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Husbands for Hire #2
Tall, Dark, and Determined
Welcome to Hope Falls where three enterprising young females are accepting applications for husbands-for-hire. With one woman already snagged, Lacey Lyman is one of only two remaining. No one really catches her eye until a handsome hunter arrives. Will Lacey find a way to bag her prey? Determined to investigate why Hope Falls's mine collapsed, Chase Dunstan poses as a potential husband and a hunter, giving him the perfect excuse to poke around inside and outside of town. If only he could get the chatterbox Lacey Lyman off his trail. Can he keep his cover while solving the mystery of the mine?
319 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2011
17 people are currently reading
399 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Eileen Hake
44 books188 followersKelly Eileen Hake is a reader favorite of Barbour's Heartsong Presents series, where she has released several books. A credentialed Secondary English teacher in California, she is pursing her MA in Writing Popular Fiction. Known for her own style of witty, heartwarming historical romance, Kelly is currently writing the Prairie Promises trilogy, her first full-length novels. She has been writing since she could hold a pen and was first published at the tender age of eighteen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
December 6, 2011
Welcome to Hope Falls where three enterprising young females are accepting applications for husbands-for-hire. With one woman already snagged, Lacey Lyman is one of only two remaining. No one really catches her eye until a handsome hunter arrives. Will Lacey find a way to bag her prey? Determined to investigate why Hope Falls’s mine collapsed, Chase Dunstan poses as a potential husband and a hunter, giving him the perfect excuse to poke around inside and outside of town. If only he could get the chatterbox Lacey Lyman off his trail. Can he keep his cover while solving the mystery of the mine?
I have to start this review by stating that I couldn't finish this book. I managed to get about 70% through it before I stopped trying to get interested in it. For whatever reason, this novel couldn't capture my interest at all. The premise did, but not the story-telling itself.
I found the first five chapters of the book are very confusing. It felt like the author introduced too much information at once. For those of us who haven't read the first book in the Husbands for Hire series, it was a lot of information to take in.
I didn't feel like the motives and stakes were enough to compose any kind of conflict (again, I didn't read the first book in this series, so that might be part of the problem). I'm still not sure why the hero needed to solve the mystery about the mine collapse. Since he isn't any kind of sheriff, and only a ranger, it didn't make too much sense to me. The story almost makes you think, by the way it starts off, that he is in law enforcement. But he's not.
To be honest, those first five chapters were so confusing that my head spun trying to digest the story. Too much happened way too fast. In addition, tension-filled scenes that the author clued us into as an important moment were cut off before the very events took place that the author built up to. Those moments were completely skipped, then the event itself appeared only in passing dialogue, merely telling us what transpired.
There were also moments where this story would stop in a scene, take us to another scene, then several chapters later it would take us back to the the scene where we left off. By that time, I'd forgotten about that scene!
Again, the beginning of this novel introduced way too many characters. The novel held far too many view points, as well--some that held no significance to the plot.
The characters, overall, didn't strike me as memorable. In fact, the ones that truly stuck out in mind were Lacey's brother and his fiance. Other than that, nothing in this story held my interest.
I know that Kelly Eileen Hake is a skilled writer, so I'm not sure why this novel came out the way it did. It could be a combination of several things that meshed together.
I really wanted to enjoy this novel, but I couldn't.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
I have to start this review by stating that I couldn't finish this book. I managed to get about 70% through it before I stopped trying to get interested in it. For whatever reason, this novel couldn't capture my interest at all. The premise did, but not the story-telling itself.
I found the first five chapters of the book are very confusing. It felt like the author introduced too much information at once. For those of us who haven't read the first book in the Husbands for Hire series, it was a lot of information to take in.
I didn't feel like the motives and stakes were enough to compose any kind of conflict (again, I didn't read the first book in this series, so that might be part of the problem). I'm still not sure why the hero needed to solve the mystery about the mine collapse. Since he isn't any kind of sheriff, and only a ranger, it didn't make too much sense to me. The story almost makes you think, by the way it starts off, that he is in law enforcement. But he's not.
To be honest, those first five chapters were so confusing that my head spun trying to digest the story. Too much happened way too fast. In addition, tension-filled scenes that the author clued us into as an important moment were cut off before the very events took place that the author built up to. Those moments were completely skipped, then the event itself appeared only in passing dialogue, merely telling us what transpired.
There were also moments where this story would stop in a scene, take us to another scene, then several chapters later it would take us back to the the scene where we left off. By that time, I'd forgotten about that scene!
Again, the beginning of this novel introduced way too many characters. The novel held far too many view points, as well--some that held no significance to the plot.
The characters, overall, didn't strike me as memorable. In fact, the ones that truly stuck out in mind were Lacey's brother and his fiance. Other than that, nothing in this story held my interest.
I know that Kelly Eileen Hake is a skilled writer, so I'm not sure why this novel came out the way it did. It could be a combination of several things that meshed together.
I really wanted to enjoy this novel, but I couldn't.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2024
Decent diversion. Not as good as book 1.
The 1st 3 chapters are a recap of book 1, many paragraphs repeated verbatim, which was overkill. Lacy is recently 18, so she's extremely immature. Chase is a lone, shaggy, mountain man; completely opposite of the well-dressed, clean shaven, tailored suit wearing gentleman pictured on the cover.
His and Lacy's dynamic works well enough.
Light faith
Predictable outcome.
The 1st 3 chapters are a recap of book 1, many paragraphs repeated verbatim, which was overkill. Lacy is recently 18, so she's extremely immature. Chase is a lone, shaggy, mountain man; completely opposite of the well-dressed, clean shaven, tailored suit wearing gentleman pictured on the cover.
His and Lacy's dynamic works well enough.
Light faith
Predictable outcome.
June 28, 2023
Wow, I liked this one better than the first one in the series. Evie now has a man who she will marry and that leaves Lacey, Naomi, and Cora left to find husbands. This one is mainly about Lacey who is the ringleader of their move to Colorado. She is also the most ladified of them, heels, ruffles, and hoop skirts. Yet she is an expert with a gun.
September 20, 2018
I enjoy Kelly Eileen Hake's books and this one is no exception. I enjoyed the Husbands for Hire series. Her books are light, witty and historical, my favorite genre. I hope she keeps writing for a long time.
December 31, 2020
More of a great story
This continuation of the Husbands for Hire series is well worth the time to read. The characters are more developed and all are included, in spite of the focus on a different member of the group of ladies. I can’t wait for more!
This continuation of the Husbands for Hire series is well worth the time to read. The characters are more developed and all are included, in spite of the focus on a different member of the group of ladies. I can’t wait for more!
April 9, 2021
OMG... I came close to my first "DNF" rating. This book was definitely not for me.
January 13, 2023
Just okay.
September 25, 2011
This was an alright book. It started off really boring and bad. To be honest, I hated the beginning and almost did not finish the book, if it wasn't for the fact that I had to review it for Netgalley. But towards the last third of the book, it became much better. I wouldn't say I enjoyed it, just that it was acceptable then.
Let's start from the beginning, shall we?
