GRR Reviews Matt by M S Parker

Matt had to get out of town after falling for the woman his brother Keith introduced him to, only for her to fall for his brother instead. As a Boston Banker, he's definitely out of place in the plains of South Dakota, when his car broke down. // Gabrielle just buried her father and has problems with one of her ranchhands Carl, and her foreman needs to retire soon. While patrolling her grounds she found Matt unconscious of heatstroke and rescued him. There's a connection between them, and he offered to help out since he needed to get away from it all anyway...

I really don't feel much for this, as Matt's ranch qualifications seem to be pretty minimal and a bit convoluted. And Carl never seemed to be much of a threat.  2.5/5

GRR Reviews Welcome to Riverside Ranch by Sophie Mays

NOTE: Cliffhanger, kinda Happy-for-now ending, 126 page short novel

Piper was just handed her dream: being the assistant director for a film project she wrote. While she planned for a jungle adventure, being told by studio head to change the setting to a Colorado ranch/resort is not bad... but having her crush as the star? Run into production problems? And being attracted to the head cowboy, Blake? That could be a problem... // Blake knew that his family ranch has a ton of tradition, being owned by them for a VERY long time, but tradition won't keep the ranch running in the black. That's why a new wing of the resort is about to be done, and not even a film crew can ruin his good mood. But a feisty city girl named Piper leading the crew? That could be a problem...

Sweet, fun, and romantic, in that they try to accommodate each other. But the story is unfinished, as the Blake wanted to see Piper in her home element: Los Angeles. That's for the sequel... This volume by itself? Technically a cliffhanger. 3/5

GRR Reviews Heartstruck and Heavensent by Kari Trumbo

Madison is a very private librarian. Nobody knows her well, and that's her choice. She based her life on her parents, who are Christians with zero public affections, that love is something to be shamed. So much so, she left Kansas behind and went to New York City. She's even more ashamed because she has a secret side job: romance writer. And she's actually quite decent at it... Until she hit a writer's block. When three of her best online friends roped her into a week at the Broken J Ranch in Wyoming as sort of a writing retreat, she accepted, as anything would be better than writing nothing. Which is where she also met a quiet wrangler by the name of Randall... // Randall has land in Kansas, and he's just working in Wyoming to save up some money to outfit his own ranch. Randall was drawn to Madison, but Randall's leaving soon, and Madison, even sooner. Madison knew that Randall is a Christian, and is strong and good-hearted. But she can't do long-distance, and she didn't like being Christian... or did she misunderstood what being a Christian meant all along? And is there really a chance with Randall, if they can both go back to Kansas?

Okay, this is Christian / Spiritual, but not too obviously so. It doesn't beat you over the head with Bible quotes and such. You can even say it kinda broke the 4th Wall, albeit circumspect, by having characters that are romance novel writers discussing what constitutes a spiritual romance, and even made threw some shade at traditional publishing vs. indie publishing. 4/5

GRR Reviews Send Sunshine by Heather MacKinnon

Bailey gave up on dating after kissing too many frogs. She volunteered to spend some time with a lonely horse, but she knew nothing about horses... And was tutored by the rudest man she knew... Ryder. But Ryder is also gorgeous and hot... // Ryder had screwed up once before, because he's hiding a secret. He has a mental condition that he kept under control through medication, discipline, and work, and he has no time for women... Even one as enchanting as Bailey. But Bailey couldn't resist a challenge and kept asking him for "one night". // Will Ryder succumb to Bailey's charms? Will Bailey see the secret Ryder was desperately hiding? Will Ryder end up hurting them both?

Nice, let's just say Ryder... may not be completely mentally stable, and he's already working three jobs hoping to pay back his brother for bailing him out earlier. And this time, he may drag Bailey down with him. Darkest hour is truly dark, and the resolution was also appropriate. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Tie Me Down by Katie Douglas

Alana fainted at a gas station in Arizona, after fleeing her evil boyfriend Jimbo, who got her pregnant, then beat her for daring to "interfere" in his criminal ways. When he told her she can't keep the baby, it's time to flee the city. Alana was rescued at the station by Lawson, a local cowboy with his own ranch. But can Lawson protect Alana, and convince her he's the one?

