Carolyn Brown (1) (1948–)

A satisfying conclusion to Carolyn Brown’s The Canyon series set in the Texas Panhandle!

Unbeknownst to the others, three half-sisters are summoned to the funeral of the father they never knew for the reading of his will. Ezra Malloy had wanted a son to follow in his footsteps, but after producing a daughter, the women he married were banished from the ranch and divorced. Never having gotten that son, he leaves the ranch to the three daughters with the stipulation that they only get their show more legacy after they’ve lasted an entire year on the property, keeping operations going successfully. If a daughter leaves the ranch, she’s out of the will and gets nothing.

Almost a year later, the only daughter still in residence is Bonnie, the other two having fallen in love and moved on to their own little piece of heaven on Earth, right there in Palo Duro Canyon. But Bonnie has no intention of remaining on the ranch even a day longer than necessary. After the year is up, she plans to sell up and return to the bright lights, fun, and excitement of the world she left behind: this time with the money to enjoy it.

One catch: Ranch foreman Rusty Dawson, who gets the ranch should all of the daughters pull up stakes, caught Bonnie’s eye from the first moment she met him, and he feels the same about her. However, neither one is willing to admit to the other the reality of their mutual and abiding attraction.

This novella is the first work I’ve read by Carolyn Brown, and it definitely won’t be the last. I loved it. It was included as an “extra” at the end of an unrelated novel, and while that book was great, I liked this one just as much! The sisters were fun characters, and there were enough hints about each of their stories, published previously, that I HAVE to track those down. But Bonnie is the last one standing. She committed herself to fulfilling that year on the ranch, which she accomplished with enthusiasm. She turned her hand at anything and became surprisingly well adapted to the life and skills needed for a ranching lifestyle. Rusty Dawson is the sweet and steady foreman who took care of the ranch and the previous owner, the girls’ crotchety excuse for a father, until his death, and is well-deserving of inheriting the place himself. How satisfying that maybe these two can come to a mutually beneficial agreement?

Sunrise Ranch was a great introduction to this prolific writer’s work, and I’m so looking forward to jumping into the rest of this series and her many others. show less

Very good book. It is a ranching Brady Bunch kind of story. Adele is a single mother of two girls, Jett and Bella. They were dumped by her ex-husband for his mistress. He has cut all contact with them, including selling the ranch they live on out from under them. She wants a place of their own where they can put down roots and move on with their lives. Remy is now the single father to his two nephews. He was the ultimate player until six months ago when his brother died, and he became show more responsible for the boys. He wants his own ranch, where he can give them the kind of upbringing he had. The owner of the ranch can't decide between the two, so he has them move to the ranch to care for it while he is gone for a month. When he comes back, he will decide who gets it.

This was a fun story from the very first page. Both Adele and Remy are determined to win the contest, as are their kids. The adults have the added complication of an intense attraction between them. Adele is wary of getting involved with Remy, whose reputation as a player is well known. Besides, she isn't ready for a new relationship since she's still dealing with the fallout from her marriage. Remy is equally wary. He's never seen himself as the settling down type. Now that he has the boys, his attention is all for them. Plus, there aren't too many women around who are willing to take on someone else's kids.

The competition and its progress were great. It starts out very antagonistic, with both sides determined to beat the other. The kids are especially competitive. Jett and Bella have lived on a ranch most of their lives and are well accustomed to everything that must be done, and they have no trouble rubbing that in. Nick and Leo are city boys but determined to learn what they have to in order to win. Though Remy and Adele start out intending to divide the work, it isn't long before they realize it makes more sense to cooperate. There are some terrific scenes of various types of ranch work and how it gets handled. I loved seeing the kids go from adversaries to friends to sibling-like behavior.

I loved the development of the relationship between Adele and Remy. Remy realizes right from the start that he's in trouble. He's attracted to Adele and knows that could be quite a distraction. Plus, he's trying to put his player reputation behind him and be a good example for the boys. Adele also knows that she has a battle on her hands. Remy is just the type of man she's attracted to, but she's been burned once and doesn't want to go there again. It doesn't take them long to move from adversaries to friends. I loved their growing respect for each other and their abilities. It's obvious that they are falling for each other, but each continues to fight it. Remy doesn't think he's good enough for her, and Adele is certain that he'd rather be with anyone but a tall, red-headed rancher. It was also really sweet to see how each of them fell for the other's kids and felt guilty that winning would wreck their dreams. Of course, the solution is obvious, but it takes them a while to see it. It's difficult for each of them to overcome their fears, but eventually, they can see and admit their feelings for each other. I loved the ending and the surprise they had for their families on the Fourth of July.

One of the things I liked most about the book is that the relationship developed without any over-the-top drama. They have a few instances of disagreements, but they can talk honestly and deal with whatever the issue was. I also liked how they used some of their own actions as teaching moments for the kids.

I loved the kids as secondary characters. Each of them has their own personality and place in the story. Of the four, Jett was my favorite. She was feisty and fun. She had quite the mouth on her, and it was fun to see her rile up the boys. She was also kind hearted, and I loved her quick connection with Dahlia. That was a brief piece of the storyline, but a very emotional one.

I also loved seeing various members of the Luckadeau and O'Donnell families from previous books. It's always a good time when the families are together. It was especially fun to see the unsolicited advice and comments that Remy and Adele were on the receiving end of. show less

The Magnolia Inn by Carolyn Brown
Source: NetGalley
My Rating: 5/5 stars

Without doubt, Carolyn Brown is my go-to girl for all things sweet romance, small town life, and generally good writing. While I feel that way about her books in general, I have particularly fond feelings for The Magnolia Inn.

