Book Review: The Rancher Next Door

I chose The Rancher Next Door by Susan Mallery, who is my favorite author!!  This is the first book in the Lone Star Canyon Series.  I fell in love with the town, the characters, and the storyline as I did for Fool's Gold.  I absolutely love the book cover.  It is so colorful and the colors just pop!  

Goodreads Description:

HER DADDY SAID THE DARBYS WERE DIRT…

But to young Katie Fitzgerald, the sun rose and set on rugged Jack Darby. Jack was her childhood hero, her secret teen beau. But he hadn't loved her enough to leave their feuding families behind, and blinding heartbreak had led her into another man's arms—and 11 years of loneliness.

FRATERNIZING WITH THE FITZGERALDS WAS FORBIDDEN…

When Katie returned to the ranch next door, emotions tore through Jack like a Texas twister. Anguish over her youthful betrayal, tenderness for her shy son—and a hunger so deep it hollowed him out. But hadn't 11 lonely years taught him he was a fool to love a Fitzgerald?

What would you do if you moved back to your hometown and would be around your high school sweatheart?  Plus there is a rule that being around the Fitzgerald's is not allowed.  Your father can not stand that family, but you think this family is fine.  Let's see:  You are an adult, who can make your own decisions.  Right?  If this was me, I would not allow my father to tell me, who I can be friends with especially if that friendship was important to me. 

Love how the book begins by telling us how Katie met Jack.  I do not like how Katie's father treats her.  Just because she was small and got sick a lot, does not mean she should not do everything that her siblings do like Ride a Bike!!  As a mother to a special needs child, if my daughter wanted to try to do something, I would encourage her to do so.  I would not say you can not do that.

Why is it that when one gets divorced or breaks up, they are gun-shy?  Both Katie and Jack are attracted to each other, but they don't want to take a chance.  Would you risk what could be for what could not be?

I feel so badly for Shane, who does not like his grandfather, Aaron.  

Shane wrinkled his nose.  "He's too loud and he never listens.  I'm not like him.  I'm not like anyone else." (Kindle 18%)  Shane opens up and does a few things out of his comfort zone.  I love how Shane interacts with Jack.  

I think one of my favorite scenes in the book was when Katie stood up to her father.

"Stop it," Katie demanded as she stepped between the two of them.  She took Shane in her arms and glared at her father.  "Just stop it right now.  Look at what you're doing to him.  What's wrong with you?" (Kindle 39%)  This is not good for Shane to be in this kind of environment.  I felt bad for him, but also his grandfather will not change.  He has done it to his own children.  Katie did the right thing.  Read the book to find out.  I can not stand that her father kept saying "Don't tell me what to do in my house." (Kindle 40%)  Katie is the mother.  Her father is not Shane's dad.  Thank God for that.  Katie's dad, Aaron, made me realize how lucky I am to have my dad.  Who has Aaron treated with respect?

I highly recommend this book.  I could not put it down.  There are a few quotes at the end of the book that I love, but I do not want to give away anything about what happens!!  So, what are you waiting for?  Go grab this book!!

Keep on Reading

Melissa

P.S. Discussion Questions for you: 

1. How did Katie and Jack meet? 

2. How do you feel about Aaron?

3. How old is Shane and where is his dad?

4. Have you gone back to your hometown?

5.  What did Jack bring for Shane?

6. What does Katie do for a living?

7. Who is Katie helping? Why?

8.  Where did Katie and Jack meet when they were teenagers?

Reading, Cooking, oh my!!

I posted the other day what that I won an Amazon gift card and asking for some help.  I posted some books I was thinking of getting with it.  

I took me a few days to decide what I wanted to get.  I knew I wanted a few romance books, but I needed to get some Gluten-Free cookbooks and books.  I was told to start cooking/baking like I did before my Celiac Disease.

I brought these books so far: 

1. Third Time Lucky (#1 in Coxwell Series- I have #2 &#3). 

2. All of Nothing (#4 in Coxwell Series) by Claire Cross.  

3. Deliciously G-Free: Food so Flavorable that You'll Never Believe It's G-Free by Elisabeth Hasselback  

4. The G-Free Diet: A G-Free Survival Guide by Elisabeth Hasselback 

5. Against All Grains by Danielle Walker  

6. Some Kind of Wonderful by Maureen Child 

7. Perfect Match by Kristan Higgins

8. The Next Rancher by Susan Mallery

9. Wife in Disguise by Susan Mallery

10. Unexpectedly Expecting! by Susan Mallery 

I already read The G-Free Diet: A G-Free Survival Diet by Elisabeth Hasselback.  I checked it out from my local library as an e-book.  I loved it a lot and decided I had to get it.  I also already read Elisabeth Hasselback's cookbook, too, as a library e-book.  Again I knew I wanted to get it.

I also brought this one, Gluten-Free Diet - A Comprehensive Resource Guide Revised and Expanded Edition (Celiac Disease Books), but I could not get it on Amazon because it was 2 times the price there.  So, I got it from the Gluten Free Mall, but it is not listed on the site right now. My account says it was delivered today, but it is not here yet.  

I will get cooking once I have read my new cookbooks!  What will be my first meal I make?  I can not wait.  Maybe we will all go Gluten-Free.  I want to make a dessert or 2 for Thanksgiving.  My turkey recipe is from another cookbook I want to try as long as I do it the G-Free way.

Melissa

If you have....

If you have $50 Gift card for Amazon, what ebooks/books would you buy?

I have a gift card for Amazon that I need to spend.  I want it to be for books!  I have a couple on my list, but wanting some ideas.  

1. Perfect Match by Kristan Higgin

2. Deliciously G-Free: Food so Flavorable that You'll Never Believe It's G-Free by Elisabeth Hasselback

3. The G-Free Diet: A G-Free Survival Guide by Elisabeth Hasselback

4. Some Kind of Wonderful by Maureen Child

5. Home Front by Kristin Hannah
6. Confessions of a PTA Mafia Mom by Elsie Love

Maybe these:

1. Dark Witch by Nora Roberts

2. Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts

3.

Update 11/14/2013 6:48p:
I brought these books so far:
1. Third Time Lucky by Claire Cross (#1 in the Coxwell Series- I have 2 & 3).
2. All or Nothing by Claire Cross (#4 in Coxwell series)

3. Deliciously G-Free: Food so Flavorable that You'll Never Believe It's G-Free by Elisabeth Hasselback

4. The G-Free Diet: A G-Free Survival Guide by Elisabeth Hasselback
5. Against All Grains by Danielle Walker
6. Some Kind of Wonderful by Maureen Child

Any ideas?

Melissa

What are you reading?

What are you reading?  What does reading do for you?  
Those are the 2 questions I would love for you to comment.  

I am reading several books right now:
1. The Newcomer by Robyn Carr
I love this series, Thunder Point.  It is a great community with characters I have fallen in love with.

2. Four Little Blessings by Merrillee Whren
Cassie is raising her 4 nieces and nephew.  Great storyline.

3. Too Good to be True by Kristan Higgins
I am only a little into this book.  No opinions yet.

4. Christmas on 4th Street by Susan Mallery
I am a huge Susan Mallery fan.  I am reading this book slowly so I can find the hidden phrases that was put into this book!

5. Sanctuary Cove by Rochelle Alers
I have not started to read this book yet, but it is on my next to be read as long as I can get there before it expires from my library.

I will be reviewing The Newcomer and The Wanderer both by Robyn Carr.  I just finished The Wanderer a little bit ago.  Liked it!! I love series.

Reading takes me away from the stress of my life.  It transports me into the town of the story.  I can see the ocean like in The Newcomer or the town in Christmas on 4th Street. 

Sorry that I have been away.  I was pretty sick this summer and needed to get myself better.  I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  

Happy Reading!
Melissa

Reading Challenge: The Wife's Tale

For this review, I chose The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens.  

The Goodreads description: 

On the eve of their Silver Anniversary, Mary Gooch is waiting for her husband Jimmy--still every inch the handsome star athlete he was in high school--to come home. As night turns to day, it becomes frighteningly clear to Mary that he is gone. Through the years, disappointment and worry have brought Mary's life to a standstill, and she has let her universe shrink to the well-worn path from the bedroom to the refrigerator. But her husband's disappearance startles her out of her inertia, and she begins a desperate search. 

For the first time in her life, she boards a plane and flies across the country to find her lost husband. So used to hiding from the world, Mary finds that in the bright sun and broad vistas of California, she is forced to look up from the pavement. And what she finds fills her with inner strength she's never felt before. Through it all, Mary not only finds kindred spirits, but reunites with a more intimate stranger no longer sequestered by fear and habit: herself.

I did not like this book at all.  I am so disappointed.  It started out as the main character complaining about her life.  I really did not want to hear or read that.  My life is full of issues like my daughter's neurological disease, HSP.  When I read, I want to escape.  

I was wondering why her husband left?  Was he not happy with his life with Mary?  Was there someone else?  These were what I wanted to read about.  

I will not re-read this book.

Happy Reading!
Melissa