Review: 'Always a Cowboy' by Linda Lael Miller (2016)

He's the middle of the three Carson brothers and is as stubborn as they come—and he won't thank a beautiful stranger for getting in his way! 
Drake Carson is the quintessential cowboy. In charge of the family ranch, he knows the realities of this life, its pleasures and heartbreaks. Lately, managing the wild stallions on his property is wearing him down. When an interfering so-called expert arrives and starts offering her opinion, Drake is wary, but he can't deny the longing—and the challenge—she stirs in him. 
Luce Hale is researching how wild horses interact with ranch animals—and with ranchers. The Carson matriarch invites her to stay with the family, which guarantees frequent encounters with Drake, her ruggedly handsome and decidedly unwelcoming son. Luce and Drake are at odds from the very beginning, especially when it comes to the rogue stallion who's stealing the ranch mares. But when Drake believes Luce is in danger, that changes everything—for both of them.
I have to admit I never really understood the attraction of a rugged and brooding cowboy. Maybe this has to do with the fact I never really watched any westerns in my life, but I just didn’t understand the appeal. Until I stumbled upon Laura Lael Miller’s romance novels, that is. I’ve had the pleasure of reading several of her books over the last year or so and she is rightfully named the Queen of Western Romance, because it is a genre she does incredibly well. So when I was contacted about possibly reviewing 'Always a Cowboy' (the second part of the Carsons of Mustang Creek series that was released in September this year by HQN Books), I straight away said yes and looked forward to once again travelling to Wyoming, USA; this time to meet some new characters in the form of Drake and Luce!
Thirty-two-year-old Drake Carson loves his relatively quiet and predictable life at the Carson family ranch. However, when the farm is experiencing some problems with a group of wild horses, Drake also doesn't immediately know how to solve the situation. His mother invites researcher Luce to the ranch, who is working on her thesis on wild horses to eventually get her degree in ecology. From the start, Drake and Luce do not get along; Drake doesn't want Luce getting in the way of his work, and Luce feels restricted in her research possibilities now she's actually close to a real group of wild horses. Yet, both Drake and Luce can't ignore the chemistry between the two of them, and the problems at the ranch only force them to spend even more time together...
'Always a Cowboy' is the second part of Linda Lael Miller's 'The Carsons of Mustang Creek' series, which focuses on the three Carson brothers. In this book we get to know middle brother Drake, who is the typical handsome and brooding cowboy, working at the family ranch. When Luce comes to the ranch to do some research for her thesis on wild horses, Drake is reluctant to help at first but his feelings soon start to change. Linda Lael Miller is known for her western romances and rightfully so; with her writing she easily manages to take readers into the world of cowboys and ranches, which I really enjoyed even though I'm not necessarily a big fan of this particular genre. The author's writing is great and just makes some really enjoyable reading.
I really liked the fact that we got to see some familiar faces in the town of Mustang Creek from some other Linda Lael Miller novels, even though this book can also certainly be read as a stand-alone and without any further knowledge of the author's other books/series. I have to admit I did feel the book could have been even better with another aspect to its storyline, something else to keep the reader's attention, for example something about Luce's family. However, 'Always a Cowboy' is exactly what it promises to be; a feel-good western romance novel, perfect for romance fans who want a happy ending and nothing too complicated from their next read!

Rating:8,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: 'The Marriage Season' by Linda Lael Miller (2015)

Since Hadleigh, Melody and Bex—the best of best friends—entered into a marriage pact, two of them have found (and married) the men of their hearts. But Bex doesn't think she'll be as fortunate as the others. Her own first love died years ago in a faraway war, and Bex has lost hope for a happy marriage of her own. She concentrates on her business, a successful chain of fitness clubs, instead.

Then, when single father Tate Calder comes to Mustang Creek with his two sons in tow, who befriend Bex's eight-year-old nephew, she and the handsome, aloof newcomer are constantly thrown together. But is the marriage season over? Or can a man with doubts about love be the right husband for a woman who wants it all?

On the 1st of June the third part of Linda Lael Miller's the 'Brides of Bliss County' book series, 'The Marriage Season', was released by HQN Books; a release which I had definitely been looking forward to! I've had the pleasure of reading and reviewing the first two parts of the romance series: 'The Marriage Pact' (click here to read my review) and 'The Marriage Charm' (click here to read my review), which I both really enjoyed. 'The Marriage Season' is the third and last part of the series and I had my fingers crossed, hoping I would end up enjoying this final part just as much as I did the other ones.

Becca, known to her friends as Bex, has made a marriage pact together with her best friends Melody and Hadleigh, vowing they will do their very best to find their Mr. Right and get married. Hadleigh and Melody found their men and are now happily married and pregnant, but Becca is still living the single life. Several years ago she lost her fiancee in Afghanistan, and Becca knows it is time to move on, question is: who will be the right guy for her? Next to her search for a husband, she also has to take care of her nephew because her sister has, once again, decided to leave her cheating husband. A few blocks away from Becca, Tate Calder has built up a nice life for himself and his two sons. His previous marriage was a terrible mess, but is he perhaps ready to fall in love again...?

Linda Lael Miller is known as the Queen of Western Romance and even though I’m definitely no expert when it comes to this particular book genre, I have a good feeling she definitely deserves this title. I loved the other two parts of this series, ‘The Marriage Pact’ and ‘The Marriage Charm’, and ‘The Marriage Season’ is a great ending to this wonderful romance series. The book provides its readers with another visit to the inhabitants of Mustang Creek and I loved being back with Becca, Hadleigh and Melody, with a special focus on Becca’s love life this time. The leading male character is Tate Calder, a single father who is busy setting up his own horse breeding business, and the chemistry between him and Becca is impossible to ignore. I immediately started rooting for the two of them to get together and really enjoyed both of their stories.

Linda Lael Miller has really written a stunning romance series with everything needed to make it a success: a great collection of characters that are interesting and easy to warm to, a good setting (I personally really loved the western small town feeling of Mustang Creek), and a romantic and captivating plotline. Her writing style is well-paced, comfortable to read and suits the type of story really well. I don’t think ‘The Marriage Season’ is my favourite part of the series, but undoubtedly a well-deserved great ending to the series. ‘The Marriage Season’ is a wonderfully entertaining romance read about love, family and friendship, and I’m already looking forward to the author’s next release!
Rating:9/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: 'The Marriage Charm' by Laura Lael Miller (2015)

The women of Bliss County have a pact—to find husbands. The right husbands. 
One already has: Hadleigh Stevens, who married rancher Tripp Galloway a few months ago. Now Melody Nolan thinks it's her turn. Melody has recently found success as a jewelry designer, and her work is the focus of her life. She's not exactly unhappy, but she wants more. She's always been attracted to Spence Hogan, the local chief of police, but she's convinced that Spence, a notorious charmer, isn't what you'd call husband material. 
Spence is a good cop who isn't scared of anything—except love. And he's done everything he can to preserve his reputation as a womanizer—a reputation that keeps marriage-minded women, including Melody, at bay. And yet…there's something about Melody he can't forget. Something his heart can't ignore.
On the 27th of January 2015 Linda Lael Miller's newest novel 'The Marriage Charm' was published by Harlequin Books. This book is the second part of the Brides of Bliss County romance series and last year I was given the chance to discover Linda Lael Miller's work when I received a review copy of the first part of the series, 'The Marriage Pact.' I really enjoyed the book and was already looking forward to the other parts, which explains why I was immediately excited when I was contacted about possibly reviewing 'The Marriage Charm.' I couldn't wait to go back to Mustang Creek, Wyoming, and read more about the already familiar group of characters, hoping I would end up enjoying this novel as much as I had the first one!
In 'The Marriage Charm', the focus lies on Melody Nolan who works as a jewelry designer in the small town of Mustang Creek in Wyoming. When she was younger, Melody was madly in love with Spence Hogan; so in love, she even proposed to him. However, he declined and that was also the end of their romance. Now, nine years later, Spence is the town's chief of police and he still makes Melody's heart beat faster whenever she sees him. Yet, Spence has a reputation as quite the womaniser and Melody made a pact with her two best friends Hadleigh and Bex to start looking for their future husbands, the real thing; not just another fling. And Spence Hogan is not exactly husband material... Or is he?
'The Marriage Pact' is the second part of 'The Brides of Bliss County' series, which focuses on 3 best friends who have made a marriage pact in order to help each other find suitable husbands with whom they can start a family. This book focuses on Melody and her quest for love. I already knew the characters from the first part of the series and it was great to learn more about Melody, her background story and her search for love. I personally really enjoyed that the story was told from both a male and female perspective, so we as readers get to see what both Melody and Spence think and feel. It's not just the romance that is focused on, though; there are also other aspects to the story, such as a number of mysterious thefts in the town, which managed to keep my attention until the very end. 
This is only my second Linda Lael Miller novel, but she's already becoming one of my favourite romance authors. Her writing style is so easy to get into and combined with a fascinating group of characters and a captivating storyline, her books are really enjoyable reads. I do think it's best to read this as a sequel, so you know the background story and the different characters, but it can also be read as a standalone. If you're a fan of western romances, and you're not yet familiar with Linda Lael Miller, you definitely need to pick up one of her books because you're missing out on something! 'The Marriage Charm' is exactly what a fast-paced and fun romance read is supposed to be like; nothing too complicated, thoroughly enjoyable and with a happy ending. I really enjoyed this novel and already look forward to the third part of the series! 

Rating:9/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: 'The Marriage Pact' by Linda Lael Miller (2014)

Ten years ago, Hadleigh Stevens was eighteen and this close to saying "I do," when Tripp Galloway interrupted her walk down the aisle. Now that she's recovered from her youthful mistake and Tripp's interference, Hadleigh and her single friends form a marriage pact. She doesn't expect Tripp to meddle with her new plan to find Mr. Right—or to discover that she's more attracted to him than ever! 
Divorced and eager to reconnect with his cowboy roots, Tripp returns to Bliss County to save his ailing father's ranch. He's not looking for another wife—certainly not his best friend's little sister. But he's never been able to forget Hadleigh. And this time, if she ends up in his arms, he won't be walking away!
As part of the review team over at Chick Lit Club, I received the chance to read and review the first part of Linda Lael Miller’s new book series ‘The Bliss County Brides’, ‘The Marriage Pact.’ I have to admit, I hadn’t heard of Linda Lael Miller before and after doing some research on the Internet, I’m quite surprised about that. She’s a best-selling author who has written over 100 books (wow!), mainly contemporary and historical romances, and is widely known for her western romances. I was delighted to get the chance to be introduced to Linda Lael Miller’ work, and looked forward to checking out ‘The Marriage Pact’!
Hadleigh Stevens and her two best friends Melody and Becca are all three still looking for the perfect man in their lives. Together, they decide to make a marriage pact, vowing they will help each other to find a suitable husband. When Hadleigh was just 18, she was about to marry but her wedding was ruined by Tripp Galloway, her brother’s best friend, who ran into the church and carried her out over his shoulder, without a word. Hadleigh knows Tripp prevented her from making the biggest mistake of her life, but she still holds a grudge against him. Now, ten years later, a divorced Tripp is back in town to help his stepfather to run the family ranch. It doesn’t take long before Hadleigh and Tripp bump into another, and even though Hadleigh just wants to stay as far away as possible from Tripp, she can’t ignore the chemistry that’s still there between the two of them...
‘The Marriage Pact’ is the first part of the Bliss County Brides series and a great start which only made me more curious about the other books that are still to come. I loved the scene setting and the cast of characters. The book is set in the small town of Mustang Creek in Bliss County, Wyoming, where main character Hadleigh Stevens has her own quilt shop. Throw in a marriage pact with her best friends, and a handsome leading man who returns to the town after a decade, and you’ve got yourself the set-up for a great romance story. I immediately liked Hadleigh and her friends, and the chemistry between Hadleigh and Tripp was impossible to ignore, resulting in me crossing my fingers for them to get together from the first few pages of the book.
I personally wouldn’t have minded if the book had been a bit longer and the story had focused on some more details, mainly because I loved the plotline and the characters. However, this book is what it promises to be: a laid-back and sweet romance read. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole atmosphere created in the novel and I definitely look forward to the next part in the series. ‘The Marriage Pact’ is an easy-to-pick-up and fun romance read which I thoroughly enjoyed. I’m glad I was introduced to Linda Lael Miller this way and look forward to reading more of her work in the future! Rating:

8,0/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.