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Cedar Dell #1
My Big Old Texas Heartache
In this USA Today bestselling contemporary romance, Emily March invites you to visit Brazos Bend, Texas--a small town with a big heart. Kate Harmon wonders how life got so complicated. One minute she's dating the sexiest bachelor in Dallas and the next she's back in her small hometown surrounded by grannies, gossip, and green bean casserole. It's not enough that she's been forced to finally return to the scene of her scandal. Her cantankerous father needs nursing, her hormonal, pregnant-for-the-first-time-at-forty sister wants coddling, and her brother, Mr. Perfect, requires rescuing from a situation that threatens the family's future. As if that's not enough, who else is back in town but Max Cooper, former high school football star and the father of her teenage son. And now he wants to date her? Over the course of a long, hot Texas summer, Kate has the chance to finally make peace with her past and open a door to her future. But will a second chance at love stand in her way? MY BIG OLD TEXAS HEARTACHE is a full length novel of approximately 100,000 words.
312 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2003
100 people are currently reading
490 people want to read
About the author
Emily March
62 books1,465 followersPseudonym(s): Geralyn Dawson
Emily March is the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty novels, including the critically acclaimed Eternity Springs series. Publishers Weekly calls March a "master of delightful banter," and her heartwarming, emotionally charged stories have been named to Best of the Year lists by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Romance Writers of America.
Emily March is the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty novels, including the critically acclaimed Eternity Springs series. Publishers Weekly calls March a "master of delightful banter," and her heartwarming, emotionally charged stories have been named to Best of the Year lists by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Romance Writers of America.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 27, 2009
Meh. This isn’t my favorite theme, so I think that is why I didn’t enjoy this one too much. Max and Kate had an encounter when they were in high school that resulted in her getting pregnant. They decided they didn’t want to stay together, and that they would give the baby up. Of course Kate can’t give the son up when it come down to it, and Max is angry. Fast forward 17 years….
Kate’s a-hole father gets in a car wreck and needs someone to care for him while he mends. Kate’s sister is pregnant, and can’t do it. Her brother is a selfish prick and can’t be bothered with it. She and her teen son have to move back to her hometown, which is a small town in Texas called Cedar Dell. The town never forgot she was the teen slut that got pregnant and embarrassed her poor mama. They treat her like dirt even after 17 years. The town does not know Max is the boy’s father, and it seems to be a major deal to find out who it is. I don’t come from a very small town, or even the south. I was annoyed by how big of a deal this was made in the book.
Kate’s father is a jerk who seems to wish he only had sons. Most of the book is Kate trying to fit in with her family and the town. There is very little romance. Max’s character wasn’t very developed. He left town, joined the navy and became a fighter pilot and lives all over the world. Either I don’t remember, or it’s never explained why he leaves and now he is a professional photographer and moves back home, too. They of course reconnect with Max and they live happily ever after.
Kate’s a-hole father gets in a car wreck and needs someone to care for him while he mends. Kate’s sister is pregnant, and can’t do it. Her brother is a selfish prick and can’t be bothered with it. She and her teen son have to move back to her hometown, which is a small town in Texas called Cedar Dell. The town never forgot she was the teen slut that got pregnant and embarrassed her poor mama. They treat her like dirt even after 17 years. The town does not know Max is the boy’s father, and it seems to be a major deal to find out who it is. I don’t come from a very small town, or even the south. I was annoyed by how big of a deal this was made in the book.
Kate’s father is a jerk who seems to wish he only had sons. Most of the book is Kate trying to fit in with her family and the town. There is very little romance. Max’s character wasn’t very developed. He left town, joined the navy and became a fighter pilot and lives all over the world. Either I don’t remember, or it’s never explained why he leaves and now he is a professional photographer and moves back home, too. They of course reconnect with Max and they live happily ever after.
October 13, 2014
aka - My Big Old Texas Heartache (Brazos Bend Book 5) [Kindle Edition]
Emily March and Family Secrets [Kindle Edition] by Christina Dodd, Emily March, Nicole Burnham
skimmed quite a bit; wished things had gone better for Kate; Max pissed me off; Kate would have been better off with Nicholas. And, let's not talk about Kate's family...
Emily March and Family Secrets [Kindle Edition] by Christina Dodd, Emily March, Nicole Burnham
skimmed quite a bit; wished things had gone better for Kate; Max pissed me off; Kate would have been better off with Nicholas. And, let's not talk about Kate's family...
February 11, 2016
This is the first time i have ever read anything by this author. What could have potentially been a good storyline just was blah for me. I wanted to stop reading it, came close to giving up on the book but the author would add something to the chapter that would just start to get my interest back.......only to be disappointed.
It's the story of a woman who is shunned by her father after a one night stand as a teenager leaves her pregnant. The scandal it caused her family made her never want to return to her small hometown again. Her father's illness leads her back home with her now 17 yr old 'bastard'child. The father of the child just so happens to have moved back to that same hometown after his wife dies and he's left to raise a 6yr old girl by himself. The author never really tells exactly what happened the night the woman became pregnant and how it came to be that she and the 17yr old's father just happened to come together that evening, when it doesn't seem like they even knew each other beforehand?
Too many side stories that are left untied. What happens to the sister who is pregnant in the book? What happens to the ill father? What happens to the oldest son of the family who is in trouble for tax evasion? I hate being left hanging like that!!!
It's the story of a woman who is shunned by her father after a one night stand as a teenager leaves her pregnant. The scandal it caused her family made her never want to return to her small hometown again. Her father's illness leads her back home with her now 17 yr old 'bastard'child. The father of the child just so happens to have moved back to that same hometown after his wife dies and he's left to raise a 6yr old girl by himself. The author never really tells exactly what happened the night the woman became pregnant and how it came to be that she and the 17yr old's father just happened to come together that evening, when it doesn't seem like they even knew each other beforehand?
Too many side stories that are left untied. What happens to the sister who is pregnant in the book? What happens to the ill father? What happens to the oldest son of the family who is in trouble for tax evasion? I hate being left hanging like that!!!
February 11, 2012
This was what I call a good solid beach read, nothing over taxing but enjoyable at the time of reading. It was entertaining, though I'm not sure if anyone is actually that outright blatantly gossipy in someone's face as the townspeople are in this book.
Dawson is a first time author for me. If I come across more of her books I will pick them up.
Dawson is a first time author for me. If I come across more of her books I will pick them up.
April 9, 2011
I loved the book, it was entertaining, one of those lovely summer reads with soft steam, humor, cute funny pets and nice people.
April 11, 2012
An entertaining diversion. If you've spent any time in Texas, you'll enjoy the small-town Texas references.
June 16, 2013
This was a good read. Sometimes, however it was a little long winded on some subjects. Mainly between Kate and her father. I really did like the romance story between Kate and Max.
February 10, 2018
They say you can't go home again but Kate agrees to go home and nurse her 80 something father, since he was in a bad accident and totalled his car. Of course she has to take her 17 year old son with her and since the whole town knows that she had him out of wedlock they are all set on figuring out who the father is. Throw in her crusty father who hasn't had a good word to say to her in years, a brother how is the apple of his father's eye and a sister who needs a bit of forgiveness for her part in the family drama. And it just so happens that the father of Kate's son has also moved back to Brazos Bend Texas, with his little girl who is motherless. Then there is the hot millionare lawyer who also has his eye on Kate. It's a great read. Really touching in some points as Kate tries to keep her aging father safe, help her son get into the right college and juggle two men who have the hots for her. Other times it is hilarious. I love Emily March's writing. Will read again.
July 27, 2018
Good story. I really enjoyed the small town Texas setting. There were just a couple of little issues I had, like a teenage boy mildly swearing in front of his mother and several older ladies. He should have known better, or at the very least his mother should have corrected him and made him apologize to the ladies.
Also, I thought that too much happened in the last chapter. It was like the author realized that she was running out of pages and just hurried to cram in too much.
Also, I thought that too much happened in the last chapter. It was like the author realized that she was running out of pages and just hurried to cram in too much.
September 16, 2017
An old fashioned romance
A town populated by individuals instead of 'cookie cutter people'. Fun, sad, emotional annoying story of individuals who need to find their way back to each other. Story of a family of people who don't know how to find their way back to each other.
Nice, relaxing read.
A town populated by individuals instead of 'cookie cutter people'. Fun, sad, emotional annoying story of individuals who need to find their way back to each other. Story of a family of people who don't know how to find their way back to each other.
Nice, relaxing read.
November 21, 2017
Pregnant in high school in a small town. Ostracized by friends and family. 18 years later she has to come home to care for the father who didn't love her. This her chance to heal the rift between her and her father and between her son and his father. If only she knew what she wanted. But there is a HEA.
March 18, 2022
Loved it!
Seventeen years after their son was born, Max and Kate finally found love together. It had been a long road but Kate 's family finally made their peace and Kate & Max made their own family.
Seventeen years after their son was born, Max and Kate finally found love together. It had been a long road but Kate 's family finally made their peace and Kate & Max made their own family.
July 31, 2018
A nice light read. Perfect for summer. The characters are interesting and story has some depth.
October 2, 2018
This was a nice light read. The characters were likeable, even the cantankerous ones, and it did give a taste of small town life. Definitely not my favorite story by Emily March.
January 2, 2017
I found this story enjoyable, but found some of the characters completely unlikable.
June 15, 2019
Frankly, I wasn't particularly excited to read a contemporary story by Geralyn Dawson. However, the plot was interesting and continued to unravel; after a while, I didn’t care about the time frame.
This story proves the adage that we are doomed to repeat history if we do not solve problems in our lives. Kate Harmon made one mistake in her life and no one lets her forget it, even though it happened 17 years before this story opens.
Kate is particularly wounded that her father did not understand and that they have an estranged relationship. However, Jack Harmon has just had a serious accident and Kate is called to return to care for her father in Cedar Dell, Texas.
Kate has struggled over the past years, putting herself through school to get her CPA certificate. She now has a lucrative job in Dallas and a charming, wealthy man is interested in her. But she returns to her small hometown, where gossip is a major sporting event, and she was named the town slut because of her illegitimate son (17 years earlier). No one knows who the father is except her family-of-origin and the man involved.
As Kate gets involved in the town, she finds out that Max Cooper (her son’s father) has moved back to the small town and has decided to raise his daughter there. Max’s wife died of cancer soon after the baby’s birth. The actions of the characters rang true, particularly 85-year-old Jack’s insistence that he continue to drive at will, in spite of his blackouts.
This is a complex plot with lots of secondary characters. Ryan, Kate’s 17-year-old son is an extremely interesting person and his decisions have a profound effect on the lives of his family.
This story proves the adage that we are doomed to repeat history if we do not solve problems in our lives. Kate Harmon made one mistake in her life and no one lets her forget it, even though it happened 17 years before this story opens.
Kate is particularly wounded that her father did not understand and that they have an estranged relationship. However, Jack Harmon has just had a serious accident and Kate is called to return to care for her father in Cedar Dell, Texas.
Kate has struggled over the past years, putting herself through school to get her CPA certificate. She now has a lucrative job in Dallas and a charming, wealthy man is interested in her. But she returns to her small hometown, where gossip is a major sporting event, and she was named the town slut because of her illegitimate son (17 years earlier). No one knows who the father is except her family-of-origin and the man involved.
As Kate gets involved in the town, she finds out that Max Cooper (her son’s father) has moved back to the small town and has decided to raise his daughter there. Max’s wife died of cancer soon after the baby’s birth. The actions of the characters rang true, particularly 85-year-old Jack’s insistence that he continue to drive at will, in spite of his blackouts.
This is a complex plot with lots of secondary characters. Ryan, Kate’s 17-year-old son is an extremely interesting person and his decisions have a profound effect on the lives of his family.
December 21, 2017
Gym reading, aka free or cheap on the Kindle. It took me FOREVER to read this because I've been having a hard time getting to the gym lately. I was near the end and finish another book today, so I just plugged away at the last part and finished this one up.
It was okay. Better than a lot of the fluff I get free for the Kindle. Kate's father and brother are giant assholes. And there's not really a satisfactory resolution for Kate with them by the end of the book. I honestly had a hard time with Ryan's POV too. I mean, what kid wants to move for his senior year of high school to a small town? I get wanting to have more family around, but really? And I'm totally with Kate in thinking how much of a waste it is for him to go to community college when he's got perfect SATs.
Since it took me so long to read, a lot of this I've forgotten, but there were easy errors in the book. Silly things, I know, but since they're so little, they could easily have been fixed. What am I talking about? The one I can remember is when they're playing Bingo. I don't remember the exact ones they called out, but there is no B40 or O22. I know, nitpicky, but it bugged me!
It was okay. Better than a lot of the fluff I get free for the Kindle. Kate's father and brother are giant assholes. And there's not really a satisfactory resolution for Kate with them by the end of the book. I honestly had a hard time with Ryan's POV too. I mean, what kid wants to move for his senior year of high school to a small town? I get wanting to have more family around, but really? And I'm totally with Kate in thinking how much of a waste it is for him to go to community college when he's got perfect SATs.
Since it took me so long to read, a lot of this I've forgotten, but there were easy errors in the book. Silly things, I know, but since they're so little, they could easily have been fixed. What am I talking about? The one I can remember is when they're playing Bingo. I don't remember the exact ones they called out, but there is no B40 or O22. I know, nitpicky, but it bugged me!
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March 25, 2016One minute Kate Harmon is on a date with a Texas millionaire and the the next minute his limo is taking her home to Cedar Dell because he father has been in a serious car accident and possibly will not make it. And to make matters worse she and her father are estranged and have been for years. Now she's back in the town that turned their back on her when we got pregnant and refused to give the baby up. Life gets even more complicated when she finds her baby's father leaving less than a block away.
The story was fun and light hearted and told about small town life at least till the end where there got to be some fairly graphic sex scenes. Why??? Because it surely didn't need them to be a good story.
The story was fun and light hearted and told about small town life at least till the end where there got to be some fairly graphic sex scenes. Why??? Because it surely didn't need them to be a good story.
October 28, 2009
I liked this book, it was a new author for me and I'm going to look her up at the library on my next visit. I would like to continue to read this series to find out what happens with Nicholas but the search on the library database shows that they don't have book 2. I don't love it enough to put on a full scale hunt but if I find book 2 at another book sale, I will certainly pick it up.
February 13, 2012
This gets bonus points because of the ending. :D
And despite my general inertia with a lot of contemporary roms, this was actually a bit interesting even though it dragged a bit and came across a little more women's fictiony than rom.
And despite my general inertia with a lot of contemporary roms, this was actually a bit interesting even though it dragged a bit and came across a little more women's fictiony than rom.
December 5, 2007
Just couldn't get interested in it. I'm not much of a romance reader, though.
November 22, 2009
Oh, just a plain old fun easy read. There was nothing to it but there was nothing bad about it, either. Fluff stuff - sometimes, ya just need some.
April 6, 2011
Updating my "read" books. I reviewed this for All About Romance years ago. The review is archived HERE .
February 20, 2012
T'was cute and a fast read. I needed something fluffy to get me back into reading after 11/22/63 and this fit the bill.
June 25, 2013
Small town America and the complications of family dynamics and nosey neighbors. Fun read even though the ending was expected.
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September 25, 2014Read under author name of Emily March
July 1, 2015
Max and Kate
I enjoyed this book about a woman with a 17 year old son meeting up with her son's father internet hometown, and dealing with past family issues.
I enjoyed this book about a woman with a 17 year old son meeting up with her son's father internet hometown, and dealing with past family issues.
April 4, 2011
3.5 stars
June 9, 2013
Thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the story. Can't wait to read more from Geralyn Dawson.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews