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Harmony #6
Can't Stop Believing
In New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas’s small town of Harmony, Texas, �there’s always something brewing" (Fallen Angel Reviews). Now, a generations-old feud is about to come to a head—and the stakes couldn’t be higher with two hearts on the line…
Cord McMillan gave up his freedom at eighteen when he went to jail for a crime he didn’t commit. Now, ten years later, he’s about to give it up again for a piece of land. Nevada Britain, his neighbor, has just made him an offer he can’t refuse: If he’ll marry her, she’ll sign over a section of property that their families have been fighting over for a hundred years. Nevada refuses to explain why, but Cord knows the bargain is in his favor. He just has one condition—she has to sleep in his bed every night for as long as their doomed marriage lasts. Nevada only wants to maintain her family’s legacy—and redeem herself for a wrong she did Cord years ago. But as she spends more time with her husband by necessity, she discovers something unexpected—a love so deep it takes her breath away.
Cord McMillan gave up his freedom at eighteen when he went to jail for a crime he didn’t commit. Now, ten years later, he’s about to give it up again for a piece of land. Nevada Britain, his neighbor, has just made him an offer he can’t refuse: If he’ll marry her, she’ll sign over a section of property that their families have been fighting over for a hundred years. Nevada refuses to explain why, but Cord knows the bargain is in his favor. He just has one condition—she has to sleep in his bed every night for as long as their doomed marriage lasts. Nevada only wants to maintain her family’s legacy—and redeem herself for a wrong she did Cord years ago. But as she spends more time with her husband by necessity, she discovers something unexpected—a love so deep it takes her breath away.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 4, 2013
115 people are currently reading
908 people want to read
About the author
Jodi Thomas
128 books2,501 followersI'm a New York Times and USA Today Best Selling author, wife, mother, in-law, grandmother, sister, friend, and owner of one fat cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
August 27, 2013
Each time I open another of Jodi Thomas’ books for a return to Harmony, Texas, it’s like I’m sitting beside a cool flowing creek with the wind in my hair and the smell of fresh air all around me. It’s just that comforting. Nobody does small town characters and settings better. I fell in love with this cast of characters and their town the first time I visited, and I’m more than ready to return with each new release. With ongoing series, there’s always the chance that the momentum won’t continue with the new stories but there’s no need to worry here. Jodi Thomas gives readers a refreshing and new story, along with splashes of catch-up for all the old friends from previous books without losing the beginning momentum.
Cord McDowell and Nevada Britain are captivating characters whose lives have been torn apart. Cord has been released from prison after serving six years for a crime he didn’t commit. He returns home to his family’s less than prosperous small farm. Living down the road on her ranch, recently divorced and faced with trials and tribulations of her own in keeping things afloat, Nevada offers incentive to Cord if he’ll help put her plan for survival into action. I love a good marital contract plot and this one was captivating.
Ronny and Marty’s story is revisited bringing with it a bittersweet closure. Through this heart-wrenching storyline, Tyler Wright is once again present and as one chapter in life closes, another begins. Other characters make a reappearance adding the expected sweetness, generosities and fun times to the story as well.
Jodi Thomas is a master at weaving multiple storylines. She brings her characters alive on each and every page. Once again, she has written another enchanting and unforgettable addition to the “Harmony” series with a touch of suspense that won’t disappoint readers.
Highly recommended series.
Cord McDowell and Nevada Britain are captivating characters whose lives have been torn apart. Cord has been released from prison after serving six years for a crime he didn’t commit. He returns home to his family’s less than prosperous small farm. Living down the road on her ranch, recently divorced and faced with trials and tribulations of her own in keeping things afloat, Nevada offers incentive to Cord if he’ll help put her plan for survival into action. I love a good marital contract plot and this one was captivating.
Ronny and Marty’s story is revisited bringing with it a bittersweet closure. Through this heart-wrenching storyline, Tyler Wright is once again present and as one chapter in life closes, another begins. Other characters make a reappearance adding the expected sweetness, generosities and fun times to the story as well.
Jodi Thomas is a master at weaving multiple storylines. She brings her characters alive on each and every page. Once again, she has written another enchanting and unforgettable addition to the “Harmony” series with a touch of suspense that won’t disappoint readers.
Highly recommended series.
February 3, 2022
Wrongly incarcerated man + rich horse girl = worst plot ever written? Oh and it’s all in Texas, don’t worry. Side plots got me like ???? Ella’s referral to PG romance is correct, I would say G but he did touch her boob once in the police station. Jodi girl, how are you so successful? Happy for you but just having lots of questions and thoughts.
January 28, 2015
3.75 stars
Back in Harmony...
It was a good and well written book. But, it lacks some intensity from the earlier stories.
The rating was given by the standard of others in this series, not individually.
Back in Harmony...
It was a good and well written book. But, it lacks some intensity from the earlier stories.
The rating was given by the standard of others in this series, not individually.
June 19, 2014
Loved it, but would have been much better if there weren't other non-main characters' povs.
I personally did not like Marty. I thought it was cruel for him to leave Lonny without a word and come back right when he is going to die, knowing that she loves him deeply and would be hurt by seeing him die in front of her. If her cared about her at all, he would have explained why he left her without a word knowing, because it would be absurd if he didn't know, that she was deeply and irrevocably in love with him. Cruel that he would come only when he had finished seeing the world, that he couldn't take her with him to see. Cruel that while he was on his death bed he would say things like, I can see myself living with you in this town, inviting our friends for dinner, going to watch movies every Friday. Well then why didn't you? You had 2? or 4 years to make a life with her but you couldn't leave fast enough. Then he says that he wants her to be buried next to him. At that point, I was like, just let her go! It was like he wanted to haunt her throughout her life. There was nothing romantic or sweet about it. I thought he was selfish to the point of cruelty and no other word describes it better to me.
There was this one book I read, some time ago, where the hero tells the heroine that he thinks that her deceased husband was selfish in sending her automated delivery of flowers every month, for a year after after he passed away, almost like her husband wanted to reach out to her from his grave and continuously remind her of him and the generosity of him giving her flowers. It was so that she would not live her life happily and with someone else. If there was even the slightest bit of truth in that allegation, in that book, then the extent of Marty's actions and words in this book outperforms it by legions.
I personally did not like Marty. I thought it was cruel for him to leave Lonny without a word and come back right when he is going to die, knowing that she loves him deeply and would be hurt by seeing him die in front of her. If her cared about her at all, he would have explained why he left her without a word knowing, because it would be absurd if he didn't know, that she was deeply and irrevocably in love with him. Cruel that he would come only when he had finished seeing the world, that he couldn't take her with him to see. Cruel that while he was on his death bed he would say things like, I can see myself living with you in this town, inviting our friends for dinner, going to watch movies every Friday. Well then why didn't you? You had 2? or 4 years to make a life with her but you couldn't leave fast enough. Then he says that he wants her to be buried next to him. At that point, I was like, just let her go! It was like he wanted to haunt her throughout her life. There was nothing romantic or sweet about it. I thought he was selfish to the point of cruelty and no other word describes it better to me.
There was this one book I read, some time ago, where the hero tells the heroine that he thinks that her deceased husband was selfish in sending her automated delivery of flowers every month, for a year after after he passed away, almost like her husband wanted to reach out to her from his grave and continuously remind her of him and the generosity of him giving her flowers. It was so that she would not live her life happily and with someone else. If there was even the slightest bit of truth in that allegation, in that book, then the extent of Marty's actions and words in this book outperforms it by legions.
March 9, 2016
★★★★★ (This is a review of the audiobook.) Harmony, Texas is a joy to revisit, savor and treasure. I loved listening to Cord McDowell and Nevada Britain’s love story, as read by Julia Gibson, who seems to enjoy the return visits as much as I do. It comes across in her soft, steady voice, imbued with gentleness. As perfect for these two opposites as they are for each other.