So the first 30% of the book took me forever to read. I just couldn't get over the start. I felt the pace was way too slow at first, with almost every detail elaborated on, necessary or unnecessary. There was way too much conversation about anything and everything. Best part is, the conversation wasn't even mildly interesting. There was too much description for my tastes and I felt that it detracted from the plot and the character development. I mean, how many times do we need to know Lacey, is that her name?, is really concerned about her dressing and all? I think once is more than enough. Unfortunately, the author had to repeat it about what seemed like a million times. The first part wasn't interesting at all. Though I understand that intros can't be that interesting as people need to be introduced, this intro was wayyyyyy too long. It took so long for all the main characters to finally meet up. Some parts of the book didn't really fit in with the plot. Like, it didn't really matter so I have no idea why the author wrote so much about those minor details. I dunno, it just failed to grab my attention.
But then as the book progressed, it got better. No more did the author elaborate needlessly on boring things and conversations over and over. Now, there was more character development. I started liking Lacey more and admired her too. Chase is just a great hero.
However, I had one major complaint. I mean, this is supposed to be a romance right? However, there was no mention of any sort of romance, and barely a whisper of them thinking the other party was good-looking. That's all. No form of attraction, jealousy, basically nothing that would give you a hint that they liked each other. And then all of sudden, when the final event happened, they kissed and he proposed to her.
One thing you must understand. They don't exactly like each other. He's always thinking that she can't withstand hardship and all those nonsense chauvinistic guys seem to think. She couldn't stand him cos he was just so not understanding about what she wanted. Granted, girls at that time, wouldn't start a sawmill and attempt to make it successful all on their own. But he couldn't even accept that and kept trying to thwart her everytime she wanted to learn something new. Like hunting. I was very happy when she proved him completely wrong.
After saying all those, do you actually see any basis for a relationship? If you do, good for you. I couldn't see anything. I mean, it was at 83% and the book didn't even hint at a budding romance between them. Let's face facts, they were barely civil to each other. I mean, he was actually pretty mean to her. But well, sometimes she did deserve it. BUT. I thought that given her character, she would have gotten more angry with the insults and then slowly he would realise he didn't want to annoy her and thus realise he liked her! But no! Nothing like that at all!
Sigh, I'm not gonna get into that much more. In the later half of the book, the plot was a lot better, and I could actually see it going somewhere. It sped up a little and thus, wasn't really boring, apart from some parts.
One last thing. I felt that the plot jumped from here to there sometimes. Like, it was pretty disjointed and it didn't really make sense sometimes. I think its cos of the pace. Like one moment, it would be going so slow, then the next, it would just jump to the next part at the speed of light.
I quite liked the character development in the book. Lacey really grew up a lot in my opinion. She was no longer that willful, only wanting her own way. She still endeavored to get her way but she just changed. I dunno how to describe it.
So all in all, this was an alright book. Yeah, there were several flaws. But if you can get over the first 40% of the book, it really isn't too bad anymore. The main problem I had was with the romance, or rather, the lack of it. Hmm, for those that are worried, the Christian theme isn't very strong in here, just thrown in sporadically here and there, but more towards the end. I'm a Christian, so I found that quite good actually and it did do a bit in contributing to the end of the book. But only a very small bit!
Heh, though I wouldn't recommend this book to people who want a fast-paced book with plenty of romance, this book may have been slow and the romance was lacking but it was still a rather nice read. After the first 40%. :)
This eARC was provided by netGalley! :)
Let's start from the beginning, shall we?
So the first 30% of the book took me forever to read. I just couldn't get over the start. I felt the pace was way too slow at first, with almost every detail elaborated on, necessary or unnecessary. There was way too much conversation about anything and everything. Best part is, the conversation wasn't even mildly interesting. There was too much description for my tastes and I felt that it detracted from the plot and the character development. I mean, how many times do we need to know Lacey, is that her name?, is really concerned about her dressing and all? I think once is more than enough. Unfortunately, the author had to repeat it about what seemed like a million times. The first part wasn't interesting at all. Though I understand that intros can't be that interesting as people need to be introduced, this intro was wayyyyyy too long. It took so long for all the main characters to finally meet up. Some parts of the book didn't really fit in with the plot. Like, it didn't really matter so I have no idea why the author wrote so much about those minor details. I dunno, it just failed to grab my attention.
But then as the book progressed, it got better. No more did the author elaborate needlessly on boring things and conversations over and over. Now, there was more character development. I started liking Lacey more and admired her too. Chase is just a great hero.
However, I had one major complaint. I mean, this is supposed to be a romance right? However, there was no mention of any sort of romance, and barely a whisper of them thinking the other party was good-looking. That's all. No form of attraction, jealousy, basically nothing that would give you a hint that they liked each other. And then all of sudden, when the final event happened, they kissed and he proposed to her.
One thing you must understand. They don't exactly like each other. He's always thinking that she can't withstand hardship and all those nonsense chauvinistic guys seem to think. She couldn't stand him cos he was just so not understanding about what she wanted. Granted, girls at that time, wouldn't start a sawmill and attempt to make it successful all on their own. But he couldn't even accept that and kept trying to thwart her everytime she wanted to learn something new. Like hunting. I was very happy when she proved him completely wrong.
After saying all those, do you actually see any basis for a relationship? If you do, good for you. I couldn't see anything. I mean, it was at 83% and the book didn't even hint at a budding romance between them. Let's face facts, they were barely civil to each other. I mean, he was actually pretty mean to her. But well, sometimes she did deserve it. BUT. I thought that given her character, she would have gotten more angry with the insults and then slowly he would realise he didn't want to annoy her and thus realise he liked her! But no! Nothing like that at all!
Sigh, I'm not gonna get into that much more. In the later half of the book, the plot was a lot better, and I could actually see it going somewhere. It sped up a little and thus, wasn't really boring, apart from some parts.
One last thing. I felt that the plot jumped from here to there sometimes. Like, it was pretty disjointed and it didn't really make sense sometimes. I think its cos of the pace. Like one moment, it would be going so slow, then the next, it would just jump to the next part at the speed of light.
I quite liked the character development in the book. Lacey really grew up a lot in my opinion. She was no longer that willful, only wanting her own way. She still endeavored to get her way but she just changed. I dunno how to describe it.
So all in all, this was an alright book. Yeah, there were several flaws. But if you can get over the first 40% of the book, it really isn't too bad anymore. The main problem I had was with the romance, or rather, the lack of it. Hmm, for those that are worried, the Christian theme isn't very strong in here, just thrown in sporadically here and there, but more towards the end. I'm a Christian, so I found that quite good actually and it did do a bit in contributing to the end of the book. But only a very small bit!
Heh, though I wouldn't recommend this book to people who want a fast-paced book with plenty of romance, this book may have been slow and the romance was lacking but it was still a rather nice read. After the first 40%. :)
This eARC was provided by netGalley! :)
July 11, 2012
Wanted:
3 men, ages 24-35.
Must be God-fearing, healthy, hardworking single men with minimum of 3 years logging experience. Object: Marriage and joint ownership of sawmill.
Reply to Hope Falls, Colorado, postmaster by May 17
Braden Lyman convinced 4 women to invest in a Colorado mining town, Hope Falls. When the mining town suffers a tragic mine collapse, leaving Braden himself a victim now bedridden, the town itself is on the verge of collapse. The women who were in Charleston at the time, rush back to Hope Falls after learning Braden has miraculously survived, it's only to hear him denounce them as fools. Lacy, Braden's sister convinces the women that despite the mine collapse, she has an idea that could help the town recover. She proposes turning the mining town into a sawmill by buying up the surrounding land, but they need to hire men - and they need investors - or husbands and that is where the idea for the ad came into play. Little did the women imagine that these men would show up in person to apply not only for the job but for potential husbands as well.
Chase Dunstan, has tracked one of his former brother in laws, Robert Kane, to a jail cell to learn about his own brothers death in a mine collapse that left his sister, Laura now a widow using what little money there was as a settlement to start a new life. He has to know the answers to the reasons behind the collapse, the way it was handled afterward, what current plans pushed Braden to stay in Hope Falls and what did any of this have to do with the incredible ad. He believes that there is more to this collapse than what he knows and sets out to investigate in Hope Falls, when the ad arrives in the paper looking for experienced logging men/husbands. Might just be the perfect way to get to know the owners of the town and look for clues to what might have happened to his brother in law.
When he arrives in Hope Falls, Chase sees men being forced on to the train against their wishes to go. He also sees a man, Granger, who he used to work for three years back working as a guide through prospective timberland higher in the Rockies. Having Granger here in Hope Falls, the claim they're trying to build a sawmill gains credibility. Grangers know lumber like no other family in North America. But why were the men calling him Creed? These men were the rough customers who insulted ladies and brawled in the streets, and now caught fighting were being ordered to leave town on the next train out of Hope Falls.
What exactly was really going on in the town of Hope Falls and just what did the ladies behind the ad have to do with it all? You'll have to pick up a copy of Kelly Eileen Hake's novel, Tall, Dark and Determined to find out. This is the second book in the Husbands for Hire series and draws an interesting parallel on the mail order brides idea. This book does have a confusing start, but once you iron out the details of who is whom, you're off on a really great adventure. At times, it seems the story is a bit faced paced and I found myself going back to re-read parts of it again to clarify what I had missed. I would have preferred to see this one slow down a bit because the premise behind it all was a great reason to draw my initial interests in.
I received this novel compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley for my honest review. Being a huge fan of the western romance genre I was hoping for a bit more than I got. However, I am determined not to give up on this series just yet. I rate this one a 3 out of 5 stars and look forward to picking up the first book in this series, to see if I may have missed something that would have aided me in understanding the story of these characters more.
3 men, ages 24-35.
Must be God-fearing, healthy, hardworking single men with minimum of 3 years logging experience. Object: Marriage and joint ownership of sawmill.
Reply to Hope Falls, Colorado, postmaster by May 17
Braden Lyman convinced 4 women to invest in a Colorado mining town, Hope Falls. When the mining town suffers a tragic mine collapse, leaving Braden himself a victim now bedridden, the town itself is on the verge of collapse. The women who were in Charleston at the time, rush back to Hope Falls after learning Braden has miraculously survived, it's only to hear him denounce them as fools. Lacy, Braden's sister convinces the women that despite the mine collapse, she has an idea that could help the town recover. She proposes turning the mining town into a sawmill by buying up the surrounding land, but they need to hire men - and they need investors - or husbands and that is where the idea for the ad came into play. Little did the women imagine that these men would show up in person to apply not only for the job but for potential husbands as well.
Chase Dunstan, has tracked one of his former brother in laws, Robert Kane, to a jail cell to learn about his own brothers death in a mine collapse that left his sister, Laura now a widow using what little money there was as a settlement to start a new life. He has to know the answers to the reasons behind the collapse, the way it was handled afterward, what current plans pushed Braden to stay in Hope Falls and what did any of this have to do with the incredible ad. He believes that there is more to this collapse than what he knows and sets out to investigate in Hope Falls, when the ad arrives in the paper looking for experienced logging men/husbands. Might just be the perfect way to get to know the owners of the town and look for clues to what might have happened to his brother in law.
When he arrives in Hope Falls, Chase sees men being forced on to the train against their wishes to go. He also sees a man, Granger, who he used to work for three years back working as a guide through prospective timberland higher in the Rockies. Having Granger here in Hope Falls, the claim they're trying to build a sawmill gains credibility. Grangers know lumber like no other family in North America. But why were the men calling him Creed? These men were the rough customers who insulted ladies and brawled in the streets, and now caught fighting were being ordered to leave town on the next train out of Hope Falls.
What exactly was really going on in the town of Hope Falls and just what did the ladies behind the ad have to do with it all? You'll have to pick up a copy of Kelly Eileen Hake's novel, Tall, Dark and Determined to find out. This is the second book in the Husbands for Hire series and draws an interesting parallel on the mail order brides idea. This book does have a confusing start, but once you iron out the details of who is whom, you're off on a really great adventure. At times, it seems the story is a bit faced paced and I found myself going back to re-read parts of it again to clarify what I had missed. I would have preferred to see this one slow down a bit because the premise behind it all was a great reason to draw my initial interests in.
I received this novel compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley for my honest review. Being a huge fan of the western romance genre I was hoping for a bit more than I got. However, I am determined not to give up on this series just yet. I rate this one a 3 out of 5 stars and look forward to picking up the first book in this series, to see if I may have missed something that would have aided me in understanding the story of these characters more.
May 3, 2012
3.5 stars.
Book two starts off right at the end of book one. We are once again back in Hope Falls where Lacey has brought her three good friends to start a saw mill and to look for husbands. In this book it’s Lacey’s turn to tell the story. Lacey is struggling to maintain being the leader of the town as there has been some issues with fighting amount the men and in the last book she almost got herself killed hds it not been for Evelyn’s beau saving her life. Jake has to escort a criminal back east and while he is gone he hired his friend Chase to keep order of the town and look after the ladies while he is gone and Lacey is none to happy about this.
Chase is a mountain man and does not really like people he spends his time tracking and hunting with his wolf hound decoy. Lacey takes a strong dislike to him and Chase does not like her much better. Will these two be able to work together for the better of the town and maybe find love along the way?
I must say after reading the first book in the series I was really looking forward to this book and I hate to say I was some what disappointed. Some of the other reviews where complaining about the amount of characters in this book. I will say this is a series you MUST read the first book or you will be very very lost. I don’t think its far to rate a book low if you have not read the whole series(one where they are very much tied together) but that is just my two cents.
What I liked. The same great characters are back from the first book. This book actually over laps just a little with the first so it’s a quick recap which is nice and there is no lost time. The author continues to develop her characters and we get a better understanding as to why Lacey came to Hope Falls and why she is the way she is. I also liked how the action/mystery story line is continued and deepened. I am very much looking forward to the next book to see what will happen next!
