Missing Out on Life

The Crown Ranch #2

by Valerie J. Clarizio

Jaded by the past. Closed to a future. Shocked by unveiled secrets. They were meant to be together.

******
Meredith Wellington receives a call that her sister has been murdered. Her two young nieces land on her doorstep. An instant family is the last thing she needs as she reaches for the top rung of the corporate ladder.

Jeremiah Crown, aka Coach, lives a simple life managing his family’s Kentucky horse ranch. When a damsel in distress decked out in a suit and spiked heels needs assistance, he’s more than happy to help out. Happier still to realize this corporate powerhouse doesn’t recognize him as the man she'd deemed an enemy in high school twenty years earlier.

Once she realizes Coach’s identity, any chance of a romantic relationship disappears. When Meredith places her nieces low on her priority list, Jeremiah reconsiders his attraction to her. When danger comes calling, Meredith realizes this kindhearted veteran has the skill set to help her, if only she could set aside her pride to ask.

Can two people overcome past misunderstandings in time to thwart approaching danger?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance

269 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 14, 2018

About the author

Valerie Clarizio is a USA Today Bestselling author who lives in romantic Door County Wisconsin with her husband. She loves to read, write, and spend time at her cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

She’s lived her life surrounded by men, three brothers, a husband, and a male Siamese cat who required his own instruction manual. Keeping up with all the men in her life has turned her into an outdoors enthusiast, of which her favorite activity is hiking in national parks. While out on the trails, she has plenty of time to conjure up irresistible characters and unique storylines for her next romantic suspense or sweet contemporary romance novel.

Links to the first books in each of my series:
Covert Exposure
Missing the Crown Jewels
Time WARped
The Code Enforcer
Talia & Ryan's Story

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meredith Wellington believes she is about to achieve her goal, a goal she has worked for every minute of the last six years. After escaping a brutal childhood, coming from the wrong side of the tracks, from a trailer park and an abusive family, Meredith has dreamt only of climbing to the career top, and being admired and respected. When it comes to the final few weeks and her competition is only one person, she is ready to steamroll over his performance with her brilliant project that will not only make the company money but will improve lives for families of limited means.
Until life throws one humongous curveball at her, breaking her heart and clouding her with guilt.
When Meredith left home as soon as she graduated high school, thankfully with the help of a scholarship, she left her only sister, and best friend, behind. As much as she tried to convince her sister to join her later, time ran out. Not only was her sister murdered, her two young daughters have nowhere else to go. Meredith's life is not set up for a family, especially not now that her dreams are about to come true.

Ethical decisions come into play as well as facing up to past fears and beliefs. Meredith must examine her life as she struggles to save her dream and support her nieces. Who is trying to sabotage everything she has worked for?

This book is full of surprises. There is romance and deeper love. There is betrayal and deception. And there is hope. Not all secrets are exposed at once.
I love the characters. I enjoyed watching their personalities develop as they learn how to interact with each other and cope with the obstacles thrown at them.

This book has romance and suspense and appeals to your sense of values, priorities and dreams.

[SHARON HALL · Rating 5 out of 5]

I BORROWED THIS E-BOOK FROM HOOPLA ON 7/4/2024.

THE CROWN RANCH SERIES - BOOK 2 - MISSING OUT ON LIFE - BY VALERIE J. CLARIZIO - MITZI CARROLL - EDITOR = 282 PAGES

I STARTED READING THIS E-BOOK ON 7/4/2024.

I TOTALLY ENJOYED THIS ACTION PACKED STORY. A LOT OF DRAMA, ADJUSTMENTS TO MAKE, AND OF COARSE LOVE IN THE MIX. JUST WHAT YOU WANT IN YOUR GOOD READ. CAN'T WAIT TO READ BOOK 3, THE LAST ONE IN THIS SERIES. I FINISHED READING THIS E-BOOK ON 7/19/2024.

[Michelle Steffen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books. The author has an easy writing style that pulls you in.

[Melissa Lyver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story with a little spice.

[Ina Hess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book Easy reading

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an intense, emotional, tragic, gripping and heartwarming story. Coach is sweet, gentle, caring, protective and generous. Meredith is a workaholic with no time for people. Coach has been in love with Meredith since high school, but she detested him. They run into each other after 20 years when she has a flat tire on the way back home after picking up her deceased sister's daughters. She doesn't recognize him, but the girls do, they've spent a lot of time on his ranch with their mother. He tells her to bring the girls over anytime, and lets her think that he's just an employee. They go over and she can't believe how nice and caring he is, she didn't really believe that there was such a man, and she's drawn to him like no one else. Then she discovers who he really is and gets angry. He's determined to figure out why she hates him, and make her change her mind. I could not put this down, it's amazing.

[Valerie Clarizio]

If you thought Scarlett O'Hara was determined, just wait until you meet Meredith Wellington.

Trope:
Enemies to lovers.

Retail Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Missing-Life-C...
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/miss...
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/missi...
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/miss...
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/47glNE

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read about business woman, Meredith, whose sister is killed and all of a sudden this career woman can no longer be totally focused on work because she has a 13-year-old and a preschooler, Iris & Frannie, to raise, whose father has killed their mother.

Also vital to the story are Coach and his family, who raise race horses and are a haven for the girls.

[Sue Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick predictable read. Events/feelings all resolved quickly without any real drama

[Denise Kearney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Book-$.99- Bookbub. An ok read

[Kayltee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read with nice ending

I enjoyed this book with its intrigue, family issues, ups and downs, and finally an ending that was just what I wanted it to be.