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First Love

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Jordan Thompson was brought up to believe and trust what her parents taught their strong but conservative values. As the daughter of the President of the United States, she especially feels the burden of living up to her parents’ standards.

Drew Hamilton is putting her rodeo career on hold to purse a medical degree. One day she hopes to return to Wyoming to practice family medicine and ranch. She’s worked hard to pay for school and doesn’t have time for romance, especially with curious straight females. When Jordan hires her as a tutor, Drew finds she is learning more about life than she planned. Jordan is learning more than academics. She’s learning about love.

But with their very different backgrounds and families, they may not survive the stresses of a first love.

264 pages, Paperback

First published October 13, 2013

4 people are currently reading
121 people want to read

About the author

C.J. Harte

6 books13 followers
C.J. Harte has lived in many places while growing up, mostly military towns. She was born in New York and still has family there. She completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Florida with her family cheering when she graduated with her doctoral degree. They suspected she was a perpetual student and were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

The college years were the years of civil rights and anti-war protests. She dipped a toe in activism and was soon immersed in women’s and human rights issues: organizing, campaigning, and marching. She developed a passion for equality that drives her today. She discovered there are many ways to be share that activisim. When she moved out to Wyoming she joined a GALA Chorus and let music speak for her. She is the co-lyricist for the musical “Am I Blue” written especially for The Rainbow Chorus, Ft. Collins, Co.

Words have always held a special magic for C.J. Her parents were great story tellers and she quickly learned the importance of a well-told tale. C.J. now lives and writes from her Wyoming home where she lives with her four-footed friends, looking out at the mountains and blue sky. Each day is an adventure and provides fodder for another story. (from the publisher's website)

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5 stars
29 (16%)
4 stars
68 (37%)
3 stars
54 (30%)
2 stars
17 (9%)
1 star
11 (6%)
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Profile Image for C.
737 reviews79 followers
May 26, 2018
I liked it

Overall a really nice story about finding love between two people who shouldn't. Almost like a Romeo and Juliet type story just not as tragic and both characters are in college. My only gripe is that resolution came too easily between Jordan and her family. Way too easily and as much as the campaign played, there was no talk of it when Jordan "came out." I really would love another book about the two of them if that would ever happen.
Profile Image for Tory.
394 reviews10 followers
June 23, 2023
A Good Read

I enjoyed the book. The main characters were interesting and varied. This is my first by the author C. J. Harte. I intend to read more. I would like this story to continue, maybe there will be more.
Profile Image for Kexx.
2,412 reviews104 followers
March 31, 2019
Wow! Loved this - Politics & politics with a small p - really had me hooked - believable (though not quite so much in retrospect!) and it made me laugh & cry - so what more can you ask for? Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Tara.
783 reviews373 followers
January 4, 2016
I wasn't super sure I'd love this one going into it, but I was pleasantly surprised. The description sort of hints at it, but unlike in Radclyffe's Honor series, the president's daughter in this book is from a right-wing Republican family. I really liked seeing Jordan struggle with reconciling what she was raised with and what she's feeling. I also liked how grounded Drew and her family were.

This isn't a perfect book and I think a couple of points were rushed, but I really liked seeing the relationship develop into a very solid state, rather than having the book end shortly after the "I love yous". I would love to read a follow-up short story with these characters five years later.
Profile Image for Deacon Killingsworth.
13 reviews1 follower
June 27, 2017
This story is compelling overall and was good enough that, even though I often found myself frustrated by the lack of good editing, I kept reading. There were times when who was talking or to whom something was happening got very confusing. The writer is talented, but this story could have used at least one more round of editing.
652 reviews9 followers
October 12, 2017
Very sweet story!

What a very sweet love story! A bit unrealistic but nevertheless a very sweet story! The plot was very well developed and the characters were very down to earth and sweet. Very well done!
Profile Image for Jillyn.
732 reviews
November 13, 2013
Drew is a rodeo star from Wyoming who pauses her career in order to earn a medical degree, so that she can one day come back and practice medicine as well as ranch. Jordan is the daughter of the President who feels the pressure- her every move must uphold the reputation expected of her from her parents. She hires Drew as a tutor, and what starts as a purely professional relationship grows into something far more unexpected.

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This review won't be very long. Overall, this was an okay story. Not good, not bad, just middle of the road for me.

+I adored Drew. She's strong and smart and is definitely the main player in this book, in my opinion. Maybe it's because I'm a sucker for smart ass characters, and a sucker for rancher/cowboy(girl) types too. I liked Jordan for the sheer fact that she's relatable. She's sheltered and a bit naive, and is confused when she can't really make sense of the feelings she has for Drew. And when she does begin to understand them, she isn't sure what to do with them because it goes against how she was raised. It was an interesting dynamic for me, since I've been in her shoes.

+I thought that their relationship was sweet. Their feelings for each other go beyond sex, and that much is clear in the writing of the text. I was pleasantly surprised by this fact, and I'm glad that made this a book that had sex in it, but didn't make the story explicitly about it.

Though this book definitely had its strong points, for me it just fell flat. It was predictable and because of that, it dragged on for me. I would definitely read other books by this author, but this title just wasn't a favorite.

Fans of lesbian romance might want to give this book a try. It has solid characters and a sweet romance, but it was just not my cup of tea.

Thanks to Bold Strokes Books, Inc. & Netgalley for my copy. This review can also be found on my new blog, Bitches n Prose.
Profile Image for Anja.
179 reviews2 followers
February 6, 2014
I was given a copy of this book for an honest review and I have to say I couldn’t really finish the book. The story was rushed and I didn’t really like the main characters (which is really rare). The characters didn’t have any depth and the story never went further than some superficial banter. In my opinion the book is poorly written even if the main idea of the story is good. There was no (sexual) tension, no magic between the characters and their issues, well, they didn’t even try to work through them. I read half of the book just because I hoped it would get better, but it didn’t. Don’t waste your time!
Profile Image for Katrina.
316 reviews
June 13, 2019
I cannot believe I actually read the entire book, I think I only did because I purchased it and it would have been a waste of money not to. I did purchase it during one of those bargain basement times so it was only 3.99. Overall this book wasn’t that great. The writing was stagnated and the characters sounded so much alike that I often confused them. For a first love book it was just sad, neither character had any confidence in herself or they would have had a fling and then moved in, but Jordan latched into drew and that just seems unhealthy. So a lot of emotional abuse in this book, I hope the authors other books are better I for one will not be reading any of them.
Profile Image for Dash Stryker.
37 reviews
June 9, 2018
Something about this romance felt a bit choppy. I appreciate the premise, but a) the First Daughter was just a bit too whiny in the beginning; b) there was a lot of "telling" instead of "showing", and c)
Profile Image for Mindy (Book Snitch).
751 reviews228 followers
September 22, 2013
NaughtyBookSnitch

Drew is a rodeo country girl from Wyoming who went off to college to become a physician. Jordan is city girl who happens to be the President's daughter and is in college to become an engineer. Jordan hires Drew to be her tutor and over time they become best friends and eventually lovers.

Not really sure where to start. I really loved this sweet and beautiful story about love and self discovery. I really loved both of these characters. Drew is sassy, tough, sweet, focused, and loyal. Jordan has lived in a gilded cage all her life and has been told what to do, what to like and how to act. She is beautiful, naive, headstrong, lonely and confused about new feelings she has about her tutor Drew.

This is Drew and Jordan's story but my heart was mostly with Jordan. She has never really had a true friend and has lived a sheltered life. Jordan starts to have feelings for Drew but doesn't understand them and they go against everything she knows. Jordan deals with a lot of new emotions, friendship, love and loyalty to her family. She is constantly around close minded people who only see what they want to see and hate anything that is not "normal" to them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read. The sex and story are good and Im so happy that the sex goes behind the door and between the sheets. I am in love with Drew and Jordan... and don't forget Mark (he is simply fabulous). I'm also glad that I'm not surrounded by close minded people that use derogatory terms to describe something so beautiful.

I received a copy of this book from Bold Strokes Books, Inc and C.J. Harte via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Susanne.
167 reviews14 followers
December 10, 2013
A quick read. First daughter Jordan Thompson is studying an engineering degree. Drew Hamilton is a medical student studying at the same college. Drew vows not to fall for another straight gal after what happened. Drew meets Jordan in response to her ad for tutoring. Over time, Drew and Jordan develops a friendship which later on develops into something more. Can their relationship survive the intense pressure and some family disapproval? The story had potential but it lacked depth; I felt scenes were rushed and characters not fully explored.
40 reviews
March 7, 2014
2.5 stars.

I really liked Magic of the Heart and absolutely loved Dreams of Bali by this author. So, of course, I was quite impatient to get my hands on her new novel.

I read it yesterday and i am somewhat disappointed. It's well written, the story is nice and the characters are easily lovable but... That's it. It's a nice story and I would recommend it to people who love romances, but C.J Harte's previous books were way better than than.

Moreover, the end of first love was a real let down. It's quite rushed and not really believable.
1 review
November 6, 2013
First love had all the hallmarks of a great love story, with political implications involving the daughter of the President and a very controlling parent sanctioned "boyfriend". The heroine of the story Drew, was clearly a very upstanding and brilliant student. All this could have really led to a very intricate tale. In the end it was quite formulaic and predictable. A shame this really could have been outstanding. I did finish reading it, but not the best book I have read recently.
106 reviews
August 1, 2016
This was a fun read though I kept thinking the relationship was beyond believable. Granted you never know who you will fall in love with or where that will happen but this story definitely explored the fairy tale level of believable. Regardless of that, I liked the way C.J. Harte had the characters grow into their own along the way and if anyone is looking for a first time love story this one is a fun read.
122 reviews
December 13, 2015
Great story!

I loved the plot and the characters were great. Such a variety in scenes and interaction with each character. Another wonderful book by C J Harte
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews