Take Me Back to Texas

by Amy Lillard

TMBT5Elizabeth McGee never thought she’d set foot in Loveless, Texas, again. But after the reading of her father’s will, Elizabeth learns she’s inherited her grandmother’s house and all of the personal contents. If that wasn’t enough to knock her off her feet, she soon discovers that JD Carmichael, her lost love from high school, is the contractor who has been hired to finish renovating the house.

JD once had the world by the tail. But after a premature end to what would have been a promising career in professional football, JD wants nothing more than to raise his daughter and enjoy the life he has now. And he surely never thought he’d ever see Bethie Grace again.

Now he’s faced with her everyday as they work side by side restoring and cleaning the old house in order to ready it to sell. But the rambling old Victorian isn’t the only thing rattling with memories. Elizabeth finds that she can’t concentrate with JD around. And JD has trouble forgetting the heady effects of her kiss, even if it’s been fifteen years since he last held her in his arms.

Past hurts and betrayals stand in their way. That and JD’s vow never to get married again. But as much as he tries to keep the two halves of his life separate, he finds himself breaking all his rules for Bethie Grace McGee.

Elizabeth has plans for her future. She’s waiting for a loan to buy her very own French bistro on the edge of Hollywood. But JD’s kiss makes her second guess her decisions and think about staying in Texas. Forever.

189 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 10, 2014

About the author

I'm a wife, mother, and bona fide Southern belle. Published author, expert corn bread maker, and Squirrel Princess.

I live in Tulsa, though I was born in Mississippi. I moved to the Sooner State when I was seventeen and met my soul mate and best friend not long after. I've retained a little of my Mississippi accent though most people think I'm from Texas. (?) Rob and I have been married for over twenty years and have a son--a mom proclaimed prodigy, of course!

I love homemade tacos, nail polish, and romance novels--not necessarily in that order. I'm a big fan of country music, a staunch proponent of saving the Oxford comma, and I'm shamefully obsessed with all things Harry Potter.

I believe that God is love. I guess that's why I adore romances.

I have always been intrigued with the Amish culture, their gentle ways and slower-paced lifestyle. (And I love, love, love the fact that they stay married for their lifetime.) But until recently I never thought to blend this interest with my penchant for romance. Okay, okay, I'm a bit old-fashioned and even enjoy the gender roles that are present in this culture. I love to cook and take care of my family. Yes, that's me June Cleaver with a laptop.

I dislike people trying to convince me to read the Twlight series (I'll get to it or I won't, either way I'm good with it), gratuitous violence, and strawberry ice cream. (I know I'm alone on this last one, and again, I'm good with it.)

Favorite movies--(besides HP) French Kiss, Maid of Honor, A Lot Like Love, Just Married, and Sweet Home Alabama. Oh, and Miss Congeniality, Sabrina (both versions) and a 1940's movie called Dear Ruth. If you haven't seen it, you should! A-dorable. Anything with Doris Day and most all of Marilyn's and Audrey's.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take Me BackTo Texas ( Loveless Texas Book 1 )
By: Amy Lillard
Take Me Back To Texas is the first book in the Loveless Texas series. It is also the inspiration version. Amy Lillard does not disappoint me in this book. I loved it. I love her writing and did not have any problems following the story . I loved the two main characters Elizabeth McGee ( Berthie McGee) and J.D. Carmichael. Elizabeth has been gone from Loveless Texas for fifteen years and now she is back. Her grandmother's house has been left to her. The plans are she will go in and pick up a box or two and leave. Sometimes your plans gets changed. J.D. is the contractor that has been hired to do repairs and get the house ready to sale. J.D. broke Berthie Grace's heart fifteen years ago and she does not intend to let this happen again. These two are something else. I call them stubborn . J.D. does not plan on ever getting married again. He is keeping a secret and has not told anyone. His daughter, Mallory takes to Berthie Grace right off. I love the story of these two , but at times I wanted to slap J.D. and tell him to wake up and look around at his life. Bertie Grace you love her and you do not want her heart broken a second time. you will just have to read Take Me Back To Texas and find out more about Berthie Grace and J.D .I cannot wait to read book 2 in Loveless Texas.
I was given a copy of this book for my honest review, which I have given.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth hasn't been back to Loveless Texas in over 15 years. She hadn't expected to inherit her grandmother's older home nor did she expect to walk in the door and find the contractor to be her old boyfriend J.D. Taking a tour of the home with still good looking J.D., Elizabeth finds she will need to stay longer than planned in order to sort through her grandmothers many possessions.

In the meantime she catches up with old friends and realizes she misses the closeness of living in a small town. That small town living though means she runs into J.D. more times than she would like at first. She soon realizes that the spark is still there for both of them but doesn't understand why does J.D. want to keep his distance.

A good clean romance story about going back and finding the life and love that was meant for her. I love the small town visions of friends and activities described in this book, I also love the inspirational side when Elizabeth finds in the rush of city living she has drifted away from God. A great story and one I loved reading.

[Barbara Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take Me Back To Texas is a clean, easy to read, great book by Amy Lillard. The book kept me on the edge of my seat until the end. It's not a romance book that I could predict what was happening next, because it did have a few surprising twists and turns. I really enjoyed reading Take Me Back To Texas, but the author was excellent in bringing forth important thoughts we all should consider. We cannot go back and change the past, but learn from those mistakes and move forward. Don't run from them. Sometimes you have to take a risky step in faith. What will Elisabeth (Bethie Grace) McGee and J.D. Carmichael do? Author Amy Lillard wrote an excellent book. I highly recommend reading Take Me Back To Texas. It's Book One in the Loveless Texas series and I'm looking forward to reading Book Two.

I received a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for my honest review. This review is one hundred percent my opinion.

[Janice Sisemore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take me back to Texas

Bethie Grace comes back to Texas to take care of grandmother house. She finds her old boyfriend has been hired to remodel it. She has been living in LA where she goes by Elizabeth and she a lot different being back in a small town in Texas. JD who was her former boyfriend has a daughter who I enjoyed very much. Love the way she bonds with Bethie. This is book one of the series, will definitely read the next book. I really enjoyed this, kept my interest all thru the book. This book was given to me by the author for a honest review. Definitely recommend this book to others.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book

Another great book by Amy Lillard. I love Bethie Grace oh excuse me Elizabeth and JD they are awesome together. Mallory was great love how she connected with Bethie Grace. So many times I wanted to slap JD up side the head, you will have to read it to find out why. Just a fantastic romance novel, read it you will love it too.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take Me Back To Texas is a fun, contemporary, inspirational romance which is set in a small town where everyone knows each other’s business! I had a great time reading this sweet story!

I really liked Elizabeth’s character. She thinks she is doing fine in life and that she is past the hurt that came from a huge betrayal years ago by the young man she loved. She appears emotionally strong when the book starts out, but as things progress the reader learns that although she is a strong woman, there are holes in her life that begin to bother her. I appreciated that Elizabeth (known as Bethie Grace in this small town) realized fairly early on that she still loved JD, even though he broke her heart. And I thought she seemed to be a very fair person in the way she dealt with him and his daughter. It was also refreshing to see her recognize that she had left God out of much of her life once she left the small town of Loveless, and that she was really missing that connection.

JD knows he messed up years ago. He lost the love of his life, but now has a daughter to think of. JD was a very complicated character. Oh, I really liked him and hoped for the best, but he seriously frustrated me at times in the story! He had a path set out for himself and his daughter and was unwilling to trust that he could allow another woman into their lives, even one he loved. That also showed a lack of trust in God. JD was trying to control everything and hope to atone for his past actions. He was slow to realize the right path to take!

The supporting characters in Take Me Back to Texas were great, too. I loved Candy and Ginger and I am really looking forward to reading Ginger’s story, which will be the next book in the series. If you are looking for an enjoyable, contemporary story, Take Me Back To Texas is a great choice!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.

You can read this review on my blog at:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c...

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take Me Back to Texas is an inspirational romance by Author Amy Lillard. It is a sweet story of puppy love in a small Texas town that went nowhere because Elizabeth McGee’s family moved away and the love of her life betrayed her. The story opens with Elizabeth back in Loveless to finalize the sale of her grandmother’s Victorian house to find J.D. Carmichael, the one who broke her heart, is the contractor doing the remodel. J.D. and Bethie Grace, the name Elizabeth is known by in Loveless, meet and realize there are still feelings and the memories are strong, but J.D. can’t give her what she wants and she won’t settle for anything less. Elizabeth is ready to go back to California to open the restaurant she’s always dreamed of owning but is she willing to listen to God and forgive J.D. and find her way back to Loveless? This is a quick-read and a very heartwarming story. Looking forward to Book 2 in the series “The Trouble with Cowboys”.

[Juanita Wickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

By Amy Lillard
I just finished reading Take Me Back to Texas by Amy Lillard. I really loved reading this story. Bethie Grace (Elizabeth) had to leave LA to come back home to Loveless, Texas where she grew up. Her grandmother passed away, and her father gave her the large home. Bethie Grace came home with the idea of getting the house fixed up to sell, since she had an apartment in LA and a good job, and in the process of getting a loan to purchase a small restaurant there. Her life got complicated, she on the one hand loved being back with all her friends, but knew her place was in LA. This was a well written story. Enjoyed it to the end. Loved the ending for sure. It didn’t take me that long to read it because I kept going back to it. I know you will love this story too.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick and easy book to read. With down to earth characters and a story about going back to your roots after years away this story was easy to get into and stay interested in. The characters were believable and the small town Texas setting nice.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take Me Back To Texas by Amy Lillard
A sweet and clean Loveless Texas novel
THIS IS THE SWEET VERSION OF THIS STORY
Elizabeth McGee never thought she’d set foot in Loveless, Texas, again. But after the reading of her father’s will, Elizabeth learns she’s inherited her grandmother’s house and all of the personal contents. If that wasn’t enough to knock her off her feet, she soon discovers that JD Carmichael, her lost love from high school, is the contractor who has been hired to finish renovating the house. JD once had the world by the tail. But after a premature end to what would have been a promising career in professional football, JD wants nothing more than to raise his daughter and enjoy the life he has now. And he surely never thought he’d ever see Bethie Grace again. Now he’s faced with her everyday as they work side by side restoring and cleaning the old house in order to ready it to sell. But the rambling old Victorian isn’t the only thing rattling with memories. Elizabeth finds that she can’t concentrate with JD around. And JD has trouble forgetting the heady effects of her kiss, even if it’s been fifteen years since he last held her in his arms. Past hurts and betrayals stand in their way. That and JD’s vow never to get married again. But as much as he tries to keep the two halves of his life separate, he finds himself breaking all his rules for Bethie Grace McGee. Elizabeth has plans for her future. She’s waiting for a loan to buy her very own French bistro on the edge of Hollywood. But JD’s kiss makes her second guess her decisions and think about staying in Texas. Forever.
This is Elizabeth McGee and JD Carmichael and daughter's story.
Elizabeth McGee stood in the graveled driveway of the old house. As the kitten heels of her designer sandals sank between the rocks, she couldn’t help wondering why, in all these years, no one had bothered to pave it. It was a random thought, but paving the driveway of her grandmother’s three-story Victorian was better than thinking about her father, his funeral, and all the secrets he’d kept.
Like the house.
Yet here she was.
Not much had changed in fifteen years, yet everything was different. The whiskey barrel planters no longer held the wide variety of impatiens her grandmother had preferred. The only blooms left were perennials—surprise lilies, crepe myrtles, and the pink and yellow four o’clocks on either side of the wooden stairs that led to the wraparound porch.
She wasn’t giving up hope that the tools and the shiny black truck in the drive all belonged to the contractor hired to get the house ready to sell.
She heard the squeak of the screen door, but ignored it, too busy soaking in the memories to pay the stranger who’d been hired to renovate the house any mind.
“Bethie Grace?”
At the sound of the name, her knees almost buckled. It had been a long time since anyone had called her that, so long she almost didn’t know the name to be hers.
And that voice! So different than she remembered and yet so much the same.
Elizabeth jerked her attention to the man who now stood framed in the doorway of the house. He was tall, broad-shouldered and lean. Dark as a pirate and twice as dangerous. A modern-day outlaw in hip-hugging jeans and a chambray shirt, work boots and a tool belt.
She would have known him anywhere.
“JD Carmichael,” she breathed.
I recommend this book.
Take Me Back To Texas by Amy Lillard is a 5 star book.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Amy Lillard.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

[Debbie Kolins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Bethie Grace (Elizabeth) had to leave L.A. to come back home to Loveless, Texas where she grew up. Her grandmother passed away, and her father gave her the large home. Bethie only wanted to get the house fixed up and cleaned out so she could sell it but, it turned out that the contracter is J.D. Carmichael who broke Berthie Grace's heart fifteen years ago and she does not intend to let this happen again. She has a life in L.A. with an apartment and trying to get a load to buy a restaurant. J.D. was married but, his wife passed away and left him as a single parent with a teenage daughter named Mallory and he said that he would never get married again. Bethie Grace and Mallory hit it off right away. J.D. and Bethie Grace are stubborn as heck and neither will admit that they love each other. J.D. and Bethie Grace need to wake up and let each other know how they feel about each other. Want to find out more about Berthie Grace and J.D . well then you need to read "Take Me Back to Texas (Loveless Texas #1)" I truly loved this book and looking forward to reading book 2

[Chastity Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take Me Back To Texas is a sweet, small town romance by Amy Lillard set in Loveless, Texas. I find it funny that the town is called Loveless in a romance novel! Take Me Back To Texas reminds us that nobody knows you better than the friends you grow up with and the only place you can really call home is a place where you are free to be yourself.

Elizabeth McGee had her heart shattered in Loveless, Texas. She was head over heels in love with JD Carmichael and was sure they'd get married and have lots of babies. Even when her dad announced he was moving the family to Chicago she didn't worry. Sure, she was sad she'd have to go a year without seeing JD, but she was sure they could weather the year and get married and attend college together. What she didn't count on was the fateful phone call from JD telling her that he was marrying someone else and he was sorry but there was just not future for them.

JD Carmichael has made some bone headed decisions in his time. Like the time he went to a party and had a few too many drinks, then ended up with a manipulative woman who saw herself as a trophy football wife. Yeah, not his finest hour. Especially since it meant giving up the only woman he's ever loved, Elizabeth McGee, or Bethie Grace as he rememers her. Hired by the estate to remodel her deceased grandmother's house, the last thing he expects is to see the woman who haunts his dreams to come driving up the driveway.

JD has sworn to never marry again after what happened with his late wife. He believes the best thing for him to do is swear off women and take care of his daughter, Mallory. Of course, he never expected Elizabeth to waltz back into his life much less Loveless, Texas. Elizabeth is a self-made, self-assured woman who doesn't need a man to be happy. At least that's what she tells herself, but she has always found it near impossible to resist JD or his charms. They say opposites attract and with JD and Elizabeth that's pretty much the truth. She's a LA girl and he's a Texas man, but neither can deny the pull they feel when they are in close proximity to each other.

Take Me Back To Texas will make you long for a town like Loveless, which reminds me of Mayberry, or any small town really. Everybody knows everybody and the local busybodies love to play matchmaker. You can never forget your first love, no matter how badly your heart was broken. I found myself giggling at some of the shenanigans the locals pulled to make sure JD and Elizabeth could see what was right in front of their faces.

I truly loved Take Me Back To Texas and all the colorful characters who live there. I'm hoping there are more books in this series because by the time you finish the book the characters feel like friends and I would like to know what happens to the rest of the town. I hope you will give Take Me Back To Texas a try.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take Me Back to Texas**** book 1, Loveless Texas series by Amy Lillard

Elizabeth (Bethie Grace) McGee lives the “good life” in California. She is a chef and hopes to buy her own restaurant in the near future. After her father dies she learns that she inherited her grandmother's old Victorian house in Loveless, Texas. She loves that house, it's filled with fond memories of staying with her grandmother as a young girl. She finds much of the house is just as it was the last time she was there, 15 years ago. Now, she has to sort through all the belongs in the house and decide what to do with them. One thing she had hoped while in Loveless was not to run into her high school boyfriend, J. D. Carmichael. However, on arrival she finds herself face-to-face with J. D. He is the contractor hired to renovate the house getting it ready to be sold.

J.D. finds it difficult to concentrate while Bethie Grace is anywhere near him. He has loved her all these years but doesn't see any future with her. What he didn't figure on was how his 13 year old daughter Mallory and Bethie Grace would hit it off. Can they find a way to be “just friends” and forget about the past with all it's hurts and betrayals? Could there possibly be any future together despite the past? Can Bethie Grace forgive him for what he did to her all those years ago? Can J.D. forgive himself?

After reconnecting with her best friends from high school, can she leave them behind again when she returns to California? Will Bethie Grace find she really belongs in such a small, slower paced town of Loveless? Can she give up her dream of opening her own restaurant? What does God have in store for these two stubborn people?

This is a cute romantic and funny love story of lost love, heartache, betrayal, forgiveness, learning to trust others as well as God, joy and unexpected changes in the lives of Bethie Grace and J.D. I enjoyed the secondary characters, Candy and Ginger very much.

~I received a PDF copy of this book from the author for my honest review~

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take Me Back To Texas is a fun, contemporary romance which is set in a small town where everyone knows each other's business! I had a great time reading this sweet story!

I really liked Elizabeth's character. She thinks she is doing fine in life and that she is past the hurt that came from a huge betrayal years ago by the young man she loved. She appears emotionally strong when the book starts out, but as things progress the reader learns that although she is a strong woman, there are holes in her life that begin to bother her. I appreciated that Elizabeth (known as Bethie Grace in this small town) realized fairly early on that she still loved JD, even though he broke her heart. And I thought she seemed to be a very fair person in the way she dealt with him and his daughter.

JD knows he messed up years ago. He lost the love of his life, but now has a daughter to think of. JD was a very complicated character. Oh, I really liked him and hoped for the best, but he seriously frustrated me at times in the story! He had a path set out for himself and his daughter and was unwilling to trust that he could allow another woman into their lives, even one he loved. JD was trying to control everything and hoped to atone for his past actions. He was slow to realize the right path to take!

The supporting characters in Take Me Back to Texas were great, too. I loved Candy and Ginger and I am really looking forward to reading Ginger's story, which will be the next book in the series. If you are looking for an enjoyable, contemporary story, Take Me Back To Texas is a great choice!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take Me Back To Texas (Loveless, Texas ) (Volume 1) by Amy Lillard is just as great as the two Amish fiction books "Caroline's Secret" and Courting Emily" are. They are two versions of this book, this version and the "bedroom version", I choose this version and it was a clean romance with plenty of kissing but still clean!

I won't put the story line into this review, if you need that you can read the book description. I will say I was hooked into the story from the first chapter. This story has all the romance a reader expects in a clean love story and I knew how I wanted it to end, but wasn't sure it would end that way! But who wants to read a book that you know what's to going to happen at every turn, if you are like me you want some surprises even if you can figure out how the ending is going to end!

One of the main character in "Take Me Back To Texas" gives God the credit for leading his life and yes, prayer and church going is part of this story, but I like that. The only reason I added that in this review was to say that I believe all readers of fiction and Christian fiction would enjoy this book, unless you want no kissing in the books you read.

I am looking forward to book 2 in the series. I was given a copy by the author for my honest opinion

I am giving "Take Me Back To Texas" by Amy Lillard four stars!

[Rosa Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 star

This was a good 'romance' book; reminded me very highly of the Harlequin books I've read in the past and had to keep looking at the cover to remind me it wasn't one of them. Written very much like them the first two characters you are introduced to are the main characters that have a relationship.

It was a good story, well written etc but it was just like some of the others I've read just different names in a different state. Not saying I regret reading it just saying it was good just nothing exceptionally good-different.

Would I recommend this to an adavanced pre teen reader, probably not. But depends upon your values and what your child 'knows'. They didn't highly describe intimate situations but enough that you absolutely know what they were doing and what was 'done'. And there were a few curse words throughout the book. So again depends on your values and how grown up your child is as to if I would recommend this to them or not.

[Connie Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take Me Back to Texas - A small town, contemporary.
Wow I must say Amy Lillard has astonished me, rarely do I re-read a book. I had the pleasure of reading Amy's Inspirational and Contemporary version of this wonderfully captivating book. I read them back to back and I must admit I loved both. The contemporary version is not over the edge but just enough to capture your romantic side. The story is one of love, faith, and hope with just enough seasoning! You meet Bethie Grace who goes back home for family business only to encounter her high school sweetheart, high school best friends and learns you can go back home. Amy Lillard takes us all back to Loveless Texas, that small town.

[Melissa Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Elizabeth returns to Loveless, Texas, she is there for only one reason. She is there to take care of the home she inherited from her grandmother. But, her first love, JD, still lives there. She has moved on, has he? This is a sweet story about young love lost and found again years later. Good story and a quick read.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really REALLY enjoyed this book! It was so sweet and heartfelt and the characters were amazing. I loved the relationship between Bethie Grace, JD, and his daughter and.. it was just so lovely!!! :)

[Frances Cavallo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I really enjoyed it!!!

[Frances Cavallo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one of Amy's Awesome Books!!! I really enjoyed it!!!