The Inn: Findlay Farm by Elsie James review

From Goodreads:

A cheerful, curvy, reporter and a grumpy, reclusive, rancher stuck together romance

Findlay Farm Book One

She's a city girl trying to make a name for herself. He's a reclusive rancher, desperate to protect his family's privacy. But could one night stuck together at the farm change everything?

Welcome to Findlay Farm. For the ranchers, it's work until the sun goes down, and love until the cows come home. Findlay Farms is a collection of steamy romances with curvy women and the hard-working rancher heroes who fall for them. As always this collection comes with a promise of no cheating, no cliffhangers, and a happily ever after.

The Findlay Farm Collection by Elsie James

Read this book if you're ready to escape reality, fall in love on a farm, and laugh along the way.

Grab your cowboy boots and fall in love tonight!

91 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 13, 2023

The Inn: Findlay Farm by Elsie James was the kind of read I was looking for. It has cowboys, curvier women, some struggle, a happy ending, and enough steam to keep you wanting more.

Summer Bradley is out of her element when her work sends her out to Findlay Farms to do a journalistic piece on them and the history of their farm. She decides to dress the part in the cutest cottage core or woodland fairy outfits that she can find. That is what a real farm girl wears after all, right?

What she doesn’t expect is to meet Jameson Findlay, the eldest and the one in charge. He is more than just stunningly attractive. He is as solid as they come but can Summer get past the gruff, no-nonsense, equal parts unsettling and pure comfort, grumpy yet somehow charming persona that he leads off with and meets the man underneath?

Maybe. If a huge snowstorm has anything to say about it. The steam factor goes into full effect after Summer tries to drive her Jeep out of the snowstorm to leave the farm. Jameson prevents her from leaving and gets her to stay in the big house with him until the snow melts.

Jameson and Summer appear to be opposites, but, in the end, they realize that they need each other after all.

This novella was a read that I struggled to take breaks from reading. I was caught up in Summer and Jameson. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the Findlay Farm series as well as a few other Elsie James books I was able to find.

Three Cowboys and A Baby by Kate Pearce Book Review

 From Goodreads

Three sexy cowboys find their lives upended in surprising ways in this sweet and sexy new trilogy of feel-good contemporary westerns from Kate Pearce, New York Times bestselling author of the beloved Morgantown series.

In this fun and sexy new series debut from  New York Times  bestselling author Kate Pearce,  a real cowboy doesn’t back down from a challenge—even when an unexpected arrival shakes up his world . . .

 

When an old military buddy turns up at the ranch he shares with two friends, Noah Harding never imagines the friend will skip out overnight and leave his baby boy behind. Noah will have some choice parenting advice to offer when the baby’s mother turns up, but until then, he’ll do his best to take care of the little one. Yet when a relieved Jen finally tracks down her son, Noah realizes the story is more complicated than he thought. And soon, so are his feelings for Jen . . .

 

Jen Rossi doesn’t expect much from her unreliable ex, but she’s shocked to return from an extended mission and discover he’s abandoned their son with three men she doesn’t know. Not that Noah isn’t doing a good job as fill-in daddy. In fact, there seems to be very little the straight-talking cowboy can’t do. And with a winter storm settling in, and close quarters making it impossible to deny their chemistry, this temporary solution might just become the key to forever . . .

Three Cowboys and a Baby by Kate Pearce is a great slow-burn small-town Western romance with just a little steam. I technically read these out of order (reviewed the second book first for Harlequin Junkie, the book coming out soon). I am so glad I found an e-book version of Three Cowboys and a Baby on Overdrive through one of my libraries.

Dave leaves his kid, Sky, with his ex-military buddies when he has to leave for Africa, and Sky’s mom, Jen, isn’t back from her Navy ship midwife assignment. It seems neither parent will be winning any Parent of the Year awards anytime soon. Once Jen finally gets off her Navy ship and figures out where Sky is (which is a whole ordeal itself), a lot of truth comes out. Especially since they didn’t know Jen was a lot like them!

Once Jen finally finds where Sky is, she hikes to where the ex-military buddies live. It doesn’t seem like that big of a deal to her, despite the snow and more snow in the forecast. So when she gets to their ranch, they are all under a roof for quite a while. Out of the three lucky men, Noah seems to be the one. At least for now and maybe forever. 

There are funny moments in Three Cowboys and a Baby as well. One example is when Sky is teething and he is given a frozen plastic chew bone for dogs, unused by the way. 

There are also a few heartfelt moments such as Sky’s first steps and his first time saying No-No (Noah) and Mama. There is also the scene where Jen has to step up with her midwife training to reset Luke’s arm and to get the cowboys well again after getting sick from being outside too long.

Despite Jen putting Sky’s needs before her own, she gets some time away with Noah as well, once they can get past infatuation to do something about it. There is plenty of steam and some dirty talk to keep a reader interested. 

Overall, this book was great. It was hard to quit reading. A 3.5/5 or maybe a little higher. I would recommend Three Cowboys and a Baby to anyone who likes slow burn and some steam to their romance novels. The chaos of events in Three Cowboys and a Baby makes it seem almost realistic. I will keep reading this series.

Another Published Work...A Baby Book

 Now available on Amazon in paperback and hardback editions, Baby's First Year.

Find it here.

One reason I decided to attempt to create this, with the help of AI, is because it makes a great gift. 

I made it unique with different pages and allowed for more of a scrapbooking element to fit in as well. There are also sections for parents and possibly older siblings to leave notes and things throughout Baby's First Year.

This is a gender-neutral baby book so it is not a constant sea of pink or blue. This would be perfect  for the first-time parent that decides to be surprised by the gender.

I'm Published!

 I am now creating content through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. 

Out now is a gratitude journal entitled Gratitude Path: A 30 Day Guide to Positivity.

You can find it here in e-book or paperback. 

I created this with AI with the intention of helping others be more grateful and positive in the negative world that we live in.

It is listed as a 30 Day Guide but you can work through it in 30 Days, 30 Weeks, or just when you feel like you need a pick me up. Only you know you.

This journal has writings and activities. They do not have to be done in any specific order either. 

Here's to more positivity!

If you do read it and/or journal through it, let me and the other readers know about it!

May 2023 Book Reading Update

 

The books that were read in May 2023 include:

1. Champion (Studs in Spurs) by Cat Johnson
2. Spurred (Studs in Spurs) by Cat Johnson
3. Wrecked (Studs in Spurs) by Cat Johnson
4. A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas by Maisey Yates
5. Snowed in With the Cowboy by Maisey Yates
6. Declutter Your Life- Infinite Ideas

The Studs in Spurs series were a series of books that I started in previous months. These are bull-riding romances. These were quick reads. I had difficulty putting these down. I highly recommend these if you like romance novels.

Find these: here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas and Snowed in With the Cowboy were two books in one. This is another series that I had started in previous months as well.

Find these: here

Declutter Your Life was a book I chose to read for inspiration. I am always looking for motivation to declutter. I am a work in progress. This book did help somewhat.

Find it: here

I did not read as many books in May. I am still surprised that I have kept up with my reading this long. I am also surprised that, in five months, I have managed to read forty-five books! Wow!

How many books have you read so far this year? Have you read any of the books from my list? Are there any books that you recommend?

The books linked in this post are Books A Million and/or Barnes and Noble affiliate links. If you were to purchase a book from any of the links listed above, I may receive a small stipend. You are under no obligation to do so.

April 2023 Book Reading Update

 

The following books were read in April 2023

1.  Unridden (Studs in Spurs) by Cat Johnson
2.  Good Time Cowboy by Maisey Yates
3. Hard Riding Cowboy by Maisey Yates
4. Bucked (Studs in Spurs) by Cat Johnson
5. Ride (Studs in Spurs) by Cat Johnson
6. Hooked (Studs in Spurs) by Cat  Johnson
7. Flanked (Studs in Spurs) by Cat Johnson
8. Thrown (Studs in Spurs) by Cat Johnson

I did not read the same amount of books as I would have liked for April. That is okay, as I was able to get a series completed. I also had to wait a bit for some of the series that I have been reading to become available through the elibrary I use through Overdrive.

I was able to finish the Studs in Spurs series by Cat Johnson. I was able to get the first one that I read for free through Kindle and was able to read the rest of the series through Overdrive. They are written more like Lorelei James books that I have read and are quite a bit more intense, making them for the adult romance reader. Want to see what these are about? Find links here, here, here, here, here, and here.

The two books by Maisey Yates were two books in one. They were very good as well. These were not nearly as intense as the above series but are still better suited for the adult romance reader. These were part of the Gold Valley series. Find a link to it here. 

I did not read as much as I would have liked to but I still made a nice dent in my yearly goal. I look forward to seeing how many books I can read in the coming months.

What have you read recently? What book would you like to see reviewed? Let's have a conversation.

The books linked in this post are Books A Million affiliate links. If you were to purchase a book from any of the links listed above, I may receive a small stipend. You are under no obligation to do so.

March Reading Update

 

 The books read in March are as follows: 

1. Wyoming Winter by Diana Palmer
2. Christmas Cowboy by Diana Palmer
3. Wild Country by Constance Ruth Clark
4. Smooth-Talking Cowboy by Maisey Yates
5. Seduce Me, Cowboy by Maisey Yates
6. Protecting His Brat by Brandy Ayers
7. Wyoming Legend by Diana Palmer
8. Wyoming Heart by Diana Palmer
9. Wyoming True by Diana Palmer
10. Untamed Cowboy by Maisey Yates
11. Mail Order Cowboy by Maisey Yates

I was able to read eleven books in  March. I also managed to review a few of these as well. I continued my cowboy kick. (Who can blame me?) 

The five Diana Palmer books continued the Wyoming Men series. I could not seem to put these books down. I recommend these books if you prefer your cowboy or Western romance to have a little fire. Want to read them for yourself? Find a few of them here, here, here, and here.

I also continued to read the Gold Valley series by Maisey Yates. These have a little bit more fire than the Wyoming Men series. These are still considered to be cowboy or Western romances as well. Find your own copy of Smooth Talking Cowboy here.

Protecting His Brat by Brandy Ayers and Wild Country by Constance Ruth Clark were books that I received as advanced reader copies. Their reviews have already been posted which can be read on this blog as well. 

All in all, I was glad I had accomplished reading eleven books. I had originally hoped for more but was not disappointed as life sometimes gets in the way.

The links posted above are affiliate links through BooksAMillion. You are not obligated to use these links, but if you do, I may receive a little stipend.

What have you been reading? What would you like to see in my reading list? Let's talk.

Protecting His Brat ARC Review

Protecting His Brat by Brandy Ayers is a book I received an advanced reader copy of. What caught my attention was the possibility of romance and the people on the cover. The book was so much more than I gave it credit for.


This is a darker book than I expected. It mentions crime and rape. It does play a little bit into the story. The author does not go into too graphic detail. It is more mentioned and brings the lead characters closer together.


Lacy and Scott were two characters that I wasn’t sure would have a happily ever after. They were both sort of famous in their own ways. Lacy is the spoiled rich girl that always gets her way while Scott is the metalhead guitarist that appears to live below his means. What they are together, despite sounding like beyond polar opposites, brings this story together in ways that never seemed possible.


Another thing I liked about Protecting His Brat was that there were several epilogues. This shows how their life continues beyond the typical book. The last epilogue was 10 years later. It was different and creative, and I wish it didn’t have to end.


I definitely recommend this book. This is a very steamy romance, which makes me recommend it to 18 plus. If you read romance and want something different, read this book. I definitely want to read more of Brandy Ayers, just to see where the rest of this series and more of her stories go.

February 2023 Book Reading Update

 The books I read in February were:

1. Decluttering for Dummies- Jane Stoller
2. Tripped Out- Lorelei James
3. Strung Up- Lorelei James
4. Racked and Stacked- Lorelei James
5. Wound Tight- Lorelei James
6. The Frugalista Files- Natalie McNeal
7. Wyoming Rugged- Diana Palmer
8. Wyoming Brave- Diana Palmer
9. The Do-It-Yourself Bailout- Kenny Golde

Despite February being the shortest month of the year, I still managed to get a lot of reading done. Once again, I was reading the same series mostly. I actually did read a physical book as well as I read some non-fiction as well.

The Lorelei James and Diana Palmer books were parts of a series I have been reading for a while. I have one book left before I finish the Lorelei James series that I have been reading. The Diana Palmer series still has several books before I make it to the end of that series. I read Wyoming Rugged as a physical copy. I have it listed online here and here. 

I chose non-fiction books to read because I have been looking for ways to save money as well as decluttering. These are goals that I always have and strive to do. I don't try to overwhelm myself. I am always looking for new ways to accomplish these goals. Rome wasn't built in a day and my decluttering journey will still be paced out for probably several years to come.

I am still working on my reading goals as it is now March. I have been working on reading several physical copies of books as well. I am hoping to read just as many if not more in March.

Wild Country ARC Review

 

Wild Country by Constance Ruth Clark is a work of fiction. It caught my attention as it was a book based in a small town with a love story tied in. It sounded like the Hallmark movies that I can never get enough of. There is definitely more to the story.

This story does have some language issues. This did not phase me. In one way, it helps show that the characters are different. It also shows that opposites can attract. Peter seems to be the typical musician with a flair for the less practical and a potty mouth. Kristina has a good head on her shoulders. She is a good girl in the sense that she is used to doing everything by herself.

This book also contains some scenes. They aren’t extremely graphic. These scenes are supposed to be over a few days when they are practically strangers. But it is a bit more intense than a Hallmark movie. More tame than a Lorelei James novel. The real question is, What are you supposed to do to kill time in the middle of a major snowstorm?

Overall, I did enjoy this short book. I was invested in these characters. I am looking forward to finding the next one as it is apparently part of a series. I would recommend this to the later teenage and up crowd, the Harlequin reader, and such.

January 2023 Book Reading Update

Books Read in January 2023

Wyoming Bold by Diana Palmer
Hillbilly Rockstar by Lorelei James
Wyoming Strong by Diana Palmer
Uniformly Hot! Always Ready by Joanne Rock
Uniformly Hot! The Right Stuff by Lori Wilde
Roped In by Lorelei James
Stripped Down by Lorelei James
Etsy-preneurship by Jason Malinak
Wrapped and Strapped by Lorelei James
It’s Your Money, Honey: A Girl’s Guide to Saving, Investing, and Building Wealth at Every Age and Life Stage by Laura McDonald and Susan L. Misner
Hang Tough by Lorelei James

It was my goal to track how many books I read this year. I chose not to pick a number goal this year as I have no idea how many books I could typically read in a year. Next year, I may decide to have a numbered goal, depending on how I feel at the end of this year. I also am not one to set New Year's Resolutions as those tend to not stick with me.

As you may be able to tell from my list of books read this month, most were the same authors as I have been reading several different series. I temporarily stopped reading Diana Palmer as I had to find a physical copy of the next one in the Wyoming Men series. The Uniformly Hot! Series is an older Harlequin series that I started reading last year. A perk to this series is it is older, has several authors, and they do not have to be read in order necessarily. I went back to reading them while waiting for the other series’ books to become available.

I do love reading romance. It happens to be one of my favorite genres. (Does that make me too typical?) I also really love to read. All the books I read in this first month were read using my e-library card to read the e-book (and listen to some of the audiobook versions at the same time) using the Overdrive and Libby apps. 

For the next month, I hope to add more physical books to my list of read books. This way, I can sell them after reading them, decreasing my to-be-read list and my collection. I may (or may not) read other genres as well. I have a bad habit of once I get into a series or a genre, I don’t want to stop. (As clearly seen above…)

What goals have you set for yourself this year? Do you have any book recommendations? Let’s have a conversation!

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

 It is less than a month until Valentine’s Day. It is now the time that most people are starting to think about what to get the important people in their life for Valentine’s Day if they celebrate it.

If you don’t celebrate perhaps you choose to celebrate an I Love You day or 50% off Valentine’s Day (The day after Valentine’s, like I do!). Perhaps you have another event coming up and you are just at a loss for ideas of what to get someone. I might have a few ideas.

Not included in this collection will be the typical gifts of flowers, candy, bears, and the like. These gifts will appear to have more thought behind them. (Not that you can go wrong with these gifts, just sometimes thinking outside the box makes a difference.)

Some of the ideas may be links to items that I have listed online, which there is no obligation to purchase, but are examples to use as ideas. If you do happen to purchase something that I have listed, that is awesome too. Please let me know!

Gifts for Him

• Clothing/Accessories

• Books

• DVD/Blu-Ray/Video Games

• Tickets (like when we went to KISS some years back)

• Items toward a hobby/career/pastime

• Magazine Subscription

• Subscription Box

Men's Tie Option

Men's Tie Option 2

Men's Band Tee Option

Men's Baseball Cap Option

Gifts for Her

• Clothing/Accessories

• Books

• Blankets/ Throw Pillows/ Other Comfort Items

• Items for a hobby/career/pastime

• Magazine Subscription

• Subscription Box

Women's Dress Option

Women's Dress Option 2

Women's Dress Option 3

Women's Purse Option

Women's Necklace Option

Women's Necklace Option 2

Women's Top Option

Women's Top Option 2

Women's Pants Option

Women's Slip Option

Women's Slip Option 2

Women's Book Option

Women's Book Option 2

Women's Book Option 3

Women's Book Option 4

Women's Book Option 5

Gifts for Kids

• Books

• Puzzles

• Games (especially family ones that the whole family can participate in)

• Jewelry/Accessories

• Blankets

• Subscription Box

• Magazine Subscription

• Passes (e.g. zoo, museum, etc.)

Kids Book Option

Kids Book Option 2

Kids Girls Dress Option

Kids Girls Skirt Option

Kids Accessories Option

Kids Accessories Option 2

Kids Accessories Option 3

Gifts for Pets

• Favorite Treats

• Toys (if applicable)

• Blankets/Stuffed Animals/ Other Comfort Items

• Subscription Box

As always, remember, it is the thought that counts. Every item doesn’t have to be brand new. Especially if you have environmental concerns. It doesn’t have to be Valentine’s themed either. You know your special person/people better than anyone else. Perhaps the item that you get them could be the one thing you know that they wouldn’t purchase for themselves.

What other ideas have I forgotten? What was one of the best gifts that you have received or given? What is one gift that you wish someone would give to you?