A Daughter's Place

A Daughter's Place by CJ Carmichael

When Libby Bateson was seventeen her world fell apart.  Her mother and brother were killed in a tragic accident and another trauma leaves her pregnant and homeless.  Now, eight years later, Libby finds herself needing to seek shelter with her now-reclusive father whom the entire community believes she abandoned.  Does she have the courage and strength to claim a place in his world for her and her daughter, even if he isn't ready to give it?

Gibson Browning knows a lot about the struggles of being a single parent.  After his wife's death five years ago, Gibson has been doing the best he can to give his daughter everything she needs.  But when his best friend's little sister moves back to town after eight years with a daughter of her own, Gibson is forced to re-evaluate his struggles and parenting style.  Can he and Libby find a happy medium, or will they be forever separated by a secret Libby is just not ready to share?

How many ways can you break a person until they are damaged?  I think this book was a perfect study in just that subject.  Poor Libby is put through the ringer in more nightmarish ways than any one person would care to imagine, yet she still manages to come out of it.  Not on top, just above water.  She is not proud.  She is not even a shining example of how to handle a situation.  But she survives.  That in and of itself is remarkable.  Her daughter still loves her and comes out not terribly damaged.  Again, another victory.

The characters in this book really run the gamut from lovely to despicable.  The main characters are flawed in many ways, but still manage not to be awful people.  Most of the rest of the support characters can't really say the same.  Connie and Garnet manage to stay on the side of awesome, but everyone else, including Allie spend a bit of time in the "shame on you" category.  Surprisingly, I think that is a good thing.  You can't grow if you don't make mistakes, and some of these people make very understandable mistakes that they (mostly) learn from.

Overall, I think this is a very healing book.  Sometimes people come to point where they need to know that life is truly unfair, but that doesn't mean it is hopeless.  It is a tough book for the subject matter, but a great story about survival, hope, and trust.

Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 5

Sex – 4 

Characters – 5

Storyline – 5

Overall – 5

Promise Me, Cowboy

Promise Me, Cowboy By CJ Carmichael

Sage Carrigan is in a good place.  Running a very successful gourmet chocolate shop in her hometown of Marietta, Montana takes up nearly all of her time.  Thanks to this she has finally been able to put her painful history as a barrel racer behind her and move on to a quieter and safer future.  So why is Dawson O'Dell standing in her store drudging up the past?  And since when does he have a daughter?

Dawson O'Dell is trying to make things right.  Five years ago he betrayed a woman he had come to care deeply for, and that betrayal led to something much worse.  Now he is in Sage's hometown for the 75th Annual Copper Mountain Rodeo.  Can he finally set his life on the right course for his sake and his daughter's?  And can he ever convince Sage to trust him again?

This is the third novella in the Copper Mountain Rodeo series and the first story in the Carrigans of Circle C series.

For someone who has never competed in a rodeo, I can't imagine what goes through the heads of the cowboys and cowgirls that ride the circuit.  To get a glimpse of that and know that some of them are terrified of it, but do it anyway, really messes with my logic.  I know that this happens.  There are people everyday who hate their jobs, but still go to work because that is what is needed and expected.  But the reality of someone being afraid to do something that could kill them, and they still do it willingly is beyond me.  Mind blown.

Sage as a character is pretty straight forward.  Her fears, hesitations, dreams, desires, and relationships are all understandable and well explained.  That is pretty rare in a romantic heroine, and very refreshing.

Dawson on the other hand is a meat-head!  I guess someone had to balance out Sage's uncomplicated character because this guy is a knot of complexities and contradictions.

Now for the important stuff:  CHOCOLATE!  There is actually quite a bit of detail about Sage's obsession with single-source chocolate, and how she turned it into a business.  I dare you not to drool.

Overall, I enjoyed this story.  It introduced the Carrigan Family, which is way more complicated than Sage, and hinted about mystery to come.

Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 4

Sex – 4 

Language – 4 

Storyline – 4

Overall – 4

Good Together

Good Together By C.J. Carmichael

Mattie Carrington Bishop is suffering from a severe case of empty-nest. Her 18-year old twin daughters are off to college and her 19 year marriage is simply...off. She knew her husband had taken the death of his friend hard, but nothing could have prepared her for the news he brings home, or the changes he forces on her life.

Nat Diamond has been playing hero to his neighbor for years. He hates the way her husband leaves alone her so often, and enjoys stepping in when he's needed. However, when he gets a call from Mattie's husband, everything changes. Suddenly his heroics take on a new meaning and his feelings become a lot more complicated...especially since his life isn't exactly what it seems.

This book had so many emotional twists and turns, I found myself steeling myself most of the time for the next shock. Well written and moderately paced this book doesn't feel rushed or drug-out.

The character points of view give ample story-behind-the-story time for the supporting characters without taking away from the main plot. We also get a little teaser to a possible future plot involving Callan, the youngest Carrington sister. Best of all the over-arching story of the Bramble Family history, introduced in Promise Me, Cowboy, was continued in this installment.

My only complaint was not getting "enough" happily ever after at the end of the book. I'm too much of a sap for that kind of thing, and I am a sucker for an epilogue, which did not happen in this story.

I can't wait for the next story.

Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 4

Sex – 4 

Language – 4

Storyline – 5

Overall – 5