Rough Around the Edges Meets Refined by Rachael Anderson

Synopsis:

For Noah Mackie, life is finally back on track. He has a great support system, a promised promotion is on its way, and he's finally getting the hang of this single father thing. But when the job falls through and his neighbor's matchmaking efforts become more aggressive, Noah is in for yet another unwanted detour. With his career and two spirited daughters to worry about, he doesn't have time for dating—especially not someone like Cassie Ellis, his girls' beautiful and sophisticated dance instructor, who is about as open and approachable as a brick wall.

Rough around the Edges Meets Refined is about two people who think they know exactly what they want but who have no idea what they really need. It's about learning that people aren't always what they seem and that sometimes life’s detours take you exactly where you need to go.

My Review: 5 Stars

Cassie is a recent widow. But she's not like any other widow. She does not miss her husband at all. He was a horrible person who was very controlling and wouldn't let Cassie do anything that she wanted to do. Now that she is free from him she is on a journey of self discovery. She knows that she can never be the person that she used to be but she also doesn't want to be the person her husband had turned her into. She doesn't know who she is. But she does know that she never, ever wants to be controlled by a man again. So when her friend, Becky, tries to set her up with a single father, she wants nothing at all to do with it.

Noah is a single father of two beautiful, active girls. He's on the verge of a promotion and life just couldn't get any better! Until the promotion doesn't come through. he loses his job and his well meaning but meddling neighbor, Becky, decides she has the perfect woman to set him up with. He really doesn't want to have anything to do with any woman and tries his best to dodge any kind of setups. When Becky tells him that all he has to do is find out what Cassie's favorite ice cream is and she'll leave him alone and never set him up again, Noah agrees and sets out to find out what it is so he can get back to living his life. Little did he know that one simple question would set him on the path that he never knew he wanted to go down. Now... all he has to do is to show Cassie that that path isn't all that scary and going down it together is just what they both need.

I really enjoyed seeing Noah and Cassie get to know each other and grow closer together. Noah was extremely patient with what Cassie went through with her husband and had to remind her several times that he wasn't him and didn't want to control her. But I do understand that it can be very scary to start any kind of relationship after everything she had to go through. I felt at times she was too cautious. Noah had to prove himself over and over and over again! And I really didn't think it was very fair to him. When she left to "figure things out" I was thinking she had better do something spectacular to win Noah back!

Most of you know that one of my biggest pet peeves is when a book just ends! No conclusion... no nothing! Just ends! I hate that! But another one of my pet peeves is when the heroine does something to hurt the hero and then the hero has to go crawling back to her. Seriously?! She broke it! Let her fix it! I know... I know... I am probably one of the very few who think this way. But alas... I do! And thank goodness there are some authors who think the way I do! ;) That is all I have to say on this subject. Hehe.

All in all this was a really, really good book! I loved it! Rachael Anderson does it again! She is another auto-buy author for me! I seriously can't wait for Sam's story... Stick in the Mud Meets Spontaneity. I have already pre-ordered it and I can't WAIT to read it!! ;)

And of course I can't forget the casting! Can I tell you how much I love finding new people to cast for all these amazing books?! Seriously... I love it! :) Hehe. So... what do you think?!

Righting a Wrong by Rachael Anderson

Synopsis:

Seven years ago, Cambri Blaine fled her small hometown of Bridger, Colorado after her senior year of high school ended in a fiasco. But now her father needs help, and Cambri has no choice but to return home. So with trepidation, she takes a leave of absence from the landscape architecture firm where she works and heads home, hoping against hope that Jace Sutton is no longer around and that the past can stay where it belongs—in the past.

If only life worked that way.

Jace never expected to see Cambri again. After she walked out of his life without a backward glance, he was left with no choice but to try to forget her and move on. But now that Cambri is back and looking more beautiful and sophisticated than ever, some of those old feelings resurface, and Jace instinctively knows, for the sake of his heart, that he needs to avoid her at all costs.

If only it were that easy.

My Review: 4 Stars

Cambri is not as brave as everyone thinks she is. When life gets tough, she gets scared and does the only thing she knows how to... runs. And that's exactly what she did when life with Jace and her father became too much. Now, six years later, her father needs her and she must return home. Will she have the courage to tell them why she did what she did? Will they understand that she needed to get away in order to become the person she is today? Will they forgive her?

Jace was devastated when Cambri just up and left without a reason, without a goodbye. He did everything he could to reach out to her but all she did was ignore him. Six years later and he's still trying to move on. But how can he move on when the only available house for him to purchase is the very one that Cambri spent hours telling him exactly what she would do if the house was hers. And it's about to get even harder with her back in town taking care of her father. He does his best to avoid her, but fate has something else in store for them.  

While Jace has every reason (in my opinion) to make things hard on Cambri, he chooses to be the bigger person and does anything he can to help her out while she's home. The more time they spend together, the closer they become. She finally opens up and tells him the reason she just had to leave. She wouldn't be the person she is today if she would have stayed. But now that they have rekindled what they had years ago, how will she ever be able to give him up a second time? 

I really enjoyed Cambri and Jace's journey. It was fun to see them overcome the past and grow closer and stronger together. I also enjoyed her repairing her relationship with her father. Both of them were definitely stubborn and set in their ways. But they were able work things out and have a real father/daughter relationship. My only complaint is the book just ended! I seriously hate that! Things were hinted to and BAM! The end! Grrrr. This girl needs closure dang it! Haha. 

I always enjoy Ms. Anderson's books! She never disappoints! And it never fails, every time I read one of her books I always think, "Why did I wait so long?!" I really need to start grabbing her books as soon as they are released! 😉

And of course I just can't forget my casting. My review just wouldn't be complete without it! 

Not Always Happenstance by Rachael Anderson

Synopsis:

Lani has lived in Hana, Hawaii for five years. She's learned to surf, fish, dive, and manage her grandmother's bed and breakfast. She's also learned to take one day at a time the way it should be taken--relaxed and unrushed, savoring every moment.

But, like a large wave on the brink of breaking, her life is about to crash out of control. A proposal of marriage, a conniving grandmother, a cryptic Asian woman, and a handsome guest, and suddenly everything calm begins to churn, everything clear becomes confused, and all that was normal segues into peculiar.

As Lani struggles against the current to hold her ground, she realizes that she can either continue to fight and eventually lose, or take a take a leap of faith, hold her breath, and ride the wave wherever it takes her.

My Review: 3.5 Stars

I'm going to start out by saying I know I am in the minority here. I really, really wanted to LOVE this book since I have LOVED all of Rachael's books I have read so far. But alas, I had a hard time getting into this book and connecting with the characters. :(

When Lani discovered that her grandmother was in need of help with her Bed & Breakfast, she gave up everything to move to Hawaii to help her. Five years later, she is still there and loving it. She can't see herself anywhere else. When her boyfriend, Derek, of 9 years proposes, she's not sure what to do. She loves him but she's not IN love with him. But he has been so patient with her and her move out to Hawaii that she feels like she owes him. She says yes knowing that she will be settling for less than she deserves. 

Easton is a world traveler. He loves going out and discovering things off the beaten path. He loves adventure and doesn't see himself settling down... ever. When he arrives at the Bed & Breakfast Lani's grandmother owns, he is immediately intrigued by the dark haired beauty who is full of spunk and sass. But Lani is quick to dismiss his flirting and his charm. She is engaged to another man after all. But Easton doesn't let that stop him. There is just something about Lani that draws him to her. Now, if he can just get her to admit that she's making the wrong choice with old what's his name. 

But when Lani finally does admit that Derek is totally wrong for her, will Easton step up to the plate to see if what they have could go anywhere? Or will he take off just like he always does when his assignments are over? 

While I loved the banter and friendship between Lani and Easton, I had a hard time believing they would have a forever happily ever after. The chemistry seemed to be lacking to me. I would have liked to see more of them together as a couple rather than the self discovery that they both needed to go through. A balance between the two was missing for me. 

This series has really taken off with a lot of my bookworm buddies and I will definitely be checking out more books. I have already purchased a couple of them.. just got to find the time to read them. ;) 

And of course I can't forget my casting! These two pretty much jumped out to me from the beginning. What do you think?! ;) 

Stick in the Mud Meets Spontaneity by Rachael Anderson

Synopsis:

Home for the summer, Samantha Kinsey is ready to step into her role as pseudo-nanny for her two favorite charges. But when she realizes she'll be playing chauffeur more than playmate, her summer outlook quickly turns from fun to bleak. That is, until she meets Colton McCoy—a genuine, hard-working cowboy, who's as set in his ways as he is handsome. Although he claims he doesn't need any spontaneity in his life, Sam’s determined to help him find it. But she'll soon discover that cowboys are about as easy to change as wild mustangs.

Stick in the Mud Meets Spontaneity is about an adaptable girl and a not so adaptable guy. It’s about learning to accept people for who they are and realizing that sometimes who they are is exactly who they should be.

My Review: 5 Stars

Our adventurous Sam is home for the summer and is looking forward to doing lots of fun things before heading off to New York in the fall to start her new job. She decides to make a bucket list and can't wait to start checking things off!

Colton is a very good-lookin cowboy who is not only a hard worker but very, very set in his ways. He likes things to be a certain way and does not like branching out.. at all! From the moment Sam steps into his life it goes from predictable to entertaining to say the least.

I absolutely loved the way Sam and Colton met! It was so cute and definitely hilarious! I lost count at how many times I busted out laughing! They started out as friends and it slowly grew into something more. During their relationship neither knew what was going to happen when Sam's summer came to an end. Colton was doing his very best to keep Sam in Colorado. Sam was torn between an opportunity of a lifetime in New York and her growing love for Colton. It was not going to be an easy decision to make and a couple of times they tried to stay apart but it just made both of them miserable. Together is where they both wanted to be and so they decided that no matter what they would do anything and everything to make sure that happened.

The side story of Kajsa and Your Majesty just added the extra little something that helped the book be a bit more amazing than it already was. I loved seeing that close bound between the two of them and how everyone banded together to mend a broken heart.

This book is probably my favorite one in the series. I loved almost everything about it! Yes... almost everything. I'm sure you can already guess what the one thing was that I didn't like... it just ended!! Really?! What are these authors doing to me?! I really would have loved an epilogue!! Just a little something to close the series... a blurb about how everyone is doing X amount of years in the future. *sigh* I know... I know... at least it has a HEA... ;)

And can I tell you I absolutely LOVE my casting for this book!! I think these two are perfect and I found the perfect picture for both of them!! What do you think?! Can you see these two as our Sam and Colton?!

Prejudice Meets Pride by Rachael Anderson

Synopsis:

After years of pinching pennies and struggling to get through art school, Emma Makie’s hard work finally pays off with the offer of a dream job. But when tragedy strikes, she has no choice but to make a cross-country move to Colorado Springs to take temporary custody of her two nieces. She has no money, no job prospects, and no idea how to be a mother to two little girls, but she isn’t about to let that stop her. Nor is she about to accept the help of Kevin Grantham, her handsome neighbor, who seems to think she’s incapable of doing anything on her own.

Prejudice Meets Pride is the story of a guy who thinks he has it all figured out and a girl who isn't afraid to show him that he doesn't. It’s about learning what it means to trust, figuring out how to give and to take, and realizing that not everyone gets to pick the person they fall in love with. Sometimes, love picks them.


My Rating:

4.5 Stars

Prejudice Meets Pride is an adorable read! I loved it!

Emma is prideful, Kevin is prejudice. What happens when you mix the two?! A fun filled, hilarious story about 2 people from opposite sides of the "social spectrum" finding love in just the right place.

I loved the chemistry between Emma and Kevin! Things didn't start out so great between the two of them... he thought he was "helping" and she didn't like being a "charity case". I couldn't figure out whether I wanted to laugh or grown in anger at these two! And Kajsa and Adelynn were adorable! These two little ones definitely kept them on their toes and helped a little in getting them together. ;)

While I absolutely loved the book I was a bit sad when it just ended! I understand that this is a series but I would have liked a little bit more "closure" for these two. Hence the reason for the .5 deduction on the rating.

As usual Ms. Anderson's books were amazing! Can't wait to read the next book in the series and just more by her in general! :)

Working it Out by Rachael Anderson

Synopsis:

A chance encounter . . .
Grace Warren's life is safe and predictable—exactly the way she likes it. But when she gets roped into going to an auction to help out a friend, everything changes. She meets Seth Tuttle—a guy who unexpectedly kisses her then disappears, leaving her flustered and upset. If she never sees him again, it will be too soon.

A chance for love . . .
Weeks later, when Seth limps into Grace's rehab clinic post surgery, he's every bit as frustrating and annoying as she remembered. Yet there's something about him that makes her second-guess her carefully placed boundaries even though he's everything she's sure she doesn't want in a man. But maybe Seth is exactly what Grace has needed all along—assuming she's willing to risk safe and predictable for a chance at love.

My Review: 4.5 STARS

Working it Out is a cute, fun read that I was able to curl up with and just escape for a little while. :)

Grace and Seth... loved them!! Grace is not a risk taker at all and tends to be a little too serious at times. She takes on a lot of responsibility and really doesn't have a life outside of her brother and work. Seth is the complete opposite. The man is crazy adventurous and likes to live life to the fullest! He was exactly what Grace needed and she was exactly what Seth needed. They brought out the best in each other. I loved watching them grow both individually as well as a couple.

A bit of a rant... I did get frustrated with Grace because she did not know how to communicate! Seth is not a mind reader. How is he supposed to know how she truly feels about all the crazy risks he takes if she doesn't tell him?! And, when something bad happens, instead of talking about it she just breaks up with him and walks away. Really?! Don't get me wrong, I CAN see where she was coming from. But how in the world was Seth supposed to know her feelings if she only has the conversations with herself in her head?!

And I know some people won't agree with me but I'm glad that he did not go to her. She was the one that broke up with him without talking to him about her feelings. I think they both had things they needed to figure out. And in my opinion, she showed how much she had really grown by being the one to make things right. In the end, they communicated, worked things out and got their HEA! :)

Now... Alec and Lanna... loved them too!! I am glad that they also got a HEA! I would love their story... all you got were bits and pieces. It would be great to have the full thing... don't you think?! ;)

Rachael Anderson is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! Can't wait to read more by her! :)