Audiobook review: Leaping Hearts by Jessica Bird, Kate Rudd (Narrator), J.R. Ward

Everyone thinks A. J. Sutherland is crazy to buy a rogue stallion that no rider or trainer has been able to tame. But if anybody has the hustle to make something out of that hell-raiser, it's A. J. She can't do it alone, however, so she goes after the great Devlin McCloud, an equestrian legend with a bad leg ? and a worse attitude. Devlin recognizes a fighter when he sees one ? and that horse isn't a wallflower, either. Before he knows it, he's got a wild stallion in his empty stable and a hotheaded, heavenly-bodied rider sleeping on his couch. But can he get all three of them through the championship in one piece? This passion he's found with his rider is compromising training ? and at this level of competition, any distraction is not just unprofessional but downright deadly.

This my first book as JR ward writing as Jessica Bird. AJ Sutherland buys a very expensive and wild and untamed stallion to train. He's got a bad reputation and is extremely hard to handle and possibly dangerous. Her father owns Sutherland stables and until she buys the stallion it was run by her and her step brother. Her step brother is not a horseman doesn't enjoy the job but does well with the financial side. Problem is he's bossy and hateful to A.J. He tries to block her from buying the stallion but it doesn't work  so then he forbids her to bring it to their stables and her father backs him up and makes him the controlling person running the stables. So there she is with her heart broken by her family with no place to take her expensive stallion and no place to live. In comes Devlin MCloud. He's a champion rider who was injured around a year before when his beloved stallion took a fall seriously injuring him and ending his career. Breaking his spirit when he can't ride anymore he  is also forced to put the stallion down. Both he and A.J. have battered hearts and spirits just like the new stallion. She gets him to take her on and train her and the horse but when things heat up between the two of them things get complicated. Secrets are kept and feelings get twisted. This was an enjoyable audiobook. The voice work was good and believable. Which is you listen to audiobooks makes a world of difference in how you much you like the story.  I enjoyed the relationship between the main two characters and some of the secondary characters drove me a little nuts but were enjoyable as well.  4 out of 5 stars for Leaping Hearts by Jessica Bird.

Find out more about this book here www.jrward.com

Book review: Close Enough to Touch (Jackson Hole series) by Victoria Dahl

Can a city girl make it in the wild, wild West?


For makeup artist Grace Barrett, Hollywood isn't the land of golden opportunity. It's the land of difficult divas, cheating boyfriends and unemployment. So when her great-aunt offers her a free place to stay in Jackson, Grace thinks she'll spend a little time in the sticks to figure out her life, and then move somewhere exciting to live out her dreams. But it turns out that there are a few more thrills in this small town than Grace was expecting....

Cole Rawlins is a rugged Wyoming cowboy born and bred. Yet he can't help but be drawn to the fascinating big-city girl who moves in across from him. He wants to get close enough to Grace to see past her tough facade, but if he does, she might see the real Cole. The one with a Hollywood history gone bad. As they discover a sizzling attraction, it becomes harder for him to keep his demons at bay-and those fires from long ago may burn them both.


They'll need more than scorching-hot passion to make this opposites-attract affair work. But if they can learn to trust one another enough to reveal their secrets, they just might have a chance at forever.

I've read a handful of Victoria Dahl books and enjoyed them. This is book 1 in a new contemporary series that is supposed to sport 3 books total and a novella. I can't wait to see who these other stories will be about. I can make a guess or two having read book one now but no way am i certain. lol Grace Barrett has had a really hard life. Her childhood sucked and she ran away from home at 16 and lived on the streets. She pulled herself together and finally was doing ok as a make up artist for the movies. Then she met a guy who became her boyfriend and seemingly used her to help himself. Unfortunately some of her own self doubt and past experiences she makes a couple bad choices. Running away she lands in Jackson Hole, Wyoming staying rent free in a apartment building her great aunt owns and is normally only rented to men. To say her aunt is a bit odd is a understatement. She also owns and runs the saloon next door. Right off the bat Grace meets sexy cowboy Cole Rawlins. He's got his own bad history with the movie industry when years ago he ran off with woman who had come to Jackson Hole to film a movie. He was young and dumb and paid for it later. Neither Cole nor Grace trust easily. It takes a while for Cole to figure out that Grace has nothing. No furniture no possessions and no money. I have to say the man had to be blind to miss it though. His perceptions of her are off kilter and it takes him a while to start figuring her out. It all goes nuts as both their pasts come back to haunt them. Unfortunately where is a lot of misunderstanding going on this book. I like how 2 complete opposite characters get tossed together and Grace and Cole both have to deal with their pasts and insecurities and figure out where they belong. With each other of course! An enjoyable read. That being said i am really interested in the next books in the series. 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars for Close Enough to Touch by Victoria Dahl.

Find out more about this book and Victoria Dahl's other work here on her website. www.victoriadahl.com

Book review: Big Sky Mountain by Linda Lael Miller

With his rugged good looks, vast wealth and family name, hell-raiser Hutch Carmody is still the golden boy of Parable, Montana. But he's done some growing up—making peace with his illegitimate half brother and inheriting half of Whisper Creek Ranch, which should have been all his. These days, Hutch knows there are some things money can't buy: like the heart of loving, ladylike divorcée Kendra Shepherd.


Kendra's quiet mansion reminds her of what she wants most—a devoted husband and the pitter-patter of little feet. She can't get Hutch Carmody out of her mind. But a rough-and-tumble cowboy like Hutch, coming home for family dinner? Seems crazy! Then again, crazier dreams have become reality under the vast Montana sky.

This is book 2 in Linda Lael Miller's latest  cowboy series. This book is about former lovers Hutch Carmody and Kendra Sheperd.  We get introduced to them in book 1 Big Sky Country. They have a past and their relationship ended after a series of miscommunication and trust issues. Kendra ended up married to another man and Hutch was left broken hearted. Kendra always thought that he didn't love her because he didn't fight for her. It all ended badly for Kendra when the man she married left her and then she found out he had a baby with another woman while married to her. He dies but not before asking Kendra to find and adopt the girl which of course she does. Both Hutch and Kendra have issues from when they were kids that gave them problems with trust. This is what led to their relationship falling apart. Now both are trying to face those demons. This story is about Hutch and Kendra both finding their way to each other. I loved how Kendra takes Madison in and adopts her and Hutch loves her right away too and accepts her even knowing who her dad was. Hutch got me pretty quick. For all his faults the man has a big heart and he lets it show. The beginning of this book was actually kind of boring for me and didn't really pick up til after i got about 1/4 of the way through. From then on I enjoyed it. I look forward to seeing how the next book in the series plays out with Sheiff Boone Taylor and his neighbor Tara Kendall ( city girl turned chicken farmer) . We've been getting peeks at them in both books so far. Looks like it will be a fun and interesting book. Linda always gets some of the best covers for her cowboys and this one definitely follows suit. 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars for Big Sky Mountain by Linda Lael Miller.

Find out more about this book and Linda Lael Miller other work on her website here www.lindalaelmiller.com

Book Review: Rodeo Rebel (Sisters of McDougal Ranch book 4)by Debra Kayn

Available now!

When widower and land baron Cole Reardon acquired the Turner Grain Corporation, he didn't know the company sponsored a bull rider. He refuses to support thrill-seekers dumb enough to get on the back of a crazed animal. He’s not willing to risk his fortune and livelihood when he has his daughter's well-being to consider. Not even when the bull rider is the sexiest woman he's ever seen.


Bull rider Florentine McDougal plans to turn pro after the season championship, fulfilling her lifelong dream of succeeding in a man’s world. That is, until Cole Reardon shows up and threatens to break his sponsorship contract with her. Now everything she’s worked for is less than eight seconds away from being destroyed.

Cole distracts Florentine with his sexy mouth and unreasonable demands, and he's not going to compromise his integrity. But she's not going to let him loose until she has pro status. And neither will come away from this dust-up unscathed.

This is the 4th book in the Sisters of McDougal ranch series. I've been following the series since book one and enjoying them all. You read a lot of book series where the guys are who the series is about, but not many that feature the women.  It's fun to see this series then about a group of sisters and their ranch and the men who come into their lives. If you've followed along with the series you know that Florentine is the bull rider. She's been working hard for years to get into the PBRA and be a professional bull rider. It's a goal she set at the age of 17 when she struck out on her own. Finally she is so very close. Into her life walks Cole Reardon. He just bought the grainery that has been sponsoring her. He wants out of the contract. He can't condone what he thinks is reckless behavior.  Thing is she does something to him and he's torn about what he feels about her. He's also got a little girl, Sarah,  who lost her mama when her reckless behavior got her killed when she was a baby. He's got to protect her and he can't promote something as crazy reckless as bull riding. When Florentine injures herself getting thrown off a bull though Cole just can't seem to leave her on her own no matter how much she protests. He and his daughter end up staying at McDougal Ranch for Margot's wedding and their annual fireworks. Cole struggles with his feelings for Florentine and his need to protect his daughter and his heart. What a exciting struggle it is too. This i think might be my favorite of the series so far. I wonder if I have said that before?? lol There's something about Cole and Florentine's chemistry. He's a sweetheart of man but his heart was crushed when his first wife was killed and he was afraid to death of getting hurt again or having his daughter hurt. Florentine was a risk he wasn't sure he wanted to take even if his heart wanted her.  Loved it and can't wait to see what the happens with the sisters next!  5 out of 5 Modokker Book pick stars for Rodeo Rebel by Debra Kayn.

This book is available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble and is lendable from both. Find out more about Debra Kayn and this series and read excerpts for all 4 books on her website here www.debrakayn.com

Amazon www.amazon.com/Rodeo-Rebel
Barnes and Noble www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rodeo-rebel

Brody ( Book 2 Circle 8 series) by Emma Lang

Circle Eight Book 2

Kensington Brava



June 26, 2012
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
B-A-M
Chapters
IndieBound
Powell’s

A year after their family was brutally torn apart, the Graham siblings begin to put their lives back together at their ranch in East Texas. With their parents gone, their bonds will truly be tested…

Olivia Graham has worked hard to take care of her family at the Circle Eight Ranch. But their family circle was broken when their young brother Benjy disappeared. Liv can’t shake the feeling that he must be out there, somewhere.

Brody Armstrong, a handsome but rough-around-the-edges Texas Ranger, has been working on their case for months, and now he has a promising lead.

As Liv follows him across the rugged Texas landscape and into Mexico, she’ll begin to find the answers she needs—as Brody finds a passion he didn’t know he wanted…

This is book 2 in the Circle 8 series. Eight being the number of siblings in the Graham family. In book one we get a introduction to the family with Matthew the oldest. The Grahams are still mourning the murders of their parents and the disappearance of the baby of the family 5 year old Benjy. In Brody the search is still on for Benjy. Brody takes off for Mexico with Olivia hot on his heels. Olivia is a bit of a hot head. She's stubborn and tough and heartbroken over her missing brother who was quite attached to her. She can't rest until he's found so when she learns Brody is heading into Mexico on a lead and the chance that Benjy is there she wants to go.  Brody doesn't want her to but when she saves his life he decides he owes it to her. What follows is a journey of death, mean mean nasty people and discovery for both Brody and Olivia. Olivia's fiance' left her a month after her parents were killed saying he could handle her whining and grief. She can't trust love and Brody's never really experienced love of family like Olivia with her big bunch. They make into Mexico and get some information on all the robberies and the missing people including Benjy and barely escape with their lives. Heading back to the Graham ranch in Texas they have to decide what to do about each other, but is the danger really over??? No... If you've read book one in this series, and you should, you come out of it thinking that Olivia is a cold hearted little bitch. In this book you finally get to see why she is the way she is. Olivia or "Liv" wasn't always so cold and hard. The writing is amazing and it's awesome to see a tough but still feminine heroine. 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars for Brody by Emma Lang.

Find out more about Emma Lang also known as Beth Williamson on her website here www.bethwilliamson.com

Book Review: The Creed Legacy by author Linda Lael Miller

I received a copy of this book from netgalley.com for my honest opinion and review.

This is the third installment in the latest group of the Montana Creeds series by Linda Lael Miller. Luckily for me Linda Lael Miller loves to write about cowboys and i love to read about them. This contemporary cowboy romance has just what you need if you crave a sexy Creed, some serious and humorous moments with a happy ending. All cowboy stories should have one of those right? Brody is one of twin brothers who were estranged from each other over the course of the past 10 years. In Creed's Honor which came out yesterday  in stores and online we got Connor's story and in that one Brody and Connor got past their difference and started mending their relationship. The Creed Legacy due out June 28th is Brody's story finally. We got all these hints in the first two books as to what happened in Brody's past. Now he has to confront those painful memories if he wants a relationship with Carolyn. Carolyn has her own demons to deal with from her past if she is ever going to trust anyone again with her heart.

Book Blurb
Rough-and-tumble rodeo cowboy Brody Creed likes life on the move. Until a chance encounter with his long-estranged twin brother brings him “home,” for the first time in years. Suddenly Brody is in Creed territory—a rootless bad boy among family with deep ties to the land and each other. He’s half-ready to bolt when he meets a copper-haired beauty more restless than he is.


Carolyn Simmons is living a temporary life in Lonesome Bend, waiting to light out for the glamour of a metropolis. Then she falls for gorgeous Brody Creed, the opposite of everything she wants. But taming his wild heart might just become everything they both need…


The blurb is a little deceiving i think. Brody is back and building a house and barn on what used to be Tricia McCall's land. He swears he's there to stay now. Carolyn has been house sitting in and around Lonesome Bend for a long time and years ago she and Brody has a bit of a fling for a week or so when suddenly he disappeared only leaving a lame note and drunken phone call later. She had trusted Brody and trusting was not something she's ever done easily and he broke her heart. Brody has a secret though and that's why he ran because he felt he had to. They both have to find a way to let go of all those bad memories and be truthful with each other if they want to be together, There is a serious side to this book but plenty of hot and funny moments  mixed in to balance it all out. The few things that annoyed me some was the talk of the skirt Carolyn was making. It was described several times but i kept getting a gaudy picture in my mind. Brody's reaction to it was funny cause no man would pay that much attention to a skirt. Talk of the skirt was overdone. After reading the latest three books in this series Brody is my favorite of the three. Kind of thought he was a jerk in the first one but i bet that was the intent in that one. lol  To read more about this book and Linda Lael Miller other books please visit her website by clicking www.lindalaelmiller.com. I give The Creed Lagacy by author Linda Lael Miller 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick Stars. If i hadn't started it late at night this would've been on of those read in one sitting book for me.