Kiss a Cowboy by Deanna Lynn Sletten (4.5 stars)

About Kiss a Cowboy
(from Goodreads)

Sometimes fate steps in and changes everything...

Andi Stevens drives away from her home town of Seattle and says goodbye to her sister to begin a new life with her fiancé in Buffalo, New York. When her car breaks down in the mountains of Montana, she reluctantly knocks on the door of a cabin for help. What she finds is Luke Brennan, the most handsome man she's ever met, who appears annoyed by her bothering him and is also downright rude. He takes her up to the main ranch house where his mother welcomes her warmly, opening their home to her for as long as she needs to stay. Andi quickly falls in love with the ranch and its occupants, and the beauty of Montana. And no matter how hard they fight it, she and the brooding cowboy form a bond that becomes stronger by the day. Andi soon finds herself struggling with her promise to marry one man and the attraction she feels for another. 

Luke Brennan isn't interested in having his heart broken again. He's loved and lost once, and he's hardened his heart against ever falling in love again. But when a beautiful woman with the most tantalizing green eyes shows up at his door one night, he is taken by surprise. As hard as he tries to stay away from Andi, he finds himself drawn to her time and time again. But she's a city girl, and engaged to another man. She's off limits. Yet, he finds his heart slowly giving itself away to this woman. Should he bet against all odds and tell her how he feels before it's too late?

Does fate hold all the cards for the cowboy and the city girl, or will they choose their own destinies?

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Review

Andi Stevens is driving cross-country to start a new life. She's looking forward to some adventure along the way--having turned down her fiance's offer to simply fly her--but gets much more than she's expecting when her car breaks down. 

Luke Brennan opens his door to her, and life will never be the same. Unfortunately, he's hardened toward love. Will they find their way to each other or simply accept the easier choices?

I loved these characters! Andi has a reserved spunk; she's strong, but still honing this part of her personality. Her sister, a great character who I believe is getting her own book, is more outgoing and in-your-face. This leaves Andi as the stronger, older sibling who usually chooses responsibility over going with her gut. Still, Andi begins to find her way, and it's all thanks to Luke. At first, he seems like nothing but broody, but Andi chips away at this hardened exterior.

This is a fun, highly romantic story. Thanks to great characters, witty dialog, and well-built relationships (I especially loved Luke's mom and how she takes in Andi), Kiss a Cowboy has a real depth to it. Sure, it's fun, but it's not cheesy. 

If you are looking for a holiday read to warm your heart, look no further.

Rating: 4.5 stars

@@@ Deanna Lynn Sletten has yet to disappoint. This is the fourth book I've read by her, and I've loved them all. She's a master at memorable characters. Please see the following reviews: Destination Wedding, Summer of the Loon, and Maggie's Turn. @@@

About the Author

I'm Deanna Lynn Sletten and I am an author of several women's fiction and romance novels as well as one middle-grade adventure novel. My novel, Widow, Virgin, Whore, became a bestselling novel in March 2014 on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Maggie's Turn became a top 100 bestselling novel on Amazon and a top 10 bestselling novel on Barnes & Noble in September 2014. I have also won several awards for my novels including one for Memories, two awards for Sara's Promise, and a book cover award for Maggie's Turn.  

I have two grown children and live with my husband in northern Minnesota. For fun, I love walking the trails in the summer with my beautiful Australian Shepherd and laying around in the boat on the lake. Our winters are cold, so I stay inside and write!  

Visit Deanna at her website at www.deannalsletten.com. Or, you can connect viaTwitter and Facebook.

Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not requested or guaranteed; the opinions expressed are my own.

Destination Wedding by Deanna Lynn Sletten (4.5 stars)

About Destination Wedding
(from GoodReads)

Life is full of surprises…

Claire Martin's life is perfect, or at least she tells herself it is. She owns a successful clothing boutique, has a steady, dependable boyfriend, and a beautiful grown daughter who is about to be married. Sure, Claire's husband of twenty years left her for a younger woman four years ago, but that is all in the past. Now, Claire is looking forward to her daughter's Bahama wedding and spending a week in paradise. The only thing Claire dreads is her ex-husband and his wife will also be on the island. Claire is determined to make the best of it, though. What Claire doesn't realize is ignoring her ex-husband for the week is going to be impossible.

