ARC Review: Crazy Thing Called Love by Molly O'Keefe

Crazy Thing Called Love (Crooked Creek Ranch #3)

by Molly O'Keefe

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

E-Book 370 pages

Purchase Link: Amazon

 

Blurb by Goodreads

 

Dallas TV morning show host Madelyn Cornish is poised, perfect, and unflappable, from her glossy smile to her sleek professionalism. No one knows that her iron will guards a shattered heart and memories of a man she’s determined to lock out. Until that man shows up at a morning meeting like a bad dream: Billy Wilkins, sexy hockey superstar in a tailspin—still skating, still fighting, and still her ex-husband.

Now the producers want this poster child for bad behavior to undergo an on-air makeover, and Billy, who has nothing to lose, agrees to the project. It’s his only chance to get near Maddy again, and to fight for the right things this time around. He believes in the fire in Maddy’s whiskey eyes and the passion that ignites the air between them. This bad-boy heartbreaker wants a last shot to be redeemed by the only thing that matters: Maddy’s love.
 

 

After reading the first 2 books in The Crooked Creek Ranch series and they were only 2 stars - ok for me because the characters are so hateful. I thought I would give this series one more chance and was really hoping Crazy Thing Called Love would have better characters that were some what nice. Did not happen. Right at the beginning I could not connect with Billy who seriously needs anger management. I really wanted to feel Madelyn’s pain when she decides to give Billy another chance at the beginning of their marriage when she caught him with girls in his hotel room but for me the writing was a bit flat. Not a lot of detail on why their marriage was bad. I just assumed since she has to play babysitter while he is playing hockey so he does not cheat on her, took it as why it was bad. Even the secondary characters are not nice. Her supposed friend sets up the deal with Billy getting his make over. Did not care how it was going to affect Madelyn because it was just business. Crazy Kind Of Love has a sexy cover with an interesting synopsis but for me it was just Ok - 2 stars. I am so bummed I could not connect with any of this series characters and will not be reading anymore.

 

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review

 

ARC Review: Can't Hurry Love by Molly O'Keefe

Can't Hurry Love (Crooked Creek Ranch #2)

by Molly O'Keefe

Publisher:  Bantam

Purchase Links: Amazon Barnes & Noble

E-book 386 pages

Goodreads

Blurb:

From award-winning author Molly O’Keefe comes a wonderfully written contemporary romance about second chances at life and at love.

Tori Baker, the penniless widow of a disgraced financier, is ready to stand up, be counted, and make a new life for herself and her beloved son in Texas. She’s taking over Crooked Creek ranch, her birthright, and turning it into something special. All that stands in her way is Eli Turnbull, a rugged, too-handsome cowboy who wants the land just as badly.

If Tori wants a fight, Eli will give her one. He’s devoted his life to Crooked Creek, and he’s not about to let some pampered city girl—even one as brave and beautiful as Tori—turn it into some silly spa. But Tori’s and Eli’s burning anger and frustration only fuel heat of another kind: uncontrollable passion. And soon they each realize that the person standing in their way is the one they can never do without.

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Review:

I was curious about Eli from Can’t Buy Me Love #1 and my heart ached for him in Can’t Hurry Love. His mother left him and his dad when he was eight and never seen her since. His dad took it out on him by drinking, barely feeding him and never cared if he went to school.

I went into Can’t Hurry Love knowing I did not like Victoria, but I was hoping she would turn out better than her spoiled brat character from Can’t Buy Me Love. Oh My Goodness she became just flat out evil and mean. She is turning the ranch into a spa and hires Eli’s mom as the architect, knowing that she left Eli when he was young and he was not going to be happy about it.

I was enjoying Can’t Hurry Love until Victoria’s betrayal. I did not feel she redeemed herself from this. Kudos to Molly O’Keefe for writing an intense betrayal scene and loved the out come of it. It was nice to see Eli not take it too well. Eli’s character I adored and loved his relationship with Jacob. Even though I was not big on Victoria and Eli’s relationship and think he deserved better, the epilogue was sweet and sad.

I really wanted to like this book more, but it is so hard when most of the characters are mean, unlikable and never redeem them selves.

ARC review provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Review: Can't Buy Me Love by Molly O'Keefe

Can't Buy Me Love (Crooked Creek Ranch #1)

by Molly O'Keefe

Purchase Links: Amazon Barnes & Noble

E-Book 370 pages

Goodreads

Blurb:

In Molly O’Keefe’s captivating new contemporary romance, a woman with a past and a man without a future struggle to find a place where they belong.

A girl from the wrong side of the tracks, Tara Jean Sweet knows that opportunity will never knock; she’ll have to seize it. Elderly Texas rancher Lyle Baker has a dying request: He will give Tara Jean a stake in his leather business in exchange for a little family subterfuge. All Tara Jean has to do is play the part of a gold-digging fiancée to lure Lyle’s estranged children home. The mission is soon accomplished.

Now Lyle’s gone—and his ridiculously handsome son, Luc, an ice hockey superstar sidelined by injuries, is the new owner of Crooked Creek ranch. He’s also Tara Jean’s boss. But being so close to sinfully sweet Tara Jean does crazy things to Luc’s priorities, like make him want to pry her deepest secrets from those irresistible lips. But when Tara Jean’s past demands a dirty showdown, will Luc stay and fight?

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Review:

I was excited to buy Can’t Buy Me Love and look forward to reading it. But it was not what I expected. The cover is delicious and the synopsis sounded interesting but the writing does not flow and almost all the characters fell flat, are mean and not very likable.

I was not feeling Luc. In the beginning I thought he was sweet to take care of his half sister Victoria by letting her and his nephew Jacob live with them. I liked how he is protective of her and Jacob especially when it comes to their abusive father Lyle. He is for sure the brooding hero who can not accept the fact that he is injured and might not be able to play hockey again and has serious issues about his past with his abusive father Lyle. The times he thinks of his past and his father are a bit sad but the writing did not pull me in where I wanted to weep for him. Just knowing the fact he was abused was sad.

Tara Jean the heroine was too wishy washy for me. One minute she is falling for Luc and the next out of the blue she turns into a bitch. I get she is trying to protect everyone on the ranch from her psycho ex but in one chapter she is sweet to Luc and the next bang she is bitchy.

Did not feel any chemistry with Luc and Tara Jean. Not when they were trying to make a go of their relationship. The sex scenes are boring and way too much talking and not the good “Dirty Talking”

All the secondary characters do play a important roll in the book but Victoria was a spoiled brat. I get she had everything she wanted before her husbands betrayal and his suicide and was taken care of but really I would think mother instincts would kick in and she would do what ever it took to care of her son and not be like I need my inheritance and I do not know how to work, I do not have experience. Then she lets her son see his grandfather who also abused her as a kid. The only two characters I found interesting were Luc’s Mother Celeste who I adored. As soon as she found out Lyle was abusing Luc she made sure he never went back to the ranch to see him when he was younger. I loved how Luc is a grown man and still his mother has the upper hand. I giggled during Lyle’s funeral when Luc is talking to Victoria and Celeste pinched his arm and when he was going to make a call, she took the phone away and told him, he was being disrespectful. The other character I liked and want to know more about is Eli. He seems mysterious and I am curious about him. I enjoyed how is kind and protective of Tara Jean.

Lyle was a mean character and even meaner in his will. That is when things start getting interesting. The story does take awhile to get to this part. Even though this book was just okay for me I am still interested to see how everything is played out with the land etc. from the will. Eli and Victoria story is next and even though she is not my favorite character I am still curious about Eli. I am going to read their story as I think this series does have potential

My Book Haul

Hello Lovelies. Well I got these two PB books a frew weeks ago. Just never posted them. Did not get anything this week.

Can't Buy Me Love (Crooked Creak Ranch Series #1)
by Molly O'Keefe

Goodreads

Blurb:
In Molly O’Keefe’s captivating new contemporary romance, a woman with a past and a man without a future struggle to find a place where they belong.

A girl from the wrong side of the tracks, Tara Jean Sweet knows that opportunity will never knock; she’ll have to seize it. Elderly Texas rancher Lyle Baker has a dying request: He will give Tara Jean a stake in his leather business in exchange for a little family subterfuge. All Tara Jean has to do is play the part of a gold-digging fiancée to lure Lyle’s estranged children home. The mission is soon accomplished.

Now Lyle’s gone—and his ridiculously handsome son, Luc, an ice hockey superstar sidelined by injuries, is the new owner of Crooked Creek ranch. He’s also Tara Jean’s boss. But being so close to sinfully sweet Tara Jean does crazy things to Luc’s priorities, like make him want to pry her deepest secrets from those irresistible lips. But when Tara Jean’s past demands a dirty showdown, will Luc stay and fight?
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Echoes at Dawn (KGI series #5)
by Maya Banks

Blurb:
The Kelly Group International (KGI): A super-elite, top secret, family-run business.
Qualifications: High intelligence, rock-hard body, military background.
Mission: Hostage/kidnap victim recovery. Intelligence gathering. Handling jobs the U.S. government can’t…

They live by night.

Grace Peterson is desperate, in hiding, and on the run after escaping a shadowy group determined to exploit her extraordinary ability to heal others. Her only lifeline—an unerring telepathic ability she shares with her sister—has been severed, leaving her alone and vulnerable. And time is fast running out...

Enlisted to bring Grace home is Rio, relentless member of the KGI. He’s unprepared for his reaction to this wounded, damaged woman, and he’s fiercely determined to protect her from those who nearly destroyed her. In Rio, she finds a safe haven, and for the first time...hope. But the mission is far from over. The danger Grace has eluded is fast closing in. And now it’s pitching two lovers toward an unfamiliar horizon, with no place left to hide.

What did you get this week. Leave a comment with your link. Love to see what you got.