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MI
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Trixie and her friends get to spend Christmas in Arizona and Di's uncle's dude ranch. Well, maybe. When they arrive, they learn that most of the staff has left. Can Trixie figure out why? And what is bothering three of the guests? This isn't a typical mystery, but I still like it anyway. The characters are strong and there are mysterious things going on. The only flaw in my mind is the travelogue chapter that lectures us on Arizona.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-mystery-in-arizona-by-julie.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
Good Time Cowboy (Gold Valley, #3)
Good Time Cowboy (Gold Valley, #3)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Another 5 star read from Maisey Yates, I wanna move to Gold Valley.

Lindy Parker is a strong woman. She wants what she wants when she wants it. She does NOT want Wyatt Dodge. Yet the same man occupies her every waking thought, her dreams and everything in between. She can’t believe she is attracted to a bull rider.

Wyatt Dodge has been attracted to Lindy Parker for 5 years. Since the first day he saw her walking toward him only to kiss his friend Damien and get introduced as his wife. He can’t do anything about said attraction with his ranch on the line. He has to find a way to work with her on the upcoming grand opening of his dude ranch or it will all be for nothing.

Lindy likes to be in charge, she likes order and structure. Everything Wyatt is not. Working with him is going to test her patience in more ways than one. Now if she can only stop thinking about ripping his clothes off that’d be great.

Wyatt treats Lindy like a kid with a crush, teasing her and proverbially pulling her pigtails. He makes and effort to call her Melinda, because no one else does. He finds the verbal sparring keeps his mind off of wanting to kiss her senseless. He has to stay focused on saving the ranch.

Lindy and Wyatt dance around their attraction like a Friday night hoedown but will they find out they work better as a team, in all areas of their relationship?

As with most of the books I’ve read by Maisey Yates, Good Time Cowboy makes me want to move to Gold Valley and find these families. Ms. Yates writes such realistic characters that you can’t help but feel every part of the story as if you were side by side in the thick of things. I received a copy of this story without expectation for review. Any and all opinions expressed are my own.
  
Stable Hand (The Braided Crop Ranch #1)
Stable Hand (The Braided Crop Ranch #1)
A.E. Lister | 2020 | Contemporary, Erotica, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
STABLE HAND is the first book in The Braided Crop Ranch series and we travel with Jensen as he goes for a job interview. Only, when he gets there, he finds out it is different in so many ways to the job he thought he was applying for. Told from Jensen's perspective, we see his reaction to the new job and the responsibilities he would have. We also see his attraction to first Luke, and then Noah, as he deals with his new life.

I enjoyed this story! I don't read them claiming to have firsthand knowledge of what the author has gotten right or wrong. I read them to escape to a different place/land/experience. And that's exactly what I got here. I loved reading about the dynamics of the Ranch and everyone who works there. I also enjoyed reading about the 'guests' and the antics they got up to. The descriptions of the ranch and the different people made it all easy to follow.

Personally, I would have liked a little more between Luke, Noah, and Jensen that wasn't between the sheets. Not that it wasn't hot, because it was! My Kindle was steaming but I wanted more between them. And with that in mind, the ending felt rather abrupt. It felt like... big scene with Luke (that may or may not have an impact on what he wants in the future), sub drop, quick confession to Jensen, living proposal in the woods. Now, bearing in mind, this all takes place in about a 3-4 week period...

All in all, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more in this series. Definitely recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 22, 2023
  
Unbar the Barred (Darling Ranch #1)
Unbar the Barred (Darling Ranch #1)
JP Sayle | 2025 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Cassidy and Trey are perfect for each other!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This book was originally called Ranch Down and was published in an anthology, it hasn't had any revisions, bar some minor editing. It's based in the Divergent Omegavesre world, but can totally be read as a stand alone novel to that series. It's a jumping off point, the start of a new series, set on Darling Ranch.

Cassidy and Trey have a friends with benefits thing going on. Neither will admit to the other, but they both want more. The arrival at the Darling Ranch of the Starling brothers presses ALL of Trey's buttons and he claims what really has been his for a long time. But can a city wolf and a farm chick really be happy?

This was, and I defy anyone to tell me otherwise, the most too stinkin cute, warm and fuzzies, low angst book I've read in a long time!

Cassidy and Trey really are perfect for each other. They know it. We know it but they refuse to admit to the other about it. It takes a Starling to flirt with Cassidy for Trey to broadcast his feelings across the bar and go all cave man on Cassidy and I loved that!

It's steamy, with Cassidy and Trey already in a relationship, of sorts. They already know what they like, what the other likes, so the first time is straight in, so to speak.

Once they admit to the other what they really want, they go all in and are out to make this work, they just need to find a compromise in the location of them being together.

Loved Cassidy's girls and their outfits!

Some overlap in the timeline with Silas's Sweetheart, which is the Divergent Omegaverse book 4. We do meet Cass and Trey there.

Thoroughly enjoyable hour's read!

4 very good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Disaster at Roosevelt Ranch (Roosevelt Ranch #1)
Disaster at Roosevelt Ranch (Roosevelt Ranch #1)
Elise Faber | 2016 | Contemporary, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Disaster at Roosevelt Ranch is the first book in the Roosevelt Ranch series, and tells the story of Kelly, a young woman from the town, and Justin, the ex-Forces Doctor who comes in to clear up his brother's mess. However, he soon realises that it is different from the usual messes, as he gets to know Kelly, and finds out she is pregnant.

You can see that this is a disaster just waiting to happen, but it is still compelling reading as you wait for the whole thing to erupt. Kelly and Justin are wonderful main characters, but there is a whole slew of other characters that are guaranteed to delight - including one 86-year-old lady who wears a cat sweater ;)

Whilst Elise Faber's Phoenix series (Fantasy/Paranormal/Romance) is still my favourite so far, I will definitely be reading more of her contemporary work - which is saying something for me!

Well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, this book is full of drama and emotion, but nothing too bad. I would certainly recommend this brilliant book to wrap up warm with!

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Phantom Outlaw at Wolf Creek
Phantom Outlaw at Wolf Creek
Sigmund Brouwer | 1990 | Children, Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Danger on a Montana Ranch
Ricky Kidd is on a month long vacation with his friends Mike and Ralphy at Mike’s uncle and aunt’s ranch in Montana. When he arrives, he hears the legend of a bank robbery that happened decades ago and the phantom of the outlaw that still haunts the nearby canyon. Or is it a legend? Mike and his visiting cousin, Sarah, insist on investigating, and Ricky sees evidence with his own eyes that the legend might be true. Can Ricky uncover the truth of what is going on?

This is another wonderful book in a favorite middle grade mystery series. The characters are sharp and provide some wonderful laughs. Sometimes their antics slow down the mystery in the first half of the book, but parts of the plot are being worked in to the fun, and the second half pays off the questions wonderfully. The suspense at the end is great, and the way Ricky works everything out is perfect. These books were written for the Christian market, and they work Ricky’s faith in organically without ever once preaching. The books are a bit dated now since they were originally released in the 1990’s, but as long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine. It might take a bit to track down this mystery, but it is worth it.