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text 2015-09-24 16:10
Contemporary Romance Novels Set in New Mexico
Walk In Beauty - Barbara Samuel,Ruth Wind
Just Before Dawn - Rochelle Alers
Chayton's Tempest - Aliyah Burke
How to Rope a Real Man (Catcher Creek) - Melissa Cutler
The Hungry Heart - Brenda Gayle
Welcome to Last Chance - Cathleen Armstrong
Enchanting Baby - Darlene Graham
Almost Perfect (Perfect Trilogy) - Julie Ortolon
The Midwife and the Lawman - Marisa Carroll
Cloud Waltzer - Tory Cates

When I was 18, I took a train trip around the United States on my own. I was gone for about 3 months. I would stop in various places and visit friends and family. I spent a lot of time back East and in the South where it is very green. 

 

On my return leg of the trip, when the sunrose over New Mexico, I began to weep. I was homesick. I grew up in the desert and missed the sky, the dirt, and the distance.

 

Enjoy this wonderful Comtemporary Romance Novels set in New Mexico.

 

My lists are never in any particluar order. 

 

1. Walk in Beauty by Barbara Samuel

 

Once, Luke Bernali’s proud Navajo blood and strong carpenter’s hands made genteel Jessie Callahan love him with youthful abandon. But, to his endless regret, Luke faltered and he let Jessie down. Hurt, Jessie left, with a broken heart…and unaware that she was pregnant with Luke’s child. 

Now, eight years later, Jessie was back—with a darling daughter in tow. Luke was older—and wiser—and determined to recapture the beauty lost. Could a fierce, desperate long-ago love soar anew on the delicate wings of a child?

 

2. Just Before Dawn by Rochelle Alers

 

After prosecuting the biggest case of her career, New York district attorney Sara Sterling was looking forward to relaxing amid starry desert nights in her childhood home in New Mexico. Then she met enigmatic neighbor Salem Lassiter, who inspired an inescapable hunger…and made her reassess everything she thought she valued.

 

3. Chayton's Tempest by Aliyah Burke

 

Tempest Burnell was content with her life in the Southwestern desert until the day she came face to face with her past. A tall Native American, blessing him with jet black hair, obsidian eyes, and bronzed skin covering a body packed in muscles. James "Maverick" Lonetree heads to New Mexico because of a vision. When he lays eyes upon a sexy bartender, new life pours into him. He longs to know more about the dark-skinned, curvaceous woman and yet she seems to hate him.When the past comes out, Maverick is faced with a hurdle more crucial than anything he's ever faced in his thirty-six, even recent years as a SEAL. He is however, determined to break through the wall erected around Tempest's heart and earn forgiveness for past transgressions. SEALs are known for many things, giving up

 

4. How to Rope a Real Man by Melissa Cutler

 

Against all odds, the Sorentino sisters saved their family's rundown New Mexico ranch, but the youngest has a dream that just may ruin their hard-earned peace--unless a certain sexy cowboy lawyer changes her mind. . .

Jenna Sorentino is as independent as they come. Despite her wild past, she's grown up enough to keep quiet about the identity of her baby's daddy, go to night college--and hide her plan to escape tiny Catcher Creek. She's also stopped dreaming of happily ever after--except in the case of gorgeous, rugged, Santa Fe native Matt Roenick. Too bad the oil rights attorney acts like he barely knows she's alive. . .

Matt knows only too well that Jenna's alive--in fact, she's driving him crazy with desire. But Matt's got his reasons for resisting her. And when her son's father shows up, those reasons multiply. Trouble is, Jenna's secrets are more complicated than he imagined, and forgetting her isn't as easy as he'd hoped. Matt knows life can be messy as hell. For Jenna, maybe it's time he got dirty. . .

 

5. The Hungry Heart by Brenda Gayle

 

Child advocate Nora Cross doesn't have time for the private cooking lesson her sister won at a charity auction. Hunter Graham, the young chef, is the last person she needs telling her she's forgotten how to have fun. So why can't she get the very hot, very eligible man off her mind? After a stellar debut in New York City, Hunter's back in Santa Fe to open a new restaurant. He lives a charmed life and he knows it. He isn't interested in a workaholic who's glued to her smart phone. So why is he trying to convince Nora to relax and enjoy life--with him? When Nora's apartment and office are ransacked, Hunter comes to her rescue, surprised to find himself playing knight-in-shining-armor to the uptight executive. But when it becomes clear Nora is no random target, Hunter realizes he'll do anything to keep her safe.

 

6. Welcome to Last Chance by Cathleen Armstrong

 

The red warning light on her car dashboard may have driven Lainie Davis to seek help in the tiny town of Last Chance, New Mexico, but as she meets the people who make this one-horse town their home, it's her heart that is flashing bright red warning lights. These people are entirely too nice, too accommodating, and too interested in her personal life--especially since she's on the run and hoping to slip away unnoticed.

Yet in spite of herself, Lainie is increasingly drawn into the small-town dramas and to a handsome local guy with a secret of his own. Could Lainie actually make a life in this little town? Or will the past catch up to her even here in the middle of nowhere?

 

7. Enchanting Baby by Darlene Graham

 

She'll do anything to protect this baby

When TV personality Ashleigh Logan became pregnant by artificial insemination of her deceased husband's sperm, she ignited a media frenzy and attracted a stalker. So she's sequestered herself in the mountains of New Mexico, under the watchful eyes of the midwives of The Birth Place. Here she can be safe until the baby arrives.

 

And so will he

Greg Glazier doesn't have an easy time tracking down Ashleigh. And when he finally finds her, he can't tell her his news—not until she's further along in her pregnancy. Because what he's got to say might come as a bit of a shock—he's the real father of her baby. 

 

8. Almost Perfect by Julie Ortolon

 

A Free Spirit and a Reformed Bad Boy -- a Perfect Match? 

Maddy was always the artistic one of the group, alive with color and mischief from her saucy red curls to her vintage hippie skirts. Her challenge, the friends decide, is to get her artwork accepted at a gallery. A job as arts director at a summer camp near Santa Fe—with its multitude of galleries—seems like a start in the right direction. 

There’s just one catch: The camp is run by Maddy’s high school flame, Joe, whose heart she broke—okay, smashed—and his anger towards Maddy hasn’t cooled one bit. But neither has their attraction. 

Old desires burn hotter than ever as Joe makes it clear there’s only one way back to his heart: She has to get serious about her art. But will falling in love help or hinder Maddy as she struggles to meet her challenge?

 

9. The Midwife and the Lawman by Marisa Carroll

 

If Devon Grant had her way, she'd turn her back on Enchantment. There's simply too much history in that small town. But her sense of honor has her returning to help her ailing grandmother run The Birth Place—even though she's still angry about her grandmother's past actions. And there's also Miguel Eiden, the man who broke her heart ten years before.

 

Then Devon uncovers a secret and must decide what to do and who to trust—because in order to help three innocent children she might have to bend, if not break, the law. Not so easy when the new chief of police is her old love Miguel.

 

10. Cloud Waltzer by Tory Cates

 

Meredith Tolliver has cast off her old gray life as an investment banker. Enchanted by the warmth and bright colors of sunny Albuquerque, she’s made a fresh, buoyant future for herself, turning her financial knowledge and her way with words into a new life as a reporter—far from the wintery secrets that weighted her down in Chicago.

She’s happy with being single, too . . . until she meets the mysterious tycoon Archer Hanson. The conflicting rumors about him intrigue her as a reporter. Is he a self-made man? Or did he inherit his father’s millions? Is he a fair boss? Or is he a ruthless tyrant? But when the handsome Archer takes her for a ride in his hot-air balloon—the magnificent Cloud Waltzer—it is Meredith’s response as a woman that threatens her hard-won peace. Dare she respond to Archer’s rugged charm and soar away into the unknown with him?

 

 

You have a recommendation? Let me know! Vote for the best of the best on my Goodreads list: Contemporaryl Romance Novels Set in New Mexic

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text 2015-06-29 20:47
FREE to get and read!
Almost Perfect - Julie Ortolon,Jane Cramer

FREE to read right now for you!

 

Almost Perfect
By Julie Ortolon


From a USA Today bestselling author: When Maddy’s old college roommate writes a bestselling book that portrays Maddy as someone who lets fear ruin her life, she vows to change her ways. Can Maddy pursue her dream career and reconnect with her old flame Joe?

 

Find it online here:

 

Barnes & Noble * * Amazon * * KOBO * * iBooks * * Google Play

 

 

 

 

 

 

***All free and reduced books listed are in digital format unless otherwise specified.

 

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review 2014-09-07 17:57
Audio Review: Almost Perfect by Julie Ortolon
 


Almost Perfect

The Perfect Trilogy, #1
Julie Ortolon


Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Ortolon Publishing
Narrator: Jane Cramer
Date of Publication: November 12, 2013
Abridged or Unabridged: Unabridged
Length of Production: 8 hrs and 21 mins

 

 

Available at the following retailers:
Amazon     Audible

 

Maddy, Christine, and Amy, friends since college, are thrilled to learn their old suitemate's self-help book, How to Have a Perfect Life, has become a smashing bestseller - until they realize she used them as negative examples of how women let fear mess up their lives. The worst part is...it's sort of true. So, the three friends make a pact: They each have one year to face down their fears - and prove Miss Perfect wrong!

A free spirited artist - Maddy was always the artistic one of the group, full of life from her saucy red curls to her vintage hippie skirts. Her challenge, the friends decide, is to get her artwork accepted at a gallery. A job as arts director at a summer camp near Santa Fe - with its thriving art scene - seems like just the thing.

There's just one catch: The camp is run by Maddy's high school flame, Joe, whose heart she smashed when she chose her art over marriage to him. His anger over the breakup hasn't cooled one bit. But neither has their attraction. Old desires burn hotter than ever as Joe makes it clear there's only one way back into his heart: She has to get serious about the art career she once valued above all else. But will falling in love help or hinder Maddy as she struggles to meet her challenge?


I stumbled across this audiobook while perusing the titles available for review at Audiobook Jukebox. I liked the sound of it, and as I had just recently finally broken down and purchased an "audible approved" device, I was eager to try it out.

This is the first book in a trilogy about 3 women. Former college roommates, still very much in close contact with each other, get together to help celebrate the forth former roommate's new book. But as they are skimming through the book at the signing, they find out that she had used them as examples of what NOT to do. The friends decide to confront these fears and make a combination wager and dare for each of them to face their individual fear.  Maddie ends up going first.

Maddie had put her art career on hold while her husband had cancer. She stepped in to help run his accounting firm, and now since his passing, she hasn't done anything towards rekindling earlier desire of making a name for herself. Maddie is charged with getting her art in a gallery and an offer to work as an Art Coordinator for a summer camp near Santa Fe, seems the perfect opportunity. Just one big problem, her high school boyfriend Joe, is the Camp Director. She hopes to clear the air with him and maybe once again become friends. Only Joe hasn't forgotten, nor has he forgiven her.

Maddie and Joe had sparks right from the start. When Joe finds out his mother has hired Maddie behind his back, he tries to make her leave. They share a history, but have since grown and changed and become new people. I think second chance at love stories work best when both of the couple have not only changed since they were together last, but still have growth opportunities available. This was especially true for Maddie and Joe. I enjoyed the story and though this is part of a trilogy, the only cliffhanger is what happens to Christine in her story. I would listen to the next 2 books, as I really enjoyed the interactions between the women.

I think Jane Cramer did a good job on the narration. Though she didn't really change up the tone of the different voices, she did give each one it's own distinct rhythm and cadence that made it clear which character was speaking. I was pleased with the overall performance and would listen to her again.  This was a solid 3 stars.

Source: judy-ree.blogspot.com/2014/09/audio-review-almost-perfect-by-julie.html
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review 2014-09-03 00:00
Almost Perfect
Almost Perfect - Julie Ortolon,Jane Cramer Maddie had put her art career on hold while her husband had cancer. She stepped in to help run his accounting firm, and now since his passing, she hasn't done anything towards rekindling earlier desire of making a name for herself. Maddie is charged with getting her art in a gallery and an offer to work as an Art Coordinator for a summer camp near Santa Fe, seems the perfect opportunity. Just one big problem, her high school boyfriend Joe, is the Camp Director. She hopes to clear the air with him and maybe once again become friends. Only Joe hasn't forgotten, nor has he forgiven her.

Maddie and Joe had sparks right from the start. When Joe finds out his mother has hired Maddie behind his back, he tries to make her leave. They share a history, but have since grown and changed and become new people. I think second chance at love stories work best when both of the couple have not only changed since they were together last, but still have growth opportunities available. This was especially true for Maddie and Joe. I enjoyed the story and though this is part of a trilogy, the only cliffhanger is what happens to Christine in her story. I would listen to the next 2 books, as I really enjoyed the interactions between the women.

I think Jane Cramer did a good job on the narration. Though she didn't really change up the tone of the different voices, she did give each one it's own distinct rhythm and cadence that made it clear which character was speaking. I was pleased with the overall performance and would listen to her again. This was a solid 3 stars.
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text 2014-06-09 18:15
Heart Stealers 99 cents!
Heart Stealers - 'Patricia McLinn', 'Judith Arnold', 'Julie Ortolon', 'Kathryn Shay'

Patricia McLinn, Judith Arnold, Julie Ortolon, Kathryn Shay 

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