Tag Archives: Victoria James

Wishing for a Cowboy by Victoria James – a Review

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Wishing for a Cowboy by Victoria James – a Review

 

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Description:
Janie Adams has been a single parent to her nephew since he was a baby. Fifteen years later, she’s finally found out who his father might be, so the two of them travel across the country to find him. She’d do anything for this kid. But when they arrive in the small town of Wishing River, Montana, and Janie finally meets the ruggedly handsome cowboy she’d been told had abandoned his son, his shocked response changes everything.

Aiden Rivers can’t dispute this is his kid when he sees his own features staring back at him, but he had no idea Janie’s sister was pregnant when she left him. He didn’t even know she had a sister—clearly they’d all been lied to. Now he has fifteen years of fatherhood to make up for and no idea how to be a dad. This was never in his plans.

Janie sticks around to help him ease into parenting, everything from showing him how to lure a sulky kid out of his bedroom to keeping up with the latest teen-speak. Together, they surprisingly make a good team, this city girl and country boy. But when the past catches up with them, Aiden and Janie must decide what’s best for the boy who’s connecting them, not only for each other…which could mean splitting them apart.

Each book in the Wishing River series is STANDALONE:
* The Trouble with Cowboys
* Cowboy for Hire
* Wishing For A Cowboy

 

Review:

I really enjoyed Wishing for a Cowboy by Victoria James.  I found it to be a fast read but with a very good pace.  It was a sweet, charming and emotionally charged story between Aiden, Janie and Will.  Ms. James did a wonderful job with this story. The characters were very well written and just seemed to compliment each other. The secondary characters were used in just the right way with scenes that helped propel Aiden and Janie’s romance along, as well as the parenting storyline. 

The emotion that flows off the pages between Aiden and Will in learning they are father and son, trying to cope and deal with this new reality is very real and heartfelt. The same goes for Aiden and Janie’s romance.  The emotion and chemistry between the two characters is noticeable from the very beginning and just continues to grow throughout the their story.  One of the things I really liked is the fact that Ms. James never rushes or pushes Janie and Aiden together, it just happens and we get to see both sides of their stories, how both got to be where they are, and all the sacrifices they’ve made along the way to get to this point.  Neither Janie nor Aiden had an easy life, and it isn’t until they meet, spend all this time together with Janie helping Aiden and Will become father and son that they realize they are better because of the other one in their life now.  Both Janie and Aiden realize their life is complete when they are together and with Will.  They make an adorable family and the scenes with just the three of them are wonderful to read and just add that little extra to the story. 

As much as this was a very emotional and heartfelt read, Ms. James does write some well timed light hearted and easy going moments to compliment everything else going on in the story.  Including some well timed drama and intrigue when Janie’s sister, who is Will’s MIA “mom” shows up to disturb the peace in all their lives. What a train-wreck she is, and I was glad to see her drama induced part of their story was short lived, and Janie and Aiden with the help of Will were able to overcome Maxi’s hurtful intentions and find their HEA.   

As I said at the beginning of my review, I really enjoyed this one.  However, I didn’t realize this was the third story in her Wishing River series. I have a feeling I will be on the lookout for the previous two and any future books in this series.  If you’re looking for a quick read with a handsome cowboy, an emotional, yet charming romance then this one’s for you.

Until next time, happy trails to you.… oops, I meant happy reading everyone!!  😉  

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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The Boyfriend Contract by Victoria James – a Review

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The Boyfriend Contract by Victoria James – a Review

 

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Description:
Emily Birmingham has had it up to here with men.

Growing up with an overbearing father and then her brother inherits everything she’s worked her whole life to build. Now she’s living in her grandmother’s dilapidated house in the middle of nowhere Canada, jobless, and dealing with the most annoyingly sexy contractor on the planet. Exactly when did her life become an anti-Hallmark movie?

Cooper Merrick learned the hard way that love is definitely not worth the risk. He’s happy running the family contracting business alongside his well-meaning but overly-opinionated brothers…happy enough until polished and perfect Emily enters his world. Nothing prepared him for the ways she turns his life upside down and reaches the parts of himself he’s closed off from the world.

But when he finally gets up the nerve to ask Emily out, she says her next date will need to come with a written contract and some very particular ground rules. Yeah, it sounds crazy, but why does he find himself wanting to sign on the dotted line?

 


Review;

I think it’s safe to say I’ve become a fan of Victoria James novels and thanks to The Reading Café I’m able to review another well written story by her. 

The Boyfriend Contract by Victoria James is everything I now come to expect from one of her stories.  Yes it’s a quick read, but it’s fun, and flirty with just the right amount of drama and backstory to bring depth and substance to her story.  I really enjoyed the main couple of Emily and Cooper from their first appearances in the story. Both characters are down to earth, real and easy to relate too.  They make it very easy to read, become attached that you don’t want to put the book down as you follow along on their adventure.  Added to the mix is a nicely rounded out batch of secondary characters in Cooper’s family with his brothers, sister and parents. I just loved the family dynamic there.  They are a close-knit family who love to joke with each other, aggravate one another etc, but in the end they love one another and will always have each other’s backs.  It’s because of that family dynamic they were able to welcome Emily in with open arms and root for Cooper and Emily to get together. I loved the way his sister and brother’s bugged and heckled him over his feelings for her, it was just sweet sibling love coming through. 

Of course it wouldn’t be a true romantic read without some drama to wreck a little havoc with the main couple. We learn of Cooper’s past with his wife, and that she died of cancer at a young age. It’s taken him five years to finally come to terms with everything and finally move on and want to start over again with Emily.  It wasn’t  easy for Cooper to navigate but thanks to the support of his family he was able to do just that and find love again with Emily.  Cooper wasn’t the only one dealing with life altering events.  Emily is still grieving that death of her parents thanks to a car accident a year ago, and how her older brother who wasn’t very nice to her growing up and still isn’t nice to her, inherited the family business that she loved. However, she inherited her grandmother’s old family house in Maple Hill and it brings her to Cooper and his family.  Their romance is very slow to build, but not too slow, just slow enough to appreciate the build-up and enjoy their slow fall into love with one another. I enjoyed their romance even with all it’s ups and downs, humour and all around charming appeal.  Victoria James has another hit on her hands I’d say and I look forward to reading more from her, hopefully with Cooper’s siblings having their own romances.

Until next time, happy reading everyone!

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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The Trouble With Cowboys by Victoria James – a Review

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The Trouble With Cowboys by Victoria James – a Review

 

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Description:
Eight years ago, Tyler Donnelly left Wishing River, Montana, after a terrible fight with his father and swore he’d never return. But when his father has a stroke, guilt and duty drive him home, and nothing is as he remembers––from the run-down ranch to Lainey Sullivan, who is all grown up now. And darn if he can’t seem to stay away.

Lainey’s late grandma left her two things: the family diner and a deep-seated mistrust of cowboys. So when Tyler quietly rides back into town looking better than hot apple pie, she knows she’s in trouble. But she owes his dad everything, and she’s determined to show Ty what it means to be part of a small town…and part of a family.

Lainey’s courage pushes Ty to want to make Wishing River into a home again—together. But one of them is harboring a secret that could change everything.

 

 

Review;

The Trouble with Cowboys by Victoria James is a heart warming story that wraps you up from beginning to end making you wish you can just make everything right between Tyler Donnelly and Lainey Sullivan.  Both are characters who are still dealing with a tremendous loss in both of their lives and are afraid to truly let someone else in for fear of the other thinking they are broken and can’t be fixed.  Tyler and Lainey’s back story made my heart hurt for both of them, but as their journey continued I just knew that in the end they would overcome what they needed to find their HEA together. 

Miss James writes this one so beautifully and makes you root for the underdog, in this case both Lainey and Tyler.  They are a couple that had the chemistry needed between a couple to hold your interest, but it was the slow build of their romance, trials and tribulations of life that really pull you in, keeping you reading from beginning to end, hating to put the book down.  They are a couple that can be addicting because you want to find out more about them both individually and as a growing couple.  You want to see Tyler and his father repair their relationship, Tyler and his friends Cade and Dean make up and become friends again all the while restoring his family’s ranch.  For Lainey you can’t help but want to see her dream of studying art in Italy and becoming an artist come true, while at the same time continuing to run her late grandma’s family diner.  Oh and of course for Tyler and Lainey to get their HEA together. 

I really liked the pace of this romance/story.  Miss James knew it was one not to be rushed and brings you the reader along this adventure on a comfortable pace filled with loss, pain, frustration, but also fun, flirty, charming and even comical events throughout Lainey and Tyler’s journey.  I found she balanced the fun with the serious just right.  Everything about The Trouble With Cowboys just falls into place creating a beautiful and heart-felt read.  For anyone who loves small town cowboy filled stories then this one’s for you and you won’t be disappointed one bit.  You’ll fall in love with this story just like I did.

Until next time, happy reading everyone!!

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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