Tag: Vivian Arend (Page 3 of 4)

Rocky Mountain Romance by Vivian Arend, narrated by Tatiana Sokolov

May 8, 2015 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: Someone linked to the audiobook on Twitter and I one-clicked that sucker straight away.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Second chances are the sweetest—and the hottest.

It took a spectacularly embarrassing break-up to knock Steve Moonshine Coleman off his lazy butt. In the ten months since that night, he’s changed his ways, and now that Melody’s back in town, it’s time for this sweet-talking cowboy to convince her to get back in the saddle with him.

A return to her veterinary position in Rocky Mountain House was always in the cards for Melody Langley. Getting back together with Steve? Never part of the plan. He had lots of potential but zero ambition, and there’s no way she’ll accept anything less than a man who can keep up with her, in and out of bed.

But the new-and-improved cowboy is impossible to resist, so Melody issues a challenge. Three months to prove he’s reformed. Three months of Steve orchestrating one sexual indulgence after another—wicked distractions from the old boys’ club Melody faces at work and Steve’s growing responsibilities.

He’s got one shot to prove with more than words what’s in his heart and soul.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I’ve been enjoying this series mostly on audio – Rocky Mountain Freedom isn’t out yet so I read that one – and I was happy when I saw there was a new book out. Not only that, it’s a bit longer at more than eight hours of listening. Steve Coleman hasn’t featured strongly in the series previously. He was playing guitar and singing with the band at Trader’s Pub a while back when a woman dumped a pitcher of beer on his head but other than that, he was mostly unknown to me. (There’s a family tree on the author’s website which is helpful. Go here.)
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Rocky Mountain Freedom by Vivian Arend

March 11, 2015 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I bought it because I couldn’t wait for the audiobook (which I think will be available soon, just not soon enough for me!).

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Three hurting hearts. Too many secrets. One chance to conquer their fears.

Over the past year, Travis Coleman lost the two people he allowed closest to his heart. Both gave him ultimatums—then left. Hell if he needs that kind of pain again. Time to move forward without the friends he thought might save him from his dangerous cravings.

When Ashley Sims returns to Rocky Mountain House, her rambling lifestyle isn’t all she’s hoping to change. Travis snagged a piece of her, and while getting tangled in his issues again might be crazy, she hasn’t given up on him.

Nine months ago, Cassidy Jones walked away to stop his best friend from making a huge mistake. Temptation lingers, though, and when Travis shows up on his turf accompanied by a sensually uninhibited woman, the combination tosses fuel on the banked fire.

Passion flares among the three of them, as hot as the summer days. But are they willing to push the limits, and fight for love?

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I was in the mood for hot and sexy and reliably good so I checked where I was up to in the Six Pack Ranch series and downloaded Rocky Mountain Freedom. My favourite kind of menage book is where all three are romantically and sexually involved. Here, I thought there was perhaps a bit of a fairytale acceptance of the polyamorous relationship but the problems weren’t entirely glossed over either and I was able to buy into the fantasy of the romance without any trouble.
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Rocky Mountain Angel by Vivian Arend, narrated by Tatiana Sokolov

January 9, 2015 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: When I listened to Rocky Mountain Rebel recently, I realised I had accidentally skipped this book. So I bought it and rectified the lack.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Allison Parker needs a convincing excuse to come home to Rocky Mountain House, a hopelessly romantic reason that won’t let her mother suspect the truth—that Allison has discovered Mom is keeping a terrible secret from the family.

Gabe Coleman is struggling with two of the roughest parts of ranching: dealing with his bull-headed mule of a father and making enough to pay the bills. When his old friend Allison offers to help him develop his ideas for organic ranching—in return for pretending to be her fiancé—it sounds like the perfect set-up.

Yet the deception leads them in an unexpected direction, where their shared daily hells are erased by nights of heavenly distraction. It’s not supposed to be real, but once the gates are opened, there’s no denying they’ve found in each other a little bit of paradise.

To break free of the past and face the future, though, will take more than temporary pleasures. It’ll take putting their hearts on the line.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I enjoyed this one and I say this fondly: the set-up is ~~a little~~ fairly unbelievable. Allison’s mother is very ill but doesn’t want to tell the family. Someone has told Allison and she wants to come home but doesn’t want to let on that she knows. So, plan A is “pretend to be engaged to Gabe Coleman”. Not, “I got retrenched from my job so I thought I’d come home for a while” or something else a little more realistic. Because what we want is the two protagonists in close proximity so the business of falling in love can begin, I could overlook some of the logic problems here. Gabe, to his credit, does at least think about what the deception might mean for his relationships with his (very large) family. At base, there is a longstanding connection and attraction between the pair and the rest is just excuses. However, once the proximity begins, things progress a lot more believably. There was a definite chemistry between the pair and but for logistics (they lived in different towns, Allison wasn’t planning on coming back and Gabe is very tied to his land), they would have started dating a year before I think.
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Rocky Mountain Rebel by Vivian Arend, narrated by Tatiana Sokolov

October 18, 2014 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: This is one from my personal library.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Vicki Hansol made different choices than her less-than-reputable mom and sister, yet her fiery temper has left her branded with the same town-bad-girl label. When she desperately needs a change of scenery, her get-out-of-town-free ticket arrives—and requires that she face down one of her deepest fears.

Easygoing Joel Coleman has nothing to complain about, but he’s never really done anything to brag about either. The youngest member of the Six Pack Ranch is looking to make some changes in his life that include stepping out from under his twin brother’s shadow.

So when the bold beauty with the smart mouth approaches him with a proposition, Joel is intrigued. Her request for him to teach her to ride soon takes on a whole new meaning. All that passion in his arms, his bed, in the barn . . . hell, anywhere he can get it? Bring it on.

But tangling the sheets leads to unanticipated complications, and by the time the dust settles, everything family means is going to be challenged.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I do like those Coleman boys. *fans self* Joel and Jesse are the twins in the family, with Joel the younger by about 30 minutes. In previous books, we have seen Joel and Jesse “double teaming” various happy, consenting girls but Joel is finding he wants to step out of that now that they’ve finished college. He wants to have a girlfriend rather than just hookups and he doesn’t want to share with Jesse anymore.
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Review at AudioGals

August 21, 2014 / Kaetrin

I’m over at AudioGals today with a review of Rocky Mountain Desire by Vivian Arend, narrated by Tatiana Sokolov. Another strong entry to the series.

All Fired Up by Vivian Arend and Elle Kennedy

June 28, 2014 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I enjoy books by both authors and the premise sounded fun, so I bought it.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) He’s ready to lead the way

Parker Wilson never thought he’d go from battle-hardened soldier to romance expert, but after his stint in the Rangers, that’s exactly what happened. As the owner of DreamMakers Inc., he helps other men win in the love department, using every resource available to plan the perfect date. When a routine recon turns into an unexpected night of passion, Parker’s mission becomes more personal—and he won’t give up until Lynn Davidson is all his.

She’s more than willing to follow

Lynn is a goner from the moment she lays eyes on the delectable Parker. She’s just ditched her boring almost-boyfriend and is tired of sticking to the straight and narrow. It’s time to walk on the wild side, and what better way than in the arms of the most irresistible man she’s ever met? But when their red-hot affair is threatened, it’ll take a team effort to make their dreams come true.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I’d read a couple of heavy-ish books immediately before this one and both had been less than successful for me, albeit for different reasons. I wanted something light and frothy. Something fun where I didn’t have to think too much, to be a kind of palate cleanser.

All Fired Up was actually just what I was looking for. The premise is a little over the top – three ex-Army Rangers open a business “DreamMakers” which organises dream dates for the clueless (largely male) in the San Francisco area. They’re not a dating agency or a matchmaking service – but if a dude forgets his anniversary and needs to make it up to his upset wife, DreamMakers is the go to place to get help. Exactly why Parker, Jack and Dean chose this particular business was never very clear to me. That there was a need didn’t quite cut it. However, what I was really wanting to read about was the romance between Parker and Lynn and the book was a lot of fun when this was the focus.