Searching for Love

Carson Hill Ranch #2

by Amelia Rose

A Contemporary Cowboy Romance Novel

This is book 2 in the Carson Hill Ranch series

As the "younger" twin, Carey Carson has always lived comfortably in brother Casey's shadow, happy to let him take the lead. But when Casey leaves for his honeymoon and the cattle drive has to continue without him, it's up to Carey to step up and fill those highly respected boots.

Amy McDade joined the cattle drive with a group of other vacationers, only for her, this drive isn't about learning to rope a steer or having a good time. It's her final attempt to build up her confidence again since an injury on the job has kept her from being a part of the career she's always loved.

When Carey and Amy find themselves headed back to the Carson Hill Ranch and into waiting danger, can they lean on each other for the strength they will need to fend off a crazed drug dealer bent on revenge?

Genres: Romance, Westerns, Audiobook, Novella, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

128 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 20, 2013

About the author

I am a shameless romance addict with no intentions of ever kicking the habit. Growing up I dreamed of entertaining people and taking them on fantastical journeys with my acting abilities, until I came to the realization as a college sophomore that I had none to speak of. Another ten years would pass before I discovered a different means to accomplishing the same dream: writing stories of love and passion for addicts just like me.I have always loved romance stories and I try to tie all the elements I like about them into my writing.

Reviews

[Cheesecake · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this from the Author through Audio Boom for free in exchange for a fair review.
Valerie Gilbert does an excellent reading of this Audiobook!
Amy the psychically wounded and Carey.
Well this was not what I was expecting at all! Not in a bad way though. The first book in the series revolved around Carey's slightly older twin Casey and was a lighthearted romance with a little action/suspense thrown in. This book is the other way around and much grittier. There is some violence and it's a bit more graphic than I like in an audio book as you can't skim past it. Not really a stand-a-lone.
After Casey and his new wife depart on their honeymoon, Carey must take more of a leadership role in the cattle drive. The city slickers who paid to come with are a mixed bag of personalities. One in particular though, Amy, takes Carey's interest. Then word comes that the town pimp and drug pusher has attacked the homestead and Carey leaves to help them out. Amy offers to join him and this turns out to be a good thing, because there's more to Amy than the quiet woman who lacks self confidence. In fact there's a good reason she had lost her confidence and the action in this book will help restore her to her old self (and bring her and Carey closer together of course!). I was kinda worried at first that she was going to be a wimpy h...
I was expecting the suspense to be as simplistic as the last book, but it wasn't and really kept me on my toes. It's not non-stop though, being interspersed with vignettes with other characters. I never felt that the story wasn't foremost about Carey and Amy though.
There's a sweet little bit where Casey and Amanda are on their honeymoon.
Although the ending is an HEA, it was a wee bit HFN too, leading to the third book, as far as intrigue is concerned. But there's no annoying set up for the next love interests in this book which I am vastly thankful for, and makes me really want to get the next story!!
Totally PG, and fade to black except for kissing, these books are still romantic and sweet. Didn't bother me at all. I could still feel the chemistry between the MCs without pages of graphic blow by blow descriptions of sex. Kinda nice for a change really.
I like too, that the Heroes are all 'real men' like you might meet and date yourself, not domineering alpha-holes.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story of learning to stand on your own two feet stepping out of the shadows and showing what you are made of not only for Carey but for his very young brother. With his twin who usually takes control making the decision is away on his honeymoon he must learn to take over with trouble comes knocking. This is a running ranch but they do hire out to city folks when it comes time for the around up and drive. Giving them a taste of what a true old fashion trail ride is all about. Well that is with a few update things like a shower and good home cooked meals. Not everyone is happy when one woman decides to see how much trouble she can stir up with her holier than thou ways. With one son down it leave their father trying to find ways to get his other sons married off. Here you will learn more about the town, drugs and girls of the night. It takes two strong women who break their ties to start a new life and help out the Carson when trouble comes knocking.

This narrator is one very talented person giving a compelling listen with such passion you can feel through her voice. She really brings this audio to life giving you a highly entertaining read. She puts such emotion into the audio you can feel the pain, sorrow, sadness, joy, happiness through her tones. Her performance is outstanding as she pulls you in taking you way through the excitement and danger that comes. I love her many different voices from her sexy strong males to her sassy strong women. She pulls deep inside herself giving you a compelling listen that will leave you chuckling and at times laughing. She knows how to hit the correct tones really keeping the listener invested as they wait for the next shoe to drop. There are not any background noises and no breaks were taken that I could tell. You can picture the story unfold through her voice and her tones. You have no trouble knowing who is talking or what they are feeling. I just love to be taken away by this very talented narrator. I can hardly wait for the next listen.

What you will find in this story is not everything is as it seems nor the people. There are a lot of twists and turns that you won’t see coming. A few might even shock you. As I get more into this series I just love the characters from their humor to their troubles the plot really pulls you in giving you a wonderful outstanding listen you can get lost in.

At first you do not know what to think of Amy and a few of the other characters. Amy is having a hard time not only with the vacation that seems more like work but slowly she is building her confidence back so she can get back to the job she loves. Out of all the characters in this book she surprised me the most. I sure didn’t see that coming. Watching her grow, get strong and pull herself together was just delightful. There are a lot of times I had to laugh out loud at her and her horse.

Carey is so unsure of his self not knowing that deep inside him is a place that is very strong. When the chips are down and he is needed he does his best to pull the whole ranch together to overcome the danger he finds his self in. I loved watching him grow and letting his light shine his is a very intelligent that just needs a chance to prove his self. Wait until you see his truck man would I love to have a ride in it.

The author brings damage, love, sorrow, pain, starting over, humor, fun, and excitement to this read. I loved the plot and the twists and turns I didn’t see coming. The emotion is real with real issues and the characters are pretty down to earth. People you will grow to love. Getting hooked on this series has been so easy. In fact I just bought the rest of the series I didn’t already own. I just love box sets and the author has a wonderful deal on them. I love the authors writing style she really knows how to hold you on the edge with excitement and thrills. Some of the danger you will work out, other parts will keep you in surprise. I can’t wait to start the next book in this series.

[Tracy M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this segment as much as the 1st. It fell off the romantic cowboy trail and into a conspiracist tale. It also irked me that despite her lust interest just getting burned crispy by a Molotov Amy was able to over look this injury and try to pursue an intimate connection. Very sloppy considering she's a First Responder.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book two in the Carson Hill Ranch series was a little better than book one.

[Peni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Searching For Love'
I really liked concept of this story. The follow thg through needs a little work. Who would want to get married after working hard for 2 days on the trail putting on a wedding dress without a chance to take s shower and clean up? I'm not the least fastidious but yuck. Anyway, this story ended with lots of loose ends. How did the rest of the cattle drive go? Anymore incidents? It takes only as 4 hours to go from Cancun to the Cattle Drive? What happened when everyone got back from the cattle drive? The DEA arrive and the couple goes off by themselves with no explanations? What happened with the two girls and the schoolteacher?

The story just ended, without tieing up any of the loose threads.

Valerie Gilbert did another excellent job narrating.

I recieved a free Audible copy of this story in exchange for a honest review.

[Kimberly Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked how Carey finds his way out of the shadows of his twin and find his own woman. Amy find her gumption and mojo again and she is turns out to be badass! I really liked this one. Wished they had more story development on the girls that are kicking the drug habit but I think they are going to be an ongoing arc. Looking forward to reading/hearing more. Loving the audible books and the narrator really brings something. Gracie’s character is developing more and I am looking forward to seeing where she leads as well. I have a few theories but look forward to seeing where they lead. Recommend to readers on both platforms.

[Rowena Winfrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Searching for Love a Great Read

Having read the first Carbon Hill Ranch book, I expected this one to be equally interesting. Amelia Rose didn't disappoint me! This book has a little of everything--romance, intrigue, mystery and drama. Plus the couple I fell in love with in Book 1 showed up to add some spice to book 2! It's a great quick read, especially if you love cowboys and romance!

[Reader_for_LifeTLG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook. A great story, twin Carey found his forever love in a big-city cop with some confidence issues. Little did she Amy know she'd find her gumption, a crime ring and her lifelong love when she decided to go on a cattle drive.

[Ferbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love all the action. Carey and Amy's story have even more excitement and many answers to the some of the happenings from book one. I love the Carson family dynamics and I'm enjoying the series. The story is nicely narrated so listening is fun.

[Rebekah Carulli Hanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first because I mean how much bad luck can one family have? The ranch is attacked, while the cattle drive is sabotaged, and the one son had a life threatening injury. The cowboy heat is there but the whole thing moved off into conspiracy. R. K. Hanson

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Searching For Love

This book was fun of suspense and lots of love. Amy appeared to be a very meek and mild young lady only to find out she has spunk. It turns out that she actually saves the ranch and her close friend Carey. This story kept me on the edge of my seat.

[ReadingWench · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was great. I loved the character Amy. It surprised me about who she was. The story was excellent and flowed great. There was some mystery involved and I love that.

[Simara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually really like this author but I couldn’t connect to the story. I gave up with less than an hour to finish it. Narration was ok but maybe it was too much thriller and not enough romance?

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a full story — first few chapters. Ok story so far.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a romantic story about Amy and Carey. It is the second in the series. I had not read the first book, and feel it would have enhanced my enjoyment had I done that. The first book obviously covers the story of Carey’s brother and Miranda. In this book, Miranda alludes to events and actions that occurred in the first book, and, not having read it, I was at s loss to really understand. If the author wishes this to be a stand-alone book, I recommend she include a couple of sentences about the events from the first book, at least the first time the event/action is alluded to. This really wouldn't add all that much to the book length but would make the book more understandable and enjoyable. The book is not very long and includes several different plots/subplots. Since there are so many and since the book is not very long, there is little time to fully develop any of these plots/subplots. As I read the book, I felt the author was rushed to get the information out for the plots/subplots. There was no time for development of any. I think it would have been better to have less plots/subplots, so there could be more development of those that are present. I thought there was no chemistry between Carey and Amy. They just sort of met and fell right into “love”, with little or no lead-in. I would have preferred more development. In addition, with so many different plots/subplots, the author has little time to develop any of the characters. Thus, they all come across as superficial and shallow. Less plots/subplots would have eliminated this. In addition, the author could have written a longer book, if she wanted to have this many plots/subplots. The basic storyline is quite a good one and shows lots of promise. I though the fact that all this occurred during a tourist participation in a cattle drive was novel and interesting. However, again, a lot of the story did not take place on the drive, and I never really did get any sort of a feel for the drive or any of the participants. There was just too much the author was covering to give her the opportunity to cover anything adequately. I had difficulty deciding how to grade this book for all these reasons. I finally decided on a three star rating because of the good points I mentioned and because of the lack of depth. I think anyone who enjoyed the first book or other of the author’s books would enjoy this one. I received this from Library Thing to read and provide and honest review.

[Donna Feibusch · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Awesome Book!

I loved reading Searching For Love (Contemporary Cowboy Romance) (Carson Hill Ranch series: Book 2), all about Carey Carson the second oldest twin & Amy a cop from Detroit who goes on the cattle drive that the Carson Ranch runs two or three times a year. Amy is considered a city newbie and is treated differently then the Cowboys and the for men on the cattle drive. This is a modern day drive, similar to how it was done in the old west where the cattle walk, but the Cowboys and the newbie's all ride horses, and four times a day the feed truck meets the drive to feed everybody. Then every other day in the morning the shower trucks show up and everybody gets to take a shower. Every night their is a campfire and everybody sits around telling stories and jokes. There is even a fun day set aside just for the newbie's when they reach the city the cattle will be sold in. Then one more night on the prairie and then the newbie's are brought to the airport and the Cowboys load up the horses and drive home. The author wrote a very interesting story that is following the Carson Family through each one of the son's as they find mates and start to produce grandchildren for the patriarch of the family. This is the second story and it's extremely intense, and you won't want to miss a single word. Because when Carey first meets Amy he just thinks she's a-Friday cat and very skittish around,the horse's he has no idea she's an officer of the law. Read this book it will make you laugh, cry, sigh, and just shake your head. Come and read about this amazing family, I can't wait to read boo, 3.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know why, but I loved this one more than the first one. I think it is something about Carey, being the brother in shadow and coming into his own. I really enjoyed going on the cattle drive and meeting Amy. I loved the way it tied in Miranda and Casey from the first book, introduced us to a couple of other brothers(Anders and Joseph), setting us up for additional Carson adventures. The mention of a feminist on the drive as well, and her superior attitude made me smile. The growing relationship between Carey and Amy moved fast, but was completely believable. Her history and why she came to Texas, how she jumped in to help and literally break the case made me feel that her strength and passion were a perfect match for Carey. Can't say enough good things about this one!

Valerie Gilbert again brings it for us. She is an amazing narrator, lucky to have her in my ears telling me this story!

--I was given a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

this series does need to be read in order for complete understanding. in book two we follow Carey through his journey of finding his soulmate. Never did he think it would be one of the City Slickers that have come out to try to learn how to Ranch. the story is quite entertaining and does build off of the first book and continues on with the same characters so you're still getting a little bit more information on the original characters and now we're building the other characters up. I found the storyline to be really familiar and was hoping for something a little more unique like we got to see in the first book. The narrator did a fantastic job continuing the series. it takes an extreme talent to pull you into the story and keep you entertained and Valerie definitely has that ability. on to book 3

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Miranda and Casey on their honeymoon, Carey is now in charge of the cattle drive along with the city folk attending. Amy is one of those city folk. She is on a mission to reclaim her self worth and abilities. Since an incident on the job a few years ago, Amy has changed her job duties and now needs to prove to herself that she can still do her old job. After her horse drags her a few yards and then Carey kisses it better, Amy jumps at the chance to accompany Carey back to the ranch where there seems to be some trouble. Along the way, Carey learns a whole lot about Amy and her career. With Amy's help, things get squared away at the ranch but now that Amy knows she has what it takes to return to her old job, she may not want to return to it.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Two - Carson Hill Ranch series

Second brother finds his true love. Nothing is ever easy, though. The oldest brother, by a few minutes, has found his wife and future...now the younger twin is on his path to happiness.

Being a rancher is hard work. Herding cattle to market is hard work, and the family Patriarch has found a way to help raise a little extra money during the cattle drive...he lets city folks pay to work with the drive for two weeks - it's a working holiday for folks from many walks of life who are looking to reconnect a bit with nature, and their own souls.

Great way to meet new folks, but who knew you could find the perfect wife on a cattle drive??? Great story!!

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

“This audiobook was given by the author at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review."


This is book two in this series. Carey Carson, the next oldest brother decided he didn't want his father to choose a bride for him. He finds dating options a bit scarce, but meets Amy a quiet woman who signed up for their cattle drive. Then begins the exciting adventures. Amelia Rose spins out a romance, mystery, suspense story to keep the listener hanging on for the next page.




The narration was well done.The characters were well portrayed. Valerie Gilbert has a pleasant voice.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carey, the male lead, has a lot on his plate when his twin brother goes on his honeymoon.

He has to keep the cattle in line, watch over Amy, the female lead, and has to deal with a drug dealer who is threatening everyone.

This book has a little Action and Romance, and in my opinion, a well worthwhile read.

Valerie Gilbert did a good job with the narration.

Note:
"This audio book was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review."

[Hazel Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay

This was an okay book. A city girl Amy come out to the Carson Hill Ranch to go on a cattle drive with the Carson family,she ends up having feels for Carey Carson. In this book there is drugs,attended murder,prostitution,and corruption.

[Heather Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable romance with an added twist that wasn't expected. using a cattle drive as the main setting was most unusual and interesting as I knew nothing about such events.

A strong female character is always welcome in a romance.

[cindy hackney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome

Love the adventurers of the cattle drive. The mystery of the crazy man and the happening of troubles...then you have a good love story too. Can't wait for it to continue in the next book.

[Impish00 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher
and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudioBlast
dot come”.

This wonderful series continues!
I can not wait to listen to the next book in this series.