KIss Me Like You Mean It, Cowboy

GIVEAWAY

COMER, VALERIE

KISS ME LIKE YOU MEAN IT, COWBOY

A playboy cowboy who doesn't give up. A single mom who doesn't give in.

Blake Cavanagh is determined not to be like his father, so he'll play the field and never settle down at all. It's a bit daunting stringing along three women at once, but he's up for the task. When Black sees one of his girlfriends in line at the coffee shop, he sneaks up behind her.

Dafne Santoro -- single mom, new teacher, and city girl -- is new to small-town Jewel Lake. She's not expecting to be accosted at the Copper Carafe, and her jiu jitsu training kicks in. She might exchange fervent apologies with the handsome cowboy as she helps him off the floor, but let him make it up to her with a date? Not happening.

Blake's not going to give up so easily, and Dafne's not about to give in. What will it take to get this cowboy and his teacher on the same page?

My Review:

Funniest meet-cute ever! Made me love Dafne from the get go. Talk about a heroine/reader bonding moment. Bwahahaha! Blake deserved it, though and that scene is a lovely metaphor for what's in store for him. (Can't seem to wipe the silly grin off my face,)

And speaking about Blake...humph, he does not make a good first impression but this is a redemption story and we get to see him face his demons and transform into the kind of hero I like to sigh over. Sometimes his thoughts are outrageous and funny and other times they are infuriating. But there's also a soft, sweet, endearing side that surfaces in unexpected ways. And, boy howdie, does Dafne make him work for his happily ever after!

Kiss Me Like You Mean It, Cowboy (love that title!) is the fourth book in the Cavanagh Cowboys series but it's the first book I've read and I found it fine as a standalone. I will say that there are a ton of secondary characters to get know right off the bat -- Blake comes from a large family...so many brothers and some of them have had their turn in the spotlight! --  but I thought the author did a great job of catching newbie readers like me up without bogging down the story. I'll definitely be backtracking and reading the rest of the series though.

Comer strikes the right balance between faith elements, romance and characters grappling with their back stories which makes this a captivating read.

Goal Update: #1 Read more indie authors, #5 Diversify my reading (Canadian author!), #7 Start new-to-me series

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Kiss Me Like You Mean it, Cowboy leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT AND DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the Draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday May 21 2022. Offer open to International Readers. 

Raspberries and Vinegar

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ DAY!

COMER, VALERIE

RASPBERRIES AND VINEGAR

WINNER: The Word Award for Best Contemporary Romance of 2013

Sweet like Raspberries. Tart like Vinegar.

Josephine Shaw; comples, yet singleminded. A tiny woman with big ideas and, some would say, a mouth to match. But what does she really know about sustainable living as it relates to the real world? After all, she and her two friends are new to farming.

Zachary Nemesek is back only until his dad recovers enough to work his own land again. When Zach discovers three helpless females have taken up residence at the old farm next door, he expects trouble. But a mouse invasion proves Jo has everything under control. Is there anything she can't handle? And surely there's something sweet beneath all that tart.

Raspberries and Vinegar is the first novel in the Farm Fresh Romance series which sees a group of young women purchase an old farm in northern Idaho together with the purpose of growing their own food and proving to those around them that they can make a difference. It is a story of living sustainably on the land focusing on real, local food from a Christian point-of-view. It doesn't pad the issues nor preach about them, but allows the characters the freedom to grapple with environmentalism as believers.

My Review:

published in 2013

Reviewers note: One of my reading goals for 2021 was to read more indie published authors. It used to be that the majority of these books were available only in kindle and since I don't read ebooks I just stopped taking notice of indie new release announcements. But I've recently discovered many indie authors have books on audible (yay!) and reasonably priced paperbacks that are also easily accessible for non US readers (double yay!) Between those two options I've been able to expand my indie reading (triple yay!) 

I found Raspberries and Vinegar on audible in a three book set from the Farm Fresh series which had me in an uber excited tizzy. Alas, the title isn't available in paperback in Canada at all (and the author is Canadian!) and the Book Depository price is ridiculously inflated so the winner of this giveaway will receive an ebook copy of the Farm Fresh series Books 1-3. See the Giveaway note after the review for more details.

I howled my way through this story! Serious banshee cackles of mirth. Over mice (snort) and Jo's over-the-top intensity and the crazy dialogues she has with Zach that leave him totally befuddled. Or angry. Or both. What a hoot! 

But fair warning: Jo's passion for living green might rub some readers the wrong way. She has a tendency to see only one point of view on the subject and that's hers. Ah, yes, I remember those twenty-something days when I embraced a cause with just as much fervor...though hopefully I wasn't as blunt as Jo. :-) I was certainly as passionate though. And about the same things. I'm still a strong believer in family run farms and organic produce (where financially feasible) and taking care of this beautiful world God has blessed us with. So, I got along fine with Jo, though I did wince at her take-charge, it's-my-way-or-the-highway attitude at times. She learns from her mistakes, though, and softens some by the end of the story.

And Zach! A veterinarian hero! Be still my critter-lovin' heart! A man who thinks he has his future figured out...until he doesn't. And then Jo shows up to muddy the waters more. Love the character growth in both hero and heroine and the way Comer weaves a solid faith thread throughout. 

Raspberries and Vinegar (super clever title, by the way and I adore clever title tie-ins) sets the stage for future books in the series really well. We're introduced to future heroines (Jo's friends and partners) and an intriguing church and town community that I'm anxious to visit again. Yay, I have Butterflies and Breezes lined up on audible and ready to go!

Oh -- and you know how I mentioned humour is a big part of this story? Well, that doesn't mean there isn't drama and plenty of angst. In fact, there were a few emotional sucker-punch moments that left me reeling. Gasp out loud, scream 'nooooooooo!' scenes. I'm still experiencing aftershocks. Did the author really do that????? And that??? And...whimper...that? Why, yes, she did, after lulling me into a false sense of security with those rom/com elements. Sigh. I didn't see any of that coming.

I'm definitely a Valerie Comer fan now! And equally thrilled with her choice of narrator, Becky Doughty. Love the audible edition soooo much and am happily preparing to listen to more in the series.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for an ebook copy of a book set for the Farm Fresh series which includes, Raspberries and Vinegar, Butterflies on Breezes and Memories of Mist. So, yay, three book win! 

If you would like a chance to win a copy of the first three books in the Farm Fresh series, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT AND DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 7 2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!