The Story Guy by Mary Ann Rivers

Every once in a while we read a book that we love so much that we decide we need to put up a review of it immediately, even though the review calendar is full.  This is one of those books.  Kay and Anne highly recommend you read The Story Guy.

The Story Guy
Grade-A
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink level-No Kink
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
131 pages

This is the most beautiful book I’ve ever read. So much more than a romance. Powerful, moving, sweet, loving and sometimes even funny. It starts with the placement of personal ad and takes you on the journey of two people that so desperately needed each other. The desire to love and be loved is never more profound.

Brian places an ad for one day a week, to meet with someone for nothing more than kissing. No relationship, no extensive touching and no sex. Just kissing. He doesn’t have the time for anything more. He lives with his sister and works as an attorney.

Carrie is a librarian who answers his ad because of how it’s worded. She had no idea what she would be getting. Her confusion over the situation is understandable and frustrating. But growing to love someone is never easy. I really can’t tell you much more because I don’t want to give anything away.

I ended up open mouthed sobbing because the emotional pull of this story is huge.

                     

Two of a Kind by Susan Mallery

Two of a Kind (Fool's Gold, #11)

Grade-C
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Fool’s Gold #11
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
384 pages

Gideon Boylan was a sniper in the armed forces and a P.O.W., which has left him scarred. He has settled in the town of Fool’s Gold to try and find some peace. He bought the town’s radio station and even does the nighttime DJ job. He likes his privacy and doesn’t want to get too involved with anything. The he learns his one night stand from the past is here in his new hometown.

Felicia Swift is smart, scary smart. She was a logistics master with the Special Forces. She still works with four of them and is helping their new business in the town of Fool’s Gold  get off the ground. She has never had a family but wants one desperately. But to get that, you have to out your heart on the line and rejection is scary.

I wanted this to be so much better than it was. It was okay and I didn’t hate it but I certainly didn’t love it either. I mean it had everything I would normally love: a scarred hero and heroine, a secret baby and this town I love to read about. It never came together for me. Besides, the town has already had a secret baby story and I thought that was cheap. I’ll continue because of my love for this series but this was not as good as it usually is.

Cowboy Seeks Bride by Carolyn Brown

Cowboy Seeks Bride
Grade-B-
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Spikes & Spurs #7
Genre-Contemporary
384 pages
Reviewed by Kate

Haley McKay (whose professional name is HB McKay) thinks her dad is playing a practical joke on her when he sends her to meet Dewar O’Donnell and his buddies at the start of a cattle drive. She’s supposed to ride with the cowboys on the month-long round up as research for a reality show the family tv company is considering, but Haley is sure that when she gets there it will all be a joke.

Dewar is expecting HB McKay to be a middle-aged business man, not the feisty red-head that shows up. He’s been actively looking for a wife, but knows there’s no way Haley’s busy life as a career woman would mix with his life on the ranch. But despite the logic, the sparks between Haley and Dewar fly.

Carolyn Brown is one of my favorite authors of the modern cowboy, In Cowboy Seeks Bride she delivers a solid, low conflict romance. Haley’s city-girl ways clash with Dewar’s country life, but the attraction is instant. I enjoyed watching Dewar and Haley sneaking around and hiding their relationship from the other cowboys on the drive. The ending seemed a bit too easy, a little too perfect, but still believable. I can forgive the ending since I enjoyed the book as much as I did.

Are you a fan of the modern-day cowboy romance? If so, who are some of your favorite authors?