What I did not like. The story between Lacey and Chase. I don’t want to give to much away but I did not feel there was much chemistry between them and we where 70% into the book before they even started to have any notion of attraction and then the climax came out of now where. Not saying it was bad but to me it was very unbelievable. The mystery aspect of the story between the two was very good but I felt the two should have just ended up being friends not more with so little chemistry.
Even though I did not love this book as much as the first I still enjoyed it and felt it was a good continuation in the series. I look forward to the next book to see how the storyline continues.
http://abbiesreadingcorner.com/2011/1...
Book two starts off right at the end of book one. We are once again back in Hope Falls where Lacey has brought her three good friends to start a saw mill and to look for husbands. In this book it’s Lacey’s turn to tell the story. Lacey is struggling to maintain being the leader of the town as there has been some issues with fighting amount the men and in the last book she almost got herself killed hds it not been for Evelyn’s beau saving her life. Jake has to escort a criminal back east and while he is gone he hired his friend Chase to keep order of the town and look after the ladies while he is gone and Lacey is none to happy about this.
Chase is a mountain man and does not really like people he spends his time tracking and hunting with his wolf hound decoy. Lacey takes a strong dislike to him and Chase does not like her much better. Will these two be able to work together for the better of the town and maybe find love along the way?
I must say after reading the first book in the series I was really looking forward to this book and I hate to say I was some what disappointed. Some of the other reviews where complaining about the amount of characters in this book. I will say this is a series you MUST read the first book or you will be very very lost. I don’t think its far to rate a book low if you have not read the whole series(one where they are very much tied together) but that is just my two cents.
What I liked. The same great characters are back from the first book. This book actually over laps just a little with the first so it’s a quick recap which is nice and there is no lost time. The author continues to develop her characters and we get a better understanding as to why Lacey came to Hope Falls and why she is the way she is. I also liked how the action/mystery story line is continued and deepened. I am very much looking forward to the next book to see what will happen next!
What I did not like. The story between Lacey and Chase. I don’t want to give to much away but I did not feel there was much chemistry between them and we where 70% into the book before they even started to have any notion of attraction and then the climax came out of now where. Not saying it was bad but to me it was very unbelievable. The mystery aspect of the story between the two was very good but I felt the two should have just ended up being friends not more with so little chemistry.
Even though I did not love this book as much as the first I still enjoyed it and felt it was a good continuation in the series. I look forward to the next book to see how the storyline continues.
http://abbiesreadingcorner.com/2011/1...
December 21, 2011
Kelly Eileen Hake in her new book, “Tall, Dark, and Determined” Book Two in the Husbands For Hire series published by Barbour Publishing Inc. takes us back to Hope Falls, Colorado in 1887.
From the back cover: She’s hunting a husband. Lacey Lyman works hard to rebuild Hope Falls, a fallen mining town, into a sawmill. But some things don’t go as planned. When she persuades her friends to post an ad for helpful husbands, she never dreams prospective suitors will respond in person! With one match made and time ticking, can Lacey find a mate who sees her as a partner, not just a pretty face?
He’s tracking the truth. Chase Dunstan, newly arrived in town, does see Lacey as more than just a pretty face-this clever chatterbox is in his way! The reclusive hunter lost his brother-in-law in a suspicious mine collapse, and he intends to investigate. How is a man supposed to hunt for clues with a troublesome tagalong?
Will love catch them both? The tables turn when Chase finds himself easy prey for Lacey’s charms. Will he reveal what he is really hunting in the Rocky Mountains, or will his deception destroy her trust? Both plan to find what they seek, but who is the most determined?
“Tall, Dark, and Determined” is a clever twist on the mail order brides genre. This time is it mail order husbands and this is what makes it great fun to read. Not only is it a nice romance it has great themes as well. First there is the theme of suspicion and secrets. Chase is hunting the reason for the mine collapse, he believes it was deliberate, and keeps this a secret from everyone. Naturally, this also puts distance between him and Lacey. hen there is the other theme of trust. Since Chase is suspicious of everyone in town it is hard for him to trust anyone. When Lacey finds out about Chase will she trust him enough to work out their romance? “Tall, Dark, and Determined” is a Western, a romance and an altogether enjoyable read. I am looking forward to book three in the series.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Barbour Publishing Inc. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
From the back cover: She’s hunting a husband. Lacey Lyman works hard to rebuild Hope Falls, a fallen mining town, into a sawmill. But some things don’t go as planned. When she persuades her friends to post an ad for helpful husbands, she never dreams prospective suitors will respond in person! With one match made and time ticking, can Lacey find a mate who sees her as a partner, not just a pretty face?
He’s tracking the truth. Chase Dunstan, newly arrived in town, does see Lacey as more than just a pretty face-this clever chatterbox is in his way! The reclusive hunter lost his brother-in-law in a suspicious mine collapse, and he intends to investigate. How is a man supposed to hunt for clues with a troublesome tagalong?
Will love catch them both? The tables turn when Chase finds himself easy prey for Lacey’s charms. Will he reveal what he is really hunting in the Rocky Mountains, or will his deception destroy her trust? Both plan to find what they seek, but who is the most determined?
“Tall, Dark, and Determined” is a clever twist on the mail order brides genre. This time is it mail order husbands and this is what makes it great fun to read. Not only is it a nice romance it has great themes as well. First there is the theme of suspicion and secrets. Chase is hunting the reason for the mine collapse, he believes it was deliberate, and keeps this a secret from everyone. Naturally, this also puts distance between him and Lacey. hen there is the other theme of trust. Since Chase is suspicious of everyone in town it is hard for him to trust anyone. When Lacey finds out about Chase will she trust him enough to work out their romance? “Tall, Dark, and Determined” is a Western, a romance and an altogether enjoyable read. I am looking forward to book three in the series.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Barbour Publishing Inc. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
November 22, 2011
Tall, Dark, and Determined by Kelly Eileen Hake
Husbands for Hire Series Book 2
If you enjoy series books I would highly recommend that you start with book 1 in this series, Rugged and Relentless. The books are stand alone but there are many details from the first book to add to the enjoyment of the second one. The series is based on four women who have bought up land in Hope Falls. Lacy Lyman's brother, Braden, owned a mine there, when it collapsed it left many dead and Braden injured. The women, led by Lacey are building a sawmill and a town. Since women can not own land at this time they put an advertisement out for three husbands. Cora, is already engaged to Braden.
This story is focused on Lacey Lyman and Chase Dunstan. Chase is wanting to find what was behind the mine collapse. He don't believe it to be an accident and he is sure the advertisement for husbands is some type of code for some other nefarious deed. His brother-in-law was killed in the accident and his sister was left destitute. He is determined to get to the bottom of this for his sister Laura's sake. When he gets to town he finds an old friend there, Jake Granger. Jake is engaged to one of the women already. Chase gets a job as a hunter, to keep fresh meat coming into the camp for the meals. He will snoop around when he can to find his answers. He believes the spoiled socialite, Lacey, has it in her to get whatever she wants, even to the point of destroying the mind so she could buy the town.
Lacey is pretty stubborn, as the reader I wanted to wallop her a few times myself! She wants to hold onto her prim and proper ways and yet she wants the freedom to do more things that men are allowed to do. She is afraid of failure and that fear causes her to be a bit sharp with Chase, and it starts their relationship off on poor footing. She wants Chase gone but is outvoted by the other women. Cora, Evie & Naomi see a man who may help Lacey. And so goes the story as these two battle each others stubborn wills.
Decoy is a unique character. Chase's well trained Irish Wolfhound stands a good 4 foot high and 6 foot long. He was able to get into Lacey's good graces even though his master could not. I also enjoy the way Kelly lets other characters put their views into the stories. We see things through several different eyes not just the two main characters.
**Book received through NetGalley for review
Husbands for Hire Series Book 2
If you enjoy series books I would highly recommend that you start with book 1 in this series, Rugged and Relentless. The books are stand alone but there are many details from the first book to add to the enjoyment of the second one. The series is based on four women who have bought up land in Hope Falls. Lacy Lyman's brother, Braden, owned a mine there, when it collapsed it left many dead and Braden injured. The women, led by Lacey are building a sawmill and a town. Since women can not own land at this time they put an advertisement out for three husbands. Cora, is already engaged to Braden.
This story is focused on Lacey Lyman and Chase Dunstan. Chase is wanting to find what was behind the mine collapse. He don't believe it to be an accident and he is sure the advertisement for husbands is some type of code for some other nefarious deed. His brother-in-law was killed in the accident and his sister was left destitute. He is determined to get to the bottom of this for his sister Laura's sake. When he gets to town he finds an old friend there, Jake Granger. Jake is engaged to one of the women already. Chase gets a job as a hunter, to keep fresh meat coming into the camp for the meals. He will snoop around when he can to find his answers. He believes the spoiled socialite, Lacey, has it in her to get whatever she wants, even to the point of destroying the mind so she could buy the town.
Lacey is pretty stubborn, as the reader I wanted to wallop her a few times myself! She wants to hold onto her prim and proper ways and yet she wants the freedom to do more things that men are allowed to do. She is afraid of failure and that fear causes her to be a bit sharp with Chase, and it starts their relationship off on poor footing. She wants Chase gone but is outvoted by the other women. Cora, Evie & Naomi see a man who may help Lacey. And so goes the story as these two battle each others stubborn wills.
Decoy is a unique character. Chase's well trained Irish Wolfhound stands a good 4 foot high and 6 foot long. He was able to get into Lacey's good graces even though his master could not. I also enjoy the way Kelly lets other characters put their views into the stories. We see things through several different eyes not just the two main characters.
**Book received through NetGalley for review
December 4, 2011
Review:Tall, Dark, and Determined by Kelly Eileen Hake
5 stars
Lacey is smart, stuborn, good shot, wants to learn, young lady. I enjoyed her fighting for women's rights.
Decoy is a big well trained wolf hound. Wish my dogs as well trained.
Chase is looking to find the truth about the mine collasp, his brother's death the hurried sale of the mine and town. He is one of the best trappers,hunters around. He is quite and strong and willing to protect the women of the town.
The town of Hope Falls was a mining town and when the mine collasped killing most of the miners. One owner hurried sold the town and left.
Lacey was an investor of the mine and the town. She lived back east and when she thought her brother Braden Lyman was dead, then finding he survived but very injured. Lacey came up with a plan and talked her cousin, her brother's fiance and her sister to invest and go live in Hope Falls.
Lacey decided that to save the mining town to open up a saw mill. Lace bought out her brothers partner in the mine and town. Bought all the land she could and then wrote an ad saying. Want three single men with experience in logging to marry and start a saw mill and be part owners of the mill.
Two dozen men showed up in town for the prospect of marrying a rich wife.
In the previous book I believe Evie fell for Creed and now they wants to marry.
Evie's sister Cora Thompson was Braden's Fiancee. Braden trapped in bed tries to break up with Cora and send all the women back east. Cora is not letting Braden off the hook on marrying her.
Naomi was the oldest at 27 and Lacy's cousin.
They all agreed with Lacey's plan and were looking for men to help then and marry them. Lacey just turned 18, So could get controll of her money, with Braden hurt badly she took controll over his property, Sold their family home to move to Hope Falls to save the town and help her brother get well. Women at the time could not be property owners. They were not paying the loggers for their help. They provided good food and the chance to marry one of three women and become part owners of the mill.
I enjoyed reading of about the four women who came to a mining town and were going to own and turn it now to logging town. Would love to read more books to find out what happens next in Hope Falls.
Its a clean and old fashioned romance novel. I was given this ebook to read in exchange for honest review from Netgalley.
5 stars
Lacey is smart, stuborn, good shot, wants to learn, young lady. I enjoyed her fighting for women's rights.
Decoy is a big well trained wolf hound. Wish my dogs as well trained.
Chase is looking to find the truth about the mine collasp, his brother's death the hurried sale of the mine and town. He is one of the best trappers,hunters around. He is quite and strong and willing to protect the women of the town.
The town of Hope Falls was a mining town and when the mine collasped killing most of the miners. One owner hurried sold the town and left.
Lacey was an investor of the mine and the town. She lived back east and when she thought her brother Braden Lyman was dead, then finding he survived but very injured. Lacey came up with a plan and talked her cousin, her brother's fiance and her sister to invest and go live in Hope Falls.
Lacey decided that to save the mining town to open up a saw mill. Lace bought out her brothers partner in the mine and town. Bought all the land she could and then wrote an ad saying. Want three single men with experience in logging to marry and start a saw mill and be part owners of the mill.
Two dozen men showed up in town for the prospect of marrying a rich wife.
In the previous book I believe Evie fell for Creed and now they wants to marry.
Evie's sister Cora Thompson was Braden's Fiancee. Braden trapped in bed tries to break up with Cora and send all the women back east. Cora is not letting Braden off the hook on marrying her.
Naomi was the oldest at 27 and Lacy's cousin.
They all agreed with Lacey's plan and were looking for men to help then and marry them. Lacey just turned 18, So could get controll of her money, with Braden hurt badly she took controll over his property, Sold their family home to move to Hope Falls to save the town and help her brother get well. Women at the time could not be property owners. They were not paying the loggers for their help. They provided good food and the chance to marry one of three women and become part owners of the mill.
I enjoyed reading of about the four women who came to a mining town and were going to own and turn it now to logging town. Would love to read more books to find out what happens next in Hope Falls.
Its a clean and old fashioned romance novel. I was given this ebook to read in exchange for honest review from Netgalley.
November 30, 2011
This book has its first chapter introducing a new character, the male lead, and then it switches back to refresh the reader about what happened at the end of the first book, Rugged and Relentless. This was a little confusing for me but it soon moved in a new direction, starting the new story. Unfortunately I did not really like that story for most of the book although the ending helped a little.
The focus in this book is on Lacey Lyman, whose idea it had been to travel West with her three closest friends to nurse her brother back to help, to find good husbands, and to build a successful saw mill town. Lacey loves to wear beautiful clothes and bristles at being treated as if she is a delicate female incapable of doing anything, as many men are wont to treat her. As this is a romance, she does have a male opposite, hunter Chase Dunstan who suspects Lacey's brother of mischief and arrives with false intentions. They two instantly clash and continue clashing.
