Emma hadn't been exactly straight with her new boss, but he hadn't given her time to explain. Instead, Deke had some plans of his own for the new Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.
Book Review/s to share: Reviewer: Christine Ventura (from Euro-Reviews)
Emma Smith is on the run. When her cousin Katie had died, she had left her baby, Sammie Jo, to Emma's care. Unfortunately, even though Sammie Jo’s father hadn't given a damn, her very wealthy grandparents did and they wanted to see her. Although Sammie Jo was left in the care of Emma, she knew that her legal position with the baby was shaky at best. Until she could find a way to make sure that Sammie Jo was not going to be taken away from her, she was going to keep running. Emma had kept on running until she reached Devil’s Corner, a small town that was more like a community than anything else. With the kind heart of the local café owner, Bertha, Emma is able to secure a job as a cook in that same café. But when the old cook that has been with Bertha for over ten years returns, Emma seems to be left high and dry until a man named Deke Travers comes along and solves the problem for everyone: he was going to hire Emma as their cook since their ranch needed one badly. Emma has always been the chief cook and bottle washer for her father and three brothers. Now she was going to be the chief cook and bottle washer for the handsome and attractive Deke Travers, his three brothers, their father and the rest of the men in 4 Bar None Ranch.
Deke Travers was a rancher, a man who believed in home and hearth and what he wanted most in life was for his brothers to gradually settle down one-by-one. Clint, his daring and devil-may-care brother needed a woman to help him settle down and keep him away from the dangerous rodeos and all sorts of trouble that his wandering spirit seems to encounter. Knowing that he was going to have to take matters into his own hands, he decided that he was going to try his hand at matchmaking. Clint and Emma looked like a good match. But why is it that whenever he saw them together he felt a tightness in his heart, as if something he cared about was being ripped from his chest?
I enjoyed reading this book very much. Emma is very sweet and Deke ever the gentleman. There were moments in the book that you could just picture in your mind—they were so vivid and beautifully crafted. One of these moments was when Deke took Sammie Jo to bed and talked to her. He was so sweet gentle and you just know in your heart that he was going to be a really good father. Also, the scenes where the Travers brothers are mentioned really highlight the differences between each unique character. A mark of writing excellence. Rita Hestand is a very talented author who writes really good, heart-warming stories. The Travers men are amazing and I looking forward to reading more of them!
Clint and Abby were the best of friends, until one night he let it go too far. Now Abby was back in town for her father's funeral and to spend Christmas with her mother, and she had a huge surprise for Clint. Clint wanted Abby back and he certainly wanted his son.
Book Review/s to share: Clint Travers is a Rodeo Cowboy. He’d joined the Junior Rodeo Association and had been elected Chairman of the Board for the past three years. He had been gored by a bull named Bulldozer and left the Rodeo after having two surgeries that his family does not know about. Clint is one of 4 sons of Cal Travers of the 4 Bar None Ranch. Deke, the oldest is the strong stable one, Jake the silent one studying to be a lawyer, and Rusty is wet behind the ears.
The ranch used to be all male, but now, there is Emma for Deke and her daughter, Sammie Jo, age four. Clint loves Emma just like a sister. Deke was at one point jealous of their relationship. Abigail Martin came home from Dallas after her father, Ross died of a heart attack. Clint realized that he still loves her, not just as his best friend, but also as a woman. Abby tells Clint she is “practically engaged to John”. Clint discovers that Abby has a secret that she did not want him to know. Clint makes up his mind, with the help of Emma, that he is going to “court” Abby. Clint has not been out with a woman in three years. Because Clint is so rusty in the dating field, Emma has to show Clint all the ins and outs of courting Abby.
Bud, the foreman at the Martin Ranch quit the day of the funeral so Judy Martin, Abby’s mother, hires Clint as foreman until they can hire another one. This does not make Abby too happy. Clint moves into the bunkhouse. It definitely bothers Abby that Clint is so close. Will Abby break her engagement to John for Clint? Will she forgive him for the past? Will Judy, interfere once too often? Will Clint allow Abby to continue the farce?
This book, is as, if not, more entertaining than CHIEF COOK AND BOTTLE WASHER –Travers Brother Book 1. I love a good family story and this had all the elements that make you laugh and cry, and thank your lucky stars that you have a family. Ms. Hestand again goes all the way with your emotions. I have to give this one a 5. I definitely look forward to reading and reviewing anything that Rita Hestand writes.
Rusty Travers was a reluctant hero. He wasn't anxious to put his prize breeding stock up as collateral for Hannah's loan to save her ranch. He certainly wasn't fond of the idea he should marry her to protect that inventment. But Hannah was a big surprise and before long everyone was calling him...Hannah's Man!
