What do you think?
Rate this book
Rainbow Valley #1
Cowboy Take Me Away
FIRST LOVE BURNS HOTTER
Rainbow Valley, Texas, has always been a refuge for animals, and Shannon North, director of the local shelter, intends to keep it that way. But with donations drying up and more pets in need of a loving home than ever before, Shannon's beginning to fear she's not the savior the shelter needs. When a tall, dark, and handsome cowboy from her past comes to the rescue, she knows that accepting his help may come with a high price: her heart.
THE SECOND TIME AROUND
Bad boy Luke Dawson shook the dust from this little town off his boots years ago. He walked away from everything...except the memory of the one night of passion he shared with Shannon. Now, a few wins away from becoming the world bull-riding champion, Luke's headed for fame and fortune. But then a crisis calls him back to Rainbow Valley, and Luke is reunited with the good girl who stole--and broke--his heart. As their rekindled relationship deepens into desire, old secrets resurface, and Luke must choose between the future he's always dreamed of and the only woman he's ever loved.
Rainbow Valley, Texas, has always been a refuge for animals, and Shannon North, director of the local shelter, intends to keep it that way. But with donations drying up and more pets in need of a loving home than ever before, Shannon's beginning to fear she's not the savior the shelter needs. When a tall, dark, and handsome cowboy from her past comes to the rescue, she knows that accepting his help may come with a high price: her heart.
THE SECOND TIME AROUND
Bad boy Luke Dawson shook the dust from this little town off his boots years ago. He walked away from everything...except the memory of the one night of passion he shared with Shannon. Now, a few wins away from becoming the world bull-riding champion, Luke's headed for fame and fortune. But then a crisis calls him back to Rainbow Valley, and Luke is reunited with the good girl who stole--and broke--his heart. As their rekindled relationship deepens into desire, old secrets resurface, and Luke must choose between the future he's always dreamed of and the only woman he's ever loved.
428 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
15 people are currently reading
1010 people want to read
About the author
Jane Graves
37 books375 followersJane Graves is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty contemporary romance novels. She is a nine-time finalist for Romance Writers of America's Rita Award, the industry's highest honor, and is the recipient of two National Readers' Choice Awards, the Booksellers' Best Award, and the Golden Quill, among others.
Jane lives in the Dallas area with her husband and a beautiful but crafty cat who rules the household with one paw tied behind her back.
Jane lives in the Dallas area with her husband and a beautiful but crafty cat who rules the household with one paw tied behind her back.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
September 9, 2019
Am trying out a new lending library app and this was one of the first books I borrowed. This is also a new author for me. Sadly this one was just okay for me. The story follows Shannon, who is now in charge of the struggling animal shelter in Rainbow Valley and Luke, the local bad boy turned rodeo champ. Let me just say that I loved the animals in this story and I loved some of the quirky secondary characters.
What made this just okay for me was the FMC, Shannon. I could not warm up to her. Her thought process, her actions (both past and present) and her snarkiness was just off putting. I hated that Luke was always so thoughtful of her but she was too busy thinking about herself to spare a thought for him in return. Luke was a good guy, he had some baggage he had to work through but with his background, I totally felt for him and his actions were believable.
This is a second chance romance, these two were in love with each other as teens but in a small town, Luke's drunken father and his own rebelliousness worked against him. When he falls for Shannon, Luke thinks he's finally found someone decent to believe in him and who really cares about him. But when Shannon acts like everyone else in town - ashamed of him - and asks him to keep their relationship a secret, Luke decides to finally leave this town and his past behind him.
Fast forward 11 years later and Luke is back in town for his father's funeral. When an accident strands him in Rainbow Valley to heal, Luke and Shannon end up working together to save the animal shelter and get to know each other all over again.
SAFETY INFO:
What made this just okay for me was the FMC, Shannon. I could not warm up to her. Her thought process, her actions (both past and present) and her snarkiness was just off putting. I hated that Luke was always so thoughtful of her but she was too busy thinking about herself to spare a thought for him in return. Luke was a good guy, he had some baggage he had to work through but with his background, I totally felt for him and his actions were believable.
This is a second chance romance, these two were in love with each other as teens but in a small town, Luke's drunken father and his own rebelliousness worked against him. When he falls for Shannon, Luke thinks he's finally found someone decent to believe in him and who really cares about him. But when Shannon acts like everyone else in town - ashamed of him - and asks him to keep their relationship a secret, Luke decides to finally leave this town and his past behind him.
Fast forward 11 years later and Luke is back in town for his father's funeral. When an accident strands him in Rainbow Valley to heal, Luke and Shannon end up working together to save the animal shelter and get to know each other all over again.
SAFETY INFO:
August 8, 2014
Well, it turns out I have a soft-spot for small-town cowboy stories. Who knew? Even if that weren't the case, however, I suspect I'd still like this book. The lead characters, Luke and Shannon, have depth and draw sympathy almost from the start. And their development through the novel (both individually and together) was fantastic.
I'm less sanguine about the town of Rainbow Valley, though it didn't suck. It was . . . sparsely populated if that makes any sense. We didn't get to know more than a handful of people, even peripherally, and those we did know lacked depth as more than a sketch, really. Oh, there were some stand-outs like Cynthia the dental office manager and Eve, Shannon's sister. Oh, and Todd the kid and his grandma at the general store. But in the main, the townspeople were kind of lifeless and seemed to exist more for brief story moments than for anything self-supporting. And yeah, that seems like I described a lot of personality, but in a book this long and encompassing as much as it did, we really should have had more, I think.
Which is a shame given that Luke has a deep-seated antagonism with the town that failed him so spectacularly as a kid. It was hard to get a read on the town as a whole and thus understand Luke's relationship to it, how much was justified, and how much merely good people failing as good people sometimes do. Yes, his relationship with Shannon was more important, but I still felt like I needed a read on if (and how) he could make a place for himself there—which he'd need to do for them to be together given how important her animal shelter was to her on a deeply emotional level.
I found I couldn't help liking Shannon in spite of her motivations in many ways. As broken as Luke is, Shannon's almost as damaged, what with her deep-seated neediness and sense of useless obligation to people who really mean nothing to her (and, more importantly, who don't really care for her terribly, either). Her relationship with her mother is nine kinds of messed up and in some truly creepy ways. I kept waiting for Shannon to develop a backbone and send her various parasites scampering and it took way too long for this to happen. That usually drives me bonkers, but I found myself rooting for Shannon through it all and I'm not sure what made the difference. Maybe it was her innate morality and care for those she loves. Or her willingness to love Luke unquestioningly despite his outcast status. Or her emotional fearlessness when the chips are truly down.
Anyway, two deeply broken people find strength in each other. That's a story that grabs me every time and Graves pulls it off well, here. Add the second-chances theme and you have a story guaranteed to catch my interest. And qualms aside, the hard fact of it is that I had a hard time putting it down and that's always a good sign.
A note about Steamy: Mid-range for my steam level. Two explicit scenes, both with some length. Not much fooling around (though a bit), but what was there was pretty hot.
I'm less sanguine about the town of Rainbow Valley, though it didn't suck. It was . . . sparsely populated if that makes any sense. We didn't get to know more than a handful of people, even peripherally, and those we did know lacked depth as more than a sketch, really. Oh, there were some stand-outs like Cynthia the dental office manager and Eve, Shannon's sister. Oh, and Todd the kid and his grandma at the general store. But in the main, the townspeople were kind of lifeless and seemed to exist more for brief story moments than for anything self-supporting. And yeah, that seems like I described a lot of personality, but in a book this long and encompassing as much as it did, we really should have had more, I think.
Which is a shame given that Luke has a deep-seated antagonism with the town that failed him so spectacularly as a kid. It was hard to get a read on the town as a whole and thus understand Luke's relationship to it, how much was justified, and how much merely good people failing as good people sometimes do. Yes, his relationship with Shannon was more important, but I still felt like I needed a read on if (and how) he could make a place for himself there—which he'd need to do for them to be together given how important her animal shelter was to her on a deeply emotional level.
I found I couldn't help liking Shannon in spite of her motivations in many ways. As broken as Luke is, Shannon's almost as damaged, what with her deep-seated neediness and sense of useless obligation to people who really mean nothing to her (and, more importantly, who don't really care for her terribly, either). Her relationship with her mother is nine kinds of messed up and in some truly creepy ways. I kept waiting for Shannon to develop a backbone and send her various parasites scampering and it took way too long for this to happen. That usually drives me bonkers, but I found myself rooting for Shannon through it all and I'm not sure what made the difference. Maybe it was her innate morality and care for those she loves. Or her willingness to love Luke unquestioningly despite his outcast status. Or her emotional fearlessness when the chips are truly down.
Anyway, two deeply broken people find strength in each other. That's a story that grabs me every time and Graves pulls it off well, here. Add the second-chances theme and you have a story guaranteed to catch my interest. And qualms aside, the hard fact of it is that I had a hard time putting it down and that's always a good sign.
A note about Steamy: Mid-range for my steam level. Two explicit scenes, both with some length. Not much fooling around (though a bit), but what was there was pretty hot.
December 21, 2016
Small Town Romance in Texas ~This was so wonderful! I loved it so much! It's the first book in a series called Rainbow Valley. I can't fault it at all, it's all kinds of awesome! I'll definitely be looking out for any and all cowboy romance books from now on.
I tried to make it last as long as I could while at the same time wrestling with the urge to race to the last page to see how it ended. I just ate up every word.
It's got a tormented and troubled Rodeo hero (cowboy Luke *swoon*) who shares history with the reluctant heroine (Shannon) who runs the animal shelter, there's a deluded dentist who also hopes to snag the heroine, an overbearing mother and a kitchy sister who sells found treasures on ebay, a few quirky gal pals....some rescued animals in desperate need of new, loving, forever homes. Did I mention the cowboy? It's just so good! I barely know where to begin to explain how much I loved it. I can't put it into words... It's romantic and funny, sad and touching, exciting and inspiring. It's got it all.
The little side stories are so cute too and I really hope there's another story in the pipeline for Russell the dentist because I'd love to know how he gets on. To begin with I just wanted him to get lost and grow a pair but by the end I was rooting for him and I hope he gets a story of his own.
It's just a really, really good story which has been written really, really well. I'll maybe let my thoughts settle and see if I can come up with a more coherent review, at the moment I'm just too gushy and fangirly over it to string a decent sentence together.
My only small gripe is with the ending, it seemed rushed. I wanted to know every little detail but the last chapter was just, 'this happened' and then 'this happened', The End. What little there was was good, but I felt I was being hurried to the exit door with a firm hand on my elbow.
I'm desperate to read the follow on book(s) now!
SUCH a great read!
I tried to make it last as long as I could while at the same time wrestling with the urge to race to the last page to see how it ended. I just ate up every word.
