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What Price Paradise
All his life Tate McCullom has been taught to be responsible, and he is the very model of what a respectable man should be. Until the night he gets drunk and sleeps with a woman he barely knows.Now, six weeks later, she's pregnant, alone, and broke. Once again, Tate must take responsibility for his actions, and makes plans to marry his child's mother. There's only one problem…he has to tell his fiancée. Abby Grayson hasn't had an easy life. As the daughter of the town whore, people either avoid her or think she's like her mother. For Abby, it's a struggle just to fill her belly and keep a roof over her head. Loneliness and a secret yearning for this man she thought she'd never have led her to spend the night with Tate. But the last thing she needs is a baby when she can barely take care of herself. Desperate, but too proud to ask for help, she finally agrees to accept a job from Tate the job of being his wife. Now she has almost everything she's ever dreamed of.Unfortunately, only one thing will gain her Tate's love — his realization that the night he spent with her was no drunken accident. It was a last-ditch attempt to win the woman he really wanted.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 29, 2005
96 people are currently reading
5978 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Allred
10 books1,103 followersKatherine Allred was born in Arkansas and spent her formative years there learning to love books at her grandfather's knee. When she was five, her mother remarried and moved them to Michigan, where they stayed for the next ten years. At age fifteen, the entire family moved back home to Arkansas, and she's been there ever since, except for brief stints in other countries and states while her hubby was in the army.
After receiving a BS in journalism from Arkansas State University, Katherine began her writing in earnest. To date, she's had seven books published, with number eight being released in April, 2009, and number nine just completed.
A member of Romance Writers of America, Katherine has achieved many awards for her novels, including the 2006 EPPIE award, winning the PASIC Book of Your Heart contest in 2002, and having a novel named Best Book of the Year by Romance Reviews Today in 2005. She currently writes for Eos, the science fiction imprint of Harper Collins Publishing.
After receiving a BS in journalism from Arkansas State University, Katherine began her writing in earnest. To date, she's had seven books published, with number eight being released in April, 2009, and number nine just completed.
A member of Romance Writers of America, Katherine has achieved many awards for her novels, including the 2006 EPPIE award, winning the PASIC Book of Your Heart contest in 2002, and having a novel named Best Book of the Year by Romance Reviews Today in 2005. She currently writes for Eos, the science fiction imprint of Harper Collins Publishing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 770 reviews
August 4, 2020
4 Stars
The best things come when you least expect them.
You start reading a book almost sure you won't like it: the cover is terrible; the blurb sounds ominous; the reviews are mixed. On top of that, there’s cheating and unrequited love...
And then you end up loving it. Surprises like this are why I love reading. You never know what you’re gonna get.
I wanted to read another slow burn romance with unrequited love elements. Those who know me well know that I don’t have many pet peeves. I can read about anything (even cheating, love triangles and extremely dark and violent stories). My only triggers are death of the main characters and child abuse. Everything else is fair game.
I won’t lie to you. Think twice before you start this baby. It contains cheating (though debatable), unrequited love and lots of angst. There was a moment when I wanted to kill the hero. I’m not kidding. Why are some men so stupid? This hero was so damn responsible and clueless.
The heroine is a daughter of a town whore. She is very poor, uneducated and insecure. But despite all of her weaknesses, she is proud. And that’s why I loved her. Yes, she lacks confidence when her social status and education are concerned, but she has backbone and knows how to use it when needed.
Initially I was going with 3-ish stars but I’ve changed my mind since yesterday. The book pissed me off gazillion times. But I inhaled it in one sitting. I was never bored and I fell in love with the characters. They are so adorable together. The slow burn is done beautifully: falling in love happens slowly and naturally.
QUICK REVIEW:
Enjoyment: 4/5
Writing style: 4/5
Storyline: 4/5
Hero: 4/5
Heroine: 4/5
Secondary characters: 4/5
Hotness/steam: 3.5/5
Romance: 4/5
Angst: 4/5
Darkness level: 1/5
Humor: 2/5
Depth of the book: 4/5
POV: multiple, 3rd person
Triggers:
The best things come when you least expect them.
You start reading a book almost sure you won't like it: the cover is terrible; the blurb sounds ominous; the reviews are mixed. On top of that, there’s cheating and unrequited love...
And then you end up loving it. Surprises like this are why I love reading. You never know what you’re gonna get.
I wanted to read another slow burn romance with unrequited love elements. Those who know me well know that I don’t have many pet peeves. I can read about anything (even cheating, love triangles and extremely dark and violent stories). My only triggers are death of the main characters and child abuse. Everything else is fair game.
I won’t lie to you. Think twice before you start this baby. It contains cheating (though debatable), unrequited love and lots of angst. There was a moment when I wanted to kill the hero. I’m not kidding. Why are some men so stupid? This hero was so damn responsible and clueless.
The heroine is a daughter of a town whore. She is very poor, uneducated and insecure. But despite all of her weaknesses, she is proud. And that’s why I loved her. Yes, she lacks confidence when her social status and education are concerned, but she has backbone and knows how to use it when needed.
Initially I was going with 3-ish stars but I’ve changed my mind since yesterday. The book pissed me off gazillion times. But I inhaled it in one sitting. I was never bored and I fell in love with the characters. They are so adorable together. The slow burn is done beautifully: falling in love happens slowly and naturally.
QUICK REVIEW:
Enjoyment: 4/5
Writing style: 4/5
Storyline: 4/5
Hero: 4/5
Heroine: 4/5
Secondary characters: 4/5
Hotness/steam: 3.5/5
Romance: 4/5
Angst: 4/5
Darkness level: 1/5
Humor: 2/5
Depth of the book: 4/5
POV: multiple, 3rd person
Triggers:
May 14, 2025
Abby grew up with her mother in a Texas town. Her mother was the town's whore and that label unfairly followed Abby even though she was a sweet, moral, lonely girl.
Her mother got cancer and Abby had to drop out of High school to take care of her.
After her mother's death, Abby was left alone and destitute.
Now 23, was living in a shack and was working at the town's tavern 2 nights a week.
She was studying by correspondence for her High school diploma hoping it would land her a better job.
Tate was a 29 year old ranch owner who lived with his 16 year old brother, Buddy.
He'd been engaged to his fiancee Diane for ever. Diane was beautiful but spoiled, selfish and not very faithful. She had a rich daddy who did not care much about her. She had broken up with Tate multiple times but she would always go back to him.
Abby was secretly in love with Tate. He was always courteous to her, unlike the other townspeople.
One night Tate and Diane had a fight at the tavern for the fact that she was seeing Clayton, a rich guy, on the side.
That night Tate was the one who called the engagement off for a change.
He later got drunk.
When Abby got off work he insisted on taking her home and because she'd been in love with him she'd said yes in spite of her reservations. At her door he'd whispered "Let me come in, please. I'm tired of been alone". She knew what it was like to be alone, to need someone to care. And she loved him. That's why she'd let him in.
SPOILERS
She'd been a virgin and he never used protection.
Six weeks later Abby had found herself pregnant, worried and scared. She couldn't tell Tate, he'd since had reconcile with his fiancee.
She'd hardly had enough money to keep a roof over her head. Many times she went hungry, how was she be able to raise a child?
That night while working at the tavern, she got consumed by a wave of nausea. She run outside to be sick and Tate, who was there with his fiancee, went after her. He knew she was pregnant. Abby told him to leave her alone, she would be okay.
Diane wanted Tate to go to the Caribbean with her. He told her he had a ranch to run. She took the ring off her finger and gave it back to him, for the tenth time.
His friend Joe told him she was not worth it, she'd already put him through hell so many times.
Tate gave Abby a lift home that night, and after he'd discovered she had no food, took her to his ranch. He knew she was too proud to ever ask for help so he offered her a job.
He needed a wife, she would take care of the house as he couldn't afford to hire anyone.
She would really be doing him a favour, he said.
Abby objected, she reminded him of Diane. He said it would be over with Diane as soon as she was back in town in 2 weeks time. He was raised not to ignore his responsibilities. So what if his life wasn't turning out exactly the way he'd planned, it was not ruined, it'll just be different.
He'd finally managed to convince her.
There was something about Abby that drew him. He felt protective of her. He'd asked her why she let him in the night he'd broken up with Diane.
She said, because he needed her, no one had ever needed her before and he was the only one who'd ever treated her halfway decent and maybe she was a little lonely too.
They'd got married and the marriage remained uncosummated.
Abby enjoyed taking care of the house, that was the first proper house she'd ever lived in.
She was doing the cooking as well and all three members of the household were content.
They got to know each other and Tate knew he wanted her more than he'd ever wanted another woman and wondered how was that so when it was Diane he loved.
When Diane did return back from the holiday (which Tate suspected she took with Clayton) the scene that followed was ugly.
After that Tate had another drunken night.
Things became strained at home. Abby told him that after the baby was born she would leave.
It wasn't the fact that he saw and talked to Diane the other day. It was what he did afterwards.
Telling Diane about his marriage made him so miserable that he'd got drunk to cope.
Tate told her he did not want her to go, he couldn't stand the thought of only seeing his child occasionally. He told Abby the reason he got drunk was not the idea of losing Diane. He felt guilty as he did not like hurting people.
Abby promised she would give their marriage a chance.
Eventually Tate moved in Abby's bedroom and all was well.
He'd stopped going to the tavern, he'd realised he was only going there to see Abby.
Diane got married and Tate got consumed with guilt as he knew she never would have married Clayton if it wasn't for his own actions.
Time passed, Tate was very happy with Abby. Abby was tormented as she knew he didn't really loved her. He was wonderful to her but she knew his heart belonged to Diane.
Joe told her she was wrong. Tate was not in love with Diane, he only had a huge sense of responsibility towards her, as he was being taking care of her all his life, and he was mistaken that responsibility for love.
One day while Tate was at the town's Cafe, he happened to see Diane. She told him she loved him and needed him, that she was being abused. She'd shown him a bruise on her arm.
She'd suggested they run away together. He told her he was not to do such a thing but that conversation left him strained and worried.
From there on he couldn't stop thinking about Diane's words, her fear of Clayton. If anything happened to her it would be his fault. If he tried to help Diane it would hurt Abby.
Abby was aware of his preoccupation and did not know when he was going to make a choice.
It was 4th of July and all the town was having a picnic together with fireworks and all. In the middle of the festivities a storm broke out. They were headed for the trucks when Diane appeared, bruised and bloody asking Tate for help, she said he had beaten her up.
Joe offered to take her to the Hospital but Tate said no, he would take her.
Joe drove Abby back to the ranch.
Abby told Joe, Tate made his choice and he chose Diane. There were many people who could have taken Diane to the Hospital but he had to do it himself. He didn't say a word to Abby, he forgot she was there.
Buddy gave her some money and after she gathered her meagre belongings she left with Joe's help.
In the meantime, Tate had found out Clayton was not the one who hurt Diane, but someone else.
Tate told Clayton that he had to take care of her from now on. Tate had to take care of his own family.
After that, Tate felt a huge weight been lifted off his shoulder, he felt liberated.
A month had passed since Abby's departure and Tate was in the midst of despair.
Joe decided to reveal Abby's whereabouts after she'd contacted him.
Tate couldn't wait to see her again. He couldn't live without her.
In the meantime Abby was living in a nearby town. She'd already got her High school diploma with honours. She'd found a job at a dress shop and was living in a small apartment. She'd even found a free clinic for her antenatal care.
She was going to call Tate that day. The baby was as much his as it was hers and she knew he loved it.
Tate was waiting for her at her apartment. He said he'd missed her, what could he do to make her come back?
"You need me. You and the baby both. Let me take care of you".
"No Tate, l don't need you. I'm not living in a shack anymore. I've got a job l like, my medical needs are being taken care of."
"Okay, you don't need me. But what if l need you? I didn't marry you because it was my responsibility. I married you because it was what l wanted to do for a long time. The baby just gave me an excuse to talk you into it. When l told you l couldn't afford to support two households l lied. I'm not rich, but the ranch is doing well. I could have taken care of you without marrying you. But l had to find a way to convince you. I need you, l loved you from the beginning. You're the only thing l've ever done in my life that was just for myself, because it was what l wanted".
Tate and Abby had their happy ever after with their baby son.
Her mother got cancer and Abby had to drop out of High school to take care of her.
After her mother's death, Abby was left alone and destitute.
Now 23, was living in a shack and was working at the town's tavern 2 nights a week.
She was studying by correspondence for her High school diploma hoping it would land her a better job.
Tate was a 29 year old ranch owner who lived with his 16 year old brother, Buddy.
He'd been engaged to his fiancee Diane for ever. Diane was beautiful but spoiled, selfish and not very faithful. She had a rich daddy who did not care much about her. She had broken up with Tate multiple times but she would always go back to him.
Abby was secretly in love with Tate. He was always courteous to her, unlike the other townspeople.
One night Tate and Diane had a fight at the tavern for the fact that she was seeing Clayton, a rich guy, on the side.
That night Tate was the one who called the engagement off for a change.
He later got drunk.
When Abby got off work he insisted on taking her home and because she'd been in love with him she'd said yes in spite of her reservations. At her door he'd whispered "Let me come in, please. I'm tired of been alone". She knew what it was like to be alone, to need someone to care. And she loved him. That's why she'd let him in.
SPOILERS
She'd been a virgin and he never used protection.
Six weeks later Abby had found herself pregnant, worried and scared. She couldn't tell Tate, he'd since had reconcile with his fiancee.
She'd hardly had enough money to keep a roof over her head. Many times she went hungry, how was she be able to raise a child?
That night while working at the tavern, she got consumed by a wave of nausea. She run outside to be sick and Tate, who was there with his fiancee, went after her. He knew she was pregnant. Abby told him to leave her alone, she would be okay.
Diane wanted Tate to go to the Caribbean with her. He told her he had a ranch to run. She took the ring off her finger and gave it back to him, for the tenth time.
His friend Joe told him she was not worth it, she'd already put him through hell so many times.
Tate gave Abby a lift home that night, and after he'd discovered she had no food, took her to his ranch. He knew she was too proud to ever ask for help so he offered her a job.
He needed a wife, she would take care of the house as he couldn't afford to hire anyone.
She would really be doing him a favour, he said.
Abby objected, she reminded him of Diane. He said it would be over with Diane as soon as she was back in town in 2 weeks time. He was raised not to ignore his responsibilities. So what if his life wasn't turning out exactly the way he'd planned, it was not ruined, it'll just be different.
He'd finally managed to convince her.
There was something about Abby that drew him. He felt protective of her. He'd asked her why she let him in the night he'd broken up with Diane.
She said, because he needed her, no one had ever needed her before and he was the only one who'd ever treated her halfway decent and maybe she was a little lonely too.
They'd got married and the marriage remained uncosummated.
Abby enjoyed taking care of the house, that was the first proper house she'd ever lived in.
She was doing the cooking as well and all three members of the household were content.
They got to know each other and Tate knew he wanted her more than he'd ever wanted another woman and wondered how was that so when it was Diane he loved.
When Diane did return back from the holiday (which Tate suspected she took with Clayton) the scene that followed was ugly.
After that Tate had another drunken night.
Things became strained at home. Abby told him that after the baby was born she would leave.
It wasn't the fact that he saw and talked to Diane the other day. It was what he did afterwards.
Telling Diane about his marriage made him so miserable that he'd got drunk to cope.
Tate told her he did not want her to go, he couldn't stand the thought of only seeing his child occasionally. He told Abby the reason he got drunk was not the idea of losing Diane. He felt guilty as he did not like hurting people.
Abby promised she would give their marriage a chance.
Eventually Tate moved in Abby's bedroom and all was well.
He'd stopped going to the tavern, he'd realised he was only going there to see Abby.
Diane got married and Tate got consumed with guilt as he knew she never would have married Clayton if it wasn't for his own actions.
Time passed, Tate was very happy with Abby. Abby was tormented as she knew he didn't really loved her. He was wonderful to her but she knew his heart belonged to Diane.
Joe told her she was wrong. Tate was not in love with Diane, he only had a huge sense of responsibility towards her, as he was being taking care of her all his life, and he was mistaken that responsibility for love.
One day while Tate was at the town's Cafe, he happened to see Diane. She told him she loved him and needed him, that she was being abused. She'd shown him a bruise on her arm.
She'd suggested they run away together. He told her he was not to do such a thing but that conversation left him strained and worried.
From there on he couldn't stop thinking about Diane's words, her fear of Clayton. If anything happened to her it would be his fault. If he tried to help Diane it would hurt Abby.
Abby was aware of his preoccupation and did not know when he was going to make a choice.
It was 4th of July and all the town was having a picnic together with fireworks and all. In the middle of the festivities a storm broke out. They were headed for the trucks when Diane appeared, bruised and bloody asking Tate for help, she said he had beaten her up.
Joe offered to take her to the Hospital but Tate said no, he would take her.
Joe drove Abby back to the ranch.
Abby told Joe, Tate made his choice and he chose Diane. There were many people who could have taken Diane to the Hospital but he had to do it himself. He didn't say a word to Abby, he forgot she was there.
Buddy gave her some money and after she gathered her meagre belongings she left with Joe's help.
In the meantime, Tate had found out Clayton was not the one who hurt Diane, but someone else.
Tate told Clayton that he had to take care of her from now on. Tate had to take care of his own family.
After that, Tate felt a huge weight been lifted off his shoulder, he felt liberated.
A month had passed since Abby's departure and Tate was in the midst of despair.
Joe decided to reveal Abby's whereabouts after she'd contacted him.
Tate couldn't wait to see her again. He couldn't live without her.
In the meantime Abby was living in a nearby town. She'd already got her High school diploma with honours. She'd found a job at a dress shop and was living in a small apartment. She'd even found a free clinic for her antenatal care.
She was going to call Tate that day. The baby was as much his as it was hers and she knew he loved it.
Tate was waiting for her at her apartment. He said he'd missed her, what could he do to make her come back?
"You need me. You and the baby both. Let me take care of you".
"No Tate, l don't need you. I'm not living in a shack anymore. I've got a job l like, my medical needs are being taken care of."
"Okay, you don't need me. But what if l need you? I didn't marry you because it was my responsibility. I married you because it was what l wanted to do for a long time. The baby just gave me an excuse to talk you into it. When l told you l couldn't afford to support two households l lied. I'm not rich, but the ranch is doing well. I could have taken care of you without marrying you. But l had to find a way to convince you. I need you, l loved you from the beginning. You're the only thing l've ever done in my life that was just for myself, because it was what l wanted".
Tate and Abby had their happy ever after with their baby son.
August 7, 2020
3.75 stars
This was a sweet, low-angst story - contrary to what I assumed going into it.
There's not much to say without spoiling it because the synopsis provides all the info you need going into it. The only thing I'll mention is that if you're looking for something really angsty, love triangle, unrequited love type of thing (which is how it comes across in the description) this is not really it.
It has all of those things indeed, but it's very... mellow?! toned down?!
Anyway, it was cute and well written so I didn't really mind that I wasn't getting something to sob over.
This was a sweet, low-angst story - contrary to what I assumed going into it.
There's not much to say without spoiling it because the synopsis provides all the info you need going into it. The only thing I'll mention is that if you're looking for something really angsty, love triangle, unrequited love type of thing (which is how it comes across in the description) this is not really it.
It has all of those things indeed, but it's very... mellow?! toned down?!
Anyway, it was cute and well written so I didn't really mind that I wasn't getting something to sob over.
August 30, 2016
4.5 stars
“I love you,” he whispered. “You’ll have the words every day for the rest of our lives.”
After finishing The Sweet Gum Tree, I fell so in love with Ms. Allred's writing that I just had to try another of her books and LOVED this one too!
It has refreshingly smart and functional characters (both individually and as a couple), funny witty dialogue, a steamy romance, some misty eyed moments (but no crying), some moments that made me laugh out loud, a writing style that just sucks you right into the story and allows you to vividly picture everything that is happening, as well as a very sweet happy ending :)
In a small town, six weeks after having a drunken one night stand with Tate, a guy she has secretly loved for a long time, Abby finds out she is pregnant. Problem is, Tate has a finacee and she is the dirt-poor daughter of the town whore. Tate’s financee is the spoiled, bratty daughter of the richest man in town and is constantly cheating on Tate and breaking up with him- which is what led to the fight right before the night he got drunk. But Tate can’t stop thinking about Abby and the moment he discovers she is pregnant with his child, he refuses to let her go through it alone and, desperately wanting to do the right thing, he takes her home to his ranch and gets her to agree to marrying him. Abby isn’t sure at first and doesn’t trust that he won’t just leave her the moment the child is born – especially since she can’t tell if he is over his fiancee or not. It isn’t easy at first, but despite barely knowing each other, they are both intensely drawn to each other and their attraction to each other can’t be ignored and as they begin to follow their hearts, they also fall begin to fall in love.
“You don’t have to be scared anymore, Abby. We’ll figure something out, I promise. We’re in this together… I told you, thats my baby, my blood. I wasn’t raised to ignore my responsibilities whether they were caused by accident or not…. I’m not going to ignore any baby of mine. So what if my life isn’t turning out exactly the way I’d planned? It’s not ruined, it’ll just be different.”
Finally!!! A guy who doesn’t utterly freak out over a pregnancy! What a welcome change!
I totally fell in love with Tate. He was just such an all-round, down-to-earth, good guy. He was always trying to see the best in people, always trying to do the responsible, right thing. And of course was totally protective and possessive. I just loved seeing the way he handled the pregnancy. He tried so hard to be as understanding as possible. It wasn’t what he expected, it didn’t at all fit into his life plan, but he never tried to hide it, wasn’t ashamed and didn’t reject her but rather he totally embraced both the situation, Abby, and his unborn child in a very heart warming, swoony way. He never pushed her into anything she wasn’t ready for. But he had to figure out for himself where his heart truly lay – with the fiance he’d convinced him self he loved, or with the woman carrying his child that he found himself undeniably drawn to.
Abby too was a wonderfully refreshing, smart heroine with a lot of inner strength. All her actions were totally understandable and she didn’t make any rash or stupid decisions. I loved how she didn’t just give in to Tate – she made him prove himself to her before she completely gave over her heart. She wanted to make sure that he wasn’t with her out of a sense of obligation but because it was what he genuinely wanted.
“Tate, I can’t promise anything, but I’ll give it a chance. If it looks like it might work, I’ll stay.”
As a couple, Tate and Abby were also delightful to read about – they were just so functional!!! I loved it!! Sure, they had problems, they made mistakes, but they worked through all of them in a rational, totally believable, non-stupid way.
And seeing them go through all the baby prep together was totally adorable and funny.
“You know that Lamaze thing you signed me up for today? Well… you signed youself up, too… You have to be my coach.”…
“This doesn’t sound too bad… Although I’m not sure how you can teach someone to breathe. Seems it would be a case of either you can or you can’t.”
As with The Sweet Gum Tree, the writing style of this book was just beautiful. The slow build of their romance was heart warming, adorable, steamy and very believable. Nothing felt rushed or out of place – they took things one step at a time…. but like I said, it was much steamier! The pacing was perfect. And it was the kind of story that had me constantly thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it – when I had to stop for the night, I just couldn’t wait to get back to it!
I would highly recommend it for when you are looking for a feel-good book with some depth to it.
My only complaint was that, even though it had a resolved, HEA ending, I still wanted more - A few more chapters before the end and I would have loved it to have an epilogue. Does that make me greedy? lol.
PS. Don't worry about the book cover - there is no death, dying or cheating despite what the graveyard and the two women hint at... I promise! The graves are his parents' and the 2 women represent the choice he has between his finacee and Abby.... but the book isn't all about the love triangle issue. Its clear who will end up together :)
How I see Tate & Abby:
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“I love you,” he whispered. “You’ll have the words every day for the rest of our lives.”
After finishing The Sweet Gum Tree, I fell so in love with Ms. Allred's writing that I just had to try another of her books and LOVED this one too!
It has refreshingly smart and functional characters (both individually and as a couple), funny witty dialogue, a steamy romance, some misty eyed moments (but no crying), some moments that made me laugh out loud, a writing style that just sucks you right into the story and allows you to vividly picture everything that is happening, as well as a very sweet happy ending :)
In a small town, six weeks after having a drunken one night stand with Tate, a guy she has secretly loved for a long time, Abby finds out she is pregnant. Problem is, Tate has a finacee and she is the dirt-poor daughter of the town whore. Tate’s financee is the spoiled, bratty daughter of the richest man in town and is constantly cheating on Tate and breaking up with him- which is what led to the fight right before the night he got drunk. But Tate can’t stop thinking about Abby and the moment he discovers she is pregnant with his child, he refuses to let her go through it alone and, desperately wanting to do the right thing, he takes her home to his ranch and gets her to agree to marrying him. Abby isn’t sure at first and doesn’t trust that he won’t just leave her the moment the child is born – especially since she can’t tell if he is over his fiancee or not. It isn’t easy at first, but despite barely knowing each other, they are both intensely drawn to each other and their attraction to each other can’t be ignored and as they begin to follow their hearts, they also fall begin to fall in love.
“You don’t have to be scared anymore, Abby. We’ll figure something out, I promise. We’re in this together… I told you, thats my baby, my blood. I wasn’t raised to ignore my responsibilities whether they were caused by accident or not…. I’m not going to ignore any baby of mine. So what if my life isn’t turning out exactly the way I’d planned? It’s not ruined, it’ll just be different.”
Finally!!! A guy who doesn’t utterly freak out over a pregnancy! What a welcome change!
I totally fell in love with Tate. He was just such an all-round, down-to-earth, good guy. He was always trying to see the best in people, always trying to do the responsible, right thing. And of course was totally protective and possessive. I just loved seeing the way he handled the pregnancy. He tried so hard to be as understanding as possible. It wasn’t what he expected, it didn’t at all fit into his life plan, but he never tried to hide it, wasn’t ashamed and didn’t reject her but rather he totally embraced both the situation, Abby, and his unborn child in a very heart warming, swoony way. He never pushed her into anything she wasn’t ready for. But he had to figure out for himself where his heart truly lay – with the fiance he’d convinced him self he loved, or with the woman carrying his child that he found himself undeniably drawn to.
Abby too was a wonderfully refreshing, smart heroine with a lot of inner strength. All her actions were totally understandable and she didn’t make any rash or stupid decisions. I loved how she didn’t just give in to Tate – she made him prove himself to her before she completely gave over her heart. She wanted to make sure that he wasn’t with her out of a sense of obligation but because it was what he genuinely wanted.
“Tate, I can’t promise anything, but I’ll give it a chance. If it looks like it might work, I’ll stay.”
As a couple, Tate and Abby were also delightful to read about – they were just so functional!!! I loved it!! Sure, they had problems, they made mistakes, but they worked through all of them in a rational, totally believable, non-stupid way.
And seeing them go through all the baby prep together was totally adorable and funny.
“You know that Lamaze thing you signed me up for today? Well… you signed youself up, too… You have to be my coach.”…
“This doesn’t sound too bad… Although I’m not sure how you can teach someone to breathe. Seems it would be a case of either you can or you can’t.”
As with The Sweet Gum Tree, the writing style of this book was just beautiful. The slow build of their romance was heart warming, adorable, steamy and very believable. Nothing felt rushed or out of place – they took things one step at a time…. but like I said, it was much steamier! The pacing was perfect. And it was the kind of story that had me constantly thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it – when I had to stop for the night, I just couldn’t wait to get back to it!
I would highly recommend it for when you are looking for a feel-good book with some depth to it.
My only complaint was that, even though it had a resolved, HEA ending, I still wanted more - A few more chapters before the end and I would have loved it to have an epilogue. Does that make me greedy? lol.
PS. Don't worry about the book cover - there is no death, dying or cheating despite what the graveyard and the two women hint at... I promise! The graves are his parents' and the 2 women represent the choice he has between his finacee and Abby.... but the book isn't all about the love triangle issue. Its clear who will end up together :)
How I see Tate & Abby:
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June 15, 2023
3.5 Stars (Originally Read 3/12/2018)
3 Stars (Re-Read 6/15/2023)
Overall Opinion: I was totally kicking myself when this book was recommended to me, because for some reason I didn't think to look for other books that Katherine Allred authored. This is especially frustrating because one of her books, The Sweet Gum Tree, is one of my favorites! Oh well. I do think after reading the blurb and the many high reviews from my GR friends, I got my expectations a little too high. I still enjoyed it though! But, sadly, this isn't joing the other on my favorites shelf. I have to say this -- the cover is atrocious!! It had me thinking of death, and it also had me making my own predictions throughout the book that were totally off base. Ms. Allred -- you might consider an update there, just saying 🤷🏻♀️ The main reason for my lower rating was that the ending left me wanting, as it was one of those that has the conflict being resolved and their true feelings being revealed right at the very end (literally in the last chapter).
Re-Read Note: I lowered my rating because I didn't even know if I wanted to finish it at one point. I'm in a major book slump right now and thought I'd get the feelings going with this re-read, but really all I got is a little annoyance instead. I have the same gripes as above (probably too high of expectations, horrible cover, and super lame ending) but I also didn't like the competition for who was the biggest martyr that both the mcs had going on here. Eye roll inducing stuff for sure! I didn't hate it or anything, but I just don't think it helped my slump either.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Abby and Tate's story. It begins when Abby realizes she's pregnant after a ONS with Tate when he was on one of his off times with his on-again-off-again fiancé. Tate swoops in when he finds out and offers to make things right by moving her in to his ranch and marrying her. There are some awkward moments at first, some drama with the ex, some sexy times, and some sweet moments...and they get a HEA ending.
POV: This alternated between focusing mainly on Abby and Tate in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good until the end. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well otherwise.
Instalove: No
H rating: 3 stars. Tate. He was confused by his feelings for majority of the book to where I wanted to give him a good shake. While his sense of responsibility was admirable, it also became a problem when he wasn't so good at communicating.
h rating: 4 stars. Abby. I liked her. I appreciated how she cared for the H, and my heart broke for her because of her past.
Sadness level: Low. I personally didn't need any tissues, but others might.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had not nearly enough closure for me! I would've really liked a farther glimpse into their future! The ending felt way too abrupt for my liking, but I would still call it a HEA.
Safety: This one should be either Safe or Safe with exception for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences.
3 Stars (Re-Read 6/15/2023)
Overall Opinion: I was totally kicking myself when this book was recommended to me, because for some reason I didn't think to look for other books that Katherine Allred authored. This is especially frustrating because one of her books, The Sweet Gum Tree, is one of my favorites! Oh well. I do think after reading the blurb and the many high reviews from my GR friends, I got my expectations a little too high. I still enjoyed it though! But, sadly, this isn't joing the other on my favorites shelf. I have to say this -- the cover is atrocious!! It had me thinking of death, and it also had me making my own predictions throughout the book that were totally off base. Ms. Allred -- you might consider an update there, just saying 🤷🏻♀️ The main reason for my lower rating was that the ending left me wanting, as it was one of those that has the conflict being resolved and their true feelings being revealed right at the very end (literally in the last chapter).
Re-Read Note: I lowered my rating because I didn't even know if I wanted to finish it at one point. I'm in a major book slump right now and thought I'd get the feelings going with this re-read, but really all I got is a little annoyance instead. I have the same gripes as above (probably too high of expectations, horrible cover, and super lame ending) but I also didn't like the competition for who was the biggest martyr that both the mcs had going on here. Eye roll inducing stuff for sure! I didn't hate it or anything, but I just don't think it helped my slump either.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Abby and Tate's story. It begins when Abby realizes she's pregnant after a ONS with Tate when he was on one of his off times with his on-again-off-again fiancé. Tate swoops in when he finds out and offers to make things right by moving her in to his ranch and marrying her. There are some awkward moments at first, some drama with the ex, some sexy times, and some sweet moments...and they get a HEA ending.
POV: This alternated between focusing mainly on Abby and Tate in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good until the end. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well otherwise.
Instalove: No
H rating: 3 stars. Tate. He was confused by his feelings for majority of the book to where I wanted to give him a good shake. While his sense of responsibility was admirable, it also became a problem when he wasn't so good at communicating.
h rating: 4 stars. Abby. I liked her. I appreciated how she cared for the H, and my heart broke for her because of her past.
Sadness level: Low. I personally didn't need any tissues, but others might.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had not nearly enough closure for me! I would've really liked a farther glimpse into their future! The ending felt way too abrupt for my liking, but I would still call it a HEA.
Safety: This one should be either Safe or Safe with exception for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences.
September 8, 2015
This cover is really not the one, but don't do a me and judge by this. It was absolutely amazing.
October 13, 2021
My, what a basket case that man is!
I read some stupid heroes before but this win it all.
He has no backbone or intelligence enough to live by himself, I wonder who gave him a driving license???
He has been engaged to a woman who screwed half the town and still doesn’t want to leave her, even when he marries the heroine???
I think everyone in the book is better than him, actually he’s not bad at all, he’s responsible and gentle but he’s got the brains of a jellyfish and it’s backbone too.
Everyone told him he was losing his time with his ex and he should have been happy to have found a woman like his wife but he had to lose her to understand that he loved her.
He’s not only stupid and cretin he’s also a spineless man who let a bitch of a woman use him because she only wanted attention.
How stupid can a man be?
This is the lowest of the low.
The poor heroine deserved better, her husbands friend Joe was a better man and I hoped she run away with him.
Sadly not this time.
Whatever, the book was good and with some angst, even if I couldn’t really feel the angst because the stupidity of the hero annoyed me too much.
Really, stupid is not sexy, ever.
I had the impression I was reading a book about a mentally challenged man whom the heroine was taking care of. Not so romantic. Only … tiring.
I hope at least she’s due some welfare funds for disabled people, poor woman.
I read some stupid heroes before but this win it all.
He has no backbone or intelligence enough to live by himself, I wonder who gave him a driving license???
He has been engaged to a woman who screwed half the town and still doesn’t want to leave her, even when he marries the heroine???
I think everyone in the book is better than him, actually he’s not bad at all, he’s responsible and gentle but he’s got the brains of a jellyfish and it’s backbone too.
Everyone told him he was losing his time with his ex and he should have been happy to have found a woman like his wife but he had to lose her to understand that he loved her.
He’s not only stupid and cretin he’s also a spineless man who let a bitch of a woman use him because she only wanted attention.
How stupid can a man be?
This is the lowest of the low.
The poor heroine deserved better, her husbands friend Joe was a better man and I hoped she run away with him.
Sadly not this time.
Whatever, the book was good and with some angst, even if I couldn’t really feel the angst because the stupidity of the hero annoyed me too much.
Really, stupid is not sexy, ever.
I had the impression I was reading a book about a mentally challenged man whom the heroine was taking care of. Not so romantic. Only … tiring.
I hope at least she’s due some welfare funds for disabled people, poor woman.
December 8, 2017
4.75 stars!
April 12, 2023
5+ Stars to What Price Paradise
My Thoughts?
I loved it. Madly, deeply. I loved it.
This was EVERYTHING. It was absolutely perfect for me. And to think of the various times in the past I searched for this book to purchase it or borrow it, and gave up because it wasn't available in any of the usual places. Well, I was tempted to look a bit further this time and found it. To be honest, I'm not sure it's a legit book site or not, but it was the only place it was available. I don't know why this book isn't in print anymore; it's a shame because I want to own my own copy so, so badly. I'd love to highlight all my favorite quotes. 'What Price Paradise' is a keeper.
Not quite what I had imagined and I'm glad because it was so much better! It's a sweet, feel-good type story, and simply amazing. Please check out Aestas Book Blog's review, and one of the newest reviews, the one by Kristin. They both describe this book to a T, all the reasons why I loved it.
About the HEA:
There is no epilogue but there is a time jump at the end that felt like one. I was completely satisfied with the HEA.
Cheating? The book description is a bit deceiving. The only cheater was Tate's ex gf. Tate never cheated on his ex or on Abby.
See my book tags.
My Thoughts?
I loved it. Madly, deeply. I loved it.
This was EVERYTHING. It was absolutely perfect for me. And to think of the various times in the past I searched for this book to purchase it or borrow it, and gave up because it wasn't available in any of the usual places. Well, I was tempted to look a bit further this time and found it. To be honest, I'm not sure it's a legit book site or not, but it was the only place it was available. I don't know why this book isn't in print anymore; it's a shame because I want to own my own copy so, so badly. I'd love to highlight all my favorite quotes. 'What Price Paradise' is a keeper.
Not quite what I had imagined and I'm glad because it was so much better! It's a sweet, feel-good type story, and simply amazing. Please check out Aestas Book Blog's review, and one of the newest reviews, the one by Kristin. They both describe this book to a T, all the reasons why I loved it.
About the HEA:
There is no epilogue but there is a time jump at the end that felt like one. I was completely satisfied with the HEA.
Cheating? The book description is a bit deceiving. The only cheater was Tate's ex gf. Tate never cheated on his ex or on Abby.
See my book tags.
January 27, 2025
3/5 ⭐️ This was an okay read for me… I liked the romance and it had a bit of angst but the relationship development between Tate and Abby was lacking.
September 22, 2015
This book has popped up a number of times on my feeds along with other books by this
author.I finally decided to read this book and it just ticked off everyone of my boxes on a book that I wanted to read today.It also contains a trope that I really,really hate....yes,you guessed it.....the OW obsessed over by the hero.Usually,I have a deep compelling dislike of the hero over this trope and the hero needs to walk thru burning coals on crushed glass to redeem himelf to me, err the heroine.
At first read,I thought to myself that I never met a heroine this downtrodden apart from a Diana Palmer novel,the more I read,the more pity full this heroine became.She is the classic DP heroine true to form right down to making her own nightgowns.A more pliable heroine I have yet to meet.But guess what? I loved her! she was so sweet that you wanted all to be right in her world.
The hero,he left much to be desired,a dense man to be sure,I wanted him to get his head out of his ass and see the heroine for who she is and the bitch of a manupliating ow for who she was.
I loved how his friend tried to egg him on,and each time he fell for it with his jealousy over the heroine .
What started out as a drunken one night stand with Abby and Tate ,her becomming pregnant,marrying and attempting to build a life togther with each other morphed into a really sweet,emotional story.And yes,Tate,suffered when Abby left him and he made up for being such an ass.
author.I finally decided to read this book and it just ticked off everyone of my boxes on a book that I wanted to read today.It also contains a trope that I really,really hate....yes,you guessed it.....the OW obsessed over by the hero.Usually,I have a deep compelling dislike of the hero over this trope and the hero needs to walk thru burning coals on crushed glass to redeem himelf to me, err the heroine.
At first read,I thought to myself that I never met a heroine this downtrodden apart from a Diana Palmer novel,the more I read,the more pity full this heroine became.She is the classic DP heroine true to form right down to making her own nightgowns.A more pliable heroine I have yet to meet.But guess what? I loved her! she was so sweet that you wanted all to be right in her world.
The hero,he left much to be desired,a dense man to be sure,I wanted him to get his head out of his ass and see the heroine for who she is and the bitch of a manupliating ow for who she was.
I loved how his friend tried to egg him on,and each time he fell for it with his jealousy over the heroine .
What started out as a drunken one night stand with Abby and Tate ,her becomming pregnant,marrying and attempting to build a life togther with each other morphed into a really sweet,emotional story.And yes,Tate,suffered when Abby left him and he made up for being such an ass.
February 1, 2022
Yes, he emotionally cheated on the ow with the h BEFORE the ONS.
He doesn’t know his ass from his elbow, this one.
She’s a nice gal, hardworking, gentle and kind. Naive and immature but sweet.
He’s greatest emotion is guilt. About just everything.
Eventually he pulls finger and realises she’s it for him.
Unfortunately not before making some ridiculous decisions. 🙄
She stands strong and doesn’t give in easily.
Loved how she was determined to reach her goals.
Her growth is satisfying.
At the end all is well and he’s worthy.
NTS: edit / esp tenses
He doesn’t know his ass from his elbow, this one.
She’s a nice gal, hardworking, gentle and kind. Naive and immature but sweet.
He’s greatest emotion is guilt. About just everything.
Eventually he pulls finger and realises she’s it for him.
Unfortunately not before making some ridiculous decisions. 🙄
She stands strong and doesn’t give in easily.
Loved how she was determined to reach her goals.
Her growth is satisfying.
At the end all is well and he’s worthy.
NTS: edit / esp tenses
April 3, 2025
That went too fast.
How come so many of my dear GR friends already read this but it took me so long to find this gem?
And how could Tate could be so obtuse and Abby so sweet, and the story so frustrating, but so beautiful at the same time?
I’m overly excited after just finishing this, it was great. I loved it and I probably need ten hours of sleep as well so don’t trust me too much.
How come so many of my dear GR friends already read this but it took me so long to find this gem?
And how could Tate could be so obtuse and Abby so sweet, and the story so frustrating, but so beautiful at the same time?
I’m overly excited after just finishing this, it was great. I loved it and I probably need ten hours of sleep as well so don’t trust me too much.
December 24, 2012
4.5 Stars
“Sometimes I want to forget about all the responsibility and do things just for me. Do it because I want it, not because it’s what I need to do.” ~ Tate
When I was browsing last night for my next read, I came across this and said, “meh! Why not?” The blurb sounded good, and I loved Katherine Allred’s Sweet Gum Tree. This could be a very good read. Yea. It was a mistake to start this last night. Since I couldn’t sleep, I started this a little after midnight and kept on reading until 4AM. I could’ve kept going, but a girl’s gotta sleep sometime. What I didn’t expect is waking up at 8AM and finishing the whole darn thing. I couldn’t put this down. I don’t know what it was, but something about the story kept me going.
“You don’t have to be scared anymore, Abby. We’ll figure something out, I promise. We’re in this together.”
Tate and his on and off again fiancée, Diane, were “off” when he got drunk one night and slept with Abby. What he didn’t expect was for her to become pregnant. And yes, it’s his. Tate is the only man Abby’s ever slept with, despite the reputation that followed her. She’s undeservedly inherited her mother’s reputation as the town whore. Abby’s life isn’t what she expected. She a hard worker, but still remains poor and alone. The one night Tate needed someone, she didn’t hesitate to help him. It felt good to be needed, especially by someone whom she’s had hidden feelings for. Now to add to her multitude of problems, she’s pregnant. What is she to do?
Tate, being a respectable and honorable man, offers her an alternative. He offers her his hand in marriage. She’ll help around the ranch, cooking and cleaning and in return she won’t have to worry about rent, food and medical expenses. But the biggest return is that she won’t have to go through this alone. He’ll be there for her and their baby. But what about Diane? His relationship with Diane is complicated. They’ve been together for a long time with multiple break ups and make ups. He knows she’s cheated on him, but he knows she always runs back to him. The last time they spoke, she called it off, again, but his responsibility to Abby and his child take precedence over his drama with Diane. He made is choice and he’s going to marry Abby.
“You really want me?” Even now she sounded surprised.
He took her hand and guided it to the front of his jeans. “Woman, I want you so badly it’s killing me.”
Abby and Tate’s relationship was a little rocky at first. I mean, they’re practically strangers. But the more they spend time with each other; they develop deeper feelings towards each other. The pink elephant in their relationship was Diane. Will Tate ever want Abby for her, or is he still in love with Diane? Abby felt responsible for putting Tate in such a predicament and feels like this arrangement she has with him has an expiration date. Tate however intends to keep his vow to Abby and will try to convince her that he’s in it for the long haul, no matter what.
“To hell with my responsibilities!” He spun from the window facing her fully. “I need you for myself, damn it, and I’m not giving up until you see that.”
I really liked this story. Like, really liked it. There was a certain charm and just the right amount of drama to keep me hooked. This story was such a pleasant surprise. I love getting absorbed in the emotions flowing through the characters. I have to admit that Tate was a little clueless at times and did want to smack some sense into him. Thank goodness for his brother, Buddy, and his BFF, Joe, for showing him what he couldn’t see what was right in front of him. I laughed, cried and just outright enjoyed this story. Highly recommend!
“Sometimes I want to forget about all the responsibility and do things just for me. Do it because I want it, not because it’s what I need to do.” ~ Tate
When I was browsing last night for my next read, I came across this and said, “meh! Why not?” The blurb sounded good, and I loved Katherine Allred’s Sweet Gum Tree. This could be a very good read. Yea. It was a mistake to start this last night. Since I couldn’t sleep, I started this a little after midnight and kept on reading until 4AM. I could’ve kept going, but a girl’s gotta sleep sometime. What I didn’t expect is waking up at 8AM and finishing the whole darn thing. I couldn’t put this down. I don’t know what it was, but something about the story kept me going.
“You don’t have to be scared anymore, Abby. We’ll figure something out, I promise. We’re in this together.”
Tate and his on and off again fiancée, Diane, were “off” when he got drunk one night and slept with Abby. What he didn’t expect was for her to become pregnant. And yes, it’s his. Tate is the only man Abby’s ever slept with, despite the reputation that followed her. She’s undeservedly inherited her mother’s reputation as the town whore. Abby’s life isn’t what she expected. She a hard worker, but still remains poor and alone. The one night Tate needed someone, she didn’t hesitate to help him. It felt good to be needed, especially by someone whom she’s had hidden feelings for. Now to add to her multitude of problems, she’s pregnant. What is she to do?
Tate, being a respectable and honorable man, offers her an alternative. He offers her his hand in marriage. She’ll help around the ranch, cooking and cleaning and in return she won’t have to worry about rent, food and medical expenses. But the biggest return is that she won’t have to go through this alone. He’ll be there for her and their baby. But what about Diane? His relationship with Diane is complicated. They’ve been together for a long time with multiple break ups and make ups. He knows she’s cheated on him, but he knows she always runs back to him. The last time they spoke, she called it off, again, but his responsibility to Abby and his child take precedence over his drama with Diane. He made is choice and he’s going to marry Abby.
“You really want me?” Even now she sounded surprised.
He took her hand and guided it to the front of his jeans. “Woman, I want you so badly it’s killing me.”
Abby and Tate’s relationship was a little rocky at first. I mean, they’re practically strangers. But the more they spend time with each other; they develop deeper feelings towards each other. The pink elephant in their relationship was Diane. Will Tate ever want Abby for her, or is he still in love with Diane? Abby felt responsible for putting Tate in such a predicament and feels like this arrangement she has with him has an expiration date. Tate however intends to keep his vow to Abby and will try to convince her that he’s in it for the long haul, no matter what.
“To hell with my responsibilities!” He spun from the window facing her fully. “I need you for myself, damn it, and I’m not giving up until you see that.”
I really liked this story. Like, really liked it. There was a certain charm and just the right amount of drama to keep me hooked. This story was such a pleasant surprise. I love getting absorbed in the emotions flowing through the characters. I have to admit that Tate was a little clueless at times and did want to smack some sense into him. Thank goodness for his brother, Buddy, and his BFF, Joe, for showing him what he couldn’t see what was right in front of him. I laughed, cried and just outright enjoyed this story. Highly recommend!
September 11, 2011
What Price Paradise was a very well done contemporary though the hero did have a responsibility complex.
Tate has yet another fight with his fiancee Diane. They have been together forever but keep breaking up mainly because Diane is wealthy and wants things her way while Tate likes his ranch and looking after his brother Buddy. Then, there is Abby who Tate keeps noticing.
A few weeks before when he ended it with Diane he went to Abby and they spent the night together. It was Abby's first time. Abby has always been shy and reserved and maybe it comes because of her mother being the town-whore, her poverty and struggle for survival and the need to carve a different life for herself. She is pregnant and when Tate confronts her she tells him the truth. She can't believe that her first time(and it was painful) and she ends knocked up.
Tate has a huge sense of responsibility and he takes Abby home and even convinces her to marry him saying that he in turn gets someone to look after his house.
Honestly, I enjoyed the book, how these two slowly get comfortable around each other. Abby was so sweet and hard-working. She hadn't gotten much in life but she was willing to work. When she married Tate she had no illusions and was willing to let him go because of Diane even though she had been in love with him forever since he was always so sweet to her.
Tate was confused and frustrated me one or two times mainly because of his blindness when it came to Diane. He confused responsibility with love, after all as his friend said that Diane being with other men didn't bother him but when he thought someone else was making a move on Abby he got livid?
I really liked the end. Abby was one strong woman and I did like Tate as well.
Tate has yet another fight with his fiancee Diane. They have been together forever but keep breaking up mainly because Diane is wealthy and wants things her way while Tate likes his ranch and looking after his brother Buddy. Then, there is Abby who Tate keeps noticing.
A few weeks before when he ended it with Diane he went to Abby and they spent the night together. It was Abby's first time. Abby has always been shy and reserved and maybe it comes because of her mother being the town-whore, her poverty and struggle for survival and the need to carve a different life for herself. She is pregnant and when Tate confronts her she tells him the truth. She can't believe that her first time(and it was painful) and she ends knocked up.
Tate has a huge sense of responsibility and he takes Abby home and even convinces her to marry him saying that he in turn gets someone to look after his house.
Honestly, I enjoyed the book, how these two slowly get comfortable around each other. Abby was so sweet and hard-working. She hadn't gotten much in life but she was willing to work. When she married Tate she had no illusions and was willing to let him go because of Diane even though she had been in love with him forever since he was always so sweet to her.
Tate was confused and frustrated me one or two times mainly because of his blindness when it came to Diane. He confused responsibility with love, after all as his friend said that Diane being with other men didn't bother him but when he thought someone else was making a move on Abby he got livid?
I really liked the end. Abby was one strong woman and I did like Tate as well.
April 24, 2014
3.5 Stars!
Good story, loved the premise:
Abby is a part-time waitress and nearly homeless, with hardly enough food to feed herself, since she can't find decent work without having a high school diploma. She is also the daughter of the "town whore" who died a few years ago; and even though Abby is still a virgin, most of the people in this small Texas town unfortunately assume she is just like her mother. Depressing, I know.
Tate is a successful and respected rancher who, after the death of his parents, is looking after his 16 year old brother, Buddy. Diane is Tate's on again off again spolied finance' who has a rich daddy and not a morsel of morale, love or respect for Tate. One night after yet another huge fight and ANOTHER breakup, Tate decides to call off the engagement, but not before having one too many beers. It's last call, and Abby is finally able to go home and while walking, Tate offers her a ride. They are both terribly lonely, for different reasons, but extremely attracted towards one another, and they ultimately find themselves in each other's arms.
This story is all about repsonsibility and a man's desire to be chivalrous towards the woman he "thinks" he loves and the one he discovers he's been in love with all along. As in most romances, the choices the characters make and the misunderstandings take the reader until the very end before all is resolved. This was a nice love story "escape," it just didn't capture me as tightly as Allred's, "The Sweet Gum Tree."
Good story, loved the premise:
Abby is a part-time waitress and nearly homeless, with hardly enough food to feed herself, since she can't find decent work without having a high school diploma. She is also the daughter of the "town whore" who died a few years ago; and even though Abby is still a virgin, most of the people in this small Texas town unfortunately assume she is just like her mother. Depressing, I know.
Tate is a successful and respected rancher who, after the death of his parents, is looking after his 16 year old brother, Buddy. Diane is Tate's on again off again spolied finance' who has a rich daddy and not a morsel of morale, love or respect for Tate. One night after yet another huge fight and ANOTHER breakup, Tate decides to call off the engagement, but not before having one too many beers. It's last call, and Abby is finally able to go home and while walking, Tate offers her a ride. They are both terribly lonely, for different reasons, but extremely attracted towards one another, and they ultimately find themselves in each other's arms.
This story is all about repsonsibility and a man's desire to be chivalrous towards the woman he "thinks" he loves and the one he discovers he's been in love with all along. As in most romances, the choices the characters make and the misunderstandings take the reader until the very end before all is resolved. This was a nice love story "escape," it just didn't capture me as tightly as Allred's, "The Sweet Gum Tree."
December 1, 2014
Overall rating: 3.75 stars
I did enjoy this story, but not enough to give it 4 stars, so that's why I rated it right under 4 stars.
Triggers:
Cheating:
Love triangle:
Sex with om/ow:
Hea:
My review:
In this story we are introduced to Abby. She is the daughter of the town "whore" and labeled as such by association. Abby is simply trying to support herself and get her GED (she had to drop out to take care of her dying mom) and just simply survive on her own. Abby knows Tate because Tate is the only person that has ever been kind to her in this town. Always polite, smiles at her - things like that. So she has a bit of a crush on him, but she always sees him with his on/off again fiancee Diane so she knows there will never be anything between them, but she also has a low self esteem so she doesn't think someone like Tate could ever want her. So one night, after Tate actually breaks it off with Diane, when he brings her home from work ( a little drunk) and tells her that he wants to come in because he is tired of being alone, she lets him. She lets him in her home and they end up having sex - without protection. I think this part is absolutely ridiculous because Abby's mother was a whore. She knows this, yet she doesn't protect herself from getting pregnant or diseases? I get that without that part happening, we would have no story, but still!
So now we have Tate. Tate is in this relationship with Diane that feels more like an obligation that he just can't let go of. Tate was always the responsible one being that was engrained in him by his father many years ago. He was the one studying his ass off, while others partied. He was the one to always take care of his responsibilities, which is why he quite Vet school to take care of his family's ranch and his younger brother once his mother died, followed by his father. He met Diane at a young age and has protected her for so long, she became like a shadow to him and he can't let go. He is attracted to her sure, but there is never that spark. He knows that she cheats on him repeatedly, but doesn't even care enough to do anything about it. Once he finds out that Abby is pregnant, he knows it is his baby because he remembers that she was a virgin when they had sex. What I don't understand, is if he knew that, why did he go straight back to Diane? I know he has some "obligation" issues to get over, but still. That bothered me. You knew she wasn't the town whore, yet you treated her like that. Way to go Tate!
So, at the same time that Tate finds out that Abby is pregnant, Diane decides to dump him again because he can't drop everything and go on a two week vacation with her. She throws the ring at him and storms off. He immediately goes to Abby and then starts the proposal and marriage that takes up majority of the story. Basically in the whole book, Tate is trying to work out his feelings for Abby vs. Diane. There was something that happens later on in the book that really hurts Abby, and Abby leaves. I was very happy for her that she finally stood her ground.
After she stands her ground, I felt like the ending could have been better. I wanted a huge grand gesture and I felt like it kind of fell flat for me. An epilogue would have probably made all the difference in the world.
I know I am probably in the minority here not to rate this book higher than 4 stars, but this is honestly how I feel. If I would have read this story years ago, I might have rated it higher, but my tastes were different at that time.
I did enjoy this story, but not enough to give it 4 stars, so that's why I rated it right under 4 stars.
Triggers:
Cheating:
Love triangle:
Sex with om/ow:
Hea:
My review:
In this story we are introduced to Abby. She is the daughter of the town "whore" and labeled as such by association. Abby is simply trying to support herself and get her GED (she had to drop out to take care of her dying mom) and just simply survive on her own. Abby knows Tate because Tate is the only person that has ever been kind to her in this town. Always polite, smiles at her - things like that. So she has a bit of a crush on him, but she always sees him with his on/off again fiancee Diane so she knows there will never be anything between them, but she also has a low self esteem so she doesn't think someone like Tate could ever want her. So one night, after Tate actually breaks it off with Diane, when he brings her home from work ( a little drunk) and tells her that he wants to come in because he is tired of being alone, she lets him. She lets him in her home and they end up having sex - without protection. I think this part is absolutely ridiculous because Abby's mother was a whore. She knows this, yet she doesn't protect herself from getting pregnant or diseases? I get that without that part happening, we would have no story, but still!
So now we have Tate. Tate is in this relationship with Diane that feels more like an obligation that he just can't let go of. Tate was always the responsible one being that was engrained in him by his father many years ago. He was the one studying his ass off, while others partied. He was the one to always take care of his responsibilities, which is why he quite Vet school to take care of his family's ranch and his younger brother once his mother died, followed by his father. He met Diane at a young age and has protected her for so long, she became like a shadow to him and he can't let go. He is attracted to her sure, but there is never that spark. He knows that she cheats on him repeatedly, but doesn't even care enough to do anything about it. Once he finds out that Abby is pregnant, he knows it is his baby because he remembers that she was a virgin when they had sex. What I don't understand, is if he knew that, why did he go straight back to Diane? I know he has some "obligation" issues to get over, but still. That bothered me. You knew she wasn't the town whore, yet you treated her like that. Way to go Tate!
So, at the same time that Tate finds out that Abby is pregnant, Diane decides to dump him again because he can't drop everything and go on a two week vacation with her. She throws the ring at him and storms off. He immediately goes to Abby and then starts the proposal and marriage that takes up majority of the story. Basically in the whole book, Tate is trying to work out his feelings for Abby vs. Diane. There was something that happens later on in the book that really hurts Abby, and Abby leaves. I was very happy for her that she finally stood her ground.
After she stands her ground, I felt like the ending could have been better. I wanted a huge grand gesture and I felt like it kind of fell flat for me. An epilogue would have probably made all the difference in the world.
I know I am probably in the minority here not to rate this book higher than 4 stars, but this is honestly how I feel. If I would have read this story years ago, I might have rated it higher, but my tastes were different at that time.
September 5, 2012
If you have never picked up a Katherine Allred book, you’ve been missing out. Her stories are like a warm cup of soup on a cold winter’s day - they soothe you, wrap you up in their goodness and leave you smiling.
This is the story of two people brought together by unexpected events but kept together by destiny. Tate is a man solely driven by his responsibilities - responsibilities to a troubled and loveless relationship with a woman who is everything but devoted or faithful to him, to a younger brother who dotes on him and sees him as a father figure, to a large ranch that has belonged to his family for generations. Tate is dependable, stable, never loses his temper or does anything just for himself … until Abby.
Abby is alone in the world with no one to look after her or care for her. People attach her late mother’s reputation to her but in reality Abby is a good girl, she has never been with a man before and she has only ever fantasised of being with one - Tate. She has been watching him from afar, envying the woman on his arm, convinced that he doesn’t even know she exists. But Tate has noticed Abby, so much that she haunts his dreams. He has felt just as lonely in his life as she has and one drunken night he no longer fights the pull.
They share a passionate one-night-stand and soon after Abby finds herself pregnant. She never intends to tell him, but when Tate discovers that she is expecting his child, he makes his current break-up with his fiancée a permanent one and convinces Abby to move in with him and marry him. They keep separate bedrooms and initially her role is more of a house-keeper rather than a wife, but their constant proximity to each other and the knowledge that the fruit of their one night of passion is growing in Abby’s womb eventually awaken suppressed feelings for each other and, as they say, the rest is history.
But as passion comes easy to them, love proves to be the real challenge. Abby’s feelings for Tate have always been evident to her but he struggles to grasp his.
A story of heartache, unspoken feelings, letting go of one’s past and embracing the future - this is truly a delightful read. Abby is a heroine you can’t help but want to protect from harm. She brings the best out in people, she is loving, caring and this is her journey of independence and self-affirmation. Tate, on the other hand, has much more deeply-entrenched obstacles to overcome - he needs to learn to listen to his heart before he loses the one person he has loved all along.
If you loved The Sweet Gum Tree, you will like this story as well. It is a little bit less epic and the agonizing moments are less heartbreaking, but it is a heart-wrencher all the same.
[4.5 STARS]
~ N ♥
See this review on my blog!
This is the story of two people brought together by unexpected events but kept together by destiny. Tate is a man solely driven by his responsibilities - responsibilities to a troubled and loveless relationship with a woman who is everything but devoted or faithful to him, to a younger brother who dotes on him and sees him as a father figure, to a large ranch that has belonged to his family for generations. Tate is dependable, stable, never loses his temper or does anything just for himself … until Abby.
Abby is alone in the world with no one to look after her or care for her. People attach her late mother’s reputation to her but in reality Abby is a good girl, she has never been with a man before and she has only ever fantasised of being with one - Tate. She has been watching him from afar, envying the woman on his arm, convinced that he doesn’t even know she exists. But Tate has noticed Abby, so much that she haunts his dreams. He has felt just as lonely in his life as she has and one drunken night he no longer fights the pull.
“Let me come in, please. I’m tired of being alone.”
They share a passionate one-night-stand and soon after Abby finds herself pregnant. She never intends to tell him, but when Tate discovers that she is expecting his child, he makes his current break-up with his fiancée a permanent one and convinces Abby to move in with him and marry him. They keep separate bedrooms and initially her role is more of a house-keeper rather than a wife, but their constant proximity to each other and the knowledge that the fruit of their one night of passion is growing in Abby’s womb eventually awaken suppressed feelings for each other and, as they say, the rest is history.
“Tate stood there gazing down into Abby’s smiling face and knowledge slammed into him, staggering in its intensity. He wanted her. Wanted her more than he’d ever wanted another woman in his life. His body had been trying to tell him that for weeks now, but he hadn’t listened. Couldn’t afford to listen.”
But as passion comes easy to them, love proves to be the real challenge. Abby’s feelings for Tate have always been evident to her but he struggles to grasp his.
“She knew that she belonged to Tate McCullom heart and soul. If she lived to be a hundred, never would she love another man the way she did him.”
A story of heartache, unspoken feelings, letting go of one’s past and embracing the future - this is truly a delightful read. Abby is a heroine you can’t help but want to protect from harm. She brings the best out in people, she is loving, caring and this is her journey of independence and self-affirmation. Tate, on the other hand, has much more deeply-entrenched obstacles to overcome - he needs to learn to listen to his heart before he loses the one person he has loved all along.
If you loved The Sweet Gum Tree, you will like this story as well. It is a little bit less epic and the agonizing moments are less heartbreaking, but it is a heart-wrencher all the same.
[4.5 STARS]
~ N ♥
See this review on my blog!
November 30, 2017
***FIVE STARS***
(Thank you so much my wonderful friend Anna, for turning me onto this story. It was fantastic and I truly loved every second of it!)
This story is absolutely adorable. This story had so many elements in it that made it the perfect read for me.
The characters were all lovely, as well as believable. The small town atmosphere was fantastic, and the slow burn between Tate and Abby as they started to have stronger feelings for each other, was beautiful. This story had so many angsty feels!! I loved every second of it! I wish I could find more wonderful stories like this one!!
March 12, 2018
I revisited this one yesterday and while I still enjoyed it a lot, and the H grovels well, I still wish there had been more resolution to the Dianne thing. So I lowered it to 4 stars.
Tate and Dianne have been on again off again lovers since high school. Going so far as to even get engaged. Dianne is a real piece of work! Hated her manipulative whiney guts through the whole book.
During one of their separations, Tate has a ONS with Abby who has secretly crushed on him for years.
Of course they were carried away by passion (and well Tate was a little drunk) and forgot protection. Reading this a second time, I felt a bit of a squick factor about that. I mean the number of people Dianne has slept with and what diseases she might have picked up and passed on to Tate, the sap who she keeps on a string for when she needs him... ick.
Anyways, Abby is without recourse as the whole town has been against her (because of her mother and their small minded small town prejudices). Tate offers to marry her for the baby and she accepts.
Things might have been hunky dory after that, if not for Dianne turning up like a bad penny and a killjoy.
Eventually, Abby realizes that she will always be second fiddle to Dianne, and takes the necessary steps.
During the book there are lots of tender moments between Tate and Abby, as they get to know each other better. There are some great side characters. You can really feel the connection between the MCs which is why I think it gets all the stars. You can really feel Tate's remorse when he realizes what his behavior has done to his marriage.
BUT, The ending somehow doesn't quite right the wrongs for me. Even though I did enjoy it a lot and the epilogue was lovely.
Safety was so-so which is really the whole point of the book
Tate and Dianne have been on again off again lovers since high school. Going so far as to even get engaged. Dianne is a real piece of work! Hated her manipulative whiney guts through the whole book.
During one of their separations, Tate has a ONS with Abby who has secretly crushed on him for years.
Of course they were carried away by passion (and well Tate was a little drunk) and forgot protection. Reading this a second time, I felt a bit of a squick factor about that. I mean the number of people Dianne has slept with and what diseases she might have picked up and passed on to Tate, the sap who she keeps on a string for when she needs him... ick.
Anyways, Abby is without recourse as the whole town has been against her (because of her mother and their small minded small town prejudices). Tate offers to marry her for the baby and she accepts.
Things might have been hunky dory after that, if not for Dianne turning up like a bad penny and a killjoy.
Eventually, Abby realizes that she will always be second fiddle to Dianne, and takes the necessary steps.
During the book there are lots of tender moments between Tate and Abby, as they get to know each other better. There are some great side characters. You can really feel the connection between the MCs which is why I think it gets all the stars. You can really feel Tate's remorse when he realizes what his behavior has done to his marriage.
BUT, The ending somehow doesn't quite right the wrongs for me. Even though I did enjoy it a lot and the epilogue was lovely.
Safety was so-so which is really the whole point of the book
April 15, 2023
4.5 Tate and Abby Stars
Huge thanks to @LydiasRomance for recommending this book. I loved every page.
There is something very charming about this story and it hooked me in from the start. It was obviously written a while ago but that did not detract from it at all.
Tate (29) is well liked and respected in the Town where he lives. He is the guardian for his 16yo brother, Buddy and they live on and work the ranch that has been in their family for generations.
Abby (23) is the town pariah. Her mother was the 'Town Whore' and even though she has died , people see Abby is the same judgemental light that they viewed her mum. For years , Abby has loved Tate McCollum but she thinks he has only had eyes for his on again , off again fiancee , Diane.
Abby is a loveable heroine and I was rooting for her all along. She literally has nothing and no one. People judge her for things her mother did despite the fact she is nothing like her and very much keeps to herself. She works in a bar scraping money together. She is quiet, reserved, sweet and yet under that front is a strong young woman with a funny sense of humour and such compassion for others.
Tate is a brooding kind of hero, always trying to do the right thing but at times he does the complete opposite of that. Despite the odd moment of 'what the Hell dude?!' , he's impossible to dislike. Watching him realise that Abby is the girl of his dreams had me beaming and swooning.
Annndd then he would do something dopey...
Oh, Tate. You may be the hottest cowboy in town but you do mess up on occasion. The main reason for the mess ups is the nasty OW , the ex fiancee , Diane. She's as rich as Abby is poor and one of the many who look down their noses at her. Rich , indulged, spoilt Diane. Oh, how I hated her.
She just wouldn't take the hint that It. Was. OVERRRRRRRRR.
I loved the roles Joe (Tate's best friend) and Buddy played in the book. They are important characters and they absolutely owned a little piece of this reader's heart.
As brother's , Buddy and Tate are very different. Tate is all still rivers run deep, broody and measured in what he does. Buddy is much younger, full of fun and ready take on life. I know this book was written years ago , but I would love a book for grown up Buddy and also I am sure Joe could have a story to tell. I think my tender kindle heart definitely has a thing for cowboys....
And just to end , as I love this gif so much and , well, any excuse....
Highly recommend this unexpected pregnancy romance that has a little OW drama , no cheating and a gorgeous ending.
This book is not available to buy anywhere - trust me , I searched high and low. You can borrow it / read for free on various online library apps. Google it and go from there...
HEA? Yes but I would have liked to see further into the future.
Cheating? No
Huge thanks to @LydiasRomance for recommending this book. I loved every page.
There is something very charming about this story and it hooked me in from the start. It was obviously written a while ago but that did not detract from it at all.
Tate (29) is well liked and respected in the Town where he lives. He is the guardian for his 16yo brother, Buddy and they live on and work the ranch that has been in their family for generations.
Abby (23) is the town pariah. Her mother was the 'Town Whore' and even though she has died , people see Abby is the same judgemental light that they viewed her mum. For years , Abby has loved Tate McCollum but she thinks he has only had eyes for his on again , off again fiancee , Diane.
Abby is a loveable heroine and I was rooting for her all along. She literally has nothing and no one. People judge her for things her mother did despite the fact she is nothing like her and very much keeps to herself. She works in a bar scraping money together. She is quiet, reserved, sweet and yet under that front is a strong young woman with a funny sense of humour and such compassion for others.
Tate is a brooding kind of hero, always trying to do the right thing but at times he does the complete opposite of that. Despite the odd moment of 'what the Hell dude?!' , he's impossible to dislike. Watching him realise that Abby is the girl of his dreams had me beaming and swooning.
Annndd then he would do something dopey...
Oh, Tate. You may be the hottest cowboy in town but you do mess up on occasion. The main reason for the mess ups is the nasty OW , the ex fiancee , Diane. She's as rich as Abby is poor and one of the many who look down their noses at her. Rich , indulged, spoilt Diane. Oh, how I hated her.
She just wouldn't take the hint that It. Was. OVERRRRRRRRR.
I loved the roles Joe (Tate's best friend) and Buddy played in the book. They are important characters and they absolutely owned a little piece of this reader's heart.
As brother's , Buddy and Tate are very different. Tate is all still rivers run deep, broody and measured in what he does. Buddy is much younger, full of fun and ready take on life. I know this book was written years ago , but I would love a book for grown up Buddy and also I am sure Joe could have a story to tell. I think my tender kindle heart definitely has a thing for cowboys....
And just to end , as I love this gif so much and , well, any excuse....
Highly recommend this unexpected pregnancy romance that has a little OW drama , no cheating and a gorgeous ending.
This book is not available to buy anywhere - trust me , I searched high and low. You can borrow it / read for free on various online library apps. Google it and go from there...
HEA? Yes but I would have liked to see further into the future.
Cheating? No
November 11, 2018
When I did dog rescue in West Virginia, I would often come across coonhounds who weren't good hunters and needed to be placed in homes with families. We quickly learned that coonhounds were absolute blockheads about learning things -- they lived part of the time in a dream world and the other part of the time worried about everything that was going on around them. (It took me three weeks to housebreak my redtick coonhound foster, SusieQ, for example.) It could be really, really frustrating because even though they were the sweetest dogs around, they just couldn't seem to understand what was going on.
However, there were a few redeeming factors about coonhounds: once they finally learned something, it was there for life -- no backsliding, done perfectly every time; they loved domestic life and were never happier than snuggling up inside with their humans; and finally, they loved us with all of their innocent, enthusiastic, not-too-bright hearts. To this day, I adore coonhounds.
The H of this book is a black and tan coonhound. He takes soooo long to figure out what is going on, and he makes the h and himself miserable, but his heart is as big as a whale's and he doesn't have a drop of malice in him. He's simply a very, very slow learner.
Once you think of him that way, this is a sweet book. If you don't, you might feel he needs some skilleting.
However, there were a few redeeming factors about coonhounds: once they finally learned something, it was there for life -- no backsliding, done perfectly every time; they loved domestic life and were never happier than snuggling up inside with their humans; and finally, they loved us with all of their innocent, enthusiastic, not-too-bright hearts. To this day, I adore coonhounds.
The H of this book is a black and tan coonhound. He takes soooo long to figure out what is going on, and he makes the h and himself miserable, but his heart is as big as a whale's and he doesn't have a drop of malice in him. He's simply a very, very slow learner.
Once you think of him that way, this is a sweet book. If you don't, you might feel he needs some skilleting.
April 3, 2015
Mediocre sugary-sweet story with too good-to-be-true heroine and unsympathetic hero with warped sense of honor and responsibility.
February 20, 2023
Ugh, the hero was emotionally cheating on the heroine up until like 92% of the book. That really ruined the whole experience for me. I've never read a book where the issues with the "other woman" goes on for soooo long. And the heroine is really quite spineless for a loooong time. I was glad she at least realized that she wasn't so helpless after all, even if it was only for a month. A LOT more grovelling was needed. He was basically in an emotional affair with his ex the entirety of their relationship that we got to experience. And all he did was show up and apologize a little and that's it? He ditched her at the fair at the FIRST sign that Diane needed him. No, just no. After all that, the bare minimal grovelling? Sorry if I'm starting to sound illiterate, it's 3 am and I just needed to get the rant off my chest before sleeping.
March 21, 2018
you know that feeling when you want something but you can't have it? it just makes you want it more?
I don't know how I came across this book, but I did, and I obviously wanted to read it, so off to the TBR it popped. checked amazon. it's not there except for a $10,000 paperback LOL WHAT. I put it on all my watch/wish lists on all the websites and kept checking amazon. like wtf? why can't I read this book? I want to buy it, let me give you money!!! just not $10k.
the more I couldn't find this book, the more I wanted to read it. it got to the point where I asked a goodreads friend hey, I see you read this, can you check your kindle content and see if you can loan it to me? feeling kinda desperate but no big deal. but she couldn't. RAGE.
so then, THEN I went to the author's website, and I think I even tried the ask a question here. I don't remember in my I just want to read this bloody book haze... but anyway, she emailed me back in December 2017 and said:
I felt like a wee bit of a jerk and sent back a thank you and continued my obsessive checking.
long story long, I joined another local library today, digital only, and I checked all of my 'not at library' books and found that this library had a ton of books that my normal library didn't, woo! I didn't even look for this one because I've been checking obsessively everywhere else, there is no way that this smaller county will have it when my 'big city' (lol) library doesn't. But I continued on my merry way and I added books to my wishlist like a happy little bookworm and then a suggestion popped up and IT WAS THIS BOOK and I think I squealed. AND IT WAS AVAILABLE. why was no-one else in bullitt county reading this book? I DON'T EVEN CARE. BORROWED THAT SHIT IMMEDIATELY.
and then, even though I am currently banning myself from library books (don't ask) I borrowed and read this book in one day and I have no regrets.
so let's get to the actual book shall we? we have this guy, dating this girl, they are engaged but she keeps giving the ring back because apparently she's a bit of a bitch and also dating some other guy, like okay cool. so our first guy sleeps with this other girl who is the daughter of the town whore (who is dead) and boom, pregnant. then they get married because he feels very strongly about responsibility.
this was like.. candy. but good candy. I gobbled it up. I had high expectations because of how much I've wanted to read it for so long, and it did not disappoint. the synopsis does it no justice and that cover is not fabulous. but the book is. it reminded me a bit - just a bit - of Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold, not really in setting because they are completely different, but a bit with the story. just a bit, maybe it's just the feeling I got rather than any similarities between the two books.
tate is a bit frustrating at times, he's a bit clueless but lovable. I loved watching the relationship develop and even if the story was a wee bit predictable, I enjoyed every single second and now, I can rest easy and move on to The Sweet Gum Tree because I own that one and amazon can't take it from me, right? RIGHT?
I don't know how I came across this book, but I did, and I obviously wanted to read it, so off to the TBR it popped. checked amazon. it's not there except for a $10,000 paperback LOL WHAT. I put it on all my watch/wish lists on all the websites and kept checking amazon. like wtf? why can't I read this book? I want to buy it, let me give you money!!! just not $10k.
the more I couldn't find this book, the more I wanted to read it. it got to the point where I asked a goodreads friend hey, I see you read this, can you check your kindle content and see if you can loan it to me? feeling kinda desperate but no big deal. but she couldn't. RAGE.
so then, THEN I went to the author's website, and I think I even tried the ask a question here. I don't remember in my I just want to read this bloody book haze... but anyway, she emailed me back in December 2017 and said:
Hi Kristen,
I got the rights back on all my books and plan on re-publishing as I get them edited and new covers. I’m going to be working on What Price Paradise shortly after the new year, and I already have the cover image. So, it just depends on how long it takes me to do the editing.
Katherine Allred
I felt like a wee bit of a jerk and sent back a thank you and continued my obsessive checking.
long story long, I joined another local library today, digital only, and I checked all of my 'not at library' books and found that this library had a ton of books that my normal library didn't, woo! I didn't even look for this one because I've been checking obsessively everywhere else, there is no way that this smaller county will have it when my 'big city' (lol) library doesn't. But I continued on my merry way and I added books to my wishlist like a happy little bookworm and then a suggestion popped up and IT WAS THIS BOOK and I think I squealed. AND IT WAS AVAILABLE. why was no-one else in bullitt county reading this book? I DON'T EVEN CARE. BORROWED THAT SHIT IMMEDIATELY.
and then, even though I am currently banning myself from library books (don't ask) I borrowed and read this book in one day and I have no regrets.
so let's get to the actual book shall we? we have this guy, dating this girl, they are engaged but she keeps giving the ring back because apparently she's a bit of a bitch and also dating some other guy, like okay cool. so our first guy sleeps with this other girl who is the daughter of the town whore (who is dead) and boom, pregnant. then they get married because he feels very strongly about responsibility.
this was like.. candy. but good candy. I gobbled it up. I had high expectations because of how much I've wanted to read it for so long, and it did not disappoint. the synopsis does it no justice and that cover is not fabulous. but the book is. it reminded me a bit - just a bit - of Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold, not really in setting because they are completely different, but a bit with the story. just a bit, maybe it's just the feeling I got rather than any similarities between the two books.
tate is a bit frustrating at times, he's a bit clueless but lovable. I loved watching the relationship develop and even if the story was a wee bit predictable, I enjoyed every single second and now, I can rest easy and move on to The Sweet Gum Tree because I own that one and amazon can't take it from me, right? RIGHT?
July 27, 2014
“You don’t have to be scared anymore, Abby. We’ll figure something out, I promise. We’re in this together.”
…
“So what if my life isn’t turning out exactly the way I’d planned? It’s not ruined, it’ll just be different.”
Oh Tate!!! You can see exactly why I love him!!!
Abby is a shy, quiet country girl who finds herself pregnant after a one night stand with Tate, a responsible rancher with a heart of gold, and a regular customer at the bar where she works. And you can tell, from the moment these two lock eyes across a crowded bar (post one-night-stand and before the swoony lines above) that there is some serious chemistry there. And so the story - and the romance - slowly unfolds.
Tate is a man who lives his life doing what he thinks is right, and doesn’t really take the time to sit back and figure out what it is he really wants. Just to complicate matters, he happens to be engaged to Diane - whoa, what a bitch! His relationship with her is very strange and this (and the reasoning behind it) is revealed as the book progresses. Regardless, he readily accepts Abby and their unborn baby into his life, and makes himself a part of theirs (the first visit to the Obstetrician is in Tate's POV and it's freaking hilarious! "Post-hole digger" *snort*). As the two of them get to know each other, things start to shift for him as he begins to realise that maybe the future he thought he wanted isn't the one he really wants after all.
Abby absolutely blossoms being with Tate and sharing his life on the ranch. The best part of this book is watching her grow from being a potential doormat into a confident, intelligent, and sensible woman. Her actions in the books are completely believable and I love the way that, however much she wants her man, she is prepared to wait until she knows in her heart that he feels the same before she fully commits to him. Despite falling more and more in love with him as their relationship progresses.
Also in the picture is Tate’s 16 year old brother, Buddy, who is completely gorgeous. I loved the relationship he developed with Abby, and his bantering with Tate, and with Tate’s best friend, Joe, who was another great character - the kind of best friend every man (and his wife) needs.
The romance is a slow burner and totally swoony, with a bit of steam and a lot of those ‘little moments’ that make a great relationship. Tate and Abby are honest with each other and there is none of the stupid game playing or jumping to conclusions that you so often find in romance books. It’s a beautiful, heart warming story to read.
I really loved it, and look forward to reading more from the very talented Ms Allred.
…
“So what if my life isn’t turning out exactly the way I’d planned? It’s not ruined, it’ll just be different.”
Oh Tate!!! You can see exactly why I love him!!!
Abby is a shy, quiet country girl who finds herself pregnant after a one night stand with Tate, a responsible rancher with a heart of gold, and a regular customer at the bar where she works. And you can tell, from the moment these two lock eyes across a crowded bar (post one-night-stand and before the swoony lines above) that there is some serious chemistry there. And so the story - and the romance - slowly unfolds.
Tate is a man who lives his life doing what he thinks is right, and doesn’t really take the time to sit back and figure out what it is he really wants. Just to complicate matters, he happens to be engaged to Diane - whoa, what a bitch! His relationship with her is very strange and this (and the reasoning behind it) is revealed as the book progresses. Regardless, he readily accepts Abby and their unborn baby into his life, and makes himself a part of theirs (the first visit to the Obstetrician is in Tate's POV and it's freaking hilarious! "Post-hole digger" *snort*). As the two of them get to know each other, things start to shift for him as he begins to realise that maybe the future he thought he wanted isn't the one he really wants after all.
Abby absolutely blossoms being with Tate and sharing his life on the ranch. The best part of this book is watching her grow from being a potential doormat into a confident, intelligent, and sensible woman. Her actions in the books are completely believable and I love the way that, however much she wants her man, she is prepared to wait until she knows in her heart that he feels the same before she fully commits to him. Despite falling more and more in love with him as their relationship progresses.
Also in the picture is Tate’s 16 year old brother, Buddy, who is completely gorgeous. I loved the relationship he developed with Abby, and his bantering with Tate, and with Tate’s best friend, Joe, who was another great character - the kind of best friend every man (and his wife) needs.
The romance is a slow burner and totally swoony, with a bit of steam and a lot of those ‘little moments’ that make a great relationship. Tate and Abby are honest with each other and there is none of the stupid game playing or jumping to conclusions that you so often find in romance books. It’s a beautiful, heart warming story to read.
I really loved it, and look forward to reading more from the very talented Ms Allred.
January 7, 2016
OMG, what a great read. I did not expect that, I don´t know what I expected whhen I started this amazing book, but it wasn´t this. Katherine Allred has truly a gift and I am in love with her writing. First the fabulous, fantastic
and now this. I`m seriously blown away about how much I loved
What Price Paradise
. This book gave me the same feeling as The Sweet Gum Tree. It made me happy to read it and I tried to absorb every word. And it also made me feel just as much, that many books can´t. Happyness, sadness, frustration. And some parts of the book was hilarious. I couldn´t help myself from laughing. And once again, the author has managed to create unforgettable characters in Abby, Tate, Joe and Buddy. She has also managed to create one of the most despised ever in Diane. So many times, I just wanted to kill her. In tthe end, I couldn´t put this book down. I told myself "just one more chapter" and I ended up reaing the entire book.Another gorgeous read by Katherine Allread that I consider a must-read if you loved The Sweet Gum Tree , and now I´m just asking myself "why haven´t I read any of her books before?"
February 3, 2021
*** Book Q & A***
* How did the book make you feel?: I had been wanting to read this book for awhile and I finally got my hands on it. It was a sweet romance, almost saccharine.
* How do you feel about how the story was told?: It struck me like the setting was sometime in the 80’s, but then there was mention of modern ultrasound technology so the time period was a bit confusing. We glimpse the MC’s inner thoughts and they both seem insecure about the other’s true feelings. There’s a lot of assuming going on. I enjoyed the small town and ranch atmosphere.
* What did you think about the main characters?: I liked the main and secondary characters, but Diane was horrible and it baffles me that any of the men would succumb to her manipulations. Also, why was Abby the “town whore” when it was so clearly a different woman in town who fit the bill better?
* Which parts of the book stood out to you?: I liked the premise of the story—ONS leads to MOC. I also liked how Tate wasn’t an oblivious idiot that had to be hit over the head with Abby’s pregnancy to believe it. He actually figured it out in his own like a person with some common sense.
* What themes/tropes did you detect in the story?: ONS, unplanned pregnancy, MOC, slow burn, OW interference
* What did you think about the ending?: The ending was sweet, but I thought Abby acted a bit irrationally. She already knew the circumstances of the marriage and she was going off assumptions. The whole conflict could’ve been avoided with some communication.
* What is your impression of the author?: I will read more if I can find it but many of this author’s books are out of print.
* How did the book make you feel?: I had been wanting to read this book for awhile and I finally got my hands on it. It was a sweet romance, almost saccharine.
* How do you feel about how the story was told?: It struck me like the setting was sometime in the 80’s, but then there was mention of modern ultrasound technology so the time period was a bit confusing. We glimpse the MC’s inner thoughts and they both seem insecure about the other’s true feelings. There’s a lot of assuming going on. I enjoyed the small town and ranch atmosphere.
* What did you think about the main characters?: I liked the main and secondary characters, but Diane was horrible and it baffles me that any of the men would succumb to her manipulations. Also, why was Abby the “town whore” when it was so clearly a different woman in town who fit the bill better?
* Which parts of the book stood out to you?: I liked the premise of the story—ONS leads to MOC. I also liked how Tate wasn’t an oblivious idiot that had to be hit over the head with Abby’s pregnancy to believe it. He actually figured it out in his own like a person with some common sense.
* What themes/tropes did you detect in the story?: ONS, unplanned pregnancy, MOC, slow burn, OW interference
* What did you think about the ending?: The ending was sweet, but I thought Abby acted a bit irrationally. She already knew the circumstances of the marriage and she was going off assumptions. The whole conflict could’ve been avoided with some communication.
* What is your impression of the author?: I will read more if I can find it but many of this author’s books are out of print.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2011
A bit of a tearjerker but a good read. Tate has a one night stand when his fiance breaks up with him and he gets drunk. Tate is all about responsibility and marries Abby when he discovers she is having his baby. Abby has had a rough life and now she's pregnant the only time she ever has sex. Gosh, how did that happen? (lol) Abby is sure that Tate resents her and wants to resume his relationship with his fiance. Anyway, lack of communication and knowing what's best for each other and misreading each other, make it hard to get these two to get together where they belong. While the characters were flawed, they were still likable and there were some great secondary characters that added to the story.
August 2, 2014
I haven’t read any of Ms. Allred's books before. Total newbie;)
Honestly, the blurb alone could scare me away.
One-night stand. Cheating?
Pregnancy. Raise eyebrow?
He has a fiancé. WTH??!
But this is actually a lovely story with great heroine and supporting characters. What I liked most about this novel is Abby’s character. Her pride and integrity got me fist-pumping. The supporting characters were adorable and hilarious. I did want to punch Tate a few times for his inability to untangle the unhealthy relationship he had with his ex-fiancé. Overall, I really liked it!
#hot # awesome heroine # well-paced #CR
Honestly, the blurb alone could scare me away.
One-night stand. Cheating?
Pregnancy. Raise eyebrow?
He has a fiancé. WTH??!
But this is actually a lovely story with great heroine and supporting characters. What I liked most about this novel is Abby’s character. Her pride and integrity got me fist-pumping. The supporting characters were adorable and hilarious. I did want to punch Tate a few times for his inability to untangle the unhealthy relationship he had with his ex-fiancé. Overall, I really liked it!
#hot # awesome heroine # well-paced #CR
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