Though the opening chapters are a bit of a rough go for Jolene (her cousin is an ass!) she gets a plan of action in place quickly and prays for the best. Remodeling, refurbishing, and revamping the show more Magnolia Inn is going to take a monumental effort and even more money, but Jolene is dedicated and determined. As fate would have it, she isn’t going to be in the remodeling/refurbishing business alone.

Tucker Malone has spent the past months and years mourning the loss of his beloved wife. Tucker’s mourning takes the form of hard work during the week and hard drinking come the weekend. With a pile of money in his bank account and a desire to stay busy, Tucker buys a half interest in the Magnolia Inn. With every intention of getting right to work, Tucker strolls in, takes a look around, and makes a list of what needs to be done. With he and Jolene in near total agreement on the plan, the work begins and so does a new life for each.

Jolene can clearly see Tucker is hurting, but given her past experiences, she has no tolerance for drinking and drunks. Though Tucker only drinks “on the weekends” and never while he’s working, the Magnolia Inn is a huge job, Jolene is a tough cookie (you only get ONE hangover cure!), and the memories of his wife seem to be fading which is making every aspect of life even harder. What’s even tougher and more confusing, Jolene makes Tucker feel and want things he vowed to never feel and want again following the loss of his wife. He wants to do better and to be better if not for himself then for Jolene and the Magnolia Inn.

Keeping both Tucker and Jolene on their feet are Jolene’s aunt’s three best friends. Three of the feistiest old birds Jolene and Tucker have ever met, the ladies take the kids under their collective wings and help keep them moving in the right direction both professionally and personally. With those three involved, and frequent phone calls to and from Jolene’s aunt, Jolene and Tucker have no choice but to face their respective issues head on and get the Magnolia Inn up and running.

The Bottom Line: Hands down, my favorite part of this book would be those three feisty old birds who have a tendency to walk right on into a room without knocking, intervene in each other’s lives when and if needed, and generally be there for one another through all life’s ups and downs. It’s those three old birds who help Jolene and Tucker on their way to a beautiful HEA and very much bind every aspect of this book together. Another particularly interesting aspect of this book would be the recurring voices in both Jolene and Tucker’s heads; the voices not only give insight into Jolene and Tucker’s respective pasts but help each move forward toward a happy and fulfilling future. On top of everything else, this book is just well-written, easy to read, and completely engaging. Finally, it has a completely satisfying epilogue that just brought everything together for me. I am absolutely looking forward to anything and everything Carolyn Brown has for me in 2019! show less

Terrific story of family, secrets, love, and healing. Three cousins, Taryn, Anna Rose, and Jorja, return to Shamrock to help run their grandmother's flower shop, The Lucky Shamrock. The three women aren't close - they can barely go five minutes without squabbling. Nana Irene forces them to live and work together to get them to learn to get along. The initial reunion among the three women doesn't look good for a peaceful summer.

Easygoing war vet Clinton lives in the apartment over the shop show more and helps Nana Irene with deliveries and heavy lifting. He's on hand to run interference among the three women. Clinton is the most eligible bachelor in the small town and is the target of several husband-hunting women. These women relentlessly pursue Clinton, using homemade goodies to try to win him over. I loved his focus on helping others and got a kick out of his grandfather's vociferous support.

I loved watching Taryn, Anna Rose, and Jorja throw themselves into the work. One of their first challenges is setting up a big wedding whose wedding planner is an old nemesis from their school days. Their encounters with Kaitlyn are full of sass and stick-togetherness, including a satisfying post-wedding confrontation. Though the three women bicker among themselves, they stand should-to-shoulder against outsiders.

As they settle into working and living together, their contentiousness slowly evaporates. I loved seeing them share the secrets that have had such long-lasting impacts on their lives. Burdens shared are burdens lifted, and I loved watching them share their coping strategies. I loved their box-burning scene and laughed out loud at their dog-toy-throwing episode.

I think Jorja changed the most. The daughter of missionaries, Jorja is the religious one of the trio. She focuses on trying to gain redemption for a traumatic event in her past. Her prim and proper façade hides the broken and hurting woman inside. I loved the support she received from Taryn and Anna Rose as she faced those memories and moved past them. It was fun to see her do everything from drinking beer and letting loose with some cussing to confronting the person responsible for her demons.

Anna Rose has gone the other way. She is a brilliant photographer who constantly travels, never staying anywhere long enough to put down roots. She is loud-mouthed, sassy, and believes in living life to the fullest. But that spirit hides insecurities stemming from a relationship that turned toxic and made her wary of settling down. Her cousins' support helped her see she was tired of running away.

Taryn left Shamrock in the dust after graduation, tired of the unfair reputation of troublemaker gained by trusting the wrong people. But life away from Shamrock wasn't always better. A bad relationship has made it difficult for her to trust her judgment when risking her heart again. But with the help of a baby, she learns to open her heart again.

The setting of small-town Texas and the drama that accompanies everyone being up everyone else's business made this a fun book to read. From the trio of mean girls to Nana Irene and Ruby, there is never a dull moment. I loved the surprise at the end and its effect on so many lives. I especially enjoyed seeing a particular person finally have to face the music.

While most of the story was spent on Taryn, Anna Rose, and Jorja and their pasts and relationships with each other, there was a subtle romance going on in the background. I loved watching Taryn and Clinton grow closer thanks to caring for baby Zoe and Clinton's kindness and support. I liked that they took their time and became friends first. The epilogue was terrific. I loved seeing where everyone was a year later.

#netgalley show less