James Martin's life is a mess. His wife of less than four years has made him the most miserable man on earth and now they are in the middle of a messy divorce. He's happy that he can forget her for a week as he goes off to the Bahamas to attend his lovely daughter's wedding. Jim is embarrassed to admit to his daughter and his ex-wife, Claire, that he made the biggest mistake of his life when he left her for another woman, so he makes up a story as to why his new wife didn't come along. When he and Claire are unexpectedly forced upon each other, Jim soon realizes what he's lost and he begins to wonder if he can find a way back into Claire's heart.

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Review

Claire Martin is looking forward to her beloved daughter's destination wedding, except for seeing her former husband who left her for a younger woman. She's determined not to let it faze her. After all, Claire's made the most of her life since; she's a successful business woman and has a dependable man in her life.

What she doesn't know is that James, the love of her life and father of her child, is miserable and regrets his rash decision to leave. When fate throws Claire and James together in an intimate setting during their daughter's wedding, old sparks ignite. But can they overcome the past hurt?

Deanna Lynn Sletten is masterful when it comes to creating rich, memorable characters. Claire took the lemons life handed her and turned them into lemonade; she didn't just crumble when her husband left. She clawed her way back to a life and found success. Unfortunately, she kept a wall around her heart because of it and chose the boring, but dependable, mate the second time around. 

James is man enough to admit he made a mistake. I wanted to hate him, much like Claire wanted to, but I couldn't. That's a tribute to the author's ability to make you care, even when the characters are flawed.

Plus, I loved the setting--who doesn't want to fall in love at a destination wedding, especially to the man you're meant to be with? Finally, it was nice to read a character-driven romance with two mature people who could see love through more than rose-colored, or crazy passion-colored, glasses.

I highly recommend Destination Wedding, especially if you are a reader who wants to emotionally connect to characters. A great summer read!

Rating: 4.5 stars

I've become a real fan of Deanna Lynn Sletten's work. Take a moment and check out my reviews for two of her other books: Summer of the Loon and Maggie's Turn.

About the Author

Deanna Lynn Sletten writes women’s fiction and romance novels that dig deeply into the lives of the characters, giving the reader an in-depth look into their hearts and souls. She has also written one middle-grade novel that takes you on the adventure of a lifetime.

Deanna’s romance novel, Memories, was a semifinalist in The Kindle Book Review’s Best Indie Books of 2012. Her novel, Sara’s Promise, was a semifinalist in The Kindle Book Review’s Best Indie Books of 2013 and a finalist in the 2013 National Indie Excellence Book Awards.

Deanna is married and has two grown children. When not writing, she enjoys walking the wooded trails around her northern Minnesota home with her beautiful Australian Shepherd or relaxing in the boat on the lake in the summer.

Visit Deanna at her website at www.deannalsletten.com. Or, you can connect via Twitter and Facebook.

Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not requested or guaranteed; the opinions expressed are my own.

Summer of the Loon by Deanna Lynn Sletten (5 stars)

About Summer of the Loon
(from GoodReads)

From the author of Maggie's Turn and Sara's Promise comes a heartwarming story of family and first love.

Life can change in a heartbeat…

Ali Jenson's life changed forever the moment her mother died. The sixteen-year-old was suddenly swept away from the life she knew in California to live with her estranged grandfather in the deep woods of northern Minnesota. Ali's life has never been easy, but it seems her grandfather is trying his best to make it even more difficult. Her only hope is to get through the summer and her last year of high school so she can return to her old life in California. What she hadn't counted on, though, was slowly becoming attached to the grumpy old man and falling in love for the very first time.

Benjamin Jenson never planned on meeting his granddaughter, let alone having her live with him. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of a teenaged girl coming into his home or his life. He'd been down that path once before, and he didn't want to relive it again. But he is her only living relative, and he knew his deceased wife, Lizzie, would have wanted him to give Ali a home. Grudgingly, he figured he could put up with the girl for a year. He never expected Ali to find a way into his heart and make him face painful past memories and his worst fear. The fear of losing yet another person he loves.

Will Ben finally put away the past and give Ali the one thing she's always dreamed of? A home.

Buy at Amazon

NOTE: This eBook will be $1.99 (regularly priced $3.99) through 3/9/14.

Review

Growing up is hard. For Ali Jenson, it was something she had to do at a very young age. With no father and a mother lost in regret and alcohol, Ali didn't have a typical childhood. When her mother dies unexpectedly, Ali goes to live with the grandfather long cut out of their lives. Did he sever the ties or did her mother? There's so much Ali doesn't know.

Ben Jenson lives with his own regrets and loss. He doesn't know his granddaughter. Suddenly, she is moving in. When he looks at her, he sees his daughter and that brings up a lot of pain and distrust. Then, Ali meets Chase. What starts as a much-needed friendship quickly grows into something more. But this further complicates her relationship with Ben, because he fears Ali will make the same mistakes his daughter did.

Can Ben and Ali be the family they both need?

Ali grabbed my heart right away. She's a young girl all alone, but she's wise beyond her years. Instead of throwing a pity party and playing the blame game, she picks up the pieces of her life and tries her best. Her grandfather is a hard man, but it's obvious he painfully misses the two loves of his life--his wife and daughter. Even though I wanted to strangle him for being so difficult with Ali, he never seemed like a bad guy. Just a guy in pain.

As much as I loved these two characters, the heart of the book was Jo, Ben's girlfriend and Chase's mother. She was the quiet force that kept pushing Ali and Ben together. And Chase was the kind of young man every girl should meet--sweet, mature, and giving. 

I highly recommend Summer of the Loon. It's a poignant tale with endearing characters. From page one, you'll be rooting for these characters to find love and acceptance. If you are looking for romance, emotional investment, and a touching coming-of-age story, this one is a winner.

Rating: 5 stars

Please check out my review of Deanna Lynn Sletten's contemporary women's fiction novel, Maggie's Turn here. She's fast becoming a fave!

About the Author

Deanna Lynn Sletten writes women’s fiction and romance novels that dig deeply into the lives of the characters, giving the reader an in-depth look into their hearts and souls. She has also written one middle-grade novel that takes you on the adventure of a lifetime.

Deanna’s romance novel, Memories, was a semifinalist in The Kindle Book Review’s Best Indie Books of 2012. Her novel, Sara’s Promise, was a semifinalist in The Kindle Book Review’s Best Indie Books of 2013 and a finalist in the 2013 National Indie Excellence Book Awards.

Deanna is married and has two grown children. When not writing, she enjoys walking the wooded trails around her northern Minnesota home with her beautiful Australian Shepherd or relaxing in the boat on the lake in the summer.

Visit Deanna at her website at www.deannalsletten.com. Or, you can connect via Twitter and Facebook.

Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not requested or guaranteed; the opinions expressed are my own.

Maggie's Turn by Deanna Lynn Sletten (4.5 stars) -- Review & First Chapter Reveal

About Maggie's Turn

Maggie Harrison is a devoted wife and mother, always putting the needs of her family ahead of her own. Then, one day, without planning to, she drives away, leaving behind an indifferent husband and two sulking teenagers. Maggie goes off on a quest of self-exploration, enjoying adventures, meeting new people, and rediscovering her passions. For the first time in years, she dreams about what she wants out of life, and she realizes that her deteriorating marriage can no longer continue as it is. Can she and Andrew repair their floundering relationship, or is their marriage over?

Andrew Harrison likes his life to be in perfect order. He enjoys his work and status in the community, leaving Maggie to take care of everything at home. He knows his marriage isn’t perfect, but after twenty-three years and two kids, whose marriage is? When Maggie leaves without a word, he is forced to start paying more attention to his home life and his almost grown children, and he begins to do a little self-exploration of his own. Slowly, he begins to understand what drove Maggie away, and how important she is in his life. Is it too late to resolve their differences and save their marriage? Or will Andrew lose Maggie forever?

Purchase your copy at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction
Author: Deanna Lynn Sletten
Publisher: CreateSpace
Pages: 246
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1491277289
ISBN-13: 978-1491277287

Review

Maggie Harrison gives everything to her family and friends. So much so, that she forgets to take care of herself. When she reaches her breaking point, as much a surprise to her as everyone else, she takes off and keeps going.

Her husband, Andrew, is initially blindsided. But once his anger begins to fade and he sees everything crumbling without his wife, he realizes he's about to lose the best thing that has ever happened to him. But is he too late?

Although a simple story, one that doesn't requite twists and turns and shock value, Maggie's Turn packs an emotional punch. It really spoke to me. As a reader, I can't predict where other people are when they read something, but I was in a place to really immerse myself in Maggie's life. Character-driven stories appeal to me, especially when I care about what happens to them.

Sometimes a real story, one with everyday feelings and emotions, is like a warm chocolate chip cookie for the soul. Maggie's Turn is that story. At least, I can honestly say it touched my heart and reminded me to live every day to its fullest.

Rating: 4.5 stars

First Chapter Reveal

It had not been a good morning at the Harrison household. At least not for Maggie. Her nineteen-year-old son, Kyle, had slept in late, which meant he was late showering and would be late to one of the four college courses he was intent upon failing. Because he was running behind, her fourteen-year-old daughter, Kaia, was late getting ready for school, which meant Maggie’s husband, Andrew, had to rush to shower for work. And, of course, Maggie had to rush too since she was always the last person to use the bathroom.

Kaia was pouting and stomping around, because she’d wanted to get to school early to “hang” with her friends. Kyle rolled his eyes as he went out the door to his rusted pickup truck, mumbling that it really didn’t matter if he made it to class or not. And Andrew ran through his schedule with Maggie as he rushed out the door to work.

“Remember, I have a seven o’clock meeting tonight, so make sure dinner is on time so I’m not late,” he instructed Maggie and was gone a second later.

All Maggie had time for was one long sigh as she slipped a light sweater over her head, pulled on khaki pants, and grabbed her short, red wool jacket and purse, then ran out the door, hoping Kaia wouldn’t be late for school.

Maggie stole a glance at her sulking daughter as she maneuvered her minivan through the morning traffic. Kaia was a pretty girl with long, thick auburn hair and brilliant blue eyes. Her clear skin was still lightly tanned from summer vacation. She’d be even prettier, Maggie thought, if she’d smile once in a while. Maggie couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen Kaia smile. Or joke, or tease. It seemed, in one instant, she’d gone from a happy, young girl to a sulking teenager. But Maggie couldn’t complain. Despite Kaia’s constant irritation with her, she was a good student, had nice friends, and wasn’t a troublemaker. Maggie knew she was fortunate for that. Both her children had turned out to be decent people, if not a little confused about life. But who wasn’t confused at their ages? Fourteen and nineteen weren’t easy. Maggie tried to understand and give them room to figure things out, but sometimes, it was so difficult. Kyle had gone from a high school honor graduate to a flunking college student, and he didn’t seem to care one bit. All he seemed to enjoy was his part-time job at the local motorcycle shop. Seven-fifty an hour seemed fine to him. He had no financial obligations other than keeping gas in his pickup and going out with friends. Maggie sometimes wondered how he thought he’d make it on his own without a decent education, but she forced herself not to obsess over it. She had so many other things she could choose to worry about.

The traffic was heavy despite the fact that Woodroe was a small, northern Minnesota town of about twenty thousand people. Maggie couldn’t help but sigh again as she followed the parade of parents in minivans and SUVs in a rush to drop their children off at school. It was only the third week of school, and she was already tired of the morning traffic in and out of the much-too-small middle school parking lot. There was no doubt at all in Maggie’s mind, parents in minivans and SUVs were the worst drivers on the planet. She found herself in near-accidents at least three times daily upon entering or driving through the parking lot. Everyone had somewhere better to be and needed to get there faster than the next person. It was the same old story, year after year.

Maggie followed the other parents in the long line entering the parking lot, waiting her turn to drop Kaia off at the front entrance. Country music blared from the minivan’s speakers—Kaia’s choice. Maggie always let Kaia choose the music when they rode together. It was much easier than fighting over the radio. Soon enough, Maggie would be able to pop in the CD of her choice as she headed home.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t get here earlier,” Maggie offered, as they pulled up in front of the school and stopped.

“Whatever,” Kaia said under her breath, as she gathered her book bag and tennis racket. “Remind Dad to pick me up after tennis practice tonight,” were her last words before slamming the van’s door and stalking off. She didn’t give her mother time to say goodbye or even wish her a good day.

