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Jessica Brodie Diaries #1
Back in the Saddle
On the tail end of another heartache, Jessica decides she’s had enough. Enough parties, enough mistakes, and enough of this rut she’s thrown herself into. When college finally grinds to a halt after four hazy years, she makes a decision. She’ll take a job in Texas, move out of L.A. for the first time in her life, and wipe the slate clean.
If only growing up was that easy.
Not one night in Texas and she meets the most ruggedly handsome cowboy she’s ever seen. William Davies has it all: wealth, prestige, profitable business ventures and women throwing themselves at him. But while Jessica theoretically knows he’s way out of her league, old habits die hard.
As Jessica struggles to flesh out this new life, William struggles to keep her at arm’s length. But Fate, and an adventurous spirit, has Jessica continuously bumping into him, making a mark as only she can.
If only growing up was that easy.
Not one night in Texas and she meets the most ruggedly handsome cowboy she’s ever seen. William Davies has it all: wealth, prestige, profitable business ventures and women throwing themselves at him. But while Jessica theoretically knows he’s way out of her league, old habits die hard.
As Jessica struggles to flesh out this new life, William struggles to keep her at arm’s length. But Fate, and an adventurous spirit, has Jessica continuously bumping into him, making a mark as only she can.
238 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2013
842 people are currently reading
1841 people want to read
About the author
K.F. Breene
120 books14.3k followersFollow me!
K.F. Breene is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post, Amazon Most Sold Charts and #1 Kindle Store bestselling author of paranormal romance, urban fantasy and fantasy novels. With millions of books sold, when she's not penning stories about magic and what goes bump in the night, she's sipping wine and planning shenanigans. She lives in Northern California with her husband, two children, and out of work treadmill.
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K.F. Breene is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post, Amazon Most Sold Charts and #1 Kindle Store bestselling author of paranormal romance, urban fantasy and fantasy novels. With millions of books sold, when she's not penning stories about magic and what goes bump in the night, she's sipping wine and planning shenanigans. She lives in Northern California with her husband, two children, and out of work treadmill.
Click FOLLOW for notification of new releases.
Join her mailing list to receive BONUS CONTENT, free stories, and hear about the crazy goings-on of her life. Sign up here ➜ http://bit.ly/KFBContent
Check out her chat group on Goodreads!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
February 4, 2016
Okay, 1.5 stars, because a few things redeemed this clusterfuck. I expected a bad book, sure. But wow! Hatred doesn't come close to how I feel about this. Dear writers. Stop. Just stop. And listen. Readers are tired of the same damn motherfucking thing again and again and again. We need to read something new. Stop trying to sell us on supremely attractive characters falling for equally attractive characters. By this, I mean physically attractive, of course. Because who the fuck cares about integrity, humour, and intelligence? I mean, this is the real world isn't it, where everything auto-fucking-matically falls into place?
There are some spoilers. Kind of.
Meet Jessica "Jess" Brodie, accountant by profession, and chronic swooner and wet-dreamer at all other times. She might also be a dog, because she can recognise the H by his smell from about a mile away. They jury's still out on that. Also a class Abitch hypocrite, because she can objectify men all she wants, but if men do it to her, it's hawwww, wrong. Excuse me for being crass, but she basically is a cunt with a perpetually wet cunt. Can you imagine how may wet dreams she must've had in these 250 pages for me to call her that? Desired by every man she meets, except the one responsible for her exploding groin, join Jess as she lives her cushy upper-middle class life, and yes, finds love. *sigh*
Jess McWetdream is quite the champion at descriptions; I mean if she has to find reasons to swoon at the same guy with the same features day after day after day, she should at least get creative with them, right? Well, you be the judge of that:
"...when I looked up and met two deep blue eyes in the most breathtakingly, ruggedly handsome face I had ever seen. Watch out Marlboro man, you ain’t got nothin’ on this cowboy!"
"His blue eyes caught my focus and drew me, holding me prisoner in a place where time did not exist."
"Greek God Apollo himself stepped up with my handbag in hand, a devastatingly handsome half-smile filled with mischief lighting up his face. His blue eyes caught and held me, that weird heat returning to my body."
"I was acutely aware of his musty man smell. It wasn’t a clean, fresh-out-of-the-shower smell, but like a man that was working outside all day. Eau d’Homme. Not BO or anything, but pure Man."
May I remind you that they just fucking met. Like just then. And the swooning begins. Hurray!
"Then I couldn’t look away. I was right about pecs. His wet shirt accented two famously sculpted masterpieces that deserved tongue play. Half his stomach was flat and ripped, each abdominal muscle defined. The other half wasn’t wet, and I’d run out of beer. Talk about finishing early!"
"His eyebrows were black like his hair and a little bushy. Not as bad as Colin Farrell, but it gave his piercing blue eyes a dramatic depth. His nose was straight and strong with high cheekbones and a square jaw. His skin was bronzed, as a sun God should be. With the breadth of his shoulders and trim waist, I wondered how he didn’t fall over when he shifted his weight. What’s more, he was a man’s man. There was a masculine quality about him that made me want to faint at his feet. Unlike the model and actor boys in L.A., it was refreshing to meet a man as devastatingly handsome as this without feeling like he was more woman than I was."
All this description is some 25% into the book. And I haven't even gotten her groin yet. Here are a few gems. Go on, read it.
"My skin erupted in goose pimples as a shiver crawled down my back. My head went light, giving me the distinct feeling I was floating. Thank goodness, because my legs wobbled, not sure if I had control over my knees anymore. Topping it off, a suddenly warm, wet sensation pooled in my groin that craved sudden and fervid contact."
"My groin burst into flame. A million points of lava erupted across my skin; the heat of him so close, the smell of him, the man-ness of him. I couldn’t help a tiny moan escaping my lips before he stepped away nonchalantly."
"I felt that pull again, from the center of my being. Like he was reeling me in with his presence alone. I blinked a couple times, trying to clear my head before I did something weird or embarrassing. Suddenly there was a very tight feeling in my groin. Tight and wet."
Again, this is just 25% of the book. Also, her spine turns into jelly when he smiles, his smile eats away at her stomach like acid, and his twinkle melts her pants. I'm not kidding. I can't make this shit up. So Jess swoons, and swoons and swoons some more. All she talks about are:
a) How blue his eyes were and how defined his pecs are
b) How amazeballs he smells
c) His rich baritone
d) How she gets wet every ten minutes
e) Elaaaaaaa (Read L.A.)
When she wasn't doing any of these things, she was busy being hit on and getting drunk.
Are we acquainted? Good. Let's move on to William "Willie" Davies, businessman, cowboy and all round hottie. But of course, he's dark and mysterious and afraid of commitment. He makes shit decisions in life, and because of how understanding our h is, she accepts him for who he is. To be honest, he doesn't serve much purpose in the book except being attractive and being the cause of Jess's wet dreams.
Before I get on with the story, couple of things. One, our h almost gets raped at one point, and while it is eventually forgotten, the issue isn't trivialised. This is why you get that one star Ms. Summers (I get your Buffy/Willow game, BTW). Cops are called and her statement is taken. The law point is wrong here, but I'll let that slide because well, this actually redeemed the book in my eyes.
Also, the story does get slightly better towards the end, so that gives you another half star.
The story itself is non existent. Girl moves from L.A. to Texas. Culture shock. Enjoys Texas. Some more culture shock. Guy. Inevitable misunderstanding. Inevitable reconciliation.
The author here, tries to give everyone the Texas accent, but kind of fails in a few places, and that is actually pretty funny. It's like a movie director hired all these Non Texans to act like Texans, and the actors forgot the instructions in between, but the director couldn't be bothered to correct them. So their talk is a mixture of southern drawls and regular American English. Also, please note here, Ms. Summers, that just because the accent is Texan and the pronunciation changes, the spelling doesn't. Night is still night, and nite is still not a word.
Now I described the prose as clunky, let me tell you why. The author, in some places goes on and on describing the most trivial things in the most horrible manner, wasting words as she does so. And she comes up with the most horrendous analogies. In fact, she agrees to this herself at one point.
"I saw plenty: he was head-to-toe muscular. Not only that, but each muscle was fantastically defined. Really nice body, actually. He obviously put time and effort into himself." Okay, so if he is muscular, it is pretty much understood that each muscle is well-defined. Also, the last two sentences are more or less redundant. You've made your point. We get it. He was hot.
"My eyes locked on the sheet at our feet. I eased myself up, clutched the coarse fabric in two fistfuls and pulled. It came free from his legs and slid nicely over our bodies. I tugged a little more until I removed it from the bed so I could use it as a shield, and got up." Why are you complicating things here, Ms. Summers? Show, not tell. No, really, describing every minuscule detail annoys readers. Unless you're Neil Gaiman and you know how to do it.
"I darted in like a wild animal scavenging the plains before a predator could find and kill it."
"I laughed all the harder; big body-wracking chuckles."
"His eyes scanned the area, a dog checking out the neighboring territory. As they skittered past me, they snapped back like a rubber band."
"I blinked a couple times, and then shook my head like a wet dog wanting to be dry."
Don't write sentences like these. They suck. And it takes the reader time to understand what the fuck you're trying to say. Trust me, I almost gave up.
The humour was very forced. If you want me to like a character because she's snarky and sassy, just let the damn conversation flow. Don't fucking try too hard. For example, if you're ask a question like "When do I ever fold my clothes?", don't let the next word contain your answer. We get the point. If you explain it, it will only make me feel like throwing my coffee at you. Also, please don't joke about things like wife-beating. I'm not always big on political correctness, but I do draw the line here.
