Title: Loving Cara (Love Under the Big Sky Series, Book #1)
Author: Kristen Proby
Release Date: January 21, 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance
CHEMISTRY WAS NEVER THIS SEXY IN HIGH SCHOOL.
In her sizzling new series, USA Today bestselling author Kristen Proby sets the stage for a passionate reunion under the breathtaking Montana sky.
Cara Donovan’s summer tutoring job is turning out to be a challenge—and not just because of her troubled twelve-year-old student. It’s his uncle Josh who’s the real problem. If problem is the word for an irresistibly cocky, muscle-bound rancher with a taste for tight Levi’s and shameless flirtation. . . .
Cara is nothing like the wallflower Josh King remembers good-naturedly teasing in high school. This Cara is gorgeous, confident, fun. From the moment the fiery teacher steps foot on his family’s Lazy K Ranch, the stubborn playboy is determined to corral her. So what happens when his luscious lover takes over the reins?
The first in a steamy trilogy, Kristen Proby’s enthralling novel is filled to the brim with one hardworking family’s triumphs and challenges, all the wild adventure of the modern West, and a whole lot of titillating fun.
I am SO excited for this series and cannot wait for the next book, Seducing Lauren!
Title: Seducing Lauren (Love Under the Big Sky Series, Book #2)
Author: Kristen Proby
Release Date: August 19, 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance
In the second book in the Love Under the Big Sky series from this USA TODAY bestselling author of the With Me in Seattle series, life in Montana gets spicy when a woman and her divorce lawyer sign off the papers—and sign on to love.
Now that his best friend, Josh, has happily settled down with his true love on a Montana ranch, small-town lawyer Ty Sullivan starts thinking that maybe single life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And when Lauren Cunningham’s no-good ex-husband comes after her for an unexpected trust fund, Ty steps in to protect her. But soon he can’t help but think of her as more than a client. Lauren’s in no mood to jump into another relationship, so how can Ty convince her that her mistake wasn’t getting married, but marrying the wrong guy?
It’s the little things that make me giddy…and something that makes me very giddy is being able to sit down with two my most favorite characters! I am absolutely over the moon in love with Cara and Josh and cannot believe I lucked out in getting a chance to pick their brains. Plus I did say I wanted to go to Montana, maybe I can bring some of these Cowboys back with me to Texas and see how they handle it! 😛
I arrive at the Lazy K Ranch where I am greeted by a gorgeous Cara and even-more-delicious-than-I-imagined Josh. They take me for a wonderful tour around the property and it’s absolutely breathtaking. When we come back around to the main house there is a lovely picnic set up outside and I’m really considering a move to Montana if this is what is in store for me!
Lisa: “Well thank you again for sitting down with me, I really appreciate it.”
Cara: “Of course!”
Lisa: “Shall we get started?”
Josh: “Sure.”
Lisa: “Well, I’ll start with Cara – I love love LOVE your relationship with Jill…how exactly did ya’ll meet and become best buds? I feel like there is a good story there…”
Cara: “Jill and I have been best friends since kindergarten, when she punched a boy for pulling my hair.”
Lisa: “Awww…how sweet. What made you want to be a teacher?”
Cara: “Kids are awesome. I love their honesty, even when I don’t necessarily want to hear what they have to say. They’re also challenging.”
Lisa: “Summarize Josh in one sentence.”
Cara: “Sexiest damn thing I’ve ever seen.”
Lisa: “Well, I definitely can’t argue with that. Would you ever go back to wearing your hair curly if Josh asked you? 🙂 (very nicely and of course involving chocolate…)”
Cara: “Well, right now it’s at that in-between stage, where I really need to have it straightened again, so it’s wavy. He likes it, but I won’t let it get any curlier. It starts to take on a life of its own.”
Lisa: “Gotcha – what do your parents think of Josh?”
Cara: “My parents have always loved the King family. They like Josh very much.”
Lisa: “Well that’s awesome. Alright Josh, it’s your turn.”
Josh: “I’m ready.”
Lisa: “You seem to be fascinated by Cara’s hair…which I kind of love…why is that?” 🙂
Josh: “Cara has the sexiest damn hair. It’s soft and smells great. I prefer it curly, but she’s under some impression that it should be straight.”
Lisa: “Best and worst thing about being a twin?”
Josh: “Best thing: someone to blame shit on. Worst thing: getting blamed for every damn thing.”
Lisa: “Hmm…good point there! Summarize Cara in one sentence.”
Josh: “Everything.”
*Swoon*
Lisa: “What do you love most about working on the ranch? Anything you hate or…not particularly care to much for?” J
Josh: “I love that my family has owned and made the ranch successful for so long. Shoveling shit sucks, but now we have Seth around for that.” 😉
Lisa: “Poor Seth! Speaking of…I’m so over the moon for Zach and Seth and their relationship – totally made me cry at the fireworks – how are they doing?”
Josh: “They seem to be doing great. They’re learning each other and they have their moments, but I think their relationship is the strongest it’s been in a long time.”
Lisa: “Good to hear. Okay, let’s do a few questions together – what are your favorite five things about each other? (physical, non-physical, whatever!)”
