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Romancing Wisconsin #9
Spring Dreams
When someone believes in you, there really is no place like home...
Nine years ago, Alex Riley left home in handcuffs. Now he’s back, sporting a chip on his shoulder bigger than the Grand Canyon—especially when a freak accident with the town’s beloved Santa Butch forces him into an Easter Bunny costume minutes after arriving. Worse, the man blackmails him into an extended stay helping out at the new teen center being built by the beautiful but righteous Ms. Emma Winston.
Former social worker Emma Winston is used to dealing with surly teenagers in a composed, encouraging manner, yet her first encounters with Alex make her want to smack the man. His first day at her construction site, she’s distressed to realize she also wants to kiss him—even with his obnoxious attitude. She knows better than to fall for a bad boy who’s made no secret he can’t wait to leave the town where, for the first time in her life, she’s planting deep roots. But the more she glimpses a good heart beneath his gruff exterior, the harder it is to remember they don’t share the same dream.
Join Alex and Emma on a journey of love and forgiveness – get your copy of Spring Dreams today!
Romancing Wisconsin, a USA Today Bestselling Series from NY Times bestselling author, Stacey Joy Netzel
To everything there is a season...
Love finds a way during the four seasons in the Romancing Wisconsin Series. Starting with Christmas/Winter, then moving on to the rest of the seasons, check out this bestselling, heartwarming series set in small town Wisconsin, where hope springs eternal for each happily ever after. Sexy military heroes, runaway brides, surprise babies, single parents—meet the Rileys, the Walshes, and best of all, Butch...a.k.a. Santa Butch. The mischievous matchmaker makes a cameo in each story—adding a touch of magic to the lives of everyone he loves, and even those he’s just met.
Romancing Wisconsin Series
Mistletoe Mischief
Mistletoe Magic
Mistletoe Match-Up
Mistletoe Rules – short story
Autumn Wish
Autumn Bliss
Autumn Kiss
Autumn Glimmer – short story
Spring Fling
Spring Serendipity
Spring Dreams
Spring Spark – short story
Nine years ago, Alex Riley left home in handcuffs. Now he’s back, sporting a chip on his shoulder bigger than the Grand Canyon—especially when a freak accident with the town’s beloved Santa Butch forces him into an Easter Bunny costume minutes after arriving. Worse, the man blackmails him into an extended stay helping out at the new teen center being built by the beautiful but righteous Ms. Emma Winston.
Former social worker Emma Winston is used to dealing with surly teenagers in a composed, encouraging manner, yet her first encounters with Alex make her want to smack the man. His first day at her construction site, she’s distressed to realize she also wants to kiss him—even with his obnoxious attitude. She knows better than to fall for a bad boy who’s made no secret he can’t wait to leave the town where, for the first time in her life, she’s planting deep roots. But the more she glimpses a good heart beneath his gruff exterior, the harder it is to remember they don’t share the same dream.
Join Alex and Emma on a journey of love and forgiveness – get your copy of Spring Dreams today!
Romancing Wisconsin, a USA Today Bestselling Series from NY Times bestselling author, Stacey Joy Netzel
To everything there is a season...
Love finds a way during the four seasons in the Romancing Wisconsin Series. Starting with Christmas/Winter, then moving on to the rest of the seasons, check out this bestselling, heartwarming series set in small town Wisconsin, where hope springs eternal for each happily ever after. Sexy military heroes, runaway brides, surprise babies, single parents—meet the Rileys, the Walshes, and best of all, Butch...a.k.a. Santa Butch. The mischievous matchmaker makes a cameo in each story—adding a touch of magic to the lives of everyone he loves, and even those he’s just met.
Romancing Wisconsin Series
Mistletoe Mischief
Mistletoe Magic
Mistletoe Match-Up
Mistletoe Rules – short story
Autumn Wish
Autumn Bliss
Autumn Kiss
Autumn Glimmer – short story
Spring Fling
Spring Serendipity
Spring Dreams
Spring Spark – short story
195 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 13, 2016
12 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
Stacey Joy Netzel
81 books262 followersWisconsin native Stacey Joy Netzel fell in love with books at a young age, so for her the graduation to writing them was natural. A member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and Wisconsin Romance Writers (WisRWA), she credits her parents for encouraging her dreams of becoming a published author, as well as the very talented friends she’s made in WisRWA since joining in 2004. Her Christmas anthology, MISTLETOE RULES, took 1st place in WisRWA's 2010 Write Touch Readers' Award. Check out her romantic suspense Colorado Trust Series, Trust in the Lawe, Shattered trust, and Shadowed Trust. Other titles include: Lost In Italy, Ditched Again, Welcome to Redemption Series, Chasin’ Mason, Dragonfly Dreams, If Tombstones Could Talk.
An avid reader and big fan of movies with happy endings, Stacey lives in Wisconsin with her husband and three children, a couple horses and some barn cats. She works part-time as a travel agent, and in her limited free time she enjoys gardening, canning, and visiting her parents in Northeastern Wisconsin (Up North) at their cabin on the lake.
An avid reader and big fan of movies with happy endings, Stacey lives in Wisconsin with her husband and three children, a couple horses and some barn cats. She works part-time as a travel agent, and in her limited free time she enjoys gardening, canning, and visiting her parents in Northeastern Wisconsin (Up North) at their cabin on the lake.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 23, 2016
Well written, standalone, small town, light-hearted romance with just enough angst and drama to keep things interesting and give a HEA!
As a new reader to Stacey Joy Netzel I had no idea what to expect but I loved the sound of the blurb and I love a good small town romance and this book did not let me down at all. Spring Dreams is a small town standalone contemporary romance that is relatively light hearted with just enough angst and drama to keep things interesting between two really likeable characters, even with the rough edges to the male character. While it is part of a series, I followed along no problem and loved all the characters in this book. It’s the perfect kind of book to read on a lazy day that can easily be devoured in one sitting.
Emma and Alex had a sweet and intense connection almost from the very minute they meet face to face and are more similar than you might originally think, especially given the way their first introduction happens (it really does include an Easter bunny suit!). Emma is relatively new to town but established herself with a sweet and quietly confident demeanour while Alex is returning hoe for the first time in nine years after this former bad-boy ended up in prison and avoiding having to deal with his past. Despite being so glaringly different at first, the emotional connection these two made was what really added a depth to the developing relationship between Alex and Emma, despite their insecurities which weren’t just completely ignored. Having the two work together added a good foundation to develop the characters and their relationship in the short time-frame of the book to a good level, adding a level of believability to their feelings developing so quickly. The dual perspectives you get through the book helped round the characters further with the sub-characters also showing differing perspectives of the two; the sub-characters were just as loveable as Alex and Emma and I imagine for those who have read the previous books in this series it’s nice re-visit previous characters but personally, as I have already said, I haven’t read any of the previous books in this series but had no trouble whatsoever following along with the characters used to help develop Alex and Emma’s story, personalities, and relationship.
Spring Dreams is well written with a good flow and had a fast pace which worked well with how the author panned out the story. The book is set over only two weeks but while the overall time frame gives off a fast pace, it also had a good steady pace in developing the relationship between these two opposite characters who are both secretly looking for the same thing, knowingly and unknowingly in Alex’s mind; family. The book isn’t overly explicit, only one sex scene, but it is more than enough to satisfy given the heated attracted growing throughout the book between Alex and Emma and the time frame of the book not being that long. I personally liked how it was all played out but if you are looking for a book filled with lots of sexual content, this is definitely a sweeter with a bit of explicit language romance book. There is a sweet HEA after a last minute bit of drama that rounds off the story nicely to make it a true standalone with all ties for Alex and Emma’s story finished.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this well written small town romance book and would recommend it to any romance fans out there. I will definitely keep a look out for more of this author’s work in the future.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.
As a new reader to Stacey Joy Netzel I had no idea what to expect but I loved the sound of the blurb and I love a good small town romance and this book did not let me down at all. Spring Dreams is a small town standalone contemporary romance that is relatively light hearted with just enough angst and drama to keep things interesting between two really likeable characters, even with the rough edges to the male character. While it is part of a series, I followed along no problem and loved all the characters in this book. It’s the perfect kind of book to read on a lazy day that can easily be devoured in one sitting.
Emma and Alex had a sweet and intense connection almost from the very minute they meet face to face and are more similar than you might originally think, especially given the way their first introduction happens (it really does include an Easter bunny suit!). Emma is relatively new to town but established herself with a sweet and quietly confident demeanour while Alex is returning hoe for the first time in nine years after this former bad-boy ended up in prison and avoiding having to deal with his past. Despite being so glaringly different at first, the emotional connection these two made was what really added a depth to the developing relationship between Alex and Emma, despite their insecurities which weren’t just completely ignored. Having the two work together added a good foundation to develop the characters and their relationship in the short time-frame of the book to a good level, adding a level of believability to their feelings developing so quickly. The dual perspectives you get through the book helped round the characters further with the sub-characters also showing differing perspectives of the two; the sub-characters were just as loveable as Alex and Emma and I imagine for those who have read the previous books in this series it’s nice re-visit previous characters but personally, as I have already said, I haven’t read any of the previous books in this series but had no trouble whatsoever following along with the characters used to help develop Alex and Emma’s story, personalities, and relationship.
Spring Dreams is well written with a good flow and had a fast pace which worked well with how the author panned out the story. The book is set over only two weeks but while the overall time frame gives off a fast pace, it also had a good steady pace in developing the relationship between these two opposite characters who are both secretly looking for the same thing, knowingly and unknowingly in Alex’s mind; family. The book isn’t overly explicit, only one sex scene, but it is more than enough to satisfy given the heated attracted growing throughout the book between Alex and Emma and the time frame of the book not being that long. I personally liked how it was all played out but if you are looking for a book filled with lots of sexual content, this is definitely a sweeter with a bit of explicit language romance book. There is a sweet HEA after a last minute bit of drama that rounds off the story nicely to make it a true standalone with all ties for Alex and Emma’s story finished.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this well written small town romance book and would recommend it to any romance fans out there. I will definitely keep a look out for more of this author’s work in the future.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.
November 9, 2016
I enjoy the Romancing Wisconsin series by Stacey Joy Netzel and this one was no exception. Alex had made mistakes in his youth which he had paid for and he left home. When he came back, he had to deal with feeling that everyone would look at him differently because of his past. Emma helped him and his family to overcome this and repair relationships which were damaged.
February 11, 2018
Bad boy turned good
We all love a bad boy and Alex fits the bill perfectly, family drama galore in this one, but a great story nonetheless, I love happy endings and like the rest of this series, it has one,
We all love a bad boy and Alex fits the bill perfectly, family drama galore in this one, but a great story nonetheless, I love happy endings and like the rest of this series, it has one,
April 17, 2018
Another great story! Alex is forced into helping Butch and ends up meeting Emma and realizes he wants more out of life. Emma isn't sure about Alex until she gets to know him better.
March 21, 2019
Read in epub format on my Nook.
August 8, 2023
Second chances
Great addition to the series. Full of heart, forgiveness, family, and love. They make a great couple and so enjoyed their story.
Great addition to the series. Full of heart, forgiveness, family, and love. They make a great couple and so enjoyed their story.
September 28, 2016
This is book nine in the Romancing Wisconsin series. Alex has a chip on his shoulder. Emma finds herself attracted to him despite that chip. When they work together, she gets exasperated yet fascinated with him. Their chemistry was amazing. This book kept me hooked form beginning to end. I loved it and I highly recommend it. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 25, 2016
When prodigal son Alex Riley makes a quick trip home to visit his mother in the hospital, he never imagined that he would be stuck there for any length of time. But when he hits Santa Butch, who is on his way to play the Easter Bunny, suddenly he finds himself taking over for Butch. After filling in as the Easter Bunny, Butch further guilts Alex into a more long term favor that will keep him home for the next six weeks.
Emma Winston has decided to take her change of circumstances and use her social service skills for even greater good. She is using a surprising inheritance to create a youth center. When she first encounters Alex at the Easter Egg Hunt she helped organize, she saw the pain in his eyes after his brother Nash accused him of accosting Emma, but doesn’t think she will ever see him again, especially after their run in at the hospital later, when visiting Butch. She is shocked to find him on the steps the next morning when she arrives at work to find out that Butch has assigned Alex to replace him as Emma’s assistant while he recovers. Can they resist the pull they feel for six weeks, or will
The more time Alex spends at home, the more he realizes that he wants to make things right with his family and spend his future with Emma. And Emma realizes that if she takes a chance, she might just find the family she has always desired.
Once again, Santa Butch seems to know what people need, this time knowing from the moment that Alex hit him that Alex needs a reason to stay to give him the time Alex needs to reconnect with his family and that Alex is the person that Emma needs, both on a professional and personal level.
The author shows that the road to redemption is not always smooth – Alex is not welcomed back with open arms right away and we see that forgiveness and a second chance are not always instantaneous and may require time and patience. I absolutely loved Alex and how he managed to overcome the odds and become a much better man. He is absolutely swoon-worthy. And Emma reaches out and touches your heart with her warmth and belief in others.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Emma Winston has decided to take her change of circumstances and use her social service skills for even greater good. She is using a surprising inheritance to create a youth center. When she first encounters Alex at the Easter Egg Hunt she helped organize, she saw the pain in his eyes after his brother Nash accused him of accosting Emma, but doesn’t think she will ever see him again, especially after their run in at the hospital later, when visiting Butch. She is shocked to find him on the steps the next morning when she arrives at work to find out that Butch has assigned Alex to replace him as Emma’s assistant while he recovers. Can they resist the pull they feel for six weeks, or will
The more time Alex spends at home, the more he realizes that he wants to make things right with his family and spend his future with Emma. And Emma realizes that if she takes a chance, she might just find the family she has always desired.
Once again, Santa Butch seems to know what people need, this time knowing from the moment that Alex hit him that Alex needs a reason to stay to give him the time Alex needs to reconnect with his family and that Alex is the person that Emma needs, both on a professional and personal level.
The author shows that the road to redemption is not always smooth – Alex is not welcomed back with open arms right away and we see that forgiveness and a second chance are not always instantaneous and may require time and patience. I absolutely loved Alex and how he managed to overcome the odds and become a much better man. He is absolutely swoon-worthy. And Emma reaches out and touches your heart with her warmth and belief in others.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 10, 2017
This is a sweet romantic story with some sadness and angst. Alex is vulnerable, sweet, charming, fun and hard to resist. Emma is caring, loyal and sweet. The storyline is very emotional and the characters inspire love or hate. It is such an engrossing and captivating story it should be added to your TBR list.
September 21, 2016
Spring Dreams by Stacey Joy Netzel
When Alex returns to a town he left nine years ago to see his Mother after she has surgery. He plans on just passing through town but a meddling Santa Butch has other ideas. Alex finds himself helping Emma at the Easter Egg hunt and and at her teen center. Emma might be just what Santa ordered to help Alex heal to broken heart and wondering soul.
The way you bring these characters to life is absolutely wonderful. You can feel their torment, anguish, and every other emotion they go through, it just leaps off the pages. I wanted to console Alex so bad after his confrontation with his Dad. His Dad made me so angry I want to slap him and I'm nit a violent person.
I love Santa Butch and his meddling ways.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
When Alex returns to a town he left nine years ago to see his Mother after she has surgery. He plans on just passing through town but a meddling Santa Butch has other ideas. Alex finds himself helping Emma at the Easter Egg hunt and and at her teen center. Emma might be just what Santa ordered to help Alex heal to broken heart and wondering soul.
The way you bring these characters to life is absolutely wonderful. You can feel their torment, anguish, and every other emotion they go through, it just leaps off the pages. I wanted to console Alex so bad after his confrontation with his Dad. His Dad made me so angry I want to slap him and I'm nit a violent person.
I love Santa Butch and his meddling ways.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2016
I absolutely loved this latest installment of the Romancing Wisconsin series! The story of Alex Reilly returning to his hometown after 9 years away (3 of those years in prison) had a lot of plot twists that really kept the story interesting! Santa Butch is back and up to his matchmaking ways, and seeing Alex and Emma's relationship grow, and seeing how Alex changes and grows with it, makes for a wonderful story.
With this book, Stacey Joy Netzel has just proven to me again why she is one of my absolute favorite authors. If you read this book, you will definitely want to read the rest of the series, and I'm sure Stacey will be one of your favorite authors also!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
With this book, Stacey Joy Netzel has just proven to me again why she is one of my absolute favorite authors. If you read this book, you will definitely want to read the rest of the series, and I'm sure Stacey will be one of your favorite authors also!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
April 14, 2020
9 years of rejection
Alex 3 years in Prison and 6 years going from job to job and Emma a former social worker building a youth center Alex is trying to get in and out of his hometown after visiting his Mother in the hospital but he accidentally hits Santa Butch with his truck and is quilted into playing the Easter Bunny and helping Emma at the construction site. Romance between Alex & Emma begins but both have concerns Alex and siblings make up for what happened 9 years before then Alex gets arrested after Emma gets Alex released and his Dad forgives bin Alex decides to stay with Alex & Emma have there HEA. Good read in the Romancing Wisconsin series
Alex 3 years in Prison and 6 years going from job to job and Emma a former social worker building a youth center Alex is trying to get in and out of his hometown after visiting his Mother in the hospital but he accidentally hits Santa Butch with his truck and is quilted into playing the Easter Bunny and helping Emma at the construction site. Romance between Alex & Emma begins but both have concerns Alex and siblings make up for what happened 9 years before then Alex gets arrested after Emma gets Alex released and his Dad forgives bin Alex decides to stay with Alex & Emma have there HEA. Good read in the Romancing Wisconsin series
September 14, 2016
Spring Dreams by Stacey Joy Netzel....Another great book that keeps you turning pages and not wanting it to end. Stacey knows how to hook us readers with her great storytelling. I loved watching Alex and Emma's stories unfold. Stacey Joy Netzel has became one of my favorite go to authors and I know if you read this book she will be yours also. I was given a complimentary book for an honest review.
December 11, 2023
Well, this started out awkward but it became a second chance story. For more than one person. It’s a nice story and the romance is sweet.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews