Scan barcode
ldooten's review against another edition
3.0
This was okay for me. I didn't read this first book in this series, and even though all the characters are mentioned, I didn't really feel like I missed anything by not reading the first. The writing itself wasn't bad, but I did have to make myself finish the story. It didn't hold my attention well, after the 10th time of Rose's inner dialogue of "I like him, but I can't like him, so I'll push him away". I totally understand that she had a crappy upbringing, but that girl needed some therapy. I did like the part of the story about Jack and his family. It was crazy what happened, but it was nice to see him get some closure. I did like the secondary characters, I thought Delia was a strong character, and I felt bad for Gabe. I would like to see him work through his issues. This was a first for me from this author, but I would be willing to read her again.
I voluntarily reviewed an advacned readers copy of this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an advacned readers copy of this book.
blodeuedd's review against another edition
3.0
These titles are a mouthful! But hey I love my cowboys, in any form.
Now it's Jack's turn to find love. He suffers from ptsd, but has taken steps to get better. His life on the ranch, talking to people, and of course his therapist. All things that is making him better. And I liked seeing how he got better. He is such a sweet guy. But drama will find him as his family is coming for a visit. And grrrrr, we learned in book 1 that his fiance slept with his brother and they are not married and have a kid. Who wouldn't be angry!
In comes Rose, oh woman, she was trouble. I was so mad at her at times. But then at the end I felt sorry for her. She has issues, ISSUES. She thinks she is so strong and in control. But she has wounds that wont let her open up. I wanted to shake her and scream that he loves her and she loves him. But, this is how it was meant to be. Some people are really scarred and it takes time. I was still mad at her though cos she was so blind.
They start a fake relationship that obviously blossoms into more.
But first they have to deal with his family. And he has to learn to talk, and she has to learn to be loved. There will be drama, slow drama, and there will be romance. It's all very bittersweet.
Conclusion:
A sweet lovestory with thorns
Narrator: Remy Nordlinger
I like her voices for everyone and she really fits this genre.
Now it's Jack's turn to find love. He suffers from ptsd, but has taken steps to get better. His life on the ranch, talking to people, and of course his therapist. All things that is making him better. And I liked seeing how he got better. He is such a sweet guy. But drama will find him as his family is coming for a visit. And grrrrr, we learned in book 1 that his fiance slept with his brother and they are not married and have a kid. Who wouldn't be angry!
In comes Rose, oh woman, she was trouble. I was so mad at her at times. But then at the end I felt sorry for her. She has issues, ISSUES. She thinks she is so strong and in control. But she has wounds that wont let her open up. I wanted to shake her and scream that he loves her and she loves him. But, this is how it was meant to be. Some people are really scarred and it takes time. I was still mad at her though cos she was so blind.
They start a fake relationship that obviously blossoms into more.
But first they have to deal with his family. And he has to learn to talk, and she has to learn to be loved. There will be drama, slow drama, and there will be romance. It's all very bittersweet.
Conclusion:
A sweet lovestory with thorns
Narrator: Remy Nordlinger
I like her voices for everyone and she really fits this genre.
katreniah's review against another edition
5.0
I never would've put Jack and Rose together; they seem so mismatched. And I totally enjoyed seeing how they fit together. This story was fun, sweet, engaging, and heartwarming. And normally I find myself finished with romances this size way before the book actually ends (it's not that the book is abnormally long, but it's longer than the series romances I usually read), but this one held my attention all the way until the end.
toni_lee's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed the push and pull from the main characters. Jack I didnt feel was as deep as he could have been but still developed enough to enjoy the story. Rose on the other hand was a well developed of not well adjusted character. I really liked her. It took me until almost the end to relate these names to the Titanic lol. I enjoyed it.
scoutmomskf's review against another edition
4.0
Good book. After having his life turned upside down by injury, Jack has joined his Teammates Alex and Gabe at Alex's ranch in Montana. There the men plan to create a place for other veterans to come to transition back to civilian life. Jack has been indulging himself in something of a pity party for one. Physically he is still recovering from his injuries. Mentally he is a bit lost, because if he isn't a SEAL, who is he really? He also still feels sorry for himself, as well as angry, over the fact that his fiancée slept with his brother, got pregnant, and married him while Jack was deployed. There is also the anguish and guilty feelings over the death of a friend in the same attack that injured Jack and his friends. As the icing on the cake, his family, including his cheating ex and brother, are coming to visit, and Jack doesn't want to deal with the pitying looks. This is where Rose comes in.
Rose is the owner and bartender of the local watering hole. She is tough as nails, puts up with nobody's attitude, and is haunted by her own demons. She is the second of five girls in her family, all of whom survived their childhoods with abusive parents. But Rose blames herself for some of the things that happened to her sisters, and as a result, considers herself to be unworthy of anyone's love. Though she thinks of herself as selfish, her driving force seems to be to protect those around her. When she overhears Jack talking to his mom about their visit, she offers to help, by trading favors. She will pose as his girlfriend if he acts as a bouncer at the bar.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Jack and Rose. While it starts as complete fiction, the sparks between them are obvious from the beginning. Jack realizes quickly that Rose is someone special, and also that she is going to resist any attempt to make it real. I loved his attempts to do so by making them "practice" for when his family arrives. Rose fights hard against Jack's appeal, constantly reminding herself that it's all fake, that he wouldn't like her if he really knew her, and that she's bound to ruin it anyway. Meanwhile, Jack shows an amazing amount of patience and sensitivity as he tries to get past Rose's walls.
One of the things I absolutely loved about Jack was that he loved Rose for exactly who she is. When she tries putting on a sweet façade, he calls her on it right away, making it clear that he wants to see the real Rose. Though Rose puts on a really good show of being only in this as a favor to Jack, she admits to herself that her feelings for him are growing. That scares her to death because all she can see is pain in the future for both of them. Because of those same feelings, Jack has become one of the people that Rose will protect any way she can. There is a terrific scene involving a confrontation between Jack and his brother, where Mike gets what's coming to him and it isn't from Jack! This scene was the catalyst for another great scene where Jack can open up to his family, and some old hurts are finally laid to rest.
While the need for a fake girlfriend has passed, Jack doesn't want to let go of what he has with Rose. I loved how he was there for her when an unexpected crisis arose. Her fears were real and deep-seated, and I loved seeing him be the support that she needed. However, those fears, on top of a confrontation with her parents, have Rose ready to run. But her friends and her family have her back and step in to show her the truth. That scene was heartbreaking and heartwarming as so much of Rose's past is revealed. I loved the way that her sisters gave her a new perspective and the effect that had on her relationship with Jack. It's not all immediately unicorns and rainbows, as both realize that they still have things to overcome, but they do see that they are much stronger together than they are alone.
Having read this book, I want to go back and read Alex's story and have put Gabe's story on my want to read list also.
Rose is the owner and bartender of the local watering hole. She is tough as nails, puts up with nobody's attitude, and is haunted by her own demons. She is the second of five girls in her family, all of whom survived their childhoods with abusive parents. But Rose blames herself for some of the things that happened to her sisters, and as a result, considers herself to be unworthy of anyone's love. Though she thinks of herself as selfish, her driving force seems to be to protect those around her. When she overhears Jack talking to his mom about their visit, she offers to help, by trading favors. She will pose as his girlfriend if he acts as a bouncer at the bar.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Jack and Rose. While it starts as complete fiction, the sparks between them are obvious from the beginning. Jack realizes quickly that Rose is someone special, and also that she is going to resist any attempt to make it real. I loved his attempts to do so by making them "practice" for when his family arrives. Rose fights hard against Jack's appeal, constantly reminding herself that it's all fake, that he wouldn't like her if he really knew her, and that she's bound to ruin it anyway. Meanwhile, Jack shows an amazing amount of patience and sensitivity as he tries to get past Rose's walls.
One of the things I absolutely loved about Jack was that he loved Rose for exactly who she is. When she tries putting on a sweet façade, he calls her on it right away, making it clear that he wants to see the real Rose. Though Rose puts on a really good show of being only in this as a favor to Jack, she admits to herself that her feelings for him are growing. That scares her to death because all she can see is pain in the future for both of them. Because of those same feelings, Jack has become one of the people that Rose will protect any way she can. There is a terrific scene involving a confrontation between Jack and his brother, where Mike gets what's coming to him and it isn't from Jack! This scene was the catalyst for another great scene where Jack can open up to his family, and some old hurts are finally laid to rest.
While the need for a fake girlfriend has passed, Jack doesn't want to let go of what he has with Rose. I loved how he was there for her when an unexpected crisis arose. Her fears were real and deep-seated, and I loved seeing him be the support that she needed. However, those fears, on top of a confrontation with her parents, have Rose ready to run. But her friends and her family have her back and step in to show her the truth. That scene was heartbreaking and heartwarming as so much of Rose's past is revealed. I loved the way that her sisters gave her a new perspective and the effect that had on her relationship with Jack. It's not all immediately unicorns and rainbows, as both realize that they still have things to overcome, but they do see that they are much stronger together than they are alone.
Having read this book, I want to go back and read Alex's story and have put Gabe's story on my want to read list also.
anabelsbrother's review
4.0
Wowowow-
It took me time to warm up to book 1, but I was immediately immersed in the story with this one. It felt a little more intense than book 1 too, mostly because the characters had been through a lot in life. Jack was seeing a therapist for his PTSD, and he was still unable to forget his ex-fiancee Madison's betrayal (she slept with his brother, got pregnant, and married him instead--what a total headass), while Rose was abused by her father growing up until she finally managed to put him in jail. They struck a deal when Jack's family announced they were coming to visit--cheating ex-fiancee-now-sister-in-law and no-good brother included, and Rose got the news that her father was out on parole: Rose would pretend to be Jack's loving girlfriend to prove that he's moved on from Madison, Jack would spend his nights at Rose's bar as a bouncer, looking out for her father.
Jack and Rose had a lot of chemistry together, and honestly? the fake relationship was fake for like 2 seconds because they genuinely cared about each other. Jack was the braver one; he reconciled with his feelings about Rose early on. Rose, on the other hand, dealt with self-worth issues stemmed from her abuse; she didn't believe she was deserving of Jack, and did her best to push him away but he wasn't having it. I love the way they resolved that conflict (taking a chance on a real relationship).
One q: I just wanna know why they aren't more Titanic references?????? We only got one LOL.
Anyway, I'm ready for Gabe's book now!
E-ARC is received thanks to the publisher via Netgalley.
It took me time to warm up to book 1, but I was immediately immersed in the story with this one. It felt a little more intense than book 1 too, mostly because the characters had been through a lot in life. Jack was seeing a therapist for his PTSD, and he was still unable to forget his ex-fiancee Madison's betrayal (she slept with his brother, got pregnant, and married him instead--what a total headass), while Rose was abused by her father growing up until she finally managed to put him in jail. They struck a deal when Jack's family announced they were coming to visit--cheating ex-fiancee-now-sister-in-law and no-good brother included, and Rose got the news that her father was out on parole: Rose would pretend to be Jack's loving girlfriend to prove that he's moved on from Madison, Jack would spend his nights at Rose's bar as a bouncer, looking out for her father.
Jack and Rose had a lot of chemistry together, and honestly? the fake relationship was fake for like 2 seconds because they genuinely cared about each other. Jack was the braver one; he reconciled with his feelings about Rose early on. Rose, on the other hand, dealt with self-worth issues stemmed from her abuse; she didn't believe she was deserving of Jack, and did her best to push him away but he wasn't having it. I love the way they resolved that conflict (taking a chance on a real relationship).
One q: I just wanna know why they aren't more Titanic references?????? We only got one LOL.
Anyway, I'm ready for Gabe's book now!
E-ARC is received thanks to the publisher via Netgalley.
callsignsongbird's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Child abuse
mal_bookdragon's review
5.0
I love Blue Valley!!
Oh man, I totally didn’t realize this series was in the same world as one of my all time favorites until the llamas and rose’s family history came up. Not if she could continue with the rest of the Roger sisters that would be awesome!
Oh man, I totally didn’t realize this series was in the same world as one of my all time favorites until the llamas and rose’s family history came up. Not if she could continue with the rest of the Roger sisters that would be awesome!
steph0388's review against another edition
4.0
To be honest, I kinda didn't want to like Jack or Rose. I didn't think they fit together as a couple. However, as the book went on I fell in love with each of them and them as a couple. This romance was also the first in a long time to cause me to cry! It's a great addition to the series. You will fall in love with Jack, and Rose.