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A Pine Cone Romance #3
Take Your Time
A Pine Cone Romance
Police Officer Grace Booker’s life is good—but not quite everything she'd hoped. When a good deed goes wrong, she’s left with Dirty Harry, a raucous African parrot who really hates her. When Harry becomes louder and more neurotic, Grace takes him to the new local vet, Dr. Dani Wingate.
Recently laid off from her dream job as a zoo veterinarian, Dr. Dani Wingate accepts a temporary position in tiny Pine Cone until she can get back to her life in the city. The only thing she wants more than a lesbian who can do uncomplicated relationships is a one-way ticket out of town.
Dirty Harry brings them together, but their unexpected attraction keeps the sparks flying.
Cover Artist: Paige and Evelyn Braddock
Genres: Contemporary / Romance
Police Officer Grace Booker’s life is good—but not quite everything she'd hoped. When a good deed goes wrong, she’s left with Dirty Harry, a raucous African parrot who really hates her. When Harry becomes louder and more neurotic, Grace takes him to the new local vet, Dr. Dani Wingate.
Recently laid off from her dream job as a zoo veterinarian, Dr. Dani Wingate accepts a temporary position in tiny Pine Cone until she can get back to her life in the city. The only thing she wants more than a lesbian who can do uncomplicated relationships is a one-way ticket out of town.
Dirty Harry brings them together, but their unexpected attraction keeps the sparks flying.
Cover Artist: Paige and Evelyn Braddock
Genres: Contemporary / Romance
266 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2018
50 people are currently reading
138 people want to read
About the author
V.K. Powell
21 books113 followersAs a thirty-year law enforcement veteran, VK Powell brings a rare level of authenticity to her novels of romantic intrigue. Her career spanned numerous positions including beat cop, homicide detective, vice/narcotics lieutenant, and assistant chief of police. Now retired, VK infuses her writing with the wealth of experience she gained in police work.
VK is a member of the Romance Writers of America, Rainbow Romance Writers, and the Golden Crown Literary Society. She has penned several novels and short stories featuring strong women who struggle with the timeless question: can you really have it all?
VK is a member of the Romance Writers of America, Rainbow Romance Writers, and the Golden Crown Literary Society. She has penned several novels and short stories featuring strong women who struggle with the timeless question: can you really have it all?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
July 13, 2018
3.75 Stars. This is the third and finale book in A Pine Cone Romance series. For anyone who doesn’t know, all the books in this series are by different authors. I have to admit I was a little worried how this book would be. I felt like book 2 gave away some spoilers for this story. Luckily, Powell writes really well and even knowing what would happen, I found myself sucked into this story. This was better than I expected and I enjoyed it. The way these books are written, you could read this book without reading the others first.
This series is about three best friends that live in small town Pine Cone Georgia. This book stars police officer Grace and new vet Dani. Grace is a sweetheart but has always been unlucky in love. When she meets the new vet she can’t help her attraction, but Dani is giving many mixed signals. Dani has had a hard life and is in Pine Cone only for her job. She misses the city and just wants to go back to Baltimore. Can two women with such differences have the chance at a relationship, or is Grace destined to be heartbroken again?
This book starts off around the same time as book 1, maybe even a little earlier, and then it continues past where the second book ended. Because of that there are some scenes that you have already read (if you read the previous books) but this time it’s through Grace or Dani’s POV. Book 2 did the same and because of that it felt a little repetitive. While there is some repetition again, most of the scenes I felt you learned new things. For instance maybe the scene would start the same but Grace would leave the room, so you learn about new things happening that you missed in other books. I hope I’m explaining this since it’s a little confusing if you have not read any of these books. My point, Powell handled writing familiar scenes better than Leigh (author of book 2) did. I didn’t find myself bored reading scenes I had actually read three times already.
What also made this book work for me was Grace. Grace is the most likeable out of the three original best friends. She is just so damn likeable. And she is also smart and most of the time acts like a normal person should. She is not full of drama or stupidity. She is just a nice, kind character. Dani on the other hand can be a PITA. It took me a while to warm up to her. She causes a little too much angst for my liking. Way to much push/pull. Luckily her character evolves in the book and I found her deserving of Grace.
Another plus was the romance. While it was the annoying push/pull, “yes we can”, “no we can’t be together” kind it still had really good chemistry. The sparks and heat were there and believable. While I’m not really a fan of romances where the claim that “we can’t be together” doesn’t really have that great of a reason, I totally fell for these two as a couple anyway. Even the sex scenes were pretty well done.
For me this was much more enjoyable than book 2 was. It was a good romance and even summed up the series nicely for all the characters. If you are new to the series, you could actually start here. Powell writes the other characters well enough I don’t think you would be lost. If you enjoyed either book 1 or 2, I think you will be happy with this one. This book was a good reminder that I need to go read more of Powell’s back catalog of books.
An ARC was given to me by BSB for a honest review.
This series is about three best friends that live in small town Pine Cone Georgia. This book stars police officer Grace and new vet Dani. Grace is a sweetheart but has always been unlucky in love. When she meets the new vet she can’t help her attraction, but Dani is giving many mixed signals. Dani has had a hard life and is in Pine Cone only for her job. She misses the city and just wants to go back to Baltimore. Can two women with such differences have the chance at a relationship, or is Grace destined to be heartbroken again?
This book starts off around the same time as book 1, maybe even a little earlier, and then it continues past where the second book ended. Because of that there are some scenes that you have already read (if you read the previous books) but this time it’s through Grace or Dani’s POV. Book 2 did the same and because of that it felt a little repetitive. While there is some repetition again, most of the scenes I felt you learned new things. For instance maybe the scene would start the same but Grace would leave the room, so you learn about new things happening that you missed in other books. I hope I’m explaining this since it’s a little confusing if you have not read any of these books. My point, Powell handled writing familiar scenes better than Leigh (author of book 2) did. I didn’t find myself bored reading scenes I had actually read three times already.
What also made this book work for me was Grace. Grace is the most likeable out of the three original best friends. She is just so damn likeable. And she is also smart and most of the time acts like a normal person should. She is not full of drama or stupidity. She is just a nice, kind character. Dani on the other hand can be a PITA. It took me a while to warm up to her. She causes a little too much angst for my liking. Way to much push/pull. Luckily her character evolves in the book and I found her deserving of Grace.
Another plus was the romance. While it was the annoying push/pull, “yes we can”, “no we can’t be together” kind it still had really good chemistry. The sparks and heat were there and believable. While I’m not really a fan of romances where the claim that “we can’t be together” doesn’t really have that great of a reason, I totally fell for these two as a couple anyway. Even the sex scenes were pretty well done.
For me this was much more enjoyable than book 2 was. It was a good romance and even summed up the series nicely for all the characters. If you are new to the series, you could actually start here. Powell writes the other characters well enough I don’t think you would be lost. If you enjoyed either book 1 or 2, I think you will be happy with this one. This book was a good reminder that I need to go read more of Powell’s back catalog of books.
An ARC was given to me by BSB for a honest review.
August 6, 2018
Review of 'Take your time' by V.K. Powell.
This book is part of the 'Pine Cone romance' series by three different authors: 'Take my hand' by Missouri Vaun, 'Take a chance' by D. Jackson Leigh and 'Take your time' by V.K. Powell. This series follows the lives of three friends: Clay, Trip and Grace in the small town of Pine Cone, Georgia.
