Cowboy Up Vicki Lewis Thompson Series: Sons of Chance #5 Publisher:Harlequin Publish Date: June 21, 2011
Kindle {p.224} Source: Public Library Genre: Western Characters: Emily Sterling, Clay Whitaker Challenge: 100+ Buy the Book:Amazon
"Never fall in love with a cowboy." These words were drilled into Emily Sterling's head since her parents divorced over twenty years ago. But now Emily has returned to her father's ranch… only to find herself face-to-face with jawdroppingly hot rancher Clay Whitaker.
Clay is the resident stud expert at the Last Chance Ranch and isn't so keen on "spoiled" city slickers…until Emily arrives. Now he's showing Emily just what a ranch—and a cowboy—has to offer. And luckily for him, it's an offer Emily can't refuse...
Cowboy Up was quick and to the point. Emily and Clay had previously met ten years before, but it was more memorable to one of them.
Emily and Clay are attracted to one another and secretly begin an affair that’s not as secret as they’d like to believe. They seem to have a very strong sexual connection and a so-so connection everywhere else.
Emily’s sudden turn-around about ranch life wasn’t all that believable for me. Although she insisted it had nothing to do with her relationship with Clay, I still felt it did. I did however enjoy watching her relationship with her father blossom. I felt bad for her father and how much he had missed of Emily’s life.
This is a quick, fun read with a few sexy encounters. Nice pick for an afternoon of light reading.
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. It is showcases upcoming releases of books that I'm looking forward to. It is somewhat similar to one of my previous posts, Anxiously Awaiting. {Button courtesy of Bewitched Bookworms}
Leah has the life most high school girls would kill for—popularity, glowing grades, a rich, athletic boyfriend. So why does she feel like she can’t breathe? And why can’t she stop thinking about the boy from the country club? The one who isn’t her boyfriend, the one that her mother would never, ever approve of, the one that her perfect older sisters would never, ever look at twice. The one who is always looking back at her. Irresistible attraction, smoldering glances, the bad boy and the good girl—Kiss Crush Collide has everything that a steamy forbidden romance should, and then some.
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It was created because they love making lists and wanted to share it with other bookish people.
This week's topic is:
Top 10 Book Endings That Left You With Your Mouth Hanging Open
(In no particular order)
1. Beach Road by James Patterson ~ I wasn't supecting the bad guy to turn out to be who it was. That's one of the very reasons this is one of my favorites by this author.
2. Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma ~ I was not a fan of how this one ended. I knew going in that it wouldn't be a "happily ever after" type of ending, but I didn't expect the ending that it did have either.
3. The Island by Elin Hilderbrand ~ It ended with a lot of unanswered questions. I wanted all the loose ends tied up since I don't believe there to be a follow up to this particular book.
4. Honey Moon by Susan Elizabeth Phillips ~ I didn't like the tradegy that Honey went through.
5. Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward ~ Of the Black Dagger Brotherhood novels that I've read so far, this one is my least favorite. This on almost turned me off of the whole series.
6. The Polyamorous Princess by Melodee Aaron ~ I didn't like that the heroine was able to quickly replace one man with the other.
This weekly meme is hosted by Ginger at GReads that showcases music. Each week you can post an old or new song so that it gains more interest! So head on over and link up.
If you are a regular follower to my blog, you probably have figured out by now that outside of books, music is a passion as well.
So this is my first week participating in this meme, but I am a regular in a similar Thursday link-up called What's Your Songhosted by Amber.
The month of October Ginger is doing a soundtrack theme.
This is the first song that popped into my head when I thought of soundtracks. I have always been a HUGE fan of this song! This is one song I could listen to over and over and never tire of it.
You won't believe what's happened. My son Tulane has come back home! You remember Tulane? He'd set out to find fame and fortune in the big, wide world outside of Last Chance, and I'm mighty proud. But that's not the half of it-Tulane isn't only back, he's brought a young lady with him.
Now Sarah-she does PR for Tulane's stock-car team-she's from Boston, but she's just about the sweetest girl you could meet. I think she's meant to keep Tulane out of trouble after that story in the papers, but he doesn't want to talk about it. Anyhow, the Ladies Auxiliary can't wait to start matchmaking and introduce Sarah to our Reverend Ellis. But mark my words, Sarah is tired of being a good girl. And no one is better at breaking the rules and raising Cain than my son...
Listen to me going on and keeping customeres waiting. I best get back to work, but you come round again. The Cut 'n' Curl's got hot rollers, free coffee, and the best gossip in town.
Fun Facts:
Hope's mother-in-law was really good at expressing her disdain just by raising one eyebrow. Hope's husband always referred to this expression as Mother's look. One time Hope tried to give one of her kids this look and the kid looked right back, shook his head, and informed her that her LOOK was inferior. "Mom," he said, "You look like you've got gas pains." This sassy comeback found its way into the opening scene of HOME AT LAST CHANCE.
Hope is a big fan of the singer-songwriter David Wilcox. Wilcox's song, "Language of the Heart," is the one she plays every time she needs to write a love scene. The song is all about how what people say in words is different than what their bodies say when they are making love. Nothing could be more true of Sarah and Tulane in HOME AT LAST CHANCE.
About the Author Hope Ramsay was born in New York and grew up on the North Shore of Long Island, but every summer Momma would pack her off under the care of Aunt Annie to go visiting with relatives in the midlands of South Carolina. Her extended family includes its share of colorful aunts and uncles, as well as cousins by the dozens, who provide the fodder for the characters you’ll find in Last Chance, South Carolina. Hope earned a BA in Political Science from the University of Buffalo, and has had various jobs working as a Congressional aide, a lobbyist, a public relations consultant, and a meeting planner. Read more...
My Review:
Sarah is a prissy, uptight woman who is looking to let her hair down. Tulane is just the man to help her with that.
This book is filled with off-beat, quirky characters. It's entertaining and kept me laughing along the way. I loved Tulane's niece, Haley. She was always eavesdropping just a little too hard and getting her information a bit confused. But she kept me laughing.
Tulane and Sarah were well written and developed. I just was unable to connect with them and their relationship. However, I did enjoy all the family interaction. I'm always a fan of romances that involve the family to see how significant others get along with them.
Home at Last Chance is a nice read for those looking for a Southern romace with a few laughs along the way.
What if you can go home again?
Ten years and two hundred miles. That's what separates Andi Powell from quiet, secluded Emerald Lake-and that's exactly how she likes it. But now her job brings her back to the hometown she's tried so hard to forget . . . and to Nate Duncan, the man she's never been able to.
Nate once looked at Andi with love in his eyes. But that was before she left him in the dust to pursue her big-city dreams. Now he's the town's ruggedly handsome mayor with the power to break Andi's career like she broke his heart. As the two clash over the future of Emerald Lake, the sparks that fly between them rekindle a passion neither of them can deny.
Andi may have left town looking for the life she thought she wanted. But could everything she needs have been in Emerald Lake all along?
Fun Facts:
Before writing romance novels, Bella was a professional musician. Now, instead of writing and playing music, she listens to it all day as she writes. While writing Home Sweet Home, she was inspired by such songs as "The Gallery" by Joni Mitchell, the Sound of Music soundtrack, and Taylor Swift's latest album (particularly "Back to December" and "Last Kiss").
At one point, Andi and Nate (the heroine and hero) are looking up at the clouds in the sky and Nate starts pointing out shapes that look like people and things, rather than just clouds. This was entirely inspired by Bella's husband, who sat with her on the end of the dock one day and showed her the magic of the sky. The very next day she wrote that scene.
About the Author Bella Riley has always been a writer. Songs came first, and then nonfiction books, but as soon as she started her first romance novel, she knew she'd found her perfect career. Since selling her first book in 2003 (under the name Bella Andre), Bella has written more than twenty "empowered stories enveloped in heady romance" (Publishers Weekly). Read more...
My Review:
This was a heartwarming tale of one's journey home.
Andi never felt like she fit in or belonged in Emerald Lake, but she finds herself returning there for a big project she's working on. To see this project become a reality, she's going to need the help of the town mayor, who just so happens to be the love she left behind.
This story draws you in from the start with the beautiful backdrop and interesting townspeople. Not only do you fall in love with Nate and Andi, but everyone in Emerald Lake. Riley does an amazing job of painting a town you'd love to visit and wish you were lucky enjoy to live.
The love Andi and Nate shared was evident from the start. As a reader you can't help but to hang onto every word to see how these two are going to work it out.
The ending isn't what I expected. That isn't to say I didn't like the ending, because I did. That is to say I enjoyed it more because it wasn't predictable.
If you're a fan of Debbie Macomber's Blossom Street series, you'll definitely love Emerald Lake. An amazing start to this series and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from this author.
In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I'll post what books I've received either by mailbox/library/store.
I'll try to post an entry of IMM every Sunday that I receive books by mail of that week.
For you bloggers that decided to participate in this challenge, please copy and paste the above image icon onto the sidebar of your blog.
Add your review links for October - December in the linky.
Anyone can join. Just sign up HERE. You don't need a blog to participate.
**Bloggers: Link your REVIEWS on the Mr. Linky below. Include blog name, book title, and the state the book takes place in. (ie. Book Obsessed "Lover Awakened" - NY)
**Non-Bloggers: Post your reviews with other book sites (ie. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Shelfari, etc.) and post the link to your review in the linky. Or post your review in the comments section. Your comment should include the title of the book, author, state in which the book takes place, and the date you completed reading the book. (bloggers do not need to include the date because your blog posts are dated)
When you sign up on Mr. Linky, put the direct link to your review. You can either list your books on your challenge post, sidebar, or a page dedicated to your challenges.
Happy Reading!!!
{If you'd like to follow my progress, you can find it here.}
This is NOT the place to sign up for the challenge
" by Seal
In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ 
- NY)