Series: Petal Georgia

Review: Count on Me by Lauren Dane

Posted July 25, 2014 by Holly in Reviews | 5 Comments

Review: Count on Me by Lauren DaneReviewer: Holly
Count on Me by Lauren Dane
Series: Petal Georgia #3
Also in this series: Giving Chase, Taking Chase
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Publication Date: June 10th 2014
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 300
Add It: Goodreads
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four-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

She needed answers, but he gives her a place she can call home.

Petal, Georgia, Book 3
Petal is the last place Caroline Mendoza thought she’d end up. Sixteen years ago she lost both parents there—her mother to murder and her father to prison for the crime. Since then she’s built a successful life, but she’s never let go of the belief her father is innocent.
Now she’s back in Petal to find the truth. With a new job and a mystery to solve, she’s got plenty on her plate. But when she bumps into Royal Watson, the sparks fly hard and fast.
When the whipsmart, opinionated lawyer blows into town like a beautiful storm, Royal has a reason to make the time to get off his organic farm and pursue her. And soon their intense attraction is tipping into something more.
As Caroline’s dogged investigation digs up ghosts of the past, there’s not much time for basking in love’s glow. The closer she gets to the truth, the more threatened the real killer gets...and the greater the danger that all her digging could lead to her own grave.

Warning: Laid-back ranchers who are really sneak alpha males, tight butts in wranglers, and creative use of belts and buckles. Bad words, hot sex, and lots of pie—sometimes all at once.

Dane writes my favorite type of heroine. Smart, funny, courageous and know their own minds. Caroline is a perfect example.

Caroline is such a strong woman. I love how fierce she is when it comes to those she cares about. She’s independent but also open and caring. She has a great sense of humor and her bawdy side cracked me up. Even though she was bold and independent, she was also vulnerable when it came to her family. Her fight for her father’s innocence took a lot out of her, as did the constant battle with her mother’s parents. Had she been strictly one or the other she would have been hard to relate to.

Royal was steady and sweet. Caroline called him a ‘sneak alpha’ and that’s nothing but the truth. Though Caroline had the stronger personality, I never felt like either of them was “on top of” the other. They were equals. They talked and handled things together. I thought they were the perfect pair.

Returning to Petal was great. The entire town is filled with wonderful characters. Even the villains are well-drawn. The town really comes alive in these stories.

4.5 out of 5

This book is available from Samhain Publishing. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

four-half-stars


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Review: Taking Chase by Lauren Dane

Posted January 13, 2010 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Taking Chase by Lauren DaneReviewer: Holly
Taking Chase by Lauren Dane
Series: Chase Brothers #2, Petal Georgia
Also in this series: Giving Chase, Count on Me
Publisher: Carina Choice
Publication Date: May 29, 2018
Point-of-View: Third
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 304
Add It: Goodreads
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three-half-stars

Previously published; newly refreshed by author

The Chase boys. Ridiculously hot and notoriously single.

Sheriff Shane Chase is drawn to the new girl in town from the moment he lays eyes on her. Not only is she gorgeous, but years on the job have taught him to know when someone is hiding something. And Cassie Gambol is hiding something big. He’s willing to take it slow to find out her secrets, no matter how much he burns to make her his.

Cassie Gambol needs a fresh start, and she gets it by reinventing herself in the small town of Petal, Georgia—a far cry from her life as a surgeon back in LA. A new romance is the last thing on Cassie’s mind, but the impossibly hot town sheriff has her reconsidering her priorities.

But when Cassie and Shane come face-to-face with the reason Cassie’s on the run, only her determination and his instincts can keep her safe from the past—and keep their future from ending before it can even begin.

Taking Chase is book 2 in Lauren Dane’s Chase Brothers series. This book is hard for me to pin down. There were parts of it that I really enjoyed, but I think Dane took a difficult path with the heroine. I initially read this book back in March, about the same time Jessica at Racy Romance Reviews did. I’m taking my comment from her post and expanding on it here. I urge you to read Jessica’s review. She didn’t have the issues I did with the heroine and she’s spot on about the amazing sex scenes.

Cassie Gambol is an abuse victim. For years she lived with physical and mental abuse, until her ex-husband almost killed her and she managed to get away. While I think that the portrayal of her and her emotional healing as an abuse victim was well done, something about her started to bother me as the novel progressed. I think it was her selfishness when it came to her actions/reactions.

As an example: Shane catches her hugging her bother and jumps to the conclusion that she was exactly like his ex., who cheated on him with his best friend. He reacted badly and she had a panic attack because of it. Initially I sided with her, because I could only imagine what that took her back to. The problem is that she’d been comparing Shane to her ex for the entire book, almost completely unfairly 95% of the time. Yet she refused to acknowledge that she was partially in the wrong. Not in the above mentioned situation or in any other. She kept falling back on, “I need my independence, you have to cut me some slack.”

Throughout the entire book, Shane has to apologize and give in, without Cassie doing her share. While I understand – to a degree – the reason that was so, I still can’t help but feel she gave far less than she got in the end. I would have liked to see, as part of her recovery, her ability to admit when she was wrong and offer Shane the trust he deserved.

The other thing is this: Shane acted abominably in the first book. It is well documented that he’s a womanizer and not the type for a relationship. But this book is set a year or two after the first one (I can’t remember the exact timeline), so Shane had grown and changed. Not to mention he never treated Cassie badly.

Even so, it almost felt like Cassie’s treatment of him was considered okay or justified based on his past actions. I guess I was given the impression, as the reader, that he was just getting what he deserved after the way he acted previously.

Only that doesn’t work for me. Shane was a wonderful man who, though he made some bad mistakes, just wanted a relationship with Cassie. Why should he have been punished for his past misdeeds?

Having said that, I felt the way Dane addressed Cassie’s abuse and subsequent recovery was very well done. She didn’t shy away from the darker aspects that come with physical or emotional abuse, and I appreciated that. I also just plain liked Cassie. She was a strong woman who’d had her whole life ruined, and yet she picked herself up and moved forward.

I also really liked Shane on his own. He was an excellent example of how men can and do change. I especially liked that Dane didn’t make this entire book about Shane and the insecurities he suffered due to the way his ex treated him.

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the previous. The story itself was good and I liked visiting the town of Petal again, but I wasn’t able to get past the unfair way the hero was treated. Even so, I couldn’t put it down and immediately wanted to start the next.

3.75 out of 5

Chase Brothers

See my review of Giving Chase here.

This book was originally published by Samhain Publishing. It was recently refreshed and republished by Carina Press.

three-half-stars


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Review: Giving Chase by Lauren Dane

Posted April 21, 2009 by Holly in Reviews | 5 Comments

Review: Giving Chase by Lauren DaneReviewer: Holly
Giving Chase by Lauren Dane
Series: Chase Brothers #1, Petal Georgia
Also in this series: Taking Chase, Count on Me
Publisher: Carina Press
Publication Date: February 27, 2018
Point-of-View: Third
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 384
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-half-stars

Previously published; newly refreshed by author

The Chase boys. Ridiculously hot and notoriously single.

When landscaper Kyle Chase takes notice of Maggie Wright, all of Petal, Georgia, wonders what the quiet schoolteacher is hiding underneath her tight bun and boring blouses. Even Maggie doesn’t quite get it, but after a failed relationship and a disastrous attempt to get back out there, she’s no match against the famous Chase charm, and Kyle has it in spades.

Kyle wants Maggie in his life—and in his bed—and he doesn’t mind getting down and dirty to prove it. For years he’s avoided the kind of trouble that comes with “good girls” like her, but Maggie’s the best trouble he’s ever been in. He craves more of it. And more of her.

But even as their love grows into thoughts of forever, a hidden danger from Maggie’s past threatens to tear them apart. And when Maggie suddenly disappears, Kyle must put his faith in his family and race to save the love of his life before he loses her forever.

The Chase is on. One small town. Four hot brothers. And enough heat to burn up anyone who dares to get close. Don’t miss the next books: Taking Chase, Chased and Making Chase.

Giving Chase is book 1 in Lauren Dane’s Chase Brothers series. I haven’t read the fourth (and final) book yet, but so far this is my favorite of the series.

Maggie is a teacher who hasn’t ever really let her hair down. She loves what she does, but isn’t very confident in herself. After yet another relationship ended badly her best friend talks her into a makeover and Maggie is amazed at the way some new clothes and a hair style make her feel. Especially after she attracts the attention of super sexy sheriff Shane Chase. Unfortunately Shane isn’t looking for anything more than a good time..and Maggie is definitely in the market for something much different.

Kyle had his eye on Maggie the moment he saw her, but since Shane asked her out first he backed off. When things end between Shane and Maggie, Kyle knows he wants a chance with her. Unlike his older brother, Kyle is looking for something long term and he thinks Maggie might be the one. But after what happened with Shane Maggie is feeling pretty gun-shy about men in general and Chase men in particular.

I really loved Kyle. I love that he was upfront and honest about what he wanted with Maggie. He didn’t shy away from making a commitment I was a bit leery of the storyline after reading the blurb because I’m mildly uncomfortable with the idea of brothers dating the same woman. I think Dane really handled that aspect well, though. Kyle was very respectful of the situation and was upfront with both Shane and Maggie about it. It wasn’t just glossed over or brushed aside. It was dealt with in a believable way.

Maggie was a strong character. She suffered from some self-esteem issues in the beginning, but as the novel progressed she really came into her own. I like that she was willing to stand up for herself and refused to compromise herself for a man – not for Shane or Kyle.

Overall this was a great, character driven contemporary novel. I highly recommend it.

4.25 out of 5

Chase Brothers

This book was originally published by Samhain Publishing. It was recently refreshed and republished by Carina Press.

four-half-stars


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