The relationship of Ronny Logan and Marty Winston is the secondary story here, and there are plenty of tears this go round; however, they were the quite ones, the ones that roll gently down my cheeks. Ms. Gibson updates us on Ms. Thomas’ star-crossed couple with compassion and tenderness. I knew the sadness was coming since the last book, so I assumed I wouldn't cry. Sometimes I’m so naive.
Ms. Thomas has a Master’s degree in Family Studies, and it comes through in the dynamics between her beloved characters, always pulling me into their lives as if they were flesh, blood, and heart. Very real.
We get a bit more of Martha Q in #6 and she always brings a smile. Also, the Biggs brothers, Beau Yates, and Tyler Wright (who has a perfect line, at the perfect time, delivered to the far from perfect Dallas, Ronnie’s mother). Sheriff Alex makes a few short appearances, which is too little of her, but I know I can always reread her story in Somewhere Along The Way, if I want more of her. As much as I’m eager to go on to the next book in the series, past Harmony books are worth visiting again and again, too.
The relationship of Ronny Logan and Marty Winston is the secondary story here, and there are plenty of tears this go round; however, they were the quite ones, the ones that roll gently down my cheeks. Ms. Gibson updates us on Ms. Thomas’ star-crossed couple with compassion and tenderness. I knew the sadness was coming since the last book, so I assumed I wouldn't cry. Sometimes I’m so naive.
Ms. Thomas has a Master’s degree in Family Studies, and it comes through in the dynamics between her beloved characters, always pulling me into their lives as if they were flesh, blood, and heart. Very real.
We get a bit more of Martha Q in #6 and she always brings a smile. Also, the Biggs brothers, Beau Yates, and Tyler Wright (who has a perfect line, at the perfect time, delivered to the far from perfect Dallas, Ronnie’s mother). Sheriff Alex makes a few short appearances, which is too little of her, but I know I can always reread her story in Somewhere Along The Way, if I want more of her. As much as I’m eager to go on to the next book in the series, past Harmony books are worth visiting again and again, too.
July 17, 2013
Now THIS was a proper visit to Harmony !!
I have read the entire series, and after the last book left me a bit 'underwhelmed" , I wasn't sure if I should bother reading another in the series, but Jodi Thomas didn't loose any of her magic.
This book has featured my new favorite male character ever- Cord - I have a feeling the local prisons will have single ladies flocking at the doors in hopes of finding a man like him. (not that I would recommend that)
I wish , I wish, I wish, that the next harmony book that Ms Thomas will not focus on giving us NEW people to meet, but revisit the old ones, the ones that were left hanging out there... Like Ronny was (and that was a shame) the first time Ronny and Marty were presented it was one of the most lovely times I watched a couple grow together and as individuals. I was engrossed in every word, and then the way it ended I could feel how heavy Ronny's heart was as mine was too. Skipping a book then coming back to them is a bit of a cheat to any new readers and I remember how much I loved the story but at the same time it would have been nicer to even be it's own seperate book as the love story between them was SO incredible.
Thank-You Ms. Thomas, You gave me joy once again. I think anyone who loves Historical Fiction should read this series beginning to end. It is a keeper!
I have read the entire series, and after the last book left me a bit 'underwhelmed" , I wasn't sure if I should bother reading another in the series, but Jodi Thomas didn't loose any of her magic.
This book has featured my new favorite male character ever- Cord - I have a feeling the local prisons will have single ladies flocking at the doors in hopes of finding a man like him. (not that I would recommend that)
I wish , I wish, I wish, that the next harmony book that Ms Thomas will not focus on giving us NEW people to meet, but revisit the old ones, the ones that were left hanging out there... Like Ronny was (and that was a shame) the first time Ronny and Marty were presented it was one of the most lovely times I watched a couple grow together and as individuals. I was engrossed in every word, and then the way it ended I could feel how heavy Ronny's heart was as mine was too. Skipping a book then coming back to them is a bit of a cheat to any new readers and I remember how much I loved the story but at the same time it would have been nicer to even be it's own seperate book as the love story between them was SO incredible.
Thank-You Ms. Thomas, You gave me joy once again. I think anyone who loves Historical Fiction should read this series beginning to end. It is a keeper!
Read
December 28, 2017DNF
Lost interest.
*ini buku adalah salah satu korban kekalapan gua. Beli ini karena cover-nya cantik dan diskon gede banget. Eh, udah dari kurleb 4 tahun lalu ga kelar jg bacanya. Yaudah deh DNF aja. Rada nyesel kan ini gegara impulsive buying 😶
Lost interest.
*ini buku adalah salah satu korban kekalapan gua. Beli ini karena cover-nya cantik dan diskon gede banget. Eh, udah dari kurleb 4 tahun lalu ga kelar jg bacanya. Yaudah deh DNF aja. Rada nyesel kan ini gegara impulsive buying 😶
June 2, 2013
You have to believe in yourself. - Sun Tzu
Jodi Thomas believes in Harmony, Texas, the setting for her small town contemporary series of the same name. I joined the series with Book 5, CHANCE OF A LIFETIME, and I was hooked. I was honored to be asked by Jodi Thomas to review Book 6, CAN’T STOP BELIEVING.
CAN’T STOP BELIEVING delivers a heartwarming story of women whose lives intersect - seemingly spoiled Nevada Britain, making it on her own Ronnie, and the landlord turned writer Martha Q. Nevada’s offer for a “marriage of convenience” gives Cord a chance to live again after emerging from prison as a shell of his former teenage self. In turn, Cord returns the favor by showing Nevada that she has worth.
Meanwhile, Ronnie reunites with Marty (a character from a previous book). Thomas is in top form in showing us that romance comes in all forms. While it’s obvious the direction of their romance, Thomas kept my attention to the very end. Keep a box of tissues handy.
Thomas balanced the struggles of Nevada and Ronnie with the comedic relief of Martha Q. She is the proprietor of the town’s B&B, thus giving her fodder for gossip of folks’ comings and goings. Martha Q. is bored with her business and sets out to be the next Nora Roberts. Yet business is booming at her house, providing inspiration for a murder mystery. Instead of writing that bestseller, Martha Q. enlists the help of the three widows (other unwanted guests) to investigate Nevada’s former husband in the name of Harmony’s safety. While Nevada and Ronnie warmed my heart, Martha Q. set me laughing. I hope that Thomas gives her the bestseller she is trying to write!
Recommended read for those who enjoy small town romances with characters that come in all shapes, sizes, and opinions.
I received a book from the publisher for this review.
Jodi Thomas believes in Harmony, Texas, the setting for her small town contemporary series of the same name. I joined the series with Book 5, CHANCE OF A LIFETIME, and I was hooked. I was honored to be asked by Jodi Thomas to review Book 6, CAN’T STOP BELIEVING.
CAN’T STOP BELIEVING delivers a heartwarming story of women whose lives intersect - seemingly spoiled Nevada Britain, making it on her own Ronnie, and the landlord turned writer Martha Q. Nevada’s offer for a “marriage of convenience” gives Cord a chance to live again after emerging from prison as a shell of his former teenage self. In turn, Cord returns the favor by showing Nevada that she has worth.
Meanwhile, Ronnie reunites with Marty (a character from a previous book). Thomas is in top form in showing us that romance comes in all forms. While it’s obvious the direction of their romance, Thomas kept my attention to the very end. Keep a box of tissues handy.
Thomas balanced the struggles of Nevada and Ronnie with the comedic relief of Martha Q. She is the proprietor of the town’s B&B, thus giving her fodder for gossip of folks’ comings and goings. Martha Q. is bored with her business and sets out to be the next Nora Roberts. Yet business is booming at her house, providing inspiration for a murder mystery. Instead of writing that bestseller, Martha Q. enlists the help of the three widows (other unwanted guests) to investigate Nevada’s former husband in the name of Harmony’s safety. While Nevada and Ronnie warmed my heart, Martha Q. set me laughing. I hope that Thomas gives her the bestseller she is trying to write!
Recommended read for those who enjoy small town romances with characters that come in all shapes, sizes, and opinions.
I received a book from the publisher for this review.
June 3, 2013
This is book 6 in the series, and I have loved - loved - loved - the ones that I have had the good fortune to read! (Welcome to Harmony, Book 1; Somewhere Along the Way, Book 2; The Comforts of Home, Book 3) and really hope that I can fit the two I missed in my reading schedule! (Just Down the Road, Book 4; Chance of a Lifetime, Book 5)
I think the reason that I like her books so much is that her characters are flawed, which makes them so real. They have things in their pasts that they are ashamed of, but those things have helped shape who they are. They are not always the best looking, like you seem to find in all the romance novels. They might be overweight, or handicapped, or made to feel homely or unloved, but this just makes them more believable. These are people that you could meet in your hometown, or right next door.
The books in the series, while they might focus on a person or couple, are really about all the people in the town. You never know who might show up from previous books, or who you might be meeting that is going to be a major player in a book down the road. I loved it that this book, Can't Stop Believing, revisited Ronny from The Comforts of Home and brought some closure to a chapter in her life, as well as Tyler Wright, whom we met in Welcome to Harmony.
By no means don't think that you have to read them in order though! Like I said, I missed two books in the middle, but that did not affect this storyline at all. I think what it will do though, is make you hungry for more and you will find yourself traveling back to Harmony again and again.
I think the reason that I like her books so much is that her characters are flawed, which makes them so real. They have things in their pasts that they are ashamed of, but those things have helped shape who they are. They are not always the best looking, like you seem to find in all the romance novels. They might be overweight, or handicapped, or made to feel homely or unloved, but this just makes them more believable. These are people that you could meet in your hometown, or right next door.
The books in the series, while they might focus on a person or couple, are really about all the people in the town. You never know who might show up from previous books, or who you might be meeting that is going to be a major player in a book down the road. I loved it that this book, Can't Stop Believing, revisited Ronny from The Comforts of Home and brought some closure to a chapter in her life, as well as Tyler Wright, whom we met in Welcome to Harmony.
By no means don't think that you have to read them in order though! Like I said, I missed two books in the middle, but that did not affect this storyline at all. I think what it will do though, is make you hungry for more and you will find yourself traveling back to Harmony again and again.
September 13, 2022
#6 Cord & Nevada. Martha Q is a hoot!!
Marty comes home to die. Middle of Ronny & Marty's story. Very original & interesting.
Nevada's growing up story was rather shocking. A wealthy family so screwed up!
Reread (mostly) Sept 2022
Her characters are just exquisite .. I do so enjoy this writing!
Mainly I read Cord & Nevada’s on this reread.
Come and hang around Harmony,TX for some grand stories!
Marty comes home to die. Middle of Ronny & Marty's story. Very original & interesting.
Nevada's growing up story was rather shocking. A wealthy family so screwed up!
Reread (mostly) Sept 2022
Her characters are just exquisite .. I do so enjoy this writing!
Mainly I read Cord & Nevada’s on this reread.
Come and hang around Harmony,TX for some grand stories!
November 9, 2016
I enjoyed this story with plenty of action and sub-plots. Both hero and heroine's sad histories made me eager to see them overcome the obstacles they faced. I liked seeing favorite characters from the series and some secondary events were very emotional. Rich girl Nevada proposes marriage in a bargain to give her neighbor ex-con Cord acres of her land.
October 21, 2016
The author killed off a character. A hero. She made you think he would get a happy ending AND SHE KILLED HIM OFF.
I feel betrayed by this author.
I feel betrayed by this author.
June 5, 2018
4.5 stars!
unique read and believable.
Could have had a bit more drama/character development.
Good read!
unique read and believable.
Could have had a bit more drama/character development.
Good read!
June 17, 2013
Originally posted at http://smexybooks.com/2013/06/review-...
Favorite Quote: “One heartbeat past forever, that’s how long I’ll love you.”
Welcome back. Once again Ms. Thomas takes us back into Harmony, TX and submerges us in the lives and loves of this fictional town. In Can’t Stop Believing, we see the true meaning of forgiveness, second chances, and love.
Cord McDowell lost six years of his life when he went to prison at age eighteen for a crime he didn’t commit. Now, ten years later, he’s being asked to give up his freedom again. His last name for a piece of prime land.
Nevada Britain, Harmony’s premier wild child, needs Cord McDowell to marry her and offers up a 300 acres of land to sweeten the deal. She refuses to explain all the reasons why she needs him but Cord knows he’s getting the better end of the deal. He only has one condition. She has to sleep next to him every night while they are married.
As Cord and Nevada settle into their lives and pseudo marriage, Cord soon learns that Nevada’s reasons for wanting to marry him involve more than just saving her ranch. Someone wants Nevada to suffer for her choices in life. And if it takes her death to make her pay…so be it.
Ronnie never forgot Marty or the gifts he gave her, even after he disappeared from her life two years ago. When a mysterious man shows up and offers her a chance to see Marty again, Ronnie begins the adventure of a lifetime. One that proves how wondrous and heartbreaking true love can be.
Jodi Thomas’s Harmony series remains one of my favorite romantic contemporary series to date. I adore the continuously evolving small town atmosphere and the eclectic characters who live there. Brimming with gossip, news of family, and well wishes; you find yourself waiting with anticipation for the next batch to arrive. A smoothly written romantic contemporary that goes beneath the facade of a small town and examines and reveals the love, laughter, pain, and heartbreak that resides within.
Mystery, suspense, and surprises build a solid storyline in this installment, creating an intriguing read that fills you with strong emotions as you watch those you have come to love fight through the pitfalls of life. Two main storylines build slowly and allow the players involved to deal with and heal past issues that have frozen them in a certain point of life. Ms. Thomas continues to create multi dimensional characters, expanding and evolving their lives and the world they live in. Not one of them is perfect though each one is a vibrant personality that takes command and dominates the scenes they are in. Ms. Thomas has such a wonderful gift for creating memorable and witty characters. She writes with such intimacy that we are instantly drawn back into their lives as if we never left. These are folks you can find anywhere. They are your friends and loved ones. I like we aren’t promised a happily ever after. The story always leaves off with the promise of more to come and that works because no one’s journey is ever truly over.
Strongly character driven; it’s the steady and humorous dialogue keeps you entertained and laughing throughout the book. We see old and new faces; each one an important part of the storyline. Martha Q is back and noisy as ever as her bed and breakfast is soon overrun with sleuthing widows, a vegetarian slob, and a mysterious man who peaks more than Martha’s curiosity. Beau’s found himself some “trouble” but as we soon learn, he may have bitten off more than he can chew. Tyler and Kate have some fabulous news to share as bits and pieces of all the town residents make their way into the story, which rounds it out beautifully and left me satisfied though sad as one storyline concludes in a rather shocking way.
This series continues to delight me and I recommend it to everyone who wants a small town contemporary series with realistic characters, charming romances, strong friendships, and interesting lives that will have you waiting anxiously each new visit. Even though this could be read as a stand alone, I recommend reading the first in the series, Welcome To Harmony. This is a continuation and is written as such.
Rating: B+
Favorite Quote: “One heartbeat past forever, that’s how long I’ll love you.”
Welcome back. Once again Ms. Thomas takes us back into Harmony, TX and submerges us in the lives and loves of this fictional town. In Can’t Stop Believing, we see the true meaning of forgiveness, second chances, and love.
Cord McDowell lost six years of his life when he went to prison at age eighteen for a crime he didn’t commit. Now, ten years later, he’s being asked to give up his freedom again. His last name for a piece of prime land.
Nevada Britain, Harmony’s premier wild child, needs Cord McDowell to marry her and offers up a 300 acres of land to sweeten the deal. She refuses to explain all the reasons why she needs him but Cord knows he’s getting the better end of the deal. He only has one condition. She has to sleep next to him every night while they are married.
As Cord and Nevada settle into their lives and pseudo marriage, Cord soon learns that Nevada’s reasons for wanting to marry him involve more than just saving her ranch. Someone wants Nevada to suffer for her choices in life. And if it takes her death to make her pay…so be it.
Ronnie never forgot Marty or the gifts he gave her, even after he disappeared from her life two years ago. When a mysterious man shows up and offers her a chance to see Marty again, Ronnie begins the adventure of a lifetime. One that proves how wondrous and heartbreaking true love can be.
Jodi Thomas’s Harmony series remains one of my favorite romantic contemporary series to date. I adore the continuously evolving small town atmosphere and the eclectic characters who live there. Brimming with gossip, news of family, and well wishes; you find yourself waiting with anticipation for the next batch to arrive. A smoothly written romantic contemporary that goes beneath the facade of a small town and examines and reveals the love, laughter, pain, and heartbreak that resides within.
Mystery, suspense, and surprises build a solid storyline in this installment, creating an intriguing read that fills you with strong emotions as you watch those you have come to love fight through the pitfalls of life. Two main storylines build slowly and allow the players involved to deal with and heal past issues that have frozen them in a certain point of life. Ms. Thomas continues to create multi dimensional characters, expanding and evolving their lives and the world they live in. Not one of them is perfect though each one is a vibrant personality that takes command and dominates the scenes they are in. Ms. Thomas has such a wonderful gift for creating memorable and witty characters. She writes with such intimacy that we are instantly drawn back into their lives as if we never left. These are folks you can find anywhere. They are your friends and loved ones. I like we aren’t promised a happily ever after. The story always leaves off with the promise of more to come and that works because no one’s journey is ever truly over.
Strongly character driven; it’s the steady and humorous dialogue keeps you entertained and laughing throughout the book. We see old and new faces; each one an important part of the storyline. Martha Q is back and noisy as ever as her bed and breakfast is soon overrun with sleuthing widows, a vegetarian slob, and a mysterious man who peaks more than Martha’s curiosity. Beau’s found himself some “trouble” but as we soon learn, he may have bitten off more than he can chew. Tyler and Kate have some fabulous news to share as bits and pieces of all the town residents make their way into the story, which rounds it out beautifully and left me satisfied though sad as one storyline concludes in a rather shocking way.
This series continues to delight me and I recommend it to everyone who wants a small town contemporary series with realistic characters, charming romances, strong friendships, and interesting lives that will have you waiting anxiously each new visit. Even though this could be read as a stand alone, I recommend reading the first in the series, Welcome To Harmony. This is a continuation and is written as such.
Rating: B+
June 8, 2013
4. 5 Stars
Cord and Nevada discover that together they can defeat any threat that comes against them from sociopathic former spouses to Harmony citizens who can’t let go of the past. While Cord and Nevada’s story is primary, Thomas weaves in threads from the lives of other inhabitants of the small Texas town. Tyler Wright and his Kate are awaiting the birth of their child. First-time parents in their mid-40s, they are filled with joy and terror. Ronny Logan, whose life was transformed by Marty Winslow, the paraplegic who taught her to love and then left, is called upon to do the hardest thing that has ever been asked of her. In doing it, she will experience heartbreak and triumph. Much married B & B owner Martha Q. Patterson is continuing with her creative writing, but she’s adding private investigating to her repertoire and discovering a new gentleman friend who may just steal her heart.
Harmony, Texas, may be the most unusual series in the ever-growing subgenre of small-town romance. Her heroes and heroines are not only the buff and beautiful but also ordinary people with warts and quirks and baggage and hearts that long for love. Cord is one of my favorites in a list of Harmony citizens who have captured my heart. He is a hero with real wounds who refuses to be defeated by life’s unfairness or to be defined by his neighbors’ judgment. Imprisoned unjustly at eighteen, he is released after the deaths of both parents to find their resources depleted and the land that has been in his family for a hundred years in jeopardy. His response is hard work and thrift, not qualities typically associated with a hero. But when circumstances demand it, Cord proves himself also possessed of the courage, protectiveness, and tenacity of “the true, the perfect gentle-knight.”
Even though Can’t Stop Believing is the sixth book in the Harmony series, a new reader can begin the series here without feeling lost. But don’t be surprised if you are so hooked on these characters that you want to glom the first five novels. I’m already anticipating return visits to Harmony. There are characters whose story threads I want to see play out, and I’m sure Jodi Thomas has some new characters to introduce to her readers.
See full review at The Romance Dish:
http://www.theromancedish.com/2013/05...
Cord and Nevada discover that together they can defeat any threat that comes against them from sociopathic former spouses to Harmony citizens who can’t let go of the past. While Cord and Nevada’s story is primary, Thomas weaves in threads from the lives of other inhabitants of the small Texas town. Tyler Wright and his Kate are awaiting the birth of their child. First-time parents in their mid-40s, they are filled with joy and terror. Ronny Logan, whose life was transformed by Marty Winslow, the paraplegic who taught her to love and then left, is called upon to do the hardest thing that has ever been asked of her. In doing it, she will experience heartbreak and triumph. Much married B & B owner Martha Q. Patterson is continuing with her creative writing, but she’s adding private investigating to her repertoire and discovering a new gentleman friend who may just steal her heart.
Harmony, Texas, may be the most unusual series in the ever-growing subgenre of small-town romance. Her heroes and heroines are not only the buff and beautiful but also ordinary people with warts and quirks and baggage and hearts that long for love. Cord is one of my favorites in a list of Harmony citizens who have captured my heart. He is a hero with real wounds who refuses to be defeated by life’s unfairness or to be defined by his neighbors’ judgment. Imprisoned unjustly at eighteen, he is released after the deaths of both parents to find their resources depleted and the land that has been in his family for a hundred years in jeopardy. His response is hard work and thrift, not qualities typically associated with a hero. But when circumstances demand it, Cord proves himself also possessed of the courage, protectiveness, and tenacity of “the true, the perfect gentle-knight.”
Even though Can’t Stop Believing is the sixth book in the Harmony series, a new reader can begin the series here without feeling lost. But don’t be surprised if you are so hooked on these characters that you want to glom the first five novels. I’m already anticipating return visits to Harmony. There are characters whose story threads I want to see play out, and I’m sure Jodi Thomas has some new characters to introduce to her readers.
See full review at The Romance Dish:
http://www.theromancedish.com/2013/05...
June 2, 2013
Cord McDowell has been back in Harmony since being released from prison three years ago. Six years in prison for something he knows he didn’t do. Now his days are spent working hard in Tannon Parker’s trucking business, hollow inside, but determined to keep his family farm, no matter what. Cord just wants to live out his life on his farm, and forget the nightmare years. He’ll keep his head down, ignore the nasty looks and comments around him, and keep busy, saving every penny he can. And then along comes spoiled neighbor Nevada Britain who offers him a way out.
Nevada has lots of secrets, most of which she can’t tell Cord. Her bargain with him will help both of them, but she’s not about to tell him all of the details of why she’s proposing a temporary marriage that will get him out of debt, and aid her in more ways than she can even admit to herself.
Ronny Logan has her own secret. Marty Winslow is back in her life, and as tragic a situation as it is, Ronny will do everything in her power to stay by his side.
Nevada is known around Harmony mostly for her marriages, and her wild ways. But what most people don’t know about her could fill a book. Her devotion to her horses, her determination to run her father’s oil business, and keep the family ranch productive have left her with few alternatives. And she is praying that Cord is the answer to everything. But when one of her ex’s comes back to Harmony, can even Cord help her?
CAN’T STOP BELIEVING arrived in the mail yesterday, and, as most of Jodi Thomas’ books do, I was sucked right into the story from the first page. Cord and Nevada have learned long ago not to trust anyone, and Nevada has alienated just about everyone in town. Cord isn’t much better off. His heart is stone cold, and he just wants to be alone on his farm. Life doesn’t offer him anything more – until Nevada.
The Harmony novels are engaging, heartwarming, exciting, and, as this one was, at times a real tearjerker. All of the characters are so well rounded, and, well, just darned human. People from previous Harmony book appear in CAN’T STOP BELIEVING, and I was thrilled that Martha Q and Ronny were so prominent in the secondary plot. This is one of the best of the series and it deserves A Perfect 10.
Nevada has lots of secrets, most of which she can’t tell Cord. Her bargain with him will help both of them, but she’s not about to tell him all of the details of why she’s proposing a temporary marriage that will get him out of debt, and aid her in more ways than she can even admit to herself.
Ronny Logan has her own secret. Marty Winslow is back in her life, and as tragic a situation as it is, Ronny will do everything in her power to stay by his side.
Nevada is known around Harmony mostly for her marriages, and her wild ways. But what most people don’t know about her could fill a book. Her devotion to her horses, her determination to run her father’s oil business, and keep the family ranch productive have left her with few alternatives. And she is praying that Cord is the answer to everything. But when one of her ex’s comes back to Harmony, can even Cord help her?
CAN’T STOP BELIEVING arrived in the mail yesterday, and, as most of Jodi Thomas’ books do, I was sucked right into the story from the first page. Cord and Nevada have learned long ago not to trust anyone, and Nevada has alienated just about everyone in town. Cord isn’t much better off. His heart is stone cold, and he just wants to be alone on his farm. Life doesn’t offer him anything more – until Nevada.
The Harmony novels are engaging, heartwarming, exciting, and, as this one was, at times a real tearjerker. All of the characters are so well rounded, and, well, just darned human. People from previous Harmony book appear in CAN’T STOP BELIEVING, and I was thrilled that Martha Q and Ronny were so prominent in the secondary plot. This is one of the best of the series and it deserves A Perfect 10.
June 1, 2013
Since getting out of prison Cord McDowell’s entire existence consists of work and more work just to keep from losing his family’s farm. There is no time for even thinking of anything else, especially the wild woman who runs the ranch next door.
The only constant in Nevada Britain’s life is her love for her horses, but love will not save her ranch if she does not do something to stop her ex-husband. Her plan may be crazy, which fits right in with what the world already thinks of her anyway.
Cord is a man of few words in general, yet stunned speechless does not even come close to what he is feeling towards Nevada’s offer. Despite the absurdity of her request Cord agrees, finding out very quickly that the heart he once thought cold and dead is suddenly coming alive. Each day in Cord’s company is like a ray of sunshine in Nevada’s life, yet it kills her to think she is very possibly putting him in serious danger. Her ex is a man used to getting what he wants, and what he wants is Nevada.
From tissues and tears to love and laughter this story has it all and more. Cord and Nevada’s story is not the only thing happening in Harmony that will keep you reading. There is also Ronny and Marty, whose love just breaks your heart, and the hilarious busy-body Martha Q sticking her nose in everywhere. Each chapter brings these characters closer for the reader, interweaving their stories in such a way it is instantly recognizable as small town living.
Lototy
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
May 27, 2013
Years ago Cord McDowell was sent away to prison. Now that he is out, he is trying to make a new life for himself.
Nevada Britain’s family has had a long time feud with the McDowell’s. So you can imagine Cord’s surprise when Nevada offers him part of her land. There is just one catch…Cord has to marry Nevada. Cord has a condition as well…Nevada has to sleep in his bed every night for as long as they are married.
Jodi Thomas has done it again. She made me fall in love with her and all the people of Harmony even more. I did not think it was possible. I loved the characters in this book although I would call them more family then I would characters from a book.
It was no surprise how Cord and Nevada’s story would turn out. Neither Nevada or Cord liked each other but the more time they spent around one another they were bound to fall in love eventually. Nonetheless I still love a good love story with a happy ending. Plus, Cord and Nevada had lots of spunk between the two of them.
Another love story that I really enjoyed was Ronnie and Marty’s story. It was sad but happy at the same time. I was cheering for them the whole time. I even started to tear up some at the end of their story.
Can’t Stop Believing is like a good friend that you will always treasure filled with fun, laughter, and tears! A must read.
Nevada Britain’s family has had a long time feud with the McDowell’s. So you can imagine Cord’s surprise when Nevada offers him part of her land. There is just one catch…Cord has to marry Nevada. Cord has a condition as well…Nevada has to sleep in his bed every night for as long as they are married.
Jodi Thomas has done it again. She made me fall in love with her and all the people of Harmony even more. I did not think it was possible. I loved the characters in this book although I would call them more family then I would characters from a book.
It was no surprise how Cord and Nevada’s story would turn out. Neither Nevada or Cord liked each other but the more time they spent around one another they were bound to fall in love eventually. Nonetheless I still love a good love story with a happy ending. Plus, Cord and Nevada had lots of spunk between the two of them.
Another love story that I really enjoyed was Ronnie and Marty’s story. It was sad but happy at the same time. I was cheering for them the whole time. I even started to tear up some at the end of their story.
Can’t Stop Believing is like a good friend that you will always treasure filled with fun, laughter, and tears! A must read.
July 4, 2013
There really need to be more than five stars available just for books like this. Jodi Thomas has given us another fabulous peek into the lives of the citizens of Harmony, TX. I've grown to really care about this cast of characters, so much so that I was sobbing through a couple of the chapters as I shared one's heartache. This is a beautifully written story of love, loss, and moving on. The title is perfect.
This is mainly the story of Cord McDowell and Nevada Britain, two characters I don't remember being mentioned up to this point. They begin the story with a marriage agreement that doesn't require them to be man and wife any more than on paper. Watching love blossom between these two was refreshing and wonderful.
Of course we also get to see the other inhabitants of Harmony. I was most excited to get more of Ronny's story. Martha Q is hilarious as ever, and Tyler Wright's part was a really nice surprise. I truly think this is the best of the series, and possibly my favorite of all of JT's books. I highly recommend this book to any lover of a good, emotion-twisting tale.
This is mainly the story of Cord McDowell and Nevada Britain, two characters I don't remember being mentioned up to this point. They begin the story with a marriage agreement that doesn't require them to be man and wife any more than on paper. Watching love blossom between these two was refreshing and wonderful.
Of course we also get to see the other inhabitants of Harmony. I was most excited to get more of Ronny's story. Martha Q is hilarious as ever, and Tyler Wright's part was a really nice surprise. I truly think this is the best of the series, and possibly my favorite of all of JT's books. I highly recommend this book to any lover of a good, emotion-twisting tale.
November 18, 2018
May 28, 2014: I actually liked this book despite it being a clean romance. I want my own Cord McDowell. He's such a sweet silent strong man that loves his wife so much. The only story plot that didn't make sense was why she married him. I felt the marriage benefited her way more than it did for him, initially. I mean she needed him more than he needed her and at the end they both needed their marriage. I didn't care for the secondary characters, I liked them but I wasn't invested in them like I did the H and h. I loved Miss Martha Q Patterson! Based on this book alone I would consider reading the rest of the series.
November 18, 2018: I can't believe how invested I was between Ronny and Marty. I guess that storyline kinda crept on me while reading the other books in the series. It reminded me of Me before you. I haven't read it yet!! but yeah. Anyways I now understand why Nevada married Cord I guess it took a second reading to see that paragraph lol at myself. My rating remains the same.
November 18, 2018: I can't believe how invested I was between Ronny and Marty. I guess that storyline kinda crept on me while reading the other books in the series. It reminded me of Me before you. I haven't read it yet!! but yeah. Anyways I now understand why Nevada married Cord I guess it took a second reading to see that paragraph lol at myself. My rating remains the same.
June 17, 2013
Usually in a series the second or third book is the high point for me.That is not the case in Can't Stop Believing (Harmony #6) It might be my favorite. My daughter started reading it to me as we made a seven hour trip home. We laughed out loud and I made her read some of them over again. It was my daughters first trip to Harmony and she loved it as much as I did. I got the pleasure of visiting old friends and meeting new ones. I think Jodi Thomas has found the secret to a long lived series. I know these characters and I wept with them. I was a quest at Martha Q's Bed and Breakfast. Sitting on the porch watching as the people lived their lives and listened to the latest gossip. You just don't read about the people in Harmony, you laugh, worry and cry with them. Before I was ready, that sneaky Martha Q kicked me out and I have to wait for book #7 to get another room.
August 3, 2016
I loved the first book of the Harmony series. I always adore little towns and beautiful covers that make me dream about being in the book. This is the 6th book in the series and it was a good read. It took me longer to get into than the first one. I didn't fall in love with Cord right but after a while he grew on me and I was rooting for him and Nevada to fall in love. I loved Marty! His and Ronny's story was one for the books. He was a romantic who made my heart swoon especially with his very thoughtful gestures at the end of the story. I just can't help but feeling that the residents in Harmony are family. On to the next book in the series!
September 25, 2016
I loved Cord and Nevada's story but this book is definitely NOT meant to be read as a standalone.
All the secondary characters are not secondary at all because their PoV are as long as the supposedly MC's.
Each book in the series introduces a new couple but their story is just one of many the author focuses on in the same installment.
I really enjoyed Jodi Thomas's writing but all the POV made it a bit hard for me to truly connect with every "MC", mostly because I don't know all the stories behind each character.
Hence the 3 stars instead of 4.
I'll definitely read more of this series starting with book 1.
All the secondary characters are not secondary at all because their PoV are as long as the supposedly MC's.
Each book in the series introduces a new couple but their story is just one of many the author focuses on in the same installment.
I really enjoyed Jodi Thomas's writing but all the POV made it a bit hard for me to truly connect with every "MC", mostly because I don't know all the stories behind each character.
Hence the 3 stars instead of 4.
I'll definitely read more of this series starting with book 1.
June 18, 2013
I've read and loved her Harmony series, i want to say that first, I really loved Ronny and Marty's story they had a few books ago. When I heard she would finally be bringing him back to Harmony and we would have more of their story i was so excited....but after reading the book I was really disappointed with how she wrote their and ended their story, almost wish she had just left it alone, where Marty was just gone, now he's gone for good after she wrote his death in this book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2013
I don't remember how I stumbled across this series, but I love it. This author tells a sweet story, without making the book trashy, in more of a real time setting. Nothing in this series feels rushed. And I like the characters! Hallelujah! I get my happy ending without smut. Or over the top angst. Or a ridiculous premise (for the most part). I hope this series continues for a long, long time.
August 19, 2013
This series is just not doing it for me anymore. I did not connect at all with the new characters and have been finding the premise of each story more and more unlikely. I really only finished this book because I generally love Jodi Thomas, but I won't be picking up the next in the Harmony series.
September 10, 2013
Really enjoyed this convenient marriage story. Lots of believable emotions. Lots of different storylines. Some real sad stuff and some beautiful romance. I might have to look up the rest of the series.
Read
June 27, 2015Harmony. Texas 2012
Cord McDowell worked as a mechanic for Tannon Parker who owned Parker Trucking Company but Old Man Whitaker was the boss. He watched Cord like a hawk waiting for him to make a mistake so he could fire the ex-con. Cord had been in Huntsville Prison for nine years. Cord's neighbor, Nevada Britain brought her Jeep in to get worked on and asked specifically for Cord. Cord fixed her Jeep and the next day Nevada drove over to his house and told him she need to marry him. He would get 300 acres of her land that adjoined his if he would agree to the marriage for eight months. She needed him to run her ranch with the profits from both ranches being split 50/50 at the time of their divorce. Cord agreed to marry Nevada if she would agree to sleep in the same bed as him for the time period they were married. They married the next day and Cord quit working as a mechanic and took over running the two ranches.
Cord was sent to prison because of a party Nevada and some friends were having when they were younger. Cord was nearby and sleeping outside after having a fight with his parents about him attending college. One of the sheriff's deputies woke Cord up by prodding him awake with what Cord thought was a stick. Cord woke up swinging. The stick was actually a rifle and it went off as Cord knocked the deputy off of him. Cord ended up in prison for shooting the deputy in the eye because no one came to his defense on what happened that night. Nevada saw what happened but her father told her to stay out of it and she did. She felt guilty, but never did anything to help Cord.
Nevada Britain had divorced for the third time. Her third husband, Bryce Galloway, was a good looking, spoiled, rich man. Nevada married him because she felt she could do no better. Bryce married Nevada mostly to obtain another possession. He constantly reminded her that she was nothing and beat her badly where others couldn't see the bruises. He got tired of waiting around with her sick father and took off thinking that Nevada would fall apart and beg him to come back. She divorced him instead. Bryce told Nevada she would never belong to anyone else but him and he would return to the ranch and kill her. The divorce was final before her father died and she inherited the ranch. She needed Cord to turn the ranch around so she wouldn't lose it to Bryce. She hoped that Cord could keep Bryce from killing her and she felt guilty about not helping Cord when she was younger. Everyone thought that Nevada was wild and did crazy things that cost Bryce a lot of money. They didn't know that Bryce wrecked his car and put Nevada in the drivers seat before the police arrived to make it look like she was driving drunk. He also beat her and told others that she had fallen. Nevada didn't put up much of a fight so everyone believed that she was just a wild, spoiled child.
Accidents kept happening at the ranch and Nevada & Cord grew closer together. After a month of being married, they became lovers. One morning after Nevada left for work, someone poisoned one of her horses. A Texas Ranger showed up on the scene. It was the same Ranger that Cord had shot and sent him to prison.
Martha Q Patterson ran a bread and breakfast in town. She had a dream of writing a sexy, murder mystery. Currently she had three widows living in her place and she wanted them gone. She met with the funeral parlor director, Tyler Wright, and asked him to talk to the widows and ask them to move out. Tyler and his wife Kate were about to be 46 and become first time parents. The widow's talk with Tyler didn't seem to be working but she did get a new border for her bed & breakfast. It was Nevada's third husband, Bryce Galloway.
Her cook was the grandmother of one of Ronny's duplex neighbors, Border Biggs. Mr. Carleon moved into the B&B and he and Martha sat on the porch nearly every night and talked. They both didn't think much of Bryce and they decided to keep an eye on him, along with the widows. One morning Martha woke up to find mud tracked though the house and up the stairs to Bryce's room. Martha investigated and determined that Bryce was watching someone and that person was unaware of it.
Ronny Logan had a domineering mother, Dallas. Ronny worked in the post office, as silent and invisible as a midnight mouse. She also sent copies of the towns newspaper to Cord the entire time he was in prison. One day while making a delivery, she met a handsome man in a wheelchair. She came alive with his love. She started taking college courses and learned how to cook. Then one day he left. Ronny moved out of her house and into his duplex. Her mother was upset and called her an ungrateful child. Ronny received a note one day and a black Lincoln picked her up and took her to a hospital, she thought it was in Oklahoma City. She was taken there to visit Marty Winslow who was dying due to the number of treatments he had to try and heal him. He had been paralyzed in a skiing accident a few years back. His guardian and friend, Mr Carleon, sent for Ronny because Marty kept asking for her. He sent the Lincoln to pick her up every night at 11 pm. Carleon promised to notify her if anything happened to Marty. He promised he wouldn't just stop sending the car after Marty passed without getting a message to her. Marty decided to call in three of his friends to help him move out of the hospital and back to Harmony with Ronny. Mr. Carleon would move into Martha's bed & breakfast to be near Marty.
Beau Bates and Border Biggs were her duplex neighbors and they played at the bar in town. Beau played his guitar every night for Marty to hear while he was living with Ronny. Marty actually owned the duplex. After a couple of weeks of living in Harmony, there was still no change in his health. Marty gave advice for Beau to pay off some of his bills and start saving money. He helped Cord with his bookkeeping. After a little over a month, he went to sleep and never woke up. The night before he died, Ronny was out for a walk and someone attacked her. She heard someone in the dark and hit him before someone came out and the attacker ran away.
Marty and Ronny had often talked of his travels before he was injured. When he died, he left tickets and itineraries for Ronny to travel and see the places they talked about. Dallas came to see Ronny and told Ronny that she could move back in with her. Ronny told her mother that she was going to travel and her mother laughed at her and told Ronny she didn't have the money or the guts to leave. Ronny would show her...
Ronny and Cord had become friends and he told her he was there for her when Marty died if she ever needed anything. Since Ronny worked at the post office, he asked her if she knew of anyone called Cam. Ronny took awhile to remember but thought of someone she knew that worked at the town's theater. His name was Cameron and she let Cord know. Cord knew the name from someone who was in prison that he remembered was from Harmony. Cord found him and asked him to watch Bryce. Cam told Cord that Bryce had a picture book filled with pictures of nothing but Nevada and that he had gone to an abandoned house where he had some rifles stored.
Cord went to talk to the sheriff and the guy he had shot was packing up at the sheriff's office to leave. He asked if he could talk with Cord and they met up at the diner. The guy was now a Texas Ranger. He told Cord that after he was shot, Cord's parents had given him Cord's college money. He had taken the money and paid for a couple of surgeries on this eye and gone back to college himself. He earned a degree and moved into the Ranger's office. He moved up in rank by using Cord's money. He told Cord that he was no longer the angry young man that had stormed into the party the night he was shot. He also told Cord that Nevada had written a note to back up what Cord had said that night but she didn't show up in court to testify for him. Cord was very upset at Nevada. He went back to the ranch and packed up some equipment and went to string barbed wire on his property. Nevada eventually grew worried and came to see him. They talked about that night and Nevada told him that her father had beaten her that night and told her not to interfere. She wouldn't be believed anyway because she was nothing but a drunk teenager. When the sheriff's people came to talk to her, her father had sworn that she hadn't been out that night. She did marry Cord because she felt guilty about that night but Nevada asked Cord to forgive her and he did. Someone was in the dark with them and started shooting at them. They took off and went home.
Cord told Nevada to stay put and he would be back after talking to the sheriff. When Cord came back to the house with the sheriff, Nevada had gotten a call and left. Nevada went to the horse barn and Bryce was there waiting for her. He had knocked out the guard left at the barn and shot one of the horses with steroids to make him crazy. He started a fire in the barn and tied up Nevada and put her in the stall with the horse to be killed by the horse rather than him. The horse did kick Nevada and broke her arm and leg. Cord, the sheriff, and the ranch employees all got to the barn in time to get the horses out. Cord carried Nevada out before the barn collapsed. The cowboy/guard had come to and heard that Bryce was leaving out the back. He was aware enough to jump and land on Bryce as he was trying to get away. The sheriff caught Bryce. Bryce said he had been embarrassed by his family when he returned without his wife. He wanted Nevada dead due to the embarrassment she had caused him. He was obsessed with killing her.
Anthony Carleon had decided to stay in Harmony with Martha. Cord and Nevada remained together after everything that had happened. Nevada remodeled Cord's house and they lived there. She gave her house to Galem his wife to live in.
Cord McDowell worked as a mechanic for Tannon Parker who owned Parker Trucking Company but Old Man Whitaker was the boss. He watched Cord like a hawk waiting for him to make a mistake so he could fire the ex-con. Cord had been in Huntsville Prison for nine years. Cord's neighbor, Nevada Britain brought her Jeep in to get worked on and asked specifically for Cord. Cord fixed her Jeep and the next day Nevada drove over to his house and told him she need to marry him. He would get 300 acres of her land that adjoined his if he would agree to the marriage for eight months. She needed him to run her ranch with the profits from both ranches being split 50/50 at the time of their divorce. Cord agreed to marry Nevada if she would agree to sleep in the same bed as him for the time period they were married. They married the next day and Cord quit working as a mechanic and took over running the two ranches.
Cord was sent to prison because of a party Nevada and some friends were having when they were younger. Cord was nearby and sleeping outside after having a fight with his parents about him attending college. One of the sheriff's deputies woke Cord up by prodding him awake with what Cord thought was a stick. Cord woke up swinging. The stick was actually a rifle and it went off as Cord knocked the deputy off of him. Cord ended up in prison for shooting the deputy in the eye because no one came to his defense on what happened that night. Nevada saw what happened but her father told her to stay out of it and she did. She felt guilty, but never did anything to help Cord.
Nevada Britain had divorced for the third time. Her third husband, Bryce Galloway, was a good looking, spoiled, rich man. Nevada married him because she felt she could do no better. Bryce married Nevada mostly to obtain another possession. He constantly reminded her that she was nothing and beat her badly where others couldn't see the bruises. He got tired of waiting around with her sick father and took off thinking that Nevada would fall apart and beg him to come back. She divorced him instead. Bryce told Nevada she would never belong to anyone else but him and he would return to the ranch and kill her. The divorce was final before her father died and she inherited the ranch. She needed Cord to turn the ranch around so she wouldn't lose it to Bryce. She hoped that Cord could keep Bryce from killing her and she felt guilty about not helping Cord when she was younger. Everyone thought that Nevada was wild and did crazy things that cost Bryce a lot of money. They didn't know that Bryce wrecked his car and put Nevada in the drivers seat before the police arrived to make it look like she was driving drunk. He also beat her and told others that she had fallen. Nevada didn't put up much of a fight so everyone believed that she was just a wild, spoiled child.
Accidents kept happening at the ranch and Nevada & Cord grew closer together. After a month of being married, they became lovers. One morning after Nevada left for work, someone poisoned one of her horses. A Texas Ranger showed up on the scene. It was the same Ranger that Cord had shot and sent him to prison.
Martha Q Patterson ran a bread and breakfast in town. She had a dream of writing a sexy, murder mystery. Currently she had three widows living in her place and she wanted them gone. She met with the funeral parlor director, Tyler Wright, and asked him to talk to the widows and ask them to move out. Tyler and his wife Kate were about to be 46 and become first time parents. The widow's talk with Tyler didn't seem to be working but she did get a new border for her bed & breakfast. It was Nevada's third husband, Bryce Galloway.
Her cook was the grandmother of one of Ronny's duplex neighbors, Border Biggs. Mr. Carleon moved into the B&B and he and Martha sat on the porch nearly every night and talked. They both didn't think much of Bryce and they decided to keep an eye on him, along with the widows. One morning Martha woke up to find mud tracked though the house and up the stairs to Bryce's room. Martha investigated and determined that Bryce was watching someone and that person was unaware of it.
Ronny Logan had a domineering mother, Dallas. Ronny worked in the post office, as silent and invisible as a midnight mouse. She also sent copies of the towns newspaper to Cord the entire time he was in prison. One day while making a delivery, she met a handsome man in a wheelchair. She came alive with his love. She started taking college courses and learned how to cook. Then one day he left. Ronny moved out of her house and into his duplex. Her mother was upset and called her an ungrateful child. Ronny received a note one day and a black Lincoln picked her up and took her to a hospital, she thought it was in Oklahoma City. She was taken there to visit Marty Winslow who was dying due to the number of treatments he had to try and heal him. He had been paralyzed in a skiing accident a few years back. His guardian and friend, Mr Carleon, sent for Ronny because Marty kept asking for her. He sent the Lincoln to pick her up every night at 11 pm. Carleon promised to notify her if anything happened to Marty. He promised he wouldn't just stop sending the car after Marty passed without getting a message to her. Marty decided to call in three of his friends to help him move out of the hospital and back to Harmony with Ronny. Mr. Carleon would move into Martha's bed & breakfast to be near Marty.
Beau Bates and Border Biggs were her duplex neighbors and they played at the bar in town. Beau played his guitar every night for Marty to hear while he was living with Ronny. Marty actually owned the duplex. After a couple of weeks of living in Harmony, there was still no change in his health. Marty gave advice for Beau to pay off some of his bills and start saving money. He helped Cord with his bookkeeping. After a little over a month, he went to sleep and never woke up. The night before he died, Ronny was out for a walk and someone attacked her. She heard someone in the dark and hit him before someone came out and the attacker ran away.
Marty and Ronny had often talked of his travels before he was injured. When he died, he left tickets and itineraries for Ronny to travel and see the places they talked about. Dallas came to see Ronny and told Ronny that she could move back in with her. Ronny told her mother that she was going to travel and her mother laughed at her and told Ronny she didn't have the money or the guts to leave. Ronny would show her...
Ronny and Cord had become friends and he told her he was there for her when Marty died if she ever needed anything. Since Ronny worked at the post office, he asked her if she knew of anyone called Cam. Ronny took awhile to remember but thought of someone she knew that worked at the town's theater. His name was Cameron and she let Cord know. Cord knew the name from someone who was in prison that he remembered was from Harmony. Cord found him and asked him to watch Bryce. Cam told Cord that Bryce had a picture book filled with pictures of nothing but Nevada and that he had gone to an abandoned house where he had some rifles stored.
Cord went to talk to the sheriff and the guy he had shot was packing up at the sheriff's office to leave. He asked if he could talk with Cord and they met up at the diner. The guy was now a Texas Ranger. He told Cord that after he was shot, Cord's parents had given him Cord's college money. He had taken the money and paid for a couple of surgeries on this eye and gone back to college himself. He earned a degree and moved into the Ranger's office. He moved up in rank by using Cord's money. He told Cord that he was no longer the angry young man that had stormed into the party the night he was shot. He also told Cord that Nevada had written a note to back up what Cord had said that night but she didn't show up in court to testify for him. Cord was very upset at Nevada. He went back to the ranch and packed up some equipment and went to string barbed wire on his property. Nevada eventually grew worried and came to see him. They talked about that night and Nevada told him that her father had beaten her that night and told her not to interfere. She wouldn't be believed anyway because she was nothing but a drunk teenager. When the sheriff's people came to talk to her, her father had sworn that she hadn't been out that night. She did marry Cord because she felt guilty about that night but Nevada asked Cord to forgive her and he did. Someone was in the dark with them and started shooting at them. They took off and went home.
Cord told Nevada to stay put and he would be back after talking to the sheriff. When Cord came back to the house with the sheriff, Nevada had gotten a call and left. Nevada went to the horse barn and Bryce was there waiting for her. He had knocked out the guard left at the barn and shot one of the horses with steroids to make him crazy. He started a fire in the barn and tied up Nevada and put her in the stall with the horse to be killed by the horse rather than him. The horse did kick Nevada and broke her arm and leg. Cord, the sheriff, and the ranch employees all got to the barn in time to get the horses out. Cord carried Nevada out before the barn collapsed. The cowboy/guard had come to and heard that Bryce was leaving out the back. He was aware enough to jump and land on Bryce as he was trying to get away. The sheriff caught Bryce. Bryce said he had been embarrassed by his family when he returned without his wife. He wanted Nevada dead due to the embarrassment she had caused him. He was obsessed with killing her.
Anthony Carleon had decided to stay in Harmony with Martha. Cord and Nevada remained together after everything that had happened. Nevada remodeled Cord's house and they lived there. She gave her house to Galem his wife to live in.
June 23, 2020
4.5 Stars
Another winning installment in this series. A few of the old characters make appearances which leads me to believe that we may just be getting closer to the end.
Cord's story was good but I think what won my heart was Ronny and Marty's story. Another book that Ms Thomas had me smiling while the tears ran. I just hope Ronny will get her happily ever after!
Another winning installment in this series. A few of the old characters make appearances which leads me to believe that we may just be getting closer to the end.
Cord's story was good but I think what won my heart was Ronny and Marty's story. Another book that Ms Thomas had me smiling while the tears ran. I just hope Ronny will get her happily ever after!
September 13, 2014
THIS SUMMARY/REVIEW WAS COPIED FROM OTHER SOURCES AND IS USED ONLY AS A REMINDER OF WHAT THE BOOK WAS ABOUT FOR MY PERSONAL INTEREST. ANY PERSONAL NOTATIONS ARE FOR MY RECOLLECTION ONLY.
I loved this series, only sad now since the next book is not avail on audio yet. Thanks to Good Reads for recommending her books since I read Debbie Macombers and Susan Wiggs books. :-)
Cord McDowell returned to Harmony after six years in prison. The crime was actually just an accident, but with no one to testify for him, he had to serve out his sentence. Now he works as a mechanic at a local truck company. Its a skill that he learned while serving time in prison. He also works hard on the farm land that his parents left him. His parents both died while he was in prison and he has no friends to speak of. Ronny Logan who works at the local post office is one of the few who will acknowledge him. The town sheriff is the only officer of the law who hasn't threatened him. Working seems to be his only outlet and he expects to do that alone for the rest of his life.
Nevada Britain has been married three times and has taken over the family ranch and oil business left by her father. She used all her cash when she bought her brother out, so she needs help to bring in a profit for the ranch. She will concentrate on the oil business and the horses that she breeds.
She decides to offer Cord McDowell a section of land that was situated between their properties. Its rich good farm land that their families had argued over for generations. All Court has to do is marry her for eight months. Once the herd has been sold and a profit made they will each be free again. Cord decides to accept the proposal with one stipulation - Nevada has to sleep in his bed every night. Nevada and Court each have secrets that they are keeping from the other which help to make the plot more interesting.
I personally did not like Marty. I thought it was cruel for him to leave Lonny without a word and come back right when he is going to die, knowing that she loves him deeply and would be hurt by seeing him die in front of her. If her cared about her at all, he would have explained why he left her without a word knowing, because it would be absurd if he didn't know, that she was deeply and irrevocably in love with him. Cruel that he would come only when he had finished seeing the world, that he couldn't take her with him to see. Cruel that while he was on his death bed he would say things like, I can see myself living with you in this town, inviting our friends for dinner, going to watch movies every Friday. Well then why didn't you? You had 2? or 4 years to make a life with her but you couldn't leave fast enough. Then he says that he wants her to be buried next to him. At that point, I was like, just let her go! It was like he wanted to haunt her throughout her life. There was nothing romantic or sweet about it. I thought he was selfish to the point of cruelty and no other word describes it better to me.
I loved this series, only sad now since the next book is not avail on audio yet. Thanks to Good Reads for recommending her books since I read Debbie Macombers and Susan Wiggs books. :-)
Cord McDowell returned to Harmony after six years in prison. The crime was actually just an accident, but with no one to testify for him, he had to serve out his sentence. Now he works as a mechanic at a local truck company. Its a skill that he learned while serving time in prison. He also works hard on the farm land that his parents left him. His parents both died while he was in prison and he has no friends to speak of. Ronny Logan who works at the local post office is one of the few who will acknowledge him. The town sheriff is the only officer of the law who hasn't threatened him. Working seems to be his only outlet and he expects to do that alone for the rest of his life.
Nevada Britain has been married three times and has taken over the family ranch and oil business left by her father. She used all her cash when she bought her brother out, so she needs help to bring in a profit for the ranch. She will concentrate on the oil business and the horses that she breeds.
She decides to offer Cord McDowell a section of land that was situated between their properties. Its rich good farm land that their families had argued over for generations. All Court has to do is marry her for eight months. Once the herd has been sold and a profit made they will each be free again. Cord decides to accept the proposal with one stipulation - Nevada has to sleep in his bed every night. Nevada and Court each have secrets that they are keeping from the other which help to make the plot more interesting.
I personally did not like Marty. I thought it was cruel for him to leave Lonny without a word and come back right when he is going to die, knowing that she loves him deeply and would be hurt by seeing him die in front of her. If her cared about her at all, he would have explained why he left her without a word knowing, because it would be absurd if he didn't know, that she was deeply and irrevocably in love with him. Cruel that he would come only when he had finished seeing the world, that he couldn't take her with him to see. Cruel that while he was on his death bed he would say things like, I can see myself living with you in this town, inviting our friends for dinner, going to watch movies every Friday. Well then why didn't you? You had 2? or 4 years to make a life with her but you couldn't leave fast enough. Then he says that he wants her to be buried next to him. At that point, I was like, just let her go! It was like he wanted to haunt her throughout her life. There was nothing romantic or sweet about it. I thought he was selfish to the point of cruelty and no other word describes it better to me.
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