Four of Hearts Ranch #3

 

Published February 9th 2016

 by Thomas Nelson  

5 Stars

Synopsis:

Cassidy was looking for a home and a place to belong . . . not for a cowboy to steal her heart.
Having lived through her parents’ endless string of “matrimonial bliss gone wrong,” Cassidy Starr knows when the odds are not in her favor. Divorced and humiliated, her faith on rocky ground, Cassidy is through with love. She’s been bucked o_ that horse far too many times. Instead, she returns to Wishing Springs, Texas, and the rundown farm she’s inherited from her great aunt Roxie. She’ll reopen the strawberry farm and a bed & breakfast and follow in her aunt’s footsteps, remaining forever-independent, happy . . . and single.

Rancher Jarrod Monahan’s hands are full running the ranch, looking after his ailing grandfather, and chasing down a group of rustlers on the loose. He’s pushed his longing for a family to the bottom of his list of priorities. Besides, he was in love once but ran scared and lost his shot at happiness. But suddenly, the biggest regret of his life has moved in next door with a wounded heart, determined to become a spinster . . . and that’s a challenge that Jarrod can’t pass up.

Jarrod sets his mind to breaking down the walls around Cassidy’s stubborn heart. How can he show her that a cowboy’s kiss lasts forever? For the good folks of Wishing Springs, falling in love has never been so much fun to witness. 

 My Thoughts:

Wow, what a wonderful story!!
Debra Clopton brings us the third installment in the Four of Hearts Ranch series, Kissed by a Cowboy.  I anxiously awaited for the release of this book and was not disappointed with it. This series revolves around the Monahan family and the small community of Wishing Springs, Texas.  
As a child Cassidy Starr would visit Aunt Roxie at Strawberry Hill and it always seemed like her safety net, the place she felt most loved.  Years later she had inherited Strawberry Hill when Aunt Roxie passed away, but it has sat empty for 6 years.  
Battered and broken after her divorce Cassidy returns to her safe place to start over.
Her return was anything but what she had planned starting from her late arrival to getting hung in the doggie door, but the thing that really did it was the untimely arrival of Jarrod Monahan.  The Monahan Ranch was across the road from Roxie's place and as a child she trailed after the three boys, but mostly Jarrod.  He was very kind to the lonely child, but broke the heart of the teenager with one kiss.  Cassidy wasn't that same child anymore.  She was a grown woman who had just escaped a marriage that had sucked the very life out of her, so needless to say she was in no way looking for a relationship of any kind. 
Jarrod Monahan's life had definitely not turned out exactly how he expected and her harbors a deep resentment to his dad for it.   Of course he can blame no one, but himself for the problems he caused with Cassidy.  For years he's been running the ranch and helping his brothers get out of the financial mess his father caused. Then there's Pops, his grandfather, and his health problems.  He's dealing with it, but lately things have become intense with the numbers not adding up.  He's sure that someone has been rustling some of his cattle and he plans to find out who. Suddenly he sees a light shining from Roxie's old place and upon investigation he finds Cassidy the one woman he can't forget.  
This is a story of forgiveness and second chances.  It has a sweet plot that flows effortlessly.  There's southern charm and quirky characters.  The engaging secondary characters bring humor and love to the community.  This is a romance interlaced with humor.  The characters are well developed and weave their way into your heart from the first page.  Oh they have their flaws, but are still so easy to love.
The message I received from this story is that it's never too late to ask for forgiveness and starting over.  
I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good, clean romance. 
* I received this book free from the Publisher and author through the BookLook Bloggers  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this is accordance with the 
Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Available for Purchase:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook 

Meet the Author:

 
 
Award-winning, Bestselling author Debra Clopton has sold over 2.5 million books and her holiday story, OPERATION: MARRIED BY CHRISTMAS has been optioned for an ABC Family Movie. Debra is known for her snappy dialogue, cowboy heroes and spunky heroines set in Texas. Her awards include: The Book Sellers Best, Romantic Times Magazine's Book of the Year. She's also a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Finalist, and a triple finalist in the American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award. A sixth generation Texan, Debra lives on a ranch in central Texas with her husband Chuck. She loves to travel and spend time with her family. She is the author of the much loved Mule Hollow Matchmakers series where you never know what the Matchmaking "Posse" is going to do next! She's written for Harlequin Love Inspired and Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins Christian and DCP Publishing. She is currently working on her 38th novel surrounded by cows, dogs and even renegade donkey herds that keep her writing authentic and often find their way into her stories. She loves helping people smile with her fun, fast paced stories.

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Four of Hearts Ranch #2

Counting on a Cowboy

 After losing everything dear to her, Abby never wants to love again. But a certain cowboy spurs her to wonder if maybe love is worth the risk. Running from a past that haunts her, Abby Knightly is drawn to the homey town of Wishing Springs, Texas, after her favorite advice columnist found love and a home there. Maybe this small town could offer hope and healing and a future for Abby too . . . if she's brave enough to reach out and take it. Bo Monahan isn't interested in the new romantic destination his little town has become--or the women who might be looking at him like he's their next Mr. Right. Between taking care of his Pops and his growing stirrup business, he isn't looking for serious romantic commitments. But unexpectedly the young child he never knew about appears on his doorstep and Bo's world is turned upside down. This confirmed bachelor might not need a wife, but he sure needs a woman . . . and newcomer Abby Knightly is definitely a woman. When she comes to his rescue to help him navigate fatherhood, he slowly uncovers her own history. And suddenly Bo's thinking maybe, just maybe, together they can help each other work through the problems of the past to create a future of their own.

 

 
Published August 11th 2015

 by Thomas Nelson 

5 Stars

Debra Clopton and Thomas Nelson brings us the second installment in A Four of Hearts Ranch series, but for me this was definitely a stand alone book.  It's a wonderful, contemporary romance about loss, grief and dealing with moving on.  The strong, well developed characters will grab you at page one, and the storyline will keep you turning the pages until the end.  
Abby Knightley is a character that grabbed my heart instantly.  She knows all about loss.  2 years ago a wreck claimed the lives of her husband and unborn child.  In the blink of an eye her entire life was changed and so was she.  Her grief has consumed her life since the wreck and I think to some extent survivors guilt also.  She decides in order to move on she must not only change her physical address, but move to a place where no one really knows her history. 
She has picked the small town of Whisperings, Texas.  It's a small rural community and a place she thinks will an easy place to hide and deal with her grief.  Unfortunately her arrival comes with a literal bang when she almost hits a steer in the road and has to swerve into a fence to avoid hitting it.  
Confirmed bachelor, Bo Monahan, likes his life just the way it is, almost.  He lives on the ranch with his two brothers and grandfather, who is suffering from Alzheimer disease.  Bo is well known for the stirrups he designs and keeps busy with orders for them.  He has moved in with his grandfather due to his declining health.  Needless to say he is a busy man and really doesn't have the time or inclination to date.  '
Bo and Abby meet by chance, but the attraction is instant. 
 The author brings humor, tragedy, and of course romance to this story. 
Abby is sweet and caring, but also afraid to start living again.  Bo is cocky, but confident.  Of course when he sees the pain in Abby's eyes he instantly knows that she's seen heartbreak.  He wants to make her smile again.  
This is a wonderful story that I would recommend to anyone. 
I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for a honest review without bias or outside influence as stated above.  I would like to thank them for this opportunity. 

 
Debra Clopton is an award winning, multi-published novelist. She sold her first book in 2003 and it was published in 2005 THE TROUBLE WITH LACY BROWN was the first book of the fun loving Mule Hollow series~the place readers tell her they wish was real.. 

Debra is proud of the success of her books and gives all the glory to God.

Debra believes her greatest award is first, God’s grace in her life and His gift of salvation. And second, her family and spending time with them. She counts every moment as a gift. Time is so precious…

 Married for 22 blessed years to her high school sweetheart, Wayne Clopton, Debra was widowed in 2003. God’s arms never let go of her or her two sons, Chase and Kris, during those dark months after Wayne’s death. Her first book sold 7 months after Wayne’s death and her mission became showing the love she’d known  in her life, through her characters and shining a light into reader’s darkest hours with love and laughter of her books.

Happily, in 2008, God led a couple of friends to play matchmaker and talk her into a blind date with Chuck Parks—who they also talked into a blind date…sounds like a page out of one of her Mule Hollow books! Instantly hitting it off, Debra and Chuck were married in 2010 and are so thankful that God led them to each other. Debra now has more love to share in her books!

Her sons, her lovely daughter-in-law and beautiful granddaughter have recently moved across country—it’s been a bit of a shock for her to adjust to not having them close. She feels blessed to have a career that enables her to visit them often and her motto is —have computer, will travel!

Along with her writing Debra helps her husband teach the youth at the Cowboy Church of Leon County. When she isn’t writing Debra loves to read, travel and spend time with her family. She is currently working on her 23 book for Love Inspired and also her new Four of Hearts Ranch Series for Thomas Nelson.

 
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Four Hearts Ranch Book 1

Published February 17th 2015         

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson

ISBN

1401690491

5 Stars

Book Description

Maggie Hope is an advice columnist whose background leaves her with little advice to give . . . and it's beginning to show. When Maggie fills in at an interview with champion horse trainer Tru Monahan, the on-camera chemistry between them is undeniable. Maggie's bosses know this is the opportunity she's been looking for to launch her career--and their bank accounts. In order to save her column, Maggie takes Tru up on the bet that he can teach her to ride a quick-stepping cutting horse like any cowgirl, despite the fact that she has never been on a horse. And in the meantime, she can get the scoop on the man under the cowboy hat.Tru has been on the competition circuit for longer than he'd like, but he knows it's the only way he can afford to keep the Four of Hearts Ranch that means so much to his ailing grandfather. So when his sponsors see the opportunity for Tru's fans to get to know the star on a more intimate level, he knows he must oblige. To his dismay, Maggie not only invades his small town of Wishing Springs, but she also invades his heart, and that is something he cannot let any woman do--for her own good.In Wishing Springs, Maggie finds what she has always been looking for: a community and a home. But when her past catches up to her, it threatens everything, even the tender hope that this town holds all of her heart's desires.  

My Review

                  I absolutely loved this book.  Debra Clopton brings us a wonderful small town romance which is interlaced with humor.  I automatically loved the storyline and the characters.  Maggie has to step out of her comfort zone to do a favor for a friend and as we all know doing this requires both determination and courage.  Maggie has both, but she is so much more.  The author brings this character to life for me by showing not only her strengths but her weaknesses.  She really is a good person who was  dealt a less than desired childhood, but against the odds she has a life that she is happy with, uncomplicated.

Tru Monahan is a long, legged cowboy with looks that can take a girl's breath away. Success of being a champion Quarter Horse rider and trainer has not gone to his head though.  After everything he's had to endure keeping the ranch afloat all he's looking for is possibly a good night's rest.  He is helping his brothers to preserve their heritage while caring for a grandfather with declining health.  He shows his strength, courage and commitment all through the story with how he helps his grandfather and brothers.  Of course, Tru shows his true hero status at the very first of the story with trying to save Maggie during the interview. 

I really liked the town of Wishing Springs.  A lot of people complain about small town living, but I love it.  Yes, sometimes people are nosey and that can really be frustrating at times, but those same people are the ones who will show up to help when you need it. 

I would recommend this book to anyone.  The characters will definitely pull you into the story, but the storyline will keep you turning the pages.  I am looking forward to the next book in the series. 

 I received this book from the author for an honest review without bias as stated above.

Giveaway

Betting on Hope by Debra Clopton | Blog Tour and Kindle Fire Giveaway

Author: Debra Clopton

Saddle up for a new romance from novelist Debra Clopton, Betting on Hope! In Wishing Springs, Maggie finds what she has always been looking for: a community and a home. But when her past catches up to her, it threatens everything, even the tender hope that this town holds all of her heart’s desires.

Enter to win a Kindle Fire HD 6 to celebrate the release of Betting on Hope! 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• A copy of Betting on Hope

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 8th. Winner will be announced March 9th on Debra’s blog



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Meet The Author

http://www.debraclopton.com/

An award winning author and a 6 generation Texan Debra Clopton considers herself not just a storyteller but an entertainer and that is what she thinks about foremost as she creates her plots for her readers. To write stories that connect to readers with a little of everything: laughter, tears, heartfelt emotion, fast paced-page turning entertainment. She wants her readers to leave their stress behind while reading her books. And she wants her readers to walk away from her stories with a smile on their face or a satisfied sigh—but she wants them feeling like they are leaving great friends behind and wanting to return. Debra strives to write heroic, swoon-worthy heroes and strong, sassy heroines.

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