Book Review/s to share: from Night Owl Romance
The death of George Leary, her father, has left has left Hannah in a bind. It seems her father had a gambling problem and the ranch that she grew up on is mortgaged to the hilt. Every penny she has made went to putting her brother thru dental school, so she has no money or collateral to get a loan from the bank to help her out. Without some serious help, she is going to lose everything she values.
Rusty owes the Learys a debt that he does not want. George had taken his mother to the hospital on the night Rusty was born and in doing so, saved his life. Cal Travers, Rusty�s dad, also feels that the family owes George even more than that since George was there and helped Cal out on several occasions when he needed it. Rusty has been raising stock to start his own life for several years, now his father and brother want him to use that stock to help Hannah out of her troubles.
Will Rusty be willing to do what is needed or has his family asked too much of him?
Rita Hestand has done it again. Hannah�s Man is just as good if not better than the first two Travers Brothers books. It is amazing what someone will do for family and loyalty. In so many ways I wish that there were more people out there that still believed that you repaid your debts or forfeit your good name. I sat shocked and happy and wanting to laugh as I read this. It is yet another book to add to my got to keep stash. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
All he wanted was to move his family (his mother, sister and younger brother) out of Hell's Kitchen before the high rises and the rent went up. The landlords in the tenants building were forcing them out. Besides, he promised Mama a house.
All she wanted was a baby--minus the father! She had one failed marriage, she didn't want another,
He worked for the city sewer, as a waiter, any job he could get. She was Chairman of the Board. He was hot dogs and sauerkraut, smothered in onions. She was champagne and caviar. She knew nothing about being a mother, he knew everything about being a family. They had absolutely nothing in common, and yet ... she wanted--Nick's Baby!
Dixie Rose Kincaid made it big in New York City as a singing sensation. But her personal life fizzled to nothingness. So she went back home to a small town in Texas -- where she thought she'd left her heart. Her family needed her and she needed to see Kevin one last time, to rid herself of a childhood crush.
Dixie collides with Mike Dalton, her childhood adversary -- who just happens to be Kevin's brother. The sexy rancher has other plans for Dixie's love life -- that most certainly don't include Kevin.
Determined to get back to New York to resume her career, things get more complicated when Dixie finds she's completely taken with Mike's adorable daughter, Amanda -- who wants Dixie to play Pretend Mom. Torn between what her heart tells her is right and her desire to pursue her thriving singing career, Dixie is faced with the most difficult decision of her life: Can she leave her heart at home -- again?
rpjhestand@yahoo.com
Runaway Bride Rita Hestand Available for purchase September, 2009
All Savannah Kingsley had ever wanted was marriage, at least until she saw all her hopes and dreams disappear with her faithless fiance. Catching him locked in another's embrace on their wedding day, she was shocked and hurt. Knowing she couldn't go through with the wedding, she ran.
What else could she do? Chad had to tell his parents for both their sakes. But could he? She'd promised to keep his secret, but was that another mistake?
Ben Hogg could spot trouble a mile away, he had to, it was his job, since he was the Sheriff in Junction, Texas. Savannah oozed trouble, yet he still couldn't ignore the Runaway Bride walking down the aisle of the bus, straight toward him; even though he knew he should...
Excerpt:
Dear God," Savannah prayed aloud, glancing toward the sky. "Could you send me a little help, here? I'm not a mechanic, you know."
In one swift movement, Savannah bent through the window of the car and jerked her keys from the ignition, breaking a fingernail in the process. She grimaced. Walking toward the back bumper, she stopped dead in her tracks when she heard a ripping sound.
"Oh, good grief!" She knew what that sound meant. She'd heard it before. Not too long ago either. Her sleeve had caught on the door, again. She opened the car door, and pulled the sleeve back in place, as though that action would fix it. Pressing her lips together in one fine line, she went to the trunk and unlocked it.
Savanna stared at her camera equipment sprawled all over the trunk. It was one of the few things she cared about at this moment. She gathered it and set it in the backseat so it wouldn't be damaged. She'd never changed a flat tire in her life, but it couldn't be that hard. She'd seen it done in a million movies. It looked simple.
She could do this, she decided as she slammed the door and marched back to the trunk.
The jack rested in the back corner of the trunk, bolted down as though it hadn’t meant to be used. In fact it had never been used.
AAA, of course. Why hadn't she thought of that?
Finally using her head, she scrambled again to the backseat to find her purse and phone them. Why hadn't she thought of it sooner? Of course her father had never used the jack, he'd called AAA.
This made sense. No one changed their own tires anymore, except maybe her brother.
