Falling Hard

Nugget #9

by Stacy Finz

In the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountain town of Nugget, California, falling hard is all too easy . . .

This is the summer of Annie Sparks—at least according to her. No more supporting lazy jerks or coddling irresponsible family or taking care of anyone who doesn’t deserve her help. Instead she’s headed to an estate in a remote mountain town, to spend her summer with her boots covered in mud and her hands working the earth. Love is the last thing on her mind.

Nugget is a long way from Logan Jenkins’ old life as a Navy SEAL. But before he starts fresh in the private sector, he receives a bequest from a man he never knew: his biological father. To learn more about his background, Logan makes his way to his late father’s estate, where he is immediately knocked on his heels by an incredible woman with a heart of gold.

Annie’s not looking for a fling, and Logan knows Nugget can’t be forever, so falling in love should be impossible. But when they’re together, time stops, and suddenly the impossible seems like the only thinkable option . . .

PRAISE FOR STACY FINZ

“Stacy Finz is a unique new voice. Nugget, California, is a charming small town filled with inventive characters and sweet romance.” —Jill Shalvis, New York Times bestselling author

“Tender and touching, Stacy Finz writes romance with heart.” —Marina Adair

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Military Fiction, Chick Lit, Friends To Lovers

263 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 11, 2017

About the author

Stacy Finz is an award-winning former newspaper reporter. After more than twenty years covering notorious serial killers, naked-tractor-driving farmers, fanatical foodies, aging rock stars and weird Western towns, she figured she finally had enough material to launch a career writing fiction. She is the author of the Nugget Romance series (Kensington/Lyrical Press) about a small mountain town that has a strange way of giving people unexpected reasons to start over--and find the most irresistible chances to fall in love. Look for her Garner Brothers series (Zebra) in 2017.

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Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC from the publisher through NetGalley. I just loved this book. This is a great series by a great author. It was so wonderful to be back in Nugget, California. Reading this book just felt like getting into a nice snuggly pair of pajamas. It felt great to be back in Nugget, catch up with some of the old characters and meet some new ones. Stacy Finz is starting a new series coming this summer and I look forward to it. Since the new series takes place in a nearby town to Nugget, hopefully we will run into one of these characters occasionally. If you liked Robyn Carr's Virgin River series, you will also like the Nugget series by Stacy Finz.

4.5 stars.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

Book 9 in the Nugget series by Stacy Finz stars the intelligent Annie Sparks whom we first met in the last book along with Logan Jenkins the illegitimate son of Ray Rosser, the convicted murder and no good sonovabitch of Nugget who died in prison. Logan didn't even know who his biological father was until he was contacted by a lawyer about being named in his father's will. Logan out of curiosity went to the ranch that use to be his father's, it now belonged to Gia Trendwell, he didn't care about any of that he just wanted to know more about his father. Annie moved on to the Rosser ranch when she walked out on her boyfriend. She had enough with lazy moochers who did nothing but waste her time and this included her brother who continually made bad decisions and cost their parents lots of money and this time collateral on the farm they could not afford to lose. Annie wanted nothing more than to help Gia's tree farm succeed especially the part of the plan that helped women get back on their feet, learn money management and business.

It was just suppose to be temporary, it was just suppose to be a fling until he left to San Diego and then Annie would get on with her life wherever that was heading and that was it. Annie and Logan never intended to fall in love, but they did and hard and neither of them knew how to handle that. It's hard enough trying to figure out where your relationship is going when moocher brothers cause problems and then there is Raylene, Logan's half sister who if you've read the other books you know how she is, getting in the picture just to rock the boat and stir up trouble for Logan. Logan, omg, he's such a freakin' sweetheart; even though it's "casual" he ends up buying Annie new boots because she needs them and a pair of cowboy boots just because he knows she'll like them. Logan is the opposite of what Annie normally goes for but he is exactly what she needs. Logan is the opposite of his father, he was raised by a good man and it shows he even goes out of his way to help Raylene after she acted like a twat.

Overall, this is another great read. I love this series it is one of my favorite small town romance series and they just keep getting better and better.

[Kiki]

What exactly was the point of this book again? 🤔🤷🏽‍♀️

[Heather andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annie sometimes has to keep Logan in line, "...just your run-of-the-mill beige bra. Yet, it turned him on like crazy. He pulled her under him and started taking it off. “Logan, I have to check the sprinklers.” Laughing , she pushed him away. “Later! We’ll do this later.” There are times Logan is over eager, “off with your clothes, woman. We’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for.” He hauled her out of bed and dragged her dress over her head..." I really enjoyed this book, Logan was a sexy man.

[Zellian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Falling Hard by Stacy Finz is the ninth instalment of the Nugget series, I haven't read the other books and you can read this as a stand alone. There are mentions of other characters in this book however you do not get confused when reading through it.

Logan Jenkin's was ready to start fresh in private security but is side tracked after being advised that his biological father, a man he has never met or heard from has left him with a healthy sum after his passing. Deciding to learn more about himself and his background Logan drives out to the tiny town of Nugget and ends up at Rosser Ranch, the former estate of his forefathers. Thinking he would only spend a few days scoping out the ranch and town, gathering info on a man who was arrested for murder before his death he instead finds himself staying longer thanks to Annie Sparks.
Annie Sparks has had enough of supporting everyone else around her, from the dead-beat boyfriend using her as his own ATM to the spoiled brother taking every last dollar from their parents, she is done. Summer this year is going to be about her taking some time out and helping her friend Gia on Rosser Ranch doing what she does best, working the earth around her into an amazing farm. What she didn't expect was Logan to walk onto Rosser Ranch offering to help when she realizes the new farm hand isn't going to show on his first day, for him to be as charming as his looks or for him to be as fun in the bedroom as he is outside of yet.
Logan can't stay in Nugget forever, a different life awaits and Annie's aware of that from the beginning but when they're together it's like everything fits together, perfect if they can only make what seems impossible... possible.

If you're looking for an easy to read, medium-paced romance novel this is one I would recommend. It wasn't bad but it also didn't make me want to read it well past my bed-time either or pick it up multiple times. The writing I felt was above average, keeps you engaged and gives you a good idea of the town of Nugget and general quick idea of some of the previous characters - easy enough to understand for those who have never read previous books in the series.
Before I read the book I thought there might be a lot more fluff in it, a lot more cringe worthy moments of love however there really wasn't a lot of it. In a way it makes sense, Logan isn't going to be around that long and is usually pretty quiet due to his previous life as a Navy Seal and Annie has just left her "rockstar" ex, why would they want to jump in straight away with each other. It was a lot of self discovery, a lot of learning and a lot of mature compromises and decisions - it felt real and relatable and healthy.

Though there's mention of drugs and the odd sex scene here and there, it really does feel a lot more wholesome than a lot of other books out there.

I do want to try some of the other books of the series, however they probably aren't as high up on the TBR list as I thought they might end up. I think they'd be great if I wanted to take a break from some of the heavier feeling books.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review also found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...

3.5 stars

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!  The expected publication date is April 11th, 2017.

This is the ninth instalment in the Nugget series.  Needless to say there has been a lot of time and energy put in to this fictional town and its character.  It is not necessary to have read the entire series leading up to this story however I do offer one warning.  When you reach the ninth book in a series, the cast of characters gets rather large.  It can you leave you wondering how everyone fits in to the town as you know that their story has been previously told.  In my case, I had read the fifth & sixth story and none of the others.  I was able to know who a lot of the characters were however there was a blank spot on some.  For those that are ok with not knowing the backstory of every character, you will be fine.  for those who need to know, pick up book one and start from the beginning.  With nine books there is enough to keep you entertained for a while.

This story was a little different from the others that I have read in the series in the fact that both character were relative newcomers to Nugget.  The previous stories I read always involved one hometown character and a newcomer.  I guess in a town as small as Nugget, you would run out of people in the age demographic of the majority of these characters unless people kept moving in to the town.

A second item that I noticed, an liked, is that there was a little less angst between Annie and Logan.  While they may not have succumbed tot heir physical attraction right away, they became fast friends and the reader does not have to endure that endless bickering that can be predominant in this genre of book.  It is not always necessary to have the characters hate each other at first, before they discover they can't live without each other, as Finz has aptly shown in this story.  It was refreshing.  I liked how they clicked right from the beginning.  The drama comes later on.

As for the rest of the story, it follows the regular formula you would come to expect from this genre.  The highlight of the story, and I may have said the same in previous reviews of this series, is the town of Nugget.  By now you feel like you really know the town and all of its people, and this is coming from someone who has only read three of the nine stories. 

I recommend this story and this series!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Falling Hard is the 9th book in the Nugget series by Stacey Finz. I am such a fan of this series and this latest book didn't disappoint!

Annie Sparks, the heroine of this story, has been mentioned in previous Nugget books and we finally got to know her better. She is fairly new to Nugget and I enjoyed learning how smart and kind and hardworking she was. I liked her instantly. So did Logan Jenkins, the former Navy SEAL who showed up looking for answers for the biological father he never knew. The chemistry between them is real and instant, but Logan makes it very clear that he is not cut out for small town life and Annie isn't interested in a fling.

I love every trip Stacey Finz takes us on to Nugget. I like catching up with characters we've already read about and seeing how the new couple fits into the fold. Logan and Annie's journey to love is a great read and I can't wait to see who's story we get to read next! I definitely recommend this one to all romance fans.

[Ann Lorz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Romancing the Readers Blog: http://www.romancingthereaders.com/20...

See I promised to get caught up and I'm working hard to do so. With a new book coming out I want to make sure to review all the ones I've read.

Up this time is Falling Hard. It's a favorite of mine which has nothing to do with the heroine's first name. I really did like Annie. She's sweet and tired of the crap that she's allowed into her life. You have to feel for her. Her parents allowed her brother to be an idiot and not listing to her. It hurts her so much that they allowed themselves to be put into a no-win situation.

I felt for poor Logan. I can't even imagine finding out who your father is. For him it really sucked. His father wasn't a good person. He comes from a horrible family. That's a lot to move on from. Right away you can tell he's nothing like his father. He's a wonderful guy, one that you can count on and perfect for Annie.

What starts off as a fling builds into so much more. I just loved reading about how they fell in love. These two deserve happiness. It did take them a bit to understand that they love each other and should together.

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[Nate Brightman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Falling Hard is the 9th book in the Nugget series and the title refers to how hard Annie Sparkle and Logan Jenkins fall for each other despite their best attempts not to. As much as I loved the Annie Sparkle character despite her ridiculous name, I have to admit I thought this book felt like the author was more or less going through the motions for a goodly portion of it. I say this because like a third of the books in the series the story revolves around a hero (in this case Logan Jenkins) who despite all the compelling reasons to remain in Nugget, (finding his true love not being the least of them), is insistent that his stay in the small Northern California town is only temporary. Much of at least the first half of the book revolves around Annie and Logan, knowing Logan is only in town for a few weeks dancing around each other, trying not to fall into bed together and definitely not falling in love. Annie just isn't a "fling" kind of girl and Logan quickly realizes that and tries to respect that fact. But of course they can't fight fate or the chemistry between them and eventually fall into a sexual relationship to compliment their deep friendship, which as expected leaves Annie devastated when Logan true to his word leaves Nugget to return to San Diego and start his new security business with his ex-SEAL buddy Gabe.
There's so much that is good with this book. Annie is a lovable as any heroine in this series. She's smart, hard working, devoted to her family and big hearted. The side story of her relationship with her parents and her brother is well done. Logan Jenkins is just fresh out of the SEALS when he discovers he's the illegitimate son of Ray Rosser who had died in prison serving time for murdering a cattle rustler and left him an equal portion of his estate (the money he got from selling the ranch to Gia), along with his daughter Raylene whom we got to know in "Getting Lucky." One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was seeing Logan's relationship with Raylene develop and seeing Raylene finally grow up and take responsibility for herself. Logan comes to Nugget hoping to learn something about his father's side of the family history and his roots. Enough of the older folks in Nugget knew Logan's mom and her story that once they hear his last name, the fact that he's Ray's illegitimate son doesn't remain a secret very long. While no one in Nugget has anything good to say about his father or his half-sister, they still open their arms to Logan and treat him as a member of their tightly banded community. Throughout the story we get a brief look at most of the good citizens of Nugget, the Baker's Dozen, the Nugget Mafia, Annie's new friendship among the younger women, Dana, Darla, Harlee, and Sloane. Clay and Emily, Nate and Sam, Rhys and Maddy all make appearances. Because much of the book takes place on the old Rosser Ranch and Flynn is Annie's family lawyer who first introduced her to Gia, Gia and Flynn have a major presence once they return from their vacation in Mexico. Giffin and Lina are in there too but if you blink you might miss them, especially Lina. Falling Hard while not the best book in the series is still a very fine compliment to it. Now after burning through the first nine books which were written before I discovered this series I'll have to wait until October for #10 Hope for Christmas where I believe Emily finds her long lost daughter Hope in time for Christmas. Get the Kleenex ready because I can already feel the tears welling over that one.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

After meeting Annie in the previous book, I was so excited to read her story and it didn’t disappoint.

Annie is a PhD candidate at UC Davis and works on Gia’s farm helping her with the Christmas tree lot. She’s running away from her family drama until her parents sort their life out. When Logan shows up on the Gia’s property, she believes he’s answered an ad to come help her. Logan is Ray Rosser‘s (read Getting Lucky) illegitimate son who just discovered who is biological father is and wants to visit Nugget to learn about his roots before leaving for San Diego to start a security company with a former buddy. What he doesn’t expect is to meet Annie and when sparks fly, it gets harder to leave.

Logan and Annie don’t seem like they should work with Annie begin very free-spirited and Logan begin very regimented after coming out of the Navy, but they do. Logan wants to hear about her farming and her various other interests and doesn’t mock her and although Annie doesn’t really believe in violence or guns, she’s still very accepting of Logan’s life.

This book brings back old characters and is one of the reasons I love Nugget books. You don’t just read about the couple, you read about the town and everyone in it. There’s also enough happening outside of the couple to keep the books interesting.

I can’t wait to read about Raylene and hope she’s turned over a new leaf!

[Slick · Rating 4 out of 5]

We met Annie in the last book of this series and she is just a bubbly, beautiful person inside and out which is why when Logan appears at The Rosser Ranch (Gia's place) she thinks he is there for the job she posted when in fact he just found out the the late owner was his father and he just wants to see where his paternal family came from. These two form a quick and easy friendship and while they want more, Annie isn't one to sleep with someone when it's not a relationship and Logan has been up front that he is going back to Coranado and opening a security company with his friend Gabe. Together they work the land, he does the clean up job for her, they hike and enjoy the country life and he meets and speaks to people who knew his father and his mother when she lived there. While he is set on returning to his life in Corandao his growing feelings for Annie and the land speaks to him in ways he never expected. I really enjoyed this book both Annie and Logan were dealing with things in their lives that weren't letting them live their own to their fullest and while they did become lovers despite knowing it would end, it was gut wrenching when it did. Let's just say Logan makes the grandest of gestures to make things right again.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Falling Hard was such a well-written romance with enough sub-plots to keep me turning pages to figure out what was going to happen next. Between rescuing a ranch hand from an outhouse during a takedown of a hidden meth lab to finding lost family to running off on a jaunt to Aleppo to take care of a quick government job, Annie Sparks and Logan Jenkins barely had time to cultivate their new love. And what a sweet love it was. Former navy SEAL Logan had no intention of staying in Northern California. He drove up to see about his very estranged father’s will and stayed awhile to see where his patriarchal roots lay. There he met Annie, beautiful and sweet to the core. No sense getting involved because Logan was leaving to start a security company with his friend Gabe that would require a massive amount of overseas travel. No sense getting things complicated with a short fling.

The people in the town of Nugget, California, are endearing, the ranch hands are loyal and fun, Annie’s family’s financial problems are worrisome, her brother is a spoiled brat of an adult, Logan’s half-sister is a mess, so all in all, it’s just you everyday sweet little story. Ha! It’s a great book!

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Annie Sparks is at a cross-roads in her life. She's just decided she's not going to keep helping her parents drive the family rice farm into the ground in order to support her brother's dreams, dreams that always seem to fail. She's also broken up with the boyfriend who seems to enjoy using her. Now she's moved to Nugget to advise previous series heroine, Gia, on the best way to use her ranch for crops.
Logan Jenkins has just gotten out of the Navy and he's not sure why he's in Nugget. It's not like the man who fathered him ever did anything more than have sex with Logan's mother and then send her away. Well, he did leave Logan a ton of money which really, really pisses off his half-sister Raylene, the Evil Bitch from another previous book in the series. When Annie mistakes him for someone applying for a job, he decides, "What the heck" and sticks around.
I never really felt like we got to see the whole of either Annie or Logan. They felt fairly one-dimensional. And their romance was iffy for me but nothing that would make me quit the series.

[Jin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Logan Jenkins never knew his father until a week ago with inheritance. He never heard of town of Nugget and he wanted to find out who his father was. When he arrived at Nugget, he never expected to find his father's ranch and find a job. He wanted to find out where his father worked all his life and find some kind of connection. This little town of Nugget is strangest town he ever experienced.
Annie wanted this summer to be different. She has been helping her family's farm and her lazy ex-boyfriend. She has her own dream of owning her own farm/ ranch. As now she is helping her good friend Gia and living while she is on break from summer break. When handsome Logan comes in and seems like he just answered the ad in the paper.
Annie finds out Logan happens to be previous owner's son and she fears he is back to make troubles. But he is opposite of what she expected and they seem to have chemistry off the chart. Logan knew he won't be staying long and Annie doesn't want to get involve someone who will be leaving but it seems her hearts has mind of its own.
Annie really wants Logan to stay but he won't be since his new life will start as soon as he is back in San Diego. Will this be another fling that would leave both heart breaks or will they find happily ever after.
I enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read the next one on the series. This town of Nugget has enough romance, gossips and interesting characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and Lyrical press for my ARC in exchange for honest review.

[Becky Burciaga · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the onset there was a genuineness and honesty between Logan and Annie that completely captured my heart. The entire story was filled with the type of emotions that drive by a story smoothly and effortlessly. There was the perfect balance between romance, reconciliation, and drama to give the overall story the heart it so wonderfully deserved.

The author wrote with a passion which shown through not only the chemistry between Logan and Annie, but also all the quirky characters who also added the charm that only small town residents are capable of doing.

The series has been running for sometime now, but I hope it continues...there are so many opportunities for more HEA's!

This ARC book was a complimentary copy provided by the Publisher and Netgally, I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first read by this author, but it won't be my last. Found the slow burn romance to be charming and sexy and liked that their relationship developed before they got to sexy times, even though there was an attraction from the start.

I also really enjoyed that it was a light read with very little angst or melodrama until the end. Loved the large cast of quirky supporting characters and want to find out more about them, so going to read more in this series. Sometimes it is healing to read stories that are low on angst and drama and are full of hope, friendship and nice people. Final Rating: 4.5 Stars.

[Kim Vanravenswaay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book that I've read in the Nugget series. I loved it and can't wait to read the rest of the book now.
The since of community. Both Annie and Logan are fairly new to Nugget, but the towns people made them one of their own right away. But along with that comes the busy bodies, everyone needing to know your business. With Logan just getting out of the Seals, he wasn't to keen on this. Annie on the other hand is a social butterfly. Together they made such a great couple.

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a marvellous sweet romance! I absolutely fell for the hero, Logan, at first introduction. An ex-navy SEAL searching for closure meets Annie, a beautiful, strong, intelligent agricultural economist with big dreams, and all kinds of magic happens. A lovely story, a great ending, and terrific side characters you might know, and will definitely love. Nugget is the kind of town that is the perfect romance series setting, and this is a perfect sweet romance. Written so well, too!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't quite believe I've made it to book eight in this series, but here I am anyway. There's plenty to like about the stories, and the characters are now familiar, which is nice, and means I can overlook the similarities between novels. I get the impression that Ms. Finz is getting a bit bored herself though, as the non-romantic elements of the plot are a bit more prominent, including in this case an extended and rather out-of-place coda that's more like a mediocre crime thriller.

[Patrizia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bel libro, uno dei migliori della serie.
Non riesco a capire se la serie finisce qui (l'epilogo sembra quasi un riassunto delle varie coppie) oppure se continuerà, visto che c'è l'apertura per l'arrivo di diversi maschi alfa... Sicuramente l'autrice ha iniziato una nuova serie ambientata in una cittadina vicina, il cui primo libro uscirà a luglio...

[poppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the nugget series that i have read and i can not wait to go read the rest.I really enjoyed this book it was well written with really great characters i just loved Logan and Annie they were so sweey together.A great book would recommend

[Tricia Linden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've enjoyed everything by this author, and this book didn't disappoint. I loved how Anne and Logan meet without Logan revealing who he really is. It gave me, as the reader, some inside info that made me want to keep turning the pages. Looking forward to more by this author.

[Suze · Rating 5 out of 5]

FALLING HARD

Number nine in the Nugget Romance series, this one was my least favorite- but still five stars. I thought the secondary characters carried the book- I didn't like the way Logan treated Annie, until the ending.

[Micayla Lally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the dialogue and witty writing of this book!

[Mallori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and well-written, I was excited to discover another author and series that I can now go back and read from the beginning.

[B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyable But Not Compelling

I gave Falling Hard two stars because while it did have a decent story to tell, it failed to connect with me. The story felt manufactured, which interrupted the flow. That said, I was satisfied with Annie and Logan's story and enjoyed reading through to see how their story ended.

[Landra Chamberlain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. I can't put them down and anxiously await the next one.

[Ash · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNFd after Chapter 3. I didn't like the writing style and I thought the characters were way too insta-lovey.

Not my kind of romance.

[Ellen Kittle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good one

Another good book by Stacy Finz. I really enjoy coming back to Nugget with each book in the series and loved Annie and Logan’s story!

[Eileen Gernet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series

Loved this book. You can't beat the skill of Stacy Finz weaving stories around the main characters. Always enjoyable without being comfusing