There are series written by an author that usually need to be read in chronological order, series of standalone novels by different authors under a common theme, and the 'Pine Cone romance' series which is a bit peculiar. In this series the three different authors decided to create three romances (one in each book) but with the three stories overlapping. For example, if the three friends share a scene, it will appear in all three books but with a different point of view. D. Jackson Leigh says in her acknowledgements that it was arduous to write. Well, sometimes it's also arduous to read. I personally found some issues, one is that after reading the first book (whichever the order) the reader has sometimes a sense of deja vu, a feeling of having read that before because... they read it in the previous book. It works fine in some scenes as it gives other characters' perspectives but in other cases it is tedious. Also, some events that overlap in the books give information that act as spoilers for the other books' stories which is a bit annoying. Finally, I found that there are a number of unresolved secondary plots which are main plots in the other books, so in order to grasp the full story, you need to read all the series. So I guess readers can rate each book separately but also the series as a whole. Due to these problems appear throughout the series, you'll see some of my comments repeated in the other reviews.
'Take your time' is the story of Grace Booker, a police officer in Pine Cone who is left with a parrot who hates her. When she takes the bird to Dani Wingate, a local vet, there is an undeniable mutual attraction. But Dani is a city girl staying in Pine Cone temporarily and she's not looking for anything serious. Will their initial chemistry have any future?
This is a slow burn romance with very little action on the side. The author is a retired police officer and she normally writes crime novels so I was expecting more action. However, I understand the restrictions of writing a story with other two authors. The characters are well portrayed in their rights and wrongs but I personally couldn't feel much chemistry. The final chapters seemed a bit rushed and one of the crimes is left unsolved. All in all, the funny moments, specially with a very peculiar parrot, worked better than the serious ones.
Now that I've read the whole series, my overall rating is 3.5 stars. It's an interesting writing experiment that, in my opinion, didn't work that well in the execution.
Overall, an ok read though I recommend to read the rest of the series in order to fill in the gaps in the story. 3.5 stars.
ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.com
This book is part of the 'Pine Cone romance' series by three different authors: 'Take my hand' by Missouri Vaun, 'Take a chance' by D. Jackson Leigh and 'Take your time' by V.K. Powell. This series follows the lives of three friends: Clay, Trip and Grace in the small town of Pine Cone, Georgia.
There are series written by an author that usually need to be read in chronological order, series of standalone novels by different authors under a common theme, and the 'Pine Cone romance' series which is a bit peculiar. In this series the three different authors decided to create three romances (one in each book) but with the three stories overlapping. For example, if the three friends share a scene, it will appear in all three books but with a different point of view. D. Jackson Leigh says in her acknowledgements that it was arduous to write. Well, sometimes it's also arduous to read. I personally found some issues, one is that after reading the first book (whichever the order) the reader has sometimes a sense of deja vu, a feeling of having read that before because... they read it in the previous book. It works fine in some scenes as it gives other characters' perspectives but in other cases it is tedious. Also, some events that overlap in the books give information that act as spoilers for the other books' stories which is a bit annoying. Finally, I found that there are a number of unresolved secondary plots which are main plots in the other books, so in order to grasp the full story, you need to read all the series. So I guess readers can rate each book separately but also the series as a whole. Due to these problems appear throughout the series, you'll see some of my comments repeated in the other reviews.
'Take your time' is the story of Grace Booker, a police officer in Pine Cone who is left with a parrot who hates her. When she takes the bird to Dani Wingate, a local vet, there is an undeniable mutual attraction. But Dani is a city girl staying in Pine Cone temporarily and she's not looking for anything serious. Will their initial chemistry have any future?
This is a slow burn romance with very little action on the side. The author is a retired police officer and she normally writes crime novels so I was expecting more action. However, I understand the restrictions of writing a story with other two authors. The characters are well portrayed in their rights and wrongs but I personally couldn't feel much chemistry. The final chapters seemed a bit rushed and one of the crimes is left unsolved. All in all, the funny moments, specially with a very peculiar parrot, worked better than the serious ones.
Now that I've read the whole series, my overall rating is 3.5 stars. It's an interesting writing experiment that, in my opinion, didn't work that well in the execution.
Overall, an ok read though I recommend to read the rest of the series in order to fill in the gaps in the story. 3.5 stars.
ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.com
July 23, 2018
Take Your Time (A Pine Cone Romance #3) was the third book of a three part series about three friends living in the small city of Pine Cone, Georgia. I didn’t read the first, jumped in with part two and now see with part three how the authors set it up. Many of the key scenes of book 2 were repeated all be it shown from a different point of view. It still made for a lot of repetition though.
Take Your Times centers around Pine Cone local cop Grace Booker and her dealings with dr. prickly pear Dani Wingate, the new vet. I liked Grace a lot better than dude-bro duo Clay and Trip. She was friendly, warm and relatable and it was a big mystery to me why she fell so hard for Dani.
Because yes, Dani had a troubled past and I can understand that motivates certain behavior in the present, but she was a very unsympathetic character all throughout the book. Her epiphany came only after she burned a whole truckload of bridges behind her. By then I almost wished for Grace to move on and find her happiness with anyone else but the yankee vet.
V. K. Powell’s style suited me a bit better than D. Jackson Leigh. It was less sentimental and gave more focus on the relationship, although Leigh gave me much more Southern flavor and incorporated the humor of the people of Pine Cone more.
f/f explicit
Themes: it was pretty obvious to me why Dirty Harry didn’t like Grace, I could just not warm up to Dani at all, all that hot and cold behavior was off putting to me, not my favorite kind of romance to read.
3.4 stars
* A free copy was provided by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Inc. for an honest review.
Take Your Times centers around Pine Cone local cop Grace Booker and her dealings with dr. prickly pear Dani Wingate, the new vet. I liked Grace a lot better than dude-bro duo Clay and Trip. She was friendly, warm and relatable and it was a big mystery to me why she fell so hard for Dani.
Because yes, Dani had a troubled past and I can understand that motivates certain behavior in the present, but she was a very unsympathetic character all throughout the book. Her epiphany came only after she burned a whole truckload of bridges behind her. By then I almost wished for Grace to move on and find her happiness with anyone else but the yankee vet.
V. K. Powell’s style suited me a bit better than D. Jackson Leigh. It was less sentimental and gave more focus on the relationship, although Leigh gave me much more Southern flavor and incorporated the humor of the people of Pine Cone more.
f/f explicit
Themes: it was pretty obvious to me why Dirty Harry didn’t like Grace, I could just not warm up to Dani at all, all that hot and cold behavior was off putting to me, not my favorite kind of romance to read.
3.4 stars
* A free copy was provided by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Inc. for an honest review.
October 6, 2018
What's it going to take to get me to love a lesfic book? No, seriously tell me because I'm getting desperate here...
Ugh, I wish I liked Take Your Time, I really do, but it just wasn't working for me. I know there must be awesome lesbian romance out there but it's really hard to find.
In all fairness, contemporary romance is typically my hardest genre. This book was a contemporary small-town romance, which can be tricky to pull off.
My issues with Take Your Time was pretty much twofold. For one, I thought that it was sloooow. I mean, just plain boring at times. There wasn't enough action or adventure in the first part of the story to grab me and I found my mind wandering while I was trying to read. For the first 40%, the most exciting thing that happens is that a parrot starts freaking out and yelling cop slurs at Grace.
Dani, on the other hand, was irritating. Like, really irritating.
