Tag Archives: A.J. Pine

Hard Loving Cowboy (Crossroads Ranch #3) by A.J.Pine-Review and Giveaway

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HARD LOVING COWBOY (Crossroads Ranch #3) by AJ Pine-Review and Giveaway

HARD LOVING COWBOY
Crossroads Ranch #3
by AJ Pine
Release Date: March 26, 2019
Genre: adult, contemporary, cowboy, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: RELEASE DATE March 26, 2019

This cowboy’s handsome, sexy, and definitely off limits . . .

Walker Everett spends his days at the Crossroads Ranch wrangling cattle-and steering clear of anything that would complicate his already too-complicated life. Until Violet Chastain, the ranch’s newest employee, asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend for her parents’ anniversary party. She’s the most beautiful woman he’s ever met and needs his help. How can he refuse?

Violet isn’t about to fall for a brooding bad-boy cowboy, no matter how sizzling their chemistry. But she also never expected Walker to go along with the charade. Before long, he’s charming her parents at their weekly dinners and kissing her way more than necessary. Spending so much time together tests the limits of their “just friends” relationship, but what happens when their game of pretend becomes all too real?

••••••••••

REVIEW: HARD LOVING COWBOY is the third instalment in AJ Pine’s contemporary, adult CROSSROADS RANCH romance series. This is twenty-five year olds, rancher and wood worker Walker Everett, and sommelier Violet Chastain’s story line. HARD LOVING COWBOY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed when necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Violet and Walker) HARD LOVING COWBOY follows the building relationship between twenty-five year olds, rancher and wood worker Walker Everett, and sommelier Violet Chastain. Violet is the new sommelier at Crossroads Ranch new Crossroads Winery, a position that brings her face to face with brooding and secretive Walker Everett, a man struggling with demons from his past.But a case of mistaken belief forces our couple into a fake relationship, a relationship that will turn into something more.What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Violet and Walker, and the fall-out as Walker’s past continues to haunt and control his present.

Violet Chastain is on a mission to make enough money to help her mother. With a potential end date to her time at Crossroads Winery getting involved with Walker Everett is all kinds of wrongs. Walker Everett doesn’t do relationships, in fact he struggles with the family he loves and adores but Everett’s history is dark and damaging, and in this, our hero continues to battle memories of the past.

The relationship between Walker and Violet begins as employee and employer but both Walker and Violet’s time at Crossroads Ranch comes with an expiry date, a date neither one has revealed to the other. Walker tries to keep his distance from the woman with whom he will fall in love but one night of fear and anger threatens everything Walker has struggled to overcome. The $ex scenes are passionate and intimate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

All of the previous story line couples and characters play secondary and supporting characters including Walker’s siblings Jack and Ava (Second Chance Cowboy #1), Cash and Olivia (Saved by the Cowboy 1.5), Luke and Lily (Tough Luck Cowboy #2), and Walker’s Aunt Jenna. We are introduced to Violet’s parents Gabriel and Camille Chastain.

The world building continues to focus on the Everett family dynamics; the siblings struggle to move on from the past, a past tainted by abuse, neglect, addiction and loss.

HARD LOVING COWBOY is a story of family, struggle, hope and dreams. The premise is captivating and entertaining: the characters are energetic and charismatic; the romance is seductive. HARD LOVING COWBOY is an emotional and heart breaking story of one man’s struggle to move on from the past, and one woman’s battle to prove said man is worthy of love.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Second Chance Cowboy
Saved by the Cowboy (novella)
Tough Luck Cowboy
Hard Love Cowboy

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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A teen librarian by day and a romance writer by night, A.J. Pine can’t seem to escape the world of fiction, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. When she finds that 25th hour in the day, she might indulge in a bit of Netflix and Hulu, nourishing her undying love of vampires, superheroes, and a certain high-functioning sociopath detective. She hails from the far off galaxy of the Chicago suburbs where she resides with her two amazing kids and three little devils disguised as cats.

AJ Pine’s publisher FOREVER ROMANCE is graciously offering the complete paper set of CROSSROAD RANCH Series to ONE (1) lucky commenter.

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10. Giveaway is open to USA & CANADA only

11. Giveaway runs from March 24-29, 2019

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Three Simple Words by A.J. Pine -a Review

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Three Simple Words by A.J. Pine -a Review

 

Three Simple WordsAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
he’s holding out for a happy ever after.

I know where to find my happily ever after–between the pages of a romance novel. It’s why I sell books, why I blog about them, and why I’ll never get disappointed by love.

So what if my brother’s best friend from high school is now a bestselling author? Or that he just blew back into town on a Harley, filling out a pair of jeans like he never did before? Or that he’s agreed to do a signing at my bookstore on such short notice?

Because despite all his adoring female fans, I kind of hated his book.


Review:

Three Simple Words is book three of the Kingston Ale House Series by A.J. Pine.   Annie Denning wanted her happily every after.   As owner of the local book store Two Stories – she won’t settle for anything less.  And after reading hundreds of romance books, she completely believes in true love and happy endings – but getting one hasn’t proved that simple.   She is quiet and beautiful and loves to spend her time reading romance novels and blogging about what else – romance.   When she finds out her brothers high school best friend, Wes Hartley is in town she is less than thrilled.

Wes is a New York Times best selling author who’s books don’t end in a happily ever after.  In fact, they are no where close to it.  Wes doesn’t believe in happy endings.  Annie’s brother Jeremy gives Wes a place to stay for a bit and some shifts at Kingston’s to make some extra cash. But Jeremy asks one favor in return.  He asks Wes to do a book signing at Annie’s book store.  Wes is quick to oblige, that is until he finds out just how much Annie hated his book…

But, when Wes arrives at the book signing – Annie is stopped dead in her tracks. She knows she hates Wes Hartley the author, but she was not prepared for how attractive Wes had become.  He has certainly grown up since they were kids.  And after a quite successful book signing, Wes finds himself as Annie’s last minute date for a weekend wedding.  What started out as the two of them just having a fun time, turned into something so much more!  But Annie has read Wes’ book and she knows his book hero rings true with him also – they just don’t believe in true love and all that entails.  So what’s a girl to do – when she is falling head over heels for someone she knows will never reciprocate the feelings.  Wes has a grocery list of women from his past – all conveniently laid out in his best selling novel.   For the entire world and Annie to see.  Every one of them showing her just how afraid of commitment he is.  How can she convince him otherwise, and will she even need to?  But surprisingly Wes is feeling things that he has never felt before.  He finds himself wanting to spend time with Annie.  Wes has never felt this before for any woman.  And he isn’t quite sure how to process everything that he is feeling right now.

Annie was wonderful to read.  She was funny (loved all the t-shirts) and smart.  And from the moment you met her you wanted to convince her that HEA’s do really happen and that they are not just things of fiction.  But Wes is stubborn and seemed pretty convinced that he wasn’t meant for any type of relationship. They are adorable together and the story unfolds perfectly.  Leaving you wanting to know what is going to happen next and will the two of them get their acts together and finally be on the same page.

If you love a romance novel inside of a romance novel this is the book for you.  You can read this book as a stand alone – but I highly recommend the entire series! The characters have all been heartwarming and loveable and you become invested and want to see the best for them.

Reviewed by Erin

Copy provided by Publisher

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I Do by A. J. Pine – a Review

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I Do by A. J. Pine – a Review

 

I doAmazon / Barnes & Noble

Description:
Sometimes you have to trust your heart to find out what home really means.

Duncan McAllister is marrying Elaina Tripoli tomorrow. Except—he’s missing. Jordan, Noah, Griffin, Maggie, and Miles arrive in Greece for the festivities to find frantic messages from both the bride and groom. Noah and Griffin set off to find Duncan while Jordan, Maggie, and Miles try to salvage what should be a day of celebration before the wedding.

But the Americans have their own baggage. Noah’s got a surprise planned for Jordan that has to go perfectly. Griffin’s keeping life-changing news from Maggie. And Miles—well, he wasn’t looking for love on this trip until a Greek sous chef named Alex rocks his world.

The race is on for Duncan to make it back to Elaina before she decides not to take him back at all. For Noah to make sure his monumental plan goes off without a hitch. For Griffin to tell Maggie the truth without losing her. For Miles to admit that letting himself fall in love is worth the risk.

Happily Ever After waits at the finish line…if the four couples can make it on time.

 

Review:

I Do by A.J. Pine is book three in the If Only Series.  It follows the lives of four couples as they embark on the next stage of their lives.  Duncan McAllister is all set to     marry Elaina Tripoli in Greece.  The only problem is – he needs to get there.   Griffin is traveling to Greece with his girlfriend Maggie.  While he is concerned about her medical state he is also keeping a life changing secret from her.   Noah is on his way to Greece with his girlfriend Jordan, and he plans to have a perfectly timed and precise place to ask her to marry him.   Miles is so dead set against weddings and any form of commitment, yet he tags along to keep Maggie company. And the placement of a handsome stranger in the seat next to him on the plane proves much more than he was expecting.  While all of their friends are arriving in Greece for the nuptialsthey get a frantic message from the bride that Duncan is missing. And Duncan makes his one phone call to his friend Griffin – not his future wife.  Causing more strife with his bride to be.

While Noah and Griffin set off to find Duncan they leave behind Jordan, Maggie and Miles to console and comfort the bride.Elaina is dead set that Duncan has stood her up at the alter and she is bound and determined to show him what he is giving up once he does arrive, if heever arrives.   

Will Duncan make it in time to marry Elaina?  Will Maggie stay with Griffin after the life changing news he has for her?  Will Noah find the perfect time to ask Jordan to marry him, and will Milesrealize that its ok to let down his walls and love again?

This story was a fast paced drama that unfolded perfectly.  While I had not read the previous two books – this was perfect even as a stand alone.  Although I will go back and read the first two books now as I am completely hooked.  Duncan was my absolute favorite – who can deny a kilt wearing Scot?  And his relationship with Elaina has had its share of ups and downs and now was the perfect moment for them to make the commitment to become one.  But, as always, it seems that Duncan’s tendency to make a mess of a situation won out.  I loved the way he loves her. Absolute and completely.   And the epilogue – Perfection!!   Griffin and Maggie’s relationship actually had me on edge at first. I could not understand why he wouldn’t tell her up front about the life changing job – but in the end he made that absolutely clear.  He loves her and all of her flaws.  He wants nothing more than to protect her and love her.  Noah and Jordan’s relationship was playful and truthful.  Even though the road getting to where they are now was a rough one – Noah’s love for Jordan is real.  And his nervousness about the whole marriage proposal was wonderful to read.  But my favorite character of the entire book was Miles.  Its always the closed off, soft hearted guys that get you. I loved every moment of his and Alex’s relationship, from the airplane to the final scene.  They made me laugh and sweat and everything in between.   Each relationship was wonderful and unique but in the end it was all about the trust and the trust in their hearts. 

 I truly enjoyed this book and I will absolutely go back and read the first two books now. As I can not wait to delve deeper into each couples stories.  Wonderful read…

Reviewed by Erin

Copy provided by Publisher

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