It's got a tormented and troubled Rodeo hero (cowboy Luke *swoon*) who shares history with the reluctant heroine (Shannon) who runs the animal shelter, there's a deluded dentist who also hopes to snag the heroine, an overbearing mother and a kitchy sister who sells found treasures on ebay, a few quirky gal pals....some rescued animals in desperate need of new, loving, forever homes. Did I mention the cowboy? It's just so good! I barely know where to begin to explain how much I loved it. I can't put it into words... It's romantic and funny, sad and touching, exciting and inspiring. It's got it all.
The little side stories are so cute too and I really hope there's another story in the pipeline for Russell the dentist because I'd love to know how he gets on. To begin with I just wanted him to get lost and grow a pair but by the end I was rooting for him and I hope he gets a story of his own.
It's just a really, really good story which has been written really, really well. I'll maybe let my thoughts settle and see if I can come up with a more coherent review, at the moment I'm just too gushy and fangirly over it to string a decent sentence together.
My only small gripe is with the ending, it seemed rushed. I wanted to know every little detail but the last chapter was just, 'this happened' and then 'this happened', The End. What little there was was good, but I felt I was being hurried to the exit door with a firm hand on my elbow.
I'm desperate to read the follow on book(s) now!
SUCH a great read!
April 30, 2013
Notes: I read an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book.
My Synopsis:
Some say it takes a village to raise a child, but in truth, it takes only one. With luck, that person is the right one, but sometimes they're not. A 'village' can, however, help to raise a child, but in truth, only one person can ensure whether that child will be a good person or a bad one and that person is the child itself. Events and people may mold and shape us, but we have the ultimate say in how we turn out. Such was the case for Luke Dawson. Once known as a bad seed in Rainbow Valley, the 'village' he lived in had failed him. Condemning him not only for his sins, but those of his father. The odds had been stacked against him from almost the moment he was born. Years ago he finally realized it and came to conclusion the only way he'd be able rise above the bad reputation he'd garnered over the years was to move to some place where no one knew him or held any preconceived notions about him. It had been eleven years since he left Rainbow Valley, and he'd never looked back. Now he's returned for his father's funeral and lay once and for all some ghosts from his past to rest.
Eleven years ago Luke and Shannon had gotten to know each other. To Luke, their friendship had meant the world. He'd allowed her to see the real Luke. Something he had never let anyone else glimpse before, and she seemed to like what she'd seen. But in one night everything had changed, and the one and only person he'd ever allowed himself to open up to and become close to had betrayed him in a way that she could never have, at the time, understood. That very night he'd pack up all that he owned in the world and left town in search of a better life. When he'd come back to lay his father to rest, he had never expected to find her still here. He'd never expected the feelings he'd had for her to resurface. He never expected they'd get a second chance to get things right.
When it comes to love, sometimes timing is everything.
My thoughts:
This is the first book of a new series by Jane Graves called Rainbow Valley. Rainbow Valley is a town with a reputation for being the most pet friendly in the nation. Almost every business in the small town sports a token pet. Every year there is a festival which brings in tons of tourists. Shannon is hoping it will help bring in much needed donations to support the pet shelter. According to the Rainbow Valley legend, if you go to the valley when you die, every animal you've ever loved will be there waiting for you and when they look up and recognize you a rainbow appears. This is definitely a series for pet lovers.
Luke Dawson was once as wild, rebellious, and troubled teen. His reputation had him tagged as trouble with a capital 'T', and if there was trouble to be had, he'd most likely be in the center of it. Over the years, he's tried to come to terms with his past and put it behind him. In the years since he left, he's cleaned up his act and has established himself as one of the best bull riders in the country and is favored to win the World Championship. After his father's funeral, he decided to take one last look at his boyhood home. His father being drunk more often than sober had left the place in disrepair, and as Luke attempted to enter the building he'd fallen through the floorboards injuring his knee. With the hospital bills eating up what little savings he had, he'd been forced to stay in Rainbow Valley to recuperate, and the only suitable job open to him was working at the local animal shelter which Shannon North runs.
Shannon remembers Luke just as much as he remembers her. She's reluctant to take him on at the shelter, but as she's desperate for help, she finally caves. Luke's homecoming brings back old memories and slowly, as the two work together, Shannon sees glimpses of the boy she once knew, and the man he's become. There's more to Luke than meets the eye. Once again she's torn between what she's beginning to feel for Luke and what her family expects of her. With Luke declaring he'll be leaving town just as soon as his leg heals, she's doubly conflicted about whether a relationship is worth starting. With Luke making it clear he wants her, she finds the sexy cowboy with the hidden soft side hard to resist.
Overall, I gave this one 4 1/2 out of 5 roses. I absolutely adored Luke and how we slowly find out what happened between him and Shannon's in the past. I loved the way the two bantered via song titles. It was very cute. I enjoyed how each had issues from their past which needed to be resolved before their relationship could move forward. I liked finding out about Luke's tragic past which explained so much. I have to admit I'm a sucker for a tortured hero and Luke's past endeared him to me. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one gets a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.
To read more of my reviews, please visit my blog at www.seducedbyabook.com I'd greatly appreciate it. :)
My Synopsis:
Some say it takes a village to raise a child, but in truth, it takes only one. With luck, that person is the right one, but sometimes they're not. A 'village' can, however, help to raise a child, but in truth, only one person can ensure whether that child will be a good person or a bad one and that person is the child itself. Events and people may mold and shape us, but we have the ultimate say in how we turn out. Such was the case for Luke Dawson. Once known as a bad seed in Rainbow Valley, the 'village' he lived in had failed him. Condemning him not only for his sins, but those of his father. The odds had been stacked against him from almost the moment he was born. Years ago he finally realized it and came to conclusion the only way he'd be able rise above the bad reputation he'd garnered over the years was to move to some place where no one knew him or held any preconceived notions about him. It had been eleven years since he left Rainbow Valley, and he'd never looked back. Now he's returned for his father's funeral and lay once and for all some ghosts from his past to rest.
Eleven years ago Luke and Shannon had gotten to know each other. To Luke, their friendship had meant the world. He'd allowed her to see the real Luke. Something he had never let anyone else glimpse before, and she seemed to like what she'd seen. But in one night everything had changed, and the one and only person he'd ever allowed himself to open up to and become close to had betrayed him in a way that she could never have, at the time, understood. That very night he'd pack up all that he owned in the world and left town in search of a better life. When he'd come back to lay his father to rest, he had never expected to find her still here. He'd never expected the feelings he'd had for her to resurface. He never expected they'd get a second chance to get things right.
When it comes to love, sometimes timing is everything.
My thoughts:
This is the first book of a new series by Jane Graves called Rainbow Valley. Rainbow Valley is a town with a reputation for being the most pet friendly in the nation. Almost every business in the small town sports a token pet. Every year there is a festival which brings in tons of tourists. Shannon is hoping it will help bring in much needed donations to support the pet shelter. According to the Rainbow Valley legend, if you go to the valley when you die, every animal you've ever loved will be there waiting for you and when they look up and recognize you a rainbow appears. This is definitely a series for pet lovers.
Luke Dawson was once as wild, rebellious, and troubled teen. His reputation had him tagged as trouble with a capital 'T', and if there was trouble to be had, he'd most likely be in the center of it. Over the years, he's tried to come to terms with his past and put it behind him. In the years since he left, he's cleaned up his act and has established himself as one of the best bull riders in the country and is favored to win the World Championship. After his father's funeral, he decided to take one last look at his boyhood home. His father being drunk more often than sober had left the place in disrepair, and as Luke attempted to enter the building he'd fallen through the floorboards injuring his knee. With the hospital bills eating up what little savings he had, he'd been forced to stay in Rainbow Valley to recuperate, and the only suitable job open to him was working at the local animal shelter which Shannon North runs.
Shannon remembers Luke just as much as he remembers her. She's reluctant to take him on at the shelter, but as she's desperate for help, she finally caves. Luke's homecoming brings back old memories and slowly, as the two work together, Shannon sees glimpses of the boy she once knew, and the man he's become. There's more to Luke than meets the eye. Once again she's torn between what she's beginning to feel for Luke and what her family expects of her. With Luke declaring he'll be leaving town just as soon as his leg heals, she's doubly conflicted about whether a relationship is worth starting. With Luke making it clear he wants her, she finds the sexy cowboy with the hidden soft side hard to resist.
Overall, I gave this one 4 1/2 out of 5 roses. I absolutely adored Luke and how we slowly find out what happened between him and Shannon's in the past. I loved the way the two bantered via song titles. It was very cute. I enjoyed how each had issues from their past which needed to be resolved before their relationship could move forward. I liked finding out about Luke's tragic past which explained so much. I have to admit I'm a sucker for a tortured hero and Luke's past endeared him to me. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one gets a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.
To read more of my reviews, please visit my blog at www.seducedbyabook.com I'd greatly appreciate it. :)
February 7, 2020
4.5/5
A second-chance romance set in a very small town in Texas. Shannon runs an animal rescue center and Luke is a well-known bull-riding champion. Shannon and Luke had a bit of a relationship 11 years ago, but Luke left town when it did not work out. (Gah, heartbreaking.) Now back in town to deal with his father's recent death, he gets injured in a freak accident and ends up needing to stay off of the rodeo circuit for several months so he can fully heal. Since Shannon is looking for someone to stay on-site at the animal shelter to care for the animals and do some housekeeping/maintenance duties, and since Luke needs a place to stay, he takes the job. But it will only be temporary, because he is due to compete in a major rodeo championship later in the year.
I LOVED THIS. I read it all in one go, in fact. I super-loved Luke, everything about him, but truthfully I could have loved Shannon more. She came off as a little bit snarky and standoffish here and there, but the way that Luke was so smitten with her more than made up for it. It takes a little while but when they finally get together: swoon city, oh my gosh. I love cowboys.
Super fun that there are such great animals in this book!! The entire town is very pet-friendly, and Luke becomes pretty attached to a few of the animals at the shelter during his time working there. I wasn't expecting that and I loved every bit of it. I mean, the idea of a strong, bull-riding cowboy showing endless compassion and understanding to the rescue animals really did it for me here.
100% totally reading this again and I already can't wait.
A second-chance romance set in a very small town in Texas. Shannon runs an animal rescue center and Luke is a well-known bull-riding champion. Shannon and Luke had a bit of a relationship 11 years ago, but Luke left town when it did not work out. (Gah, heartbreaking.) Now back in town to deal with his father's recent death, he gets injured in a freak accident and ends up needing to stay off of the rodeo circuit for several months so he can fully heal. Since Shannon is looking for someone to stay on-site at the animal shelter to care for the animals and do some housekeeping/maintenance duties, and since Luke needs a place to stay, he takes the job. But it will only be temporary, because he is due to compete in a major rodeo championship later in the year.
I LOVED THIS. I read it all in one go, in fact. I super-loved Luke, everything about him, but truthfully I could have loved Shannon more. She came off as a little bit snarky and standoffish here and there, but the way that Luke was so smitten with her more than made up for it. It takes a little while but when they finally get together: swoon city, oh my gosh. I love cowboys.
Super fun that there are such great animals in this book!! The entire town is very pet-friendly, and Luke becomes pretty attached to a few of the animals at the shelter during his time working there. I wasn't expecting that and I loved every bit of it. I mean, the idea of a strong, bull-riding cowboy showing endless compassion and understanding to the rescue animals really did it for me here.
100% totally reading this again and I already can't wait.
May 7, 2013
Amanda‘s review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
4 Stars
One of my favorite things to read about is charming, small towns and its people. Jane Graves has a new series, the Rainbow, about a small town in Texas, with a unique and diverse population. The series is based on a mythical Rainbow Bridge. The story behind the Rainbow Bridge is that there is a spirit world tied to earth, where pets stay after they have died and wait for their owners to meet them before they both head off to heaven. Rainbow Valley is considered that place and the town there is very pet friendly. The first book in the series is called Cowboy Take Me Away. She had me at the title alone because I loved the song and I love cowboy stories. It opens with the lady who runs the animal shelter and the one guy she’s never forgotten.
Luke Dawson was the son of the town drunk and lived up to his bad boy reputation in vandalizing town property and being a general nuisance. As soon as he could, he left town and never looked back. For the past 11 years he has been on the rodeo circuit bull riding, chasing the World Championship and feels this year is the year. Unfortunately, when he returns home for his father’s funeral he ends up with a knee injury at the worst possible time. He hopes that with 3 months of recuperation and physical therapy he’ll be able to make it to the rodeo in Denver to win the championship. What he needs is a place to stay until then and it looks like he can where it all began at the animal shelter in Rainbow Valley.
Shannon North has returned to Rainbow Valley to take over as administrator to the shelter. When Luke asks for the caretaker job she is a little shocked he would want it. 11 years ago Shannon and Luke spent one night together and she wanted to keep it a secret from her family. She knew it must have hurt Luke and that he thought she was ashamed of him, but can they move past that hurt and work together?
I thought this was a well written, character driven story of second chances for both Luke and Shannon. Luke had to prove to the townspeople that he wasn’t the same person he was before he left town and that people can change for the better. Little things he did at the shelter and with Myrna and her grandson showed them all that he is a new man. But he just needed to believe it himself.
Shannon may be an adult and on her own but it doesn’t give her an escape from her mother’s expectations of dating the right guy and marrying him. Shannon devotes a lot of her waking time to the animals and has high standards for adoption. It took Luke to show her to relax a little and let go. Shannon sees little changes in Luke and sees a mature man. She knows that dating Russell the dentist would please her mother, but can she please herself?
I loved reading about these characters and how they both put their past behind them and I’m glad they are looking at things differently with older and wiser eyes. I enjoyed the interactions with the townspeople and hearing their stories and hope to see more of them in future books. Things aren’t always what they seem until you hear their story from their own point of view and would love to see something good happen for them. Jane Graves developed her characters and I really understood them and where they came from. She made me care about the old and new Luke. I also love my HEAs and this one is no exception. I look forward to reading more stories from Rainbow Valley and the people who live there.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
4 Stars
One of my favorite things to read about is charming, small towns and its people. Jane Graves has a new series, the Rainbow, about a small town in Texas, with a unique and diverse population. The series is based on a mythical Rainbow Bridge. The story behind the Rainbow Bridge is that there is a spirit world tied to earth, where pets stay after they have died and wait for their owners to meet them before they both head off to heaven. Rainbow Valley is considered that place and the town there is very pet friendly. The first book in the series is called Cowboy Take Me Away. She had me at the title alone because I loved the song and I love cowboy stories. It opens with the lady who runs the animal shelter and the one guy she’s never forgotten.
Luke Dawson was the son of the town drunk and lived up to his bad boy reputation in vandalizing town property and being a general nuisance. As soon as he could, he left town and never looked back. For the past 11 years he has been on the rodeo circuit bull riding, chasing the World Championship and feels this year is the year. Unfortunately, when he returns home for his father’s funeral he ends up with a knee injury at the worst possible time. He hopes that with 3 months of recuperation and physical therapy he’ll be able to make it to the rodeo in Denver to win the championship. What he needs is a place to stay until then and it looks like he can where it all began at the animal shelter in Rainbow Valley.
Shannon North has returned to Rainbow Valley to take over as administrator to the shelter. When Luke asks for the caretaker job she is a little shocked he would want it. 11 years ago Shannon and Luke spent one night together and she wanted to keep it a secret from her family. She knew it must have hurt Luke and that he thought she was ashamed of him, but can they move past that hurt and work together?
I thought this was a well written, character driven story of second chances for both Luke and Shannon. Luke had to prove to the townspeople that he wasn’t the same person he was before he left town and that people can change for the better. Little things he did at the shelter and with Myrna and her grandson showed them all that he is a new man. But he just needed to believe it himself.
Shannon may be an adult and on her own but it doesn’t give her an escape from her mother’s expectations of dating the right guy and marrying him. Shannon devotes a lot of her waking time to the animals and has high standards for adoption. It took Luke to show her to relax a little and let go. Shannon sees little changes in Luke and sees a mature man. She knows that dating Russell the dentist would please her mother, but can she please herself?
I loved reading about these characters and how they both put their past behind them and I’m glad they are looking at things differently with older and wiser eyes. I enjoyed the interactions with the townspeople and hearing their stories and hope to see more of them in future books. Things aren’t always what they seem until you hear their story from their own point of view and would love to see something good happen for them. Jane Graves developed her characters and I really understood them and where they came from. She made me care about the old and new Luke. I also love my HEAs and this one is no exception. I look forward to reading more stories from Rainbow Valley and the people who live there.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
April 22, 2013
Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: C
Luke grew up with an absent mom and a drunk dad who abused him and lived in a town that turned their backs on him, labeling him as that “drunk Dawson guy’s” kid. He did himself no favors by acting out and causing trouble. He left town after spending one night with his teenage love Shannon, only to learn that she thought their night meant nothing, hearing her explain it to her mother. Luke says hurtful things back because the night meant so much more to him and he takes off and through the years that followed, makes a name for himself in the rodeo world. After his dad dies, he comes back years later to find Shannon running an animal rescue and Luke is still being looked down upon by the town.
Shannon has a soft heart and can’t stand the thought of any animal not being treated right. She’s not exactly encouraging adoptions unless they’re PERFECT and as a result the shelter is packed, donations are running out and she’s short staffed. Luke needs a part time job after injuring his knee and he’s sidelined from competing for a few months. His doctor bills and rehab have left him broke and he needs a cheap place to stay. He signs up to help Shannon at the shelter and in turn stays in the shelter’s caretaker room.
The romance felt very slow to build up. This isn’t normally a bad thing, but I’d have liked it to have been a little more present for Luke and Shannon earlier on. Shannon is sort of dating the town dentist, Russell, who has his own set of self-worth issues. I didn’t really care for Russell, I think partly because just not enough time was spent in depth on him. But as far as Luke and Shannon, while I needed more romance between them, the emotional moments, especially when Luke opens up about exactly what he suffered through as a kid, did bring a tear to my eye and were very captivating.
A few random things bugged me - it was very easy for me to feel frustrated with Shannon and how even as an adult she still let her mother get to her. Also, the ending felt a little rushed. There’s a large fire that causes the town to evacuate and impacts Shannon and her shelter. This issue gets resolved, Shannon and Luke have their moment together and then it cuts to a short time jump that relates mainly to Luke and his career. I think I needed something to bridge those two things a little better, maybe the town in the aftermath of what happened; something just felt missing.
Overall this was an ok read – I always enjoy a small town romance and while the sexiness with the romance between Luke and Shannon was a bit lacking, the emotion was there and I enjoyed seeing Luke open up completely to Shannon and feel love for the first time in his life.
Blog rating: C
Luke grew up with an absent mom and a drunk dad who abused him and lived in a town that turned their backs on him, labeling him as that “drunk Dawson guy’s” kid. He did himself no favors by acting out and causing trouble. He left town after spending one night with his teenage love Shannon, only to learn that she thought their night meant nothing, hearing her explain it to her mother. Luke says hurtful things back because the night meant so much more to him and he takes off and through the years that followed, makes a name for himself in the rodeo world. After his dad dies, he comes back years later to find Shannon running an animal rescue and Luke is still being looked down upon by the town.
Shannon has a soft heart and can’t stand the thought of any animal not being treated right. She’s not exactly encouraging adoptions unless they’re PERFECT and as a result the shelter is packed, donations are running out and she’s short staffed. Luke needs a part time job after injuring his knee and he’s sidelined from competing for a few months. His doctor bills and rehab have left him broke and he needs a cheap place to stay. He signs up to help Shannon at the shelter and in turn stays in the shelter’s caretaker room.
The romance felt very slow to build up. This isn’t normally a bad thing, but I’d have liked it to have been a little more present for Luke and Shannon earlier on. Shannon is sort of dating the town dentist, Russell, who has his own set of self-worth issues. I didn’t really care for Russell, I think partly because just not enough time was spent in depth on him. But as far as Luke and Shannon, while I needed more romance between them, the emotional moments, especially when Luke opens up about exactly what he suffered through as a kid, did bring a tear to my eye and were very captivating.
A few random things bugged me - it was very easy for me to feel frustrated with Shannon and how even as an adult she still let her mother get to her. Also, the ending felt a little rushed. There’s a large fire that causes the town to evacuate and impacts Shannon and her shelter. This issue gets resolved, Shannon and Luke have their moment together and then it cuts to a short time jump that relates mainly to Luke and his career. I think I needed something to bridge those two things a little better, maybe the town in the aftermath of what happened; something just felt missing.
Overall this was an ok read – I always enjoy a small town romance and while the sexiness with the romance between Luke and Shannon was a bit lacking, the emotion was there and I enjoyed seeing Luke open up completely to Shannon and feel love for the first time in his life.
May 21, 2013
Cowboy Take Me Away by Jane Graves
In Cowboy Take Me Away, Luke Dawson and Shannon North first met back in high school when they started working at the local animal shelter, and an unlikely friendship formed. She was raised in a privileged family that expects the very best from her. Luke came from a house of horrors, son of the local town drunk. Then one night friendship turns into passion, and then hurt. Feeling betrayed Luke packs what little he owns and leaves Rainbow Valley and vows never to look back.
Luke has made a name for himself in the Rodeo circuit and is poised to win the championship. Behind him is the troubled life he had, both as a child and young teenager. Eleven years later Luke has returned to Rainbow Valley to bury his father. He plans to leave as soon as possible, but an accident soon sidelines him. Needing income to make it through his recovery he goes to Shannon for a job.
Shannon North has come from a privileged family but she is as down to earth as they come. She gave up her job as a CPA in Houston and moved back to Rainbow Valley to become director of the animal shelter. And she still struggles with letting her mother influence her decisions. But one thing she has never gotten over is Luke.
I loved this story about second chances in one’s life and correcting wrongs made.
I found a couple of times while reading this book it just dragged a little, but other times it flowed so well, I could not turn the pages fast enough. How could you not fall in love with Luke’s character? Abused, judged, verbally attacked and he still found it in his heart to be kind and gentle with animals and children. When he finally tells Shannon the horrors he lived with I could not hold back the tears. I loved how these two overcame so much and found each other again. The story also had strong supporting characters.
Being a pet lover how could you not fall in love with the animals at the shelter. And Luke’s take on how to help them find homes. This was my first book by Jane Graves and I look forward to reading more from this author.
I received an ARC "Advanced Readers Copy” of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
5/5 stars
In Cowboy Take Me Away, Luke Dawson and Shannon North first met back in high school when they started working at the local animal shelter, and an unlikely friendship formed. She was raised in a privileged family that expects the very best from her. Luke came from a house of horrors, son of the local town drunk. Then one night friendship turns into passion, and then hurt. Feeling betrayed Luke packs what little he owns and leaves Rainbow Valley and vows never to look back.
Luke has made a name for himself in the Rodeo circuit and is poised to win the championship. Behind him is the troubled life he had, both as a child and young teenager. Eleven years later Luke has returned to Rainbow Valley to bury his father. He plans to leave as soon as possible, but an accident soon sidelines him. Needing income to make it through his recovery he goes to Shannon for a job.
Shannon North has come from a privileged family but she is as down to earth as they come. She gave up her job as a CPA in Houston and moved back to Rainbow Valley to become director of the animal shelter. And she still struggles with letting her mother influence her decisions. But one thing she has never gotten over is Luke.
I loved this story about second chances in one’s life and correcting wrongs made.
I found a couple of times while reading this book it just dragged a little, but other times it flowed so well, I could not turn the pages fast enough. How could you not fall in love with Luke’s character? Abused, judged, verbally attacked and he still found it in his heart to be kind and gentle with animals and children. When he finally tells Shannon the horrors he lived with I could not hold back the tears. I loved how these two overcame so much and found each other again. The story also had strong supporting characters.
Being a pet lover how could you not fall in love with the animals at the shelter. And Luke’s take on how to help them find homes. This was my first book by Jane Graves and I look forward to reading more from this author.
I received an ARC "Advanced Readers Copy” of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
5/5 stars
July 22, 2016
2 ½-3 stars – Contemporary Romance
April 5, 2014
Une small town romance un peu trop old school pour moi.
October 4, 2023
The title says it all.
August 18, 2014
Plot Story (for my own sake, thus under spoiler tag)
------------
I bought this story a year ago when it came out. I’ve read several books from Jane Graves before and really enjoyed them, so I wanted to check out this new book. However, I must admit that when I saw the length, I became discouraged. I became too familiar with less lengthy novels when it came to romance. So I decided to postpone until now.
This is a story about second chances, one of my favorite romance themes. Due to the length (it is over 400 pages), I thought the beginning was rather slow, probably because Ms. Graves spent quite awhile re-building the relationship between Luke and Shannon. These two former friends who spent one night of passion when they were teenagers were separated for eleven years with feelings of hurt. Luke thought that Shannon rejected him – since he was the son of the town’s drunk – while Shannon couldn’t understand why Luke suddenly left town without any warning.
However, after I got the hang of it, the story really picked up nicely. I fell in love with Luke easily, as he showed the people at Rainbow Valley that even though his father was the bad seed, it didn’t mean that he followed in his father’s footsteps. There were so many moments with Luke showing the kind and sensitive part of him that just touched my heart deeply. Like when he was taming the mini-horse, finding the right animals for prospective pet owners, painting over graffiti on a town’s store, even taking a six-year-old boy to a rodeo. Luke was so gentle with animals and kids – he was just a wonderful hero.
Shannon, in the meantime, got me frustrated several times over. Carrying the baggage of being the perfect daughter, Shannon didn’t stand up fast enough against her mother’s wishes. In this book, there was another suitor for Shannon, a dentist named Russell Morgenstern, whom Shannon’s mother thought was a perfect son-in-law candidate – and I thought Shannon took too much time giving false hope to Russell. Even if I thought Russell was also having this baggage of being the perfect son for his successful parents. I just wished that Shannon was able to say “no” to her mother much earlier.
The story also had few secondary characters that stood out, for example, Shannon’s sister and Russell’s secretary. They rounded up this small-town-romance about two people who finally took the chance, against all odds, to be together. The ending felt a bit rushed. However, it didn’t really bother me, because I hope that I could get an update of Luke and Shannon in the next book. While the story didn’t really have a big twist or drama, and the pace just moved along steadily (some readers might find it too mundane), this story satisfied my need for lovely contemporary romance.
A Guest Review for The Blogger Girls
------------
I bought this story a year ago when it came out. I’ve read several books from Jane Graves before and really enjoyed them, so I wanted to check out this new book. However, I must admit that when I saw the length, I became discouraged. I became too familiar with less lengthy novels when it came to romance. So I decided to postpone until now.
This is a story about second chances, one of my favorite romance themes. Due to the length (it is over 400 pages), I thought the beginning was rather slow, probably because Ms. Graves spent quite awhile re-building the relationship between Luke and Shannon. These two former friends who spent one night of passion when they were teenagers were separated for eleven years with feelings of hurt. Luke thought that Shannon rejected him – since he was the son of the town’s drunk – while Shannon couldn’t understand why Luke suddenly left town without any warning.
However, after I got the hang of it, the story really picked up nicely. I fell in love with Luke easily, as he showed the people at Rainbow Valley that even though his father was the bad seed, it didn’t mean that he followed in his father’s footsteps. There were so many moments with Luke showing the kind and sensitive part of him that just touched my heart deeply. Like when he was taming the mini-horse, finding the right animals for prospective pet owners, painting over graffiti on a town’s store, even taking a six-year-old boy to a rodeo. Luke was so gentle with animals and kids – he was just a wonderful hero.
Shannon, in the meantime, got me frustrated several times over. Carrying the baggage of being the perfect daughter, Shannon didn’t stand up fast enough against her mother’s wishes. In this book, there was another suitor for Shannon, a dentist named Russell Morgenstern, whom Shannon’s mother thought was a perfect son-in-law candidate – and I thought Shannon took too much time giving false hope to Russell. Even if I thought Russell was also having this baggage of being the perfect son for his successful parents. I just wished that Shannon was able to say “no” to her mother much earlier.
The story also had few secondary characters that stood out, for example, Shannon’s sister and Russell’s secretary. They rounded up this small-town-romance about two people who finally took the chance, against all odds, to be together. The ending felt a bit rushed. However, it didn’t really bother me, because I hope that I could get an update of Luke and Shannon in the next book. While the story didn’t really have a big twist or drama, and the pace just moved along steadily (some readers might find it too mundane), this story satisfied my need for lovely contemporary romance.
A Guest Review for The Blogger Girls
February 4, 2015
3 stars for the humans, 5 stars for the animals.
My review cross-posted from Wit and Sin: http://witandsin.blogspot.com/2015/02...
Cowboy Take Me Away is one of those books that’ll twist your emotions up like you wouldn’t believe. Both people and animals are desperately in need love in Jane Graves’s first Rainbow Valley novel. I’m pretty sure I cried more than once while reading this book, but Ms. Graves makes all the heartbreak worth it in the end.
Luke Dawson is a bull-riding champ with a two-ton chip on his shoulder. His horrible childhood left its mark on him and returning home to Rainbow Valley isn’t exactly beneficial to helping him move on. Most of the townspeople look on him with suspicion because of his behavior as a teenager, but I loved Luke. He’s got a big heart and is so wonderfully caring that I wanted to see him find peace and happiness. Shannon’s one of the very few people Luke ever let in his heart and she broke it back when they were teenagers. A busted knee that leaves Luke stuck in Rainbow Valley brings them back together, but it’s definitely not easy for these two hard-headed people to get together. Shannon is running herself into the ground trying to save all the animals that come to her shelter while also trying to live up to her mother’s expectations. The burdens she carries threaten to drown her and at times make her a bit abrasive. I admit, it was hard for me to like Shannon because her attitude could be so off-putting. That being said, she grew on me over the course of the book and once she allowed herself to relax she and Luke were great together. Their romance was slow to build but I liked watching them develop as individuals as they fell in love.
The scene-stealers in Cowboy Take Me Away are undoubtedly the animals. Ms. Graves’s love of animals shines through in this story and, as I previously mentioned, I cried more than once while reading this story. The animals Shannon and Luke rescue have been through so much that it was imperative they too get their happy ending. My absolute favorite thing about Cowboy Take Me Away was the way the town of Rainbow Valley embraced animals and celebrated their love of them.
While animals are easily given second chances by the residents of Rainbow Valley, people aren’t given the same courtesy. This is where I had a bit of trouble with Cowboy Take Me Away . When reading a small town romance, I enjoy falling in love with the town and the supporting cast of characters. The folks of Rainbow Valley often came across as small-minded and judgmental – not exactly endearing. I grew annoyed with a number of supporting characters over the course of the story and at times couldn’t imagine how Ms. Graves could give Luke a satisfying happily ever after in this town. That being said, there were some stand out (in a good way) characters who give me hope that Rainbow Valley can grow on me in future books.
Cowboy Take Me Away will tug on your heartstrings, but Luke and Shannon’s journey is one worth reading. I’ve got my fingers crossed in the hopes that Ms. Graves will write more books for Luke and Shannon’s friends.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
My review cross-posted from Wit and Sin: http://witandsin.blogspot.com/2015/02...
Cowboy Take Me Away is one of those books that’ll twist your emotions up like you wouldn’t believe. Both people and animals are desperately in need love in Jane Graves’s first Rainbow Valley novel. I’m pretty sure I cried more than once while reading this book, but Ms. Graves makes all the heartbreak worth it in the end.
Luke Dawson is a bull-riding champ with a two-ton chip on his shoulder. His horrible childhood left its mark on him and returning home to Rainbow Valley isn’t exactly beneficial to helping him move on. Most of the townspeople look on him with suspicion because of his behavior as a teenager, but I loved Luke. He’s got a big heart and is so wonderfully caring that I wanted to see him find peace and happiness. Shannon’s one of the very few people Luke ever let in his heart and she broke it back when they were teenagers. A busted knee that leaves Luke stuck in Rainbow Valley brings them back together, but it’s definitely not easy for these two hard-headed people to get together. Shannon is running herself into the ground trying to save all the animals that come to her shelter while also trying to live up to her mother’s expectations. The burdens she carries threaten to drown her and at times make her a bit abrasive. I admit, it was hard for me to like Shannon because her attitude could be so off-putting. That being said, she grew on me over the course of the book and once she allowed herself to relax she and Luke were great together. Their romance was slow to build but I liked watching them develop as individuals as they fell in love.
The scene-stealers in Cowboy Take Me Away are undoubtedly the animals. Ms. Graves’s love of animals shines through in this story and, as I previously mentioned, I cried more than once while reading this story. The animals Shannon and Luke rescue have been through so much that it was imperative they too get their happy ending. My absolute favorite thing about Cowboy Take Me Away was the way the town of Rainbow Valley embraced animals and celebrated their love of them.
