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Wildflower Falls–saving a ranch
Wildflower Falls
by Denise Hunter
Romances frequently follow a pattern. Boy meets girl under circumstances that vary from shaky to middle of a crisis. Both characters have background issues that interfere with their having a smooth relationship. There are ups and downs in their paths, and usually there is a happily ever after. Wildflower Falls conforms to this typical sequence. How good a romance is depends on the skills and talents of the author in executing the plot and developing the characters.
Author Denise Hunter falls in the category of excellent with the reader wanting more. As I read Wildflower Falls, I was involved in the characters and wanted that elusive “happily ever after” for stable owner Charlotte Honeycutt and roaming horse trainer Gunner Dawson. Charlotte is trying to fulfill a promise to her deceased mother to save the ranch that has belonged to her family for three generations. There is a mystery as to the identity of her biological father, and Charlotte is caught between betraying a confidence and hurting a whole family of very nice people. Just as important to some readers will be the horses and their relationship with Charlotte and Gunner. Daisy is due to have her foal, and Midnight is a “free” horse that trusts no one. Gunner is purported to be a horse whisperer. Will he be able to win Midnight over before he is scheduled to further his career by working with a Derby horse in Kentucky? His time in Riverbend Gap was never supposed to be more than temporary, but will he be able to pack up his motorcycle and move on at the end of his stipulated six months?
The story is a good one, and the characters are generally likable, especially the members of the Robinson family who are central to the continuing series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Romance, Christian
Notes: #4 in the Riverbend series. Although it could be read as a standalone, I advise starting this series at the beginning because all of the characters in the Robinson family were introduced in the first three books. There are a lot of family dynamics that play into Wildflower Falls.
Publication: September 12, 2023—Thomas Nelson
Memorable Lines:
Horse smart, cute as a button, and a sense of humor too. If that wasn’t the perfect trifecta in a woman, he didn’t know what was.
He was better at reading horses than humans. People attempted to hide their feelings. Horses didn’t do that. When they were afraid, they twitched, tremored, or reared. When they were happy they nickered and swung their tails. When they were angry, they pinned their ears back and pawed the ground. Pretty straightforward.
“Real feelings are always a risk, aren’t they? Nobody likes to get hurt.”
A Cowboy’s Fourth of July–love you can count on
A Cowboy’s Fourth of July
by Melinda Curtis
I enjoy Harlequin Heartwarming books, and I favor books by Melinda Curtis. The Cowboy Academy series combines what I like in A Cowboy’s Fourth of July. In the prologue, the reader gets a peek at Allison Burns, a talented singing cowgirl, and Dixon Youngblood (Dix), her math tutor guarding a heavy crush on her, in high school. The rest of the novel focuses on them as adults, however. Allison is a single mom trying to manage a ranch floundering in debt, and Dixon has returned to his roots in Clementine, Oklahoma, working with his grandmother as a banker. Both characters have trust issues and long for the love found in a stable family. Most of the characters in this book have cowboy/rodeo connections and values rooted in family and the land. Dix, however, was abandoned by his parents and then his grandparents. He was taken in by a loving ranch couple who fostered lots of boys who chose to call them “mom and dad.” The ranch was their home, and they became brothers with all the teasing and support that comes with that relationship.
In his banking job, Dix has to work with people who are under water financially. They fear him because, despite his cowboying abilities, he dresses like a city slicker and has the power to foreclose on their loans. Allison inherited many loans when her parents died and doesn’t have the financial skills to get herself out of debt. Besides the obvious challenges of running a ranch and raising a child, Allison feels pressure to win out over “Pilates Queen” Evie in the yearly fair baking competitions continuing the Graces versus Burns feud, another family inheritance of sorts.
Dix has always been attracted to Allison and steps up as her fake boyfriend to help her in a difficult social situation. As might be expected in a Harlequin Heartwarming romance, sparks fly even as the two work on their own issues. Dix helps Allison discover why she is so far in debt and inspires her to recall the joy she once found in music. Throw into this plot Dix’s uncaring parents and sick grandmother, and Allison’s daughter’s self-obsessed baby daddy. The result is a fun romance with 4th of July fireworks.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Romance
Notes: 1. Allison’s daughter is Piper. She is 10 years old and enthusiastic about so many interests, especially as they relate to being “the best cowgirl ever.” Allison has never told her anything about her father and that comes to a head in this book when he appears in Clementine to sing. He is also unaware he has a child. Piper is a fun character, sweet but manipulative.
2. #2 in The Cowboy Academy series, but works well as a standalone because each book focuses on a different cowboy. There are four books so far in this series.
Publication: July 25, 2023—Harlequin Heartwarming
Memorable Lines:
“Even if you opened branches of the Clementine Savings & Loan across the state of Oklahoma, your mother would still look at you and see the boy she failed because she had to give you up. And until she can look at you without that filter, your relationship with your reals is going to be strained.”
“At some point, Dix, you’re going to have to make choices about your life based on what makes you happy, not what might mend that dysfunctional family of yours….Maybe then, you’d look around and find yourself a good woman, one who understands you’re always going to be watching for signs she’s leaving you to find a happier place in the world, because that’s what most fosters do.”
“If you wait until she’s worked through her issues and you’ve worked through yours, you might just be waiting forever…instead of finding your forever.”
A Cowboy Worth Waiting For–Rodeo Matchmaking
A Cowboy Worth Waiting For
by Melinda Curtis
Why are cowboys so appealing? I think it is because their job is a tough one requiring strength and endurance and is embedded in the natural world, the outdoors. Cowboys are by their very nature high on the masculinity scale. That includes Wade, a bareback bull rider and his family of non-biological brothers who are former fosters on the D Double R ranch. These young men faced tough times in their pasts, but were successfully guided by Mary and Frank Harrison through the hurts that landed them in the foster system. The men view Mary and Frank as parents and have chosen to stay on working the ranch that supplies horses and bulls for rodeos.
Wade lost his wife Libby to a brain tumor. He continues to isolate himself from hurt by distancing himself from people. The exception is his foster family and his tweenage daughter Ginny. Ronnie, who was Libby’s best friend, promised Libby that she would find a new wife for Wade who was also a longtime friend of Ronnie’s. Her means to accomplish this end (while disguising it) is starting a matchmaking business for cowboys, cowgirls, and all who enjoy rodeo. Ronnie, known for her kind heart, also has a reputation for messing things up—from the businesses she starts to navigating the physical world.
All the characters are likable, and young Ginny is realistic as she bounces back and forth between being a little girl and wanting to be “grown up.” The brothers have different strengths and strong bonds; they enjoy a lot of good natured ribbing. Ronnie is a fun character; she has resolved not to fall in love and can’t see the romance right in front of her while she successfully matches up other couples.
If you like clean romances and cowboys or are just intrigued by the cowboy life and lifestyle, I think you will enjoy A Cowboy Worth Waiting For. Knowing author Melinda Curtis’ expertise with series that revolve around families, I would expect this to be only the first of some good stories about each of the brothers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance
Notes: #1 in The Cowboy Academy series, a Harlequin Heartwarming book
Publication: March 28, 2023—Harlequin Digital
Memorable Lines:
There was the Ronnie in her head, the one who planned romantic picnics. And then there was Ronnie out there in the world, spreading her picnic blanket over a fire ant mound. After her last date had called her a menace and was trying to sue her for damages, she’d come to a decision. Men were safer without her.
Ronnie’s cheeks heated until they felt hot enough to sizzle bacon.
In a nearby chute, a cowboy lowered himself on the back of Hustle Train, a beefy Brahman mix who delighted in turning on a dime to rid himself of pesky cowboys with dreams of grandeur.
Wyoming Christmas Reunion–a horse for Christmas
Wyoming Christmas Reunion
by Melinda Curtis
I had read and enjoyed all of the Blackwell saga until the Blackwells of Eagle Springs came along at a bad time for me to accept more books to review. So, coming to the party late, as a fan of author Melinda Curtis, I thought it would be fun to read another Christmasy romance by her. She is very good at making even her series books work well as standalones, so that was not an issue for me. Big E from the other Blackwell series is even a crossover to this one.
I liked the first part of Wyoming Christmas Reunion, and I loved the last part and the wrap-up. I didn’t enjoy the middle where divorced Helen and Nash bounce back and forth ad nauseam on overcoming their backgrounds and their current problems, on their love for each other, and on their commitment to each other.
Nash, an outstanding trainer for cutting horses, in his efforts to save the Flying Spur, the family’s ranch, from developers makes a very risky bet. Helen is a farrier by trade; she has given up riding due to the trauma of injuries from horses, Nash’s bet puts her in the position of needing to overcome her fears to even get on a horse again and then learn how to compete on a cutting horse…all in two weeks. I did learn a lot about cutting horse competition and would love to view it live.
The character in the book that charmed me and kept me going during repetitive parts of the book was Helen and Nash’s son Luke, a sweet kindergartener who wants to train his own horse like Nash did as a child. The book has a lot of themes that appeal to me—family, friendship, and forgiveness. Some of the positive attributes on display in the book are commitment, persistence, kindness, and the ability to open up to communicate on even the hard issues. I enjoyed the ending of the book, and I think those who have read the whole series will be pleased with the conclusion as all the major characters in the series make an appearance in the tale that culminates with the traditional Blackwell Holiday Feast. I also enjoyed the way Christmas carols were incorporated into the story to lighten moods and help Helen focus during the competition.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 3/5
Category: Romance
Notes: 1. #5 in the Blackwells of Eagle Springs Series
2. This is my last Christmas book review for 2022 and probably for quite a while. Next up—a cozy mystery and then historical fiction (WWII).
Publication: November 29, 2022—Harlequin Heartwarming
Memorable Lines:
On those rare occasions when Helen was visibly frustrated, the very air around her was charged the way it was during a summer thunderstorm. Noise, huffing, words flung about looking for a dramatic crash landing. And then the clouds moved on as quickly as they’d blown in. And she’d be evenkeeled and easygoing, like a clear cloudless day where you’d feel recharged beneath her rays of sunshine.
She held Luke still. “Just to recap—no kisses, no kicking, no pushing or putting people in prison.” “You’re funny, Mama.” Luke kissed her cheek and ran out of the bathroom, as if leaving all his cares behind him. An enviable skill.
When the gelding realized they were going in, it was as if he was a completely different horse. He cocked his ears and snorted, head high, gathering himself like a sprinter before he took his mark at the starting line. And then he strutted forward, like he was used to being large and in charge, unafraid of zombie apocalypse bovines.
Healing the Rancher–making a family
Healing the Rancher
by Melinda Curtis
The story of the Mountain Monroes in Idaho continues in Healing the Rancher with a focus on Kendall Monroe, a city-girl with a knack for twenty-first century PR through social media. Needing employment, she decides to try to land a contract with a Texas ranch, but she needs to prove her cowgirl credentials to the owners. The problem is that she never really took to ranch life when she visited Grandpa Harlan in Idaho as a child. She returns to the little town of Second Chance where most of her cousins have relocated and agrees to intern on a ranch owned by Finn McAfee, a handsome but scarred ex-Marine. Besides his physical scars, he is weighted by the death of his young wife and his own cancer diagnosis.
Sparks fly when Kendall meets her tough new boss Finn who views her as a “princess.” She shows him how strong she is while keeping a smile on her face. The back and forth between the two will keep the reader smiling as will Lizzie, Finn’s adorable four year old daughter and their collection of “misfits,” animals dropped off at the ranch because their owners didn’t want them.
All kinds of problems arise as Kendall tries to become a cowgirl, but she owns up to her mistakes. Other difficulties have to be faced up to as well, things that are not her fault—cattle rustling and financial issues for both of them.
Several of the Monroe cousins play supporting roles and for those readers who have followed the Monroe saga, it is fun to see how those cousins’ lives are progressing. As with all the books in this series, the conclusion is more than satisfactory and will leave you with smiles just thinking about the future for Kendall and Finn.
I would like to extend my thanks to Melinda Curtis for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance
Notes: 1. While Healing the Rancher (#11 in the Mountain Monroes series) could be read as a standalone, I recommend reading the whole series in order.
2. All the books in this series are clean romances.
Publication: May 24, 2022—Harlequin
Memorable Lines:
“I feel like my grandfather wasn’t afraid to reinvent himself. Or afraid of failure. That’s what makes people succeed, I think. They want something more than they fear going belly-up.”
The grand Sawtooth Mountain range was just as imposing here as it was in Second Chance. The jagged mountains were as hard as she imagined the life here was. Or maybe that was just her perception as someone from the city.
“Boo, this is why I need to learn how to be a ranch boss and move on. The man is more irresistible than chocolate to me. And I’m like day-old bread to him.”
Montana Wedding–great finale
Montana Wedding
by Cari Lynn Webb
Georgie Harrison has always been singularly focused. She has a plan to honor her mother’s memory by discovering a cure so that other families would not have to experience premature loss of a parent as she and her sisters had. As a medical doctor she has turned her talents to research and has landed the job of her dreams in London. Now she just has to convince her dad and four sisters that this is a positive move. She convinces a friend and work colleague, Colin, to be her pretend date for her sister’s wedding at the Blackwell Ranch. Unfortunately, Colin doesn’t make the flight. Seated next to her on the plane, however, is handsome rodeo star Zach. He would fit right in with the Blackwells, the cousins she is about to meet, but what could possibly motivate Zach to assume the role of boyfriend?
Zach has his own family issues and dreams, but he loyally supports Georgie as promised. Since this is a Harlequin Heartwarming romance, you can be sure the couple will fall in love. The journey down the path to love is what is interesting, and the plot has several surprising twists, as in “I didn’t see that coming!” Author Cari Lynn Webb gives the viewpoint of both Zach and Georgie as they battle their growing attraction, giving the reader empathy for them in a situation neither sought out. The Blackwells are wonderful people who stand by each other with integrity, love, and quite a bit of teasing. They are the family Zach always dreamed of. Montana Wedding’sbackdrop of a Christmas wedding at a Montana working guest ranch will put you in a holiday mood regardless of the season. It is the perfect finish to The Blackwell Sisters series as it includes all the major characters from that series and from The Return of the Blackwell Brothers. It will leave you with that pleasing feeling of closure for the series and a satisfied smile on your face.
I would like to extend my thanks to Cari Lynn Webb and to Harlequin Heartwarming for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance
Notes: #5 in The Blackwell Sisters series. It could be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the whole series.
Publication: December 6, 2020—Harlequin Heartwarming
Memorable Lines:
His mother had offered disregard and indifference as naturally as other mothers offered their children support and reassurance….His mother’s accusations had always been followed by those same two words, given in the same dull, detached tone: Go. Away.
He’d learned the truth during Cody’s final battle. Time refused to slow. There was no freeze button. And minutes were wasted wishing for impossible things. Life had to be enjoyed in the now.
“Hope is a powerful thing.” Every patient, every family member of a sick loved one relied on hope. Hope the medicine would work. Hope the doctors found the right treatment. Hope the surgeons removed every last cancer cell. Hope the damage wouldn’t be permanent. Hope that tomorrow would be brighter, better, pain free.
Montana Match–overcoming family history
Montana Match
by Carol Ross
Fiona, the youngest of the Harrison sisters, is somewhat of a free spirit. She gets along with everyone, likes to move around, and excels at her jobs as a professional waitress. She also makes bad relationship choices due to her kind heartedness—a nice way of saying she dates losers. Fiona is convinced by Rudy Harrison, the man she always thought of as her dad, and Big E Blackwell, her biological grandfather, to come to Falcon Creek to change her ways by finding a “suitable” man and profession.
In the middle of online dating efforts, she meets Simon who is currently helping out his cousin Ned in his bar. Simon and Fiona both discover the advantages of being truthful to oneself and to others. A heartwarming book with a beautiful setting and characters you’ll want to meet, Montana Match has a plot with just the right amount of entanglements. Fiona wants so badly to do everything right from helping out at the ranch’s petting zoo to making Thanksgiving dinner for a crowd. Without giving anything away, I’ll just say that “pigs and eggnog,” even separately, can be problematic. Both Simon and Fiona love antiques and golf, but will that be enough to bring them together? Carol Ross has woven a wonderful tale that will leave you wanting more of The Blackwell Sisters.
I would like to extend my thanks to Carol Ross and to Harlequin Heartwarming for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Contemporary Romance
Notes: #4 in The Blackwell Sisters series. This is a clean and heartwarming romance. Plenty of background support is included by the author to make it enjoyable as a standalone, but I think you’ll find yourself wanting to read the others in the series of 5 books with the last to be published in December.
Publication: November 1, 2020—Harlequin Heartwarming
Memorable Lines:
But the good memories were tightly bound with the painful ones. Like trying to untangle fine silk that’s been woven with razor wire, it was impossible to separate the two and come out unscathed.
Uncertainty swept through her with the force of an ocean wave, knocking her off balance and leaving her head swimming.
“A bit of trouble?” Luke repeated the words while his mouth curled slowly at the corners. “You could call it that. Be sort of like calling a hurricane a bit of a storm, though.” He chuckled and shook his head.
Montana Welcome–runaway bride and a cowboy
Montana Welcome
by Melinda Curtis
Lily Harrison loves adventure, and she has had plenty of them since she met daredevil Danny Belmonte at the age of seven. They remain steadfast best friends through good times and bad, including long term damage to Lily’s hands. But is friendship enough to take them to the wedding altar?
It seems everyone in Melinda Curtis’ Montana Welcome wants to arrange Lily’s life for her, to take care of her, but Lily has to decide if that is what she really wants. Woven into a runaway bride story are threads of family relationships and secrets; “Big E” wants to get to know his newly discovered granddaughters, and Rudy Harrison wants to keep the daughters he raised. Connor, a handsome cowboy, with hangups and responsibilities, is tasked with getting Lily from California to the Blackwell Ranch in Montana. Connor and Lily, along with her new-found cousin Pepper and Pepper’s maid of honor Natalie, have thrills and laughs as they make the trek in a travel trailer in time for Pepper’s cowboy style wedding.
Montana Welcome will entertain you as you get to know these characters along with their motivations and quirks. It is a quick read that will leave you wanting more. This is not a deeply complex romance, but it does deal with real issues of love, control, and secrets. The characters are interesting, and the plot includes action and contains surprises.
The Blackwell Sisters series, each book written by a different collaborating author, will focus on one of the Blackwell sisters who all consider themselves Harrisons. As the series moves forward, Rudy and Big E set out to look for Thomas Blackwell, the girls’ biological father to answer questions and possibly bring closure to the family. Bring on the next book!
I would like to extend my thanks to Melinda Curtis and Harlequin Heartwarming for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance
Notes: #1 in The Blackwell Sisters series from Harlequin Heartwarming, noted for their clean romances. This is a followup series to The Return of the Blackwell Brothers, and it is written by the same authors. You absolutely do not have to have read the first series to enjoy this one.
Publication: August 4, 2020—Harlequin Heartwarming
Memorable Lines:
She knew what she should do. and it didn’t involve walking down the aisle on the arm of a man who wasn’t her father to pledge herself to a man who didn’t want to marry her.
On the trip out west, he’d been lulled to sleep by Big E’s snoring, which was like listening to waves regularly crashing on a beach. Loud waves that covered the noise semitrucks made when they pulled in and out of the rest stops where he and Big E parked each night.
Pepper’s carefully constructed dreams, her life plan, her desire for lucrative freedom. Could it be possible that Pepper hadn’t been frivolously wishing upon a star? That she’d been wanting to create a life she, and she alone, controlled?
Lassoed by the Would-Be Rancher–capturing a cowgirl’s heart
Lassoed by the Would-Be Rancher
by Melinda Curtis
Shane Monroe wants so badly to save the little town of Second Chance for both selfish and unselfish personal reasons. He wants to put his expertise in business to work with creative ideas to attract tourists to the area. Shane encounters local resistance; and while he works to smooth things over, he meets Franny, a widow with three children who owns the Bucking Bull Ranch. Franny and Shane share an attraction and admire each other’s skill sets, but are sure that a relationship would have no future.
This romance is packed with danger in the form of massive, feral bulls. It has likable characters who struggle with parent/adult child relationship issues. There is somewhat of a mystery too as Shane tries to establish a basis for historical significance for the town. Is the tale of Merciless Mike Moody a myth? Is there really gold buried in the mountain?
Franny’s children are typical video-game loving boys, but they have learned early, from living on a ranch, that country living requires taking on a lot of responsibility from an early age. We meet several more of the diverse group of Monroe cousins in Lassoed by the Would-Be Rancher.
I had a great time reading this book and learned a lot about bulls and rodeo. The ending is very sweet but don’t skip ahead or it won’t make sense. “Good things come to those who wait.” That is good advice for me as I anticipate the next book in the Mountain Monroes Series.
I would like to extend my thanks to Melinda Curtis for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance (Clean)
Notes: #4 in the Mountain Monroes Series but works as a standalone. There is a chart showing the family relations and the author provides any background from previous books that is needed.
Publication: January 1, 2020—Harlequin Heartwarming
Memorable Lines:
Her eyes…They were a soft gray. The gray of baby rabbits, chubby ponies and funeral melancholy.
On Grandpa Harlan’s road trips, they’d stopped to help more strangers than Shane could count. Flat tires. Engine trouble. People caught short, asking for gas money to get to the next town. Grandpa Harlan didn’t discriminate or judge. He treated everyone as if they were trusted equals.
The wind rattled the windowpanes. His gaze rattled her.
The Rancher’s Homecoming–inspiration on a Montana ranch
The Rancher’s Homecoming
by Anna J. Stewart
What a great final book in the Return of the Blackwell Brothers series! Anna J. Stewart has the job of continuing the story and finalizing this series in her book The Rancher’s Homecoming. Stewart does a fantastic job with both tasks.
Chance Blackwell considers himself the black sheep of the Blackwell family because he never enjoyed riding horses (blasphemy on a ranch!), he loves music, and he eloped with the foreman’s daughter, hoping never to return. Life is full of surprises, however, and Chance’s wife, Maura, passes away from cancer leaving him with a hole in his heart and an adorable preschooler, and without an inspiration for his songs. His grandfather, Big E, continues to manipulate behind the scenes, and Chance is forced to return to Falcon Creek to cast the deciding vote on the sale of the ranch.
The story moves quickly ahead while the reader gets glimpses into the past to see reasons for various characters’ actions. The relationship between Chance and Katie, his wife’s sister, who is also the acting foreman of the ranch, becomes complicated. The always likable sister-in-laws band together to try to make things better on several fronts. Will Big E ever explain himself? Has he changed? What influence does he have over Katie? Can the Blackwell brothers trust her? Should Chance vote to sell, hurting Ethan and Ty, or vote to retain the property, hurting Ben and Jon? Life is complicated, and so is the plot of The Rancher’s Homecoming.
This book is another in the series that lives up to its “heartwarming” moniker. Interesting characters, beautiful Montana setting, and a nice balance between introspection and action combine to make this a great read. If you haven’t read this series yet, I strongly recommend you put it on your TBR list for 2019!
I would like to extend my thanks to the author, Anna J. Stewart, for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance
Notes: #5 in Return of the Blackwell Brothers but will work as a standalone because of brief explanations of characters and past events as the book progresses
Publication: December 1, 2018—Harlequin Publishing
Memorable Lines:
There was nothing for him here. Nothing except bitter memories of a place where he never belonged and a family he’d never fit into. Forget being a square peg in a round hole. For Chance, he’d always felt like a banjo in an orchestra.
The melody found itself, as it always did, skipping and hopping its way through his mind like stones across a still lake.
The late-summer air brushed over them, warm and welcoming, as the river rushed beyond them and meandered through Blackwell land as easily as a bee to its hive.
“Don’t ever let anyone tell you libraries aren’t important. It’s where our dreams wait to be discovered.”
education pathways 