I was almost completely in Lacey's camp on this one. Chase is arrogant, rude, and overbearing; additionally I, as the reader, knew what secrets he was hiding, and did not appreciate his false cover. I hated knowing that Lacey was falling for him as he did not seem deserving. I also thought he was rather cruel. To compound my dislike of his character, nothing much seemed to be happening. They were just walking around Hope Falls, bickering all the time. I could have stomached, that had there been more scenes with the ladies together, which is what had enchanted me about the first book.
This was going to get a much lower rating despite the smooth writing and easy reading until the ending when there's a bit of suspense and I almost became reconciled to Dunstan. I must say it is bothersome that two of the women fall for men who arrived under false pretenses. Can't one of them just be honest? Presumably there will be a third book with Naomi, a character I would love to get to know more and hopefully her love interest will be more honest.
Also despite its publication from Barbour, I didn't feel much Christian content. Now I don't want to be preached at of course, but God was not much of a presence, receiving only a few token mentions.
Overall: Mostly boring with an unpleasant male lead until the last dozens of pages when something finally happens and moves the character development along.
The focus in this book is on Lacey Lyman, whose idea it had been to travel West with her three closest friends to nurse her brother back to help, to find good husbands, and to build a successful saw mill town. Lacey loves to wear beautiful clothes and bristles at being treated as if she is a delicate female incapable of doing anything, as many men are wont to treat her. As this is a romance, she does have a male opposite, hunter Chase Dunstan who suspects Lacey's brother of mischief and arrives with false intentions. They two instantly clash and continue clashing.
I was almost completely in Lacey's camp on this one. Chase is arrogant, rude, and overbearing; additionally I, as the reader, knew what secrets he was hiding, and did not appreciate his false cover. I hated knowing that Lacey was falling for him as he did not seem deserving. I also thought he was rather cruel. To compound my dislike of his character, nothing much seemed to be happening. They were just walking around Hope Falls, bickering all the time. I could have stomached, that had there been more scenes with the ladies together, which is what had enchanted me about the first book.
This was going to get a much lower rating despite the smooth writing and easy reading until the ending when there's a bit of suspense and I almost became reconciled to Dunstan. I must say it is bothersome that two of the women fall for men who arrived under false pretenses. Can't one of them just be honest? Presumably there will be a third book with Naomi, a character I would love to get to know more and hopefully her love interest will be more honest.
Also despite its publication from Barbour, I didn't feel much Christian content. Now I don't want to be preached at of course, but God was not much of a presence, receiving only a few token mentions.
Overall: Mostly boring with an unpleasant male lead until the last dozens of pages when something finally happens and moves the character development along.
November 1, 2011
Tall, Dark and Determined is the second story in the Husbands for Hire series by award winning author Kelly Eileen Hake. Maybe if I had read the first book, I wouldn’t have felt so lost throughout Lacey Lyman’s story. She and her four friends are seeking to rebuild Hope Falls after the mine collapsed, which nearly killed her brother. They post an ad for husbands who can help turn the town into a successful sawmill. The men arrive by the dozens, but none of them catch Lacey’s eye.
But then Chase Dunstan arrives in town. Only he’s not looking for a bride; he’s looking for answers. His brother-in-law was killed in the mine collapse, and He stays on at Hope Falls as the ladies’ hunter in the hopes of finding out the truth behind the mine collapse. But his investigation is always interrupted by the troublesome and talkative Lacey.
I can only give the book two stars. The point of view switched so often, and not just between the main characters. It created a dizzying affect to an already unclear story line. I struggled through the book until I hit about Chapter 25, and even then, I wasn’t all that engrossed in the book.
The characters have potential, but I never felt like I got to know them, or relate to them. Lacey is really big on her independence and her capabilities as a woman, but she complains a lot about men – the proverbial, Typical man, he … I found the whole thing excessive, and it bordered on offensive for me. Chase wasn’t much better with his gender assumptions.
The book also has a lot of description about food preparation. However, it isn’t woven seamlessly into the story. While educational, it just served to drag the already slow story down even further.
Either leave this one on the shelf, or just check it out from your local library.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 25.
But then Chase Dunstan arrives in town. Only he’s not looking for a bride; he’s looking for answers. His brother-in-law was killed in the mine collapse, and He stays on at Hope Falls as the ladies’ hunter in the hopes of finding out the truth behind the mine collapse. But his investigation is always interrupted by the troublesome and talkative Lacey.
I can only give the book two stars. The point of view switched so often, and not just between the main characters. It created a dizzying affect to an already unclear story line. I struggled through the book until I hit about Chapter 25, and even then, I wasn’t all that engrossed in the book.
The characters have potential, but I never felt like I got to know them, or relate to them. Lacey is really big on her independence and her capabilities as a woman, but she complains a lot about men – the proverbial, Typical man, he … I found the whole thing excessive, and it bordered on offensive for me. Chase wasn’t much better with his gender assumptions.
The book also has a lot of description about food preparation. However, it isn’t woven seamlessly into the story. While educational, it just served to drag the already slow story down even further.
Either leave this one on the shelf, or just check it out from your local library.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 25.
November 15, 2011
This is the second in the Husbands for Hire series, which follows four women who have left everything to journey west to Hope Falls, to build a sawmill and find husbands. I found the first three chapters of this novel were quite confusing, as I had not read the first book in the series (Rugged and Relentless), so had a little trouble working out the different characters and the relationships between them. The book would have benefited from an introduction outlining the characters and the main points of the first book.
Eighteen-year old orphan Lacey Lynam sold her family home and moved West to be with her brother following the news that he had survived the deadly mine collapse in Hope Falls. With her three friends, she has planned to turn the failed mining town into a saw-milling town to take advantage of the plentiful lumber and convenient railway line. The ladies posted an advertisement to recruit God-fearing men with lumber experience to cut the trees – and marry the ladies.
Chase Dunstan lost his brother-in-law in the mine collapse, and is convinced that it was no accident that left his sister a destitute widow. He journeys to Hope Falls to discover who is responsible for the mine collapse, and bring them to justice. However, Chase is surprised to find that the town appears to be under the total control of the four women, led by Lacey, and that only employees are permitted to live there. His job leaves him little time for investigation – but gives him too much time with the frivolous chatterbox who controls everything and everyone.
Overall, this is a fun read that will appeal to those who enjoy Christian historical fiction set in the American West, although some might consider this book to be a little light on the romance and on the Christian content. For maximum enjoyment, I recommend that the first book in the Husbands for Hire series, Rugged and Relentless, is read first.
This ebook was provided free by Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for review.
Eighteen-year old orphan Lacey Lynam sold her family home and moved West to be with her brother following the news that he had survived the deadly mine collapse in Hope Falls. With her three friends, she has planned to turn the failed mining town into a saw-milling town to take advantage of the plentiful lumber and convenient railway line. The ladies posted an advertisement to recruit God-fearing men with lumber experience to cut the trees – and marry the ladies.
