Review & Giveaway: Crazy About a Cowboy by Dylann Crush

Crazy About a Cowboy (Tying the Knot in Texas #3) by Dylann Crush

Publication Date: May 25th 2021 by Berkley

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads 

My Thoughts:

Jasper Taylor is in a bind. The farm that’s been in his family for generations has lost most of their pecan orchard when a twister swept through leaving them with a fraction of pecans to sell. With his town of Ido becoming a premier wedding destination Jasper wants to fix up the old barn and make it a rustic wedding/event venue to make ends meet. Ido winning “Most Romantic Small Town in Texas” would help guarantee success, which is why he agrees to become hospitality host to the judge: Miss Lovin’ Texas, Delilah Stone.

Beauty queen, Delilah Stone has just thirty more days until she can hang up her pageant career for good and focus instead on the projects close to her heart: Helping empower girls with confidence through classes and mentoring. First, she must get through staying in Ido, and they don’t seem to stand much of a chance in the competition.  However, as Delilah gets to know the people and tours all the attractions they’ve set up, the more she warms up to it. A big part of that is the sexy farmer showing her around: Jasper Taylor, not to mention his family. The Jasper family and the townsfolk of Ido resurrect her childhood longing to part of a bigger family.

All the romantic events Jasper and Delilah embark on make it impossible to ignore the instant attraction they feel for each other. “The farmer’s son and the beauty queen” sounds like an opposites-attract romance, but Jasper and Delilah basically wanted the same thing: to belong. A relationship between Jasper and Delilah is a little inconvenient since they don’t want any hint of impropriety for the contest, but it wasn’t a big source of conflict.  There was also someone trying to sabotage Ido in the contest and a bit of drama surrounding that, but mostly this was just a sweet, feel good romance! 

4 Stars

Book Description:

A farmer’s son must convince a beauty queen that his town is the most romantic small town in Texas, all while making sure his rival town doesn’t sabotage the competition—but can win her over without falling head over heels?

 

While locals know Ido is the most romantic town in Texas, it still has some tough competition from larger, more well-known towns. But when the neighboring town is disqualified from the running, Mayor Lacey Cherish thinks they may finally have a fighting chance…with the right hospitality host, that is. Desperate to save his family farm by garnering more tourism, Jasper Taylor agrees to take on the role. He will do anything it takes to win Ido the title, even if it means catering to a beauty queen’s every whim for a month.

 

When the panel comes to evaluate the town, former beauty queen-turned-reluctant-judge, Delilah Stone, receives a less than perfect welcome. Everything that could possibly go right goes wrong, and Delilah is more convinced than ever that Ido doesn’t stand a chance against the competition. While it could just be a series of unlucky coincidences, Jasper thinks the root of their misfortunes may be a figure from his past who he hoped was out of his life for good…

 

Now it’s up to Jasper to show Delilah just how romantic the town of Ido can be, even if it means losing his own heart in the process.

About the author:

Dylann Crush is the author of All American Cowboy and Cowboy Christmas Jubilee. A romantic at heart, she loves her heroines spunky and her heroes super sexy. When she's not dreaming up steamy story lines, she can be found sipping a margarita and searching for the best Tex-Mex food in Minnesota. Although she grew up in Texas, she currently lives in a suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul with her unflappable husband, three energetic kids, a clumsy Great Dane, a rescue mutt, and a very chill cat. She loves to connect with readers, other authors, and fans of tequila. You can find her at dylanncrush.com.

The lovely people of Berkley provided A Paperback Copy of Crazy About a Cowboy so I'm giving it away to one reader. Fill out the rafflecopter below for a chance to win. Open to US Residents only.

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Review: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

 

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Publication Date: May 11th 2021 by Berkley Books

Pages: 384

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads 

My Thoughts:

Alex and Poppy meet in college but couldn’t feel more different. Poppy is free-spirited and chaotic, and Alex is reserved and ordered. You’d never put these two together and yet they bond on a drive back to their shared hometown.  They strike up an unlikely friendship spanning over a decade. Despite their differences, they just click, get each other like no one else does. Two puzzle pieces that snap together and fit snug. However, two years ago on their yearly Summer vacation emotions run high and they have a falling out. Alex and Poppy haven’t talked since and it’s like an aching hole in Poppy’s chest. Poppy’s so miserable in life she decides to just bite the bullet and contact Alex, propose a Summer vacation to get back what they’ve lost.

Right away it’s apparent that Poppy and Alex always had a connection beyond friends and my heart hurt from the palpable longing between them! One moment, I just wanted to shove the characters together to put everyone out of their misery, and the next I was laughing my head off over all the hilarity on the page! Poppy and Alex’s friendship beyond the attraction was quirky, and fun.  Their conversations just so random. The story was seriously sooo funny at times! I have so many bookmarks!

