Her Secret Cowboy by Marin Thomas

I got a chance to read Her Secret Cowboy by Marin Thomas. This is my first book by this author and first Harlequin American Romance. I have to say that I really enjoyed the story. However, I did feel bad for Will Cash, so me get to my thoughts.

All right, who hasn't done something stupid in their teens? If you say no, they you are lying. Sorry, but that's fact. Well, Will Cash did something stupid. Back in the day, Will took Marsha Bugler to the prom and afterwards they had a little party together. Sometime afterwards, Marsha came up to Will and told him the situation. Being a kid, he thought the perfect solution would be to get an abortion and no more problem.

Now sometime has passed since that event and he has always thought the problem was taken care of until he got a letter stating he was a father of a 14 year boy. Yes, probably handle to whole incident wrong in high school, but he was a kid. Not that I'm condoning his actions, but I could understand he's upset that he didn't get a chance to know his son. Some might say that Marsha had every right to keep Will child a secret to him, after all he did suggest to get an abortion. However, I don't believe that. He had a right to know he had a child. He should have been given a chance to want to know his child or not. Anyway, let me get off my soapbox on that.

Basically, we have a story about a guy who finds out he knocked up a girl and she's starting to feel guilty about her secrets. Now she's trying to make amends on her past by letting the father get to know his child. First, I felt bad for Will for a few reason, but the main reason was he always felt that he wasn't good enough. Yes, his mom might have been a town slut, but he always felt he was a let down. Then you have pastor trying to convince his daughter that Will wasn't good enough. So yes, I felt sympathy for Will. Now Marsha, I didn't like and couldn't quite put my finger on it. As I continue to read I realize why, she didn't really have a backbone. She basically cave to her father and was willing to sacrifice her happiness for his. Now her father, I really didn't like. He was very judgmental towards Will. Partly he was afraid he was going to lose his grandson to Will. However, the story did have a sappy happy ending which I did like.

Overall, I did enjoy Her Secret Cowboy, and I would like to go back read the previous books. So, if you are looking for a fairly quick read with a secret child theme, you might to try Her Secret Cowboy.

Copy provided by the publisher

Rating:

The Christmas He Loved Her by Juliana Stone

Still behind on my Christmas reading, but I still prevail. Anyway, I got a chance to read Juliana Stone's latest Bad Boys of Crystal Lake and I must say I think this was better than the first book. Granted I really did enjoy the first one. However, The Christmas He Loved Her took it to a whole new emotional level.

Back in The Summer He Came Home we see Raine and Jake were down each other throats. Well, a lot things happen we didn't know that went down. Basically, Jake bailed and left town believing it was for the best. However, he started to realize that it wasn't the best idea, and he needed to face his demons. So, jump ahead a year later to find Jake trying to make amends to Raine.

So many emotions running through this book. First off Jake and his brother Jesse were basically in love with the same girl. However, Jake let Jesse have Raine. Now Raine is a widow, and Jake is coping with his feelings for Raine. He's not sure if he should go after her or not. After all, Raine was his brother's wife first. Raine and Jake are trying to navigate through their feelings for each. It's like one step forward, then two steps back. Every time they seem to make a break through Jake gets scared and believes he's dishonoring his brother.

This is simply a friends to lovers story. I really loved this story, because you have two people who are perfect for each other. However, there main obstacle is the past. It might have saved them some trouble had they started dating each other instead of Jesse and Raine getting together. However, Jake basically let Jesse have whatever he wanted. Then you have a complication of Jake's friend Lily. Boy does she stir up trouble, and I'm not sure if it's intentional or not. So, I was a little worry there for a moment. Granted Jake wasn't really into Lily and probably thought of her more like a sister.

Overall, LOVED The Christmas He Loved Her. Seriously, this series is fantastic. Truthfully, this story can be read anytime. Yes, there is a Christmas theme, but the Christmas part is pretty quick. So, take a chance on The Christmas He Loved Her and other book in the series.

Copy provided by Sourcebook via NetGalley (but I did by this book)

Rating:

Blog Tour + Giveaway + Excerpt: City of the Divine Sun by Holly McCaghren

City of the Divine Sun

Holly McCaghren

Amazon   *   Barnes & Noble   *   Goodreads

A famous archaeologist, last rumored to be in search of a hidden Maya city in Guatemala, has gone missing. Her daughter. Serena, worried and overcome by strange visions, abandons everything to search for her mother and the answers to the apparitions that have begun to haunt her.
Her mother wasn't the only one searching for Mah K'ina. The Baron seeks to plunder the city for its untold riches and is willing to eliminate anyone that gets in his way. Out of her element and desperate to save her family, Serena must now rely on her past to show her the way.

Author Info:

I was born and raised in the Houston, Texas area, and have lived in Texas my whole life! (Gotta love humidity!) I currently live in central Texas with my husband and two sons.

Nothing makes me happier than settling down with a good book, but they aren't always easy to find! Some of my favorites (in no particular order) include: Jane Eyre, The Blue Sword, Dracula, Ender's Game, Heir to the Empire, and the Harry Potter series. I love a good scifi/fantasy book, but it certainly isn't limited to that genre.

You can read all about my current/published novels on my webpage,www.hollymccaghren.com, as well as on Goodreads. Happy reading!

Facebook ~ Blog ~ Website ~ Goodreads

City of the Divine Sun - Excerpt - by Holly McCaghren

As her fears swirled around inside her mind, she realized she hadn't seen B'alam in quite some time. She twirled around, searching for him, losing her bearings.

"B'alam? Where are you?" she whispered into the dim forest.

Neither toothy grin, nor mischievous eyes peered back at her. She was alone again.

I don't know what's worse: being abandoned by Han or B'alam...or maybe Mom? I'm starting to see a pattern here… 

She leaned against the nearest tree, sucking in her breath.

Is that…smoke?

She smelled the air again. It definitely was smoke, like the kind from a campfire. She stumbled as quietly as she could in the direction of the smell. Soon, she could make out the glow of a fire and some other source of lights.

Halogen lamps?

She approached with hesitation. Serena was still a good distance away, but close enough to see the artificial lights surrounding a ring of tents. Beyond the opposite end of the camp, she could make out dark clothed men, patrolling on the edge of the faint glow cast by the lamps.

One tent was larger than the rest, standing several feet taller than the surrounding structures. Serena crept hesitantly closer, doing her best not to alarm the people within.

I need to make sure these people aren't some kind of drug lords before I go running into the middle of their camp, screaming for help.

Once she was as close as she dared, she crouched down and listened. She could make out faint conversations through the canvas of the tent, again in Spanish.

"Has the team had any luck recovering the remains of the tablet from Site 22?"

"No, Barón. We have only found dust beneath the stones. It was so old… I fear it wasn't strong enough to withstand the collapse."

Barón? I stumble onto a lifesaving campsite, and it's occupied by this man?

"What about Bakal? Where is she?"

"We have found no traces of her. The spot in the forest where she vanished is clean. There's not even a sign of struggle."

"Well, if she was eaten, we would have found pieces of her by now."

Pieces of her? Mom!

"She must still be out there, then. Probably at Mah K'ina for all we know. Focus all your priority on finding her, Lito. She's our only link to finding the lost city. And we will find it. I have no doubt."

Serena heard the soft, swishing of the tent fabric as Lito exited.

Mom's smart. If anyone can navigate through these jungles without being caught, it's her… I will find you, Mom. I just…

"What do we have here? A little spy?"

Giveaway via Rafflecopter:

5 Copies of City of the Divine Sun (Print or eBook)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

1/13 - Cheryl's Book Nook - Spotlight

1/13 - Margay Leah Justice - Guest Post

1/14 - Books R Us - Spotlight

1/15 - Pretty Girls Read Books - Guest Post 

1/16 - Fic-Talk - Excerpt

1/17 - Read-Love-Blog - Excerpt

1/19 - BookwormBridgette's World - Spotlight 

1/20 - [Insert Clever Quip Here] - Spotlight

1/20 - In The Pages of a Good Book - Guest Post

1/23 - A Book Obsession - Spotlight

1/25 - Racing To Read - Excerpt & Review

1/28 - Miriam Smith - Spotlight

1/29 - What I'm Reading - Excerpt

1/31 - The Reading Obsession - Guest Post & Review

2/2 - Amethyst Daydreams - Guest Post

2/4 - Let's Talk About Books - Spotlight & Review