While animals are easily given second chances by the residents of Rainbow Valley, people aren’t given the same courtesy. This is where I had a bit of trouble with Cowboy Take Me Away . When reading a small town romance, I enjoy falling in love with the town and the supporting cast of characters. The folks of Rainbow Valley often came across as small-minded and judgmental – not exactly endearing. I grew annoyed with a number of supporting characters over the course of the story and at times couldn’t imagine how Ms. Graves could give Luke a satisfying happily ever after in this town. That being said, there were some stand out (in a good way) characters who give me hope that Rainbow Valley can grow on me in future books.
Cowboy Take Me Away will tug on your heartstrings, but Luke and Shannon’s journey is one worth reading. I’ve got my fingers crossed in the hopes that Ms. Graves will write more books for Luke and Shannon’s friends.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
April 19, 2014
Un tendre conte de fées moderne chez les cowboys
Lorsque je lis un résumé il y a deux mots auxquels je ne résiste jamais: cow boy et animaux, oui je sais c'est un peu puéril mais je suis ainsi, donc rien qu'avec son titre et le travail de l'héroïne Jane Graves était sure d'avoir une lectrice. Et je n'ai pas été déçue, c'est une romance comme je les aime, de l'amour, de la passion, des rires, des personnages très bien campés, quelques larmes aussi mais un vrai plaisir. J'ai adoré cette histoire de seconde chance, la plume de l'auteur est un pur bonheur à lire, c'est vivant, tendre, frais et moderne.
La petite ville de Rainbow Valley, au cœur du Texas est née d'une légende, il est raconté qu'il y a un esprit attaché à la terre sur laquelle elle est construite et où les animaux restent après leur mort et attendent leurs propriétaires sur le Rainbow Bridge pour les retrouver. Toute la ville est amie des bêtes et chaque habitant entretient cet amour en organisant même un festival. Luke Dawson et Shannon North se sont rencontrés au lycée quand ils ont commencé à travailler au refuge animalier local et une amitié improbable les a réuni puis un sentiment plus tendre. Elle a grandi dans une famille privilégiée qui attendait le meilleur d'elle, Luke quant à lui, maltraité depuis l'enfance par un père ivrogne et violent, est devenu un adolescent à problème. Un soir,ils ont failli se faire prendre ensemble, des mots ont été mal interprétés et se sentant trahi Luke emballe le peu qu'il possède et quitte Rainbow Valley et jure de ne jamais regarder en arrière.
Onze ans plus tard, le décès de son père et une blessure vont obliger Luke à rester dans cette petite ville et il va travailler au refuge dirigé par Shannon. Ils s'aiment toujours mais le chemin ne va pas être facile avant qu'ils reprennent le cours de leur histoire d'amour, la ville n'a pas oublié les erreurs du jeune homme et Shannon est toujours sous la coupe de sa mère. L'incompréhension est toujours bien présente entre eux, Luke n'a pas oublié les humiliations et à un besoin criant d'être reconnu. Comment ne pas tomber sous le charme d'un tel personnage ? Battu, abusé, mal jugé, et pourtant si gentil et doux avec les animaux et les enfants. Tellement touchant quand il veut prouver qu'il a changé, il a juste besoin que quelqu'un croit en lui et c'est ce que va faire Shannon. Mais il va également lui permettre à elle d'enfin s'affranchir de sa mère, de prendre sa vie en main.
J'ai vraiment apprécié cette histoire souvent émouvante, voir la reconstruction d'un amour commencé à l'adolescence, les interactions avec les personnages secondaires qui chacun à leur manière vont contribuer à enraciner la relation de Luke et Shannon. Et puis tous les passages avec les animaux m'ont fait craqué, Jane Graves leur donne une personnalité à chacun et les intègre complètement à l'histoire. C'est grâce à eux que nos deux héros vont se dévoiler peu à peu l'un à l'autre, ce sont des personnages à part entière et ça je n'y résiste pas.
Lorsque je lis un résumé il y a deux mots auxquels je ne résiste jamais: cow boy et animaux, oui je sais c'est un peu puéril mais je suis ainsi, donc rien qu'avec son titre et le travail de l'héroïne Jane Graves était sure d'avoir une lectrice. Et je n'ai pas été déçue, c'est une romance comme je les aime, de l'amour, de la passion, des rires, des personnages très bien campés, quelques larmes aussi mais un vrai plaisir. J'ai adoré cette histoire de seconde chance, la plume de l'auteur est un pur bonheur à lire, c'est vivant, tendre, frais et moderne.
La petite ville de Rainbow Valley, au cœur du Texas est née d'une légende, il est raconté qu'il y a un esprit attaché à la terre sur laquelle elle est construite et où les animaux restent après leur mort et attendent leurs propriétaires sur le Rainbow Bridge pour les retrouver. Toute la ville est amie des bêtes et chaque habitant entretient cet amour en organisant même un festival. Luke Dawson et Shannon North se sont rencontrés au lycée quand ils ont commencé à travailler au refuge animalier local et une amitié improbable les a réuni puis un sentiment plus tendre. Elle a grandi dans une famille privilégiée qui attendait le meilleur d'elle, Luke quant à lui, maltraité depuis l'enfance par un père ivrogne et violent, est devenu un adolescent à problème. Un soir,ils ont failli se faire prendre ensemble, des mots ont été mal interprétés et se sentant trahi Luke emballe le peu qu'il possède et quitte Rainbow Valley et jure de ne jamais regarder en arrière.
Onze ans plus tard, le décès de son père et une blessure vont obliger Luke à rester dans cette petite ville et il va travailler au refuge dirigé par Shannon. Ils s'aiment toujours mais le chemin ne va pas être facile avant qu'ils reprennent le cours de leur histoire d'amour, la ville n'a pas oublié les erreurs du jeune homme et Shannon est toujours sous la coupe de sa mère. L'incompréhension est toujours bien présente entre eux, Luke n'a pas oublié les humiliations et à un besoin criant d'être reconnu. Comment ne pas tomber sous le charme d'un tel personnage ? Battu, abusé, mal jugé, et pourtant si gentil et doux avec les animaux et les enfants. Tellement touchant quand il veut prouver qu'il a changé, il a juste besoin que quelqu'un croit en lui et c'est ce que va faire Shannon. Mais il va également lui permettre à elle d'enfin s'affranchir de sa mère, de prendre sa vie en main.
J'ai vraiment apprécié cette histoire souvent émouvante, voir la reconstruction d'un amour commencé à l'adolescence, les interactions avec les personnages secondaires qui chacun à leur manière vont contribuer à enraciner la relation de Luke et Shannon. Et puis tous les passages avec les animaux m'ont fait craqué, Jane Graves leur donne une personnalité à chacun et les intègre complètement à l'histoire. C'est grâce à eux que nos deux héros vont se dévoiler peu à peu l'un à l'autre, ce sont des personnages à part entière et ça je n'y résiste pas.
May 10, 2013
This was my first Jane Graves book and I love it. This story is so heartfelt and wonderful that it had me from the first page. Rainbow Valley where the story takes place, is a small town in Texas where if you don't love animals, you just won't fit it. Every shop owner, citizen and tourist has a pet. And the beloved Animal Shelter is at the heart of the story where it brings together again, Luke, who has left a town behind, that left him behind as a child to a cruel and abusive father and Shannon, the girl he loved as a teenager, who because their love of animals brought them together again.
At place where they first realized they loved more than just the animals they took care of, but they were taking care of each other. But fate in form of a domineering mother, will break these two young people apart. But fate and tragedy brings Luke comes home to bury the man he hated and despised, his father, and he knows he will return to the Rodeo where he will be compete to become a world bull-riding champion. Then he finds the girl he left behind, Shannon, who is now the Manager of the Rainbow Animal shelter, and when an accident to Luke leaves him in need of a place to recuperate and in need of a job, Shannon offers him the job of caretaker of the shelter. He takes the job, but he knows he will leave when he is better and goes off to get the one thing he thinks he has always wanted. But what he doesn't know, is that his love of four legged and two legged creatures are going to bring him Home. Because home is where Shannon is.
I can't wait to read the next Rainbow Valley book. Jane writes with so much heart and soul. It touched my heart and make me laugh, cry and feel so wonderful. It's will also make your heartache for the animals who are not loved and who are discarded, but where they find love and people who will make them happy and healthy and loved again.
At place where they first realized they loved more than just the animals they took care of, but they were taking care of each other. But fate in form of a domineering mother, will break these two young people apart. But fate and tragedy brings Luke comes home to bury the man he hated and despised, his father, and he knows he will return to the Rodeo where he will be compete to become a world bull-riding champion. Then he finds the girl he left behind, Shannon, who is now the Manager of the Rainbow Animal shelter, and when an accident to Luke leaves him in need of a place to recuperate and in need of a job, Shannon offers him the job of caretaker of the shelter. He takes the job, but he knows he will leave when he is better and goes off to get the one thing he thinks he has always wanted. But what he doesn't know, is that his love of four legged and two legged creatures are going to bring him Home. Because home is where Shannon is.
I can't wait to read the next Rainbow Valley book. Jane writes with so much heart and soul. It touched my heart and make me laugh, cry and feel so wonderful. It's will also make your heartache for the animals who are not loved and who are discarded, but where they find love and people who will make them happy and healthy and loved again.
May 13, 2014
Une belle et émouvante histoire. Un livre qui fait passer un bon moment sans en faire des tonnes. Des personnages attachants au passé difficile. J'ai été très émue par les souffrances de Luke étant enfant et qui ont fait de lui un être exceptionnel. L'héroïne est la pauvre petite fille riche, mais que voulez vous avec sa passion sans bornes pour les animaux dont elle s'occupe on ne peut que s'attacher à elle aussi. Un livre sans prise de tête, avec un petit air de téléfilm de l'après midi mais qui nous procure quand même quelques émotions.
April 15, 2014
Une romance sympa et légère qui gagne en profondeur au fil des pages on apprécie très rapidement le couple mis en avant ainsi que la plupart des persos qui habitent à Rainbow Valley (et oui on a quand mm quelques vilains on n'est pas chez les bisounours!), une ville où on aimerait se perdre autant qu'à Lucky Harbor ;)
July 27, 2014
Read it in one day. Kept me interested from start to finish.
June 13, 2024
**MINOR SPOILERS**
This is the first book in the Rainbow Valley duology. The author created many secondary characters in this book, so I wondered if originally the series was going to include more books. From the description of the second book, there is very little overlap between them. The daughter of the main character in the second book works for the main character in this one.
Luke, one of the main characters, is a wounded animal inside. He had an abusive childhood and lashed out as a teenager by becoming a juvenile delinquent. When he finally left Rainbow Valley, it was the intention of never coming back. When he does come back because his father has died, he injures himself and has to recuperate. He takes a temporary job as caretaker at an animal shelter run by Shannon, the other main character. I thought the author could have drawn more parallels between Luke needing care and the animal needing the same. There are a few moments when he takes care of the animals and says he understands what they are going through that are touching. Though there are references to the fact that he had one night stands through the years, there is no reference to him having any relationship with a woman that lasted very long, other than one that started with Shannon in high school. I think the author should have put that more in context with his past – his inability to trust and his fear of relationships. There is a reference to him having some friends on the bull riding circuit, but they are not part of the story.
