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The Westmorelands #30
Breaking Bailey's Rules
In New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson’s novel, a Westmoreland learns that rules are meant to be broken!
Rule number one for Bailey Never fall for a man who would take her away from her tight-knit family’s Colorado home. So why is she following rancher Walker Rafferty all the way to Alaska? Bailey tells herself she owes the sexy loner an apology, and once she gets there, it’s only right to stay and help him when he’s injured…isn’t it? Before long, Bailey realizes home might be where you make it—if Walker is ready to take all she has to offer.
Rule number one for Bailey Never fall for a man who would take her away from her tight-knit family’s Colorado home. So why is she following rancher Walker Rafferty all the way to Alaska? Bailey tells herself she owes the sexy loner an apology, and once she gets there, it’s only right to stay and help him when he’s injured…isn’t it? Before long, Bailey realizes home might be where you make it—if Walker is ready to take all she has to offer.
151 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2015
2 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
About the author
Brenda Jackson
898 books3,598 followersIn 1994, Brenda Jackson’s first novel, Tonight and Forever, was released. Since then she has had more than 100 novels and novellas published (the first African-American author to accomplish such a feat) and has over 3 million books in print.
A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Brenda is the first African-American author to have a book published by Harlequin Desire and the first African-American romance author to make the New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller lists within the series romance genre.
In 2012, Brenda received the Romance Writers of America’s Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award—one of the highest literary awards a romance author can receive. In 2013, she was recognized by the mayor and the city of Jacksonville as being a Trailblazer in the literary field.
In 2010, she collaborated with Five Alive Films to turn her Truly Everlasting title into a feature film. Brenda’s 2011 novel A Silken Thread is scheduled to be filmed with Debbie Allen attached as director in 2015.
Email Brenda at authorbrendajackson@gmail.com or visit her on her website at brendajackson.net.
A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Brenda is the first African-American author to have a book published by Harlequin Desire and the first African-American romance author to make the New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller lists within the series romance genre.
In 2012, Brenda received the Romance Writers of America’s Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award—one of the highest literary awards a romance author can receive. In 2013, she was recognized by the mayor and the city of Jacksonville as being a Trailblazer in the literary field.
In 2010, she collaborated with Five Alive Films to turn her Truly Everlasting title into a feature film. Brenda’s 2011 novel A Silken Thread is scheduled to be filmed with Debbie Allen attached as director in 2015.
Email Brenda at authorbrendajackson@gmail.com or visit her on her website at brendajackson.net.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 21, 2021
WHAT CAN I SAY I LOVE A GOOD HARLEQUIN LEAVE ME ALONE
June 12, 2017
I waited so long to read Bailey's story. I don't know why but for some reason I though bailey would've been a virgin. Her story was one of the best ones.
October 3, 2017
I want to know the Outlaws. I love this series and it is nice to go into the world of the Westmoreland
December 3, 2019
Not my favorite, still enjoyed Bailey's story.
August 16, 2021
It was ok, there wasn't anything major that bugged me or that I hated but I doubt I would want to re-read it. Np.
Read
November 7, 2022Llevo años conociendo a los Westmoreland y es muy lindo por fin leer a Bailey, y sobre todo que su historia termine donde comienza la de Bane 😭😭
December 30, 2023
Bailey was a very interesting character. She had her rules. Then she met Walker and all that went out the window.
Really enjoyed this book. Enjoyed hearing about the Outlaw family.
Really enjoyed this book. Enjoyed hearing about the Outlaw family.
December 26, 2017
I have read the books in this series one after the other in order. I've been waiting for the last two. Bailey and Bane. I knew it would be great and anybody who would try to claim Bailey would have there work cut out for them. I enjoyed the story of Bailey and Walker and can't wait to read the outlaw series.
I'm not gonna deduct a star from it, but I can truly say that I loathe the word "husky". I'm sorry, but it's just has been used way to much in this series. I guess if I had read just a few books individually it wouldn't be so bad. I know for certain every book had that word more than a few times. I literally roll my eyes when I see it.
I'm not gonna deduct a star from it, but I can truly say that I loathe the word "husky". I'm sorry, but it's just has been used way to much in this series. I guess if I had read just a few books individually it wouldn't be so bad. I know for certain every book had that word more than a few times. I literally roll my eyes when I see it.
May 27, 2016
Any lover of romance who has also come to appreciate interracial stories knows about and appreciates Brenda Jackson. Her Westmoreland Family series has gone on now for years, and while some reviewers have panned her stories as formulaic and predictable, I still like to read her work. Ms Jackson is a writer who is unashamedly open about her interest in human relationships and family dynamics. She has covered the full spectrum of emotion as well as the situations people either cause or in which they find themselves victims. She is also not subtle about her heroes being alpha males, many of whom are unwilling to settle down to one woman. Money, opportunity, careers, and a long list of other variable make these men challenges in and of themselves.
However, in this story, the challenge is a young woman who is comfortable in her skin, who wants to be appreciated for who she is, who enjoys her independent ways along with the full involvement in a family that is energetic to say the least. Her one requirement for anyone looking to become involved with her romantically, long-term partner or permanent significant other, is that she will never leave Colorado. It is her home in more ways than just geographical. She is connected to the land, the environment, the mountains’ majestic presence, the sense of “home” she shares with her Westmoreland family. She believes there is someone who will be the passionate partner she is seeking and who will want to keep her happy in the land she loves above all other.
Now there pops up another possible branch of the Westmoreland clan, and the connection is not a happy one or acceptable in many ways. To acknowledge this family is to accept that there was hurt and infidelity in the past, and that is so not OK. Walker Rafferty is a close family friend and one that is sent to investigate the possible connections between previously unknown relatives and it is meeting Bailey that throws a wrench into his life. His efforts to interest her in some kind of romantic liason are rebuffed—that’s probably too mild a descriptive—and in good conscience Bailey realizes that she has some fences to mend after Walker returns to Alaska, a very long way from Colorado.
As always, Ms Jackson draws her characters with a deft and sure skill, giving readers a full imagination of what these characters look like, how they think, what they yearn for, and how they go about finding ways to reach their personal relational goals. Bailey is a woman that can be lovely and kind, but she has the ability to be as uncomfortable as a thorn bush. The slow progress that Bailey and Walker make toward some sort of connection is the core of this story, and while it is certainly a movement toward “happily ever after,” it is not a comfortable story. I always find a Brenda Jackson a good read. It is balanced between the need to keep a story line clean and moving forward and the erotic content. It is not just about their sex life but rather how all the elements of their humanity gradually merge to make it possible for these two to connect on a deeper, more lasting level.
It’s a good book, a fun read in many ways, and a nice way to spend an evening. Just the kind of experience a lover of good romance enjoys.
I give this book a rating of 4.5 out of 5
However, in this story, the challenge is a young woman who is comfortable in her skin, who wants to be appreciated for who she is, who enjoys her independent ways along with the full involvement in a family that is energetic to say the least. Her one requirement for anyone looking to become involved with her romantically, long-term partner or permanent significant other, is that she will never leave Colorado. It is her home in more ways than just geographical. She is connected to the land, the environment, the mountains’ majestic presence, the sense of “home” she shares with her Westmoreland family. She believes there is someone who will be the passionate partner she is seeking and who will want to keep her happy in the land she loves above all other.
Now there pops up another possible branch of the Westmoreland clan, and the connection is not a happy one or acceptable in many ways. To acknowledge this family is to accept that there was hurt and infidelity in the past, and that is so not OK. Walker Rafferty is a close family friend and one that is sent to investigate the possible connections between previously unknown relatives and it is meeting Bailey that throws a wrench into his life. His efforts to interest her in some kind of romantic liason are rebuffed—that’s probably too mild a descriptive—and in good conscience Bailey realizes that she has some fences to mend after Walker returns to Alaska, a very long way from Colorado.
As always, Ms Jackson draws her characters with a deft and sure skill, giving readers a full imagination of what these characters look like, how they think, what they yearn for, and how they go about finding ways to reach their personal relational goals. Bailey is a woman that can be lovely and kind, but she has the ability to be as uncomfortable as a thorn bush. The slow progress that Bailey and Walker make toward some sort of connection is the core of this story, and while it is certainly a movement toward “happily ever after,” it is not a comfortable story. I always find a Brenda Jackson a good read. It is balanced between the need to keep a story line clean and moving forward and the erotic content. It is not just about their sex life but rather how all the elements of their humanity gradually merge to make it possible for these two to connect on a deeper, more lasting level.
It’s a good book, a fun read in many ways, and a nice way to spend an evening. Just the kind of experience a lover of good romance enjoys.
I give this book a rating of 4.5 out of 5
February 6, 2017
Twenty-six year old Bailey Westmoreland, sassy and beautiful, is tasked with being on her best behavior as she picks up Walker Rafferty from the airport. The ruggedly sexy thirty-five year old rancher is in Denver at the request of his best friend Garth Outlaw to help verify if the Westmorelands and Outlaws are related to each other. But true to her nature, Bailey speaks her mind which Walker quickly finds off-putting and intriguing. What neither of them expected or wants to admit is their mind-boggling attraction to each other. Besides why give into their attraction when Bailey has firmly stated she would never thinking of living anywhere else but “Westmoreland Country” and Walker with a guilt-laden past is firm about being a recluse on his ranch on remote Kodiak Island in Alaska. Their forbidden attraction continues to have a magnetic pull at their hearts while their bantering leads to a precarious game of unthinking statements followed by heartfelt apologies. That is until one accusation too many has Walker abruptly returning home and the ever impulsive Bailey trekking uninvited to Alaska to deliver a personal apology. Will the past and rules keep this couple from seeing home is where the heart is?
Brenda Jackson once again proves she is a master storyteller of rich and satisfying romances with fairytale endings. Fans of the Westmoreland series have watched feisty Bailey mature over the series and wondered who would be the man to win her heart. Bailey who up until meeting Walker never felt the emotional or sexual connections that kept him on her mind. Initially confused by these feeling but seeing how her brothers and cousins had fallen in love over the years was able to sort out her feelings. I enjoyed how Bailey sought advice from her family and processed the information in a way to allow her to be true to herself. Walker’s painful past experiences and losses have him locked within himself and refuses to be involved with another woman, no matter how much his heart wants her. How Walker faced his past and came to accept Bailey for who she was a very touching part of the storyline. I feel in love with Bailey and Walker and found their sexual tension and intimate moments electrifying.
Part of the story takes place in Denver (Westmoreland Country) but the majestic description of Alaska and Kodiak Island will have readers booking a trip to the area. The introduction of the Outlaws was well integrated into the storyline and I look forward to reading their stories. And the bombshell that Bane drops at the end sets up the next book very nicely.
BREAKING BAILEY’S RULES is the 26th book in the Westmoreland series. I would have to say that the clever plot points, the blazing chemistry the couple shared making each scene sizzle, the emotional depth displayed by the couple and of course the supporting family members makes for a compelling read.
Brenda Jackson once again proves she is a master storyteller of rich and satisfying romances with fairytale endings. Fans of the Westmoreland series have watched feisty Bailey mature over the series and wondered who would be the man to win her heart. Bailey who up until meeting Walker never felt the emotional or sexual connections that kept him on her mind. Initially confused by these feeling but seeing how her brothers and cousins had fallen in love over the years was able to sort out her feelings. I enjoyed how Bailey sought advice from her family and processed the information in a way to allow her to be true to herself. Walker’s painful past experiences and losses have him locked within himself and refuses to be involved with another woman, no matter how much his heart wants her. How Walker faced his past and came to accept Bailey for who she was a very touching part of the storyline. I feel in love with Bailey and Walker and found their sexual tension and intimate moments electrifying.
Part of the story takes place in Denver (Westmoreland Country) but the majestic description of Alaska and Kodiak Island will have readers booking a trip to the area. The introduction of the Outlaws was well integrated into the storyline and I look forward to reading their stories. And the bombshell that Bane drops at the end sets up the next book very nicely.
BREAKING BAILEY’S RULES is the 26th book in the Westmoreland series. I would have to say that the clever plot points, the blazing chemistry the couple shared making each scene sizzle, the emotional depth displayed by the couple and of course the supporting family members makes for a compelling read.
April 14, 2016
Breaking Bailey's Rules by Brenda Jackson is the thirteeth book in The Westmorelands series. I got attracted towards this book because of the blurb and the title that intrigued me.
Initially I didnt know that this was part of a series but after starting the book, I started suspecting that there were characters carried over from previous books and soon learned that this was part of a series. However despite being part of a series, the story can be read as a standalone. But reading the series in order is better so you understand the backstories of the other characters better.
In this book, we get the story of Bailey Westmoreland, the youngest of the Westmoreland clan. The family has been searching for their relatives after learning that their grandfather had siblings who got separated all those years ago. When they learn that the Outlaws of Alaska are their cousins, they are happy to claim them as their kin but the same is not the case with the head of the Outlaw family who doesnt want anything to do with his new relatives. Walker Rafferty, a family friend, is sent to check out the Westmoreland family and it is here that Bailey and he meet and sparks fly. But all is not so cozy for Walker has been burned by a woman in the past and doesn't do relationships and the same is true for Bailey. But can love conquer all?
The plot is simple but executed well. I enjoyed meeting the Westmoreland and the Outlaw families. While I liked both Bailey and Walker, I didn't agree with how they went about developing their relationship. More than half the book goes by with just lust and sex as the focal point of their romance and the feelings are only revealed at the end.
This is one book where I got interested in the secondary characters more than I did in the primary ones. I want to read the stories of Bailey's siblings now and look forward to reading the stories of their Outlaw cousins.
The author's writing style is engaging and narration crisp but the only complaint that I have is with the way she developed the romance. More emphasis should have been given to the emotional angle but after a few scenes I felt like only the physical aspect of the relationship was ruling.
All in all, Breaking Bailey's Rules is a quick romance and had me entertained but I feel it could have been even better. 3.5 out of 5 to it and recommended to all lovers of romance above the age of eighteen.
I received the book from the publishers via Netgalley and I am very thankful to them. The above review is my honest and unbiased opinion and in no way influenced.
Read this review and others on: http://www.njkinnysblog.com/
Initially I didnt know that this was part of a series but after starting the book, I started suspecting that there were characters carried over from previous books and soon learned that this was part of a series. However despite being part of a series, the story can be read as a standalone. But reading the series in order is better so you understand the backstories of the other characters better.
In this book, we get the story of Bailey Westmoreland, the youngest of the Westmoreland clan. The family has been searching for their relatives after learning that their grandfather had siblings who got separated all those years ago. When they learn that the Outlaws of Alaska are their cousins, they are happy to claim them as their kin but the same is not the case with the head of the Outlaw family who doesnt want anything to do with his new relatives. Walker Rafferty, a family friend, is sent to check out the Westmoreland family and it is here that Bailey and he meet and sparks fly. But all is not so cozy for Walker has been burned by a woman in the past and doesn't do relationships and the same is true for Bailey. But can love conquer all?
The plot is simple but executed well. I enjoyed meeting the Westmoreland and the Outlaw families. While I liked both Bailey and Walker, I didn't agree with how they went about developing their relationship. More than half the book goes by with just lust and sex as the focal point of their romance and the feelings are only revealed at the end.
This is one book where I got interested in the secondary characters more than I did in the primary ones. I want to read the stories of Bailey's siblings now and look forward to reading the stories of their Outlaw cousins.
The author's writing style is engaging and narration crisp but the only complaint that I have is with the way she developed the romance. More emphasis should have been given to the emotional angle but after a few scenes I felt like only the physical aspect of the relationship was ruling.
All in all, Breaking Bailey's Rules is a quick romance and had me entertained but I feel it could have been even better. 3.5 out of 5 to it and recommended to all lovers of romance above the age of eighteen.
I received the book from the publishers via Netgalley and I am very thankful to them. The above review is my honest and unbiased opinion and in no way influenced.
Read this review and others on: http://www.njkinnysblog.com/
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews