Publisher: HQN Books (July 1, 2016)
Series: Copper Ridge, 5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Can the golden boy of Copper Ridge, Oregon, get a second chance at happy-ever-after?
Ranching heir Colton West knew his wedding would be the talk of the town. But he didn't expect to get left at the altar—or to escape on the next flight to Vegas with Lydia Carpenter, the woman who gets under his skin like no one else. The only thing crazier than honeymooning with Lydia is waking up married to her. So why does he find himself entertaining his new wife's desire to stay married—and fantasizing about a real wedding night?
As Copper Ridge's prospective mayor, Lydia can't risk a divorce scandal so close to election time. But pretending to be blissfully in love with her new husband is more confusing than she'd thought. For a man who's always rubbed her the wrong way, Colton suddenly seems to know exactly what to do with his hands. And his lips. Now Lydia's wildest mistake could turn out to be her luckiest move, if they're both willing to take the ultimate gamble…
Ranching heir Colton West knew his wedding would be the talk of the town. But he didn't expect to get left at the altar—or to escape on the next flight to Vegas with Lydia Carpenter, the woman who gets under his skin like no one else. The only thing crazier than honeymooning with Lydia is waking up married to her. So why does he find himself entertaining his new wife's desire to stay married—and fantasizing about a real wedding night?
As Copper Ridge's prospective mayor, Lydia can't risk a divorce scandal so close to election time. But pretending to be blissfully in love with her new husband is more confusing than she'd thought. For a man who's always rubbed her the wrong way, Colton suddenly seems to know exactly what to do with his hands. And his lips. Now Lydia's wildest mistake could turn out to be her luckiest move, if they're both willing to take the ultimate gamble…
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My Review:
Nothing as scandalous as being left at the altar . . . except for getting drunk with the bridesmaid and flying off to Vegas to marry her instead. After waking up naked in a hotel room with only a few memories of the night before, and more than a few drunk texts sent back home, Colton decides he’ll have to stay married to Lydia for now, in order to protect his mother from the added drama. Colton has his reasons for carrying on the pretend marriage (and making it seem believable) and Lydia has hers -- she’s running for mayor of the town and doesn’t need the scandal of a quickie wedding AND divorce. But neither one of them are ready to admit that perhaps the reason they’ve been snapping at each other all these years wasn’t because they hated each other, but rather the attraction was simply too tempting to resist. Can they finally let the attraction take over while keeping their hearts safe?
Much like the previous Yates novel I read (Brokedown Cowboy), Tough Luck Hero is a sweet yet sexy and fun small town romance with great characters. I’ve only visited Copper Ridge twice now (both times out of order) but I will be back to visit again and catch up on the other couples. Since I’ve read this series out of order, I think it’s safe to say you can read this one as a standalone without any trouble.
I loved the chemistry between Lydia and Colton. It’s been simmering since they first met years ago, but as he was involved with her (at the time) best friend, nothing ever happened. Instead, they got into the habit of snapping at each other, hoping to hide their attraction from the other. And it mostly worked, though more than a few friends and townspeople claim they saw through the act all along. The dynamic for most of the book is very much a “I don’t really like you but I can’t stop thinking about you, DAMMIT!” which is always, for me at least, a fun theme when done well. And Yates definitely handled it very nicely.
I also approve of Colton’s cure for his crankiness (finger banging Lydia against the wall of the shed) and his showing Lydia that it’s okay to be vocal during sex and ask for what you want and need. (Um, yes please!)
"You didn't want me to be a gentleman a few minutes ago."
"Yeah, well, things change. When I'm hungry, I want French fries. When I'm not hungry, I don't want French fries. That's not being fickle. That's just...Things change when appetites have been satisfied."
"First of all," he said, "you're a liar. You don't not want French fries just because you ate French fries and aren't hungry anymore. You still want French fries. It's a constant state of being. You would take French fries again immediately after already having had French fries."
Maybe he wasn't talking about French fries.
Well, it was true about French fries, but mostly he was thinking about sex.
"Maybe that's true of some people, Colton. But some of us aren't gluttonous."
"Well that's just a damn lie," he said. "Some of us might hide it. Some of us might do our damnedest to keep it very down deep. Some of us might even lie to ourselves about it," he said, leaning closer, assaulted by the delicate, feminine scent of her. "But all of us are gluttons, Lydia."
I could definitely connect to Colton and how he felt it was his responsibility to take care of his family, to keep them from completely falling apart. Oh yes, I well understand a lot of that. But I could also connect with Lydia on some things, too, including her need to have her own space, a place that was just hers.
A charming and sexy read about how opposites attract, and how a fake marriage turns into so much more. If you love a good small-town contemporary, you need to be reading Copper Ridge.
4 STARS!
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I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley.
*Note: The quote used belongs to Maisey Yates; TBQ's Book Palace does not claim it. Any mistakes or typos in the quotes are my own fault.
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Another read with a ton of quotes, some really long and hard to capture without the full context of the scene. But I somehow managed to narrow it down to just that one. Just know there are many, many other quotes I loved from this book. :)
Have you read Maisey Yates? Do you have a favorite of hers?
Have you read Maisey Yates? Do you have a favorite of hers?
Enjoy!
Until Next Time,
*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!
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