Falling for Owen

The McBrides #2

by Jennifer Ryan

The McBrides of Fallbrook return with reformed bad boy Owen. He'll do whatever he must to protect the woman who's captured his heart.

Attorney by day, rancher by night Owen McBride conquered his dark past and made it his mission to help the innocent-even at the expense of a personal life. But when a client's abusive ex-husband targets Owen and his gorgeous neighbor Claire gets caught in the crossfire, his feelings turn anything but professional. The mysterious beauty awakens something in him, and he'll move heaven and earth to keep her safe.

Coffee shop owner Claire Walsh learned the hard way that handsome men aren't to be trusted. Owen may be sexy as hell and determined to take care of her, but she's reluctant to put her heart on the line. His presence in her life puts a target on her back, yet the more time she spends with him, the more she finds she can't help falling for Owen.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Westerns, Romantic Suspense, Suspense, Adult

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 15, 2014

About the author

Jennifer Ryan, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Hunted and McBrides Series, writes romantic suspense and contemporary small-town romances.

Jennifer lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and three children. When she isn’t writing a book, she’s reading one. Her obsession with both is often revealed in the state of her home, and how late dinner is to the table. When she finally leaves those fictional worlds, you’ll find her in the garden, playing in the dirt and daydreaming about people who live only in her head, until she puts them on paper.

Please visit her website at www.jennifer-ryan.com for information about upcoming releases.

Reviews

[Syndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book that I picked up in this series and I do love it. I like the humor from Miss Ryan. She knows where to inject the humor in the right moment.

The plot is nothing new. A crazy stalker and a hero who has big heart. Although I want to see more chemistry from Owen and Claire. More heat. More vulnerable moment.

Overall it is a good book. Very entertaining.

4 stars

[Lynette (TheJadedReader) · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Jennifer Ryan Romance Book Drinking Game:

If you see the following, drink!
* JR says anything about a "Mass of hair" - DRINK ONE SHOT
* JR talks about the female characters feet - DRINK ONE SHOT
* Anytime a male character says or thinks about a female being "round with his baby" - DRINK TWO SHOTS
* The male character does something overly presumptuous for whatever relationship stage they are in (ie "I had my assistant take your car home, you're staying with me tonight.", "I called your boss", "I had my contractor come over to fix the door... and install a security system.", "I packed you a bag for the weekend.", "I will ask you to marry me. And you will say yes.", etc.)- DRINK ONE SHOT
* Something fishy is happening, but the police have NO IDEA what's going on - DRINK ONE SHOT
* Everytime someone has multiple orgasms. The first one's a freebie, but multiples need shots - DRINK ONE SHOT FOR EVERY ORGASM AFTER THE FIRST ONE.
* When the main female character reveals that she has either a crappy family or no family - DRINK TWO SHOTS
* If When the female loves to bake - DRINK TWO SHOTS
* If When the female loves children - DRINK ONE SHOT
* If When the female is an animal whisperer! - DRINK TWO SHOTS
* When the female character is insta-bffs with another female in the book - DRINK ONE SHOT FOR EVERY NEW BESTIE
* If the male and/or female character has never spent the night with someone before - DRINK ONE SHOT FOR EACH
* When Character A explains to Character B what and why Character B is doing what they are doing. - DRINK ONE SHOT

Yeah... good luck getting out of that one sober. Or alive even.

I might be overly harsh on this one, but I'm on Jennifer Ryan overload. And I just don't love this series. I've liked the other series, but this one just isn't doing anything for me. I think I'm going to hold off on the third book in this series. I was intrigued at the upcoming plotline, but I'm discouraged because Dylan is a cop that already had the wool pulled over his eyes in this book, so.... mmmm.... I'm just not sure.

My beef with this book is really not so much the books fault. It's just that... I've read it before. I feel like every JR book is starting to look the same. Oh sure, the characters have different names and somewhat different occupations, but in the big picture, they are all about the same. I didn't really like Owen's character, even in the first of the series, and Claire is just kind of a nobody- character to me.

Spoilers here, friends. I figured out the "twist" about as soon as it happened. It's not hard to connect the dots. Unless you are a character in the story or the police, then there's no chance you will connect these dots. I found that even though Owen was trying "so hard" to not cross the client-lawyer line, he did many times, just with his Southern boy nice-guy behavior. I thought that he needed to stop being a puss and tell Shannon to back off. Or just refuse to see her. I thought Claire was too lenient, even though she didn't like their relationship, but somehow she just didn't see how overly inappropriate it was.

[Lover of Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨


First Impressions
Falling For Owen is the second book in the "McBrides" series and I am slowly making my way throughout this author's backlist and truly loving it. While this series isn't perfect, its full of home and family and thrilling suspense tension that only this author delivers so well. There is such a wonderful feeling when I pick up a Jennifer Ryan, its almost like a warm hug. There is such a great family bond that this family has and I loved seeing a hero who was once a bad boy become so model in society and has such a good heart. Seeing him working as a lawyer and rancher was unique and I just adored Owen to my heart and soul. He is the type of hero you want in real life. Just solid and true and loyal to a fault. This book is a romantic suspense mixed in with small town feels with a fabulous plot that keeps you on your toes.

First Line
Dale hid between two buildings, watching his wife and her cocky lawyer walk down the steps from his office.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Owen McBride
Reformed Bad Boy, Lawyer, Rancher, Honest and Loyal

The Heroine: Claire Walsh
Claire, business owner and runs a bakery and coffee shop. Mistrustful of men. Strong and independent with a bit of willful tossed in.

Summary
When Claire is attacked one night, being caught in the crossfire between Dale and Owen McBride, Owen and his family come to her rescue and become her champions. Claire is used to being independent and has never had anyone to truly trust in male form, and she doesn't know how to trust Owen. But when he becomes her protector with honest intentions, she can't help but want to fall under his umbrella of protection and wanting to give into the chemistry that is exploding between them. But her past has taught her not to trust others. Owen has worked hard to redeem himself from his dark past and find his place in the only home he has ever known. He is naturally protective and wants to shielf Claire from the danger she is in as she has now become the target of a stalker. But is it Owen or Claire the target and is there enemy the obvious choice or will the culprit be someone they won't expect?

What I Loved
What I truly adore about Jennifer Ryan is the way that she writes a good mystery. Most times you can't guess the true villain. And even though I had a feeling on who the true villain would be, it was also very grey wondering if this individual was the true villain or not and until it happens you just are on the fence about it. And how the third act evolves...well it packs such a punch. It kept me on the edge of my seat seeing the events unravel as it does. I truly adored the plot side of the story. Its the strongest level of the story.

Now as for the romance, this was a bit more of a struggle for me. It felt a bit too rushed for me. And its possible it was just my mood or I just wasn't quite connecting with the relationship as I would have liked to, but it felt way too quick and I felt like this couple should have had more page time than they had to make their relationship more believable. Not to say its badly done, because it really isn't. I just feel like we should have seen them together just a bit more to really see that connection more strongly.

Then we have the family connections that we get to see within this one. I just loved seeing Owen with his cousin and brother. They just make such a great team and loved their friendship and family bonds. The way they just instantly support each other instantly endears the reader and you just want to see them together more often. It delivers on all the warm fuzzies.

Overall View
Falling For Owen was a brilliant story that melted my heart with poignant chemistry, a suspense plot to keep the reader on edge and all the heart you could ask for and more!

Favorite Quote(s)
“You barely know me, how do you know I’m not some shrew of a wife?”
“Your shop and the way you are with the kids who come in there. You love what you do. You put your whole heart into it. I have no doubt you did the same with your marriage. Any man who’d give that up doesn’t deserve to live.”

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Character Types: Business Owner, Baker, Rancher, Bad Boy, Lawyer
Themes: Small Town, Western, Danger Plot, Family Bonds
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Instant Love, Protector, Redemption

Book Perspective
3rd POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
A Mix of both but more focus on conflict in the plot and has more minimal relationship angst

Song This Book Inspires
I Knew I Loved You by Savage Garden

Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes Read in Order if Possible

Steam/Spice Explanations

Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.

[Big Joe Rossi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Owen McBride left his bad boy past and is now a rancher and a lawyer. When a client's estranged husband attacks his neighbor and does a hit & run on her. He is enraged. He is also drawn to her and will do anything to keep her safe while also being near her.

More than just a normal Coffee shop owner Claire Walsh left one crappy husband and is now making a life for herself. Building a business, slowly maker her house a home, but after a whacko mistakes her for her neighbor [Owen] her sense of safety is disrupted. Luckily the sexy neighbor is intent in keeping her safe. In time the two will grow closer, the magnetism will draw them together but when things keep happening will it threaten more than just her safety will it threaten their HEA too?

I love Ms Ryan's writing. Her stories have lil twist, albeit a little predictable, but the romance and suspense make up for the predictability. Also, her characters, while flawed, are strong leads. I am hooked on her writing.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good romance-suspense story, and I really enjoy them when the hero is a ruggedly, sexy, stud cowboy. I don't know why but they turn me on. Maybe because they get dirty working on the land, or maybe because they work with their hands. Don't matter, they're yummy. Yes, I said yummy so go ahead and roll yours eyes. You have my blessing. :)

"Falling For Owen" is your typical romance of hero meeting heroine, falling madly in love, wanting the same things out of life - marriage and babies. The story wouldn't be complete without the obsessive stalker who wants the loving couple to not exist. Owen and Claire obviously loved each other and wanted a future together; however, I didn't feel any heat or chemistry between them. Even with the sexcapades that took place, there was nothing; no sizzle as they rolled around in the sheets. Doesn't help that I found the sexcapades boring and repetitive.

Now as to why I gave it a low rating. It was so bloody obvious from the get-go who the stalker was. I'm sure the author was trying to keep her readers in suspense, but it backfired - at least for me it did. I knew from the first page when we read from the stalker's POV who it was. That being said, it was too hard to believe that not one single person could figure out who it was. Okay, maybe at first they wouldn't know, but to only figure it out close to the very end? No. So unrealistic. Not to mention it makes the protagonists and secondary characters come across as total nitwits. I mean we have Owen who's a lawyer, Owen's brother Brody with a military background, and Owen's cousin Dylan who's the sheriff, and still they couldn't figure it out. If anything, I thought Claire would've figured it out, but no. Hell, even Owen's assistant, Janine, mentioned to him at what length a stalker would go to get what they want, and still, Owen doesn't pick up on it. This entire issue not only had me rolling my eyes, it bothered and pissed me off as I found to be so ill-conceived. Not to confuse you, I just want to make it clear I had no issue with the stalker, a character I thought was pretty good. It's the fact that no one figured it out when it was clearly evident who it was.

When all is said and done, a quick and simple read that I'm sure many other readers will enjoy.

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Are you freaking kidding me? I was willing to give this book the benefit of the doubt until the police station scene. Could the mystery have been more obvious, or the characters any more clueless? I’m also beyond ticked about the preachy moralizing over the ‘bad’ kink. That wasn’t kink, that was psychosis and I’m offended on behalf of the entire Lifestyle that it’s even suggested in this story. I liked the relationship between Owen and Claire, but I lost count of the number of times I mumbled “are you stupid?” when the characters missed the beyond obvious actions of the stalker. And that just ruined all enjoyment I might have been having in the story. The final confrontation scenes of this book made me so angry, which ruined every good feeling that had remained.

[Whit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so loving the McBride Brothers series. Lots of suspense, jealousy and crazy stalkers! And then you get the hot, sexy and loyal McBride brothers and the women they love. I loved Owen from book # 1 after the loving way he took care of Brody's family when he really didn't have to. But that's just the kind of guy he is. Unfortunately, that can also cause problems. Owen helped his client, Shannon, to get a divorce from her abusive husband. Now she is crossing the client/attorney line into dangerous territory and putting a lot of people in danger. Will Brody be able to protect his neighbor Clare from the madness now that he realizes how important Clare is to him?

[Jessica (jpbooklife) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really struggled with this book at the beginning. I will say that it got a little bit better and more exciting near the end. But it wasn't quite enough to warrant a higher rating.
There was so many old fashioned ideas of roles of men and women. When the brother condescendingly suggests that the women talk about decorating while the men talk about fishing, just grated on me because it was completely serious. He wasn't joking. The men in this book were here to save the helpless women.
The instant love was it was a little bit much for my liking. They spoke as if they'd known each other forever. When in reality they had barely interacted before. It felt weird and awkward.
And my biggest issue with the story is that at the end what everyone seemed most upset with, as far as the villain went , was not the heinous things they had done to the heroin. They were more upset with the fact that the villain liked a little bit of kink. A couple of times it was said that they obviously need therapy if they likes a bit of pain with their pleasure. They doesn't need therapy because they are crazy and obsessive and violent and lie. No, they need therapy because their personal brand of kink.
The narration by Luke Daniels was excellent, but this story just came up lacking for me.

[Heather andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title sure fits the book because boy oh boy did I fall for Owen, "sweetheart, you never said no, either with words or actions, judging by the way you're holding tight to me right now." She unfisted her hands from his shirt, like she'd been holding on to a snake. He wanted her back. Bad." I loved the chemistry Owen and Claire had:
"Please tell Janine I need five minutes."
"To eat your lunch?" she asked, pointing to the bucket of food.
"No, to stop thinking about you and sex." Her gaze raked over him, stopping momentarily on the bulge in his slacks before shooting back up to his face.
They're just so playful when together:
"I love all these hard muscles," she said, leaning back in his arms, her hands going to the button on his jeans.
"I have something else hard for...." You dies on his lips when she slipped her hand down his pants and boxers and clamped her fingers around his di**. "Ah, God, sweetheart."
I love this series and I'm really excited for Dylan's story.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rounded this up to four stars. Overall, it was a nice, guilty pleasure, damsel in distress read.

I read another book by Jennifer Ryan (not in this series) and didn't think the dialogue was very believeable, the writing didn't seem natural at all. Falling for Owen was much better in that respect, the conversation flowed much smoother, although it did seem kind of stiff in spots. What I liked best about this story was that Owen was drawn to Claire right from the beginning. I love a hero that falls fast and hard and will do anything for his lady. I did think both him and Claire were a little naive not to see what was going on sooner as it was quite obvious and almost brought some of the issues on themselves. I'm also not sure I really liked how the domestic issue was handled at the end and the story seemed like it dragged a bit in spots.

All that being said, I do plan on reading the next book in the series when it releases.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire Walsh lives a pretty quiet life. She runs her coffee shop by day and works on renovating her house at night. She's not looking for a man because she's already tried that route and it just didn't work. So when she gets attacked at her own house by a drunk man and her neighbor, Owen McBride, shows up to help out, her whole life gets turned upside down. Owen doesn't do relationships. Every woman he is with knows that he doesn't do commitment. When Owen comes to Claire's aid he never expects to fall head over heels in love with the independent woman. But fall in love he does!

I like the fact that both Claire and Owen are full grown adults with adult jobs and a sense of responsibility. I'm not totally clear where Claire got the money to start a coffee shop after her divorce but maybe I missed that explanation. I'm not totally clear on why Owen would want to be a full time lawyer and still hold on to the family land that requires a lot of work but maybe I just don't get it. In the end those two elements of the book are a big part of what make Claire and Owen work as a couple because it shows their dedication and hard work. I really liked both of them and I thought their relationship was very believable. (Even if I don't like insta-love stories.)

If you like lightweight, contemporary romance, I recommend giving this book a try. Yes, there's a bad guy. Yes, there are some "tense" scenes but it's nothing really scary or unnerving. And the conclusion is kind of predictable.

Quote:
He held his hand out and she took it. His warmth seeped into her skin and sent a zip of electricity up her arm. Their gazes locked in a shared moment of awareness. She'd forgotten how wonderful the beginning of a relationship felt. page 114

purchased copy of book at 2nd and Charles

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was so incredibly frustrating to read. I wanted to just skip to the end and get it over with. It started out great, but as soon as the danger became apparent, I guessed right away who the 'culprit' was, it was that glaringly obvious. So how can an attorney like Owen who's supposed to be very intelligent (both book and street smart), not see what was right in front of his eyes? He was an incredibly naive and gullible man, which doesn't make a good character trait in any person, but especially not a man. And that's just sad because I absolutely adored Owen in the first book and was really looking forward to reading his book.

Things move fast between Owen & Claire once they start seeing each other regularly. I had no issues with that. I wouldn't say it was insta-love because they've been acquaintances for a while and hadn't really looked at each other in any way other than customer/business owner before this book. But they do go from 'I like you' to 'I want you to have my babies and marry you right away' in a matter of weeks it seemed. I did think they were a cute couple and I enjoyed seeing them together. And the epilogue was really cute.

It's just hard for me to move past Owen being a complete idiot to really think this was a great book plot wise.

I will say that the writing was much improved compared to Book 1 that was just disjointed. I had an easier time following, although she did still switch characters in the middle of a page without warning. It wasn't as confusing as the first book where I'd read for a couple paragraphs before realizing the POV had switched.

Unfortunately, this series has been a complete dud for me, which is disappointing since I like Ms. Ryan's other series. I'll finish this one out though since I love a good single dad romance and want to see what's in store for Dylan next.

[LaBlue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really do like this author’s characters and stories but I find her writing style to be kind of boring for the first half of her books. Each scene or gratuitous conversation is dragged out more than it should be. There are also too many people involved in a couples relationship. Like in Brody’s book, everyone was involved and considering his f”k up I got it. But in this one, Brody was involved in the most inappropriate times. Like the first date, or the kissing the FMC on the forehead from then on.

Anyway, after the 50% point it doesn’t really pick up much. Too much dragging out the conflict. I mean the MMC kept stating that everything didn’t add up and yet he never once considered the actual OW was the villain. Yeah, that was too easy to have realistically been ignored.

Still, I slogged through this one so I could get to Dylan’s book. It’s a nice enough read but probably forgettable. Good luck. I hope the next book is better.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the McBrides series and it was the best. After reading the first book we knew that Owen McBride had come back home and had helped take care of his brother's two daughters and Brody's long lost girlfriend but it was time for Owen to find someone special. As an attorney, Owen was always there for his clients, but one off them, Shannon, took his attention a little too personal and decided for herself that he would be her next husband. Unfortunately for her, Shannon's soon to be ex-husband, thinking that Owen lived at this house instead of down the road, broke in and terrorized Claire Walsh trying to find Owen. Little did he know that she did not even know Owen at the time but this was the start of a great friendship between her and Owen and then a wonderful relationship.

[Moira · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book in The McBride's series was a bit better than book 1 so I would give it 3.5 stars. I do agree with other reviewers that the culprit was obvious so by not having the main characters (a lawyer, sheriff, and former Army Ranger) realize this , the author makes them less important.

The relationship between Owen and Claire is well-written. She's the focus of a deranged person and he dies everything in his power to make her feel safe and secure. She has a hard time accepting his help due to a previous relationship. He's patient and supportive, allowing her to set the pace of their relationship.

It's a quick read and an enjoyable story of second chance love. Looking forward to Dylan's story next.

[Bailee McCarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot get enough of these stories by Jennifer Ryan! They are feel good, sometimes spicy, romances but also have that mystery vibe that has you playing detective and trying to figure out what is going to happen -- so a win-win in my book! I liked how this one kind of fast forwarded in some spots but didn't feel rushed into. So far, I have read the Montana Men series 1-4 and the McBrides series 1 and 2, and all of them have left me teary eyed with happiness in the end. I am looking forward to reading the rest of Jennifer Ryan's books and can't wait to dive into them!

[Dawn Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good continuation of series

Owen is a caring and compassionate attorney. Butt he learns the hard way that sometimes that can be a bad thing. Claire has always thought Owen is a great guy. She incorrectly assumed some things about him but that gets straightened out. It's easy to tell who is doing the attacks but Owen can see it though. There's also a good set up for the next book.

[Judith Sherrod · Rating 4 out of 5]

Falling for Owen

A good storyline. Single lawyer falling for the pretty new divorcee in town. Owen saw what his brother, Brody, had with Rain and wanted a family of his own. He was attracted to her but didn't think he would have to protect her from someone out to get him. While protecting Clare, he fell for her but almost lost her because of a psychopath.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, I felt like the book started out with great ideas, I really liked Claire and Owen as characters, I just feel like the book could have had more depth into it. Improvements could still be made on the book, it was well thought when it started, which was attention getting, then eventually I felt like some of the things were getting to be repetitive.

[Christine Jalili · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series.

I really loved Owen from the first book in this series. But is he too kind? There’s a client that becomes obsessed with him. Loved how he comes to Claire’s rescue, and falls for her. There’s a twist and I wonder just how crazy his client is. Can Owen keep Claire safe? Loved updates on prior characters too, I highly recommend this book.

[Reggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Owen McBride grew up making poor choices then he went away to law school. Now he’s back and is a respectable lawyer. His first official introduction to his neighbor is when she is accosted by the ex husband of one of his clients. The pair have chemistry and, as Owen takes over protecting Claire from a madman, a relationship is forged. If only that stalker will get caught.

[ECReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast, But Not So Smooth Operator - 2.5 Stars

Owen came on too strong with Claire. It made her seem a bit desperate to allow him to insinuate himself into her life to the degree he did. Nothing wrong with accepting a bit of help, but these two moved their relationship along too fast. The other aspects of the story were good, from the plot to the characters. It kept me engaged until the end.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story of Owen and Claire it was a good story. After Claire was hit from Dale the first time I knew it was Sharron did all the rest so I wasn't surprised at the end at all. She was one sick chick.

[Stefanie Daby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great second book in the series

The story of Owen and Claire is very well thought out. It has its twists and turns. Excellent read. Can't wait for the 3rd book. This series has been great. Gets you thinking

[Roni Denholtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is combination of traditional, contemporary cowboy romance and romantic suspense. Jennifer Ryan kept me totally engrossed! This is the first book I read by her but I enjoyed it so much I'm hopping over to Amazon to order more of her novels. Excellent book!

[Cheriwinkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 in the McBride series, this is Owen’s story. Again, a great story and likable characters. Had it figured out way early, but that was OK. Luke Daniels does a nice job of reading except for making Autumn and Dawn sound like kindergartners.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Falling For Owen is a wonderful romance - suspense story. Following Owen and Claire on their journey was quite the ride. Twists and turns kept you turning the pages for what was next. I loved every minute of their story and didn't want it to end.

[Holly Goddard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored the love story! The protective gentleman is always a win. But this one just had all the sweetness dripping off of it, it was cheesy in parts, but its also exactly what I expected! New favorite author!

[Amelia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Predictable. Bad Writing, Mid paragraph it would change whose feelings it was talking about.

[Penney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not the plot you're looking for.