Complicating (Preston’s Mill #3) by Noelle Adams & Samantha Chase-a review

COMPLICATING (Preston’s Mill #3) by Noelle Adams and Samantha Chase-a review

Complicating

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 17, 2017

Forget all those other accidental pregnancy romances you might have read.

Daisy and Carter don’t have a one-night stand…because it’s thirty minutes in a back room at a wedding reception. And Carter isn’t a bad boy baby-daddy…except for the motorcycle, tattoos, and attitude. Daisy doesn’t have the typical issues with her pregnancy…if you don’t count the morning sickness, food cravings, and occasional horniness. And Carter doesn’t hang around all the time, wanting both her and the baby…until he falls in love.

But they definitely don’t become a happy family…right away.

Daisy has always been a good girl. She’s never done anything wild or spontaneous until she has a little too much to drink at a wedding and has a fling with a sexy stranger. She thought they were careful, but accidents happen. And now she’s going to have the baby of a man she barely knows.

Carter is her opposite in every way and completely the wrong man for her. They can still work out a reasonable arrangement regarding the baby. But the more time she spends with him, the less reasonable she feels. And he’s acting all possessive and protective, so it gets harder and harder to convince herself that he’s just the father of her baby.

She wants him to be so much more.

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REVIEW: COMPLICATING is the third installment in Noelle Adams /Samantha Chase’s contemporary, adult PRESTON’S MILL romance series focusing on the town and people of Preston’s Mills. This is Daisy, Preston’s Mills librarian, and Norfolk mechanic Carter Hayes’s story line. COMPLICATING can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Daisy and Carter) COMPLICATING follows the building relationship between Preston’s Mill uptight, shy librarian Daisy, and motorcycle riding, tattooed mechanic Carter Hayes. While attending Chris and Heather’s wedding Daisy was challenged by her best friend Chloe to hit on three men throughout the evening, and in doing so Daisy came face to face with the man who would become an integral part of her future. A quickie in the closet with Carter Hayes leads to an unplanned pregnancy, and Daisy is all but willing to go it alone without the help of the child’s father. Carter maybe a little rough looking for the small town of Preston’s Mill but he is a man who is determined to be a part of his child’s life. What ensues is the back and forth, emotional roller coaster as Carter tries to support the mother of his child while said mother does everything to push Carter out of their lives with her fierce need to be totally independent.

COMPLICATING is a story about two people unprepared for the future that is about to change their lives. The heroine’s immature attitude and lack of compassion as it pertained to the father of her child made for many difficult moments throughout the story. For most of the story line Daisy was unwilling to compromise or let go of her preconceived notions and ideas . As hard as Carter tried to be a part of Daisy and his unborn child’s life, he couldn’t quite live up to Daisy or the town’s perception of the perfect father image. And of course, to complicate matters, Carter panics on more than one occasion as the reality of the situation hits too close to home.

The relationship between Daisy and Carter begins as a dare that quickly morphs into a lifelong connection with the impending birth of their son or daughter, and because of the forced situation the emotional ties that would have otherwise developed in a loving relationship were few and far between. Months will pass before any semblance of love or togetherness is permanently offered due to the heroine’s inability to accept what Carter was willing to offer, and even then, the profession of love felt forced and underwhelming. The limited number of $ex scenes are mostly implied.

COMPLICATING was a difficult read for me as I struggled to accept the heroine’s attitude and immature behavior. Carter, as the expectant father, was willing to stand up and do everything he could for the mother of his child but Daisy’s need to be independent of the man with whom she would fall in love, was disconcerting and uncomfortable especially at a time when some men are unwilling to accept responsibility for an unplanned child. This was not a case of rampant feminism but of a woman  unwilling to look at the bigger picture. Although COMPLICATING is a story of fiction, the heroine’s attitude was unacceptable (for me) under the circumstance, as Carter never gave any indication that he would be an unwilling or unacceptable father, and yet he was quickly judged unsuitable by the people of Preston’s Mill-small town mentality not one of my favorite tropes. As with everything in life, opinions are subjective, and other readers may see a different side to the story line heroine.

Oh, and the cover is completely wrong. Carter is said to be well-built, with unruly dark hair, covered in tattoos; and Daisy is a woman with long red hair. Not quite the image portrayed on the story-book cover.

Copy supplied for review.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Preston’s Mill and Changing Times by Jacqueline Rhoades-Reviews and Giveaway

Preston’s Mill and  Changing Times by Jacqueline Rhoades – Reviews and Giveaway

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Preston’s Mills
Hidden Mountain #1
by Jacqueline Rhoades
Genre: contemporary, romance, adult
Release Date: January 4,2014

Preston's Mill

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

When her disastrous marriage ends in the most humiliating way, Meg Hanson doesn’t know what to do or who to turn to. Unhappy with her life as it was and unwilling to become what her mother and sister envision, she retreats to the little Appalachian town of Prestons Mill, the place where her father was raised. Meg has promised herself six months away from the influences of home to find out who she is and what she really wants out of life.

JT Preston is burdened with his family’s past sins, sins that prevent him from seeking the life he’s always envied and longed for. Annie thinks this is nonsense, too, and sets about bringing Meg and JT together, but nothing is ever as easy as it sounds.

When a coal company makes plans to begin mining the mountain, Meg and JT find themselves in the middle of the battle between those who consider it progress and those who see it as the end of a way of life. Greed rears its head, people are hurt and lives are endangered, Meg’s most of all.

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If you love romance…the “old fashioned” heart throbbing, sighing kind…this is it!  This is a wonderfully human tale of a woman who married early and certainly the wrong man!  A political and social climber, he basically “raised” a wife for his own needs.  Then, of course, slept around…although poor Meg didn’t know it until it was “page-one” in front of her.

Recently divorced, the scandal pretty fresh in her mind…Meg is a bit lost.  Her father sees her struggling to find her way and suggests she go visit with his Aunt Annie for a change of pace. Certainly not what her mother wants…but she’s tired of the “socially acceptable” people and places.  She needs to find out who she is, now that she’s not “Edward’s wife”.

Arriving in Preston’s Mill, she finds the small mountain town far different, but remembers visiting as a girl.  Her mother never approved, but her father loved this town.

She stops at one of the small businesses in town, The Downtown Café; the style of the café is old, but extremely clean.  She meets Suze and her husband/cook Jerry.  The people are wonderfully written, I swear I know these people.  She also gets teased by J.T. Preston and a quick peck to remind her of who had once been her first kiss.  This confrontation is hilarious and must be read!  I love this first introduction to the town and a few of its people.  The dialect is perfect for the small mountain town and is absolutely correct and so colorful, it just makes them and the place – so real.  You actually feel like you’re there, I can see them; as well as the whole place while I’m reading.

Jacqueline Rhoades has written a warm, loving, wonderful place full of uniquely quirky people, who would give you the shirt of their backs.  This is a place you wish you could visit, if not live there.

While I don’t do spoilers, the romance is slow and easy as they get to know each other again, but quite steamy when they do.  Meg begins to find herself again; as well as who she wants to be and who she wants to be that person with.

Annie is Meg’s great aunt and is a wonderful character in her own right. She loves with her whole heart, prays and yet she’s so “down to earth” practical. Please read the excerpt posted for this book…the “mouse” scene is wonderful, but only one among many.

The story has drama, twists, bad guys, and so much more.  The only issue I had is that the story ended…just didn’t want it to.  Have no fear; the second book in this series will be released in February. I actually get to read it first!

If you like really good people, drama, and real love; get yourself your favorite beverage, lots of tissues and cuddle up to Preston’s Mill.  You won’t regret a minute of the time you spend in Preston’s Mill!  Enjoy, I did.

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Georgianna

excerpt

“That’s no car for a lady.” She laughed aloud as she grabbed the keys from the hook and headed out into the yard.

It certainly wasn’t. Her moment of rebellion had bought her a bone-rattling, kidney-jostling, butt-bumping Jeep with a hard top for winter and a soft top for spring and four wheel drive which Dewey assured her would be a blessing once the winter snows began. Sooner or later, she would probably curse her impulsiveness, but for now, this thing was fun to drive.

Having fun was something else she’d forgotten how to do. She’d trained her mouth to produce no more than polite smiles and discreet chuckles and the first time she let out a high pitched cackle of belly clutching mirth, she was so shocked by the sound, she cried.

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Changing Times
Hidden Mountain #2
by Jacqueline Rhoades
Release Date: January 31, 2014

Changing TimesABOUT THE BOOK

Return to Hidden Mountain…
Hard living Lorelei Stewart has always accepted her role as the town tramp’s daughter and has earned her fast and loose reputation, but times change. Pregnant and overburdened with responsibility, Lorelei’s given up men and hopes to provide her baby with what she lacked as a girl; a decent home and a loving mother. The old bootlegger, Rollie Roper, needs a caretaker and has room for Lorelei and her coming child; a fair exchange.

Everything’s almost perfect until Rollie’s long lost nephew, Cob Thornton, turns up with money and plans of his own and those plans don’t include the woman living in his house, yet something about Lorelei fascinates him. He begins to see past the cold armor she wears and discovers a vulnerable and loving woman within. Now all he has to do is convince the pessimistic Lorelei that sometimes, Changing Times can be a blessing in disguise.

•••••••••••••••••

Changing Times is book two of the Hidden Mountain Series by Jacqueline Rhoades. We return to Preston’s Mill the small mountain town where it all began! We’re back to the wonderful people with all their interesting quirkiness and down home honesty. Ahhh, I’ve been away too long! I really need a piece of that double chocolate fudge cake at the Downtown Café.

This is Lorelei’s story. Being known as the Preston’s Mill bad girl and the town tramp’s daughter hasn’t been easy to live with for Lorelei. She’s not what everyone thinks…well, that’s not entirely true. She has been wild and has “slept” her way around, but the men were her choice; only she decided who she went with and she was particular. However, being Pearle’s daughter left an expectation in everyone’s mind and she did nothing to dissuade it.

She was molested in the last book (oops spoiler) and is with child. She tried to get Junior to marry her, but realized he was a crook and responsible for almost killing her friends. So that plan didn’t work and she ended up saving Rollie Roper and her friends; then turned Junior in to the law.

She now lives at Rollie Roper’s, whose life she saved in the last book (she needed a place to stay and he needed care and a housekeeper). She does take care of him and even manages to keep him from smoking too much and drinking too much. All this while she keeps his house spotless and does administrative work for the lady lawyer in town as well as still caring for her maniac/alcoholic mother. That would be incredible for anyone, let alone a very pregnant single lady.

Things are going fine, when who shows up but Rollie’s nephew who he thought was killed in action overseas. Rollie, being Rollie, didn’t actually talk to the “army guys” when they came to notify him – just assumed what they were there for. There is a good reason for this mistake, but you have to read the story to find this out! Anyway, he’s big and he’s back. He figures half this is his (his mother’s half) and so does Rollie.

Meanwhile, Junior and his mother decide Junior needs Lorelei to marry him (a wife can’t testify against her husband) so they claim to be able to take her baby away from her because she’s such a bad influence and they are so rich…

That’s the setup; you really need to read this wonderful tale for yourself. I don’t do spoilers (if I can help it) because it’s just so much fun to discover the details for yourself.

This much I can tell you… I laughed until I cried; I cried and chewed my fingernails; I swooned at the hot love scenes and more; I prayed at the most fearful scene a mother could read; I sighed at the end! That should give you some idea as to how compelling and captivating this story is. If we gave out ratings…this would be a 5+.

This is an incredibly romantic story of changing lives and finding one person to truly love and trust. Rich vibrant characters with humor and wisdom make up the whole town. A place I’d love to call home. Jacqueline Rhoades has managed to have it all in this wonderful new series.
Enjoy, I did!

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Georgianna

excerpt

Lorelei looked over her shoulder to where Hardy Curran was bouncing baby Mikey on his good knee, seemingly paying no attention to the two women.

She leaned over the counter and whispered, “And there he is this morning, sitting out on the porch in his underwear with a hard-on the size of a flagpole.”

“Oooo, is he cute?” Suze giggled. “Just how tall was this flagpole and what was he doing with it and why on the front porch? Enquiring minds want to know.” She wiggled her brows.

“It wasn’t like that. He slept out there with a couch pillow and a ratty old blanket.”

Suze looked confused. “Why’d he do that?”

“Haven’t you been listening to anything I’ve said?”

“Well, some, but you are talking a little fast.”

Lorelei huffed. “Suze, I don’t even know if the guy is who he says he is.”

“Dark curly hair, gray eyes, tall and skinny. Got a scar right here,” Hardy pointed to a spot where his shoulder met his chest, “where one of the Tolliver boys shot him with an arrow. I forget which one.” He grinned when the ladies blushed. “Don’t know about the flagpole, but that pretty much covers the rest of him. Course, times change.”

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About The author

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Jacqueline RhoadesA New Englander by birth and an Ohioan by choice, Jacqueline, known as Jackie by her friends, makes her home in a small, rural town with one lovable husband, one spoiled dog and one disinterested cat. (The adjectives are often interchangeable). An avid reader from a very early age, Jackie has an eclectic taste for books and therefore has trouble naming a favorite genre or author, though she does admit that for pure personal fantasy and ‘take-me-away’ books, you just can’t beat a good romance.

Jackie believes in the beauty of all women and thinks most women don’t see themselves as they should (herself included). She tries to make the women in her books reflect the best of ‘average’ in a variety of shapes, sizes, personalities and backgrounds, and each is beautiful in her own way. Some of her heroes are movie star handsome, while others are not. All her characters are beautiful in the eyes of their lovers and that, to Jackie, is the most beautiful of all.

giveaway

Jacqueline Rhoades is offering an ecopy of PRESTON’S MILL and an ecopy of CHANGING TIMES to two (2) lucky commenters at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not registered at The Reading Cafe, please register using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.

4. Giveaway runs from January 28 to January 31, 2014

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