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Cricket Creek #9
Written in the Stars
From the USA Today bestselling author of Walking on Sunshine comes a new novel set in Cricket Creek, Kentucky, starring a city girl who meets the man of her dreams in a least likely place—a sweet, small town nowhere near the big city…
No one is more shocked than Grace Gordon when her cosmetics line makes her a millionaire in need of new investments. Bailing out Mason Mayfield’s Cricket Creek craft brewery seems like the perfect solution. It doesn’t hurt that the sexy country boy makes her weak in the knees…
Sure, Mason is grateful to Grace for saving his brewery. But her upscale marketing plans for his down home business are driving him crazy. She needs a good man to reel her in, and he happily takes the job—especially since it’ll involve some time behind the brewery’s closed doors.
Unfortunately, Grace has never been good at staying in one place. And now that she’s thinking about leaving, Mason has to convince her to call Cricket Creek home—and admit their love was written in the stars…
No one is more shocked than Grace Gordon when her cosmetics line makes her a millionaire in need of new investments. Bailing out Mason Mayfield’s Cricket Creek craft brewery seems like the perfect solution. It doesn’t hurt that the sexy country boy makes her weak in the knees…
Sure, Mason is grateful to Grace for saving his brewery. But her upscale marketing plans for his down home business are driving him crazy. She needs a good man to reel her in, and he happily takes the job—especially since it’ll involve some time behind the brewery’s closed doors.
Unfortunately, Grace has never been good at staying in one place. And now that she’s thinking about leaving, Mason has to convince her to call Cricket Creek home—and admit their love was written in the stars…
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2015
11 people are currently reading
480 people want to read
About the author
Luann McLane
43 books302 followersLuAnn McLane writes sexy contemporary romance with a touch of sass and humor. Published in 2003, her novels have appeared on bestselling lists including USA Today, Nielsen BookScan, Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Her books have been featured selections for Rhapsody and Doubleday Book clubs. A love of country music led her to a collaboration with superstar Wynonna Judd with the novel Restless Heart. A member of RWA, she conducts workshops on a local and national level and connects with readers on social media. She divides her time between Kentucky, Florida and Arizona and when she isn’t writing or reading, she enjoys cooking, beachcombing and spending time with friends and family.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 10, 2015
4.5 stars - My review cross-posted from Wit and Sin: http://witandsin.blogspot.com/2015/09...
Written in the Stars is a breath of fresh air. Grace and Mason’s story is sweet, but has a bit of a kick – just like Mason’s drool-worthy chocolate porter.
Grace Gordon is a marketing genius who doesn’t like to stay in one place for long. The imminent birth of her niece, however, brings her to Cricket Creek and her lousy sense of direction lands her on the doorstep of Mason Mayfield’s brewery. It’s easy to fall for both Grace and Mason. Grace is funny, self-aware, and practically bursts with energy. Mason, in turn, has a laid-back charm and quiet sensual appeal that plays wonderfully against his straight-and-narrow, focused nature. Mason has been hurt in the past both personally and professionally. He’s getting his second chance at professional success with his new craft brewery, but even that’s looking like it could fall apart if he doesn’t come up with a marketing plan as fantastic as his beer. Grace comes into his life like a force of nature, her marketing expertise and enthusiasm both a blessing and a curse. She takes Mason out of his comfort zone, forcing him to trust her with her business. Even more frightening, it’s not long before they’re falling for each other and Mason worries whether he can trust her with his heart when it’s clear she’s not in Cricket Creek to stay. Neither Mason nor Grace is perfect, but when their flaws lead to obstacles in the path of their romance, it adds depth to the story. I was completely invested in Grace and Mason’s intertwining business and love lives and was rooting for them to make it every step of the way.
A secondary romance involving Grace’s mother, Becca, adds to the book’s charm. I adored the supermodel-turned-businesswoman and her instant attraction to a former pro fisherman had a lot of promise. My only (small) issue with Written in the Stars was that Becca and Jimmy’s storyline wasn’t as fully fleshed out as it could have been. They had tons of potential and were a dynamic pair, so it would have been lovely to see more of their romance.
Author LuAnn McLane knows how to blend sprightly banter, smooth Southern charm, and heartwarming romance together just right. Written in the Stars is a perfect example of this, which will surely delight both fans of the Cricket Creek series and readers new to the books. Written in the Stars is a cozy read contemporary romance fans won’t want to miss!
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Written in the Stars is a breath of fresh air. Grace and Mason’s story is sweet, but has a bit of a kick – just like Mason’s drool-worthy chocolate porter.
Grace Gordon is a marketing genius who doesn’t like to stay in one place for long. The imminent birth of her niece, however, brings her to Cricket Creek and her lousy sense of direction lands her on the doorstep of Mason Mayfield’s brewery. It’s easy to fall for both Grace and Mason. Grace is funny, self-aware, and practically bursts with energy. Mason, in turn, has a laid-back charm and quiet sensual appeal that plays wonderfully against his straight-and-narrow, focused nature. Mason has been hurt in the past both personally and professionally. He’s getting his second chance at professional success with his new craft brewery, but even that’s looking like it could fall apart if he doesn’t come up with a marketing plan as fantastic as his beer. Grace comes into his life like a force of nature, her marketing expertise and enthusiasm both a blessing and a curse. She takes Mason out of his comfort zone, forcing him to trust her with her business. Even more frightening, it’s not long before they’re falling for each other and Mason worries whether he can trust her with his heart when it’s clear she’s not in Cricket Creek to stay. Neither Mason nor Grace is perfect, but when their flaws lead to obstacles in the path of their romance, it adds depth to the story. I was completely invested in Grace and Mason’s intertwining business and love lives and was rooting for them to make it every step of the way.
A secondary romance involving Grace’s mother, Becca, adds to the book’s charm. I adored the supermodel-turned-businesswoman and her instant attraction to a former pro fisherman had a lot of promise. My only (small) issue with Written in the Stars was that Becca and Jimmy’s storyline wasn’t as fully fleshed out as it could have been. They had tons of potential and were a dynamic pair, so it would have been lovely to see more of their romance.
Author LuAnn McLane knows how to blend sprightly banter, smooth Southern charm, and heartwarming romance together just right. Written in the Stars is a perfect example of this, which will surely delight both fans of the Cricket Creek series and readers new to the books. Written in the Stars is a cozy read contemporary romance fans won’t want to miss!
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
October 10, 2015
Written in the Stars, Cricket Creek #9, by Luann McLane
Grade: C
Grace Gordon is always on the move and looking for her new business venture. She is shocked to find her newest one in Cricket Creek, Kentucky in the form of a brewery and it's sexy owner and head Brewer Mason Mayfield. Grace knows she can make this brewery a success but convincing Mason to take a chance on tapping into the female craft beer audience isn't an easy sell. The more time Grace spends with Mason the more she falls for him which is a dangerous idea not only because they're business partners but have a family connection.
Mason Mayfield can't believe it when Grace comes to the rescue to save the brewery that he's worked so hard to establish. As Mason spends all his time either brewing beer or falling for Grace he doesn't realize the route she's taken with the business before it's too late. As Mason voices his dislike he realizes he might not only lose Grace but also the wonderful business she's created.
I love the Cricket Creek series and was excited to get Grace and Mason's story after meeting them in the previous book involving her brother and his sister. Unfortunately Grace and Mason did not work for me at all and I found myself struggling to finish the book. I felt that these two had a really hard time communicating and letting the other know how they were feeling. I felt they both played a lot of childish games and got mad at each other a lot. I didn't feel like they ever got to really know each other and it made it hard to believe they really liked each other.
One of the things I love about this series is the second romance in each book. This one involves Grace's mom Becca and her neighbor Jimmy which started out strong and then fizzled very fast. I didn't feel like Becca and Jimmy got a lot of page time and it felt very rushed. I thought at one point that maybe I skipped an entire chapter on them because one second they weren't getting along and then all of a sudden they were in love. This was very disappointing and I hope in the next book the second romance doesn't get pushed to the background like Becca and Jimmy's did.
Even though this was not my favorite book I still love this series and can't wait to see what happens in Cricket Creek next!
Grade: C
Grace Gordon is always on the move and looking for her new business venture. She is shocked to find her newest one in Cricket Creek, Kentucky in the form of a brewery and it's sexy owner and head Brewer Mason Mayfield. Grace knows she can make this brewery a success but convincing Mason to take a chance on tapping into the female craft beer audience isn't an easy sell. The more time Grace spends with Mason the more she falls for him which is a dangerous idea not only because they're business partners but have a family connection.
Mason Mayfield can't believe it when Grace comes to the rescue to save the brewery that he's worked so hard to establish. As Mason spends all his time either brewing beer or falling for Grace he doesn't realize the route she's taken with the business before it's too late. As Mason voices his dislike he realizes he might not only lose Grace but also the wonderful business she's created.
I love the Cricket Creek series and was excited to get Grace and Mason's story after meeting them in the previous book involving her brother and his sister. Unfortunately Grace and Mason did not work for me at all and I found myself struggling to finish the book. I felt that these two had a really hard time communicating and letting the other know how they were feeling. I felt they both played a lot of childish games and got mad at each other a lot. I didn't feel like they ever got to really know each other and it made it hard to believe they really liked each other.
One of the things I love about this series is the second romance in each book. This one involves Grace's mom Becca and her neighbor Jimmy which started out strong and then fizzled very fast. I didn't feel like Becca and Jimmy got a lot of page time and it felt very rushed. I thought at one point that maybe I skipped an entire chapter on them because one second they weren't getting along and then all of a sudden they were in love. This was very disappointing and I hope in the next book the second romance doesn't get pushed to the background like Becca and Jimmy's did.
Even though this was not my favorite book I still love this series and can't wait to see what happens in Cricket Creek next!
January 13, 2016
Written In the Stars by LuAnn McLane is another fun and sexy tale set in Cricket Creek.
Grace Gordon has just sold her money making cosmetic line for millions. She visits her family in Cricket Creek looking for some investments. Grace is intrigued by the new craft brewing business run by Mason Mayfield. Grace knows she has the right skills to really help Mason get his business off and running. The only problem is her growing attraction to Mason.
Mason Mayfield is grateful for the influx of cash from Grace to help his business flourish. But he is having a hard time accepting her high power ideas with his small town business. Mason like Grace is finding it hard to fight their attraction to each other.
As the business starts to flourish so does their smoking hot attraction. Mason has his work cut our for himself to get Grace to stay. Grace is always looking for the next big thing and never stays in one place.
The whole town is pulling for these two opposites to find a common ground.
The whole Cricket Creek series is a must read and an absolute joy.
Grace Gordon has just sold her money making cosmetic line for millions. She visits her family in Cricket Creek looking for some investments. Grace is intrigued by the new craft brewing business run by Mason Mayfield. Grace knows she has the right skills to really help Mason get his business off and running. The only problem is her growing attraction to Mason.
Mason Mayfield is grateful for the influx of cash from Grace to help his business flourish. But he is having a hard time accepting her high power ideas with his small town business. Mason like Grace is finding it hard to fight their attraction to each other.
As the business starts to flourish so does their smoking hot attraction. Mason has his work cut our for himself to get Grace to stay. Grace is always looking for the next big thing and never stays in one place.
The whole town is pulling for these two opposites to find a common ground.
The whole Cricket Creek series is a must read and an absolute joy.
April 24, 2020
Cricket Creek #9 - 2015 Had It - Read It
November 27, 2015
Written in the Stars (Cricket Creek #9) by Luann McLane
No one is more shocked than Grace Gordon when her cosmetics line makes her a millionaire in need of new investments. Bailing out Mason Mayfield’s Cricket Creek craft brewery seems like the perfect solution. It doesn’t hurt that the sexy country boy makes her weak in the knees…
Sure, Mason is grateful to Grace for saving his brewery. But her upscale marketing plans for his down home business are driving him crazy. She needs a good man to reel her in, and he happily takes the job—especially since it’ll involve some time behind the brewery’s closed doors.
Unfortunately, Grace has never been good at staying in one place. And now that she’s thinking about leaving, Mason has to convince her to call Cricket Creek home—and admit their love was written in the stars
My Review:
Written in the Stars is one of those slow mosey romances I read when I'm in the mood for those drag out not a whole lot of common sense type reads on quiet days. Grace and Mason struck me as a wish washy couple without much meat to their relationship that in reality wouldn't last very long simply because neither of them felt as if they were actually engaging in it. They spent too much time tip toeing and dancing around the elephant in the room on most pages and just as soon as you got to the next page they couldn't stand to be in the same room before the next page came and they were head over hills. It got a little confusing but I continued on because I can relate to the reluctant lovers scenario so it wasn't difficult to over look the timid grade school crush kind of dynamic to their budding romance. A topic of note that I wish had really blossomed more than it did was "moms" story. I had more piqued interest in her journey than I did Grace's but you'll have to read for yourself to find out about that.