Not bad for a novella (right about 100 pages) proper beats and evil ex and all that. Nothing like super-good, but it's quite good. 4/5

GRR Reviews Cowboy Billionaire's Fake Relationship by Bethany Rose

Ethan is back in Hope Springs after his grandpa's passing. His grandpa left him everything, including the family ranch, except he needs to get married in 30 days to keep it.  Meeting high school acquaintance Izzy was just random chance, but now, Izzy's his only plan... Until his evil ex-wife gets involved. // Izzy can't believe at 31, she's back in Hope Springs, broke, living with her parents (again), and waitressing at the local diner. All due to her alleged fiancee blackballing her as a chef. Then Ethan walked through the diner doors, and everything changed... He was the jock, and she was the nerd back then. Now, he's offering her a chance to get away... But will the engagement be as fake as Ethan suggested...or did they fall for each other already?

This is about as trope as it gets. It's weird will, evil ex, who basically arrived in town just to ruin both of their days. There are some warm moments, but overall, nothing really new here. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Daddy Takes Charge by Amelia Smarts

Lydia had always lived on Jackson's ranch, but after the death of her father, she turned into a total brat, ruining every job she'd been given. Yet she's an adult. Jackson was finally pushed too far, and decided what Lydia needs is a good spanking over his knee... and call him "daddy". And while bad girl gets a spanking... good girl gets... orgasms. However, when Lydia realized the ranch is in financial trouble, can Lydia help Jackson put the ranch back into the black?

Hmmm... It's quasi-sensual spanking, and sorta... weird. Lydia is kinda seeking attention. The 'daddy dom' subgenre of BDSM (which usually includes spanking) pushes taboo / embarrassment aspect as its main naughtiness and appeal. It's pretty hot, but the transformation from brat to good girl, IMHO, was a bit too fast. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Logan by Maggie Carpenter

Brandy runs Rainbow's End Ranch with help of just ONE ranchhand, who just quit because some of Brandy's stuff went missing and Brandy needed to accuse someone. Also, someone seems to want to drive her out of her ranch, and is offering some insane prices (3X the value so far). When Logan showed up wanting to be her next ranch hand, she can't refuse, even though Logan doesn't seem to need the money... His pickup truck may be worth more than her ranch. What's even better, Logan's a cowboy dom, and Brandy is a sub with a hankering for some spanking... When Logan learned of the threat to Brandy, he will protect what's his...

Hmmm... spanking scenes are kinda hot, but the bad guy is kinda lame. Also a bit too stupid to call it quits when he should have cut and run. 3/5

GRR Reviews The Bride Spoke to Horses by Susannah Calloway

Cara was kidnapped by Indians as a child and grew up as one of them, but the now grown young woman was repatriated into white society. But she has a hard time fitting in, forced into situations she was not trained for or taught. The only time she was happy was when she ran away to a horse ranch outside of town, and met Gunnar. Turns out, Cara is a horse whisperer, able to calm the wildest beast with songs and talking. Gunnar wanted to help her, but he has his own mail-order bride on the way. When Cara overheard Gunnar's bride may be arriving, she ran away first... Can Gunnar find her in time to tell her he wanted no other woman?

A bit convenient, but this is a novella.

Category: Historical Western

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Cupid Comes to the Lonesome Buzzard Ranch by Hebby Roman

Lonesome Buzzard Ranch is getting some female company for Valentine's Day weekend, and the result is... unpredictable! They thought they'll get some dating site matches, but nobody ended up with the women they wanted... Mostly! On the men's side, we have Les, a widowed rancher thinking about giving up his B&B at the ranch; Jackson, who has horrible sense of timing; Jiggs, the foreman who's no gentleman; and Jayce, the former rodeo champ, stuck with the "lady" nobody wanted... // On the women's side, we have Harper, a social media guru contemplating what she wanted out of life; Lillian, who may have not been quite over her husband's death; Cheyenne, who thought coming to the B&B just takes time away from her work as a sculptor; and Eva... who wanted a family but may not be ready to accept the man who always wanted her....

Ah, good forced proximity along with comedic mismatch of epic proportions. With multiple couples, there never is a dull moment. If you need some light reading, this is great.

Category: Contemporary / Western / Comedy

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews His Christmas Cowgirl by Alissa Callen

Peta rushed back home from Europe when her ranch foreman was thrown and broke his hip. She was surprised to find Garrett Ross as the new temp foreman of her family Montana Ranch. She tried to order him off, but he's determined to stay until his friend is back on his feet as he had promised. The two clashed immediately. He thought she's a flight-y city girl who had no business running a ranch (she's actually more comfy in jeans and boots), and she thought he's a high-handed pompous ass who can't hold a steady job (he's actually a ranch owner, even bigger than hers). As they come to learn about each other, they started to develop feelings for each other as well...