People We Meet on Vacation was a perfect balance of heart-achy romance, clever humor, and sexy buildup!  Oh-my-heart, when they finally figure it all out! Swoon! Total recommend!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love.

Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together.

Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven’t spoken since.

Poppy has everything she should want, but she’s stuck in a rut. When someone asks when she was last truly happy, she knows, without a doubt, it was on that ill-fated, final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince her best friend to take one more vacation together—lay everything on the table, make it all right. Miraculously, he agrees.

Now she has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly perfect relationship. What could possibly go wrong?

The Sunday Post #122

 

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week.

We're on our way back from Northern California as I type this. Not much to report. Worked then drove up north Thursday afternoon. We went out to lunch twice and went to the park. It was sunny and nice. Tomorrow it's supposed to be really hot with a real-feel of 101 degrees! Not looking forward to that. 

Read:

(Click on cover for Goodreads link)

Absolutely loved The Summer Seekers and People We Meet on Vacation. I have a giveaway going for Once Upon a Puppy here.

Received/Purchased/Library Lend:

Click on cover for Goodreads link:

I'm a big fan of horror movies so I'm excited for The Final Girl Support Group!  I might start For the Wolf when I get home. Has anyone read it? Tear it Down is our audio listen for our ride home. I'll start the book as soon as I'm done typing. 

Instagram:

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Watched:

I'm enjoying both.

How was your week?

Mini Review & Giveaway: Once Upon a Puppy by Lizzie Shane

 

Once Upon a Puppy (Pine Hollow #2) by Lizzie Shane

Publication Date: May 25th 2021 by Forever

Pages: 335

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads 

My Thoughts:

Deenie and Connor couldn't be more mismatched, but bonding over dog training and fake dating to impress her parents shows that opposites really do attract! Deenie is the free-spirited, never wants-to-be-tied-down kind of girl, and Connor is the uptight straight-laced, plan-everything-kind-of-guy.  Heads butt and sparks fly in this fun, cute romance! 

3.5 Stars

Book Description:

Opposites attract when a straitlaced lawyer and whimsical party planner must fake-date as co-parents of a rambunctious Irish wolfhound in the second book of this im-paw-ssibly charming small-town romance series.

Connor Wyeth has a plan for everything. But when he adopts Maximus, an unruly Irish wolfhound mix, he gets more than he bargained for. If he doesn't act fast, the big dopey mutt is going to destroy his house. The only person Max ever listens to is the volunteer who used to walk him at the shelter—a perennially upbeat woman whose day job is planning princess parties for little kids. Connor couldn't ever imagine that she'd be able to tame such a beast as Max, but he's desperate enough to try anything.

Deenie Mitchell isn't looking forward to spending more time with uptight, rules-oriented Connor—no matter how attractive he is. But when her sister announces her engagement, Deenie realizes he's the perfect person to impress her type-A family. When she learns he needs a plus-one for his law firm's work events, an unlikely alliance is formed. But as they play the perfect couple, the friendship—and the feelings—that are forming start to feel all too real. Opposites may attract, but can the man with a plan for everything and the misfit who makes her own rules ever find common ground?

Forever has generously offered to giveaway one Paperback Copy of Once Upon a Puppy to one reader! Giveaway is restricted to US and CA residents only. Fill out the rafflecopter below for a chance to win. Good luck!

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Hearts in Darkness Anniversary Edition Cover Reveal

I read and instantly loved Hearts in Darkness years ago and it's always held a special place in my heart! 

I'm excited to have Laura Kaye join us today to share the cover reveal for her 10th Anniversary edition of HEARTS IN DARKNESS COLLECTION!

   

Title: Hearts In Darkness Collection

Author: Laura Kaye

Cover Artist: Tricia "Pickyme" Schmitt

Dear Readers, It’s my 10th publication anniversary & HEARTS IN DARKNESS is 10!! I can hardly believe it! This book has been such a wild, special ride and I'm so grateful that so many people fell in love with it. It's how so many readers found me and that is just incredible to think about! Thank you so so much for all the love, fun, and support over the past 10 years! To celebrate, I’ve put together a special 4-story collector’s edition volume that includes two new and/or never-before-published stories that continue Caden and Makenna’s story! Preorder the collection for a discount now before the price goes up on release day! 

xx Laura  

PREORDER NOW at a special price! COMING AUGUST 24!