I was sick of Dani's negative, judgmental attitude by 15% in, and I didn't get what Grace saw in her (other than her body, I guess). Dani was flat-out rude to Grace during the whole beginning of the story, and then she just toyed with her emotions. It was off-putting. It got so bad that I wasn't even rooting for them as a couple.
I read this book as a stand-alone, but it's pretty clear who the other two couples were. I couldn't figure out how this fit into the timeline, then I figured out that the stories overlap (I think?). It was a bit confusing with all of the people weaving in and out, but I made it work. I wish I got more of a sense of their physical traits as many of the characters blurred together for me.
Overall, I don't think this was a bad story, but I don't think it's the one to turn me into a devoted lesfic reader.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
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Ugh, I wish I liked Take Your Time, I really do, but it just wasn't working for me. I know there must be awesome lesbian romance out there but it's really hard to find.
In all fairness, contemporary romance is typically my hardest genre. This book was a contemporary small-town romance, which can be tricky to pull off.
My issues with Take Your Time was pretty much twofold. For one, I thought that it was sloooow. I mean, just plain boring at times. There wasn't enough action or adventure in the first part of the story to grab me and I found my mind wandering while I was trying to read. For the first 40%, the most exciting thing that happens is that a parrot starts freaking out and yelling cop slurs at Grace.
Dani, on the other hand, was irritating. Like, really irritating.
I was sick of Dani's negative, judgmental attitude by 15% in, and I didn't get what Grace saw in her (other than her body, I guess). Dani was flat-out rude to Grace during the whole beginning of the story, and then she just toyed with her emotions. It was off-putting. It got so bad that I wasn't even rooting for them as a couple.
I read this book as a stand-alone, but it's pretty clear who the other two couples were. I couldn't figure out how this fit into the timeline, then I figured out that the stories overlap (I think?). It was a bit confusing with all of the people weaving in and out, but I made it work. I wish I got more of a sense of their physical traits as many of the characters blurred together for me.
Overall, I don't think this was a bad story, but I don't think it's the one to turn me into a devoted lesfic reader.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
goodreads|instagram|twitter|blog
July 25, 2018
I received an ARC of this book from Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the conclusion of a three book series, each book written by a different author, and all three books set during the, roughly, same period of time. The difference in all three books is which specific characters are the lead characters.
The first book in the series, Take My Hand by Missouri Vaun, follows Pine Cone resident Clay Cahill, and Pine Cone visitor River Hemsworth. They meet when River accidentally drives into a hair salon while attempting to avoid driving into an illegally parked horse trailer – which I mention because the horse trailer belongs to Trip (star of book two in the series), who attempts to help her after the accident, and the police officer who talks with her is Grace Booker, star of book three. Clay is the tow-truck driver who drive up to pull the car away from the scene of the accident, and the second lead character of book one.
The second book in the series, 'Take a Chance' by D. Jackson Leigh, follows Veterinarian Trip Beaumont and police officer Jamie Grant and her smelly dog. I've not read that one so I can't say more, though both of the characters appear in all three books. Which I can say since they star in book two, and I've read book one and three.
The third book in this three book series is this book here.
All three of the locals who match up with ‘outsiders’ are best friends. Trip and Clay are on the ‘butch’ side of things, while Grace is on the femme side.
Of the ‘outsiders’, River is also femme, and Dani is androgynous. Jaime, the ‘other’ in book 2, is in other parts of this series, both in book 1 and 3, but, as I’ve not read book 2, I cannot ‘pigeon-hole’ her.
Right, now that’s out of the way, this specific book here.
Grace Booker is a sheriff’s deputy, the . . . a . . .well, she’s also some form of Sergeant. The book opens with her having to deal with the fact that her latest roommate has fled, leaving behind a freaking out parrot. Which is how Grace and the other main point of view character meet – Grace needs help and stops by the local Vet office, expecting to talk to her friend Trip, but she’s out. She has to, instead, ‘deal’ with Dr. Dani Wingate. I say ‘deal’ with because Dani has already come to a negative view of Grace, simply because she wears a cop uniform. It is one of many things the two will have to get over, in the course of the book, for the two to have a relationship.
Dani, see, had ‘previously meet’ Grace when she was in a store. While there the store owner had grabbed and detained a youngster for shoplifting. Dani, while hiding her presence, watched as Grace handcuffed and lead the youngster away. What really happened, and yes what Dani saw wasn’t the whole story, wasn’t explained until after Dani witnessed Grace restraining a drunk man and leading him off.
A cop being a cop, negative vibes being created in the watcher? Dani grew up in a poor neighborhood – her only interaction with the police was when they would come and ‘hassle’ the residents, once even destroying her food when they raided her parents place.
The book unfolds with the two being interested in each other but having reasons to not pursue the other. Dani: Grace is a police officer and Dani doesn’t plan to stick around the small town. Grace: Grace just had one relationship (not really a relationship, but . . .) implode, and is still trying to get over a previous relationship that was an actual relationship in which Grace let her heart be open; plus Dani isn’t planning to stick around.
Somehow or another, largely due to: 1) attempting to deal with the bird issues; 2) living in the same bed & breakfast and therefore running into each other a lot – the two developed some kind of relationship.
I liked the book; though felt that there was a little too heavy focus on sex for my own enjoyment. Ended up rating this one about a half star less, not for the sex, than the first book in this series.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and now I need to check some more out by them.
Rating: 3.78
July 24 2018
This is the conclusion of a three book series, each book written by a different author, and all three books set during the, roughly, same period of time. The difference in all three books is which specific characters are the lead characters.
The first book in the series, Take My Hand by Missouri Vaun, follows Pine Cone resident Clay Cahill, and Pine Cone visitor River Hemsworth. They meet when River accidentally drives into a hair salon while attempting to avoid driving into an illegally parked horse trailer – which I mention because the horse trailer belongs to Trip (star of book two in the series), who attempts to help her after the accident, and the police officer who talks with her is Grace Booker, star of book three. Clay is the tow-truck driver who drive up to pull the car away from the scene of the accident, and the second lead character of book one.
The second book in the series, 'Take a Chance' by D. Jackson Leigh, follows Veterinarian Trip Beaumont and police officer Jamie Grant and her smelly dog. I've not read that one so I can't say more, though both of the characters appear in all three books. Which I can say since they star in book two, and I've read book one and three.
The third book in this three book series is this book here.
All three of the locals who match up with ‘outsiders’ are best friends. Trip and Clay are on the ‘butch’ side of things, while Grace is on the femme side.
Of the ‘outsiders’, River is also femme, and Dani is androgynous. Jaime, the ‘other’ in book 2, is in other parts of this series, both in book 1 and 3, but, as I’ve not read book 2, I cannot ‘pigeon-hole’ her.
Right, now that’s out of the way, this specific book here.
Grace Booker is a sheriff’s deputy, the . . . a . . .well, she’s also some form of Sergeant. The book opens with her having to deal with the fact that her latest roommate has fled, leaving behind a freaking out parrot. Which is how Grace and the other main point of view character meet – Grace needs help and stops by the local Vet office, expecting to talk to her friend Trip, but she’s out. She has to, instead, ‘deal’ with Dr. Dani Wingate. I say ‘deal’ with because Dani has already come to a negative view of Grace, simply because she wears a cop uniform. It is one of many things the two will have to get over, in the course of the book, for the two to have a relationship.
Dani, see, had ‘previously meet’ Grace when she was in a store. While there the store owner had grabbed and detained a youngster for shoplifting. Dani, while hiding her presence, watched as Grace handcuffed and lead the youngster away. What really happened, and yes what Dani saw wasn’t the whole story, wasn’t explained until after Dani witnessed Grace restraining a drunk man and leading him off.
A cop being a cop, negative vibes being created in the watcher? Dani grew up in a poor neighborhood – her only interaction with the police was when they would come and ‘hassle’ the residents, once even destroying her food when they raided her parents place.
The book unfolds with the two being interested in each other but having reasons to not pursue the other. Dani: Grace is a police officer and Dani doesn’t plan to stick around the small town. Grace: Grace just had one relationship (not really a relationship, but . . .) implode, and is still trying to get over a previous relationship that was an actual relationship in which Grace let her heart be open; plus Dani isn’t planning to stick around.
Somehow or another, largely due to: 1) attempting to deal with the bird issues; 2) living in the same bed & breakfast and therefore running into each other a lot – the two developed some kind of relationship.
I liked the book; though felt that there was a little too heavy focus on sex for my own enjoyment. Ended up rating this one about a half star less, not for the sex, than the first book in this series.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and now I need to check some more out by them.
Rating: 3.78
July 24 2018
July 30, 2018
This is the last in the Pine Cone Romance series and the story centres on Grace Booker, deputy sheriff, and Dani Wingate, a vet working for Trip. A little background first though: Each book in the series is written by a different author. The first, by Missouri Vaun, deals with Clay Cahill and the second by D. Jackson Leigh is about Trip Beaumont. Clay, Trip and Grace have been friends since childhood. The series runs concurrently for the most part so there are parts in the second and third books with some repetition where the stories overlap.
Grace’s girlfriend of three months ups and leaves, taking all her stuff but leaving behind Dirty Harry, an African Grey parrot. Dirty Harry hates Grace so she takes him to Dani for some advice and assistance but Dani has already unfairly judged her. Dani is fairly new to Pine Cone having lost her job as a zoo vet in the city which, ideally, is where she’d rather be. Her experience with exotic animals is what made Trip hire her which is fortunate because her animal-skills are much better than her people-skills.
Of the three friends, Grace is the character I liked the most. She’s easy-going, grounded and patient; patient enough for someone like Dani, who is closed with all defences up. Actually, in light of that, this is also the book I enjoyed the most in the series and a lot has to do with the type of characters Grace and Dani are.
All three books can be read as stand-alone novels but if you’re going to read them as a series, give a reasonable amount of time between them so that the repetition is more a reminder of what happened previously.
Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
Grace’s girlfriend of three months ups and leaves, taking all her stuff but leaving behind Dirty Harry, an African Grey parrot. Dirty Harry hates Grace so she takes him to Dani for some advice and assistance but Dani has already unfairly judged her. Dani is fairly new to Pine Cone having lost her job as a zoo vet in the city which, ideally, is where she’d rather be. Her experience with exotic animals is what made Trip hire her which is fortunate because her animal-skills are much better than her people-skills.
Of the three friends, Grace is the character I liked the most. She’s easy-going, grounded and patient; patient enough for someone like Dani, who is closed with all defences up. Actually, in light of that, this is also the book I enjoyed the most in the series and a lot has to do with the type of characters Grace and Dani are.
All three books can be read as stand-alone novels but if you’re going to read them as a series, give a reasonable amount of time between them so that the repetition is more a reminder of what happened previously.
Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
August 13, 2018
I felt a little robbed when I read this book. It is basically the same as the book before this one just with two different characters which you have already met in book two. In book two the characters are secondary although you are shown that they are interested ion one another.
That may all sound confusing. But the book is done from two of the other characters view points but the story itself remains the same.
It is an enjoyable story. I was glad I read it. I also thought in book two that Grace deserved to find someone special and she did.
I would recommend this book. Its nice, Its sweet and its enjoyable. Enjoy!
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
That may all sound confusing. But the book is done from two of the other characters view points but the story itself remains the same.
It is an enjoyable story. I was glad I read it. I also thought in book two that Grace deserved to find someone special and she did.
I would recommend this book. Its nice, Its sweet and its enjoyable. Enjoy!
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
July 24, 2018
I love Dirty Harry. Very entertaining. This is the third book in a series that was written by three different authors. I thought the premise of big city small town was written in such a way that it did not feel "been there, done that". A group of three women that grew up together and decided Pine Cone is the place for them. Clay Cahill was the focus of the first read. Trip Beaumont was the focus of the second read and Grace Booker is the focus of read three. The femme/butch characterization was sweet and bounded the three friends as they navigate day-to-day life and relationships. To some extent their behavior and reactions were over the top but in other ways, on point. Animal science, law enforcement, and art, how varied and interesting. I really enjoyed Grace's character and the introspective way she viewed life, her surroundings and relationships.
ARC provided with thanks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc via NetGalley.
ARC provided with thanks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc via NetGalley.
July 24, 2018
Take Your Time by VK Powell
The last book in the A Pine Cone Romance series was excellent and I reckon VK Powell wrote the perfect book to round up the series.
Dani Wingate is new in town and working in a small country Vet clinic. None of these factors are what Dani wants. She wants to go back to he big city and continue working at the zoo she loves but budget cuts have forced her hand. So why does the world tip on its axis every time deputy sheriff, Grace Booker is around? Especially when Dani despises cops. Grace is a small town girl and looking for love, something Dani is not looking for or ready for… So why does she feel so connected to Grace?
On one hand I was glad to finally get the last book in the series but in the other, I am really heartbroken it’s over. These three books have such beautiful nuances in many ways but are completely different in other aspects. For one, each book is written by a different author but all the characters from each book are the same. And while each author is telling a different protagonists story, each time they are able to keep each of the personalities constant throughout. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when all three were plotting the stories out.
This is the first VK Powell book I have reviewed and I am excited to see what else I can nab from her back catalogue… If you have suggestions throw them my way.
Both Grace and Dani's characters are developed well and I was so excited to get to this book because they have had staring roles in the first two books and I was well and truly intrigued. I actually think this book had me hooked more than the first two because from the first book, Take My Hand by Missouri Vaun, I knew I wanted to know Dani and Grace's back story and I was pleasantly surprised.
Grace for me was the star of the book, I think mostly because I feel like I am Grace in a lot of ways so when she done and said certain things I was very aware that my own response would be the same if not aligned. In saying that, I thought Dani was a bit of a stud and wouldn’t have minded chasing her around Pine Cove. When these two were able to lock the world out there was some really beautiful moments and I shouted at my kindle screen more than once, “Dani just let go” or “Dani you idiot”… Yes, I got more than a little caught up in the excitement of the Pine Cone Drama.
I reckon if these are the sex scenes VK Powell can write then I have been missing out and I will definitely be checking out more because WOW!
All in all… Fantastic!
5 stars
The last book in the A Pine Cone Romance series was excellent and I reckon VK Powell wrote the perfect book to round up the series.
Dani Wingate is new in town and working in a small country Vet clinic. None of these factors are what Dani wants. She wants to go back to he big city and continue working at the zoo she loves but budget cuts have forced her hand. So why does the world tip on its axis every time deputy sheriff, Grace Booker is around? Especially when Dani despises cops. Grace is a small town girl and looking for love, something Dani is not looking for or ready for… So why does she feel so connected to Grace?
On one hand I was glad to finally get the last book in the series but in the other, I am really heartbroken it’s over. These three books have such beautiful nuances in many ways but are completely different in other aspects. For one, each book is written by a different author but all the characters from each book are the same. And while each author is telling a different protagonists story, each time they are able to keep each of the personalities constant throughout. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when all three were plotting the stories out.
This is the first VK Powell book I have reviewed and I am excited to see what else I can nab from her back catalogue… If you have suggestions throw them my way.
Both Grace and Dani's characters are developed well and I was so excited to get to this book because they have had staring roles in the first two books and I was well and truly intrigued. I actually think this book had me hooked more than the first two because from the first book, Take My Hand by Missouri Vaun, I knew I wanted to know Dani and Grace's back story and I was pleasantly surprised.
Grace for me was the star of the book, I think mostly because I feel like I am Grace in a lot of ways so when she done and said certain things I was very aware that my own response would be the same if not aligned. In saying that, I thought Dani was a bit of a stud and wouldn’t have minded chasing her around Pine Cove. When these two were able to lock the world out there was some really beautiful moments and I shouted at my kindle screen more than once, “Dani just let go” or “Dani you idiot”… Yes, I got more than a little caught up in the excitement of the Pine Cone Drama.
I reckon if these are the sex scenes VK Powell can write then I have been missing out and I will definitely be checking out more because WOW!
All in all… Fantastic!
5 stars
August 6, 2018
This is the third book in the series and it's Grace's and Dani's story. I liked the first and second book, but this was my favorite from the series. I liked Grace's character from the first book itself and I was really looking forward to her story and it wasn't a let down.
So Grace is the deputy sheriff of Pine Cone who is suddenly left to take care of a parrot left behind by her ex. The parrot hates her, so she has to seek help from Dani, who's the vet working with Trip.
The story moves along well and there are plenty of subplots which will keep you entertained. I liked how Dani's character developed. I think I may have underestimated this author, I mean I've read one book and I wasn't that impressed. She does a good job in regard to maintaining continuity with respect to the other books. And she writes sex scenes which are hot!
Bottom line is, this series is a solid read and I would recommend it to everyone
So Grace is the deputy sheriff of Pine Cone who is suddenly left to take care of a parrot left behind by her ex. The parrot hates her, so she has to seek help from Dani, who's the vet working with Trip.
The story moves along well and there are plenty of subplots which will keep you entertained. I liked how Dani's character developed. I think I may have underestimated this author, I mean I've read one book and I wasn't that impressed. She does a good job in regard to maintaining continuity with respect to the other books. And she writes sex scenes which are hot!
Bottom line is, this series is a solid read and I would recommend it to everyone
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2019
Fantastic!
This is the last book of the Pine Cone trilogy. Every book follows one of the three friends and in this final part we follow Grace. It was great to see how the 3 friends fell in love. Each with her own ups and downs. My hats off to the 3 authors who contributed to this trilogy and created such an engaging read. I highly recommend this series.
This is the last book of the Pine Cone trilogy. Every book follows one of the three friends and in this final part we follow Grace. It was great to see how the 3 friends fell in love. Each with her own ups and downs. My hats off to the 3 authors who contributed to this trilogy and created such an engaging read. I highly recommend this series.
July 17, 2022
As much as I wanted to like this series, I found it hard to do so. That’s a shame because it was a really original idea and that’s what piqued my interest.
The same bad edition work already mentioned for the previous instalments as long as the huge error on the dialogues in the common scenes between the books have been made… I already talked about that so, there’s no need to say more….
And if I thought there was no spark between River and Clay and didn’t feel the out-of-the-chart chemistry in book 1, well, there was even less of that in book 3 between Grace & Dani. And their "game" was tiresome as hell …
The same bad edition work already mentioned for the previous instalments as long as the huge error on the dialogues in the common scenes between the books have been made… I already talked about that so, there’s no need to say more….
And if I thought there was no spark between River and Clay and didn’t feel the out-of-the-chart chemistry in book 1, well, there was even less of that in book 3 between Grace & Dani. And their "game" was tiresome as hell …
September 18, 2023
The third in the series: clever the way all three wove in and out of each other, on the same time line, so had situations from 6 different perspectives as times (three books... still with me?) So like meeting an old friend. Recommended series
July 31, 2018
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is part three of a trilogy written by different authors (Book 1: Take My Hand and Book 2 Take a Chance).
Grace is a deputy sheriff who owns a B&B and wants a woman who wants to commit. Dani is a vet on the lookout for a better job, who had a bad childhood and prefers no strings sex. I enjoyed watching them meet and interact but Dani’s character was hard to get a read on, she kept saying she didn’t want to get involved but was focussed on Grace from the get go. The first 3/4s of the book (maybe even 4/5s) is a lot of push me/pull me between them because of this.
To be honest, this book suffers from the same thing the others did, and that’s the way the authors decided to form them into a trilogy by telling the stories at the same time. This starts from the same place as book one and extends a bit past book 2. This means that there are large hits of exposition and repetition throughout all three books. I actually skimmed most of the repeated scenes because I just couldn’t be bothered reading that stuff again. I only read the stuff that specifically featured Grace and Dani.
Grace is the redeeming feature here, she’s the best character in all three books. Dani is not a great character, I couldn’t warm to her, and that made reading the last fifth of the book a struggle because her choices there didn’t make much sense and seemed too sudden, especially given where her relationship with Grace was. Dani’s relationships with Trip and Clay were also weird. One day they’re all pals, then they’re threatening her, then all pals again. The ending also felt rushed, and the overly HEA epilogue didn’t help either, but I guess it was required to wrap things up.
Over all I guess I liked this a bit better than book 2 but not as much as book 1. Though that’s only because book 1 had the benefit of not having any repetition. I said on my review of book 2 that these books would have been better as sequels rather than being staged at the same time, and I stand by that. 3 stars.
This is part three of a trilogy written by different authors (Book 1: Take My Hand and Book 2 Take a Chance).
Grace is a deputy sheriff who owns a B&B and wants a woman who wants to commit. Dani is a vet on the lookout for a better job, who had a bad childhood and prefers no strings sex. I enjoyed watching them meet and interact but Dani’s character was hard to get a read on, she kept saying she didn’t want to get involved but was focussed on Grace from the get go. The first 3/4s of the book (maybe even 4/5s) is a lot of push me/pull me between them because of this.
To be honest, this book suffers from the same thing the others did, and that’s the way the authors decided to form them into a trilogy by telling the stories at the same time. This starts from the same place as book one and extends a bit past book 2. This means that there are large hits of exposition and repetition throughout all three books. I actually skimmed most of the repeated scenes because I just couldn’t be bothered reading that stuff again. I only read the stuff that specifically featured Grace and Dani.
Grace is the redeeming feature here, she’s the best character in all three books. Dani is not a great character, I couldn’t warm to her, and that made reading the last fifth of the book a struggle because her choices there didn’t make much sense and seemed too sudden, especially given where her relationship with Grace was. Dani’s relationships with Trip and Clay were also weird. One day they’re all pals, then they’re threatening her, then all pals again. The ending also felt rushed, and the overly HEA epilogue didn’t help either, but I guess it was required to wrap things up.
Over all I guess I liked this a bit better than book 2 but not as much as book 1. Though that’s only because book 1 had the benefit of not having any repetition. I said on my review of book 2 that these books would have been better as sequels rather than being staged at the same time, and I stand by that. 3 stars.
August 19, 2018
I have never lived in a small town before and really only have what I read in fiction to go on, which I hope is not always a reflection of how it is. The whole "everybody knows your business" vibe is alarming to me as is townspeople believing that somehow a person who is private is hiding something other people have a right to know. The whole mentality of that...well, it is rather smothering to me and not at all appealing, which is why I think I mostly do not care for Take Your Time. Between that and the way things seem more physical than emotional or romantic between Dani and Grace, I just have to pass on giving this more than three stars. The writing and the characters, though, make this a read that I would probably like more if I could get past my personal issues with Take Your Time.
August 10, 2018
I did like the concept of having three different authors write one book in the book of three series. At times I did skim over the parts of the book that were basically repeating from previous books but showing things from a different characters point of view as it just felt very repetitive.
I did like Grace the character from the first two books and did enjoy reading about her journey. However I never really warmed up to Dani. She just was at never stage likable which made it hard to see why Grace liked her so much apart from her looks. I would have liked to see other reasons (apart from giving money to a homeless person).
The book was ok, it had its moments but nothing memorable for me.
I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review.
I did like Grace the character from the first two books and did enjoy reading about her journey. However I never really warmed up to Dani. She just was at never stage likable which made it hard to see why Grace liked her so much apart from her looks. I would have liked to see other reasons (apart from giving money to a homeless person).
The book was ok, it had its moments but nothing memorable for me.
I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review.
August 8, 2018
Take Your Time is the third book of the three part series. I really enjoy reading the first two books but after the first two, I think the story becomes repetitive and doesn't gave much effect on whats going on. All in all the series is good. I just wish every book is written in a different way.
September 10, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. It is in a series of three and all three books are set in the same time period just from a different point of view (or at least I am assuming as I did not read the first book -- yet). Having read Take My Hand by Missouri Vaun I quickly picked up on the similarities between the two stories. The Pine Cone Romance series is set in a small town (Pine Cone) in Georgia and center around a group of three friends. This book is Grace Booker’s story. A fun romance that I rather enjoyed.
You do not need to read the other stories, but I do recommend them as they will fill in the bits for the other two friends that we only get glimpses of in this story.
I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.
You do not need to read the other stories, but I do recommend them as they will fill in the bits for the other two friends that we only get glimpses of in this story.
I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.
November 1, 2018
I mentioned in Take My Hand and Take a Chance how the concurrent nature of the Pine Cone books is such a unique quality—the three authors managed not to spoil the other books, instead offering tantalizing glimpses into what was going on and teasing the reader. In the previous two, what was going on between Grace and Dani had me itching to find out what happened—it looks really bad more than once, and so to finally get into Grace and Dani's head was pretty brilliant. And, no surprise, V.K. Powell closes out the three books on a lovely note of friendship and small-town love.
The set-up here puts Pine Cone itself at the heart of the story in a way. For Grace, Pine Cone is home in a big way, and her friends (and friends-as-family) are a huge part of why she does what she does. She's kind, compassionate, and not at all the first kind of person you'd consider to be a cop if you'd met her, but she's good at her job.
Dani, on the other hand, wants nothing more than to get her big-city job at a zoo back, and although she's going to do her best to make sure she does an amazing job at the veterinary clinic where she's working in Pine Cone, she's not here to stay, to settle down, or to have her whole business known by everyone in town. She grew up in the system, and knows anonymity is armour.
The two could not be more different, but the sparks fly, and when they're brought together by a foul-mouthed parrot that was dumped on Grace by her latest ex-girlfriend who didn't want to settle down the way Grace does, it doesn't look great for their chances. Harry reacts like an abused bird, and Dani doesn't trust cops in the slightest.
Watching these two get there—and how Pine Cone and Grace's friends and network boost and support her—was a real treat. And I loved finally understanding what happened when Dani and Grace were found in such a, uh, compromising position. Powell has a real knack for characterization, and I've enjoyed her previous books. This set of three written with two other authors was no exception, and I think the blending of the three styles really, really worked. Pine Cone charms throughout.
The set-up here puts Pine Cone itself at the heart of the story in a way. For Grace, Pine Cone is home in a big way, and her friends (and friends-as-family) are a huge part of why she does what she does. She's kind, compassionate, and not at all the first kind of person you'd consider to be a cop if you'd met her, but she's good at her job.
Dani, on the other hand, wants nothing more than to get her big-city job at a zoo back, and although she's going to do her best to make sure she does an amazing job at the veterinary clinic where she's working in Pine Cone, she's not here to stay, to settle down, or to have her whole business known by everyone in town. She grew up in the system, and knows anonymity is armour.
The two could not be more different, but the sparks fly, and when they're brought together by a foul-mouthed parrot that was dumped on Grace by her latest ex-girlfriend who didn't want to settle down the way Grace does, it doesn't look great for their chances. Harry reacts like an abused bird, and Dani doesn't trust cops in the slightest.
Watching these two get there—and how Pine Cone and Grace's friends and network boost and support her—was a real treat. And I loved finally understanding what happened when Dani and Grace were found in such a, uh, compromising position. Powell has a real knack for characterization, and I've enjoyed her previous books. This set of three written with two other authors was no exception, and I think the blending of the three styles really, really worked. Pine Cone charms throughout.
July 24, 2018
Oh la la la la!! VK Powell masterfully closes this series, Pine Cone Romance. It was the third book of friends living in Pine Cone, Georgia. The first 2 books were already excellent and here we have an author of very high quality (like the other 2 besides ...). We find here, 2 other characters in this series, Grace and Dani, more in the drama than the other stories. The trilogy can be read in the order that is preferred, it's not necessary to follow a specific order, but in each of the books you can discover part of the plot of the others, not too many spoilers. It's a very good romance, with an author who knows how to write. This book is to be read absolutely, as well as the whole series. And I still want series like that !!!
December 1, 2019
“Take Your Time (Pine Cone Romance #3)” is the third, and final, book of a very intriguing lesfic trilogy featuring the romantic interests and interactions between three long-time friends in a small community. What makes the trilogy intriguing is that while the same narrator is used for all three books, (1) each book is written by a different author, and (2) each book covers the same timeframe in the lives of the women…but from the perspective of one of the MCs.
Book #1 introduced us the the many MCs and side characters, book #2 focused on the same events but from the POVs of Veterinarian Trip Beaumont and her BFF Grace’s new deputy, officer Jamie Grant. Here in Book #3 the POVs are from MC Police Officer Grace Booker and Trip’s new veterinary assistant Dr. Dani Wingate.
I liked Clay in Book #1, warmed up to Trip in Book #2 (a bit), but I’ve really been looking forward to Grace’s story in Book #2. Grace (“glittergirl, or glittergal (I forget the exact moniker) was her CB handle that they still use as her nickname). Grace’s longtime BFFs Clay and Trip are butches, and Trip especially was a player, but Grace is a femme who believes in a life with “the one”. Clay and Trip are protective of Clay.
Trip’s veterinarian assistant, Dani has no interest in relationships, and definitely has not interest in police officers, having grown up in an environment where police meant bad behavior, not protection.
Dani is staying in Grace’s B&B, and can’t wait to put her time in and return to a real city with a big vet practice. Yet, she and Grace have insta-attraction to each other. Plus, Grace is dealing with an annoying bird left to her by her ex….and the bird seems to hate her, which makes Dani even more suspicious of what kind of a person Grace might be.
Yeah…that was a problem for me. Lusting after a hottie who’s not your type, and shaking your head and moving on….not a problem. Being seriously attracted to someone who is very much not your type and making that the focal point of the story (versus questioning what “your type” and desires might really be)…annoying.
First and foremost - Dani was a self-absorbed jerk for virtually the entire book. I was disappointed that Grace was so willing to disregard her own desires for “the one” to try to find something in Dani that may, and almost certainly would not be IRL, be there underneath the jerk persona.
As with book 2, we relive the events that occur and that impact the three friends, and the three romantic/sexual interests. Again, it was an interesting way to structure a trilogy. But…this was my least enjoyable book of the trilogy, despite the continued terrific narration, and the explanations given for the preview snippets of Grace and Dani’s relationship in the first two books.
I recommend “Take Your Time” with 3.5*, rounded down to 3*.
Book #1 introduced us the the many MCs and side characters, book #2 focused on the same events but from the POVs of Veterinarian Trip Beaumont and her BFF Grace’s new deputy, officer Jamie Grant. Here in Book #3 the POVs are from MC Police Officer Grace Booker and Trip’s new veterinary assistant Dr. Dani Wingate.
I liked Clay in Book #1, warmed up to Trip in Book #2 (a bit), but I’ve really been looking forward to Grace’s story in Book #2. Grace (“glittergirl, or glittergal (I forget the exact moniker) was her CB handle that they still use as her nickname). Grace’s longtime BFFs Clay and Trip are butches, and Trip especially was a player, but Grace is a femme who believes in a life with “the one”. Clay and Trip are protective of Clay.
Trip’s veterinarian assistant, Dani has no interest in relationships, and definitely has not interest in police officers, having grown up in an environment where police meant bad behavior, not protection.
Dani is staying in Grace’s B&B, and can’t wait to put her time in and return to a real city with a big vet practice. Yet, she and Grace have insta-attraction to each other. Plus, Grace is dealing with an annoying bird left to her by her ex….and the bird seems to hate her, which makes Dani even more suspicious of what kind of a person Grace might be.
Yeah…that was a problem for me. Lusting after a hottie who’s not your type, and shaking your head and moving on….not a problem. Being seriously attracted to someone who is very much not your type and making that the focal point of the story (versus questioning what “your type” and desires might really be)…annoying.
First and foremost - Dani was a self-absorbed jerk for virtually the entire book. I was disappointed that Grace was so willing to disregard her own desires for “the one” to try to find something in Dani that may, and almost certainly would not be IRL, be there underneath the jerk persona.
As with book 2, we relive the events that occur and that impact the three friends, and the three romantic/sexual interests. Again, it was an interesting way to structure a trilogy. But…this was my least enjoyable book of the trilogy, despite the continued terrific narration, and the explanations given for the preview snippets of Grace and Dani’s relationship in the first two books.
I recommend “Take Your Time” with 3.5*, rounded down to 3*.
August 27, 2018
What an excellent idea.. take three great authors, create three best friends in a small town called Pine Cone, and have each author write a romance. As a series junky I was sold on the idea – a clever twist on the frequent ensemble mini series.
“Take My Hand” by Missouri Vaun brings Manhattan gallery owner River to Pine Cone to settle her aunts estate. When she wrecks her car on the hair salon lawn, local tow truck driver Clay comes to her rescue, with a tow and a loaner. Pulled together by mutual attraction both Clay and River fight the temptation, one isn’t staying, the other isn’t ready to try again, but art becomes a link which will bind them together.
In “Take a Chance” by D Jackson Leigh the new police officer in town is finding her feet before taking on drug runners with her canine partner, Petunia. Every time she’s on duty she finds a truck illegally parked, and quickly decides the owner has entitlement issues. When her path finally crosses that of the local vet Trip, their past connection brings back issues both need to come to terms with.
Finally in “Take Your Time” by VK Powell local police officer, Grace Booker gets left with a raucous African parrot by a passing girlfriend. Doing her best for the parrot involves help from the new vet, Dani, whose background as a zoo vet gives her a broad spectrum of experience. Their attraction is mutual, but Dani doesn’t want small town life and plans to get back to the city as quickly as possible, leaving Grace facing another heartache.
All three romances build and enhance the others, with the three close friends grounding the series while each author concentrates on one and introduces a new character. Having three authors gives each MC a literally different voice and adds an extra twist to the tone. All three are well done, subtly different but nevertheless meshing in to a most satisfying whole.
“Take My Hand” by Missouri Vaun brings Manhattan gallery owner River to Pine Cone to settle her aunts estate. When she wrecks her car on the hair salon lawn, local tow truck driver Clay comes to her rescue, with a tow and a loaner. Pulled together by mutual attraction both Clay and River fight the temptation, one isn’t staying, the other isn’t ready to try again, but art becomes a link which will bind them together.
In “Take a Chance” by D Jackson Leigh the new police officer in town is finding her feet before taking on drug runners with her canine partner, Petunia. Every time she’s on duty she finds a truck illegally parked, and quickly decides the owner has entitlement issues. When her path finally crosses that of the local vet Trip, their past connection brings back issues both need to come to terms with.
Finally in “Take Your Time” by VK Powell local police officer, Grace Booker gets left with a raucous African parrot by a passing girlfriend. Doing her best for the parrot involves help from the new vet, Dani, whose background as a zoo vet gives her a broad spectrum of experience. Their attraction is mutual, but Dani doesn’t want small town life and plans to get back to the city as quickly as possible, leaving Grace facing another heartache.
All three romances build and enhance the others, with the three close friends grounding the series while each author concentrates on one and introduces a new character. Having three authors gives each MC a literally different voice and adds an extra twist to the tone. All three are well done, subtly different but nevertheless meshing in to a most satisfying whole.
July 26, 2018
Set your expectations to Utopia! Pine Cone GA is a town where shopkeepers not only forgive would be shoplifters and agree not to press charges, but offer them jobs as well. It is, however, the only bastion of such goodness in the world and evil lurks outside its walls, particularly in the big city of Savannah, "sin city to the folks in Pine Cone. Any kind of deviance you wanted thrived there, and those temptations had ended many good marriages and relationships." Early on I decided that I would just roll with it and enjoy what is a pretty well written book, rather than picking holes in this imagined world (and really just succeeding in annoying myself). Do the same and I think you will enjoy the ride. There are some clichés, new girl in town Dani (who also had a terrible childhood) is a player just waiting to be 'tamed' and a minor character utters the phrase, "but you can't spend the rest of your life in dead-end relationships to keep from getting hurt. At some point you've got to open up again." (Is there a checklist that some lesfic authors use?)
One aspect that is certainly not clichéd about this book and the primary relationship, is that despite Dani being butch and Grace being quite femme they have a very even and equal courtship and relationship. I also like that Powell has reversed the traditional job roles with Grace in the supposedly butch cop job and Dani in a caring profession as a vet.
Not the best book I've read this week but miles better than the other Pine Cone romances I've read.
One aspect that is certainly not clichéd about this book and the primary relationship, is that despite Dani being butch and Grace being quite femme they have a very even and equal courtship and relationship. I also like that Powell has reversed the traditional job roles with Grace in the supposedly butch cop job and Dani in a caring profession as a vet.
Not the best book I've read this week but miles better than the other Pine Cone romances I've read.
August 27, 2018
This is another installment in the Pine Cone trilogy, and it's just as charming as Take A Chance. This one though focuses on Grace and Dani and their slow burn romance. It's a constant push-pull between them, and even though I didn't think much of Dani at first, I grew to like her bravado and protectiveness. She was so flawed it was hard not to fall for her better side.
You don't have to read the Pine Cone trilogy in any specific order, and I love the concept of each author taking one of the books. It must have been a challenge writing them, but a lot of fun too.
I'm off to find Missouri Vaun's contribution now!
You don't have to read the Pine Cone trilogy in any specific order, and I love the concept of each author taking one of the books. It must have been a challenge writing them, but a lot of fun too.
I'm off to find Missouri Vaun's contribution now!
September 15, 2018
This beautiful story contains two characters I’ve grown really fond of and I must say that I’ve fallen head over heels in love with the Pine Cone community! I really adore Dani and Grace because their flaws made them so endearing to me. I think it’s really awesome that three phenomenal authors came together to create the Pine Cone series because I love the way the author was able to give me so much background on Grace, Trip and Clay. I can’t wait to read another story by this wonderful author!
July 26, 2018
I enjoyed the other two books in this serious but just couldn't really get into this one. I found it overly cliche and predictable. It was well written and the author definitely has skills as I've liked her other books. But unfortunately this one just didn't do it for me.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 7, 2021
3.5/5
This is my least favorite of the Pine Cone Romance and it has everything to do with the characters. I love Grace and Dani by themselves and I wanted to love them together, but Dani was set on leaving Pine Cone and Grace was seemingly fine with that. Grace seemed very willing to give herself over to someone that she knew might leave, even after how this story started, and I kind of wish she had been more resistant. Dani was also kind of cruel with how she handled some of the situations. (Slight spoiler, marking it anyway)
This is my least favorite of the Pine Cone Romance and it has everything to do with the characters. I love Grace and Dani by themselves and I wanted to love them together, but Dani was set on leaving Pine Cone and Grace was seemingly fine with that. Grace seemed very willing to give herself over to someone that she knew might leave, even after how this story started, and I kind of wish she had been more resistant. Dani was also kind of cruel with how she handled some of the situations. (Slight spoiler, marking it anyway)
July 28, 2018
3.5 Stars. I enjoyed this book, but it did have some flaws that lowered my review. This book is the third in a trilogy, called Pine Cone romances, all of which were written by different authors but focus around three friends in a small town in Georgia. This book was about Grace, the third of the trio in Pine Cone, who is a deputy. Her girlfriend leaves her for a red head and leaves a parrot behind. The parrot hates Grace and is sick so Grace has to take it to the vet. The vet is where she meets Dani, the new vet in town. Dani has moved from Baltimore due to being fired from her zoo job and took a job at Trip's vet clinic. Dani and Grace have a connection at first which Dani denes and tries to avoid. Dani can only avoid Grace so much, as she is living in Grace's B and B. Grace won't let them avoid it as she tries to spend time with Dani and get to know her.
There is a lot of tension in this book between Grace and Dani which I loved. I love books that have tension and do not go straight for the romance. The one thing I did not like was that it felt like their connection almost felt forced in the beginning and it did not feel real to me until it evolves more throughout the book. I didn't believe it in the beginning of the book and wish it seemed more real. I thought their feelings did evolve and change throughout the book, even if Grace's seemed to change awfully quick toward Dani. Dani especially, did have a lot of character development as the story continued and I did enjoy reading it.
Otherwise, it was a good solid book and it wrapped up the Pine Cone romance trilogy. Due to all three of the Pine Cone books taking place during the same time period, I tended to know the basics of what was going to happen in this book, which was slightly disappointing. I knew the ending twist, as it was talking about in the second book. I almost wish they didn't take place during the same time to not be expecting certain things to happen throughout this book.
There is a lot of tension in this book between Grace and Dani which I loved. I love books that have tension and do not go straight for the romance. The one thing I did not like was that it felt like their connection almost felt forced in the beginning and it did not feel real to me until it evolves more throughout the book. I didn't believe it in the beginning of the book and wish it seemed more real. I thought their feelings did evolve and change throughout the book, even if Grace's seemed to change awfully quick toward Dani. Dani especially, did have a lot of character development as the story continued and I did enjoy reading it.
Otherwise, it was a good solid book and it wrapped up the Pine Cone romance trilogy. Due to all three of the Pine Cone books taking place during the same time period, I tended to know the basics of what was going to happen in this book, which was slightly disappointing. I knew the ending twist, as it was talking about in the second book. I almost wish they didn't take place during the same time to not be expecting certain things to happen throughout this book.
August 2, 2018
This is the third and final instalment of the Pine Cone Trilogy. This story follows Grace and Dani. Grace is a police officer and Dani is a veterinarian who doesn't trust any form of law enforcement. Grace is looking for a long term relationship and Dani always has one foot out the door. The two women have undeniable chemistry, but are they just too different for a relationship to work? Or is this the kind of love that changes everything.
I started finding some parts got a little repetitive by the third book, but at the same time I feel like the series really hit its stride in the third book and it was just wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed this whole series. I am so thankful for the authors for creating such a beautiful group of friends in a heartwarming town. (I fear these reviews may be getting repetitive now.) I really loved how nicely the authors writing styles matched one another and seamlessly flowed into the next story.
The chemistry in between Grace and Dani was just off the charts. I think it was the most sizzling of all three books! I loved it! Dani was a really beautiful character, I loved the way she evolved. Grace was so so sweet, she deserves all the love!
Reading this series was a lovely experience, thank you so much to all the authors!
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I started finding some parts got a little repetitive by the third book, but at the same time I feel like the series really hit its stride in the third book and it was just wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed this whole series. I am so thankful for the authors for creating such a beautiful group of friends in a heartwarming town. (I fear these reviews may be getting repetitive now.) I really loved how nicely the authors writing styles matched one another and seamlessly flowed into the next story.
The chemistry in between Grace and Dani was just off the charts. I think it was the most sizzling of all three books! I loved it! Dani was a really beautiful character, I loved the way she evolved. Grace was so so sweet, she deserves all the love!
Reading this series was a lovely experience, thank you so much to all the authors!
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2018
This is the third book in a trilogy written by three authors – Missouri Vaun, D. Jackson Leigh, and VK Powell. It is set in Pine Cone, Georgia and follows three friends Clay, Trip, and Grace. This book tells Grace’s story.
Grace Booker is Pine Cone’s police sergeant. When her girlfriend leaves, she leaves behind her African parrot who pines for his former owner. Grace takes the bird to the local new vet, Dani Wingate, who all but accuses her of bird abuse because the bird obviously dislikes Grace.
Dani Wingate was laid off from her job at the Baltimore Zoo and out of desperation accepts a job with the local vet. Dani is not interested in staying in Pine Cone, making friends there, or getting involved, even with Grace.
This is a well-written book with an unique setting, interesting characters, and lots of secondary characters, including Dirty Harry, the parrot. There are times in the book where the secondary characters take over the story, but the two main characters are never far away. These are all the kind of people you’d like to have as friends.
When you finish this book, you’ll be wishing to visit with the characters as well as Pine Cone a few more times.
Grace Booker is Pine Cone’s police sergeant. When her girlfriend leaves, she leaves behind her African parrot who pines for his former owner. Grace takes the bird to the local new vet, Dani Wingate, who all but accuses her of bird abuse because the bird obviously dislikes Grace.
Dani Wingate was laid off from her job at the Baltimore Zoo and out of desperation accepts a job with the local vet. Dani is not interested in staying in Pine Cone, making friends there, or getting involved, even with Grace.
This is a well-written book with an unique setting, interesting characters, and lots of secondary characters, including Dirty Harry, the parrot. There are times in the book where the secondary characters take over the story, but the two main characters are never far away. These are all the kind of people you’d like to have as friends.
When you finish this book, you’ll be wishing to visit with the characters as well as Pine Cone a few more times.
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