Written in the Stars didn't win a full five star rating but I still liked the story and I'd pass it on to others so 4 stars is still a win in this case.
Note: Written in the Stars can be read in order or alone however I would suggest reading it in order simply because we have carry over characters that are a part of previous books.
My Rating:
4 Stars
Reviewed By: Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews
http://kkmalott.booklikes.com/
Note: I received a print copy in exchange for an honest review from Berkley/NAL/Penguin
No one is more shocked than Grace Gordon when her cosmetics line makes her a millionaire in need of new investments. Bailing out Mason Mayfield’s Cricket Creek craft brewery seems like the perfect solution. It doesn’t hurt that the sexy country boy makes her weak in the knees…
Sure, Mason is grateful to Grace for saving his brewery. But her upscale marketing plans for his down home business are driving him crazy. She needs a good man to reel her in, and he happily takes the job—especially since it’ll involve some time behind the brewery’s closed doors.
Unfortunately, Grace has never been good at staying in one place. And now that she’s thinking about leaving, Mason has to convince her to call Cricket Creek home—and admit their love was written in the stars
My Review:
Written in the Stars is one of those slow mosey romances I read when I'm in the mood for those drag out not a whole lot of common sense type reads on quiet days. Grace and Mason struck me as a wish washy couple without much meat to their relationship that in reality wouldn't last very long simply because neither of them felt as if they were actually engaging in it. They spent too much time tip toeing and dancing around the elephant in the room on most pages and just as soon as you got to the next page they couldn't stand to be in the same room before the next page came and they were head over hills. It got a little confusing but I continued on because I can relate to the reluctant lovers scenario so it wasn't difficult to over look the timid grade school crush kind of dynamic to their budding romance. A topic of note that I wish had really blossomed more than it did was "moms" story. I had more piqued interest in her journey than I did Grace's but you'll have to read for yourself to find out about that.
Written in the Stars didn't win a full five star rating but I still liked the story and I'd pass it on to others so 4 stars is still a win in this case.
Note: Written in the Stars can be read in order or alone however I would suggest reading it in order simply because we have carry over characters that are a part of previous books.
My Rating:
4 Stars
Reviewed By: Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews
http://kkmalott.booklikes.com/
Note: I received a print copy in exchange for an honest review from Berkley/NAL/Penguin
October 8, 2015
Written in the Stars by LuAnn McLane is the 9th book in her wonderful Cricket Creek series. As Grace Gordon, our heroine, arrives in Cricket Creek, she thinks she is lost, and ends up in a brewery. She meets, Mason Mayfield, her brother’s brother in law, who runs the brewery. They are both stuck in the brewery, as a major storm hits, and they lose power. This gives both of them time to get to know each other, and their family ties. Both find themselves immediately attracted to each other, though they have no intention of acting on this.
Grace is in town to help her sister, and meet her nephew. While Mattie, our heroine in the last book, and Grace’s sister in law, is recovering from the birth of her child, Grace will be helping her sister run the local restaurant.
Mason is almost reading to present his new brews, and finds himself strapped for money to allow the brewery to go live. Grace is a marketing genius, not to mention a millionaire, after selling her cosmetics business. Grace takes on the challenge to help Mason, offering to invest in his business. It takes her a little time to convince him to allow her to help.
Mason is falling hard for Grace, but having been hurt before, is hesitate to go too far, since he knows Grace is going back to London soon. She cannot stay in one place long, especially in a small town like Cricket Creek. What follows is a sweet wonderful romance between Grace and Mason. We also get to see other people we have gotten to know, and the fun of the grand opening of Mason’s brewery.
With her sister in law ready to resume working, and with the brewery functioning well, Grace makes plans to leave. She knows she loves Mason, but feels she will only hurt him in the long run, when her restlessness takes control. Will Mason be able to convince Grace to stay? or Will he let her go, knowing forcing her to stay will cause her to be unhappy later on?
LuAnn McLane has done another wonderful job in giving us a wonderful & fun story, great couple, & fabulous secondary characters. If you love romance, small town atmosphere and wonderful characters, you need to start this series.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
Grace is in town to help her sister, and meet her nephew. While Mattie, our heroine in the last book, and Grace’s sister in law, is recovering from the birth of her child, Grace will be helping her sister run the local restaurant.
Mason is almost reading to present his new brews, and finds himself strapped for money to allow the brewery to go live. Grace is a marketing genius, not to mention a millionaire, after selling her cosmetics business. Grace takes on the challenge to help Mason, offering to invest in his business. It takes her a little time to convince him to allow her to help.
Mason is falling hard for Grace, but having been hurt before, is hesitate to go too far, since he knows Grace is going back to London soon. She cannot stay in one place long, especially in a small town like Cricket Creek. What follows is a sweet wonderful romance between Grace and Mason. We also get to see other people we have gotten to know, and the fun of the grand opening of Mason’s brewery.
With her sister in law ready to resume working, and with the brewery functioning well, Grace makes plans to leave. She knows she loves Mason, but feels she will only hurt him in the long run, when her restlessness takes control. Will Mason be able to convince Grace to stay? or Will he let her go, knowing forcing her to stay will cause her to be unhappy later on?
LuAnn McLane has done another wonderful job in giving us a wonderful & fun story, great couple, & fabulous secondary characters. If you love romance, small town atmosphere and wonderful characters, you need to start this series.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
October 4, 2015
Review: Written in the Stars: A Cricket Creek Novel by LuAnn McLane http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-37i
Publication Date: October 6, 2015
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated: 4.5 Stars
Buy Links
Kindle http://amzn.to/1KSt3g6
Amazon PBK http://amzn.to/1Vx35S2
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Kobo http://bit.ly/1FOLV0j
iBooks http://apple.co/1FMTxAG
Publication Date: October 6, 2015
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated: 4.5 Stars
I loved this light romance about a charming small town, the people who live there and mostly the people who stumble upon it. The whole story was just a feel good journey of not only Mason and Grace finding love and themselves but also the people around them. They joked that love was in the water and I began to wonder that myself. I smiled at the lighthearted humor and melted at the heartfelt romance while enjoying the community coming together for each other. I did get real frustrated with Grace toward the end but that was also a part of her story. Overall it made me happy and now I want to move to Cricket Creek but will have to be content with reading the next book in the series.
*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.
Buy Links
Kindle http://amzn.to/1KSt3g6
Amazon PBK http://amzn.to/1Vx35S2
B&N http://bit.ly/1M8dmiG
Kobo http://bit.ly/1FOLV0j
iBooks http://apple.co/1FMTxAG
October 6, 2015
Written in the Stars is one of the best books I have read this year. With the southern style, hot country boy and beautiful city girl, Mason and Grace's story did it for me. Mason a country boy Brewery owner, needs help financial with his business. Grace with her own cosmetic line business, which is very successful comes to the rescue. The two start falling for each other, but Grace can't stay in one place to long. Will the relationship take off and keep her in Cricket Creek? I highly recommend this book and all of the Cricket Creek series.
Luann McLane is one of the best authors I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I will not miss one of her books.
I was a lucky one to receive an ARC, for my honest review.
Luann McLane is one of the best authors I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I will not miss one of her books.
I was a lucky one to receive an ARC, for my honest review.
March 6, 2016
While I love this series this book was not as well thought out as the others. Mason jumps into the water because he sees a floating witch hat? Please. Also the whole witch thing wasn't ok. So Grace is a marketing genius. Part of her theory for wanting to use the witch theme is that the opening can be on Halloween. Great. Is it going to change themes for every freaking holiday? Hoping this was just a fluke and that the series hasn't played out.
Read
October 8, 2015Although multi-volume series tend to drag with some of the stories, Written in the Stars held my interest very well. The distinct personalities of Grace and Mason were a good match, although the lack of commitment of Grace to the relationship well past the point of reasonable doubt just to keep the story moving bothered me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2016
I received this as a first read. This was a great book. I love the relationship between the couple. It was very sweet but had a little bit of kick to it : ) I really fell in love with authors writing style. I will definitely read more in the series and more of the author.
December 13, 2015
This book got very sappy really quickly. It was slow moving without much happening. But I kinda wanna read the next book in the series.
October 16, 2015
Like the series, easy read.
December 1, 2015
love it!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews