Unbuttoned

Silver Creek #0.5

by Maisey Yates

Carly Denton has learned to keep her buttons and emotions firmly fastened. Her parents’ constant drama, and an unrequited crush on her brother’s best friend, taught her to keep her passion beneath the surface. But she can no longer avoid the one man with the ability to bring that passion to a boil...

Lucas remembers Carly as a freckle-faced tomboy—not a frosty woman who treats him like a burr under her saddle. But when they must work together on a charity project, Lucas is shocked to find their bickering melt into some serious mutual attraction. He’s determined to show Carly that he’s the man for her, if only she’d learn to let loose.

Lucas is the last man on earth Carly should give in to. The freedom she finds in his arms has her feeling happier than ever, but is it enough to make her realize that the greatest risk isn’t losing your heart, but losing the chance at happiness?

Includes a preview of Maisey Yates’ novel, UNEXPECTED, coming August 20, 2013 in eBook format.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Novella, Contemporary, Westerns, Friends To Lovers

116 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 18, 2013

About the author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit. In 2009, at the age of twenty-three Maisey sold her first book.

Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.

She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.

Reviews

[Fiona Marsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so sweet. I'm used to Maisey Yates Greek Billionaires and her other HM&B Presents heroes so I was interested to see what she would do with some down home cowboys.

In spite of the different settings, we still have a screwed up hero and heroine bringing their issues head to head over a feast of hot, melt in your mouth yummy sizzle. It's a tried and true formula but Maisey still manages to bring something fresh to the table.

Cowboy Lucas and prim up and coming city councilwoman Carly don't look like a match made in heaven when we first meet them. But as we unbutton Carly, we find out that that woman we see is very different from the teenager who first crushed on her big brother's best friend all those years ago.

It was all over a bit too soon being novella length, but I enjoyed the glimpses we get of Silver Creek and look forward to seeing more of this series.

[Saly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short and cute book. Carly is a bit uptight and pays too much heed to what other people say and think while Lucas doesn't. Lucas and Carly share the same background and Carly has been hiding her attraction to him for years and then it comes to the forefront. A very quick read.

[Nas Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbuttoned (A SILVER CREEK ROMANCE)

UNBUTTONED by USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates is a June 2013 release. It's a Silver Creek novella.

Lucas just couldn't make a move on Carly Denton despite being attracted to her as she was his best mate's little sister. So he ignored her till she was sixteen, then kissed her.

Now Carly couldn't put him out of her mind, but she was hurt when she came across him kissing other women or going out with new women all the time. So she ignored him till they were thrown together for work.

Will they still be able to ignore each other and the attraction simmering just under the surface? What will Carly's brother say now?

UNBUTTONED has a unique twist on family upbringing and family loyalty. Author Maisey Yates has written a fun, engrossing and fast paced story. There are hidden depths to Carly and Lucas's characters. The emotional and sensory details are exquisitely done. UNBUTTONED has strong characters, snappy dialogue, and tender, sweet and exciting moments which will keep a reader riveted from the first page.

[Vashti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know this author's work from the Harlequin Presents line of books and enjoy her writings very much.
This was a cute, sweet read to the start of the "Silver Creek " series.Looking forward towards the next book.

[Ashleigh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly, I read this on a whim. I was annoyed I couldn't find a good book, found this one being recommended and thought what the hell?

I made it to chapter 7.

I can guess where the story goes, I can guess what happens and I know for a fact I'll be right.

It's in third person view point and I find this boring and annoying so this didn't help with the boring mundane story line.

I'm sure Yates writes great books. This isn't one of them though.

Unbuttoned tells the story of Carly and Lucas. Carly is frosty and cold, also slightly annoying. She used to be nice and warm and fuzzy but she fancied Lucas and he kept parading around new girls every time she visited. Lucas is her brothers best friend so she can't stay away from him. One time she see's him engaging in sexual relations with a girl against a barn. Classy I know.

She runs away to college comes back frosty and cold. He became a guy who never has sex with anyone and who likes Carly. Basically they work together on some charity thing. He rides some horses or something.

They have sex, she's a virgin (go figure) that's what I got up to.

I'm assuming they fall in love in the end.

I didn't continue because I knew where this was going and normally I'm okay with that fact only the dialogue and characters weren't strong enough for me to want to continue reading.

The dialogue is slightly immature in the sense that all Lucas and Carly do is bicker constantly.

They also both have troubled pasts because of awful parents.

Yeah it's all cliched and stuff.


The sex is okay though I guess.

Little boring though, fits with the characters though.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maisey as usual tells another great story, and breaking out from her super rich super sexy bad boys into cowboys and has not disappointed in any way. Two people who has been both screwed over by their own families by how they had lived their lives leaving deep scars on their children. Lucas left feeling he wasn't good enough to be loved for himself and Carly too scared of being like her mother who would not leave her no good husband. Other peoples actions in our lives can have a devastating effect on our lives and on how we grow into adults. The question is can two emotionally scarred couple heal each other? well why don't you find out for yourselves ;) Our Carly needs unbuttoning and our Lucas could be the man to do it! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did, well done Maisey :)

[Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too fast, plus public declaration. Nope.

[catzkc · Rating 3 out of 5]

kind of fun, but way too much cheese at the end for even this cheese-lover!

[E_bookpushers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2013/07/01/...

Publisher: Berkley
Publish Date: Out now
How I got this book: ARC from the publisher via Netgalley

Carly Denton has learned to keep her buttons and emotions firmly fastened. Her parents’ constant drama, and an unrequited crush on her brother’s best friend, taught her to keep her passion beneath the surface. But she can no longer avoid the one man with the ability to bring that passion to a boil…

Lucas remembers Carly as a freckle-faced tomboy—not a frosty woman who treats him like a burr under her saddle. But when they have to work together on a charity project, Lucas is shocked to find their bickering melt into some serious mutual attraction. He’s determined to show Carly that he’s the man for her, if only she’d learn to let loose.

Lucas is the last man on earth Carly should give in to. The freedom she finds in his arms has her feeling happier than ever, but is it enough to make her realize that the greatest risk isn’t losing your heart, but losing the chance at happiness?
This blurb came from the author’s website.

My introduction to Yates came by a rather roundabout way. Two moves ago, I had a small group of girlfriends who loved romance. Some of us were readers, some bloggers, some authors, some aspiring authors and we started meeting about once a month. Not on a set schedule but when we could all get away for an extended lunch. Conversations varied wildly at those lunches but they always included books. I came away from one of those lunches with the recommendation that I read one of Yates’ stories. Fast-forward a couple of years, I was at the huge book-signing/fair at RT 2013 and saw that she had a table with books. I remembered the past recommendation so I made it a point to swing by her table and purchase a book. I found within the Presents’ construct a story and a voice that I enjoyed so I went ahead and requested Unbuttoned for review. I have to say that I am very glad I received the initial recommendation and eventually followed up on it because Unbuttoned was a lot of fun to read.

Unbuttoned has one of my favorite tropes big brother’s best friend or best friend’s little sister depending on how you want to view it. Lucas and Carly grew up in the same town and Lucas spent a lot of time at the Denton house. Both families were dysfunctional and broken. Carly grew up in a house with an openly cheating father, a mother who was a drunk, continued to love her husband, and would have screaming fights with or about him in public. Lucas’ mother left her husband and son when he was young and his father became an alcoholic. As adults, the three carried scars from their childhood, which manifested in different ways. It was a treat to see two of the three help heal each other.

Carly had a crush on Lucas for as long as she could remember until she saw him in a rather compromising condition with a woman. That incident followed by seeing him with successive other women reminded her of her father’s behavior. The added feeling of her crush made her fear she was becoming her mother so in retaliation she tried to become the exact opposite. She lived a very proper, starchy, circumspect life keeping the impression of others always at the forefront of every decision. She also withdrew entirely from the closeness she shared Lucas and her brother to the extent of seeming cold and mean. Her reaction when Lucas called the impression of her behavior out into the open was priceless. I was able to see the person she had been before she restricted her living. I enjoyed watching Carly grow and open herself back to life bit by bit and they by huge leaps and bounds.

Lucas’ emotional journey wasn’t as dramatic or held front and center like Carly’s because he appeared to have made some transitions while Carly was ignoring him. To my delight, Yates did provide evidence of Lucas’ growth throughout the story because I find perfect characters rather boring. He certainly experienced some angst over getting involved with his best friend’s little sister and how he tried to hide what was going on. The true end to that argument between the two men was well worth the wait. It made the sense of transgression and yet the depth of his feelings all the more apparent.

Lucas also seemed to know every button to push in order to get a response from Carly. One of the scenes I enjoyed was about halfway through the book when he convinced Carly to take the direct route to look at the land offered for the charity project’s use. She took it a few steps further and only mentioned her concern about stepping in a cow patty (barefoot). I winced and had to lift my feet off the ground at the thought of running through a field barefoot but my first concern was prickers, biting/stinging creatures, and rocks and only later did the thought of cow patties arise. A product I am sure of growing up in a desert instead of a lush grassy part of the country. That scene gave me an idea of how the bond the three had growing up and emphasized the distance that existed at the beginning of the novella even more.

Overall, I enjoyed Unbuttoned the introduction to Yates’ Silver Creek world and I look forward to reading the next installment. She provided humor, tension, smexy-times, twisted family dynamics, and a re-enjoyment of life. As much as I enjoy reading a story if I feel cheated with a weak grovel scene or the lack of a needed grovel scene my entire reading experience is sullied. Yates provided a great public moment/grovel by the heroine which, given her temperament at the beginning of the novella really showed how far she came.

I give Unbuttoned a B

[Bette Stanek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is book 0.5 in the Silver Creek series. I read book one, Unexpected, in 2013 and have had Unbuttoned on my “to read” shelf for ages. You don’t have to read these in order, you don’t even have to read them as part of a series. Unbuttoned and Unexpected (Silver Creek 1) really aren’t related except that they are set in the same town. Unbuttoned is short and cute. It’s a typical “attracted to my best friend’s little sister who is totally off limits” story. There’s nothing you don’t expect. There’s nothing deep here. I did feel the ending was rushed and the resolution wasn’t all that satisfying. But, if you want a “filler” book to get you through until you decide on what you really want to read next, this one isn’t too bad.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carly & Lucas

Tropes: childhood friends, brother's best friend, hate to love, virgin heroine. It's amazing in just a short novella you can feel the chemistry and where the banter is leading to. Carly judges Lucas too harshly on his past mistakes and Lucas teased Carly about being so uptight.

[Astrid Johanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great love story

[Sklavene · Rating 5 out of 5]

New proofreader!

I can’t believe all the errors in this book! Did anybody proofread this for you!?! You need a new proofreader!!

[candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book but not nearly long enough

Such wonderful characters; just like the rest of us except with super star looks. I was too sad when it ended.

[ysar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carly Denton's background is questionable at best, but she's made something of herself, despite her parents' worst efforts. Raised by a philandering father and a mother who couldn't bring herself to leave him, she's used to her family being the subject of small town gossip and tear-drenched scenes, so she conducts herself with careful decisions and all the dignity she can muster. But there's one cowboy who gets under her skin like no other.

But... For a final copy (assuming my library hasn't started packing ARCs), Unbuttoned had a surprising number of typos and syntax mistakes. Most of them were just obviously typing errors, like he instead of her, and sentences where you could tell something had been reworded because they left one of the wrong words in. It didn't ruin the story, but it does show a lack of attention to detail, and if Maisey Yates weren't such a great storyteller, I probably would have passed early judgement and bailed.

The Verdict: Having loved some of Maisey Yates's more recent books, I couldn't pass this series up when I found it at my local library. I half-expected it to be a little disappointing, given that it's a few years old, but as it turns out, I had no reason to worry.

Carly's childhood was spent watching the shameful behavior of her parents, a father who made no secret of his affairs and a mother who thew crying tantrums about them for the whole town to see. Determined to avoid that same fate, she's changed from the little girl who played in the dirt and become a woman whose suits are always perfectly pressed, whose hair is never out of place, and whose emotions will never attract the attention of the town busybodies. It seems that only Lucas, the cowboy who reminds her too much of her father, can ruffle her feathers.

Lucas remembers the Carly as his best friend's little sister, but she's almost someone completely different now. He knows where she came from, who her parents were, and that's never bothered him. In fact, his home life was even worse, which is why he practically grew up in Carly's house when they were all kids together. But now when he sees her, she acts like a shrew, like he's the last person in the world she wants to see, and he figures that can only mean two things. Either she truly can't stand him, or she feels a lot more for him than he wants to admit.

In many ways, Carly is stuck in the past, while Lucas is just trying to move forward with his life. But he soon realizes that the frosty looks Carly gives him have some heat behind them, and he can't help but push her buttons. While they have undeniable chemistry, though, getting Carly to stop worrying about what everyone else thinks and start worrying about what she wants for herself is the real challenge. And it certainly doesn't help that she watched him go through a string of girlfriends when they were younger. In her mind, he might be just as bad as her father.

While Lucas didn't have a grand old childhood, it seems that Carly has suffered more from hers. Watching her begin to give in, and seeing how genuine Lucas was about his feelings for her, is the stuff of great romance. The plot's pretty simple — two people trying to deny their attraction and growing feelings for one another — but the story itself is lots of fun. Equal parts funny, hot, sad, and romantic, Unbuttoned was a nice surprise and a great, quick romance read.

[Nate Brightman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second novella I’ve read by Ms. Yates and like the first “Imagine You and Me” I was charmed. While she stays within the tried and true formula for romance novels she manages to elevate her writing giving her characters more flesh on their bones than many of her contemporaries. Yeah in so many ways they’re the typical romance novel stereo-types but they also seem to have more or perhaps deeper dimensions that make them feel like you’re reading about real complex human beings. Sure other romance authors give their characters backstories, Ms. Yates just seems IMHO to do it a little better than most. There’s plenty of witty dialogue between the characters and a goodly amount of humorous moments. The scene where Carly’s big brother shows up at Luca’s house while Carly is asleep upstairs in Lucas’s bed is pretty amusing. And of course there’s some steamy sex scenes. Okay if you enjoy romance novels you’re not looking for Tolstoy or Salinger, so if you’re looking for a quick easy enjoyable read with likable if flawed characters who overcome their own fears to find their HEA I’d recommend this little novella.

[Carrie (Rotten Banana) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed at Red Hot Books http://redhotbooks.com/2013/07/review...

Carly Denton likes her life on the straight and narrow. After growing up in the family most whispered about in their small town, she managed to go to college and become the youngest elected councilwoman. She wants to be the opposite of her parents – controlled, predictable and drama free. This is why she has avoided her brother’s best friend, Lucas, all these years. The object of her childhood crush serves these days as the biggest thorn in her side. Lucas loves to push Carly’s buttons simply to watch her squirm. When forced to work together on a charity project, Carly’s tight strings start to unravel around Lucas and Lucas begins to realize how much he likes Carly squirming.

This is a new to me author. I ended up with this novella after a giveaway on Twitter and didn’t know anything more about it than it was contemporary romance. I began reading and was immediately sucked in. Carly is so neurotic that it’s palpable and you really do feel for her. Carly’s childhood was marred by parents who cared more about publicly airing out their laundry than taking care of her and her brother, Mac. Lucas had a similar miserable childhood growing up with an absentee mother and alcoholic father and the three often took comfort with each other sharing dinner together.

Where Lucas grew up and learned to shuck off the past, Carly is frozen by it. She is consumed by worries about others’ opinions of her to an almost debilitating effect. She managed to strictly control any outspoken feelings or passions for so long, that when she is forced to interact with Lucas she realizes that she either has to take the bull by the horns or spiral out of control. When she buckles under and kisses Lucas, her world shifts. Objects under pressure tend to explode when released and all the tension builds up to some fabulous releases.

I really enjoyed this book and am somewhat miffed that it was only a novella. A longer length book would have provided a little more depth that would've really amped up the story. I will definitely be reading the next in the series and happy to have a new author to follow.

Grade: B

[Lysanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll say ths first off, I'm a sucker for small town romances. Bring me Lucky Harbour or Fool's Gold any day! When I discovered this series, I thought I'd give it a try so I started of course with .5, Unbuttoned, a Silver Creek Novella. Now, I understood from the get go that it was a novella. I was never under any impression that it would take a long time for the two characters to fall in love. I had no problems with that. What made me reduce this review to 3 stars was the romantice scenes between the two characters. They were so....WORDY!!!! It was filled with so much words of emotions and things that people just generally wouldn't say when they first start sleeping with someone. Plus, it didn't seem at all like Carly was a virgin. That may be my own thing though, I remember myself the first time and if the guy had started asking me what I wanted.....I would have been so embarassed I would have picked up my stuff and ran out of the room!

Besides that though, we had a small introduction to Silver Creek and I'm going to keep on reading the series. This series has potential and I'm looking forward to reading a full novel to see what the author can do with and if she makes me fall in love with Silver Creek.

[Jennifer Schultheis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbuttoned is a great start to the Silver Creek Romance series. Lucas and Carly grew up together, not to mention he's her brother's best friend. It's always been the three of them because both sets of parents were crappy. Carly's dad always cheated on her mom, which resulted in screaming matches in public. Because of this, everyone knew their business. Lucas's mom left him and his father when he was younger, so he has issues with people leaving him. Carly has always had a thing for Lucas but she keeps seeing him with different women and thinks he's just like her father. Carly leaves for college and comes back with the intent to ignore Lucas for as long as she can. Lucas doesn't like the frosty looks Carly gives him when they are working together on a charity project, and calls her out for her behavior. Soon, the bickering leads to passionate embraces, which then leads to hot sex. They both believe it's just sex, but feelings change and Lucas has to convince Carly he's not like her father.

Short story, but totally worth the read. Off to purchase the next Silver Creek book.

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carly Denton is a bit uptight, but that's only because her childhood has taught her to avoid scandal and gossip, to care about what other people think. And that's part of the reason she treats Luke Miller with so much disdain. He simply doesn't care. Not to mention that he's a bit of a womanizer and could cause so much of a threat to her heart. But Luke also challenges her to step outside of her comfortable little box. And when she does, she really risks her heart, but overcoming her fears will not be so easy. Luke is equally as damaged, having watched his father drink himself to death becasue of lost love. He grew up believing that he wasn't good enough for people to stay with him. And he's afraid that Carly will be a similar situation.

This was a really cute, but angsty little read. The characters are likeable, even with the completely erroneous thoughts they bring to the relationship because of their tragic childhoods. I would have liked to have seen a bit more acknowledgment of exactly how much Carly broke Luke's heart by denying him but the resolution felt complete. She really put herself out there for him. The epilogue was also sweet.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot cowboy romp

Author Yates was able to pack a lot into this novella. I wish it had been a full-length novel but all the loose ends were tied up and I thoroughly enjoyed Carly and Lucas' story.

"You, Carly Denton," he rasped, "need to be unbuttoned, very badly." And she did. And he did. Hot, steamy sex scenes. Tender moments between two lovers meant for each other. Difficult familial relationships from childhood on that tend to rule lives - unless restrictive ties are finally broken.

This is the first book by Yates that I've read. I love cowboy romances and it takes place in Oregon. What more could I want? I've already pre-ordered "Unexpected," the next Silver Creek, Oregon tale, and am looking forward to reading it next week.

[Heather andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can tell Lucas and Carly has issues especially when the first few pages are of Lucas talking about Carly's face LOL, "no matter what he did, no matter what he said, he got sour-apple face and tart response." Carly holy crap that woman is feisty, "because you walk around like you're God's gift, and you expect every woman to want to open the package." I mean there is feelings there and Carly is just starting to slip up her words when Lucas notices, "I said you or one of the other cowboys. Generic bare cowboy chest is worth extra. You know, in the estimation of some women, not necessarily me." Her thoughts get pretty interesting as well, "Sex. She was here for sex. Wild, hot, sweaty against-the-barn sex." I liked this story and can't wait to read Mac's.

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short story that I discovered courtesy of a review on Smart Bitches Trashy books. It's probably priced at the top end of what I'd prefer to pay for a short but the review and sample I tried were such that I decided to buy. I'm glad I did. This was a fun, sexy read. Because it is short, issues get resolved pretty fast in order to get to our HEA but it didn't feel stretched beyond belief.

I think this novella should be further fleshed out to a full length novel. The story has the quality to go the distance.

[elstaffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute enemies-to-lovers novella. For its short length, the author managed to pack a surprisingly emotional punch with the way the hero and heroine's growing-up experiences caused conflict; nothing seemed contrived about that conflict except possibly the brother ex machina of the heroine's brother and hero's best friend reacting negatively to finding out they were sleeping together, but even that made sense, since it was bound to happen at some point; the timing of it was just condensed because novella.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review Posted on HarlequinJunkie.com

When Lucas Miller shows up in Carly’s office, she’s forced to interact with him. That’s troubling because she’s been trying to ignore him for the better part of the last two years. It’s also troubling because he pokes at her every chance he gets. Carly Denton, despite being the daughter of the …Read More

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about Carly and Lucas - they have known each other since they were kids! Lucas was Carly's big brother's best friend. Carly loathes Lucas the man and his appearance of being a womanizer -- Lucas doesn't like that reputation and knows Carly has it all wrong. Great story of two childhood friends learning to love as adults!!

[Jamie DeBree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unbuttoned is fun - though not for the characters, of course. I'll admit I tend to skip a lot of Maisey's books because they often come with a pregnancy, which is not even close to my thing, personally, but I love her writing and stories, so I was excited to find this gem and it didn't disappoint. A nice, quick read with all-too-real characters. Loved it!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this quick read. Well written and never any slow spots. I did not give it five stars because it was a novella. I really would have loved to read this as a full book. So much more could have been added to this same story line to make it longer. That being said I did enjoy it and will read it again as part of this series. This is a new author for me and so far I am happy.

[Lyka · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I'm a sucker for a secretly-in-love-with-the-brother's-bestfriend heroine so this novella works for me. The ending scene is just a little cheesy for my taste though. The fast pacing of the story esp. the abrupt ending somehow leaves me wanting for more, but since this isn't really a full-length novel, I'll just suck it up.

[Samantha Kauchis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite numerous editorial errors that had me pausing and re-reading several sentences over again, this was a pretty decent novella. Yeah, things did seem to move a little quickly, but it was believable, because the HEA couple had known eachother for years. So it wasn't a case of I-just-met-you-please-marry-me. :)