Nice opposites attract combined with a "billionaire in disguise", cowboy-style. A lot of characters from prior books in the series makes their appearance as well. If you read previous books in the series, you'll get a bigger kick out of this one.

Category: Contemporary / Western

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Country Roads by Nancy Herkness

Julia is a sheltered artist after her parents left her in care of a rich uncle. She likes to paint horses, but when she painted a new series, her uncle tried to discourage her from her new bolder and more disturbing vision. Having epilepsy as a child didn't help. To test her vision, she bought a cheap Suburban and set up on a roadtrip to Sanctuary, West Virginia, where the first art agent that bought her painting moved to... Until her vehicle broke down miles outside of town, and she was saved by a country lawyer Paul Taggart. // Paul gave up his high-flying legal career to help his brother who drank himself into a broken marriage. Paul rescued Julia and delivered her to the gallery in town, and Julia ended up living on a ranch and came to pick a whisper horse... known locally as el diablo... The devilhorse, who crippled the previous owner for abusing him. Paul found Julia to be fiery, yet naive, and when he pointed out her uncle may be cheating her, she has problems contemplating that. Both Paul and Julia are caught between their family obligations and their own pursuits of happiness.

Very nice touches, some hard emotions by both parties. Though Paul problems were resolved by someone else (i.e. his brother finally stopped being a douche), and there's a logical reason for her uncle to behave that way. All in all, good read

Category: Contemporary Western

Overall Rating: 5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Declan (Blackthorne Brothers Book 1) by Amanda Torrey

Declan is the first book in the series, and has a lot of world-building to do. As a result, the characters were left a bit thin, and relied on the "enemies to lovers" trope. It also left a lot of the big mysteries hanging for the other books in the series.

Declan and his brothers are back on the farm where the family got its start. They each made a name for themselves, but they hadn't been back for eight years. News of their father's disappearance brought them all back... Only to encounter mystery upon mystery. Why were vegan activists protesting their organic dairy farm? Who was the intruder with a camera that stalked their barns? What do their stepmother and stepsister have to do with everything? What really happened to their father, as there are signs of foul play? As Declan deal with the camera stalker, who turned out to be Rylee, the protest leader, they can't help but feel some intense chemistry between the two, but with them on separate sides of dairy industry issue, is there any room for love?

This book, as the start of a series, has to leave a lot of big mysteries unsolved. Though I admire the way the "enemies to lovers" angle was handled. It actually does make some sort of sense. I do feel the characters, however, just falling for each other is a bit on the insta-lust trope.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Man back to run the family ranch falls for the vegan protest leader who stalked the barns looking for signs of animal abuse

Tropes: ranch, stalker, enemies to lovers, conspiracy, insta-lust

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews Who I Am With You (My Kind Of Country) by M. Lynne Cunning

NO LONGER ON AMAZON

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27835622-who-i-am-with-you

Who I am With You is a contemporary romance that ended on a sad note, but with more volumes to go, the story wasn't quite resolved yet. It also featured some serendipity that can only be explained as... karma. And people fighting it.

Chad Kirkwood decided his life as country star Chad Ashford was such a lie, and his woman had run off with his producer Jay, he had to get away from it all. He drove into a small town, and a "farm hand wanted" ad was perfect for him. So he showed up at Katie Wicken's farm. Katie had to leave her job in the city to care for her ailing father, who finally passed on... just as her fiancee decided she'd changed too much and didn't want her anymore. Broken, she is single-handedly managing the farm, and help from Chad was just in time, but she cannot afford to let anyone into her heart, esp. any lies. Then Chad's past caught up with him...

Let's just say that Chad and Katie are linked in more ways than you'd expect, in a totally soap-opera worthy twist. As for what that is, read the book. IMHO, the ending doesn't really make that much sense, and the pace was generally quite... leisurely.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Country star Chad whose woman ran off with his producer picked a town to hide and work, and ended up on Katie's farm...

Tropes: disguise, performer, jilted, betrayed, small town, ranch/farm, cliffhanger

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews In Love's Territory: A Western Historical R by Lucy Evanson

In Love's Territory reads as if it's written for a pg-13 audience, where good is good, and evil is evil, with no shades of gray.

Katie Taylor was a girl enjoying a life on the East Coast when her father suddenly announced that due to his brother's death out in Wisconsin, they are all moving out to Wisconsin. Now with no friends except pen pals, Katie is despondent, even as she came to know to eligible bachelors... Edward Carter, a local educated and rich businessman who had taken a liking to her, and Sam, a half-Sioux farmhand who has big plans for himself and had been learning about how to better his life. Katie liked Edward well enough, but was angry when Edward forced her hand when announcing their engagement when she wanted to think about it some more. But the more she come to know Sam, the more fond of Sam she is... Now she had to choose between two bachelors... and became collateral damage when one side resorted to dirty tricks to remove the other...

Nice adventure, no sex, but it does have foul language and suggestive situations. Though the characters are a bit shallow, IMHO. Edward was just nasty, with no redeeming qualities, while Sam's all good, almost NO evil qualities. The characters are flat as pancakes.

Category: Historical Western,

Primary Plot: Woman new to the frontier was caught between a poor but ambitious ranchhand, and a handsome but devious businessman

Tropes: different worlds, triangle, fish out of water, cowboy, ranch

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews The Harrisons Boxed Set: Books 1-3 by Alexa Bloom

The Harrisons Box Set 1 by Alexa Bloom is a decent collection of three novels. I'll review each separately:

Once In a Big Dream: Joe Harrison is getting out of jail after serving five years. He's just working as a ranch hand until Rose came to visit the ranch as a photographer. Rose is a pampered girl but she hated her mother's endless snobby society lunches and events. She wanted to be a photographer, not a society wife like her intended fiancee Geoffrey wanted. Her visit to the ranch and the chance encounter with the handsome ranch hand made her mind wander about the possibilities. But such a match is not possible, even as Joe had to deal with the reason he went to jail in the first place...

The problem with Alexa Bloom's evil characters is they are utterly irredeemable, which makes them a bit flat. They don't give a **** who they screw over or how many people they hurt as long as they get ahead. This novel has so many douchebags around the ONLY decent people seem to be the couple. It's a part of her writing style, and it works. 4 out of 5.

Once In a Blue Kentucky Moon: Tatum fled for her life after a disastrous marriage... so bad she dared tell no one. She worked as a horse handler and ended up on Lockwood Farm, once famous for rearing champion racehorses, but with no derby winners in recent years, it is heading steadily downhill. Blake Harrison, the current owner, is barely holding on, and even the new colt is not enough to raise his spirits. So why was he so drawn to the new stablehand with haunted doe-eyes? Tatum's web of shameful secrets started to unravel, even as Blake was forced into a terrible choice: can he save the family legacy... or the woman he loved?

This one still has evil, but the choices don't quite seem as acute, but the woman really made no sense. TELL SOMEBODY, darn it! She's clearly not handling the situation! I still don't get what the f*** does this no good husband of hers actually do, besides trying to pimp her out or something. She has the sense to flee, but she doesn't have any sense of self-preservation otherwise! It's almost exasperating to read. 3/5

Once in a New York Minute: Laura Harrison's conniving ex-husband ruined her by emptying her account just before her spring fashion show. She sulked for a bit on the family farm, then decided to head back and start her own show again. A chance meeting with an old friend Marcus, a single parent, lead to a temporary living arrangement when her condo association kicked her out (because her ex also stole all her furniture and damaged the walls). Laura developed feeling for Marcus, but Marcus is a fashion photographer and deals with supermodels weekly, and Laura can't complete. But when fashion sharks started to circle again, and can Laura deal with the worst betrayal of all?

While reading it the scenario really sounds dire. However, upon reflection, the scenario makes ZERO sense.

SPOILER WARNING

SPOILER WARNING AGAIN

The scenario was her evil ex sets up a rival studio and recruited a spy to steal all of Laura's designs, and somehow managed to do a fashion show 1 day ahead of Laura's studio. The fashion industry called Laura "copycat". This makes no sense. How does this bogus studio make any money? What was the "endgame"? The evil is "only there" to mess with the heroine, and serves no other purpose! That makes no sense! 2/5

Combine them together, it's 3/5

Category: Contemporary / Collection

Primary Plot: N/A, three novel collection of mixed plot, complicating the love of the couple in question, some are good, some are not

Tropes: different worlds, triangle, cowboy, ranch, evil ex, conspiracy, betrayal

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews The Maverick Meets His Match by Anne Carrole

The Maverick Meets His Match started with the "crazy will" trope, which really doesn't make any sense. The rest of the romance was basically the will handcuff them together and force them to accept each other and develop feelings. It's a bit of meh to me.

Mandy Prescott wanted to run her family rodeo company all her life, but grandpa JM's will shocked her to the core. JM appointed Ty Martin to CEO, not her... and Ty broke her heart ten years ago. The will did not stop there. To get her company back, Mandy must marry Ty for at least six months. AFTER which, she gets back her voting shares. During those six months, Ty can sell off the rodeo company if he determined it's in the best interest of the Prescotts. Ty had always valued success in terms of dollars and cents, and he had promised JM that he'll base his decision on only that. Now he has a chance to get a six-month relationship with a woman he had always wanted... with no commitment. Mandy will do her best to keep the Ty interested... and maybe he won't sell the rodeo company... but will he get her heart that way?

Frankly, I'm a little tired of these "crazy will" stories. It's pretty obvious it's a lesson to both of them to overcome their prejudices, pair up, and take on the world. Yet both of them are acting as if it's a real business deal and act really hurt by each other. It's not that believable.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman must marry the guy who broke her heart ten years ago to get back her family business; does he love her at all?

Tropes: ranch, reunion, enemies to lovers, weird will

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews Whitewater Wooing (River's End Ranch) by Caroline Lee

Whitewater Wooing is a short novel that you can easily finish without major angst and left with the warm fuzzies. It's a relaxing read.

Will Weston had to get his Idahoan family "River's End Ranch"'s aquatic program (rafting, kayaking, etc.) running properly, or he may be written out of the will. Being an outdoorsy guy, he dreads sitting behind a desk, so he sets out to hire a temporary manager to get things into shape... and he found an "Elliot Redfern" who was perfect for the job. Except... Elliot turned out to be a gorgeous blonde "Ellie" (blame her parents' southern traditions) who just left LA and needed a bit of a break. Will found Ellie utterly fascinating, and Ellie found Will gorgeous... and both are in love with the natural beauty of Idaho. But can she really stay, if she has a life back in LA?

This opposites-attract tale works out well enough, and the expiration date on the relationship does keep things rather tense, esp. near the end, when both are basically forced to acknowledge their feelings for each other.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can the city girl temporarily helping out a cowboy to work out kinks in his business stay around? Will he want her to?

Tropes: ranch, disguise, forced proximity, opposites attract

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews All The King's Horses by Lauren Gallagher

All the King's Horses has a great plot that basically has a widow rediscovering herself by working elsewhere, and in the meanwhile, fall in love.

Amy Dover always wanted to train horses, and she was a dressage and jump champion. But death of her husband had caused her to lose all feeling... that she just had to go away... so she drove out of town with just one bag, to the other side of the state, to take up a menial job basically as a farm hand at King's Ranch, and met Dustin King. Dustin King trained, boarded, and rescued horses all his life. His rescue horses are often so skittish due to prior abuse, he's had his hands full, esp. when one of their farmhands just quit. But Amy doesn't look like a farmhand, and her indifference to the horses sends the wrong kind of shivers up his spine. But Dustin soon found Amy's indifference is a facade hiding the hurt, and assigning her the two rescue horses seems to be thawing the ice. In caring for the two rescue horses, Amy found she had found something else she thought she had lost... the ability to love something... or perhaps, someone like Dustin... But Amy knew sooner or later she had to go back to her old life... and leave Dustin and the horses behind...

The novel is sad and poignant, yet full of hope on a road of self-discovery. The grief that Amy felt was not merely for the loss, but also mixed feelings toward her dead husband, who's NOT an abusive SOB, but... well, read the novel. I'm NOT spoiling it.

Category: Contemporary Western

Primary Plot: Newly widowed woman, numb from grief, fled her life to be a farm hand hundreds of miles away, can she learn to love again?

Tropes: widow, ranch, disguise, different worlds, grief,

Overall Rating:  5/5

GRR Reviews Fire On The Farm (Second Chance Cowbo by Betty Shreffler

Fire On The Farm tried to present scarred protagonists, but the antagonist arrived late and just didn't feel properly evil (unclear motivations).

Amy Flander lost the love of her life Darryl to a fire, and only the care and training of horses kept her sane and busy. When one lonely night leads her into the arms of Brock Baisdin, she hadn't realized she could feel that much for anyone else. Brock is picky and rich, something that limits his dating pool, but there's something about Amy that made him stop and look twice... For Amy wanted to love, but she denied herself so long she hadn't dared to hope. Can Brock help Amy to love again?

Angst-y, but the resolution was over way too quickly. Brock actually almost got Amy, then someone got in between them (but not who you think) and it didn't really make sense. The way they got back together didn't make sense either.

Category: Contemporary / Western

Primary Plot: Woman who lost her love found someone else, then someone got in between them

Tropes: scars, ranch, family pressure, grief

Overall Rating:  3/5 (rounded up)