Savannah dialed the number, but there was no sound. She glanced at the phone and groaned aloud. Her charger was at home in her bedroom, tucked neatly into the side of her suitcase, awaiting her elaborate honeymoon destination. Dear God, can anything go right today?
Again she looked into the sky, but this time she didn't have a smart remark. This time she refused to press her luck.
The jack became her nightmare. She leaned in and tried to twist the nut. It didn't budge, but she could barely reach it. If she could get a better hold on it, she could probably loosen it. Fumbling with the bolt another manicured fingernail broke. She grimaced but kept on working. Her state of dress, and fake fingernails were the least of her worries.
"Good grief, I'll need a crow-bar to pry that thing loose." Her voice trailed off again. Savannah struggled unsuccessfully to loosen the jack. Desperate, she crawled up inside the trunk, careful not to let the door slam on her, and then used the hem of her dress to unscrew the nut. It worked, but she grimaced as she looked at her dress again. It doesn't matter because this is a matter of survival.
Elated, she felt like jumping for joy. But her problems weren't over yet, and she knew it.
Determination would not be enough. She needed a quick education in survival. She didn't have a plan. And she was the kind of person that required one. She had left the church unable to decide what to do. Not like me at all! One thing for sure, she couldn't marry Chad under the circumstances. Life as she knew it was over.
At twenty-six, she was starting over! Could anything be more ridiculous?
Stranded in the middle of nowhere, her range of choices grew narrower by the moment.
She could get mad, throw a fit, and cry. Or she could figure out what to do. Those were her choices. She had a level head on her shoulders. Didn’t she? She had a master's degree in fine arts, she could play the harp like an angel, and she knew how to take pictures. And up until yesterday she had been a very good real estate agent. But for the life of her, she didn't know what she was going to do next with her life or this car from hell.
Thoughts of Chad briefly interfered. She tried exercising him from her thoughts.
No use going there, that was history!
But thinking of Chad made her think of what she wanted from life. And she knew what she wanted. She wanted to be married. It was something she instinctively knew she'd be good at. Some women had their careers, but all Savannah ever really wanted was to marry Chad. She'd taken odd jobs ever since she finished college to look busy and give Chad the time and opportunity to pop the big question. She hadn't wanted to appear the spoiled little rich girl, waiting on the boy next door to make up his mind.
Talk about bursting bubbles. That's exactly what she had become, the spoiled little rich girl. The dumb little rich girl. The sweet little rich girl.
She was an Italian Norma Rae at Cunningham Hats, he was the playboy boss! She was the only woman he was sure he'd never love. Since he had to marry to inherit his grandfather's trust money, and he wanted to save the factory, he married Kia Giavonni. Joseph Cunningham III offered Kia everything but love. Could they make their marriage work?
Angela Cummings thought she had found Mr. Right, with Greg Thompson, but Josh, her ten year old son didn't like him, and Mr. Romantic he wasn't. Then Cooper Johnson rides back into town on a broken down Harley looking sexier than a man has a right to, and be still her wandering heart.
Book Review/s to share: Angela Cummings is a widow with a ten year old son Josh, and is secretly engaged to politician Greg Thompson. Josh does not like Greg at all. Greg wants to send Josh to military school, and that does not make Angela happy. Greg does not like dogs, hates Angela working the farm, and I really don’t think he loves her. He’s just looking for a trophy wife so that when he becomes Congressman, he can display her. Greg also wants Angela to sell her farm when they get married, but Angela thinks of her farm as home. So when she saw Coop, she asked him to become her farm manager, just for a little while.
Coop was quite familiar with the 250 acres of farmland that Angela inherited from her uncle and agreed to help her, but insisted that she leave him in charge of working the land…and he would train Josh so that if he decided he wanted the land later, he would be aware of how to run it. Josh was very happy to meet Coop because Coop had known his father and he did not hesitate to talk with him about Raif. Josh owns a pet pig named Elmerine and she births nine piglets. I love piglets.
Will Angela and Greg finally get married? Will Cooper leave town when his Harley gets repaired? Will Angela sell the farm as Greg wants? Will Josh ever like Greg?
Several incidents happen that make Coop and Angela be confined to close quarters. The electricity flows and Coop has to remind himself that Angel belongs to another and Angel has to wonder if she loves Greg. She and Greg go to a hotel for the night. Why does she think of Coop all the time while with Greg? The ending of WANDERING HEART will definitely surprise you.
WANDERING HEART has Rita Hestand again at the top of my list of wonderful contemporary writers. This was more steamy than her other novels, but just as emotional. Keep up the great work, Rita. I love it.
Romance Junkies Reviewer Phyllis Ingram
Email to share: rpjhestand@yahoo.com
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