her. She was rough, hard, cussed all the time, drank and some cigars, and could beat the crap out of any man - including Ty - in a fight. She's the most unconventional heroine I've ever met and I didn't think I'd like her at first, but she won me over. The same way she won Ty and Graciela, I couldn't help admiring and loving her in the end.

I also loved Ty. He was equally tough and imperfect, with his prejudice against all things Mexican - including his niece Graciela. He was in Mexico to do a job, to take his sister-in-law (he didn't know she was dead when he accepted his brother's request) and his niece to their new home, and that was it. He didn't care for Graciela at first, but he was a fair man and it didn't take long for him to realize his prejudice was unjustified. If all cowboys are like him, I'm moving to Texas, LOL.

As for Graciela, what can I say? The girl drove me crazy and I fully understood Jenny's frustration and impatience with her. I don't care much for children in my romance books, but I have to say that Graciela was perfect. Not perfect in the sense that she was a little angel who could do no wrong. Quite the contrary. She was like a real child: one moment, you wanted to cuddle her; the next, you wanted to tell her to shut up and stop pestering you. She was smart, but not adult-smart. She spoke and acted like a 6-year-old, and that was refreshing.

I loved, loved, loved this book! It was funny, it was touching, it was... real. Ms. Osborne has pushed all my emotional buttons. Jenny's transformation from loner to caring mother was aptly written. Some authors would be tempted to turn Jenny into an unbelievably mushy, utter feminine woman, but Ms. Osborne avoided that trap and kept her true till the end. Ty's and Graciela's character growth was also very well portrayed and none had sudden epiphanies that turned them into someone else. Excellent writing all the way, Ms. Osborne!

I realize this review has become quite long, but I couldn't help it. I tend to go overboard when I really like something and, as you surely know by now, I more than liked this book. :) Okay, I'll stop now.



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Review: "Lone Star Trouble" by Autumn Piper

Lone Star Trouble by Autumn Piper

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


First, let me admit that I'm always wary of freebies, even though I can't resist their allure. Is it free? Gimme! :) Lone Star Trouble was one of the freebies given away by All Romance eBooks last December, but contrary to the norm, I was excited to read it. Based on the raving reviews and 5-star ratings I'd seen on different websites, I thought I was in for a nice treat. Well, color me sadly surprised...

Kiersten Day isn't too fond of Texans - for reasons that are still unclear to me - and billionaire cattleman CJ Howell is her current nemesis. He wants to buy her family ranch and has resorted to all kinds of dirty tactics and veiled threats to convince her to sell, but she isn't budging. A series of wrong assumptions leads Kiersten to believe that Cleve (né Cleveland), one of CJ Howell's sons, is just a mere employee of her nemesis. Cleve keeps quiet, hoping to gain her friendship - and something more - so he can find a peaceful solution for the feud between her and his father. Needless to say, Cleve's secret is revealed soon enough and... it's no big deal. Say what?! Yup, that's right. The Earth doesn't stop turning and Kiersten doesn't blow a gasket. She isn't happy, of course - but her reaction is quite subdued considering the explosive nature she has.

That didn't make sense in the context of the story and that was when I realized I wasn't getting it because this book was too "busy", with several secondary(?) characters and storylines that only served to confuse me. We had (1) Kiersten's grandfather, who was sick but refused to go to the doctor's, (2) Kiersten's friend Nate, who was in love with her even though he was gay(?!), (3) Cleve's twin brother Clay, who was also gay and sparked Nate's interest even though Nate was in love with Kiersten(?!), (4) Kiersten's deceased husband's friend Tracy, who was on trial for statutory rape (and something else I don't remember) and hated her guts, (5) CJ's longtime friend/employee Chaz, a chauvinist who hated Kiersten's guts, ... Phew! I could go on, but I think I've already made my point.

That multitude of characters and subplots hurt the development of Kiersten's and Cleve's characters and their relationship. I'm sorry to say, but I didn't like Kiersten. She was one of those heroines who thinks that being strong and independent means being bitchy. I understood she'd been through a lot, but her groundless prejudice against all things Texan, her potty mouth and her agressive demeanor prevented me from caring for her. As for Cleve, he was a nice guy - and that's all I can say about him. He was so bland that it was almost as if he was a secondary character. Overall, I didn't buy the "love" between Kiersten and Cleve and, blasphemy, I thought she had better chemistry with Nate than with Cleve! That was the ultimate blow. When I don't believe in the connection between the H/h in a romance book, the story is pretty much ruined for me.