Maggie tried not to take it personally, but her heart felt heavy as she turned AM to CD on the stereo and listened to Bob Seger sing “Roll Me Away”, a song about escaping down a western highway on his big two-wheeler. Maggie had bought the CD on a whim two weeks ago, remembering how much she’d loved listening to Seger years ago, before marriage, before kids, and before life took control of her instead of the other way around. His music had a freeing effect, and she’d been listening to it continuously ever since.

Maggie dutifully followed the line of cars out of the parking lot to go home. She was relieved she didn’t have to work today. Three days a week, she worked at a group home with developmentally challenged adults. It was gratifying working with her challenged friends, and she enjoyed it, but sometimes, it was exhausting meeting their needs all day, then going home to care for the needs of her family. Lately, she’d felt overwhelmed by it all—home, work, Andrew, and the kids. There never seemed to be a break in everyone’s needs and wants.

Once, a long time ago, Maggie had dreamt of being a professional photographer and owning her own shop, where she could sell photos and artwork by area artists. When she and Andrew were newlyweds, they’d talked about this often, and Andrew had said that once they were settled and had some money, it might be a possibility. But the years went by, and Maggie became so enveloped in the children’s lives, and in Andrew’s, that her dreams had been put on the backburner, long forgotten. Today, though, as Maggie sat in traffic behind other mothers and fathers leaving the middle school, she thought about her old dreams and wondered if they would ever come true.

As the music played and traffic crawled along, she let her mind drift back to the morning rush at home. Andrew hadn’t kissed her goodbye. Not even a peck on the cheek. When was the last time he had? She really couldn’t remember. Was it a year ago, two years ago? The heaviness in her chest swelled. Their relationship had changed greatly in the twenty-three years they’d been married. She remembered back to when they first began dating in college in Seattle, Washington. He’d moved there for school to experience something different from his small-town upbringing. Her father had been stationed there at a military base. Andrew had been a communications major, and she’d majored in art, focusing on photography. He’d been very conservative then, but her impulsive nature had brought out the fun side in him. She’d planned trips on a whim, dragging him along with her and her camera to rocky cliffs, sandy beaches, and romantic parks on Puget Sound. Sometimes, they drove to Lake Tahoe and stayed the weekend without even a second thought. She made him promise on the day they married that they would always allow a little wanderlust in their lives, no matter how conventional they became. And she’d believed him when he said they would.

Maggie pulled up and stopped at the red light where she was to turn north to go home. She hit the back button on the stereo to once again play “Roll Me Away”. She didn’t switch her right blinker on to signal her turn. She just sat there, looking straight ahead. The lane headed west, just as Bob said he was doing in the song. West, across the plains, over the mountains, to the ocean. She glanced at the back seat, where her Cannon camera lay in its case. Beside it, her laptop computer also sat. Wouldn’t it be fun, just for a little while, to drive a different direction and take a few snapshots? Just a few miles, not too far, not for too long. Maggie’s heavy heart lightened at the thought, and a smile lit up her blue eyes. North or west? One direction meant home, the other, adventure. North or west?
The light changed to green, and Maggie didn’t give it another thought. She turned up her stereo, smiled wide, and said out loud to no one but herself, “Roll me away.” And she rolled clean out of sight.

To read more, please visit here.

About the Author

Deanna Lynn Sletten writes women’s fiction and romance novels that dig deeply into the lives of the characters, giving the reader an in-depth look into their hearts and souls. She has also written one middle-grade novel that takes you on the adventure of a lifetime.

Deanna’s romance novel, Memories, was a semifinalist in The Kindle Book Review’s Best Indie Books of 2012. Her novel, Sara’s Promise, was a semifinalist in The Kindle Book Review’s Best Indie Books of 2013 and a finalist in the 2013 National Indie Excellence Book Awards.

Deanna is married and has two grown children. When not writing, she enjoys walking the wooded trails around her northern Minnesota home with her beautiful Australian Shepherd or relaxing in the boat on the lake in the summer.

Her latest book is the contemporary women’s fiction, Maggie’s Turn.

Visit Deanna at her website at www.deannalsletten.com. Or, you can connect via Twitter and Facebook.

Please visit other stops on the Maggie's Turn blog tour page.

 

Thanks to Pump Up Your Book for including me on this blog tour.

Note: I received a complimentary copy from Pump Up Your Book for review purposes. No other compensation was received. A positive review was not guaranteed or requested; the views expressed are my own.