by Vivian Arend
Blurb:
With
the ranch teetering on the brink of disaster, accepting an invitation to the
gala of the year is a top business priority for Luke Stone. Having a
significant other on his arm isn’t merely a good idea, it’s a necessity.
Doesn't matter that he’s currently single—there’s a logical solution. Kelli is
easy company, a vital part of ranch operations, and willing to sing Silver
Stone’s praises all day long. She’ll be perfect.
Kelli
James has kept a lot of secrets over the eight years since she boldly walked onto
the ranch. Her biggest challenge, though, has been hiding her crush on the
sexiest cowboy she’s ever laid eyes on. When Luke informs her they’re headed to
the mountains for a week-long, work-related event, she’s not sure what to
expect.
That
he signed her up to play the part of the perfect rancher’s bride-to-be wasn’t
it…
Themes: Contemporary, Western
Rating: 4.5 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
Wow, now that is one way to take a business function
and turn it into the opportunity of a lifetime!
The
Hearts Falls series continues with a friends-to-lovers story that will
warm the heart while giving you that little jump in the belly that makes any
Vivian Arend story so enchanting. There
is just that little bit of Cinderella vibe in this amazing story of a woman
that has finally decided to embrace the chance to take her feelings for the man
of her dreams to the next level. For
long-time readers of the series we have watched anxiously as the Silver Stone
ranch has slowly dug herself out of the hole, with her owners each working in
their own way to bring her back into the black, and the time has come for Luke
to do his part. This story is one that I
have anticipated as long time as we have watched Luke struggle through breaking
off his engagement and trying to find his footing as well as seeing Kelli’s
unrequited love for him. While his
brothers and her friends have found love, they have remained friends, circling
one another but neither seeing the other, but the time has come for that to
change. While I am sad to see that Dustin will have to wait a while for his story, I know that there will be more stories set in this world and
revolving around this family as well as their extended family, the Whiskey
Creek Colemans, which I am SUPER excited about and I know that will make 2019
an exciting year.
Luke
Stone has gotten an amazing opportunity for the ranch, but it comes with a
pretty big catch—he has to convince the ever frustrating Kelli to pose as his fiancée
for a week. When he makes the decision
not to tell her that part of the deal until the last minute, he never imagines just how drastically she will turn the tables on him. Kelli James has been just a little bit in
love with Luke since the first moment she laid eyes on him, but now that they
are both grown and free she is determined to take this chance to have him in
her bed, and isn’t above a bit of extorrtion to get what she wants. Putting all her cards on the table, Kelli
opens Luke’s eyes to the passion they could share and soon he is unable to
resist the woman that he has overlooked for so many years. As the week passes and they get closer and
closer, their passions burning hotter, Kelli and Luke also come to
understand that their feelings for one another might just be deeper than either
ever understood. When they return home,
Luke is unwilling to given up their new connection, but can Kelli come to terms
with dating the boss and can they both come to terms with the fact that their
lives may never go back to the way there were when a life altering truth from Kelli’s
past comes to light?
Luke
is HOTT, let’s just get that part out there first. A sexy as hell cowboy in Levis and boots,
with that little bit of caveman buried under the cowboy charm makes him beyond
irresistible to just about any woman.
But beyond that he is smart, savvy and supportive to those he loves
which makes him the perfect guy in my opinion.
He, of course, makes boneheaded mistakes, like all men, but unlike many, he
learns from his mistakes and is quick to make corrections when he sees his
course is veering too far into dangerous territory. I loved seeing the way he helps Kelli to
blossom once he finally open his eyes to the woman she has been hiding behind
her simple denim and boots, but he also respects that she is who she is and doesn’t
need to change to be loved. I enjoyed
seeing him working and when he gave his full attention to showing Kelli how
she affected him I had to remove a few layers of my winter clothes to keep from
overheating! Kelli was the kind of young woman that I can see growing into a truly
strong matriarch and business owner, since she is already such a strong woman
for one so young. She has had a rough
life already, but it has made her unbreakable, tempered steel at its finest. It
was fun to watch her come out of her shell and find out that she is more than just
a ranch hand and could contribute more to the ranch that just doing chores and
training horses. She was a bit quick
here and there to try to protect herself from hurt by pushing others away, but I
loved how playful and sweet she could be when she let down her walls. It was also amazing to see how logical and
levelheaded she was when she finally came to terms with what she wanted and
that she could actually get it, if she just let herself reach for it.
Friends-to-lovers
is sometimes a tricky trope to pull off, but as always Arend finds a way to
pull it off with aplomb. Kelli and Luke
burn up the sheets of course, no doubt about it, but just as hot as they burn
there is a sweetness and emotional connection between these two that brings the
reader into the private world and allows us to share in their love. I enjoyed
every single moment of this story and cannot wait to return to their world
through the next series. Kelli was a
tiny powerhouse of passions, with a mouth to rival the raunchiest cowboy and a
heart big as the Canadian wilderness.
She might not have always known where she belonged in the world but once she
found her place, and the man that made that place into Home, she was determined
to do whatever it took to keep it safe and sound. Luke was just as determined to help his
family make their ranch back into a success, but he never imagined that one
week would change his life in so many ways, including showing him that Kelli
was the woman for him, even if he’d never truly seen her before then. He was the type of man that would give his
whole heart to the woman that steals it and give his all to give her the home
she never had and the future that they could build together. I loved seeing
Kelli and Luke circle one another until they finally came together and found
their way into each other’s arms. The
passion and heat between them left me reaching for ice water more than once and
I am more than ready to go back and reread this one just for some of the
highlights (*wink wink*, *nudge nudge*).
I am dying to see where Vivian takes us with the new spin in the series, with the
Colemans of Hearts Falls beginning with The Cowgirl's Forever Love, which I believe will be between Lisa and Josiah and
I can already tell will be full of sparks.
If you are looking for a story between two people that will show you the
great passion to be found in the world and the fun that can come between two
stubborn people when they find it, you can never go wrong with an Arend
novel. Another amazing tale of love and emotion,
Vivian, and I cannot wait for what’s next.
*eARC provided by author for the
purpose of an honest and unbiased review.
No compensation was provided.
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