Chase Dunstan lost his brother-in-law in the mine collapse, and is convinced that it was no accident that left his sister a destitute widow. He journeys to Hope Falls to discover who is responsible for the mine collapse, and bring them to justice. However, Chase is surprised to find that the town appears to be under the total control of the four women, led by Lacey, and that only employees are permitted to live there. His job leaves him little time for investigation – but gives him too much time with the frivolous chatterbox who controls everything and everyone.
Overall, this is a fun read that will appeal to those who enjoy Christian historical fiction set in the American West, although some might consider this book to be a little light on the romance and on the Christian content. For maximum enjoyment, I recommend that the first book in the Husbands for Hire series, Rugged and Relentless, is read first.
This ebook was provided free by Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for review.
January 27, 2012
Let it be said I am very tenacious when it comes to reading books. The do not have to grab me within the first page or the first chapter. However, if by chapter 5 I'm still completely lost then we have a problem. Unfortunately this book left me completely befuddled. I honestly haven't finished it yet and I'm not sure I will. I know Hake to be a decent author and aside from the corny title I was looking forward to reading this book. However, after five chapters I was more confused than ever. Because this was a digital copy I kept assuming whole chapters hadn't transferred properly. I even went online at midnight one night to see if I was missing something, but to no avail.
Tall, Dark and Determined is the second story in the Husbands for Hire series by award winning author Kelly Eileen Hake. Perhaps if I had read book 1 I wouldn’t have felt so lost throughout Lacey Lyman’s story. She and her four friends are seeking to rebuild Hope Falls after the mine collapsed, which nearly killed her brother. They post an ad for husbands who can help turn the town into a successful sawmill. The men arrive by the dozens, but none of them catch talkative and independent Lacey’s eye.
The story goes on but to where and how I don't know and I'm not sure I ever care to. Certain things irritate me greatly and having and author forget that her readers don't live inside her head with the characters is one of them. I will read more from Hake in the future with the hopes that she finds her way back to weaving a readable and intriguing story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Barbour Publishing for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for me honest review.
Tall, Dark and Determined is the second story in the Husbands for Hire series by award winning author Kelly Eileen Hake. Perhaps if I had read book 1 I wouldn’t have felt so lost throughout Lacey Lyman’s story. She and her four friends are seeking to rebuild Hope Falls after the mine collapsed, which nearly killed her brother. They post an ad for husbands who can help turn the town into a successful sawmill. The men arrive by the dozens, but none of them catch talkative and independent Lacey’s eye.
The story goes on but to where and how I don't know and I'm not sure I ever care to. Certain things irritate me greatly and having and author forget that her readers don't live inside her head with the characters is one of them. I will read more from Hake in the future with the hopes that she finds her way back to weaving a readable and intriguing story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Barbour Publishing for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for me honest review.
January 7, 2012
Five chapters into this book, I finally broke down and looked up the reviews on Amazon so I could figure out what the story was actually about. Not a good sign, people.
This is the second in Hake's Husbands for Hire series, and I think it has trouble standing alone, at least to start out with. I'm assuming the first book, Rugged and Relentless, which I have not read, gives a lot of background that is both lacking and needed in this one. It is not that the information was not there, only that it was not clear. Five chapters in and I still did not know who the main characters were supposed to be, and when I read on Amazon that Chase Dunstan was the hero of this book, I thought, "Who?" I had by this time read the name, of course, but Chase had been going by an alias and between that and the SO many other names in those first chapters (names I would have recognized if I had read the first book), I just could not separate him out from the all the others, and after a chapter or two, I didn't want to anymore. Call me impatient.
Hake's writing is at times clever, but her style can be confusing as it jumps from scene to scene with no background information on the scene until a few scenes later. So you eventually get the information, but not when your mind wants it.
I love the title, the cover, the cute premise, even the story and much of the writing and the banter between the characters. I definitely recommend Tall, Dark, and Determined to other readers. But I was confused for so long that it took a lot of the enjoyment out of it for me.
This is the second in Hake's Husbands for Hire series, and I think it has trouble standing alone, at least to start out with. I'm assuming the first book, Rugged and Relentless, which I have not read, gives a lot of background that is both lacking and needed in this one. It is not that the information was not there, only that it was not clear. Five chapters in and I still did not know who the main characters were supposed to be, and when I read on Amazon that Chase Dunstan was the hero of this book, I thought, "Who?" I had by this time read the name, of course, but Chase had been going by an alias and between that and the SO many other names in those first chapters (names I would have recognized if I had read the first book), I just could not separate him out from the all the others, and after a chapter or two, I didn't want to anymore. Call me impatient.
Hake's writing is at times clever, but her style can be confusing as it jumps from scene to scene with no background information on the scene until a few scenes later. So you eventually get the information, but not when your mind wants it.
I love the title, the cover, the cute premise, even the story and much of the writing and the banter between the characters. I definitely recommend Tall, Dark, and Determined to other readers. But I was confused for so long that it took a lot of the enjoyment out of it for me.
March 29, 2012
The first few chapters are very confusing. They feel disjointed. I have read the first book, and the first chapters are to bring the reader up to speed on the previous events and prepare for this book. Honestly, skip them. They really don't help.
When you get to chapter four the book begins to take off and finally become a story.
Lacey is the second in the "Husbands for Hire" to find an attractive man. She doesn't want to be attracted to Chase. He is a rugged tracker and not very sociable. He can be downright rude. Try as she might, she can't help the growing attraction she feels for him.
Chase didn't come to Hope Falls to find a bride. He came to find out the truth about his brother in law's death in a mine. He is seeking justice, his attraction for Lacey is more of a bother to him.
This book is about overcoming preconceived notions and opening your heart to the unexpected.
The romance doesn't happen until the end and as I was getting closer to the end, I kept wondering how the two of them would find it in their hearts to give each other a chance. The ending felt incomplete and rushed.
This is a fun book. I liked it. I liked the first one better though.
When you get to chapter four the book begins to take off and finally become a story.
Lacey is the second in the "Husbands for Hire" to find an attractive man. She doesn't want to be attracted to Chase. He is a rugged tracker and not very sociable. He can be downright rude. Try as she might, she can't help the growing attraction she feels for him.
Chase didn't come to Hope Falls to find a bride. He came to find out the truth about his brother in law's death in a mine. He is seeking justice, his attraction for Lacey is more of a bother to him.
This book is about overcoming preconceived notions and opening your heart to the unexpected.
The romance doesn't happen until the end and as I was getting closer to the end, I kept wondering how the two of them would find it in their hearts to give each other a chance. The ending felt incomplete and rushed.
This is a fun book. I liked it. I liked the first one better though.
February 9, 2012
TALL,DARK,AND DETERMINED by Kelly Eileen Hake is an interesting inspirational historical romance set in Hope Falls. It is book 2 of the "Husbands For Hire",while it can be read as a stand alone, you really need to read book 1 first in order to understand the story better. See "Rugged and Relentless". "Tall, Dark, and Determined" is the story of Lacey Lyman and Chase Dunstan. Lacey is one of the women who owns Hope Falls and is one of the two women left looking for a husband.She is a chatter-box,when nervous,her brother owned the mine and was in a mining accident. While,Chase poses as a possible husband,and a hunter,he is the friend of one of the other women's fiance. He is really on the hunt to find out why the Hope Falls mine collapsed and his sister's husband was killed. Believing Lacey's brother may have had something to do with the collapse,he finds Lacey is more than she appears. "Tall,Dark, and Determined" is a story of love,forgiveness,determination,longing,danger,and faith. Received for an honest review from Net Galley and the publisher. Details can be found at Barbour Publishing and My Book Addiction and More/My Book Addiction Reviews.
RATING: 4
HEAT RATING: Sweet
REVIEWED BY: AprilR,My Book Addiction and More/My Book Addiction Reviews
February 13, 2017
It was okay. Didn't have a likable heroine. Again too much with the other characters. Also didn't like the fact that most of the first chapter was a rehash of parts in the first book as well as the fact that it abruptly ended without any closure or clear cut ending.
March 7, 2012
This book, has potential. I, like many others, started with this book, which turned out to be the second in a serious of books by Ms. Hake. I figuring out the back story, of the book, took some doing, but once I did, it moved along smoothly enough.
18-year-old Lacey Lyman and her four friends, have apparently moved to Hopefalls in an effort to save, or recreate a saw mill, that her brother had started before he was injured in a mining accident. This part was very un-clear to me, but beside the point.
Chase Dunstan, a mountain man by trade (whatever that means) has arrived in Hopefalls to figure out why his brother died, and who was responsible.
As I said before, the book had potential, I think the main theme was supposed to be romance, but just as the beginnings of a relationship were about to start, the author seemed to have enough, and they kiss, and are ready to get married.
Um.......
So,I closed the book feeling a bit disappointed. The potential was there, but it didn't quite live up to what I was expecting, considering the beginnings of the story.
18-year-old Lacey Lyman and her four friends, have apparently moved to Hopefalls in an effort to save, or recreate a saw mill, that her brother had started before he was injured in a mining accident. This part was very un-clear to me, but beside the point.
Chase Dunstan, a mountain man by trade (whatever that means) has arrived in Hopefalls to figure out why his brother died, and who was responsible.
As I said before, the book had potential, I think the main theme was supposed to be romance, but just as the beginnings of a relationship were about to start, the author seemed to have enough, and they kiss, and are ready to get married.
Um.......
So,I closed the book feeling a bit disappointed. The potential was there, but it didn't quite live up to what I was expecting, considering the beginnings of the story.
April 14, 2016
Note: This trilogy should be read back to back, as storylines from book one and two remain open and are closed in book three.
I didn't like this book as much as the first one. The hero and heroine are so antagonistic towards each other for the majority of the book. It really isn't until the last chapter where they start acting on their feelings and telling each other how they feel.
This made it difficult for me to get really into their story and appreciate the feelings they had for each other at the end. Lacey in general was difficult for me to read about. Yes she's clever and smart and hardworking, but she's also a bit of diva. She pouts when she can't have her way and expects everyone to follow her reasoning. She is the least understanding of the four women, in my opinion.
I again appreciated the non-preachy tone of story. And the glimpses of the other couples too!
I didn't like this book as much as the first one. The hero and heroine are so antagonistic towards each other for the majority of the book. It really isn't until the last chapter where they start acting on their feelings and telling each other how they feel.
This made it difficult for me to get really into their story and appreciate the feelings they had for each other at the end. Lacey in general was difficult for me to read about. Yes she's clever and smart and hardworking, but she's also a bit of diva. She pouts when she can't have her way and expects everyone to follow her reasoning. She is the least understanding of the four women, in my opinion.
I again appreciated the non-preachy tone of story. And the glimpses of the other couples too!
February 8, 2017
Lacey
Wow, what a feisty woman. In some kind of trouble all the time. I enjoyed reading her story very much.
Wow, what a feisty woman. In some kind of trouble all the time. I enjoyed reading her story very much.
February 13, 2016
See my profile for my star rating system.
I received a pre-release digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Tall, Dark and Determined is book two in the Husbands for Hire series. Building on the plot and characters from the first novel, I must admit that I found this book a bit predictable without the freshness of the twist (mail-order husbands) that sold me on the first book.
While still an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon, I personally didn't click with the main characters or their particular struggles. Overall, I just didn't find anything about the book that made me say "wow," though there were still plenty of the Hake trademark chuckles sprinkled throughout.
I received a pre-release digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Tall, Dark and Determined is book two in the Husbands for Hire series. Building on the plot and characters from the first novel, I must admit that I found this book a bit predictable without the freshness of the twist (mail-order husbands) that sold me on the first book.
While still an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon, I personally didn't click with the main characters or their particular struggles. Overall, I just didn't find anything about the book that made me say "wow," though there were still plenty of the Hake trademark chuckles sprinkled throughout.
December 22, 2011
Another cute story by Kelly Eileen Hake. The one thing that really stands out about this book is the dialog between the protagonists. When an author has two people "fall in love", but there's never any evidence why they do, it makes for a pretty stupid story. Such is not the case with Ms. Hake. She has them talking and communicating so you see how these two people come to know, respect, and love each other. I wish more authors would do this. I'm guessing it's not easy, but it's done very well in this book.
January 8, 2012
Lacey works hard to rebuild Hope Falls, a fallen mining town. Chase, a reclusive hunter, is investigating his suspicions that the mine collapse was not an accident. How is a man supposed to hunt for clues with a troublesome tagalog? I loved this book. It was fun, and witty! I liked the characters, and really connected with them. I thought the author did a great job creating a fun, clean, romantic story. This is second in the series, and I hope there are more in this series, but as of today, I haven't found them.
April 23, 2012
When does book 3 come out? I enjoyed reading this book, sitting outside on a chair with my swollen feet propped up on my car's hood. It had an outdoor feel to it with the introduction of Chase Dunstan. He and Lacey Lyman are at odds with each other pretty much throughout the whole story. The author is talented at making the characters come to life, strong yet vulnerable women among a town of men..(potential suitors) and log men.. Hope Falls embodies a pioneer town... Three cheers for Lacey and Chase... :-)
January 5, 2012
I thought the ending was pretty good but the book was pretty predictable. I wish they would have gone into a more interesting story line because I love the characters in this book. There where a few parts in the story where it just was them talking and what they were saying didn't really matter to the over all plot of the story. I really do like her style of writing and I WILL be reading more of her books.
June 19, 2012
Do not read this book before you read #1 in the series. It was hard for me to get involved into this book and the writing style reflects repeating information. I couldn't figure out the characters in the right place until the end of the book.
4 women participate in a plan to save the Hope Falls community in 1887 by building a sawmill to replace the mine. To do this they advertise for men and husbands.
319 pages
4 women participate in a plan to save the Hope Falls community in 1887 by building a sawmill to replace the mine. To do this they advertise for men and husbands.
319 pages
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