Amazon 

Barnes &Noble

Apple 

Kobo

Goodreads

Links to come: GooglePlay, paperback, hard cover

About the Collection:

"Laura Kaye has a gift for writing beautifully damaged men." ~ NYT Bestseller Tessa Bailey

 

Two strangers. Four hours. One pitch-black elevator. And their struggle to find love in the light…

 

This beloved, bestselling series has it all! Scorching hot chemistry. Achingly heartfelt emotion. Strangers-to-lovers, forced proximity, and opposites attract goodness. And, with “one of the most beloved couples in romance,” Caden Grayson and Makenna James will stay with you long after the last page! Plus, a brand-new story and a never-before-published epilogue. All in one gorgeous edition!

 

This Special Collector’s 10th Anniversary Edition Includes:

Hearts in Darkness – the bestselling story that started it all!

 

When two strangers get trapped in a pitch-black elevator, they find connection, attraction, and red-hot heat in the darkness.

 

Lovers at Dawn – a brand-new follow-up story!

 

In the light of the morning after, these new lovers wake up in each other’s arms. But will this buttoned-up accountant and tattooed paramedic still want what they found in the darkness?

 

Love in the Light – the bestselling sequel to Hearts in Darkness

 

Can a man who’s lost everyone he’s ever loved trust that he won’t crash again if he lets himself fall? Or will the pressures of commitment be more than Caden and Makenna’s love story can handle?

 

Forever in the Light – a never-before published epilogue to the series

 

The happily-ever-after story Caden and Makenna deserve, including their heartfelt wedding and sexy wedding night! 

 

"Passionate and poignant! This will have readers falling in love with Caden and Makenna all over again!" ~ NYT Bestseller Jay Crownover

PREORDER NOW! COMING AUGUST 24!

Amazon | B&N | Apple | Kobo | Goodreads

 

About the Author:

 

  Laura Kaye is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of over 40 books in contemporary romance and romantic suspense and has sold more than one million books in the U.S. alone. Laura grew up amid family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses, cementing her life-long fascination with storytelling and the supernatural. A former college history professor, Laura also writes bestselling historical women's fiction as Laura Kamoie. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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Blog Tour Review: The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan

 

The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan

Publication Date: May 18th 2021 by HQN Books

Pages: 432

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads | Books-a-Million | iBooks

Indiebound | Harlequin | Walmart

My Thoughts:

Forty-year-old Liza doesn’t have a whole lot of free time, but lately she’s been using those moments worrying that her marriage is in trouble. Between working, twin teenage daughters, and a never-ending to-do list, there’s no time for herself let alone her marriage. Liza feels overwhelmed and unappreciated, and I was ticked off on her behalf!

Eighty-year-old Kathleen is being pressured by her daughter, Liza, to sell her beloved home by the sea and move into a residential home. Kathleen has always been an independent woman, she traveled the globe for her show, The Summer Seekers, and she has no intention of giving in. After a wake-up call, Kathleen decides it’s time for another trip, this time to the States driving the historic Route 66. Now all she needs is a driver and this is where Martha comes in.

Martha is living back at home after a few setbacks. She’s reminded constantly of her “bad choices” by her family and it’s chipping away at her soul. When she stumbles upon Kathleen’s ad she jumps at the chance for employment and escape.

This story and these women touched my heart! I felt a connection to all of them! I think most can relate to the situations these women found themselves in: What it feels like to be an overwhelmed wife and mother, to question choices and keep oneself at arm’s length for emotional protection. These characters were far from perfect and had made mistakes. Most notable to me was Kathleen and her relationship with her daughter, a bit distant and seemingly cold on her part, but as her story was revealed I could understand how she got there. Liza’s story really spoke to me as a wife and mother, but I found all the stories emotionally compelling.

I can’t talk about The Summer Seekers without mentioning the setting and how vividly it came to life though the author’s talented writing! Oakwood, Kathleen’s home on the Cornish coast sounded beautiful and full of character. I’d never want to sell either! The road trip on Route 66, with all the regional charms made me eager to embark on a road trip of my own!

The Summer Seekers was such a realistic and heartwarming story! The perfect summer read! There’s self-discovery, a bit of romance and a restoration of love and understanding. I absolutely loved their journeys to happiness! 

5 Stars

Book Summary:

Get swept into a summer of sunshine, soul-searching and shameless matchmaking with this delightfully bighearted road-trip adventure by USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan!

Kathleen is eighty years old. After she has a run-in with an intruder, her daughter wants her to move into a residential home. But she’s not having any of it. What she craves—what she needs—is adventure.

Liza is drowning in the daily stress of family life. The last thing she needs is her mother jetting off on a wild holiday, making Liza long for a solo summer of her own.

Martha is having a quarter-life crisis. Unemployed, unloved and uninspired, she just can’t get her life together. But she knows something has to change.