Cara: “His ass. His smile. The way he hugs me. His love of his family. He has this thing he does when he…”
Josh immediately cuts her off before she can utter another syllable.
Josh: “My turn! The way she looks in my T-shirts. Waking her up in the morning. Watching her teach Seth. Playing word games on the couch. Her ass.
Lisa: “Oooh…good lists! What’s your most annoying pet peeve?”
Cara: “When he doesn’t clean up his whiskers in the sink.”
Josh: “I love everything about her.”
*Swoon again*
Lisa: “What do you consider your worst flaw?”
Cara: “My thighs.”
Josh: “Shut up. I like your thighs.”
Cara: “Answer the question. What’s your worst flaw?”
Josh: “I have flaws?”
OMG these two are too much!
Lisa: “I’m sure each of you has a favorite memory of you two growing up together…what is it?”
Cara: “He would smile and say hi to me whenever he passed me in the hall in school.”
Josh: “I liked to tug on her hair. I still do.”
Lisa: “Yes…and I think it’s too cute for words. Where do you see yourselves in 5 years?”
Cara: “Together.”
Josh: “For sure. With babies.”
Lisa: “Sounds good! Alright…almost done, let’s do a little game of either/or…Soda or Tea?”
Josh: “Tea.”
Lisa: “Sweet or Sour?”
Cara: “Both.”
Lisa: “Loud or Quiet?”
Cara: “Quiet.”
Lisa: “Chocolate or Vanilla?”
Cara: “Chocolate.”
Lisa: “Hard or soft?”
Josh laughs…
Josh: “Hard.”
Mmm…well that sounds promising. 😛
Lisa: “Books or movies?”
Josh: “Movies.”
Lisa: “Fast or slow?”
Josh looks over at Cara with a devilish gleam in his eye and winks…
Josh: “Both.”
Lisa: “Nice! Alright, last round and I know you guys will like this…rapid fire – tell me the first thing that comes to mind…horses?”
Josh: “Yes.”
Lisa: “Zach?”
Josh: “Pain in the ass.”
Lisa: “Montana?”
Cara: “Home.”
Lisa: “Seth?”
Josh: “Where he needs to be.”
Lisa: “Early Mornings?”
Cara: “Let me sleep!”
Lisa: “Misty?”
Josh: “No comment.”
Lisa: “Chocolate?”
Cara: “Gimme.”
She’s so cute!
Lisa: “Ty?”
Cara: “Friend.”
Lisa: “Family?
Josh: “The best.”
Lisa: “Josh?”
Cara: “Mine.”
Lisa: “Cara?”
Josh: “Love.”
Lisa: “Love?”
Cara: “Always.”
*Swoon….again* Gosh I love these two to bits and pieces.
Lisa: “Well I really appreciate you indulging me. This was such a treat.”
Cara: “You’re welcome back anytime.”
I give them both hugs…Josh gives amazing hugs BTW…and unfortunately drag myself away from the gorgeous ranch and the gorgeous couple. #MovingToMontana
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*
4.5 “So beautiful” “happy place” “caveman” Kisses
I love what just happened to me. Like…more than love it, I live for it. When I don’t just read a book…when it consumes me. Literally sucks me into this lovely little world with characters I can’t get enough of, a story that both intrigues me and entertains me and then when it’s over just spits me out and leaves a happy little book worm in my place. That’s what Loving Cara just did to me…that’s what I can guarantee will happen when I read Kristen Proby…and that’s why I love reading as much as I do. For these moments and these feelings.
Carolina Donovan…I totally have a girl crush on Cara – she is seriously one of the most likeable characters I have ever read. She’s a cute-n-tiny little thing…blonde with hazel eyes that change color based on her mood. She’s down to earth and genuine…kind and sweet….smart with a huge heart and a lovable personality. I loved her passion for teaching and the way she handled Seth, Josh’s nephew. I loved her spunk, tenacity & she’s a sassy! I absolutely loved the relationships she had with the people in this book but my second favorite relationship she has was with her best friend Jill – of course her and Josh were my favorite (duh!). Carebear and Jillybean! (they’re nicknames for each other – hello?!? Awesome…) Even living in two different states they have a very strong bond and I loved it. But…let’s talk about the bond I loved more… 🙂
‘Only with great effort does my jaw not drop.
Jesus, we breed hot men in Montana.’
Joshua King…oh my yummy cowboy goodness – saddle up girls cause Josh is a million different kinds of delicious. He is just hotness personified…and he’s so scrumptious…he needs a list:
1. He’s TDH (Tall…mmmm – 6’3”, yes please! Dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes…and oh-so-handsome!)
2. He’s a cowboy…hot tight Levi’s (not Wranglers!)…sounds good to me
3. He’s a dominating caveman…
4. He has an equally delicious twin
5. He can say the most amazingly swoontastic things that melt me to my core
6. He’s got muscles for days
7. He’s a morning person 🙂
8. He’s got a kind heart
9. He’s got a nice ass that looks amazing in a pair of those Levi’s I mentioned earlier 😉
10. And I saved the best one for last…he’s got a weakness for Cara
Pick just about every characteristic I love in a book boyfriend, shake it up and out would pop Josh King. There just aren’t enough words in the English language for how much I adore him. Everything from his looks to his personality are just spot on perfection in my eyes…more than what my list covers. He’s an awesome brother/uncle/son, he’s an incredible boyfriend to Cara, he’s a hard worker, he’s romantic and thoughtful and sweet…and yes he’s a guy so he does some dumb stuff on occasion but then he turns it around and makes it better. More than better…he makes it perfect. He’s just flat out wonderful and I want to eat all 6’3” of him up!
‘“Your eyes are amazing, Cara.”
“They’re kind of weird,” I whisper.
“No, they’re not weird.” He shakes his head slowly. “I’ve just never seen eyes that go from amber to hazel to green. I wonder what color they are when you’re turned on?”
Whatever color they are right now!’
This book left me ‘a panty-soaked, gasping-for-breath mess.’ And yes…I just used a quote from the book to describe how the book made me feel. 🙂 Cause it fits! Freakin Cara and Josh are deliciously smoking hot…I felt their chemistry and connection in every cell of my being and I craved more of it. They’re not just sexual and primal…which….they were that too and I freaking loved that….but it was more than that. I knew they were attracted to each other which is what hooked me but the fact that they cared about each other is what kept me going. The things they said and their actions pulled me in and kept me begging for more and more of them. I’m like a Cara and Josh fiend now begging for my next fix – they’re that addictive! It doesn’t hurt the fact that they have a certain factor that always is guaranteed to get me. History. It does it every time. I mean…it’s not like they were BFF or anything…but they weren’t perfect strangers. And don’t even get me started on his whole fascination with her hair thing…he used to pull on her curls when they were in school – it’s just the cutest thing ever.
“So tired,” I mutter, and yawn deeply.
“So beautiful.”
“You say that a lot.” I lean back and look up into his dark face. I can see his smile in the moonlight. “I think it a lot.”
Kristen Proby has a knack for writing romance novels that just get me – they have the perfect blend of steam and romance, humor and angst, with characters that I straight up love to bits a pieces and cannot get enough of. All of the characters in this book are so freaking real I feel like I know them. I want to know them. Well…I don’t want to know Misty…in fact, I’d really like to slap that bitch – but everyone else freaking rocks my face off. And speaking of feeling…the love and passion that her characters have for each other is palpable. All of the emotions are – heck the angst with Cara and Josh brought me to tears because I was in such a ball of knots over what was happening. But that’s what her writing does to me…every time. One thing I can almost always guarantee with Kristen’s book is getting sucked into this lull of comfortability. I don’t feel like I’m reading, I feel like I am experiencing and yes there are ups and downs, highs and lows but it’s an insanely pleasurable ride through it all and coming out the other side with that gorgeous HEA to greet me. I cannot get enough of her writing, her flow, her style – the dialogue is spot on, there is a terrific blend of fact and fluff with a healthy sprinkling of this incredible sexiness…it just does it for me.
“I love you, Carolina Donovan, more than I ever thought was possible.” He nudges his nose against mine and then rests his forehead on my forehead, sighing deeply. “I don’t remember what my life was like before you.”
I seriously feel like I’ve been holding my breath for Loving Cara since I heard about it and my expectations were more than met…I am thrilled and positively giddy over what the rest of the Love Under the Big Sky series will bring and might be looking into taking a trip up to Montana. Maybe. 🙂 So now I’ll be anxiously awaiting Seducing Lauren because the tease that is in the back of LC only made me want it more. Ty is a sexy, tatt’d up bad boy lawyer that is making me drool already and I really like Lauren’s attitude.
Kristen is the author of the Amazon and USA Today bestselling With Me In Seattle series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong characters who love humor and have a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves.
Kristen spends her days with her muse in the Pacific Northwest. She enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps. Check out Kristen’s Website
Their smooth talk and dominance
Being alpha, but can also be sensitive.
I think guys who are sexy are alpha males without being condescending to women.
What makes a character sexy? I think their strength and compassion. People who can show care and concern fir another is sexy. One who is more interested in how the other smells great, how they notice the subtle things that are pleasing to them. Not necessarily how much they spent on their clothes or car or home. A person that is not so needy on another to exist. 🙂
I love a character to be strong or trying to achieve better in his or herself. I love people who stand up for themselves and for others no matter what
Compassion!
Confidence is sexy to me 🙂
Hot, they stand up for themselves, brave, strong-willed, compassionate, and guys: sexy and muscular!
I think a man’s eyes are sexy. The tell you what he’s thinking and feeling. If he’s angry, possessive or horny. They truly are the windows to the soul.
Bravery, courage and confidence and compassion
The way he treats his lady makes a man sexy in my eyes
Way he treats his lady and Compassion!
Thanks for the giveaway! There are many things I like for a character to have to consider them “sexy.” They need to be sweet and nice but also a touch of bad. Cause everyone needs a little bit of everything to have a great personality. (:
I am not into this genre of books but it sounds great. Thank you for this review.