Another thing that really bugged me was the way Ms. Piper wrote some - not all - of her Texan characters' speech. Here's a quote from the book:

"Hello there. Miz Day, Ah presume? Ah'm Charles. Chaz, most folks call me. Ah come to talk bizness."

Gah! That was so OTT and annoying, I had to take a deep breath whenever Chaz and CJ Howell, who also spoke like that, uttered a line. Cleve's and Clay's lines weren't written like that, even though they were as Texan as their father CJ and Chaz. Why the distinction? Only Ms. Piper knows for sure. My guess is, CJ and Chaz were old generation and sneaky, while Cleve and Clay were "modern" and trustworthy.

So there you have it: I didn't like this book - and I'm wondering what's "wrong" with me because it looks like I'm the only reader who didn't... Anyway, I didn't hate it either so I'm not striking Ms. Piper off my list for good, but if I come upon another book by her in the future, I won't let myself be too excited by no matter how many 5-star reviews I see.



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Review: "Ty's Temptation" by Patrice Michelle

Ty's Temptation by Patrice Michelle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As it happened with Harm's Hunger, the 1st book in this series, I found myself enjoying this story even though it was fairly predictable and some of the characters' actions didn't make sense. I think I just like Ms. Michelle's writing, period.

Note: The book blurb made me think that Ty and Evan's love scenes would involve bondage, but that was not the case. Their love scenes were hot - hey, this is an EC book - but the kinkiest thing they did was watch the other masturbate.




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Review: "Harm's Hunger" by Patrice Michelle

Harm's Hunger by Patrice Michelle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Wow, I'm impressed at how much I've enjoyed this read. This (very short) story could have gone seriously wrong with me because Harm and Jena had one of those insta-love relationships that require a huge suspension of disbelief to work, but somehow Ms. Michelle made me overlook that.

Here's the gist of the story: Harm and Jena meet, lust takes over and, minutes later, they're jumping each other's bones before introducing themselves and exchanging the most simple pleasantries; then they become "enemies" when they find out the other's identity (he wants to buy her ranch, she isn't sure she wants to sell it); then they have a minor car accident and he loses his memory; she takes advantage of the situation to try and smooth things between them, they fall in love... and we all know what happens next. But here's the exceptional twist to this fairly common plot: all that happens in the span of 24 hours! Yes, Harm and Jena go from being complete strangers to engaged to be married in one single day!

You must be thinking I'm crazy for giving this book 4 stars, but what can I say? I really liked it. I know the story was unrealistic, but I liked Harm and Jena: they were nice and fun, their love scenes were sexy and hot (once I got past the sex-with-strangers setup) and I wanted them to be together. At the end of the day, that's what matters when I read a romance book, no matter how unbelivable the story is. It's all in the writing: some authors can make me buy anything, others can't. Based on this read, Ms. Michelle belongs in the former group.




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Review: "Tessa's Pride" by Olivia Brynn

Tessa's Pride by Olivia Brynn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As this was my first read by Ms. Brynn, I had no expectations when I started to read this book. Now that I've finished, the bar's been set and I've learned to expect a good story with nice, well-drawn characters from her.

Tessa McCade is a young woman determined to make it in the testosterone-driven horse-breeding business. She's been quite successful running the Bradley Equine Ranch (BER) in the past few years, proving that a woman can own and run a stock farm as well as any man, but now she's on the verge of bankruptcy: forty (almost all) of her horses had been diagnosed with Equine infectious anemia (EIA) and had to be euthanized, leaving her with just two studs and three mares - and no livelihood.

Joshua Bradley should have been the owner of the BER by birthright, but he let his father buy him out and left the ranch - and Tessa - when it became clear that the two men were too strong headed to work together. When his father died unexpectedly one year ago, Josh was the only one who wasn't surprised when Tessa was named the new owner of the BER. Unbeknownst to her, he's always kept track of her while they were apart and when news about her predicament reaches his ears, he decides it's time he went back to the BER. Will that be just for the time it takes to help Tessa get back on her feet or for good?

I really liked Tessa and Josh. She was strong and independent, but not extremely so. Sometimes authors push too hard and make their heroines act too stubbornly just to prove their strength and independence, but Ms. Brynn knew where to draw the line. Tessa cried when crying was due and knew how to accept help without seeing it as a threat to her independence. Josh was a dream hero: caring, protective without being overbearing and oh-so-sexy - as in "I want to eat him with a spoon and lick it until my tongue cramps", LOL. After such statement, do I really need to say that Tessa and Josh had great sexual chemistry? Yeah, I didn't think so. (To get a sample of how hot Tessa and Josh's chemistry is, go to Ms. Brynn's website and read Tempting Tessa, a free - and very steamy - prequel to Tessa's Pride.)

This was a short story and the ending suffered from it, but Ms. Brynn's writing was solid and good enough to develop a sweet love story with a little bit of mystery considering the word count limitation. The ending was rushed and I didn't like being simply told what happened, but the epilogue (kind of) made up for it.

All in all, I enjoyed my foray into Ms. Brynn's work and I can see myself reading her again in the future.

Note: I received this eARC from Carina Press via NetGalley. That had no influence on my review/rating.




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Review: "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off" by Cara North

Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off by Cara North

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


First off, let me say that I love the title of this book: it's funny, catchy and lets you know right away that you aren't supposed to take the story too seriously. Just relax and enjoy, that's what it says.

Bethany Dodson is the classic poor rich girl. As the only child of a wealthy business, she's had everything money can buy - as long as she doesn't bother her parents with silly demands for attention or love. But she's had enough of that. She's 30 years old, still a virgin - because no man has ever had the courage to defy her father - and about to be married to a man - chosen by her father, of course - in what is nothing more than a business transaction. It's time she gave her life a new direction - and Vegas is the place to ditch her old self and become a new woman. The first thing to do? Trick some innocent guy into marrying her, so she can change her last name and get a new ID. Now, where can she find a nice and gullible guy to marry?

Jack Jonhson and his siblings (Heath, Rafe and Jan) want to get the neglected family ranch they've inherited back to business, but they don't have the necessary funds to do it because their grandfather's will estipulates that they have to be over 25 years old and married for more than 3 months in order to receive any inheritance money. Jack goes to Vegas, hoping to convince a former girlfriend to marry and stay married to him for 3 months. When she asks for half of his inheritance to agree to the sham marriage, Jack refuses - he needs all the money to invest on the ranch - and is back to the beginning. Where can he find a woman to marry at short notice? A woman who doesn't have any interest in his money?

By fate, Bethany and Jack meet - in Vegas, of course -, down some several tequila shots, make out in the elevator and decide to get married - all the while, one thinking he/she is oh-so-smart and is tricking the other into marriage. The morning after, the truth is revealed - and without temper tantrums or accusations, they decide to head to Jack's ranch in Montana and fulfill the terms of his grandfather's will, agreeing that both of them benefit from their sham marriage. Will that be enough to "unlock" Jack's inheritance money? As for Bethany, will her father and her fiancé let her "escape" that easily? What about the unexpected feelings that Jack and Bethany start developing for each other? Will all be over after their 3-month marriage?

This was "just" an okay read to me. Jack and Bethany were nice, Jack's siblings were well-drawn but not particularly unforgettable, Bethany's fiancé was unpleasant but not hateful, Jack and Bethany's interactions were sometimes funny, sometimes sweet and sometimes downright steamy hot and kinky, but there was something missing. There was no real conflict in the story and although some readers might find that refreshing, I found myself wishing for an earthquake to shake things up. Considering their temporary arrangement, Jack and Bethany were wary of falling in love, of course, but the whole thing felt a bit bland to me. Maybe they were just the kind of people who aren't prone to outbursts of emotion, I don't know.

Last but not least, I have to comment on Ms. North's writing. English isn't my native language so I'm not the best person to correct anyone's English writing, but there were several grammatical and spelling errors in this book. Each time I found an error, I had to stop and think if my first impression was wrong or that was actually an error. Very annoying. :(

This was only my 1st read by Ms. North, so I can't say if the things that bothered me in this book are common or just a fluke. I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt and I'll have no problem giving her another try in the future.




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