When Martha sees Kathleen’s advertisement for a driver and companion to share an epic road trip across America with, she decides this job might be the answer to her prayers. She's not the world's best driver, but anything has to be better than living with her parents. And traveling with a stranger? No problem. Anyway, how much trouble can one eighty-year-old woman be?

As these women embark on the journey of a lifetime, they all discover it's never too late to start over…

Author Bio: USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes hot, happy, contemporary romance and women’s fiction, and her trademark humor and sensuality have gained her fans across the globe. Described as “a magician with words” by RT Book Reviews, she has sold more than eleven million copies of her books. She was nominated three years in succession for the prestigious RITA® Award from the Romance Writers of America and won the award three times: once in 2012 for Doukakis’s Apprentice, in 2013 for A Night of No Return and in 2017 for Miracle on 5th Avenue. She also won the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award in 2012 and has made numerous appearances in their Top Pick slot. As a child, Sarah dreamed of being a writer, and although she took a few interesting detours along the way, she is now living that dream. Sarah lives near London, England, with her husband and children, and when she isn’t reading or writing, she loves being outdoors, preferably on vacation so she can forget the house needs tidying.

Audio Review: The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

 

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

Publication Date: May 11th 2021 by Macmillan Audio

Pages: 364

Audio Book Length: 10 hrs 43 min

Narrators: Kirby Heyborne

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Jacob Finch Bonner is struggling to write his second novel after his first book was a modest success, however, things aren’t going as well as he thought. His success and experience make him the perfect candidate to teach at Ripley’s a writer’s workshop/retreat. This is where he encounters Evan Parker, a loud, arrogant guy who claims he has the perfect plot. A plot no writer could mess up, a guaranteed success, and Even claims he doesn’t need any sort of teaching to help him along. When Jacob hears the plot he’s stunned, because Jacob thinks Evan is right. This plot will catapult this asshole into fame, giving Evan everything Jacob has ever dreamed of as a writer: Critical acclaim, book tours, a spot on Oprah’s Book Club Couch.

Years later when Jacob’s prospects keep dwindling as his new books are rejected over and over he’s reduced to taking odd editing jobs and the random writer’s workshop. His situation is depressing but things are about to change when Jacob discovers that not long after Ripley’s Evan died without ever writing “The Book”. Here is a once in a lifetime plot that begs to be told and who better than Jacob? Jacob writes the story and it’s exactly as predicted: fame, accolades, movie deal, and here’s when the other shoe drops. Jacob gets an email calling him a thief. 

Jacob was a bit self-absorbed and pretentious, but I couldn’t help but root for this guy! His life was going downhill, and I have a soft spot for the underdog! I didn’t even feel bad when he sort of lifted the idea (although, apparently you can’t copyright a plot) off of Evan, because who wants a jerk to win and come out ahead? Evan is dead and didn’t leave anyone who cared about him behind, so who’s sending the threatening emails? Jacob must go back and investigate Evan and his background to find out.

The Plot was captivating even when things are pretty calm at the beginning!  I had my suspicions, but even so when things started to come together I had that “aha!” moment where I was shocked! Love being taken by surprise!

I’m familiar with Kirby Heyborne as a narrator and have enjoyed his performances in the past. I loved him as the quiet, flawed Jacob Finch Bonner! I listened at my normal 1.5x normal speed.

4 Stars

Book description:

Jean Hanff Korelitz’s 'THE PLOT' is a psychologically suspenseful novel about a story too good not to steal, and the writer who steals it.

Jacob Finch Bonner was once a promising young novelist with a respectably published first book. Today, he’s teaching in a third-rate MFA program and struggling to maintain what’s left of his self-respect; he hasn’t written—let alone published—anything decent in years. When Evan Parker, his most arrogant student, announces he doesn’t need Jake’s help because the plot of his book in progress is a sure thing, Jake is prepared to dismiss the boast as typical amateur narcissism. But then . . . he hears the plot.

Jake returns to the downward trajectory of his own career and braces himself for the supernova publication of Evan Parker’s first novel: but it never comes. When he discovers that his former student has died, presumably without ever completing his book, Jake does what any self-respecting writer would do with a story like that - a story that absolutely needs to be told.

In a few short years, all of Evan Parker’s predictions have come true, but Jake is the author enjoying the wave. He is wealthy, famous, praised and read all over the world. But at the height of his glorious new life, an e-mail arrives, the first salvo in a terrifying, anonymous campaign: You are a thief, it says.

As Jake struggles to understand his antagonist and hide the truth from his readers and his publishers, he begins to learn more about his late student, and what he discovers both amazes and terrifies him. Who was Evan Parker, and how did he get the idea for his “sure thing” of a novel? What is the real story behind the plot, and who stole it from whom?