The Debra Dilemma

The Lone Stars #4

by Katie Graykowski

Debra Covington is finally getting her life together. She’s spent the last ten years making Warren Daniver pay for choosing a million dollars over her. Her plan of sport-dating the entire football team that Daniver owns has backfired and the only one she’s hurting is herself. Now, she works at Safe Place helping victims of domestic violence.

Warren Daniver has a problem. Debra Covington is no longer making his life a living hell and now, he can’t stop thinking about her. Ten years ago, he took her father’s money to keep from ruining her life. Warren has regretted taking the money every minute since he cashed that check. It’s time he told her the truth…only she refuses to see him.

The harder Warren tries to insinuate himself into Debra’s life, the harder she resists him. Their mental tug-of-war comes to a head when Warren learns that when he left all of those years ago, Debra was pregnant.

Can she ever forgive him? Can he forgive himself? Warren will stop at nothing to finally solve, The Debra Dilemma.

Genres: Romance, Sports, Contemporary, Sports Romance, Contemporary Romance, Second Chance, Amazon

268 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 31, 2015

About the author

Katie Graykowski is an internationally bestselling author of 25 novels.

Her latest release, Texas Rose Happily Ever-After, the 5th book in the Texas Rose Ranch series. It's out 4/11/2023.

Katie's hard at work on the 5th book in her PTO Murder Club mystery. It's called Puzzled Pieces and is out 5/30/2023.

For news about Katie, please visit www.katiegraykowski.com.

Reviews

[Talltree]

DNF

This h deserved a better H. I am actively rooting for there not to be a HEA.

So this h was crazy in love with H who was her pool boy when they were both young. He knocks her up, takes a million dollars from her bazillionaire dad to walk away from her, when she comes to him saying she is pregnant, he tells her she is lying and sleeping around and to abort the baby.

The h's dad throws her on street penniless bcos h refuses to abort. She has a stillborn birth at end of 9 months that she has to go through all alone. She is messed up bcos of that and spends the next 10 years in self-destructive behaviour. Before all this she was such a innocent sweet idealistic girl.

Meanwhile the H becomes a bazillionaire himself with countless girlfriends that he travels the world with.
How is this in any way fair??! Jackass, dying in a ditch is too good for him!!!

I wish the author hadn't let the h spend 10 years wasting her life and to get her act straight. And I wish h had found an all round great guy H much earlier!!

As for this H, what he deserves isn't a HEA but for him to curl up and die!! Asap!! Wimpy pitiful jerk.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually 2.5 Stars. My dilemma with The Debra Dilemma. So up until now I have loved this series each book was frigging great. But with this one I'm just not sure. We meet Debra in the other books where she is the team floozy and has slept with most of the guys on the team to get some payback on Warren. They were a couple when they were young and well with Debra having an arsehole for a father and Warren accusing her of cheating and then being paid off to leave her I'd be bloody pissed but I don't know if I would go that far as what Debra did.

In the end she realises that the only person that she is hurting is herself after landing in jail and realising that she has noone, absolutely noone that she can call to bail her out of jail.

6 Months later Debra is getting her life together and becoming a self confident women who sees her own value. One problem, Warren misses her company.
He did the unthinkable and left Debra to deal with a traumatic event. The first 50 % of the book was really sad, emotional and heart breaking but then there was the other aspect where the H was behaving like a stalker/creep, with binoculars, sitting in front of her house, buying the Penthouse in her building.

I loved that we got to see other characters from previous books and Sweet Louise is a hoot. The last part of the book was smooth sailing, happy, funny and warm. Some things progressed and others not so much.

The one issue that I did have was that I don't know if I could freinds with someone who slept with my husband even if it was before my time. Not only happened to one couple but three of the couples. That is just weird for me.

[Hollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t as eager for this book as others in the series. Mainly because the heroine, Debra, was so despicable in previous books throughout the series. I am happy to report that this writer amazingly pulled off her redemption. The story, as with the others, was sweet and made for a great romance. My only complaint is that this book felt incredibly familiar to book 3 in this series. The plot and characters were just too similar. I'm glad it was offered as a kindleunlimited and I will defiantly continue this series.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (6/28/2020)! 🎁

[Watergirl · Rating 1 out of 5]

While I liked the story of Debra’s redemption, I felt there were too many people in it. I am surprised Lilly and Mario didn’t show up. Seems like everyone was in this one. How did 10 years pass and Warren not know that Debra had a son? If he was so concerned for her why did he never look into her some more during the time she was sleeping her way through his team?

I went into this story knowing that I would have a hard time liking Debra. I liked her a lot. I just cannot understand why a psychology major took 10 years to see that she was hurting herself more than anyone else. It didn’t add up.

What was up with the ghost thing? It had no place in this story. I love paranormal and fantasy books but this was just plain wrong. Was this some way of making sure the reader knew that the dead people were okay (Lara, Henry, etc.)?

Oh. The spelling and grammar errors were glaring in this one. There were also some consistency errors with the previous three books.

I keep revising my score downwards. It is strange. I still don’t think I know Debra or Warren. Their story was more a novella with all the side characters taking up space. I guess this is the end of generation one and the follow up book is the next generation of Lone Stars??

Another thing. If Debra is deathly allergic to eggs, why are they making pancakes and cakes for her with no mention of using egg substitutes? What happened to the $10m cheque that Warren gave Patty and Dave? What happened to the jewellery that they had to give away? Why did Coco change so much from bk 2? If Debra was the boss at Safe Place why isn’t the building bigger with more staff given that she is trying to give away all her money?

[Kisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Going into this, I didn't know how I was going to be able to reconcile Debra as a likable character, but I have to say that part was well done. I get why she did what she did. What I did not expect was to like Warren less and less as the pages flew by. This man is a genuine stalker, not a love interest. It wasn't cute. It was disturbing, and I wanted Debra to seek help from her job if she needed to in order to get away from him. He decided he was into her again, so he started finding out info about her and then following her to work and sitting in his car, and buying the penthouse above hers (and putting his bed in the bathroom??) to be close to her. SO NEEDY, WARREN. And then Sweet Louise shows up and suddenly Debra is BFFs with Grace and Summer. Okay, the notion of a great bond between these ladies is nice, but not only did Debra sleep with their husbands, in Grace's case... she abandons the children she was babysitting with someone she had just met after a big fight. I just don't think it's reasonable for their new friendship to start in such a strong place. It started in the last book, but the series-itis has set in strongly by now. It's that thing where you have a series and the characters from the previous books keep showing up as caricatures of themselves in roles where they may or may not even fit.

Also, there's a lot of shame attached to Debra sleeping around, but Warren apparently was doing the same thing and it was barely mentioned. It was a totally sexist shame game.

[Duzz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read. ;D

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

generously giving this 3 stars.
Read this on KindleUnlimited.
To be honest, I really had a hard time reading this book. First, Debra was portrayed so badly in the other books of the series, and even at the very beginning of this book. I find it hard to flip flop my emotions from dislike to like in the span of this book. For Pete's sake, she was going to walk out on babysitting the twins & going to slap Coco in Grace's story if Grace hadn't shown up! In real life, she would never have been able to become friends with the women. I also felt everything was just too easy for Warren to get back into good graces with her. He didn't work hard enough for her forgiveness. I personally would never have been able to forgive him. I almost quit reading at around 60%, because it was just flat out boring. Plus so many things were mentioned, but nothing was followed up on, like his donation of $ for the couple giving away homes to needy, or what happened with all the jewelry. Why mention stuff if there's no follow up. Then there was the ghost thing, that was just weird to add into the 4th book of the series that had no previous paranormal events in book 1-3. Does that make this paranormal instead of contemporary? I don't think it was enough, but it was just weird & hokey for me. Maybe just an odd way to try to add interest to the story? I honestly only kept reading to see any follow up about Summer, Grace & Laney. This secondary character was not a strong enough character to deserve her own story & even in her own story, she waffles back & forth emotionally.

[Frances Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Misunderstanding to love.

This is the 4th book of the Lone Star series that I have read. This particular one had me in tears the majority of the time. True love at a young age led to so much heartache for Warren and Debra. Debra came from money and her father dominated her life. Warren was their pool boy and fell in love with Debra. Their lives were forced to go in separate directions until they meet again as adults. Debra suffered several heart breaking events after Warren left her and when they meet again, they both realize that their love is just as powerful now as when they were teens. They go thru several sad, but crazy incidents to finally end up together. Beautiful HEA and such a great well written book. Loving reading the great works that Katie Graykowski puts put.

[Catarina Águas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this book very much. Warner was a giant teddy bear and I liked him but Debra not so much. She was a woman that went through a lot and I respect thaf but there was something about her that just didn't do it for me. And all the women, all the time around them, so freaking tiring, it was too much to soon like no, I didn't liked them all as a group, they went to hard to soon. And the all kissing Julia, A 3 YEAR OLD, on the mouth, WTF was that, everyone did it like it was totally normal, it's not, she's gonna grow up and think that's normal when it's not

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not quite as appealing to me as the others in this series. Perhaps the author did too good a job of setting Debra up as the villain in the earlier books, so the turn around here seemed dizzying. Also, it´s a bit hard to relate to two multimillionaires. Still, the sense of family created by the Lone Stars and their families is sweet, and who doesn´t like a happy ever after ending!

[Catrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over a ten year period, Debra punished and blamed herself over things that happened. Now, thanks to some new found friends, she has finally begun to accept her past and move on, but can Warren fit into her new future.

There were a few scenes that seemed a little far fetched to me, but all in all, Katie Graykowski tells a good story.

Pam Dougherty provided the perfect narration!

[Stefanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Debra

Wow!! I really didn't think I was going to like Debra as much as I did!! Debra broke my heart, and it explains so much of her behavior towards Warren. So much time wasted... I really loved Debra how could you not after learning everything. And the way the ladies just forgave her was amazing!
I want to be like Sweet Louise when I grow up!!

[Nstefa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so I read this series as a whole and must say it reminds me of KA series rock chicks and I must say it was amazing!! Loved the characters and the lone star boys too each have an amazing couple with loads of laughs and lol hilarious women!!! Definitely a must read I devoured it!!! Wish there was more !!!!

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have enjoyed all of the books in this series. Debra is an interesting character starting in earlier books to this one. It was fun to watch how Warren and Debra have resolved their issues to find each other again.

[Sharon Rudolph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book

I have loved this series, but this was the best book so far!! I cried with Debra over her little boy and laughed with Warren and his antics to win her back! I am looking forward to reading the next book.

[Lorelei Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read series!!

Can this series get any better!!!??? Every book in this series gets better and better. This one has a baby boy that has died woven into it. Also this is a second chance love story.

[judy gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Romance with Friends

This was not one of my favorite books by this author. I could never get into the storyline and I felt like the writing was not as sharp as some of her previous storylines.

[sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than you would think

After Debra debut in an earlier story you'd think " nah don't like her" but after reading Warren's reaction to her name I was intrigued. It's sad, bittersweet. Funny. Heartfelt. And many other things. It filled my heart. Thank you.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story and characters

[Ginny Rodenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading this series out of order so I hadn't seen Debra in the earlier books. I loved her and Warren and it was so great to see them get together after all that she had been thru.

[A.B. Shepherd · Rating 3 out of 5]

This reads a lot like a Hallmark movie. Very clean and very sweet.

[Roxanna Karwacki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, I cried off and on through this whole book! I have loved reading this serious.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read

Good read. Didn’t think I’d like debras story but actually it was pretty good. Would have liked Warren to have a bit more of a backbone but all in all was a good one.

[Chris Welch]

Love.

Love this book. Finished it in one sitting. The main characters were well thought and put together. Some characters like her dad could have had a bit better back story.

[Mandi Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better then expected

So much better then expected. I was not looking forward to reading this one. But not only was it a good story, I loved the ending. It made me smile.

[ysar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Our Rating:

I had high hopes when I first started this book, since within just a few pages I’d come to really like a character that I hated in the previous books. That’s a difficult feat, especially in so short a span, so I was surprised when the story quickly started going downhill for me.

Debra was the groupie we all abhorred, always throwing herself at any available (and often unavailable) player on the Lone Stars team. There was nothing at all to like about her, and the way she tried to take credit for Chord’s birthday party in Saving Grace pretty much ruined her in my eyes. But as it turns out, she has a pretty heartbreaking backstory, and her sleeping her way through the team was a misguided attempt at revenge against Warren, the man who broke her heart years ago.

Debra was the rich kid, and Warren was the help, and as in any good fairy tale, they fell in love. But Debra got pregnant, her truly horrible dad found out, and Warren was paid a million dollars to disappear from her life. Some nine months later, Debra was completely on her own when her newborn son died right after birth, and she’s been out to make Warren miserable ever since. I can’t say I blame her.

There’s more to the story, though, and while Warren certainly didn’t make the best decision back then, it wasn’t quite the betrayal that Debra thought it was. And now that Debra’s starting to regain her sense of self and let go of her degrading revenge plan, Warren’s doing his damnedest to win her back. Unfortunately, his plan includes stalking, setting her kitchen on fire, and nearly killing her with a kiss.

For a short while, I could get behind the couple, and while I didn’t necessarily agree with the way Warren was relentlessly following Debra, I could understand his desperation. But where the other books in this series have been mostly lighthearted and funny, The Debra Dilemma was all angst and regret. Warren’s bumbling and disastrous attempts to impress Debra weren’t quite the comedic lift the story needed, and the more I read, the more of a buzzkill it became.

Now I’ll be the first to say that this series doesn’t stay mired in realism, which is often a good thing when it comes to romance. I mean, we want to read a happily ever after story in which everything works out, not a dissertation on dirty laundry, morning breath, and the harsh realities of life. But after ten years of punishing Warren for deserting her, Debra forgives him in roughly 3.7 seconds. Yes, he was sorry, and yes, he didn’t have the full story when he left, but there’s just no way to put all that past behind them so quickly. And just to pile on the unbelievability, every football player on the team drops everything at a moment’s notice, all the girls immediately love Debra, and everyone’s holding hands and singing Kumbaya. Okay, so they weren’t singing, but at least if they had been, I could have chalked it up to a religious awakening.

Where it really went off the tracks, though, was near the end. Once Debra and Warren were on the path to happily ever after, there was simply too much book left unwritten, and so the pages were filled with over-the-top good deeds, demonstrations of Debra’s unrealistic wealth, and so many feel-good moments that I found myself skipping through most of the rest of the story. In the end, The Debra Dilemma is a terrible departure from an otherwise entertaining series, and I have to say that I really wish it had been skipped altogether. I have no idea why I bothered finishing it.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give The Debra Dilemma ten stars, I would! I have been looking forward to this novel since Katie Graykowski first told her fans that Debra and Warren were getting their own stories... er story. Yes! Two memorable characters from prior Lone Star books share a history! If you haven't read the rest of the Lone Star books, you will enjoy this one on it's own.. but you will want to go back and get them all.

Warren is the owner of The Lone Stars professional football team. Debra is the "floozy" that has seems to have a thing for football players - specifically Warren's players. In past novels we have seen glimpses of Warren interacting with his boys and their new lady loves. We also spent a bit of time wanting to do bodily harm to Debra. Their shared story is nothing short of heartwarming. I immediately forgot all past negativity towards Debra and wanted to settle in with her on the sofa for some girl talk while sharing a pot of hot chocolate.

As beautiful as the love story is, the real treat here is the friendships. I found myself feeling jealous and wishing I had just one friend as amazing as the ladies of Lone Star that pulled Debra into their nest. Led by Sweet Louise, the mother of one of the football players, and completed by Her Majesty Princess Julia, the daughter of another player - these ladies are a treasure of warmth, friendship and laughter.

I loved how honest this story was. There was no added angst or dramatic tricks to build the story up. Warren and Debra were both open and honest with their feelings, actions and words. It was beautiful. Katie Graykowsi could have easily created drama to keep these two apart and prolong the happy ending but she didn't. And I appreciate and love that she didn't. Instead we are given a wonderful story that stands on it's own merit filled with friends turned family that any of us would be blessed to know.

Now... to wait and see who is next in line for a happy ending. Precious? Seth? Or someone new?

* I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. (And I finished it in less than 24 hours because I couldn't stop reading it!!)

[Claire Mc Partlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really fun series that I have thoroughly enjoyed so far.

This time it's Debra's story, who has been a bit of a pain throughout the rest of the series, sleeping her way through the Lone Stars football team and just generally being a nuisance and quite an unlikeable character. But after being arrested for criminal damage and realising she has absolutely no-one to call to help her she has a blinding life revelation and decides she has to turn her life around.

So she changes her clothes style, cuts her hair, and starts working as a counseller at an abused womens home, just trying to be a better person. She has a few demons from her past that made her act the way she did, her Father was horrible, her boyfriend took a pay-off from her Father to leave her, and she lost their baby boy immediately after he was born.

The father is Warren, the owner of the Lone Stars, so Debra was punishing him by sleeping her way through the Lone Stars for the last 10 years, but now realises she was punishing herself too. She is taken under the wing of Sweet Louise, fabulous Mother of one of the players, and soon has more girlfriends to chat to and help her than she can shake a stick at!

Warren always regretted his decision to leave Debra, he didn't know the full story as her Father lied to him, and now decides he wants her back as he's never stopped loving her. Of course Debra resists at first... but they eventually work through their issues and come out stronger the other side. The first half of the book is really about Debra changing and then her and Warren's relationship, with some quite sad parts. But the second half is much more fun with lots more characters becoming involved.

Very enjoyable heart-warming listen by the wonderful Pam Dougherty as usual. I look forward to reading/listening to the next one in this series about Coco.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not really sure about this one. I mean, we have Debra, a character we learn to hate in Saving Grace that is sudently something close to a saint.
I like how Debra left her issues behind and focused on helping others, and then we found out that she has been helping people from the beggining.
I hated Warren, and I'm not sure if I'm happy that he and Debra end up together or pissed out because they did. Warren claims that he took the money her father offered because he wanted what was best for her, but if that was really his goal, why take the money? He could just leave her, but he took the money over her. I hate how he decides what's best for her, and he doesn't even check on her or anything, he just gets mad that she is sleeping with the guys in his team. At the end is like he was always in love with her and he even carried a ring for her waiting for the right moment, but he has a really shitty way to prove that.
This is supposed to be a love story, but for me is more like the story of a doormat. I get her issues and, I kind of get his, what I don't get is how she forgives him so easily after spending the last decade hating him.