LaVonne W. (Grnemae) -
Jud Dawson has joined his cousins in Dry Creek, TX on the Lucky Penny Ranch where he is a 1/3 owner. Jud has been working for an oil contractor and his contract has ended so he is now working the ranch.
As he is headed to where he is living in Dry Creek a winter storm is raging and Jud is following a "rattle trap" pickup as it slips and slides down the road. Suddenly the pickup starts to slide and Jud watches as the truck slides off the road and is stopped when it hits a tree after taking down a portion of the Lucky Penny Ranch fence. Jud hurries to assist the driver and is finds that it is none other than Fiona Logan, sister to the wives of his cousins. Jud drives Fiona to her home only to find that he is staying in her mom's house to be safer and warmer than his travel trailer.
Fiona is reluctently returning to Dry Creek after being nearly homeless and now jobless after a divorce a year previous about which she has not told her family.
Jud and Fiona are instantly taken to each other but feel they have to avoid any feelings due to the other family relationships.
Like all good romances, they have conflicts and makeups. This is a nice continuation of the series although I did feel the romance in this book was rushed. The books should be read in order as this author carries characters and storylines from book to book in a series.
As he is headed to where he is living in Dry Creek a winter storm is raging and Jud is following a "rattle trap" pickup as it slips and slides down the road. Suddenly the pickup starts to slide and Jud watches as the truck slides off the road and is stopped when it hits a tree after taking down a portion of the Lucky Penny Ranch fence. Jud hurries to assist the driver and is finds that it is none other than Fiona Logan, sister to the wives of his cousins. Jud drives Fiona to her home only to find that he is staying in her mom's house to be safer and warmer than his travel trailer.
Fiona is reluctently returning to Dry Creek after being nearly homeless and now jobless after a divorce a year previous about which she has not told her family.
Jud and Fiona are instantly taken to each other but feel they have to avoid any feelings due to the other family relationships.
Like all good romances, they have conflicts and makeups. This is a nice continuation of the series although I did feel the romance in this book was rushed. The books should be read in order as this author carries characters and storylines from book to book in a series.
Lisa R. (alterlisa) -
It is unbelievable to me that Carolyn Brown has only been writing books for 19 years. Of the 80 books she has already published, I've read almost all. Brown's ability to have me exploding with laughter is only overshadowed by her ability to have me in tears at so many tender moments. She is able to draw you into the life of the characters and will have you rooting for the couple very quickly. I especially love her ability to portray senior citizens. She writes some of the feistiest seniors and though they are secondary only, they are totally fleshed out. I would love to see her do a novel where the two main characters were seniors having a second chance at love.
I always look forward to the release of a new Carolyn Brown novel as I know we'll be introduced to another awesome couple and get to watch them falling in love while one or both are kicking and screaming to stay single.
Fiona and Jud were an awesome couple. Jud was ready for marriage while Fiona was damn sure she neither belonged in a small town or with a cowboy. I love that this story takes place at Christmas and especially loved seeing Fiona's family Christmas traditions. As always Brown's small town setting feels so similar to my own. We too were a dry county until only recently and with a mostly Southern Baptist community, many people had to store their beer in an ice chest rather than their frig so as not to offend older family members. Simply said, this is another super read by Carolyn Brown and the only thing that makes it bearable to finish is knowing that she'll have another one waiting to be read in a few months. Thank goodness she is such a prolific writer and has many more HEAs to reward her readers with.
I always look forward to the release of a new Carolyn Brown novel as I know we'll be introduced to another awesome couple and get to watch them falling in love while one or both are kicking and screaming to stay single.
Fiona and Jud were an awesome couple. Jud was ready for marriage while Fiona was damn sure she neither belonged in a small town or with a cowboy. I love that this story takes place at Christmas and especially loved seeing Fiona's family Christmas traditions. As always Brown's small town setting feels so similar to my own. We too were a dry county until only recently and with a mostly Southern Baptist community, many people had to store their beer in an ice chest rather than their frig so as not to offend older family members. Simply said, this is another super read by Carolyn Brown and the only thing that makes it bearable to finish is knowing that she'll have another one waiting to be read in a few months. Thank goodness she is such a prolific writer and has many more HEAs to reward her readers with.
Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good book. The third in the series, this one is about Jud Dawson, cousin to Blake and Toby, and co-owner of the Lucky Penny Ranch. He is the last to move to the ranch as he had a previous job commitment to finish. He's looking forward to putting down roots and building a place for future generations of Dawsons. All he needs now is to find the right woman to have everything he wants. I really liked Jud. He's easygoing, sweet, and hardworking. I loved the way that he could see the fun in almost any situation.
Fiona is the third of the Logan sisters and the one who flew the nest the furthest. Now she is back in Dry Creek, but not entirely by her choice. She isn't looking forward to telling her family about her failed marriage and the loss of her career but after a year of barely making ends meet she is at the end of her rope. She has come home to regroup and reconnect with her family before looking for another job in a city. She is smart, sassy, and has a bit of that red-headed temper going for her.
I loved the development of their relationship. From the moment he and Fiona met, Jud was pretty much a goner. But instead of a full frontal assault, Jud takes things slowly. I loved seeing them develop a good friendship first. From late night talks over leftovers or cookies and milk to conspiring to rehabilitate the grouchy couple who created such trouble in the previous books, Jud and Fiona slowly get to know each other. I loved the way that Jud really understood Fiona. She has never felt like she really fit in her family or the town, but came to realize that the city wasn't right for her. With a little bit of experience under her belt, she discovers that home is much more important to her than she had thought. I loved watching her settle into life in Dry Creek. The relationship between Fiona and Jud also began to heat up, and both realized that there was something deeper growing between them. But when Fiona is offered the chance to go back to the city, she has a decision to make. Give up her new life in Dry Creek and fly away, or put down those roots she hadn't realized she wanted? I loved Jud's support of whatever decision she made and how it helped her see the truth. I loved the ending and how everything came together for them.
I loved seeing more of the previous couples and the scenes with baby Audrey were adorable. There was an interesting minor thread dealing with Jud's plans to look for oil on the Lucky Penny and the possible involvement of his sister Josie. It made a nice lead into the next book. But the most unexpected and fun was the big part that Truman and Dora June O'Dell played. The two of them had caused a lot of trouble in the previous books with their negative attitudes. In this book, their house burned down, and Fiona's mother invited Truman and Dora June to stay with them. The young people are horrified but obey Katy's "love your neighbor" directive. It doesn't take too long for them to see a different side to Dora June and I loved seeing her quickly make a place for herself. Truman was a harder nut to crack. It was hilarious to see Jud take him on as a project, and his methods were ingenious. The Santa Claus thing was a riot. Truman's Christmas gift to Dora June showed just how much he'd changed.
Fiona is the third of the Logan sisters and the one who flew the nest the furthest. Now she is back in Dry Creek, but not entirely by her choice. She isn't looking forward to telling her family about her failed marriage and the loss of her career but after a year of barely making ends meet she is at the end of her rope. She has come home to regroup and reconnect with her family before looking for another job in a city. She is smart, sassy, and has a bit of that red-headed temper going for her.
I loved the development of their relationship. From the moment he and Fiona met, Jud was pretty much a goner. But instead of a full frontal assault, Jud takes things slowly. I loved seeing them develop a good friendship first. From late night talks over leftovers or cookies and milk to conspiring to rehabilitate the grouchy couple who created such trouble in the previous books, Jud and Fiona slowly get to know each other. I loved the way that Jud really understood Fiona. She has never felt like she really fit in her family or the town, but came to realize that the city wasn't right for her. With a little bit of experience under her belt, she discovers that home is much more important to her than she had thought. I loved watching her settle into life in Dry Creek. The relationship between Fiona and Jud also began to heat up, and both realized that there was something deeper growing between them. But when Fiona is offered the chance to go back to the city, she has a decision to make. Give up her new life in Dry Creek and fly away, or put down those roots she hadn't realized she wanted? I loved Jud's support of whatever decision she made and how it helped her see the truth. I loved the ending and how everything came together for them.
I loved seeing more of the previous couples and the scenes with baby Audrey were adorable. There was an interesting minor thread dealing with Jud's plans to look for oil on the Lucky Penny and the possible involvement of his sister Josie. It made a nice lead into the next book. But the most unexpected and fun was the big part that Truman and Dora June O'Dell played. The two of them had caused a lot of trouble in the previous books with their negative attitudes. In this book, their house burned down, and Fiona's mother invited Truman and Dora June to stay with them. The young people are horrified but obey Katy's "love your neighbor" directive. It doesn't take too long for them to see a different side to Dora June and I loved seeing her quickly make a place for herself. Truman was a harder nut to crack. It was hilarious to see Jud take him on as a project, and his methods were ingenious. The Santa Claus thing was a riot. Truman's Christmas gift to Dora June showed just how much he'd changed.