Luke’s past and sensitivity to being seen as a loser or charity case still drives him. He does not want to have debt, does not even have a credit card. He is also very blunt.
Luke and Shannon have a history. In high school, they became friends and eventually they were lovers. The author describes Luke as having had several sexual experiences by that point. When he and Shannon decide to make love, Shannon says that she is on the pill. I was a little surprised by that and thought there should have been a bit of an explanation as to why. Did she have a former boyfriend? When she meets Luke, she makes a suggestive remark, so does not seem to be shy about sex, but she also is a perfectionist and it seemed a bit in conflict.
Luke decides to get Shannon back in bed. In one scene, he pushes even when she shows reluctance. They get interrupted before they have sex. Later, he decides he does not want to coerce her.
As mentioned, there are a variety of secondary characters, but some of them seemed one dimensional. Shannon’s mother was very worried about appearances. Her sister, Eve, had the outward persona of a flake, though she seemed intelligent so it was difficult to tell if she was using that as a cover. Russell, Shannon’s suitor, suffers from insecurity and wants to live the country club life and have people respect him. I was glad Russell found someone in the end.
The animals were great in the story.
January 14, 2024
Dans ce roman, on fait la connaissance de Luke Dawson qui est devenu un cow-boy de rodéo bien placé dans le championnat.
On y croise aussi Shannon qui a repris le refuge de la ville ou elle a grandit et qui tente tant bien que mal de le maintenir à flots.
Un évènement fait revenir, Luke a Rainbow valley et l’y fait recroiser le chemin de Shannon.
On se demande de bout en bout si leur romance connaîtra un happy end.
L’histoire est pleine de rebondissement, a aucun moment, je ne me suis ennuyée.
Je ne sais pas sur quoi portera le tome 2, mais j’ai hâte que l’auteur l’écrive.
Ce qui m’a attiré dans ce livre, c’est sa couverture que j’ai bien aimée.
Je vous le conseille, vous passerez un bon moment.
On y croise aussi Shannon qui a repris le refuge de la ville ou elle a grandit et qui tente tant bien que mal de le maintenir à flots.
Un évènement fait revenir, Luke a Rainbow valley et l’y fait recroiser le chemin de Shannon.
On se demande de bout en bout si leur romance connaîtra un happy end.
L’histoire est pleine de rebondissement, a aucun moment, je ne me suis ennuyée.
Je ne sais pas sur quoi portera le tome 2, mais j’ai hâte que l’auteur l’écrive.
Ce qui m’a attiré dans ce livre, c’est sa couverture que j’ai bien aimée.
Je vous le conseille, vous passerez un bon moment.
August 23, 2017
J'ai tenté les histoires avec des cowboys et j'ai trouvé ça plutôt sympa.
On a une petite romance tout mimi avec des personnages qui ont du mal à oublier le passé. Je les ai beaucoup aimé tout les deux. J'ai quand même eu envie à plusieurs reprises de les secouer pour qu'ils ouvrent les yeux et arrêtent avec leurs bêtises !! Naméoh !!
Je regrette maintenant que certains éléments de l'intrigue n'aient pas été davantage développé. Je pense à l'histoire autour de Russel, la famille de Shannon... Le livre s'achève avec plusieurs éléments laissés en suspens.
Une lecture légère qui passe très bien. Et qui confirme que les cowboys ne manquent pas de charme :P
On a une petite romance tout mimi avec des personnages qui ont du mal à oublier le passé. Je les ai beaucoup aimé tout les deux. J'ai quand même eu envie à plusieurs reprises de les secouer pour qu'ils ouvrent les yeux et arrêtent avec leurs bêtises !! Naméoh !!
Je regrette maintenant que certains éléments de l'intrigue n'aient pas été davantage développé. Je pense à l'histoire autour de Russel, la famille de Shannon... Le livre s'achève avec plusieurs éléments laissés en suspens.
Une lecture légère qui passe très bien. Et qui confirme que les cowboys ne manquent pas de charme :P
August 28, 2024
Une bonne relecture !
J'ai adoré me plonger à nouveau dans cette histoire charmante.
J'adore les romances small town.
Luke n'a pas eu une vie facile mais il s'en sort très bien même si il a des traumatismes. Le sujet de violence est bien présent. C'est triste.
J'ai bien aimé Shannon. J'adore le fait qu'elle s'occupe d'un refuge.
Les animaux font partie intégralement de l'histoire et j'ai fortement aimé.
J'ai bien aimé les personnages secondaires surtout Todd qui est adorable.
Ce livre parle de Violence et aussi du regard que les autres qui est souvent destructeur et non fondé.
Ce livre est sous côté et il mérite d'être lu.
J'ai adoré me plonger à nouveau dans cette histoire charmante.
J'adore les romances small town.
Luke n'a pas eu une vie facile mais il s'en sort très bien même si il a des traumatismes. Le sujet de violence est bien présent. C'est triste.
J'ai bien aimé Shannon. J'adore le fait qu'elle s'occupe d'un refuge.
Les animaux font partie intégralement de l'histoire et j'ai fortement aimé.
J'ai bien aimé les personnages secondaires surtout Todd qui est adorable.
Ce livre parle de Violence et aussi du regard que les autres qui est souvent destructeur et non fondé.
Ce livre est sous côté et il mérite d'être lu.
May 3, 2022
A rather predictable love story with elements of small towns, over-bearing families, unrealistic expectations, competition. I did enjoy the story lines involving the animal shelter and the critters - interactions with humans and each other. Not my usual read - it was picked up at a book sale and will now go back to a book sale.
May 6, 2013
http://smexybooks.com/2013/05/review-...
Shannon North is the new Director of the Rainbow Valley Animal Shelter. She loves the animals and makes it her priority to keep them happy, healthy and to find them good homes. But like all non-profits, it’s a continuous fight for donations to keep the animals fed and to stay in the black. She’s a bit overworked and she’s thinking that maybe she wasn’t the best person for this job after all. She needs help, but she certainly didn’t expect that help to come in the form of Luke Dawson.
Luke Dawson never intended to return to Rainbow Valley, but when his father dies, he makes the trip home if only to confirm the man’s death. Luke was quite the delinquent in his teenage years and when he left town he knows he was not missed at all. His plan is to be there for just long enough to bury his father, sell off the land, and get back on the road to the next rodeo where he is a bull rider in line for a world championship title.
When circumstances keep Luke in Rainbow Valley, he applies for the caretaker position at the animal shelter. Shannon and Luke have some history and she doesn’t want to hire Luke, but seeing as no one else has applied for the job, and he really needs a place to stay, she gives in. It’s not long before those old teenage desires resurface, but no matter how much time has passed, they still have to deal with small town prejudices.
This is my first novel by Jane Graves. I liked the premise of second chance love for Shannon and Luke, even though the trope of rich girl and bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks is a bit over done in my opinion. It ended up working for me because of Luke-his character’s strength after his horrific childhood-was simply front and center and carried me through this book.
The book started off a bit slow for me as we meet characters and get the set up. Luke comes home for his father’s funeral and while it’s very clear that Luke would like to be anywhere else but in Rainbow Valley, it’s the first hint we see of the man he became in spite of the fact that his father was really no father at all. Abuse is hinted at but no details are given. Also hinted at is that there was some prior relationship or issue between Luke and Shannon as teenagers; something unfinished for them both and full of misconceptions and misunderstandings.
Once Luke is settled into the caretaker position at the shelter, things start to move a little as the attraction begins to rekindle. Shannon starts to see a totally different side of Luke. She remembers the boy he was and she can see parts of him there, but as time goes on those parts start to fall way and she sees the man he became. For Luke, there is definitely an attraction there, but his goal of making it to the bull rider championship is never far from his thoughts and he makes it clear that his time in Rainbow Valley is short and he will be moving on.
I loved how the author portrayed Luke as an adult by showing a various sides of him in such a positive way even before we learn how horrific his childhood actually was. Some of the scenes are emotional and brought me to tears; the writing real and heartfelt in every way. I loved how he slowly began to win over one of the townspeople, Myrna, whose store he had shoplifted from and painted graffiti on as a teenager. I loved the moments where Shannon secretly watched Luke with the animals and we see another side of him, a softer, vulnerable Luke and not the hardened cowboy persona he wanted people to see.
I didn’t quite warm up to Shannon as I didn’t feel she had changed much from the teenaged Shannon to adult Shannon. She still worried too much about what people thought and was still trying to live up to her mother’s expectation at age 29. In fact, we don’t see her take charge of her life till it’s almost too late to make a difference.
Just as I was getting used to the slow buildup and was engaged and invested in the characters, though, the author changed gears and blew through the conflict, resolution and HEA in a matter of pages. What I really missed was experiencing in more detail the whole bull rider championship part from Luke’s perspective. Time is spent explaining what Luke did after he left Rainbow Valley and the years he was on the rodeo circuit, moving up the ranks, getting into position to qualify for the championship. I felt this was a huge part of Luke’s life and an important aspect of the story, but we get a page and a half and then the book ends. After everything that happened, all the buildup, this was a very unsatisfying end.
Once I fell into the rhythm of this story, I did enjoy the author’s writing style. For those of you who are curious, the smexy factor is very low-a couple of smexy scenes very short and non-descriptive. While the ending was much too abrupt and rushed for me, I liked everything up to that point. I enjoyed some of the secondary characters as well, especially Eve, Shannon’s very colorful sister. And of course, there was Luke, who totally made the book for me.
Shannon North is the new Director of the Rainbow Valley Animal Shelter. She loves the animals and makes it her priority to keep them happy, healthy and to find them good homes. But like all non-profits, it’s a continuous fight for donations to keep the animals fed and to stay in the black. She’s a bit overworked and she’s thinking that maybe she wasn’t the best person for this job after all. She needs help, but she certainly didn’t expect that help to come in the form of Luke Dawson.
Luke Dawson never intended to return to Rainbow Valley, but when his father dies, he makes the trip home if only to confirm the man’s death. Luke was quite the delinquent in his teenage years and when he left town he knows he was not missed at all. His plan is to be there for just long enough to bury his father, sell off the land, and get back on the road to the next rodeo where he is a bull rider in line for a world championship title.
When circumstances keep Luke in Rainbow Valley, he applies for the caretaker position at the animal shelter. Shannon and Luke have some history and she doesn’t want to hire Luke, but seeing as no one else has applied for the job, and he really needs a place to stay, she gives in. It’s not long before those old teenage desires resurface, but no matter how much time has passed, they still have to deal with small town prejudices.
This is my first novel by Jane Graves. I liked the premise of second chance love for Shannon and Luke, even though the trope of rich girl and bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks is a bit over done in my opinion. It ended up working for me because of Luke-his character’s strength after his horrific childhood-was simply front and center and carried me through this book.
The book started off a bit slow for me as we meet characters and get the set up. Luke comes home for his father’s funeral and while it’s very clear that Luke would like to be anywhere else but in Rainbow Valley, it’s the first hint we see of the man he became in spite of the fact that his father was really no father at all. Abuse is hinted at but no details are given. Also hinted at is that there was some prior relationship or issue between Luke and Shannon as teenagers; something unfinished for them both and full of misconceptions and misunderstandings.
Once Luke is settled into the caretaker position at the shelter, things start to move a little as the attraction begins to rekindle. Shannon starts to see a totally different side of Luke. She remembers the boy he was and she can see parts of him there, but as time goes on those parts start to fall way and she sees the man he became. For Luke, there is definitely an attraction there, but his goal of making it to the bull rider championship is never far from his thoughts and he makes it clear that his time in Rainbow Valley is short and he will be moving on.
I loved how the author portrayed Luke as an adult by showing a various sides of him in such a positive way even before we learn how horrific his childhood actually was. Some of the scenes are emotional and brought me to tears; the writing real and heartfelt in every way. I loved how he slowly began to win over one of the townspeople, Myrna, whose store he had shoplifted from and painted graffiti on as a teenager. I loved the moments where Shannon secretly watched Luke with the animals and we see another side of him, a softer, vulnerable Luke and not the hardened cowboy persona he wanted people to see.
I didn’t quite warm up to Shannon as I didn’t feel she had changed much from the teenaged Shannon to adult Shannon. She still worried too much about what people thought and was still trying to live up to her mother’s expectation at age 29. In fact, we don’t see her take charge of her life till it’s almost too late to make a difference.
Just as I was getting used to the slow buildup and was engaged and invested in the characters, though, the author changed gears and blew through the conflict, resolution and HEA in a matter of pages. What I really missed was experiencing in more detail the whole bull rider championship part from Luke’s perspective. Time is spent explaining what Luke did after he left Rainbow Valley and the years he was on the rodeo circuit, moving up the ranks, getting into position to qualify for the championship. I felt this was a huge part of Luke’s life and an important aspect of the story, but we get a page and a half and then the book ends. After everything that happened, all the buildup, this was a very unsatisfying end.
Once I fell into the rhythm of this story, I did enjoy the author’s writing style. For those of you who are curious, the smexy factor is very low-a couple of smexy scenes very short and non-descriptive. While the ending was much too abrupt and rushed for me, I liked everything up to that point. I enjoyed some of the secondary characters as well, especially Eve, Shannon’s very colorful sister. And of course, there was Luke, who totally made the book for me.
January 16, 2019
Great Book
Tough kid, prize winning bull rider and he get the beautiful girl, the championship and a new life Great book
Tough kid, prize winning bull rider and he get the beautiful girl, the championship and a new life Great book
November 7, 2021
3.5/5 grabbed in 2019 bc dupe, good not great, some parts were a little over dramatic
April 30, 2013
Small town romances seem all the rage now. And Cowboy Take Me Away definitely fits the description of this sub-genre. We have:
Heroine: Shannon North moved away from Rainbow Valley to attend the University of Texas. After graduation she joined a prestigious accounting firm, Marks, Wentworth and Halliday, and soon was on the fast track to a partnership. However, when she is asked to take on the job as director of Rainbow Valley Animal Shelter, she gives up her career and moves back home.
Hero: Luke Dawson couldn’t get away from Rainbow Valley and his father fast enough. His route to success didn’t involve school—he didn’t have the money for that, but he discovers he has a talent for riding bulls. Now he is in the lead to win the World Bull Riding Championship with its large purse and instant fame. He returns home for his father’s funeral and to deal with his father’s affairs. When visiting his old home, he falls through rotten boards on the porch and damages the ligaments in his knee.
Other characters: the heroine’s mother, Loucinda, who spent years making herself over for her mother-in-law and has never gotten over worrying about other people’s opinion. Dr. Russell Morgensen, the town’s new dentist, and Shannon’s suitor.
History: Shannon and Luke worked together at the Rainbow Valley Animal Shelter as teenagers. They fell in love but Shannon was too afraid of her mother’s disapproval to be open about the fact she was seeing Luke. Luke, feeling the burdensome weight of being known as the son of the town’s miscreant, had enough of being someone’s little secret, and their relationship didn’t survive.
Summation:
Although I liked this story I had some issues with some of the plot devices. The character’s motivations didn’t seem strong for me. Luke returns home after his father’s death, and even has a graveside service for him, even though he hates him. Plus I had difficulty believing that everyone in the whole town turned a blind eye to his abusive home life. Shannon left Houston to come back to Rainbow Valley to start a new career. Taking care of animals has to be so much more rewarding then crunching numbers for other people. However, that incentive didn’t seem especially strong since Shannon’s involvement in the shelter dated back to her high school years. Of course she loves her family, but she doesn’t seem especially close to them or have friendships that would have pulled her back home.
Luke and Shannon’s romance while nice follows a predictable path. Initially Shannon and Luke don’t want to have anything to do with each other. However, after Shannon discovers him hurt and takes him to the hospital, they at least talk. Shannon has been advertising for a caretaker. The job of course doesn’t pay much, but an apartment is one of the benefits. Luke is in no shape to get back on the bull riding circuit, and doesn’t have a home base. He decides that working at Rainbow Valley Animal Shelter is the perfect solution even with though they both still carry resentment and hurt.
The rest of the characters are somewhat quirky. Since I didn’t find their characterization especially funny, this contributed to a sort of contrived or artificial feel to the story.
Now for the positives. The story does flow well and the story arcs are well balanced. Initially the beginning didn’t pull me in, but once I got past the first 50 pages, I didn’t put it down until I finished the book.
Of course any story with animals in it is appealing to me. And this book is no exception. There are some excellent scenes, both heartwarming and funny.
Although Luke had reasons to be an angry young man, it is nice to see the changes due to his maturity. There are several pay it forward scenes that are uplifting and touching.
While Cowboy Take Me Away is sweet and agreeable it is lacking in originality and uniqueness. However, if you haven’t gotten tired of small town romances, then you will probably like this one.
Heroine: Shannon North moved away from Rainbow Valley to attend the University of Texas. After graduation she joined a prestigious accounting firm, Marks, Wentworth and Halliday, and soon was on the fast track to a partnership. However, when she is asked to take on the job as director of Rainbow Valley Animal Shelter, she gives up her career and moves back home.
Hero: Luke Dawson couldn’t get away from Rainbow Valley and his father fast enough. His route to success didn’t involve school—he didn’t have the money for that, but he discovers he has a talent for riding bulls. Now he is in the lead to win the World Bull Riding Championship with its large purse and instant fame. He returns home for his father’s funeral and to deal with his father’s affairs. When visiting his old home, he falls through rotten boards on the porch and damages the ligaments in his knee.
Other characters: the heroine’s mother, Loucinda, who spent years making herself over for her mother-in-law and has never gotten over worrying about other people’s opinion. Dr. Russell Morgensen, the town’s new dentist, and Shannon’s suitor.
History: Shannon and Luke worked together at the Rainbow Valley Animal Shelter as teenagers. They fell in love but Shannon was too afraid of her mother’s disapproval to be open about the fact she was seeing Luke. Luke, feeling the burdensome weight of being known as the son of the town’s miscreant, had enough of being someone’s little secret, and their relationship didn’t survive.
Summation:
Although I liked this story I had some issues with some of the plot devices. The character’s motivations didn’t seem strong for me. Luke returns home after his father’s death, and even has a graveside service for him, even though he hates him. Plus I had difficulty believing that everyone in the whole town turned a blind eye to his abusive home life. Shannon left Houston to come back to Rainbow Valley to start a new career. Taking care of animals has to be so much more rewarding then crunching numbers for other people. However, that incentive didn’t seem especially strong since Shannon’s involvement in the shelter dated back to her high school years. Of course she loves her family, but she doesn’t seem especially close to them or have friendships that would have pulled her back home.
Luke and Shannon’s romance while nice follows a predictable path. Initially Shannon and Luke don’t want to have anything to do with each other. However, after Shannon discovers him hurt and takes him to the hospital, they at least talk. Shannon has been advertising for a caretaker. The job of course doesn’t pay much, but an apartment is one of the benefits. Luke is in no shape to get back on the bull riding circuit, and doesn’t have a home base. He decides that working at Rainbow Valley Animal Shelter is the perfect solution even with though they both still carry resentment and hurt.
The rest of the characters are somewhat quirky. Since I didn’t find their characterization especially funny, this contributed to a sort of contrived or artificial feel to the story.
Now for the positives. The story does flow well and the story arcs are well balanced. Initially the beginning didn’t pull me in, but once I got past the first 50 pages, I didn’t put it down until I finished the book.
Of course any story with animals in it is appealing to me. And this book is no exception. There are some excellent scenes, both heartwarming and funny.
Although Luke had reasons to be an angry young man, it is nice to see the changes due to his maturity. There are several pay it forward scenes that are uplifting and touching.
While Cowboy Take Me Away is sweet and agreeable it is lacking in originality and uniqueness. However, if you haven’t gotten tired of small town romances, then you will probably like this one.
April 30, 2013
My Review:
Shannon and Luke were friends in high school. They worked together at the local animal shelter and developed a surprising bond through friendship. He was the son of the town drunk...a kid honestly just trying to survive. She was the daughter of the town royalty trying to live up to unbelievably high expectation. Their friendship developed into more and the effects from that were long-lingering since neither one of them have seen the other since that night ten years ago.
Now Luke has come home to bury his father and hopes to put all the horrible memories of Rainbow Valley behind him. This is a town that never loved him, although he was a child that just broke my heart with how much he needed that love. But now he's made a good life for himself elsewhere. He's on the cusp of winning the National Finals in Bull-riding. On his way out of town, he's drawn to that awful house where he was so abused and it takes one final chunk out of him. The rotted boards on the porch give way and he blows out his knee...just three months before the finals.
These characters absolutely made this book for me...especially Luke. His history is horrifying and although there are hints to it throughout the book, it's never laid out until the very end. I was bawling during that scene for this horribly mistreated little boy who turned into such an angry teen. But almost equally horrifying was that this town had to know what was going on and no one tried to help him. No one stood up for this poor child. It's heartbreaking...and makes the transformation of Luke into the wonderful, giving adult that he is even more miraculous. This is a guy who, despite everything else, has a wonderful heart, even though he truly tries to hide it from the residents of Rainbow Valley.
I had a little more difficulty with Shannon's character. I love who she is and what she stands for and her incredible work ethic at the shelter. She's there because she truly adores these animals and wants to make it so that they have better lives. I had a harder time with her and her lack of ability to stand up for herself....with her mother, with her parttime boyfriend, Russell. I wanted her to be stronger than that and she does eventually. That's her transformation in this book. I just had such a hard time with accepting that about her the first 75% of the book....but that's part of where all the conflict comes in for the story so I understood that.
We can't talk about this book without talking about the animals because they are such a HUGE part of the book. Shannon runs a broke, barely getting by, animal shelter. Luke eventually comes to live and help out there while he's recovering so almost all the scenes take place there. A lot of the animals in their care have been abused and neglected and have their own personalities that add so much depth to this book. There's Manny the miniature biting horse, Fluffy the abused pit bull, Barney the three legged dog, and so many more. Jane Graves developed such a rich story through the animals...tying their abuse and neglect to Luke's abuse and neglect. It really made for a beautiful story and made me want to put some volunteer time in down at our local animal shelter. It also completely settled my reservations about getting my daughter the cat she's been wanting for her 6th birthday in a few weeks.
This was just an amazing book. It touched me on so many levels and yes, I even cried several times. I highly recommend it!
I received an ARC of this book as a gift.
Shannon and Luke were friends in high school. They worked together at the local animal shelter and developed a surprising bond through friendship. He was the son of the town drunk...a kid honestly just trying to survive. She was the daughter of the town royalty trying to live up to unbelievably high expectation. Their friendship developed into more and the effects from that were long-lingering since neither one of them have seen the other since that night ten years ago.
Now Luke has come home to bury his father and hopes to put all the horrible memories of Rainbow Valley behind him. This is a town that never loved him, although he was a child that just broke my heart with how much he needed that love. But now he's made a good life for himself elsewhere. He's on the cusp of winning the National Finals in Bull-riding. On his way out of town, he's drawn to that awful house where he was so abused and it takes one final chunk out of him. The rotted boards on the porch give way and he blows out his knee...just three months before the finals.
These characters absolutely made this book for me...especially Luke. His history is horrifying and although there are hints to it throughout the book, it's never laid out until the very end. I was bawling during that scene for this horribly mistreated little boy who turned into such an angry teen. But almost equally horrifying was that this town had to know what was going on and no one tried to help him. No one stood up for this poor child. It's heartbreaking...and makes the transformation of Luke into the wonderful, giving adult that he is even more miraculous. This is a guy who, despite everything else, has a wonderful heart, even though he truly tries to hide it from the residents of Rainbow Valley.
I had a little more difficulty with Shannon's character. I love who she is and what she stands for and her incredible work ethic at the shelter. She's there because she truly adores these animals and wants to make it so that they have better lives. I had a harder time with her and her lack of ability to stand up for herself....with her mother, with her parttime boyfriend, Russell. I wanted her to be stronger than that and she does eventually. That's her transformation in this book. I just had such a hard time with accepting that about her the first 75% of the book....but that's part of where all the conflict comes in for the story so I understood that.
We can't talk about this book without talking about the animals because they are such a HUGE part of the book. Shannon runs a broke, barely getting by, animal shelter. Luke eventually comes to live and help out there while he's recovering so almost all the scenes take place there. A lot of the animals in their care have been abused and neglected and have their own personalities that add so much depth to this book. There's Manny the miniature biting horse, Fluffy the abused pit bull, Barney the three legged dog, and so many more. Jane Graves developed such a rich story through the animals...tying their abuse and neglect to Luke's abuse and neglect. It really made for a beautiful story and made me want to put some volunteer time in down at our local animal shelter. It also completely settled my reservations about getting my daughter the cat she's been wanting for her 6th birthday in a few weeks.
This was just an amazing book. It touched me on so many levels and yes, I even cried several times. I highly recommend it!
I received an ARC of this book as a gift.
May 18, 2013
Luke swore that he would leave his hometown behind once he left. He only returns because of his father's death and can't wait to get out of town to his precious rodeo. However, an unfortunate accident leaves him incapacitated, in need of surgery and recovery. Although determined to get back to the rodeo in time for the world championship he longs to win, he accepts his fate and takes a job in his old workplace where he would be working along with Shannon, the one woman he left behind in Rainbow Valley.
Shannon left town to start a new life, but her love for the animals in Rainbow Valley motivated her to leave her job at a CPA firm and return to run the animal shelter where she worked as a teenager. She has been settling into her new life in Rainbow Valley, reacquainting herself with friends, making new ones and even dating. But she can't seem to forget a troubled young man from her past. After all the years that have gone by she still wonders about Luke. However, she is well aware that she hurt him and that if their paths were ever to cross, he wouldn't hesitate to walk away like he once did. So when Luke's father dies, she doesn't even attempt to go to the funeral, but that doesn't prevent fate to present her with the opportunity to cross paths again with Luke.
I loved this story!!! The author did a great job of drawing me into the story by giving me bit of glimpses into Travis past, his personality and his pain. This was what kept me reading throughout. Don't get me wrong, Shannon was a great characters and I could easily relate to her and what she was feeling - her frustration with her mother, her hesitation about getting involved with him and her emotions towards him. But it was Travis and his story that truly captivated me. I needed to know what happened in his past, what had happened between him and Shannon when they were younger and how he was going to deal with being being back in Rainbow Valley. His constant struggle with his past, his reluctance to admit his attraction and feelings for Shannon and his development throughout the story was what made this story so great to read.
Although the story as a whole flowed wonderfully through the page, I do admit that there were some passages that dragged a bit. Thankfully, did this not detract from the story, but it did at times make me want to step back and take a break.
Cowboy Take Me Away,the first book in the Rainbow Valley series, is a sweet, romantic story about second chances and new beginnings. It had great main characters that I could easily connect to and interesting secondary characters that caught my attention for further installments in the series. I am certainly looking forward to the next installment in the series. The excerpt provided on my copy caught my attention and left me wanting to know more.
I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange of my honest opinion.
Shannon left town to start a new life, but her love for the animals in Rainbow Valley motivated her to leave her job at a CPA firm and return to run the animal shelter where she worked as a teenager. She has been settling into her new life in Rainbow Valley, reacquainting herself with friends, making new ones and even dating. But she can't seem to forget a troubled young man from her past. After all the years that have gone by she still wonders about Luke. However, she is well aware that she hurt him and that if their paths were ever to cross, he wouldn't hesitate to walk away like he once did. So when Luke's father dies, she doesn't even attempt to go to the funeral, but that doesn't prevent fate to present her with the opportunity to cross paths again with Luke.
I loved this story!!! The author did a great job of drawing me into the story by giving me bit of glimpses into Travis past, his personality and his pain. This was what kept me reading throughout. Don't get me wrong, Shannon was a great characters and I could easily relate to her and what she was feeling - her frustration with her mother, her hesitation about getting involved with him and her emotions towards him. But it was Travis and his story that truly captivated me. I needed to know what happened in his past, what had happened between him and Shannon when they were younger and how he was going to deal with being being back in Rainbow Valley. His constant struggle with his past, his reluctance to admit his attraction and feelings for Shannon and his development throughout the story was what made this story so great to read.
Although the story as a whole flowed wonderfully through the page, I do admit that there were some passages that dragged a bit. Thankfully, did this not detract from the story, but it did at times make me want to step back and take a break.
Cowboy Take Me Away,the first book in the Rainbow Valley series, is a sweet, romantic story about second chances and new beginnings. It had great main characters that I could easily connect to and interesting secondary characters that caught my attention for further installments in the series. I am certainly looking forward to the next installment in the series. The excerpt provided on my copy caught my attention and left me wanting to know more.
I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange of my honest opinion.
August 2, 2013
I’ve read a couple of books by Jane Graves and I really enjoyed them so when I started this book, I had high expectations. I was expecting more of the same but this was different. Instead of taking place in the city, this took place in a small town and while I did enjoy it, it’s not my favorite from this author.
This story follows Luke Dawson back to Rainbow Valley where he’s there to bury his old man. There’s no love lost between Luke and his father and there wasn’t anyone in attendance for his father’s funeral and Luke was a-okay with that. There were only two people that he thought cared for him in that town and as the funeral is coming to an end, one of those two people showed up. The other person broke his heart and was the main reason why he skipped town when he was 18. She didn’t show to the funeral either.
Shannon North remembers Luke Dawson as the one guy in the entire world that could make her breathless from just a look. He was the only guy that ever meant anything to her and she missed him when she left. Now, she’s kind of/sort of seeing this dentist guy that is nice but doesn’t make her feel anything more than …nice. And when Luke Dawson comes storming back into her life, she knows that things are about to get shaken up.
Luke gets hurt while in Rainbow Valley so he needs to stick close to physical therapy and that means staying in Rainbow Valley longer than he thought he would. Being back isn’t doing him any favors since everyone still thinks he’s that badboy who terrorized everyone and everything in his teen years but he’s changed. He’s grown up and he’s not that same pissed off little boy and this was the part of the book that I really liked. I liked seeing everyone’s opinion of him change during his time back in Rainbow Valley and I really liked seeing Shannon finally stand up to her Mom. That was a long time coming.
But I guess for me, the book started off slow and I spent a great deal of time waiting for things to pick up. And they just kind of plopped along, getting a sigh out of me every once in a while. I mean, while I liked the characters and the story while I was reading it, none of them really jumped out at me and grabbed me by the throat and made me love the heck out of them. I wanted to and when the book ended, I thought it was good but that’s about it. It was a good story with good characters but it wasn’t my favorite book by Graves. I liked it well enough to be curious about the next book though. Mark Cordero gets his own book and that one seems pretty interesting so I will be checking it out.
Grade: 3 out of 5
This review was originally posted on Book Binge by Rowena.
This story follows Luke Dawson back to Rainbow Valley where he’s there to bury his old man. There’s no love lost between Luke and his father and there wasn’t anyone in attendance for his father’s funeral and Luke was a-okay with that. There were only two people that he thought cared for him in that town and as the funeral is coming to an end, one of those two people showed up. The other person broke his heart and was the main reason why he skipped town when he was 18. She didn’t show to the funeral either.
Shannon North remembers Luke Dawson as the one guy in the entire world that could make her breathless from just a look. He was the only guy that ever meant anything to her and she missed him when she left. Now, she’s kind of/sort of seeing this dentist guy that is nice but doesn’t make her feel anything more than …nice. And when Luke Dawson comes storming back into her life, she knows that things are about to get shaken up.
Luke gets hurt while in Rainbow Valley so he needs to stick close to physical therapy and that means staying in Rainbow Valley longer than he thought he would. Being back isn’t doing him any favors since everyone still thinks he’s that badboy who terrorized everyone and everything in his teen years but he’s changed. He’s grown up and he’s not that same pissed off little boy and this was the part of the book that I really liked. I liked seeing everyone’s opinion of him change during his time back in Rainbow Valley and I really liked seeing Shannon finally stand up to her Mom. That was a long time coming.
But I guess for me, the book started off slow and I spent a great deal of time waiting for things to pick up. And they just kind of plopped along, getting a sigh out of me every once in a while. I mean, while I liked the characters and the story while I was reading it, none of them really jumped out at me and grabbed me by the throat and made me love the heck out of them. I wanted to and when the book ended, I thought it was good but that’s about it. It was a good story with good characters but it wasn’t my favorite book by Graves. I liked it well enough to be curious about the next book though. Mark Cordero gets his own book and that one seems pretty interesting so I will be checking it out.
Grade: 3 out of 5
This review was originally posted on Book Binge by Rowena.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews