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Hellcat Canyon #2
Wild at Whiskey Creek
Everyone knows the Greenleaf family puts the “Hell” in Hellcat Canyon—legend has it the only way they ever leave is in a cop car or a casket. But Glory Greenleaf has a different getaway vehicle in mind: her guitar. She has a Texas-sized talent and the ambition (and attitude) to match, but only two people have ever believed in her: her brother, who’s in jail, and his best friend . . . who put him there.
Sheriff Eli Barlow has secretly been in love with Glory since he was twelve years old. Which is how he knows her head is as hard as her heart is soft—and why she can’t forgive him for fracturing her family . . . or forget that night they surrendered to an explosive, long-simmering passion. But when a betrayal threatens Glory’s big break, Eli will risk everything to make it right . . . because the best way to love the girl from Whiskey Creek might mean setting her free forever.384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 29, 2016
69 people are currently reading
397 people want to read
About the author
Julie Anne Long
38 books2,957 followersWell, where should I start? I've lived in San Francisco for more than a decade, usually with at least one cat. I won the school spelling bee when I was in 7th grade; the word that clinched it was 'ukulele.' I originally set out to be a rock star when I grew up (I had a Bono fixation, but who didn't?), and I have the guitars and the questionable wardrobe stuffed in the back of my closet to prove it.
But writing was always my first love.
I was editor of my elementary school paper (believe it or not, Mrs. Little's fifth grade class at Glenmoor Elementary did have one); my high school paper (along with my best high school bud, Cindy Jorgenson); and my college paper, where our long-suffering typesetter finally forced me to learn how to typeset because my articles were usually late (and thus I probably have him to thank for all the desktop publishing jobs that ensued over the years).
Won a couple of random awards along the way: the Bank of America English Award in High School (which basically just amounted to a fancy plaque saying that I was really, really good at English); and an award for best Sports Feature article in a College Newspaper (and anyone who knows me well understands how deeply ironic that is). I began my academic career as a Journalism major; I switched to Creative Writing, which was a more comfortable fit for my freewheeling imagination and overdeveloped sense of whimsy. I dreamed of being a novelist.
But most of us, I think, tend to take for granted the things that come easily to us. I loved writing and all indications were that I was pretty good at it, but I, thank you very much, wanted to be a rock star. Which turned out to be ever-so-slightly harder to do than writing. A lot more equipment was involved, that's for sure. Heavy things, with knobs. It also involved late nights, fetid, graffiti-sprayed practice rooms, gorgeous flakey boys, bizarre gigs, in-fighting—what's not to love?
But my dream of being a published writer never faded. When the charm (ahem) of playing to four people in a tiny club at midnight on a Wednesday finally wore thin, however, I realized I could incorporate all the best things about being in a band — namely, drama, passion, and men with unruly hair — into novels, while at the same time indulging my love of history and research.
So I wrote The Runaway Duke, sent it to a literary agent (see the story here), who sold it to Warner Books a few months after that...which made 2003 one of the most extraordinary, head-spinning years I've ever had.
Why romance? Well, like most people, I read across many genres, but I've been an avid romance reader since I got in trouble for sneaking a Rosemary Rogers novel out of my mom's nightstand drawer (I think it was Sweet Savage Love). Rosemary Rogers, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Laurie McBain...I cut my romance teeth on those ladies. And in general, I take a visceral sort of pleasure in creating a hero and a heroine, putting them through their emotional paces, and watching their relationship develop on the page. And of course, there's much to be said for the happy ending. :)
And why Regency Historicals? Well, for starters, I think we can blame Jane Austen. Her inimitable wit, compassion and vision brought the Regency vividly to life for generations of readers. If Jane Austen had written romances about Incas, for instance, I think, we'd have racks and racks of Inca romances in bookstores all over the country, and Warner Forever would be the Inca Romance line.
But I'm a history FREAK, in general. I read more history, to be perfectly honest, than fiction (when I have time to read!) these days. When we were little, my sister and I used to play "Littl
But writing was always my first love.
I was editor of my elementary school paper (believe it or not, Mrs. Little's fifth grade class at Glenmoor Elementary did have one); my high school paper (along with my best high school bud, Cindy Jorgenson); and my college paper, where our long-suffering typesetter finally forced me to learn how to typeset because my articles were usually late (and thus I probably have him to thank for all the desktop publishing jobs that ensued over the years).
Won a couple of random awards along the way: the Bank of America English Award in High School (which basically just amounted to a fancy plaque saying that I was really, really good at English); and an award for best Sports Feature article in a College Newspaper (and anyone who knows me well understands how deeply ironic that is). I began my academic career as a Journalism major; I switched to Creative Writing, which was a more comfortable fit for my freewheeling imagination and overdeveloped sense of whimsy. I dreamed of being a novelist.
But most of us, I think, tend to take for granted the things that come easily to us. I loved writing and all indications were that I was pretty good at it, but I, thank you very much, wanted to be a rock star. Which turned out to be ever-so-slightly harder to do than writing. A lot more equipment was involved, that's for sure. Heavy things, with knobs. It also involved late nights, fetid, graffiti-sprayed practice rooms, gorgeous flakey boys, bizarre gigs, in-fighting—what's not to love?
But my dream of being a published writer never faded. When the charm (ahem) of playing to four people in a tiny club at midnight on a Wednesday finally wore thin, however, I realized I could incorporate all the best things about being in a band — namely, drama, passion, and men with unruly hair — into novels, while at the same time indulging my love of history and research.
So I wrote The Runaway Duke, sent it to a literary agent (see the story here), who sold it to Warner Books a few months after that...which made 2003 one of the most extraordinary, head-spinning years I've ever had.
Why romance? Well, like most people, I read across many genres, but I've been an avid romance reader since I got in trouble for sneaking a Rosemary Rogers novel out of my mom's nightstand drawer (I think it was Sweet Savage Love). Rosemary Rogers, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Laurie McBain...I cut my romance teeth on those ladies. And in general, I take a visceral sort of pleasure in creating a hero and a heroine, putting them through their emotional paces, and watching their relationship develop on the page. And of course, there's much to be said for the happy ending. :)
And why Regency Historicals? Well, for starters, I think we can blame Jane Austen. Her inimitable wit, compassion and vision brought the Regency vividly to life for generations of readers. If Jane Austen had written romances about Incas, for instance, I think, we'd have racks and racks of Inca romances in bookstores all over the country, and Warner Forever would be the Inca Romance line.
But I'm a history FREAK, in general. I read more history, to be perfectly honest, than fiction (when I have time to read!) these days. When we were little, my sister and I used to play "Littl
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
May 8, 2018
The heroine, Glory, is one of these girls:
Except less cute.
She's an immature moody teenager (except that she's in her 20's) who writes music that she considers profound, and thinks she is too good to work a normal job because she should be a rock star. She's also catty toward other girls - which is a big "nope" for me. I like girls who build each other up. We can all be cute!
The guy, Eli, is the town deputy and has been in love with her forever. He's pining...
And, I would like him, but he keeps dating another woman while he's pining, and AFTER he's kissed the moody chick. Basically, he was stringing a nice girl along when he knew he wasn't into her. It felt mean.
Ouch! That's gotta hurt.
So, I wasn't a fan.
The worst book of the first three for sure.
BUT, don't let this dissuade you from reading book #3 in this series. That one was hilarious and you don't need to have read the first two to get it.
Except less cute.
She's an immature moody teenager (except that she's in her 20's) who writes music that she considers profound, and thinks she is too good to work a normal job because she should be a rock star. She's also catty toward other girls - which is a big "nope" for me. I like girls who build each other up. We can all be cute!
The guy, Eli, is the town deputy and has been in love with her forever. He's pining...
And, I would like him, but he keeps dating another woman while he's pining, and AFTER he's kissed the moody chick. Basically, he was stringing a nice girl along when he knew he wasn't into her. It felt mean.
Ouch! That's gotta hurt.
So, I wasn't a fan.
The worst book of the first three for sure.
BUT, don't let this dissuade you from reading book #3 in this series. That one was hilarious and you don't need to have read the first two to get it.
December 7, 2017
Hoookaaaay, so Wild at Whiskey Creek is a massive improvement to the first in the series, Hot in Hellcat Canyon, and confirms my impression that Hot in Hellcat Canyon suffered from the first-in-a-series syndrome by introducing too many side characters which will eventually get their own books.
Wild at Whiskey Creek tells the story of Glory Greenleaf and Eli Barlow, childhood friends, who have been secretly in love with each other for such a long time that every memory of their past is inevitably connected to the other. The person who brought them together, Glory's brother, Jonah, is also the reason for the current painful radio silence between them. Just when they'd finally started to acknowledge the long festering feelings for each other, Eli arrested Jonah for trafficking drugs, thus sentencing him to prison. Glory, who has always had a blind spot for her beloved brother, is more than angry with Eli; whilst Eli is angry to have been put into the position of arresting his best friend and losing the chance of getting together with the woman he loves.
Glory is a gifted singer/songwriter and it had been her dream to leave Hellcat Canyon and have a shot at a music career. With her brother now in prison, and her family in need of money to get by, it is just another shattered dream for Glory.
But Hellcat Canyon being a small town, Eli and Glory are bound to stumble upon each other. Hurt feelings on both sides make it difficult for them to have any sort of normal conversation, let alone talk about Jonah and the consequences of his arrest.
However, with a TV production nearby, a Hollywood movie star who seems to be God's gift to women, a nice make-up artist who will work on the production as well, Eli and Glory are forced to revisit those hurt feelings and come to a decision.
So here's the thing. Of course, I knew what the decision would be. But JAL wove the past and present so poignantly together that it created a bittersweet story of two people who try to hold it together; to hold anything together, really, because losing the other for good would be like loosing themselves. And that was beautifully done.
Eli was the more relatable character for me. He's steadfast and I love steadfast heroes, as much as I love the opposite, the flamboyant, devil-may-care hero - I'm not going to list them this time, though. And quite honestly, if a hero comes up with the following
Glory is the more difficult character. She's outspoken, apparently confident and yet full of sadness. I can see why people would dislike her for loyalty to her ne'er-do-well brother and being furious with Eli. But please, someone show me a person who doesn't have conflicting feelings towards his/her family members.
The 'talk' about Jonah and the consequences of his actions comes a tad late, but not too late. And once JAL let's her characters' feelings loose, it feels authentic. I had to pause a moment and think about Glory's loyalty to her brother. I was reminded of how I could strangle my own brother for most of the time when we speak on the phone (the disadvantages of living in two different countries), and yet, one text message saying 'hey sis,...' (or 'Hey Schwesterherz' in German which quite literally translates into 'hey sisterheart'), and all is forgotten. So yeah, Eli might be the more relatable, steadfast character, but Glory is the one I ultimately understood much better.
Anyway, JAL did what she can do best: make me see why her two main characters are the perfect match. I just wish she would not use that dumb tree thingy every time, but that's another thing entirely.
I have one major complaint, though, and the reason why my rating isn't higher. The middle part sagged big time. I understand that Glory was all about music, though most of the tracks were well before my time which lead me to listen to them whilst reading and even buying one song, Fleetwood Mac's 'Songbird'. But it dragged a little and I found myself wanting to move on and seeing more of Eli and Glory together.
But, oh dear, every time these two had their talks/spats/banter, the atmosphere was charged, and I loved it.
I'll be definitely continuing with the series and fingers crossed that it's not as much hit-and-miss as Pennyroyal Green was.
Oh, and can we have Franco Francone's story soon pretty please?
Wild at Whiskey Creek tells the story of Glory Greenleaf and Eli Barlow, childhood friends, who have been secretly in love with each other for such a long time that every memory of their past is inevitably connected to the other. The person who brought them together, Glory's brother, Jonah, is also the reason for the current painful radio silence between them. Just when they'd finally started to acknowledge the long festering feelings for each other, Eli arrested Jonah for trafficking drugs, thus sentencing him to prison. Glory, who has always had a blind spot for her beloved brother, is more than angry with Eli; whilst Eli is angry to have been put into the position of arresting his best friend and losing the chance of getting together with the woman he loves.
Glory is a gifted singer/songwriter and it had been her dream to leave Hellcat Canyon and have a shot at a music career. With her brother now in prison, and her family in need of money to get by, it is just another shattered dream for Glory.
But Hellcat Canyon being a small town, Eli and Glory are bound to stumble upon each other. Hurt feelings on both sides make it difficult for them to have any sort of normal conversation, let alone talk about Jonah and the consequences of his arrest.
However, with a TV production nearby, a Hollywood movie star who seems to be God's gift to women, a nice make-up artist who will work on the production as well, Eli and Glory are forced to revisit those hurt feelings and come to a decision.
So here's the thing. Of course, I knew what the decision would be. But JAL wove the past and present so poignantly together that it created a bittersweet story of two people who try to hold it together; to hold anything together, really, because losing the other for good would be like loosing themselves. And that was beautifully done.
Eli was the more relatable character for me. He's steadfast and I love steadfast heroes, as much as I love the opposite, the flamboyant, devil-may-care hero - I'm not going to list them this time, though. And quite honestly, if a hero comes up with the following
They’d grown up together, teasing and fighting and playing, but somewhere along the line he knew he’d be happy to just be Sir Walter Raleigh to her Queen Elizabeth. The person who laid his metaphorical cloak over mud puddles, making it safe for her to be her dazzling self.I'm a goner anyway. I know I've put this quote up in my updates but it's so beautiful, Eli had me with those words in a heartbeat.
Glory is the more difficult character. She's outspoken, apparently confident and yet full of sadness. I can see why people would dislike her for loyalty to her ne'er-do-well brother and being furious with Eli. But please, someone show me a person who doesn't have conflicting feelings towards his/her family members.
The 'talk' about Jonah and the consequences of his actions comes a tad late, but not too late. And once JAL let's her characters' feelings loose, it feels authentic. I had to pause a moment and think about Glory's loyalty to her brother. I was reminded of how I could strangle my own brother for most of the time when we speak on the phone (the disadvantages of living in two different countries), and yet, one text message saying 'hey sis,...' (or 'Hey Schwesterherz' in German which quite literally translates into 'hey sisterheart'), and all is forgotten. So yeah, Eli might be the more relatable, steadfast character, but Glory is the one I ultimately understood much better.
Anyway, JAL did what she can do best: make me see why her two main characters are the perfect match. I just wish she would not use that dumb tree thingy every time, but that's another thing entirely.
I have one major complaint, though, and the reason why my rating isn't higher. The middle part sagged big time. I understand that Glory was all about music, though most of the tracks were well before my time which lead me to listen to them whilst reading and even buying one song, Fleetwood Mac's 'Songbird'. But it dragged a little and I found myself wanting to move on and seeing more of Eli and Glory together.
But, oh dear, every time these two had their talks/spats/banter, the atmosphere was charged, and I loved it.
I'll be definitely continuing with the series and fingers crossed that it's not as much hit-and-miss as Pennyroyal Green was.
Oh, and can we have Franco Francone's story soon pretty please?
November 20, 2017
Oh goodness gracious.
Where to begin? First, did anyone see how many quotes I had in the first 4%? And this was me, restraining myself. I just looked, and apparently have 14 pages of annotations. And this is me, restraining myself.
The set up of this is exquisite. I don't know why, but it's perfect. Perhaps it's because Julie Anne Long is some kind of wizard. Going into this, I wasn't intrigued or pumped. The first in the series, Hot in Hellcat Canyon was FINE. It was a little overwritten, but generally good and definitely recovered in the second half. It wasn't really the reason I didn't want to read this book.
I don't like lawmen. I just...don't. It's a rare romance starring a officer of some kind that I like. Why, then was this so brilliant? Well, because it was part of his character. It wasn’t the alpha part that is usually highlighted in authorities that was part of his character (though that, too, was hinted at) but it was his eye for detail (Oh and he’s Eli, and he’s amazing), his powers of observation, and his absolute complete control over himself. And his ethics. And an ethical man? Sexy. And holy moly, it took all of 6 pages for me to be in deep with this character.
We find out quickly that this is a pseudo second chance, more of a missed opportunity, bad timing. Eli and Glory grew up together, Eli’s best friend is Jonah, who he recently arrested. Jonah is Glory’s brother. Eli, for reasons explained quite well, doesn’t only hesitate to arrest Jonah, he does it with a fair bit of anger and feeling of betrayal. And Glory hates him for it. Because for all their history, Glory is loyal and loving to her family-noting that they are all she has at one point in the book. Her family doesn’t have it easy, and it’s clear they are impulsive by and large, and have a difficult road. She’s frozen him out
“That sentence was almost painfully intimate. It contained decades of memories. And they were the first words they’d spoken in months.”
I just love that he waits. He just waits. He tries a little, but he waits. Why is that so hot? Both of their hearts are broken, but he is so damn smart.
But don’t get me wrong, Glory is mad and understandably mad. Maybe at the wrong person, yes, but she doesn’t think so. And Glory is amazing. I adored her. She’s quick-witted, knows who and what she is, loyal and loving, intense and a bit wild. She is the chaos, but in an extremely reliable way-she’s centered, but she somehow stirs shit up. And she’s not afraid to throw a punch to keep Eli from getting hurt. And she intrinsically understands that she has the absolute freedom to be herself and feel safe doing so with Eli.
This book is mostly about the struggle of them coming to terms with the fact that her life felt in shambles and she blames the man she’s loved the majority of her life for it.
“Life as she’d known it had shattered so hard she could see its innards, see all the little pieces that could never be put
together in the same way again. And that meant all of her best laid plans had been kind of blown to bits, too.”
and how do they bridge that “chasm between wanting and having”
There were some light doses of humor to keep it going, mostly in the form of the others they were thinking they may or may not move on with while thinking their relationship was irreparable. If you’ve seen Mallrats, Franco and his porsche will remind you Of "that kid is on the escalator again!” Eli cannot tolerate his speeding through town and notices it and uses expletives in the middle of sentences and — it just cracked me up.
There are so many beautiful exchanges and thoughts- 14 pages of annotations!! Of this well done, weirdly second-chance, strangely love-hate romance about the beauty of knowing another and the safety, comfort, and love that grows within that.
And yep, the damn oak tree makes an appearance or two. Great quotes below, but don’t want to spoil the moment for anyone, so avoid if desired!
This book, as we say.
Where to begin? First, did anyone see how many quotes I had in the first 4%? And this was me, restraining myself. I just looked, and apparently have 14 pages of annotations. And this is me, restraining myself.
The set up of this is exquisite. I don't know why, but it's perfect. Perhaps it's because Julie Anne Long is some kind of wizard. Going into this, I wasn't intrigued or pumped. The first in the series, Hot in Hellcat Canyon was FINE. It was a little overwritten, but generally good and definitely recovered in the second half. It wasn't really the reason I didn't want to read this book.
I don't like lawmen. I just...don't. It's a rare romance starring a officer of some kind that I like. Why, then was this so brilliant? Well, because it was part of his character. It wasn’t the alpha part that is usually highlighted in authorities that was part of his character (though that, too, was hinted at) but it was his eye for detail (Oh and he’s Eli, and he’s amazing), his powers of observation, and his absolute complete control over himself. And his ethics. And an ethical man? Sexy. And holy moly, it took all of 6 pages for me to be in deep with this character.
We find out quickly that this is a pseudo second chance, more of a missed opportunity, bad timing. Eli and Glory grew up together, Eli’s best friend is Jonah, who he recently arrested. Jonah is Glory’s brother. Eli, for reasons explained quite well, doesn’t only hesitate to arrest Jonah, he does it with a fair bit of anger and feeling of betrayal. And Glory hates him for it. Because for all their history, Glory is loyal and loving to her family-noting that they are all she has at one point in the book. Her family doesn’t have it easy, and it’s clear they are impulsive by and large, and have a difficult road. She’s frozen him out
“That sentence was almost painfully intimate. It contained decades of memories. And they were the first words they’d spoken in months.”
I just love that he waits. He just waits. He tries a little, but he waits. Why is that so hot? Both of their hearts are broken, but he is so damn smart.
But don’t get me wrong, Glory is mad and understandably mad. Maybe at the wrong person, yes, but she doesn’t think so. And Glory is amazing. I adored her. She’s quick-witted, knows who and what she is, loyal and loving, intense and a bit wild. She is the chaos, but in an extremely reliable way-she’s centered, but she somehow stirs shit up. And she’s not afraid to throw a punch to keep Eli from getting hurt. And she intrinsically understands that she has the absolute freedom to be herself and feel safe doing so with Eli.
This book is mostly about the struggle of them coming to terms with the fact that her life felt in shambles and she blames the man she’s loved the majority of her life for it.
“Life as she’d known it had shattered so hard she could see its innards, see all the little pieces that could never be put
together in the same way again. And that meant all of her best laid plans had been kind of blown to bits, too.”
and how do they bridge that “chasm between wanting and having”
There were some light doses of humor to keep it going, mostly in the form of the others they were thinking they may or may not move on with while thinking their relationship was irreparable. If you’ve seen Mallrats, Franco and his porsche will remind you Of "that kid is on the escalator again!” Eli cannot tolerate his speeding through town and notices it and uses expletives in the middle of sentences and — it just cracked me up.
There are so many beautiful exchanges and thoughts- 14 pages of annotations!! Of this well done, weirdly second-chance, strangely love-hate romance about the beauty of knowing another and the safety, comfort, and love that grows within that.
And yep, the damn oak tree makes an appearance or two. Great quotes below, but don’t want to spoil the moment for anyone, so avoid if desired!
This book, as we say.
February 19, 2018
"I like to think of setbacks as trampolines. They eventually bounce you up a little higher than before."
"I think you gave me an idea for a song, Casey."
"Well, if Rihanna can sing about umbrellas and Sia can sing about chandeliers, there's no reason you can't sing about trampolines."
WILD AT WHISKEY CREEK is my least favourite of this series so far and I can't exactly put my finger on why. I don't think I really liked any of the main characters all that much. I didn't dislike them, but I never loved them. We had another dumb female, though this one at least wasn't a vicious ex, to be held up in order to shed a better light on our heroine, which bugged me only because it's more or less a repeat from book one. And I absolutely hated the way Franco was used in this story, only to be sorta redeemed at the end. Again.
"I liked to think I was tough and nothing could shake me, but it turns out your voice finds all those sore, scared places inside me and reminds me that I'm only human after all. That all I've done is hidden them, even from myself. But you managed to make even those things, the things that hurt, beautiful."
But Long's writing is still fun, clever, insightful, and this one had some absolutely beautiful passages of wisdom and heartfelt, heart-torn, emotion. The angsty connection between the two characters, when it was working, worked. But I wasn't really much for the build-up to the big moments. It was only after they'd squared off and then retreated to assess that I was rooting for them.
A swift succession of emotions flashed over her face : surprise, wicked amusement, something like yearning. Maybe pain. She was realizing, maybe, that he had all the same memories she did, from different angles.
I'm being extra picky because I've seen the greatness in the series already, starting with book three, and followed up by the first, so please don't take this review or rating to mean I'm already over these books. I'm not. Or that they aren't worth your time. They are. I just definitely have my favourites. And I'm hoping book four picks that trend back up because I'm totally excited for see what's in store for Eden and the rest of the kooky, loveable, characters from Hellcat Canyon!
3.5 "he was man enough to own up to the realization that a breeze, self-satisfied person can only make you irrittable if you're not precisely content with your current life circumstances" stars
"I think you gave me an idea for a song, Casey."
"Well, if Rihanna can sing about umbrellas and Sia can sing about chandeliers, there's no reason you can't sing about trampolines."
WILD AT WHISKEY CREEK is my least favourite of this series so far and I can't exactly put my finger on why. I don't think I really liked any of the main characters all that much. I didn't dislike them, but I never loved them. We had another dumb female, though this one at least wasn't a vicious ex, to be held up in order to shed a better light on our heroine, which bugged me only because it's more or less a repeat from book one. And I absolutely hated the way Franco was used in this story, only to be sorta redeemed at the end. Again.
"I liked to think I was tough and nothing could shake me, but it turns out your voice finds all those sore, scared places inside me and reminds me that I'm only human after all. That all I've done is hidden them, even from myself. But you managed to make even those things, the things that hurt, beautiful."
But Long's writing is still fun, clever, insightful, and this one had some absolutely beautiful passages of wisdom and heartfelt, heart-torn, emotion. The angsty connection between the two characters, when it was working, worked. But I wasn't really much for the build-up to the big moments. It was only after they'd squared off and then retreated to assess that I was rooting for them.
A swift succession of emotions flashed over her face : surprise, wicked amusement, something like yearning. Maybe pain. She was realizing, maybe, that he had all the same memories she did, from different angles.
I'm being extra picky because I've seen the greatness in the series already, starting with book three, and followed up by the first, so please don't take this review or rating to mean I'm already over these books. I'm not. Or that they aren't worth your time. They are. I just definitely have my favourites. And I'm hoping book four picks that trend back up because I'm totally excited for see what's in store for Eden and the rest of the kooky, loveable, characters from Hellcat Canyon!
3.5 "he was man enough to own up to the realization that a breeze, self-satisfied person can only make you irrittable if you're not precisely content with your current life circumstances" stars
July 15, 2018
⭐️3.75 Stars⭐️
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again...no one writes a scene quite like Julie Anne Long! I don’t know how she manages to make her characters so real! The way their lives, their pasts, their desires are intertwined it’s like she gets divine guidance or something when she’s writing. I found myself completely immersed in this small California town called Hellcat Canyon and the romance between Glory Greenleaf and Eli Barlow.
There’s so many things to love about this story. But I don’t care for cop heroes and I wanted Glory to be with Francone!!! I guess it’s not a good sign when you’re rooting for the other guy to get the heroine and not the hero. It dragged a bit in the middle and I found myself wanting more.
No matter my rating, I’m completely invested in these characters and this town. And I need Francone’s book like yesterday!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again...no one writes a scene quite like Julie Anne Long! I don’t know how she manages to make her characters so real! The way their lives, their pasts, their desires are intertwined it’s like she gets divine guidance or something when she’s writing. I found myself completely immersed in this small California town called Hellcat Canyon and the romance between Glory Greenleaf and Eli Barlow.
There’s so many things to love about this story. But I don’t care for cop heroes and I wanted Glory to be with Francone!!! I guess it’s not a good sign when you’re rooting for the other guy to get the heroine and not the hero. It dragged a bit in the middle and I found myself wanting more.
No matter my rating, I’m completely invested in these characters and this town. And I need Francone’s book like yesterday!
April 25, 2017
Wow is this a huge disappointment (though not a surprise because I read Ami's review). At a quarter or so in, I have zero respect for Glory and hope Eli will find someone nice who isn't an over-emotional idiot to be happy with. I'm sorry, but shutting out a guy you like just because he had to arrest your drug-trafficking brother isn't loyal or loving or honorable in any way. It is, in fact, a betrayal of a man you otherwise rather admired and have supposedly harbored warm feelings for. Add the rank stupidity of throwing her savings away on her mother's mortgage when mom is apparently hale and hearty enough to support her own self-indulgent self and you have someone who is unready for adult responsibilities and would do better spending some time growing the heck up before getting all judgey about the capable hottie who is obviously in love with her. Plus, they've had exactly one semi-conversation in this first quarter and I'm kind of tired of waiting to see how they are when they're actually talking to one another. Add that Eli, at least, is trying to move on by dating other people and I'm just so very, very done with this trainwreck of a non-romance.
February 9, 2018
3.5 stars. Another enjoyable CR in the Hellcat Canyon series. I've read them all now, but out of order. I have to say, #3, Dirty Dancing at Devil's Leap was my fav of the three, with #4 (tbp in May 2018) looking pretty good too. My least fav was #1, Hot in Hellcat Canyon, although I did like even that one too, just not quite as much.
This one is about two people who have loved each other basically since they were kids. They are meant to be together, but there's a problem. Eli is the local Deputy Sheriff, and he was forced to arrest Glory's brother right in front of her, sending him to jail for years. And Glory can't quite bring herself to forgive him, even though she knows her brother did the crime, and has to do the time.
Glory is a naturally talented singer/songwriter. An incredible talent that everyone recognises. But instead of leaving town to follow her dreams, she has stayed to try to hold what's left of her family together.
It takes most of the book for Glory and Eli to face their demons and really get together. We also see Glory's career starting to finally take off.
I did like both Eli and Glory, and they were obviously meant to be together. I enjoyed the read, but somehow, a bit like with the first book, for some reason I wasn't fully drawn emotionally into their story. I *liked* but didn't *love* this book. But I do look forward to reading #4 when it's released.
This one is about two people who have loved each other basically since they were kids. They are meant to be together, but there's a problem. Eli is the local Deputy Sheriff, and he was forced to arrest Glory's brother right in front of her, sending him to jail for years. And Glory can't quite bring herself to forgive him, even though she knows her brother did the crime, and has to do the time.
Glory is a naturally talented singer/songwriter. An incredible talent that everyone recognises. But instead of leaving town to follow her dreams, she has stayed to try to hold what's left of her family together.
It takes most of the book for Glory and Eli to face their demons and really get together. We also see Glory's career starting to finally take off.
I did like both Eli and Glory, and they were obviously meant to be together. I enjoyed the read, but somehow, a bit like with the first book, for some reason I wasn't fully drawn emotionally into their story. I *liked* but didn't *love* this book. But I do look forward to reading #4 when it's released.
January 6, 2018
This one ended really well. I was annoyed in the middle for awhile, but it worked by the end. Compared to the previous book in the series, this one had more of a contemporary feel. Glory was a fun heroine. I enjoyed her attitude. Eli was a worthy hero, but I did struggle with the Bethany business. I just didn't see the point of the Bethany character. She was important to one plot point, and it was unnecessary to make that turn happen. I also didn't get how Eli was entertaining a casual relationship with another woman when his soulmate was talking to him again. Why would he want to sleep with another woman? It just didn't make sense to me, and maybe it's because I rarely read contemporary romances. Overall, I enjoyed their journey, particularly Glory's, and the end made up for much of uneasiness in the middle, I felt.
Update (maybe an hour later): I don't think I did a good job at explaining what I liked about this. First, the sexual tension. My gawd, the sexual tension. The MCs are HOT. Eli is a hunky, beefy police man HOT. Glory is hard-as-nails, soul-searing rocker chic HOT. Secondly, I loved the song lyrics. I want to hear those songs. I am now really wanting to know more about JAL's former life as a musician. Thirdly, there were many poignant moments, words, phrases, quotes, and I didn't capture them. Unfortunately :(.
It's an angsty sort of read, but worth it.
Update (maybe an hour later): I don't think I did a good job at explaining what I liked about this. First, the sexual tension. My gawd, the sexual tension. The MCs are HOT. Eli is a hunky, beefy police man HOT. Glory is hard-as-nails, soul-searing rocker chic HOT. Secondly, I loved the song lyrics. I want to hear those songs. I am now really wanting to know more about JAL's former life as a musician. Thirdly, there were many poignant moments, words, phrases, quotes, and I didn't capture them. Unfortunately :(.
It's an angsty sort of read, but worth it.
December 30, 2016
Afrodyt's review:
4.5 stars
As I returned to Hellcat Canyon, it all started coming back to me. The quirky characters, the small town dynamics, the random movie star sightings.
We met Glory Greenleaf in the previous novel singing her heart out and bringing down the house at Open Mic night at the Misty Cat Tavern. Everyone who meets Glory and hears her sing asks the same question: "What the heck are you still doing singing in this small town?" Only she knows the answer to that question and she's not giving it up to anyone.
Deputy Sheriff Eli Barlow has been holding a torch for Glory since forever but is shut down from acting on it. It also doesn't help that some of the choices he's made because of his job left Glory holding a huge grudge against him.
There is palpable tension between Glory and Eli. There's unfinished business between these two and as their tale unfolds you can't help but root for them to work things out.
I enjoyed being back in this town with these wacky characters. It's like an 80's sitcom meets a modern day "RomCom."
Review copy given with no expectations.
4.5 stars
As I returned to Hellcat Canyon, it all started coming back to me. The quirky characters, the small town dynamics, the random movie star sightings.
We met Glory Greenleaf in the previous novel singing her heart out and bringing down the house at Open Mic night at the Misty Cat Tavern. Everyone who meets Glory and hears her sing asks the same question: "What the heck are you still doing singing in this small town?" Only she knows the answer to that question and she's not giving it up to anyone.
Deputy Sheriff Eli Barlow has been holding a torch for Glory since forever but is shut down from acting on it. It also doesn't help that some of the choices he's made because of his job left Glory holding a huge grudge against him.
There is palpable tension between Glory and Eli. There's unfinished business between these two and as their tale unfolds you can't help but root for them to work things out.
I enjoyed being back in this town with these wacky characters. It's like an 80's sitcom meets a modern day "RomCom."
Review copy given with no expectations.
July 2, 2018
Julie Anne Long is a thing. Wow.
I had a million things going on, and the beginning of this book is slow and torturous. It took me a bit to get into it (and I was resentful). But there’s something to be said for anticipation, isn’t there?
Glory is a super talented musician trapped in her hometown by her family and her huge heart. Eli is the sheriff. He’s also Glory’s everything.
Technically this was a romance. A love story. But mostly it felt like two people fighting the whims of tide and chance to realize their dreams. (Y’all this is a lyrical way of saying this is the story of Glory. And Eli. And not really much Glory and Eli. Ya feel me?)
Julie Anne Long does it all so deftly. Glory’s family sucks. But doesn’t. Like a family in the real world. You can feel the responsibility on Glory’s shoulders. You can feel her dreams slipping away. But you’re not resentful of the people and circumstances that have kept her in Hellcat Canyon. Instead you’re commiserative. This isn’t an overt the top controlling mom that anyone with sense would run from full-speed. This is the ups and downs of life vividly captured by the pure genius of an author. JAL brings Glory home for a reader - making the book a special read.
And I haven’t even started on Eli. I thought JT was perfect in the last book. Eli gave him a run for his money. His love for Glory was inspiring. He was willing to give up everything without ever being a doormat or a jerk. Pretty dang perfect.
I have a couple of ARCs that I need to read like yesterday. Some library books coming due. 7 SEPs that I ordered. An entire dragon series loaned to me by a friend. Can you guess what I’m gonna read next?
I had a million things going on, and the beginning of this book is slow and torturous. It took me a bit to get into it (and I was resentful). But there’s something to be said for anticipation, isn’t there?
Glory is a super talented musician trapped in her hometown by her family and her huge heart. Eli is the sheriff. He’s also Glory’s everything.
Technically this was a romance. A love story. But mostly it felt like two people fighting the whims of tide and chance to realize their dreams. (Y’all this is a lyrical way of saying this is the story of Glory. And Eli. And not really much Glory and Eli. Ya feel me?)
Julie Anne Long does it all so deftly. Glory’s family sucks. But doesn’t. Like a family in the real world. You can feel the responsibility on Glory’s shoulders. You can feel her dreams slipping away. But you’re not resentful of the people and circumstances that have kept her in Hellcat Canyon. Instead you’re commiserative. This isn’t an overt the top controlling mom that anyone with sense would run from full-speed. This is the ups and downs of life vividly captured by the pure genius of an author. JAL brings Glory home for a reader - making the book a special read.
And I haven’t even started on Eli. I thought JT was perfect in the last book. Eli gave him a run for his money. His love for Glory was inspiring. He was willing to give up everything without ever being a doormat or a jerk. Pretty dang perfect.
I have a couple of ARCs that I need to read like yesterday. Some library books coming due. 7 SEPs that I ordered. An entire dragon series loaned to me by a friend. Can you guess what I’m gonna read next?
March 31, 2019
The location seemed a little confined setting wise. But generally it was, awesome, emotive, clever, tender and they were caring enough to put each other’s needs first. A strong entry to an entertaining series.
Good portrayal of talent, I liked both leads, time spent with them felt ‘short’ somehow as if more ‘together as a couple’ time was needed.
However the other ‘options’ as it were were handled deftly and as a hater of jumping in on childhood relationships (I prefer the newly met) I must say a good job was done portraying their history and getting the reader invested. This made me miss a bit of sleep, bloody book.
Good portrayal of talent, I liked both leads, time spent with them felt ‘short’ somehow as if more ‘together as a couple’ time was needed.
However the other ‘options’ as it were were handled deftly and as a hater of jumping in on childhood relationships (I prefer the newly met) I must say a good job was done portraying their history and getting the reader invested. This made me miss a bit of sleep, bloody book.
December 26, 2017
knjiga je izvrsna u svojoj jednostavnosti, likovi su lipo napisani i opisani, susjećaš sa njima, ima nekoliko izvrsnih i komičnih detalja i samo zbog toga zaslužuje 5
preporučujem za bezbrižno i lagano štivo
preporučujem za bezbrižno i lagano štivo
January 22, 2025
I don't know how to say this well so this is me doing my best: I thought this book did a good job with the main character being poor. And with what's so hard about small towns and how interconnected they are. I'm sure I've read it before but brother's best friend takes on an entirely different dimension when the best friend is responsible for sending the brother to jail for distributing meth. Really glad I am reading JAL now and that I gave this series a try.
December 10, 2016
I was slightly disappointed in this second installment of the Hellcat Canyon series. Julie Anne Long is one of my favorite romance authors, but this time I had some problems with the story.
The two leads, Glory and Eli, have been friends most of their lives. Eli is a deputy sheriff in the town and was the one to arrest Glory's brother, Jonah ... his best friend. It was ugly and one could question the way it went down, but Jonah was indeed guilty. Glory is holding a grudge and, although she and Eli shared one amazing kiss just days before the take-down, she's decided she hates him.
So, there's actually good, organic reason for the leads to have difficulty getting together. The obstacles to their love are real and not small. BUT, this has been going on for a year when the story starts. And it continues through around 70% of this story. We don't see them mesh until the last third of the book. Which leads to many repetitious internal monologues and jump-to-conclusion arguments. There are other potential love interests roped in and that doesn't help matters either.
When they finally do let their guards down and we see them together, it's lovely. But it takes so long I was actually pretty annoyed by that time and they almost couldn't win me over. The thing is, the story could have played out similarly even if they'd buried the hatchet early on. They don't have to fall immediately into romance, they can dance around it without all the acrimony. A nice friends to lovers instead of frenemies to lovers would have been more satisfying with this particular couple, IMO.
I'm still into this series and I'll be thrilled to pick up the next book, I was just a little bummed about how this one played out.
Also -- actual spoilers:
The two leads, Glory and Eli, have been friends most of their lives. Eli is a deputy sheriff in the town and was the one to arrest Glory's brother, Jonah ... his best friend. It was ugly and one could question the way it went down, but Jonah was indeed guilty. Glory is holding a grudge and, although she and Eli shared one amazing kiss just days before the take-down, she's decided she hates him.
So, there's actually good, organic reason for the leads to have difficulty getting together. The obstacles to their love are real and not small. BUT, this has been going on for a year when the story starts. And it continues through around 70% of this story. We don't see them mesh until the last third of the book. Which leads to many repetitious internal monologues and jump-to-conclusion arguments. There are other potential love interests roped in and that doesn't help matters either.
When they finally do let their guards down and we see them together, it's lovely. But it takes so long I was actually pretty annoyed by that time and they almost couldn't win me over. The thing is, the story could have played out similarly even if they'd buried the hatchet early on. They don't have to fall immediately into romance, they can dance around it without all the acrimony. A nice friends to lovers instead of frenemies to lovers would have been more satisfying with this particular couple, IMO.
I'm still into this series and I'll be thrilled to pick up the next book, I was just a little bummed about how this one played out.
Also -- actual spoilers:
May 6, 2017
2.5 stars
Honestly, I am disappointed. I mean, book #1 in the series, Hot in Hellcat Canyon, was one of my top favorites of 2016. So I was eager to read this one, especially with the hero and heroine having 'history'. I love second-chance romance!
I didn't like how Eli and Glory didn't really interact much to rekindle their feelings towards one another. There were a lot of 'reminders' of the past or personal musings but they didn't really reconnect.
In fact, I thought that throughout the book either Glory was busy with creating chances for her music career, Eli with his deputy sheriff job, and there were other love interests vying for their attentions (Franco Francone and Bethany). Eli and Glory spent more time with other people than with each other!!
And when it came to the thing that broke them -- that Eli caught his best friend, Glory's brother, for possession of meth, and put him to jail -- well, I just couldn't understand it. I mean, Eli was in law enforcement. What should he do? Nothing? Okay, maybe I can understand if Glory is angry because she loves her brother so much, that she feels Eli breaking up her family ... but apparently Glory has NEVER VISITED her brother in jail at all!! So what gives, girl??
And the way that they talked about it, it was pretty short scene!! They talked and she understood everything (that it broke Eli's heart too to put his best friend in jail) and that was that.
Yeah, not happy. The only thing that was a bit amusing for me was Glory's younger brother John-Mark and his notes. Those were adorable!
Honestly, I am disappointed. I mean, book #1 in the series, Hot in Hellcat Canyon, was one of my top favorites of 2016. So I was eager to read this one, especially with the hero and heroine having 'history'. I love second-chance romance!
I didn't like how Eli and Glory didn't really interact much to rekindle their feelings towards one another. There were a lot of 'reminders' of the past or personal musings but they didn't really reconnect.
In fact, I thought that throughout the book either Glory was busy with creating chances for her music career, Eli with his deputy sheriff job, and there were other love interests vying for their attentions (Franco Francone and Bethany). Eli and Glory spent more time with other people than with each other!!
And when it came to the thing that broke them -- that Eli caught his best friend, Glory's brother, for possession of meth, and put him to jail -- well, I just couldn't understand it. I mean, Eli was in law enforcement. What should he do? Nothing? Okay, maybe I can understand if Glory is angry because she loves her brother so much, that she feels Eli breaking up her family ... but apparently Glory has NEVER VISITED her brother in jail at all!! So what gives, girl??
And the way that they talked about it, it was pretty short scene!! They talked and she understood everything (that it broke Eli's heart too to put his best friend in jail) and that was that.
Yeah, not happy. The only thing that was a bit amusing for me was Glory's younger brother John-Mark and his notes. Those were adorable!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2022
Phew, I think this is the JAL book that made me cry the most?
When you read an author who has a pretty extensive backlist and you read enough of their books, you pick up on certain "themes" that they personally like to explore. And reading enough JAL books, it's clear that one of her themes is class and the idea of "wanting more" — and to put it succinctly in her own words, when "the chasm between wanting and having [is] sometimes unbearable." She has written many poor heroines who have infinite imaginations and are ready to burst out at the seams, but cannot because of their circumstances, usually in the form of a lack of wealth.
I think this was the book where I felt like the heroine was the most stifled by her situation — Glory, the heroine, was ready to leave her small ass town to pursue her music, but her brother was paying for her mom's mortgage and got arrested for selling meth, landing himself in jail and therefore removing the ability to pay that mortgage. Glory stepped in to help out with the money she had saved, but that means she can no longer get the hell out of dodge. Things are really bleak — it's apparent that she is very poor and is jumping from low-paying job to low-paying job, trying to make ends meet.
On that poverty specifically, I did feel the book had two weaknesses: 1) it's not exactly clear how precarious the situation is for the heroine and her family — like, her stepbrother to steal her guitar to pawn it off for car money — so while the FEELINGS of poverty were fully fleshed and the DETAILS of poverty felt believable, the stakes are never fully established established. And 2) JAL ultimately handwaves away a lot of the heroine's poverty by the end and while I think this is easier to believe in a historical, I don't know that I quite bought it. Still, the heroine's economic situation made all her feelings about being trapped have this crystalline, lived-in quality.
I know I just dropped hundreds of words on the heroine, but the hero was really fucking great. JAL always writes an excellent hero. I put this book off for a while because I really do not like cop heroes, but being a cop was not just set dressing — it was part of the hero's characterization. There's a great line of inner monologuing about short cuts:
Whether or not I agree that this personal philosophy is best manifested into being a cop, it gave me insight into why it was easy for Eli to think law enforcement is a natural extension of this. He also has an excellent eye for detail and is super quiet and observant, so this all makes sense to me.
I also held off on reading this book because I hate "big conflict off-page before story starts leads to fracture in relationship that two characters have to rebuild over course of book" stories. But JAL was so fucking crafty with building that push-pull, sparkling chemistry between the two that was hostile in a FUN way and not a melodramatic soap opera way, and so converse to how I am with these stories usually, I just wanted them to bang immediately. JAL doesn't do a ton of "traditional" enemies to lovers, but her enemies are ALWAYS sparkling and irresistable.
And the little scenes she sprinkled throughout the book of these two people having been best friends growing up and this idea that despite being at odds now, they REALLY truly know and love each other as friends ... that shit really got to me. It was so deftly and beautifully done.
When you read an author who has a pretty extensive backlist and you read enough of their books, you pick up on certain "themes" that they personally like to explore. And reading enough JAL books, it's clear that one of her themes is class and the idea of "wanting more" — and to put it succinctly in her own words, when "the chasm between wanting and having [is] sometimes unbearable." She has written many poor heroines who have infinite imaginations and are ready to burst out at the seams, but cannot because of their circumstances, usually in the form of a lack of wealth.
I think this was the book where I felt like the heroine was the most stifled by her situation — Glory, the heroine, was ready to leave her small ass town to pursue her music, but her brother was paying for her mom's mortgage and got arrested for selling meth, landing himself in jail and therefore removing the ability to pay that mortgage. Glory stepped in to help out with the money she had saved, but that means she can no longer get the hell out of dodge. Things are really bleak — it's apparent that she is very poor and is jumping from low-paying job to low-paying job, trying to make ends meet.
On that poverty specifically, I did feel the book had two weaknesses: 1) it's not exactly clear how precarious the situation is for the heroine and her family — like, her stepbrother to steal her guitar to pawn it off for car money — so while the FEELINGS of poverty were fully fleshed and the DETAILS of poverty felt believable, the stakes are never fully established established. And 2) JAL ultimately handwaves away a lot of the heroine's poverty by the end and while I think this is easier to believe in a historical, I don't know that I quite bought it. Still, the heroine's economic situation made all her feelings about being trapped have this crystalline, lived-in quality.
I know I just dropped hundreds of words on the heroine, but the hero was really fucking great. JAL always writes an excellent hero. I put this book off for a while because I really do not like cop heroes, but being a cop was not just set dressing — it was part of the hero's characterization. There's a great line of inner monologuing about short cuts:
Eli was his father's son. But he'd also learned all on his own that for him, rules were the short cut. Otherwise you unfailingly had to go back and learn something you'd skipped in an attempt to get what you wanted faster, or stop to clean up some mess you'd made on the way.
Whether or not I agree that this personal philosophy is best manifested into being a cop, it gave me insight into why it was easy for Eli to think law enforcement is a natural extension of this. He also has an excellent eye for detail and is super quiet and observant, so this all makes sense to me.
I also held off on reading this book because I hate "big conflict off-page before story starts leads to fracture in relationship that two characters have to rebuild over course of book" stories. But JAL was so fucking crafty with building that push-pull, sparkling chemistry between the two that was hostile in a FUN way and not a melodramatic soap opera way, and so converse to how I am with these stories usually, I just wanted them to bang immediately. JAL doesn't do a ton of "traditional" enemies to lovers, but her enemies are ALWAYS sparkling and irresistable.
And the little scenes she sprinkled throughout the book of these two people having been best friends growing up and this idea that despite being at odds now, they REALLY truly know and love each other as friends ... that shit really got to me. It was so deftly and beautifully done.
January 27, 2019
"That was the paradox of his life. To be stretched out on a sort of Catherine wheel, pulled between equal and utterly opposing desires. And if you believed the legend of the Eternity Oak, he has only himself to blame."
FINAL DECISION: No one does the slow burn romance better than Julie Anne Long. Destiny and fate, decision and mistake, the pushing and pulling of characters live. Glory and Eli are characters that feel fated and yet fate can be fickle. Loved this one.
THE STORY: Glory Greenleaf and Eli Barlow have been moving toward and away from one another almost all their lives. They grew up together in their small hometown and their lives have always been connected because Eli was Glory's older brother's best friend. At seventeen Eli carved their initials on the Eternity Tree which by local legend sealed his fate. He has loved Glory in the decade since but they have not gotten together. A year ago it seemed like things were finally moving toward them being together when Eli had to arrest Glory's brother. Since that day, Glory has refused to talk to Eli.
OPINION: A story about fate and freewill about a love that is destined to be and life which gets in the way. Glory and Eli are a couple that I haven't stopped thinking about since I finished reading this book over a week ago. I held off writing this review because it is hard for me to put into words why I find this book so appealing.
This is a second - third - fourth chance at love story. Eli and Glory have been so close so many times to having a relationship but decisions, situations and life keep getting in their way. As this book progresses it seems like once again Eli and Glory might pass one another by.
Eli is completely devoted to Glory. He is the man who is willing to stand beside and behind Glory -- who Eli knows is an amazing woman. He has been satisfied with the idea of being Sir Walter Raleigh to Glory's Queen Elizabeth. Honest, dedicated and a genuinely good person, Eli has finally come to the decision that he needs to build a life for himself apart from Glory.
Glory is a woman who comes from a family from the "wrong side of the tracks". Everyone knows that she is an amazing singer who is destined for more. A year ago it seemed likely that she was on her way. But when her brother was arrested for drug dealing by Eli, not only did it destroy the budding romance between Eli and Glory, but it also left Glory with a series of dead-end jobs rather than her flight to stardom.
This is a book of small moments, little decisions, close calls, missed opportunities and choices. I loved in this book how Eli and Glory are so obviously fated to be together and yet fate is not enough. They both have choices. Choices that can bring them together or drive them apart. The combination of fate and choices makes the story of Eli and Glory powerful and left me thinking.
One of the other wonderful things about this book is how completely Long has captured the small town world. Her secondary characters are memorable and fun and they create a sense of community and interest. Hellcat Canyon has a true sense of place, of identity. I feel like I could drive up the California coast and right into this story.
And perhaps that is why I can't stop thinking about this story. Everything about this story feels so real to me. Glory's ambition and dreams and hopes. The pain and sorrow that keeps Eli and Glory apart. The strange, snarky California vibe that combines celebrity with quirky places.
This is a book I will read again and again. (I already have a playlist of the songs mentioned in this book on my phone). Bravo!
WORTH MENTIONING: Pornographic garden gnomes. (Do you need any other information to try this book?)
CONNECTED BOOKS: WILD AT WHISKEY CREEK is the second book in the Hellcat Canyon series. This book can be read as a standalone although there are overlapping characters.
STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com
FINAL DECISION: No one does the slow burn romance better than Julie Anne Long. Destiny and fate, decision and mistake, the pushing and pulling of characters live. Glory and Eli are characters that feel fated and yet fate can be fickle. Loved this one.
THE STORY: Glory Greenleaf and Eli Barlow have been moving toward and away from one another almost all their lives. They grew up together in their small hometown and their lives have always been connected because Eli was Glory's older brother's best friend. At seventeen Eli carved their initials on the Eternity Tree which by local legend sealed his fate. He has loved Glory in the decade since but they have not gotten together. A year ago it seemed like things were finally moving toward them being together when Eli had to arrest Glory's brother. Since that day, Glory has refused to talk to Eli.
OPINION: A story about fate and freewill about a love that is destined to be and life which gets in the way. Glory and Eli are a couple that I haven't stopped thinking about since I finished reading this book over a week ago. I held off writing this review because it is hard for me to put into words why I find this book so appealing.
This is a second - third - fourth chance at love story. Eli and Glory have been so close so many times to having a relationship but decisions, situations and life keep getting in their way. As this book progresses it seems like once again Eli and Glory might pass one another by.
Eli is completely devoted to Glory. He is the man who is willing to stand beside and behind Glory -- who Eli knows is an amazing woman. He has been satisfied with the idea of being Sir Walter Raleigh to Glory's Queen Elizabeth. Honest, dedicated and a genuinely good person, Eli has finally come to the decision that he needs to build a life for himself apart from Glory.
Glory is a woman who comes from a family from the "wrong side of the tracks". Everyone knows that she is an amazing singer who is destined for more. A year ago it seemed likely that she was on her way. But when her brother was arrested for drug dealing by Eli, not only did it destroy the budding romance between Eli and Glory, but it also left Glory with a series of dead-end jobs rather than her flight to stardom.
This is a book of small moments, little decisions, close calls, missed opportunities and choices. I loved in this book how Eli and Glory are so obviously fated to be together and yet fate is not enough. They both have choices. Choices that can bring them together or drive them apart. The combination of fate and choices makes the story of Eli and Glory powerful and left me thinking.
One of the other wonderful things about this book is how completely Long has captured the small town world. Her secondary characters are memorable and fun and they create a sense of community and interest. Hellcat Canyon has a true sense of place, of identity. I feel like I could drive up the California coast and right into this story.
And perhaps that is why I can't stop thinking about this story. Everything about this story feels so real to me. Glory's ambition and dreams and hopes. The pain and sorrow that keeps Eli and Glory apart. The strange, snarky California vibe that combines celebrity with quirky places.
This is a book I will read again and again. (I already have a playlist of the songs mentioned in this book on my phone). Bravo!
WORTH MENTIONING: Pornographic garden gnomes. (Do you need any other information to try this book?)
CONNECTED BOOKS: WILD AT WHISKEY CREEK is the second book in the Hellcat Canyon series. This book can be read as a standalone although there are overlapping characters.
STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com
December 23, 2016
I've enjoyed both of the Hellcat Canyon books released thus far, though I perhaps liked this one slightly better. The slow burn between Glory and Eli kept me engaged and wanting to keep reading, and it did not bother me at all that the couple's first sexual encounter doesn't occur until nearly the end of the book, as the deliberations going on between them consumes all of their energies. The frustration, resentment, and obvious passion and love between the two childhood friends is a book that fans of unrequited love and friends-to-lovers stories will gravitate toward. Glory has good reasons for her resentment of Eli, as she gradually articulates in a heated argument late in the novel. Eli did, on the surface, behave crudely and inhumanely toward his best friend and, inadvertently, the best friend's sister. On the other hand, hearing Eli's long-awaited explanation reveals him to have enough reasons to exonerate any perceived boorishness. In some ways, this book risks coming too close to a Big Misunderstanding, and I did wonder more than a few times how the novel would have ended much sooner had the two main characters just sat down and talked it all out. However, I could see how it would be possible to simmer with resentment toward someone and avoid an honest talk that could potentially makes things even worse.
I was surprised that I enjoyed the love triangles in this book. It's not a plot device I generally enjoy in a romance, but clearly Bethany and Franco are beautiful and glamorous substitutes with a temporary place in Eli's and Glory's lives. I was relieved a bit too that JAL was relatively kind to Eli's new girlfriend because Long is not often generous in her characterizations of "the other woman." Franco, on the other hand, is intriguing and cries out for his own Hellcat book down the road.
Despite the compelling backstory of Glory's tremendous and obvious talent, of the Greenleafs's fraught and debauched family history, of Eli's enduring love for his best friends kid sister, and the turmoil that divides the two lovers for most of the book, I did have a few issues with the book that niggled away at me. At times I wanted the novel to focus more on Glory's musical craft rather than her relentless trek to stardom. I couldn't shake the sense that Glory's story is made for American Idol, and not being a big fan of celebrity culture, I wasn't thrilled by the focus on whether Glory will get discovered. Also, the plot of Eli's not being able to reach Glory by phone at the start of the story and therefore not able to discuss with her the traumatic event that leads to their estrangement bothered me. For a man consumed by love for the one and only woman he's ever felt so strongly toward, why didn't he camp out at her house and make her talk to him? She might still have refused him, but I couldn't shake the feeling that he needed to try harder, especially as this is the central conflict of the book.
Aside from that though, the book exudes tons of chemistry between a couple that clearly deserves to end up together, and the journey of watching Glory and Eli work it all out is very worthy of the time invested here. So far I'm really liking Long as a contemporary romance author.
I was surprised that I enjoyed the love triangles in this book. It's not a plot device I generally enjoy in a romance, but clearly Bethany and Franco are beautiful and glamorous substitutes with a temporary place in Eli's and Glory's lives. I was relieved a bit too that JAL was relatively kind to Eli's new girlfriend because Long is not often generous in her characterizations of "the other woman." Franco, on the other hand, is intriguing and cries out for his own Hellcat book down the road.
Despite the compelling backstory of Glory's tremendous and obvious talent, of the Greenleafs's fraught and debauched family history, of Eli's enduring love for his best friends kid sister, and the turmoil that divides the two lovers for most of the book, I did have a few issues with the book that niggled away at me. At times I wanted the novel to focus more on Glory's musical craft rather than her relentless trek to stardom. I couldn't shake the sense that Glory's story is made for American Idol, and not being a big fan of celebrity culture, I wasn't thrilled by the focus on whether Glory will get discovered. Also, the plot of Eli's not being able to reach Glory by phone at the start of the story and therefore not able to discuss with her the traumatic event that leads to their estrangement bothered me. For a man consumed by love for the one and only woman he's ever felt so strongly toward, why didn't he camp out at her house and make her talk to him? She might still have refused him, but I couldn't shake the feeling that he needed to try harder, especially as this is the central conflict of the book.
Aside from that though, the book exudes tons of chemistry between a couple that clearly deserves to end up together, and the journey of watching Glory and Eli work it all out is very worthy of the time invested here. So far I'm really liking Long as a contemporary romance author.
November 20, 2016
I really liked Hot in Hellcat Canyon. I loved Wild At Whiskey Creek. Julie Anne Long’s writing is refreshing and different and her characters are so well defined. I loved Glory and Eli. In any well written romance novel, you want to see the hero and heroine get through their issues and find their happily ever after but I cared so much more about these two. It was agony watching them let their fear prevent them from being together. Because Eli cares so much for Glory, his fear is not of rejection as much as the concern that she’ll never become the star she’s meant to be if she’s with him. He keeps his distance for mainly altruistic reasons. What an awesome man! Glory is amazingly good at taking on her fears of performing live and attempting to make her mark in the music industry. I remembered Britt pointing out her shaking hands when she performed in Hot in Hellcat Canyon. She may look like the consummate pro to the casual observer with her witty banter with the audience and her beautiful music but she’s terrified on stage. Her genius is that she’s able to put herself out there anyway.
When Eli and Glory finally get together the attraction that’s been smoldering the entire book combusts in the hottest way. Both have an opportunity for career advancement that they put aside because of their concern for the other proving the depths of their love.
I kept sneaking time with the book - at the doctor, at my office desk. The scene with the gnomes had me laughing so hard I was afraid of the boss wandering by and figuring out I wasn’t working. It was pure writing genius that I now want to make happen in my yard!
Long writes intense emotions and hilarity equally well. I’ve got a new “must read” author.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
When Eli and Glory finally get together the attraction that’s been smoldering the entire book combusts in the hottest way. Both have an opportunity for career advancement that they put aside because of their concern for the other proving the depths of their love.
I kept sneaking time with the book - at the doctor, at my office desk. The scene with the gnomes had me laughing so hard I was afraid of the boss wandering by and figuring out I wasn’t working. It was pure writing genius that I now want to make happen in my yard!
Long writes intense emotions and hilarity equally well. I’ve got a new “must read” author.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
May 13, 2017
The pacing was decidedly off in this one. It was a slog for me to get through the first 60% of the book. Glory and Eli have a complicated past, which makes for a lot of angst. Which would be fine on its own, I suppose, but there is the added layer of jealousy added on top of the angst when both Glory and Eli spent the majority of the book casually dating(ish) other 2 people. Which I'm just not there for as a plot device. Particularly when it means that Eli and Glory have astoundingly limited interactions with each other.
The ending also felt decidedly rushed, with Glory getting her dream career and Eli getting... Glory? In the epilogue, it's mentioned that he quits his job as a cop -- and doesn't get the promotion he wanted -- in order to be Glory's body guard. Which just irks me, for whatever reason. I like my career driven characters to get their happy endings in their romantic lives AND in their professional lives.
This wasn't a bad book but it was just... fine.
The ending also felt decidedly rushed, with Glory getting her dream career and Eli getting... Glory? In the epilogue, it's mentioned that he quits his job as a cop -- and doesn't get the promotion he wanted -- in order to be Glory's body guard. Which just irks me, for whatever reason. I like my career driven characters to get their happy endings in their romantic lives AND in their professional lives.
This wasn't a bad book but it was just... fine.
December 8, 2016
Wonderful read! Eli and Glory made a great couple, as they worked out their differences. I like that there wasn't any false or forced issues. Their romance felt real and the smexy times were introduced at the perfect time of the story. The ending was lovely and I can't wait for the next one in the series. JAL is rockin' this series!
December 8, 2016
Great sense of humor
I loved the subtle word play of this book and the character arc. I would love to give it four stars, but I always dock one for no mention of birth control in a contemporary.
I loved the subtle word play of this book and the character arc. I would love to give it four stars, but I always dock one for no mention of birth control in a contemporary.
February 25, 2017
Disappointing. No real interaction between the H/h, just a lot of rumination on their growing up together. I know the author is a musician and I felt she was more wrapped up in that aspect if the story.
December 2, 2016
I liked the first book, but I LOVED this one. It's sweet, quirky, funny, and deeply romantic.
Honestly, I don't usually go for romances where one of the main characters is in law enforcement or a musician (for various reasons), but I absolutely loved both Glory and Eli. I'm not going to write a synopsis here because you'll find that in plenty of reviews so I'll try to summarize what I loved so much about this book.
Strangely enough, something that didn't entirely sell me on the first book in this series, the setting, was one of my favorite parts of this one. Since neither of the MCs are famous, there are only passing references to the film industry that played a part in the first book and, Franco aside (he really needs his own book), this one doesn't touch on the rich and famous too much. Hellcat Canyon has a lot of the hallmarks of small towns and small town romances: the cute Main Street with its small business owners, the meddlesome residents who know everything about each other (basically everything that made me desperate to get out of my own small town while growing up...).
Glory is destined for Great Things and Eli has career ambitions that some people may think are wasted being a sheriff's deputy in the boondocks but they both find themselves still rooted to Hellcat Canyon. They're childhood friends on the outs when the book opens and my heart hurt for both of them. But Long weaves flashbacks and memories into the story to build a fuller picture of their friendship and how much they mean to each other. I never doubted for a minute that they were in love each other and had been for most of their lives. I think you even know the minute they both realize they're The One for each other (and it involves one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands in one of my favorite passages of the whole book).
This is also a book for music lovers and I can't think of a CR that does a better job of conveying how important music is to the story (not just Glory herself). It's a crucial part of the love story. There's a lovely folksy quality to this book. I had no idea before reading Long's recent interview on AAR that she has a background in music but it makes so much sense after reading this and probably explains why it feels so authentic to the setting and the story.
And if the happy ending felt a little too perfectly wrapped up and tied with a bow...I can't really complain. These two deserve their happy ending.
Honestly, I don't usually go for romances where one of the main characters is in law enforcement or a musician (for various reasons), but I absolutely loved both Glory and Eli. I'm not going to write a synopsis here because you'll find that in plenty of reviews so I'll try to summarize what I loved so much about this book.
Strangely enough, something that didn't entirely sell me on the first book in this series, the setting, was one of my favorite parts of this one. Since neither of the MCs are famous, there are only passing references to the film industry that played a part in the first book and, Franco aside (he really needs his own book), this one doesn't touch on the rich and famous too much. Hellcat Canyon has a lot of the hallmarks of small towns and small town romances: the cute Main Street with its small business owners, the meddlesome residents who know everything about each other (basically everything that made me desperate to get out of my own small town while growing up...).
Glory is destined for Great Things and Eli has career ambitions that some people may think are wasted being a sheriff's deputy in the boondocks but they both find themselves still rooted to Hellcat Canyon. They're childhood friends on the outs when the book opens and my heart hurt for both of them. But Long weaves flashbacks and memories into the story to build a fuller picture of their friendship and how much they mean to each other. I never doubted for a minute that they were in love each other and had been for most of their lives. I think you even know the minute they both realize they're The One for each other (and it involves one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands in one of my favorite passages of the whole book).
This is also a book for music lovers and I can't think of a CR that does a better job of conveying how important music is to the story (not just Glory herself). It's a crucial part of the love story. There's a lovely folksy quality to this book. I had no idea before reading Long's recent interview on AAR that she has a background in music but it makes so much sense after reading this and probably explains why it feels so authentic to the setting and the story.
And if the happy ending felt a little too perfectly wrapped up and tied with a bow...I can't really complain. These two deserve their happy ending.
December 22, 2016
Sadly, I read book 2 in the Wildcat Canyon series and was not impressed. It's a shame because I loved book 1 and have re-read it multiple times.
My problem with book 2 is the heroine. She is a drama queen. We first meet her when the hero, the local sheriff, goes to a bar where she has convinced 4 men to play a poker game for the right to buy her a drink. Naturally, this does not end well.
We next meet her when she has just started a new waitressing job. All the tables are full. So she insists the sheriff share a table with a movie star that he just gave a ticket to the night before while driving his Porsche. Drama.
The heroine is angry at the hero for arresting her brother (hero's best friend) for dealing meth. Yes, the heroine's brother is guilty of dealing meth and the hero did his job. What was he supposed to do? Get fired or accused of misconduct for not making the arrest?
I had to force myself to finish this book. The heroine thinks all the time how she "can't work an office job" and "can't pull her hair back because it feels so confining" and "I can't wear dangly earrings at my waitressing job! I'm so put upon" I hated the heroine.
I gave it 2 stars because the writing is good and the author knows how to tell a story. I loved book 1 and highly recommend it, book 1 is on my keeper shelf.
My problem with book 2 is the heroine. She is a drama queen. We first meet her when the hero, the local sheriff, goes to a bar where she has convinced 4 men to play a poker game for the right to buy her a drink. Naturally, this does not end well.
We next meet her when she has just started a new waitressing job. All the tables are full. So she insists the sheriff share a table with a movie star that he just gave a ticket to the night before while driving his Porsche. Drama.
The heroine is angry at the hero for arresting her brother (hero's best friend) for dealing meth. Yes, the heroine's brother is guilty of dealing meth and the hero did his job. What was he supposed to do? Get fired or accused of misconduct for not making the arrest?
I had to force myself to finish this book. The heroine thinks all the time how she "can't work an office job" and "can't pull her hair back because it feels so confining" and "I can't wear dangly earrings at my waitressing job! I'm so put upon" I hated the heroine.
I gave it 2 stars because the writing is good and the author knows how to tell a story. I loved book 1 and highly recommend it, book 1 is on my keeper shelf.
December 18, 2016
Absolutely delightful friends-to-lovers tale. There were laugh-out-loud moments, and I didn't feel the conflict was too contrived, though it was clear to anyone who knew these two that they were slated to be together or miserable apart for all their lives.
I also liked that there were no obvious villains and that most of the time these two acted like grown-ups. The theme of financial insecurity, where a family can be one car breakdown from homelessness was also handled sensitively.
Ms. Long has made a graceful transition from writing fabulous historicals to writing fabulous contemporaries, and I look forward to her next novel.
I also liked that there were no obvious villains and that most of the time these two acted like grown-ups. The theme of financial insecurity, where a family can be one car breakdown from homelessness was also handled sensitively.
Ms. Long has made a graceful transition from writing fabulous historicals to writing fabulous contemporaries, and I look forward to her next novel.
April 10, 2017
It's a bad sign when I'm more interested in the romantic rival than the hero. JAL has some really high highs so it was an extra frustrating, disjointed read. Not enough historical relationship context for me to care, and very little interesting interaction between the leads. I liked the first book in this series and I'll read the next one (out of loyalty to this author, whom I generally adore) but this one was a bit of a turd.
July 26, 2024
4.25 stars, I think… although I could be talked into 4.5.
This is a much angstier read than the first in the series, Hot in Hellcat Canyon (which was a straight five stars for me). Our MMC is Eli, a giant of a deputy sheriff who has carried a torch for our FMC, Glory Hallelujah Greenleaf, since they were kids. But a year ago, he arrested her brother, and his best friend, for transporting meth. It’s a chewy, fantastic premise.
I was a little wary about the fact that our hero was a cop, but I figured I was in safe hands with Julie Anne Long. It might have been tempting, in a small town romance, to have the cop only fighting “crime” like a kid spray painting TITS on a speed limit sign (which does happen, and it’s hilarious), but she also points to the serious nature of the work he does: his father was killed during a traffic stop, which is what led Eli to join the force, and like many small towns, Hellcat Canyon has a meth problem.
She also skillfully shows how Eli’s arrest of Glory’s brother broke all three of their hearts. It’s really affecting.
Glory herself is a force of nature, both in terms of her incredible musical talent and looks but also how she is fiercely loyal to her often troublesome family, which led to her cutting Eli out of her life despite their longtime connection and sizzling chemistry. This is a seriously slow burn, as there is real heartbreak to get over, and she makes him WORK for it (although, as he says, he won’t grovel). I think we could have had maybe 30 fewer pages of this middle part, which is why this isn’t five stars, but the last 20% or so made up for it.
I also want to mention the music, which is basically a third main character. JAL clearly has a deep love for and knowledge of music, especially 70s classic rock, and it builds an incredible atmosphere. I even made a Spotify playlist of all the songs (well, most of them) mentioned in the book, and it really heightened my reading experience.
Ok, I’ve talked myself into 4.5 stars. I feel like this book is going to stick with me for a while.
This is a much angstier read than the first in the series, Hot in Hellcat Canyon (which was a straight five stars for me). Our MMC is Eli, a giant of a deputy sheriff who has carried a torch for our FMC, Glory Hallelujah Greenleaf, since they were kids. But a year ago, he arrested her brother, and his best friend, for transporting meth. It’s a chewy, fantastic premise.
I was a little wary about the fact that our hero was a cop, but I figured I was in safe hands with Julie Anne Long. It might have been tempting, in a small town romance, to have the cop only fighting “crime” like a kid spray painting TITS on a speed limit sign (which does happen, and it’s hilarious), but she also points to the serious nature of the work he does: his father was killed during a traffic stop, which is what led Eli to join the force, and like many small towns, Hellcat Canyon has a meth problem.
She also skillfully shows how Eli’s arrest of Glory’s brother broke all three of their hearts. It’s really affecting.
Glory herself is a force of nature, both in terms of her incredible musical talent and looks but also how she is fiercely loyal to her often troublesome family, which led to her cutting Eli out of her life despite their longtime connection and sizzling chemistry. This is a seriously slow burn, as there is real heartbreak to get over, and she makes him WORK for it (although, as he says, he won’t grovel). I think we could have had maybe 30 fewer pages of this middle part, which is why this isn’t five stars, but the last 20% or so made up for it.
I also want to mention the music, which is basically a third main character. JAL clearly has a deep love for and knowledge of music, especially 70s classic rock, and it builds an incredible atmosphere. I even made a Spotify playlist of all the songs (well, most of them) mentioned in the book, and it really heightened my reading experience.
Ok, I’ve talked myself into 4.5 stars. I feel like this book is going to stick with me for a while.
April 24, 2019
J'aime toujours autant le style de l'auteur et sa façon de nous raconter des histoires et de décrire la vie de la petite ville de Hellcat Canyon.
L'histoire était mignonne aussi et ce livre devrais être fournit avec une playlist Deezer (ou Spotify etc quoique soit votre came... XD)
L'histoire était mignonne aussi et ce livre devrais être fournit avec une playlist Deezer (ou Spotify etc quoique soit votre came... XD)
August 12, 2020
Good writing. Some fun parts. A little bit too « Americaaaaaa » for me. And by that I mean the « I’m a girl with a heart of gold living in bumfuck, Calidhao. I like old rock music and tight clothes. » + my love interest is a hot cop, which, to me, is an oxymoron.
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