Also, grammar errors. Few and far between as they were, why were they there? I can't do this anymore. Editors aren't very expensive, and they'll tell you that you couldn't care less will have more of an impact than if you could care less because the latter is incorrect. They'll also tell you that crocodile tears are fake tears, and if you're bawling your eyes out, it means you're definitely not crying crocodile tears. Black specs are different from black specks; the former refers to a pair of black glasses.
Just. I can't. I can't anymore. This was torture.
There are some spoilers. Kind of.
Meet Jessica "Jess" Brodie, accountant by profession, and chronic swooner and wet-dreamer at all other times. She might also be a dog, because she can recognise the H by his smell from about a mile away. They jury's still out on that. Also a class A
Jess McWetdream is quite the champion at descriptions; I mean if she has to find reasons to swoon at the same guy with the same features day after day after day, she should at least get creative with them, right? Well, you be the judge of that:
"...when I looked up and met two deep blue eyes in the most breathtakingly, ruggedly handsome face I had ever seen. Watch out Marlboro man, you ain’t got nothin’ on this cowboy!"
"His blue eyes caught my focus and drew me, holding me prisoner in a place where time did not exist."
"Greek God Apollo himself stepped up with my handbag in hand, a devastatingly handsome half-smile filled with mischief lighting up his face. His blue eyes caught and held me, that weird heat returning to my body."
"I was acutely aware of his musty man smell. It wasn’t a clean, fresh-out-of-the-shower smell, but like a man that was working outside all day. Eau d’Homme. Not BO or anything, but pure Man."
May I remind you that they just fucking met. Like just then. And the swooning begins. Hurray!
"Then I couldn’t look away. I was right about pecs. His wet shirt accented two famously sculpted masterpieces that deserved tongue play. Half his stomach was flat and ripped, each abdominal muscle defined. The other half wasn’t wet, and I’d run out of beer. Talk about finishing early!"
"His eyebrows were black like his hair and a little bushy. Not as bad as Colin Farrell, but it gave his piercing blue eyes a dramatic depth. His nose was straight and strong with high cheekbones and a square jaw. His skin was bronzed, as a sun God should be. With the breadth of his shoulders and trim waist, I wondered how he didn’t fall over when he shifted his weight. What’s more, he was a man’s man. There was a masculine quality about him that made me want to faint at his feet. Unlike the model and actor boys in L.A., it was refreshing to meet a man as devastatingly handsome as this without feeling like he was more woman than I was."
All this description is some 25% into the book. And I haven't even gotten her groin yet. Here are a few gems. Go on, read it.
"My skin erupted in goose pimples as a shiver crawled down my back. My head went light, giving me the distinct feeling I was floating. Thank goodness, because my legs wobbled, not sure if I had control over my knees anymore. Topping it off, a suddenly warm, wet sensation pooled in my groin that craved sudden and fervid contact."
"My groin burst into flame. A million points of lava erupted across my skin; the heat of him so close, the smell of him, the man-ness of him. I couldn’t help a tiny moan escaping my lips before he stepped away nonchalantly."
"I felt that pull again, from the center of my being. Like he was reeling me in with his presence alone. I blinked a couple times, trying to clear my head before I did something weird or embarrassing. Suddenly there was a very tight feeling in my groin. Tight and wet."
Again, this is just 25% of the book. Also, her spine turns into jelly when he smiles, his smile eats away at her stomach like acid, and his twinkle melts her pants. I'm not kidding. I can't make this shit up. So Jess swoons, and swoons and swoons some more. All she talks about are:
a) How blue his eyes were and how defined his pecs are
b) How amazeballs he smells
c) His rich baritone
d) How she gets wet every ten minutes
e) Elaaaaaaa (Read L.A.)
When she wasn't doing any of these things, she was busy being hit on and getting drunk.
Are we acquainted? Good. Let's move on to William "Willie" Davies, businessman, cowboy and all round hottie. But of course, he's dark and mysterious and afraid of commitment. He makes shit decisions in life, and because of how understanding our h is, she accepts him for who he is. To be honest, he doesn't serve much purpose in the book except being attractive and being the cause of Jess's wet dreams.
Before I get on with the story, couple of things. One, our h almost gets raped at one point, and while it is eventually forgotten, the issue isn't trivialised. This is why you get that one star Ms. Summers (I get your Buffy/Willow game, BTW). Cops are called and her statement is taken. The law point is wrong here, but I'll let that slide because well, this actually redeemed the book in my eyes.
Also, the story does get slightly better towards the end, so that gives you another half star.
The story itself is non existent. Girl moves from L.A. to Texas. Culture shock. Enjoys Texas. Some more culture shock. Guy. Inevitable misunderstanding. Inevitable reconciliation.
The author here, tries to give everyone the Texas accent, but kind of fails in a few places, and that is actually pretty funny. It's like a movie director hired all these Non Texans to act like Texans, and the actors forgot the instructions in between, but the director couldn't be bothered to correct them. So their talk is a mixture of southern drawls and regular American English. Also, please note here, Ms. Summers, that just because the accent is Texan and the pronunciation changes, the spelling doesn't. Night is still night, and nite is still not a word.
Now I described the prose as clunky, let me tell you why. The author, in some places goes on and on describing the most trivial things in the most horrible manner, wasting words as she does so. And she comes up with the most horrendous analogies. In fact, she agrees to this herself at one point.
"I saw plenty: he was head-to-toe muscular. Not only that, but each muscle was fantastically defined. Really nice body, actually. He obviously put time and effort into himself." Okay, so if he is muscular, it is pretty much understood that each muscle is well-defined. Also, the last two sentences are more or less redundant. You've made your point. We get it. He was hot.
"My eyes locked on the sheet at our feet. I eased myself up, clutched the coarse fabric in two fistfuls and pulled. It came free from his legs and slid nicely over our bodies. I tugged a little more until I removed it from the bed so I could use it as a shield, and got up." Why are you complicating things here, Ms. Summers? Show, not tell. No, really, describing every minuscule detail annoys readers. Unless you're Neil Gaiman and you know how to do it.
"I darted in like a wild animal scavenging the plains before a predator could find and kill it."
"I laughed all the harder; big body-wracking chuckles."
"His eyes scanned the area, a dog checking out the neighboring territory. As they skittered past me, they snapped back like a rubber band."
"I blinked a couple times, and then shook my head like a wet dog wanting to be dry."
Don't write sentences like these. They suck. And it takes the reader time to understand what the fuck you're trying to say. Trust me, I almost gave up.
The humour was very forced. If you want me to like a character because she's snarky and sassy, just let the damn conversation flow. Don't fucking try too hard. For example, if you're ask a question like "When do I ever fold my clothes?", don't let the next word contain your answer. We get the point. If you explain it, it will only make me feel like throwing my coffee at you. Also, please don't joke about things like wife-beating. I'm not always big on political correctness, but I do draw the line here.
Also, grammar errors. Few and far between as they were, why were they there? I can't do this anymore. Editors aren't very expensive, and they'll tell you that you couldn't care less will have more of an impact than if you could care less because the latter is incorrect. They'll also tell you that crocodile tears are fake tears, and if you're bawling your eyes out, it means you're definitely not crying crocodile tears. Black specs are different from black specks; the former refers to a pair of black glasses.
Just. I can't. I can't anymore. This was torture.
February 14, 2014
I'm amazed at some of the harsh criticism leveled at this book, one that I really enjoyed. It doesn't have a bunch of typos like so many indie books, the characters are unique & fun, and this does not feel like a rehash of another NA/Contemporary romance plot. This is really a story about a young woman building a life for herself.
If you're looking to laugh, this is the novel to go for. It's funny, sometimes over the top, but also with a main character who truly has a huge heart.
If you're looking to laugh, this is the novel to go for. It's funny, sometimes over the top, but also with a main character who truly has a huge heart.
May 5, 2016
Not so classic cowboy (Willie/William) is in love. The problem is he can't be. His love interest is a California party girl (Jessica) fresh out of college, who finds herself rejected too many times by the guys she falls into bed with. So, between a rodeo, a dance, an attack by an abusive cowboy, a night at a club (that included a hip hop/possible strip club moves) and a confused outing to a local bar, feeling/hopes/dreams are smashed. Had many good laughs reading this one and it gave me hope that there are still some gentlemen out there that pull out chairs and hold doors for a lady.
August 15, 2013
I was a little disappointed in this romance novel. It kind of drags on at times. When I read a romance novel I expect some kind of conclusion in a romance. This book centers on William a rich cowboy and Jessica a girl from LA that moves to Texas. You have to go through the whole book before they finally even kiss each other. Then I see there are at least two more books to read on their relationship. To me that's just too much to invest in a ho hum book. I was disappointed in this one
January 10, 2016
Sexual commuter quotient: home and hosed, safe and sound
Soundtrack: Saturday Night Fever https://youtu.be/kSVSbdmrT0U
I read this book with the question in my mind 'OMG am I that person?!'
Soundtrack: Saturday Night Fever https://youtu.be/kSVSbdmrT0U
I read this book with the question in my mind 'OMG am I that person?!'
December 21, 2013
More than half of the reviewers wrote this book was funny and I must say I agree wholeheartedly with them. It was also compared to Sex and the City but I was never a fan of that show so I can't comment.
Overall, I think Jessica's character was sarcastically, annoyingly cute. Its like one minute I'm cracking up at something she's saying or thinking but the next minute she's getting on my nerves. She's a grown woman who obsesses way too much over a men who treat her like crap, she spends about 75% of the book crying and whining, she is super clumsy; especially when William is around, oh and she can't handle her liquor to save her life, but she keeps on drinking. On the other hand she has no filter, says what's on her mind, most of the time its embarrassing as hell, and for some reason is always getting hit on.
William's character was unnecessarily broody, its not really clear why he acts the way he does. I guess it'll get explained in the next book. The whole book was from Jessica's POV, which kind of sucked. Its always good to get the perspective from a few of the other characters, not just one.
So, the cover of the book is very sexy, but there is nothing sexual in the book. (FYI: THE COVER I HAVE IS DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE SHOWN HERE ON GOODREADS AS I GOT MY BOOK FROM BARNES N NOBLE. THEIR COVER IS COMPLETELY DELICIOUS...I MEAN DIFFERENT!) There is a lot of talk from Jessica about her dirty thoughts but nothing crude or crass...maybe the author is saving the good stuff for the next book...
Overall, I think Jessica's character was sarcastically, annoyingly cute. Its like one minute I'm cracking up at something she's saying or thinking but the next minute she's getting on my nerves. She's a grown woman who obsesses way too much over a men who treat her like crap, she spends about 75% of the book crying and whining, she is super clumsy; especially when William is around, oh and she can't handle her liquor to save her life, but she keeps on drinking. On the other hand she has no filter, says what's on her mind, most of the time its embarrassing as hell, and for some reason is always getting hit on.
William's character was unnecessarily broody, its not really clear why he acts the way he does. I guess it'll get explained in the next book. The whole book was from Jessica's POV, which kind of sucked. Its always good to get the perspective from a few of the other characters, not just one.
So, the cover of the book is very sexy, but there is nothing sexual in the book. (FYI: THE COVER I HAVE IS DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE SHOWN HERE ON GOODREADS AS I GOT MY BOOK FROM BARNES N NOBLE. THEIR COVER IS COMPLETELY DELICIOUS...I MEAN DIFFERENT!) There is a lot of talk from Jessica about her dirty thoughts but nothing crude or crass...maybe the author is saving the good stuff for the next book...
January 4, 2015
I didn't have a problem with the writing style of this book, I just did not like the main character AT ALL. The book is about a 25yr old recent college graduate (why so old?) moving from LA to Texas to begin her first job and start over. She's poor, she drives an old beat up car that barely runs, yet she's a snobby bitch. She puts down one date because he takes her to Chili's for dinner. Then he has the audacity to point at something in a club (how dare he!)which is apparently a major faux pas in her mind. Another guy she puts down because his Porsche has cheap leather seats and his Prada sunglasses are off the sales rack. Meanwhile, she's so classy she gets completely trashed and makes a fool of herself every time she goes out and thinks giving a hot, rich guy a titty twister is charming. Her only redeeming quality was her friendship with her 80 yr old landlady. The love interest was also a total dud. I'll admit the only reason I kept reading this book was to find out the mystery of his behavior but it turns out there is no mystery, he's just a douche. "I had to have some release after dancing with you." What a pig. His only "talent" is that he's rich and handsome so I guess they will make the perfect couple. According to the summary for book 2, all her annoying, immature LA friends (which almost stopped me from reading this book in the first chapter) are coming to visit in the next book. yeah.
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June 22, 2014
I ended up skimming pages after 40%. It was lacking something for me.
August 24, 2021
Emotional ride
What KF Breene brings to her paranormal romance books, she shares in her straight contemporary romances as well. I read this book and for the first little bit, it didn't grab me, but about 25% of the way in, just wow. The writing draws you in and you experience the world as Jessica does.
What KF Breene brings to her paranormal romance books, she shares in her straight contemporary romances as well. I read this book and for the first little bit, it didn't grab me, but about 25% of the way in, just wow. The writing draws you in and you experience the world as Jessica does.
June 7, 2018
What did I just read? The writer has given an h who is a moron. She's lucky she can walk and talk at the same time - wait, no she actually can't! Not even bothering to read any further - it’s an insult. I didn't just dislike this - I hated it.
September 16, 2019
Ok, I finished it. I'd give it 3.5 🌟🌟🌟✨'s. It did get better, and I'll be reading the next book
December 8, 2013
So when I first started reading this, I did not have any high expectations based on the cover of the book and the title.
Little did I know then how hilariously funny this book would turn out to be.
It is not often that I find a book which manages to amuse me to the point that I catch myself constantly laughing out loud.
This is why Back in the Saddle has recently become one of my favorites.
I really like reading contemporary romance novels, however, the female protagonists are very often incredibly annoying, to the point that I feel like slapping them. They are insecure, clumsy and constantly need their knight in shining armor to save them.
So in expectation of such a heroine, I started reading Back in the Saddle with only mild enthusiasm.
This changed very fast, since Jessica's quirky personality and sense of humor intriguied me from the beginning. Jessica is sassy and always has a comeback at the ready which made the dialogues incredibly funny to read.
Also, Jessica is portrayed as a strong heroine. There was one instance in the book where I fully expected the familiar "hero swoops in to save the damsel in distress"-pattern to emerge. I found it very refreshing that Jessica is a heroine who can get out of a dire situation on her own.
One of her character traits I initially did not like, though, was that she is clumsy. I am so sick of female protagonists who seemingly cannot walk down a straight line without tripping (this annoying flaw appears to be obligatory for any female protagonist in the romance genre).
But the difference in this book is, that the clumsiness is not used to justify the protagonist's self-consciousness (as it is used in Twilight and co. which I found incredibly annoying). I think that the clumsiness here solely serves to create funny situations which makes it easier to bear.
As far as romance goes, the events in this book were fairly tame, which was deliberately done, I think, to entice readers to buy the two sequels.
Which I of course did, as I had already fallen in love with Jessica and William and all the other characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and despite the occasional grammatical errors I do not have much to criticise.
The funny characters, witty dialogue and fabulous humor at least in my opinion make up for any negative parts.
This is why Back in the Saddle receives 5 stars from me.
Little did I know then how hilariously funny this book would turn out to be.
It is not often that I find a book which manages to amuse me to the point that I catch myself constantly laughing out loud.
This is why Back in the Saddle has recently become one of my favorites.
I really like reading contemporary romance novels, however, the female protagonists are very often incredibly annoying, to the point that I feel like slapping them. They are insecure, clumsy and constantly need their knight in shining armor to save them.
So in expectation of such a heroine, I started reading Back in the Saddle with only mild enthusiasm.
This changed very fast, since Jessica's quirky personality and sense of humor intriguied me from the beginning. Jessica is sassy and always has a comeback at the ready which made the dialogues incredibly funny to read.
Also, Jessica is portrayed as a strong heroine. There was one instance in the book where I fully expected the familiar "hero swoops in to save the damsel in distress"-pattern to emerge. I found it very refreshing that Jessica is a heroine who can get out of a dire situation on her own.
One of her character traits I initially did not like, though, was that she is clumsy. I am so sick of female protagonists who seemingly cannot walk down a straight line without tripping (this annoying flaw appears to be obligatory for any female protagonist in the romance genre).
But the difference in this book is, that the clumsiness is not used to justify the protagonist's self-consciousness (as it is used in Twilight and co. which I found incredibly annoying). I think that the clumsiness here solely serves to create funny situations which makes it easier to bear.
As far as romance goes, the events in this book were fairly tame, which was deliberately done, I think, to entice readers to buy the two sequels.
Which I of course did, as I had already fallen in love with Jessica and William and all the other characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and despite the occasional grammatical errors I do not have much to criticise.
The funny characters, witty dialogue and fabulous humor at least in my opinion make up for any negative parts.
This is why Back in the Saddle receives 5 stars from me.
June 5, 2014
I loved this book, it was laugh out loud funny, and reminded me of my single, country bar days in Ft. Worth. The cover I saw when I got it as a freebie on Amazon is way better. I read a lot of bad reviews about the first chapter being too harsh, but I didn't find that to be so. I found out later that the first chapter was rewritten, so it may have been harsher initially. It did start a bit slow, I put it down after the second meeting between the MC and the love interest, picked it up later, and then read it all the way through, laughing a lot. There were two scenes that took up a lot of space in the book- (no spoilers here tho) the rodeo and a dancing scene, but they were spot on! I spent many dating years in Texas, with cowboys, in bars dancing, and these scenes tickled me to no end. I will admit to being surprised at how little sex was in the book, it was way, and I mean way, milder than my normal reads, and way less than I expected based on the first chapter, but I got into the story so much that I almost didn't notice. Although I can see the points made by other reviewers, I think my own cowboy dating experience wrapped up with the MC's funny personality made this book a very pleasurable read. It seemed to me to almost be biographical, so I searched out the authors blog and website to get a taste of her personality. I totally think we could hang out. I haven't bought any more titles by this author yet, but I did pick up the free first one in her Darkness series, and loved it too! I will be buying from this author! And I loved the landlady in this book, reminded me of my crazy mom! Loved her.
December 6, 2013
This is not good! I was so put off by the first few pages that I couldn't bring myself to read the rest of the book. In the first few pages we are learning of the character waking up in a strangers bed, the sheets smell of mildew, there is an overpowering smell of body odor and a pair of underwear on the floor with skid marks. This is not the first time she has woken in a strangers bed. How am I supposed to like this person? I did skim through to see if the story picked up only to find the drunken one night stands continued. I didn't bother to finish and will not be looking to read any of the others in the series.
July 26, 2013
I found this book to be funny and realistic for me. I would probably be just like Jessica moving from somewhere big to a place much much smaller with different "rules" to live by. I loved her land lady and their relationship. William was frustrating but he came around towards the end. I hope I can squeeze in the second book to see what else happens.
October 26, 2014
MOODY
Not really sure how I felt about this on. On one hand I felt that the author did an amazing job writing the characters. When everyone was stuck mute by something Jessica would say I felt the same way. On the other hand Jessica drove me cry. I just couldn't connect with all her mood swings.
Not really sure how I felt about this on. On one hand I felt that the author did an amazing job writing the characters. When everyone was stuck mute by something Jessica would say I felt the same way. On the other hand Jessica drove me cry. I just couldn't connect with all her mood swings.
April 5, 2014
DNF at 10%... It was the ruby necklace...
No, actually the whiny, prude and totally uninteresting heroine.
Clingy and obviously painfully needy in search for Mr Right.
Nope, not interested.
No, actually the whiny, prude and totally uninteresting heroine.
Clingy and obviously painfully needy in search for Mr Right.
Nope, not interested.
December 15, 2015
Sweet baby Jesus I loved this book so much and cant leave a long winded review cuz I gotta go buy the second one!! Jessica is full as hell and I love everything about Apollo, er William.. I need more! Must go one click!
February 10, 2016
Now I wanna ride a bull
We all know some of the best books come from a freebie. And now I'm properly invested in this series. It was funny. Jessica got on my nerves. I wanted to kick William. And it made me tear up a time or two. Excuse me while I go on to book 2
We all know some of the best books come from a freebie. And now I'm properly invested in this series. It was funny. Jessica got on my nerves. I wanted to kick William. And it made me tear up a time or two. Excuse me while I go on to book 2
July 1, 2013
Oh my goodness! I laughed so hard at this! Will is a hottie and this book is so easy to read. Did I mention it made me laugh? Out loud, all the time.
January 8, 2016
Started off slow and it was a lot of cat n mouse chase between William and Jessica but finally picked up..ended nicely, looking forward to the next chapter in the their lives.
December 14, 2017
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!! So many laugh out loud moments!!
July 17, 2020
Jessica Brodie is fresh out of college and ready for a change in her life. She’s moving to Texas and leaving California and her friends. She’s renting a pool house from Gladis. Once she arrives she amazed at how well off her landlady is and the pool house is actually a cottage. When she ventures out to the grocery store to runs into the handsome William Davies and falls into a ball display.
Jessica loves her new job and coworkers, but she can’t get the image of William out of her head and dreams. It seems that they are always running into one another.
William is a very handsome cowboy who all the ladies want in their beds. His focus is on his livestock and his business, and Jessica has been on his mind since the day he laid eyes on her.
These two are dangerous, and they can’t resist one another, but something is in the way.
This is a wonderful book. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and wanting more.
Jessica loves her new job and coworkers, but she can’t get the image of William out of her head and dreams. It seems that they are always running into one another.
William is a very handsome cowboy who all the ladies want in their beds. His focus is on his livestock and his business, and Jessica has been on his mind since the day he laid eyes on her.
These two are dangerous, and they can’t resist one another, but something is in the way.
This is a wonderful book. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and wanting more.
May 22, 2021
Good
This is the first book in a trilogy featuring Jessica Brodie, a California girl who moves to Texas. That means that although it doesn’t have a cliffhanger ending, it isn’t a complete story and you will need to read the other books in the series.
In Texas, Jessie meets the man of her dreams, but dreams don’t always come true…
The trials and tribulations of Jessie might just make you laugh or cry. She’s funny, sassy, and (for the most part) confident, which makes her a very likable character.
The book falls into the rom-com and contemporary romance categories, and the characters are filled with the author’s trademark (and rather offbeat) humour.
This is an enjoyable read for the romance reader who wants something lighthearted, with a little bit of emotional impact to make for a deeper read.
This is the first book in a trilogy featuring Jessica Brodie, a California girl who moves to Texas. That means that although it doesn’t have a cliffhanger ending, it isn’t a complete story and you will need to read the other books in the series.
In Texas, Jessie meets the man of her dreams, but dreams don’t always come true…
The trials and tribulations of Jessie might just make you laugh or cry. She’s funny, sassy, and (for the most part) confident, which makes her a very likable character.
The book falls into the rom-com and contemporary romance categories, and the characters are filled with the author’s trademark (and rather offbeat) humour.
This is an enjoyable read for the romance reader who wants something lighthearted, with a little bit of emotional impact to make for a deeper read.
May 1, 2024
"Back in the Saddle" is like a wild ride through the Texas plains! Jessica's life has been a bit bumpy lately, but when she decides to start fresh in Texas after college, things really start to get interesting.
I loved reading about Jessica's adventures in her new home, especially when she meets the super handsome cowboy. He's like something out of a movie, all rugged and charming. Even though Jessica thinks he's way too good for her, she can't help but be drawn to him.
The best part of this book is the humor and the romance. Jessica stumbles and laughs her way through life, and it's so fun to join her on the journey. Plus, who doesn't love a good cowboy romance?
If you're looking for a book that's full of laughs, love, and a little bit of adventure, "Back in the Saddle" is definitely the one for you! So saddle up and get ready for a great read!
I loved reading about Jessica's adventures in her new home, especially when she meets the super handsome cowboy. He's like something out of a movie, all rugged and charming. Even though Jessica thinks he's way too good for her, she can't help but be drawn to him.
The best part of this book is the humor and the romance. Jessica stumbles and laughs her way through life, and it's so fun to join her on the journey. Plus, who doesn't love a good cowboy romance?
If you're looking for a book that's full of laughs, love, and a little bit of adventure, "Back in the Saddle" is definitely the one for you! So saddle up and get ready for a great read!
September 24, 2021
I have to start of by saying I love KF Breene, but this book as Willow Summers.... I don't know why I kept reading it.
I think I just really wanted to know what was behind the hot and cold act.
Breene as an author has clearly moved on and matured from these days, because this book was so all over the place, I struggled to keep up at times.
While I did like the characters, there was definitely something missing that Breene now has in her latest books.
Jessica is a sweet, but naive girl, who pretty much is faking it til she makes it. How she falls so hard for a guy she barely had any interaction with was a thought for me. And William's overall reaction was serious overkill.
However, the emotional reveal at the end was certified deserved by Jess.
I think I just really wanted to know what was behind the hot and cold act.
Breene as an author has clearly moved on and matured from these days, because this book was so all over the place, I struggled to keep up at times.
While I did like the characters, there was definitely something missing that Breene now has in her latest books.
Jessica is a sweet, but naive girl, who pretty much is faking it til she makes it. How she falls so hard for a guy she barely had any interaction with was a thought for me. And William's overall reaction was serious overkill.
However, the emotional reveal at the end was certified deserved by Jess.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2024
Absolutely terrible. I could only read this in 10 minute intervals because the FMC would make me that angry. Not much happens outside of bars it's like the only fun available is to drink. Shes always drunk. She's void of any redeeming quality. She wants money, she said as much to a date but then tells the wealthy cowboy she isn't money grubbing. She's insulting to both men and women. She is terrible.
The author is so repetitive it hurts the brain. The bull riding movements were the same and yet was still written out like she was trying to reach a word count. The same descriptions were used, for a supposedly college educated FMC I would have expected a larger vocabulary than what was offered. The way descriptions were written the FMC sounded like a child..
Will not be continuing..
The author is so repetitive it hurts the brain. The bull riding movements were the same and yet was still written out like she was trying to reach a word count. The same descriptions were used, for a supposedly college educated FMC I would have expected a larger vocabulary than what was offered. The way descriptions were written the FMC sounded like a child..
Will not be continuing..
March 19, 2017
I swore I’d never read romance, I normally leave that sort of thing to my friends, and let them gush about it.
But then a friend of mine convinced me to read Back in the Saddle by Willow Summers – not just because it’s “great” but because Willow Summers happens to be the pen name of K.F. Breene, easily one of my all-time favorite writers (Chosen, HELLO!).
*sigh* Here I am, stuck in that abyss one can only feel after living life through a factional character. After feeling only what they feel for a solid block of time because I couldn’t rip myself away from the fictional world Willow Summers created. I’m in that chasm of reality that sets in between books in the series, waiting to find out what happens next, but afraid of losing myself yet again inside a novel when I have things to do in real life.
I decided I just won’t sleep for a little while, because I can’t wait to read what happens in the next book!
If all romance books are like this one, I will never again return to reality.
But then a friend of mine convinced me to read Back in the Saddle by Willow Summers – not just because it’s “great” but because Willow Summers happens to be the pen name of K.F. Breene, easily one of my all-time favorite writers (Chosen, HELLO!).
*sigh* Here I am, stuck in that abyss one can only feel after living life through a factional character. After feeling only what they feel for a solid block of time because I couldn’t rip myself away from the fictional world Willow Summers created. I’m in that chasm of reality that sets in between books in the series, waiting to find out what happens next, but afraid of losing myself yet again inside a novel when I have things to do in real life.
I decided I just won’t sleep for a little while, because I can’t wait to read what happens in the next book!
If all romance books are like this one, I will never again return to reality.
August 28, 2019
AMAZING!!!
What a great find. I have to be honest though, I really thought William to be a snob, and even stop reading the book a few times then returned a few times to finish it. I never got to the end... I honestly was extremely disappointed and upset at Jessica for throwing herself at a snobby William!! Then I actually got to the end of the book and was speechless🤭.. I was so upset at myself for not finishing it the first read. And I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the second and third book.. I finished them immediately and fall In love with the couple..
I’m already missing them. Thank you for this series..
What a great find. I have to be honest though, I really thought William to be a snob, and even stop reading the book a few times then returned a few times to finish it. I never got to the end... I honestly was extremely disappointed and upset at Jessica for throwing herself at a snobby William!! Then I actually got to the end of the book and was speechless🤭.. I was so upset at myself for not finishing it the first read. And I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the second and third book.. I finished them immediately and fall In love with the couple..
I’m already missing them. Thank you for this series..
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