REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: SOMEBODY LIKE YOU & NEAREST THING TO HEAVEN by LYNNETTE AUSTIN

 

The question begs to be asked.

Is there anything sexier than a cowboy?

 

SOMEBODY LIKE YOU

Maverick Junction #1

Lynnette Austin

Forever Yours

In Somebody Like You (Maverick Junction #1) by Lynnette Austin, Heiress Annelise Montjoy is determined to go against her grandfather's wishes in order to save his life. However, when she arrives in Maverick Junction, she never imagined she'd fall head over heels for a cowboy who was her complete opposite. Yet, what happens if Annelise finds what she came to the small town looking for. Will she return home, or will Cash be able to convince her to stay in Maverick Junction and give him a chance at forever?

 

This is the first book I've read by Ms. Austin, and the moment I finished it, I absolutely wanted to read more by this fabulous author right away. Really, this story was extremely entertaining, fast-paced and had me hooked from the very beginning due to the way this story began. The heroine had me amused with her reaction to the small town and the hero. She's desperate to find the information she needs to save her grandfather, but knows that she can't get too close to people because of the secret she's keeping. Will Annelise find what she needs? What will she have to do to make sure no one discovers what she's hiding?

The dialogue flowed really well and was intense due to the secrets both the main characters are keeping, the woman that's determined to come between the hero and heroine, and the main characters back stories that have both not looking for happy ever after. However, there were some light-hearted moments that I absolutely loved, especially when Annelise became terribly stubborn to prove how good she was with horses. Moreover, any time they found themselves at odds with each other made for interesting reading, and certainly upped the sexual tension between this couple.

Both the main characters were captivating due to their back stories, the secrets they're both keeping that will have them exasperated with the other if they learn the truth and because this is an opposites attract trope encompassing story. The hero and heroine have their reasons for not wanting forever after, reasons to do with their secrets, but still there's no denying their chemistry. Furthermore, the heroine is strong and brave by going against her grandfather's wishes and I liked how determined she was to find what she needed to help him. She's also quite stubborn and I liked that she wasn't willing to give up, even when it seemed the hope she has for her grandfather to get better might fade. Will she be able to convince the person she's searching for to help?

While the hero, he's well loved by everyone in the small town and I liked how the secondary characters gave him advice on what they think he should do when it comes to the problem his grandfather created for him. I also liked how protective he was of the heroine and that he would go to any lengths to make sure no one could hurt her reputation. Seriously, what he does is a nice way to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, when he deals with the problem that arises for the heroine and the way he finally puts an end to the trouble his grandfather caused for him.

Overall, Ms. Austin has penned a wonderful read in this book where the main characters and their banter as well as their growing relationship entertained me so much that I did not put this book down once. The way this story ended had me smiling, because of what the heroine manages to do and how the hero's mom knows the right way to motivate her son. Clearly, Cash needed a push in the right direction if he was to win Annelise back. I would recommend Somebody Like You by Lynnette Austin, if you enjoy the opposites attract trope, small town romances or books by authors Catherine Bybee, Hope Ramsey, Carolyn Brown or Sara Richardson.



BLURB

WHEN A COWBOY MEETS AN HEIRESS…

 

Cash Hardeman thinks he’ll have all the time in the world to find the right woman...until he discovers he might lose the family ranch if he’s not married by his 30th birthday. So when Boston beauty Annelise blows into town on her Harley, Cash can't help wondering if she's the sexy, leather-clad answer to all his problems.

Giving her bodyguards and the paparazzi the slip, heiress Annelise Montjoy comes to Maverick Junction on a mission to help her ailing grandfather. But keeping her identity hidden in the small Texas town is harder than she expected—especially around a tempting cowboy like Cash. He’s the kind of man who makes her want to spill all her secrets. Soon Annelise starts to wonder if she’s finally found the man who can love her for herself rather than her money. But will the secrets they both keep ruin their plans to ride off into the sunset together?

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Annelise Montjoy motored her Harley along what appeared to be the town’s main street. This was Maverick Junction?

A blue Cadillac, surely old enough to be in a museum, was parked nose-in to the curb. An incredibly ugly dog sat in the front seat.

Thank God, this, the final destination of her cross-country trip from Boston, was temporary. It looked like the kind of place you ran away from, not toward. If luck was on her side, she’d be out of here in a couple weeks at the most.

And then a store door opened and her breath caught. Go, Texas! Look at that cowboy. So different from any of the men in her life. So…intriguing. She slowed to nearly a standstill and watched as he swiped an arm across his forehead, then dumped a grocery bag in the backseat of the old Caddy.

Cracking open a bottle of water, he turned his head in her direction. Her breath hitched as his gaze ran lazily over her, her bike. Then he snagged a Styrofoam cup from inside his car and filled it before setting it on the blistering pavement for the dog waiting patiently beside him.

Leaning against the faded fender, he thumbed back his battered Stetson and chugged the rest of the water. Twisting the cap back on, he tossed the bottle into the recycling bin beside the grocer’s door.

Annelise pulled her bike into a parking space across the street, deliberately turning her back on the stranger. While his clothes might have been stereotypical cowboy—worn jeans, a faded T-shirt, cowboy boots, and hat—he took everything from simmer to boiling point. The jeans hugged long legs, while the shirt stretched taut across his muscled chest. There was something very alluring about him and that surprised her. He wasn’t the kind of man she was usually drawn to.

He shouldn’t appeal to her.

He did.

Not so much as a breeze stirred. The flag on the post office hung limp, and the cheerful red, white, and blue balloons someone had hung outside a beauty salon drooped listlessly.

Unable to stop herself, she peeked in the bike’s rearview mirror. Cowboy was bent over, talking to the dog. Quite a view, but she wasn’t here to admire a fine jean-clad butt. She needed something cold to drink and something light to eat. Then she’d go in search of Dottie Willis and the apartment she’d rented over the Internet. Maverick Junction, Texas. Annelise wished she was driving through, wished she could view it as simply a spot on the map where she’d stopped for lunch one summer day.

Well, she’d just have to work fast.

 *~*

 

NEAREST THING TO HEAVEN

Maverick Junction #2

Lynnette Austin

Forever Yours

In Nearest Thing to Heaven (Maverick Junction #2) by Lynette Austin, Sophie London has come to Texas for one reason and one reason only and that is to attend her cousin's wedding. But when trouble starts to arise in her life, she decides to stay, even though she hates the state and is freaked out by anything that has to do with ranch life. Yet, the more time she spends with Ty Rawlins and his three boys, the harder it becomes for her not to fall in love. But how can they ever work when he's a country boy and she's a city girl. Will Ty be able to convince Sophie to stay, so he can have a second shot at forever?

What a wonderfully-written, fast-paced, beguiling read Ms. Austin has penned in this second story of her Maverick Junction series, which started with me feeling sorry for the heroine with what's happening in her life with her ex. What will he do when she continues to stay away from him? However, it was from the moment the hero and heroine came face-to-face for the first time in this book that really had me hooked, because they have really strong chemistry, and yet, they are both determined to ignore it, as Sophie doesn't plan on staying and Ty has already lost someone he loves and he doesn't know whether he can go through that kind of pain again.

As for the dialogue, it was intense due to what is happening in the heroine's life with her ex and the anger the hero feels towards his wife who died because she didn't take the warning she was given in regards to pregnancy. Will Ty be able to overcome the hurts of his past to find happiness with Sophie? However, the dialogue wasn't all intense. There were moments where I smiled or laughed because of Ty's sons. They're cute and I loved how they treated Sophie.

Both the main characters were riveting, but I thought Sophie was being a little nonchalant with what her ex was doing. Why couldn't she realize how dangerous he could become? Why wasn't she concerned enough to go to the police. Really, I thought she was a tad naïve in believing what she did about her ex. Moreover, I liked the heroine's enthusiasm for her art and how kind and caring she was to Ty's boys, even though she didn't want to get too close to them for fear of hurting them.

While Ty, he's been through so much with losing his wife, which left him devastated and it was just lucky he had family to help him with his three boys through the rough times. I also liked the close relationship he had with his in-laws and the advice they offered Sophie, because they could see how good she was for Ty. Yet, what I liked most about the hero was how good of a father he was to his three boys. There was plenty of love to go around and I liked how they accepted Sophie.

Overall, Ms. Austin has penned a really good read in this book where the chemistry was intense and the secondary characters entertained me just as much as the main ones did. The way this story ended had me cheering for this couple's happy ever after, as Ty deserves a second shot at love and Sophie is perfect for him, especially since she gets along so well with his boys and they love her which is important. I would recommend Nearest Thing to Heaven by Lynnette Austin, if you enjoy small town romances, second chance romances, the opposites attract trope or books by authors Catherine Bybee, Hope Ramsey, Carolyn Brown or Sara Richardson.

 

 BLURB
THE COWBOY AND THE CITY GIRL

Sophie London hates Texas. The longhorns freak her out and the wide-open spaces are more unnerving than a Chicago alleyway at night. But Sophie wouldn’t miss her cousin’s wedding for the world—even if it means returning to Maverick Junction . . . and to the dangerously irresistible Ty Rawlins.

A single father of rambunctious triplet boys, Ty knows trouble when he sees it—and Sophie’s got it written all over her. Yet he’s never been able to stop thinking about her, after their one brief meeting. Maybe fate is giving him a second chance. But if Ty wants Sophie to swap her stilettos for cowgirl boots, they’ll each have to face the past—together.

“Ty Rawlins has posted a no trespassing sign. My guess is he’s still in love with his dead wife.”

“There is that possibility.”

“Yes, there is.” Sophie swung open the door and marched out, straight into Ty.

He put his hands on her arms to steady her.

“Sorry,” she mumbled.

“Don’t be. My fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“Ask the girl to dance, Ty.” Annelise stood behind them in the narrow hallway.

“I—” He raised his hands.

“That’s okay.” Sophie moved to skirt around him.

“No.” He reached out, caught her hand. The jolt was instantaneous, and she knew he felt it, too, when he momentarily broke contact.

“It’s all right. I don’t need to be entertained.” She heard the snap of temper in her voice but couldn’t control it.

“Understood.” Ty nodded toward the jukebox. “But here’s the thing. Cash fed the machine enough coins to fill a good-size swimming pool. All those quarters. All that music. Why waste it?”

He held out a hand; heat flooded her face.

No way to avoid it. If she refused, she’d come off as a prickly snob. He had to think the worst of her anyway. Whatever social graces her mother’d drummed into her seemed to have flown out the window.

She had no idea why he’d want to dance with an idiot, but who was she to deny him that dubious honor?

“In that case, I’d love to.” She smiled, took his hand, and they walked together to the small center square reserved for dancing. She refused to so much as look at her cousin. Refused, for that matter, to meet any of the eyes in the restaurant watching them speculatively.

A slow number came on and Ty turned her to him, put his other arm around her waist, and drew her in.

“‘The Keeper of the Stars,’” he said quietly. “Quite a song.”

Her heart hammered as Ty very skillfully swept her along to the music. It was different from any dance she’d ever experienced. Night and day from the one she’d shared with Brawley. He’d been fun. Ty? Intense was the only word she could come up with to define the aura surrounding him.

Totally unfamiliar with country songs, she listened to the words over the beating of her heart. “It was no accident me finding you…” Her temperature spiked ten degrees. He was right. The words were captivating. Intense, just like him. And, oh, so romantic.

His hand holding hers was callused and strong, the one at her waist firm. Hot.

Ty did not, in any way, make her think brotherly thoughts. Instead, heat pooled low. Yearnings stirred. Thoughts and desires she’d doubted she’d ever feel.

The man was dangerous. She’d do well to remember that. But for now, she’d simply enjoy the moment. The dance drifted into a second, then a third. Sophie vaguely registered others on the dance floor with them, smiled when Annelise and Cash brushed past.

Ty stood over a foot taller than her five-three, and her head rested on the strapping cowboy’s chest. She heard the steady beating of his heart and surprised herself by wishing the song could go on forever.

She was deathly afraid she wouldn’t say no if this man wanted to park his cowboy boots beneath her bed. For one night, of course.

“Sophie?” Ty’s voice whispered against her ear.

“Hmmm?”

“The music’s stopped.”

 

Lynnette Austin, a recovering middle school teacher, loves long rides with the top down and the music cranked up, the Gulf of Mexico when a storm is brewing, chocolate frozen custard, anything by Blake Shelton, Chris Young, and Thomas Rhett, and sitting in her local coffee shop reading and enjoying an iced coffee. She and her husband divide their time between Southwest Florida's beaches and Georgia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Having grown up in a small town, that's where her heart takes her—to those quirky small towns where everybody knows everybody...and all their business, for better or worse. Writing for Grand Central and Sourcebooks, she’s published twelve novels and is at work on a new series.

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