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City Limits #1

Roots and Wings

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Suddenly, I was a bachelor in an unfamiliar town with a money pit of a house, a truck that wouldn’t run, and a new job. Yet, all could think about was Mutt, or at least that’s what they called her.

To me, she was gorgeous and witty ... and perfect. She knew more duty than desire, more perseverance than passion, and more acquaintance than affection, but here was no way I’d ever want to change her. In fact, I was dying to show her the life she'd been missing, but first she'd have to trust me enough to tell me her real name.

I wanted to plant roots, but I refused to clip her wings. Not when she was everything I’d been looking for and all the home I’d ever need.

Roots and Wings is a standalone contemporary romance. If you're looking for a good time, then you've come to the right place. Welcome to Wynne.

282 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 29, 2016

523 people are currently reading
1806 people want to read

About the author

M. Mabie

24 books1,597 followers
M. Mabie lives in Illinois with her husband. She writes unconventional love stories and tries to embody "real-life romance."

She cares about politics, but will not discuss them in public. She uses the same fork at every meal, watches Wayne's World while cleaning, and lets her dog sleep on her head. She has always been a writer. In fact, she was born with a pen in her hand, which almost never happens. Almost.

M. Mabie usually doesn't speak in third-person. She promises.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 312 reviews
Profile Image for ✦❋Arianna✦❋.
790 reviews2,552 followers
April 5, 2016
4 Stars!!

description

I love when an author surprises me, in a good way of course and M. Mabie sure did with this enjoyable gem. 'Roots and Wings' was such a delightful read for me. I had a smile or a goofy grin on my face the entire time reading this first book in the series. Not only I found this book refreshing, but I also enjoyed every aspect of it. I used to read lots of small town romances, so I really wasn’t so surprised when I ended up enjoying this one. This first book in the series fallows the story of Mutt O’Fallon, a twenty-six years old young woman.

“…small town living was a double-edged sword, and oftentimes you had to take the good with the bad, keep your chin down, and take care of business. I’d like to think I did all of those things.”


Mutt works for her father’s auto garage. She is a bit of a tomboy, a little rough around the edges for a young woman. Raised only by her grandpa and her father, Mutt had to learn to be on her own. She’s independent, owning a boat and knowing how to fish. She knows she is different from other women in town and she also knows men are usually looking for someone more feminine than her, but he refuses to change for anyone.

Vaughn was supposed to start a new life with his girlfriend in this small town named Wynne. After she left him about a month before they were moving, Vaughn decides to move alone. He likes the small town, people seem friendly enough so he decides he doesn’t have anything to lose. When he meets Mutt he’s surprised by how different she is from any another women he met.

“As many shitty things as the universe had thrown into my life over the past month, that hot, smartass look on her face made everything okay with me.”


Mutt is like a breath of fresh air for Vaughn. What starts as a lovely friendship between them slowly becomes more and Vaughn is more convinced than ever that Wynne is the perfect town to put down some roots.

description

This was such a lovely read! ‘Low on drama, high on love like the author perfectly describes this read to be, 'Roots and Wings' was a sweet and fun read that like I mentioned above really put a smile on my face. The story was really well written for a small town romance. The two MC were well portrayed and the few supporting characters were likeable and engaging.

Vaughn and Mutt’s relationship progressed in a very natural way. I really enjoyed the development of their relationship and I appreciate the fact there was no insta-love between them. It was more a friends to lovers kind of relationship and I liked it exactly how it was. Their chemistry between them was fantastically done for this kind of read and their sweet moments together were heart melting. I adored their easy friendship, their teasing, the way they get to know each other, but most of all I adored the tenderness between them.

“I wanted to please her with my lips. I wanted my mouth on hers. I wanted to taste her warm skin, get in there and get a lungful of her scent—the same one I’d been teased with all night. I wanted her to moan a little and part her mouth open, and then I wanted her to sneak her tongue to meet mine when I took too long, just so I could see how long it would take her to want more. Then I’d give her more.”


description

Vaughn was simply wonderful. A swoon-worthy hero he won me over from the very beginning. Funny and sincere, gorgeous and flirty, Vaugh was perfect for our heroine. I loved the way he treated her, the way he accepted and loved everything about Mutt, the way he makes her feel like she’s the most special woman in the entire world.

Mutt was a very likeable heroine. I liked her personality and her attitude about…everything. She was strong and sweet, easy to talk to, honest and friendly and pretty much the perfect heroine in this kind of story.

Overall, I found this story to be simply wonderful and if you like to read something light with endearing, relatable characters and a lovely romance, than I really recommend this one!

“Sometimes when you meet people you wonder: how are they going to change my life?
And sometimes when you meet the right person, all you can think is what a privilege it would be to change theirs.”
Profile Image for Christy.
4,542 reviews35.9k followers
March 30, 2016
4 stars

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Roots and Wings- ‘low on drama, high on love’. I would say the author gave a pretty accurate description of her book right there. A standalone, small town romance that was sweet and fun to read. This was my first M. Mabie book and I found it to be refreshing. It was nice to pick up a light and sweet read that held my interest with a strong heroine and a swoony hero. 


When Vaughn moved to Wynne, he expected things to be different. He expected to come with a fiancé. But he’s alone, getting ready to start work as the new town dentist. One thing he doesn’t expect is her. Mutt O’Fallon. She works in her dad’s garage, and is a bit of a tomboy, but she is friendly, sweet and helpful when Vaughn needs help the most. He is not used to this small town hospitality and he’s never met anyone like Mutt. They become fast friends and with time, the feelings develop.

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Vaughn and Mutt have two very different lives. Mutt has lived in the same small town with her dad all her life. She loves to fish, work at the garage and is comfortable with herself. Vaughn has never lived in a small town like this. He’s a dentist and is getting used to small town life. I loved all the parts where Mutt would take him fishing, show him around town etc. Vaughn seemed to fit in fast in the town of Wynne. And he and Mutt really clicked. You could feel their connection.

Mabie did a great job with these two characters. Both were extremely likable. They were relatable, as was the story. Sometimes, it’s nice to know upfront that there will be no cheating, no angst, no drama and that the story will be about regular people. Don’t get me wrong, there are times I live for the angst and the feels- but every once in a while, a delightful, sweet and sexy romance is just what I need! This one gets 4 stars from me!

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Profile Image for Jennifer Kyle.
2,611 reviews5,400 followers
March 31, 2016
4.5 STARS

”No one had ever acted like they could see that, maybe deep down, there was more than just Mutt. And, if that was true, I wanted to let him find out because then I’d know, too.”

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This is my first book by this author and I am pleasantly surprised because I found it to be a great little story. I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline of a small town girl falling in the love with the new dentist in town who is looking to put down roots. I loved the characters, the plot and the low impact drama. This book’s a total win-win for me I can’t even think of anything I would have changed about it.

Mutt is a twenty-six year old woman who works for her father’s auto garage, owns her own boat, fishes, and is totally self-sufficient. She’s lives in a small town that took the terrible nickname her grandfather gave her and embraced it.

”I wasn’t mainstream. I wasn’t typical. I was rough around the edges and even I knew it. Maybe that was why I was still single, but I didn’t really care. If there was someone out there for me, they’d like me for who I was not what trends I did or didn’t follow.”

The folks in town are nice and friendly and that’s what sparked Vaughn Renfro to move to Wynn and take over the dental practice in town. Though his plans had included his girlfriend things didn’t go as planned but even better when he meets Mutt. Mutt and Vaughn’s relationship was so well paced, their chemistry was perfection and I adored their game of not kissing until he figured out her birth name.

”For the first time, I wanted to impress a man. Not because I wanted his business, or simply to warm my bed, but I wanted a man to desire me, and even if I hated to admit it, I wanted to be treated special. Like I was beautiful.”

description

Vaughn learns Mutt’s name (I’m not telling!) and they fish, date, and I mean I enjoyed everything that they shared and found in one another. The feelings that Vaughn gifted Mutt were just amazing.

”He magically turned all of my rough edges to silk when he touched me. Made all of the empty and lonely spots full with his attention. When his fingers moved over me, everything male in him spoke to everything female in me, and I felt beautiful. Fragile and vulnerable.”

description

Overall, this was an enjoyable story that is simple in its plot but very sweet. For a romance fan it's so very satisfying to get to be a part of Mutt feeling sexy, adored and loved by someone special.

”Sometimes having wings and choosing not to fly away is the whole point, because when you have a love like ours there’s no place you’d rather be.”
Profile Image for Jen.
1,655 reviews1,162 followers
April 5, 2016
This was a perfect light and sweet read. It is low on angst and high on romance. I just loved the small town life that is lived by the characters in this town. The heroine who has been nicknamed "Mutt" all her life, is such an endearing character. She is a tom-boy that is quite gruff; but she also has vulnerability to her that just makes her a very nicely well rounded character. I love how she is more than capable of taking care of herself; yet when she meets the new hot dentist that moves to town..she becomes shy and uncertain of how to act.

The romance between Vaughn and Mutt develops quite quickly, but it is done in a way that isn't awkward. Surprisingly it fits in the story well and flows nicely all the way to the end. This is a feel good story, and it really doesn't have a ton of conflict at all. It is a great read for when you are looking for something that will make you smile and chuckle.

This is my first book that I have read by M. Mabie...but I am looking forward to checking out more of her work. I am glad that I took a chance on this story, and I'm hoping that a few other characters who live in this small town will get their own HEA.s!!!
Profile Image for Michelle.
2,103 reviews1,415 followers
March 31, 2016
COPY provided by author in exchange for an honest review

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 photo 467f61808318e3d782f0894809951e_zpsltnkjlnd.gif “Her heart was too big to let people treat her like that. Treat her like she was less than the wonderful, beautiful, kind woman she was.”

No cheating. No angst. No love triangle. No drama. And this is a M. Mabie book!!! Did I enter a twilight zone? LOL. Well, one thing is for certain she definitely shocked me. YES Mo, I am shocked. Not in that hair-pulling and me yelling at her WHY!!! But in the way that she completely caught me off guard that she can write a LOVE STORY that is sweet, sexy and low on drama. Yes, M. Mabie you kept to your promise that you will deliver a story that will make me swoon. And Roots and Wings stole my heart!

#RootsWings2

Who knew small town romance could be so sexy? Finally, a romance that doesn’t have a billionaire, a domineering alpha male, rock star, or athletes. But instead M. Mabie treated her readers to a REAL ROMANCE that is full of charm, sass, heart, and of course steam with good old fashioned characters that are flawed, realistic and relatable to readers.

 photo 467f61808318e3d782f0894809951e_zpsltnkjlnd.gif “And, there in that garage, he’d done just that. I felt, more than anything, that he desired me. All of me. And I wanted more of it.”

#RootsWings1a

Roots And Wings will set hearts fluttering as M. Mabie introduces readers to Mutt and Vaughn. Yes, I know what are you thinking. Who names a heroine Mutt? Right! I know it is strange but don’t worry M. Mabie has a perfectly good reason as to why she is called that and why the importance of her name plays a vital role into the story line.

 photo 467f61808318e3d782f0894809951e_zpsltnkjlnd.gif “I wanted her to trust what I said. I wanted my words and actions to have more value than my touch. My kiss.”

#RootsWings1

Since I don’t want to spoil the story of Vaughn and Mutt, I will just say you will never think of small town romance as just a plain old Jane. This book is extraordinary in every sense. And you will definitely appreciate the beauty of real honest love and the importance of a name. What makes this book is so special and charming is that we are transported to a small town of Wynne, population 3,401 and are allowed to be welcomed with good old fashioned charm of simplistic living. No city girl. No broken hero. But instead you are given a glimpse of a couple who instantly had a connection. Yes, that spark where readers can feel the trickling of raw emotions, laughter, and love radiate throughout the book.

 photo 467f61808318e3d782f0894809951e_zpsltnkjlnd.gif “I wanted to know everything she liked. I’d commit to memory every sound with every spot and, one day soon, I’d play her body like a guitar. Repeating my favorite chords over and over.”

#RootsWings0

So if you are ready to fall in love with a story that weaves modern small town romance with charm, laughter, and steam then look no further than Roots And Wings. This book definitely was your FEEL GOOD BOOK with the added bonus of sexy. All there is left to say, Mo you have set sailed a story that anchored me to the ground and created a romance built on the wings of love.

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Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages: http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly...M. Mabie
Profile Image for • Lisa •.
564 reviews1,575 followers
March 31, 2016
THREE SMALL TOWN STARS.

"No billionaires. No professional athletes. No celebrities."

description

This was my first book by the talented Mo Mabie and I'm happy to say that I'm pretty much convinced that it won't be my last. Refreshingly 'normal' and full of sweet romance I knew that this book would be a story that I would enjoy and I wasn't far wrong. Mo Mabie has created a storyline that felt as easy as a night with friends and a bottle of bubbly.

What's it all about?
'Roots and Wings' is book one of the new 'City Limits' collection by Mo Mabie. A small town country girl, who is a little bit rough round the edges finally gets her chance to spread her romance wings when the new small town dentist arrives in Wynne. Limited drama and plenty of sweet, Mo Mobie creates a love story that will keep you smiling from beginning to end.

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What did I love?
The shining star in this romance book was obvious for me. (Hooray for the girls) this heroine was the right amount of vulnerable and kick ass. I loved that she was the kind of character that I wanted to be friends with and she was thoroughly relatable. The hero didn't win me over completely but I did swoon from time to time over his growing feelings for our leading lady. There were moments of genius, heart thumping character connection and the right amount of comedy to keep things interesting. This book also has limited angst, lots of smiles and a romance that made me one happy reader. All in all a well likeable soirée that has led me to be convinced at future books in the series.

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Why not five?
This book was a thoroughly likeable tale, it landed somewhere between a three and a four star. It certainly gave me a taste of an author that I'll happily want to read again, but for reviewing sake there was just a few niggles I had with the book overall. The purpose of the main theme was all a little too murky for my tastes. I wanted a clearer direction of the story telling. There was lots going on and it was all thrown in the melting pot all too quickly. I would have liked a little less cheese and some more character relationship building. This story had plenty of sweet but was stamped with the Insta relationship/love for me to fully appreciate it. Ultimately by the end of the novel I did end up cheering on for this adorable couple, Mo Mabie has too much romantic writing talent for me to not be swept up with these characters. But overall I needed to be more enamoured with the hero and I would have loved to have seen a little more build up before the romance blossomed. Was I impressed with the writing style. Yes. Am I looking forward to reading more from the author? Absolutely.

Final thoughts ...
This is a great start to a new series and I'm excited to see what Mabie creates next. For those that like their romance easy, peasy with plenty of saccharine then I can easily point you in the direction of this book and be convinced that you'll enjoy the journey. Enjoy ... Kisses.

**Purchased stock image used.

**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.**
Profile Image for Jen .
814 reviews624 followers
April 6, 2016
4 Sweet Stars

I realized I wanted her to love me, and I wanted to love her back, but also knew we had some time to kill between now and then.


Am I still experiencing a wicked case of the sugar shakes after reading Roots and Wings? Oh my lawd, yes!

Did I enjoy each and every moment of that sweet goodness? *sigh*

Yeah, I sure did.



My favorite aspect of this book is the fact that, yes, it all seemed a little quick and too good to be true, but the story owned it!

“Mutt” O’Falllon and Vaughn “Astro” Renfro met cute and went with the flow, for which I thank this author. Not a lot of stress, not a lot of fuss and that makes all the difference.


Profile Image for Kate.
2,277 reviews356 followers
August 1, 2017
I can’t remember where I found this book and I won’t lie but I’m sure that it was going to be slightly not up my alley. But it was bloody brilliant.

4 “Mouth Porn” Stars.

Wynne population ca. 2500, this is the town that you literally couldn’t take a shit without someone knowing it and three others smelling it.

Girl meets boy.

Mutt O’Fallon, yes that is her name has always lived in Wynne, her Mum left her and her Grandpa gave her the horrible nickname which stuck. Mutt, I’ll get to her real name later is not unhappy, she is content. I liked her. She’d be my drinking buddy. I can imagine getting smashed on a boat while she is fishing. She is a tomboy. So my kinda gal.

Boy meets girl.

Vaughn Renfro has just moved to Wynne to take over the local dentist’s practice. The plan was to come with his soon girlfriend but she ran away with one of his friends and cheated on him a year before hand.

Boy falls for girl and vice versa.

That is until he meets Mutt but he doesn’t call her that. He calls her O’Fallon instead until they get to know one another and only when he founds out her real name will he kiss her.
There is a great build up in their relationship and it developed naturally and there were some hot scenes. Mixed with banter.

“Are you going to be a good patient now and not use your teeth to bite things you shouldn’t?” I snapped my teeth him, just to rile him.

“Seriously though, do you think you learned your lesson?” “Shit. What lesson? Crack a tooth and my dentist will give me orgasms? Lesson learned.” I hoped he’d never get sick of my sarcasm.
This is a charming, sweet, funny and down to earth read.

“Then what is this, Vaughn?” she whispered. “It’s the beginning of everything.”
It sucked me in until the end where I got peeved and that is why I docked a star.
Who thought that someone with a boring job aka dentist could be so damn hot?
You are probably wondering why I docked a star.

Well, his stuck up ex came back that wasn’t actually too bad. It proved Hannah’s character development throughout the book and that she could stick up for herself and fight for her man.

But this is what I don’t get is why she actually pushed him away. Yes I get with her mum but it was just out of the left field suddenly that it was completely hare brained. The ending with just the ex-issue would have been perfect.

I will continue with this series though. It is a HEA.

Review can also be found at http://jerisbookattic-reviewblog.blog...
Profile Image for Jen.
821 reviews137 followers
May 20, 2016
Vaughn Renfro has just moved from Cleveland to a small town called Wynne to be the new dentist. Originally he was going to move with his girlfriend, soon-to-be fiancé, but that didn't happen when he found out she'd been cheating on him with a friend. So, he's now the new guy in town that everyone is talking about.



After a bad start to his move, he meets Mutt O'Fallon at the diner he stops to get some food at. Unfortunately, the kitchens closed, but when Mutt offers to share her sandwich with him he simply can't refuse. There's something about him that Mutt can't ignore, so before she knows it she's stopping by his house bringing him food the very next day. From then on they begin to hang out and she even helps him get settled into his house.

"He was funny and sincere, which made me comfortable enough around him that I could be myself, the real me."

Mutt grew up in this small town with just her dad and grandfather, so she's a bit of a tomboy. She worked at her dad's garage and made fishing lures on the side. She loved fishing. She had her own boat and cabin by the river. She was a straight shooter. She said exactly what she meant, so there was no guessing about an underlying meaning. She was genuine and Vaughn found that he liked being with her.

"She was easy to talk to, easy to be honest with, because she was. She was authentically her and I was drawn to it."

I loved the game they had about her name. Vaughn didn't like the nickname Mutt that everyone called her. When she wouldn't tell him her real name right away he began guessing. He thought he could tease her into telling him by saying he didn't kiss girls who he didn't know their names. Well that backfired because she enjoyed him guessing. This of course just added fuel to the flames that were smoldering between them.

"I'll figure out your name, O'Fallon. Then I'm going to kiss your pretty little face off. So be ready for it."



What's in a name? In this book, a lot. I loved how much it meant to Vaughn to know and use Mutt's real name. Their love story was perfect and told in alternating POVs. Growing up in a all town similar to the one described in this book I felt the pains of having everyone know your business. There are some perks to small towns, but that is not one of them in my opinion. I had to laugh at the condom buying part. As the author mentioned in the blurb for this book, it was "low on drama, high love." That was exactly what I was in the mood for. This was my first M. Mabie book, but I'm looking forward to reading more by her.
Profile Image for Melanie A..
1,242 reviews559 followers
April 19, 2019
5 STARS!
He made me feel so good about being me.
Simple, swoon-worthy romance! No gimmicks, no clichés - just falling in love. I enjoyed every moment of it.
"There's something about you that stays with me when you're not around. I think about you a lot."
If you're a fan of small town romances, I HIGHLY recommend this one.

The heroine was exactly like this:
I liked that she was independent, and I totally dug the fact that she let me see her look vulnerable, too.
And the hero - eeeeep! - was a man I could easily fall in love with:
This wasn't just a slow build to sex, it was the beginning of the kind of relationship I'd always wanted. One created from friendship, one that would hold stronger because of a solid foundation. I wanted to protect that.
This is the kind of book you save for a rainy day when you can curl up and read it cover to cover. Plus, it's FREE!

Sweet and wonderful at its finest.
Profile Image for Barbara➰.
1,661 reviews459 followers
April 3, 2016
This book was recommended to me by one of my GR friends. Usually, I’ll wait and research a book before I actually read it. This time, I decided to just go for it and I’m glad I did.

I don’t usually like slow-burn romances. My attention span just won’t allow for it. I need instant connection, instant love. But you know what? This book actually worked for me. The characters were engaging and interesting enough to hold my attention. I wanted to see where this would all go and I loved how they got there. It was nice to see two people grow to love each other through friendship first then more. And it all started with a shared meal at the diner.

Mutt is the daughter of the local grease monkey in small town, Wynne. Mutt is the name her grandfather gave her as a baby and it stuck. Everyone in town calls her Mutt. Everyone except the new dentist, Vaughn. He wants to call Mutt by her real name. He calls her O’Fallon. That is until he can guess her first name.

I loved Mutt. She was a true tomboy. She loved fishing and made and sold lures when she wasn’t running and organizing her dad’s garage. I liked that though she could be “one of the guys” she was also feminine, sweet and kind. I enjoyed seeing her get something she never thought she’d have.
I wasn’t sure if I knew how it felt to fall in love, but if it was anything like that moment, I’d been a wise fool to wait that long. At the same time, I’d been so blind, believing I didn’t care about having someone all my own, and I was loving the discovery. Glad that I’d waited for something better than a town leftover. Because I was so pleased in that moment to be there—with him. It was almost validation that good things do come to those who wait, and maybe that was just what I’d been doing all along.

He’d magically turned all of my rough edges to silk when he touched me. Made all of the empty and lonely spots full with his attention. When his fingers moved over me, everything male in him spoke to everything female in me, and I felt beautiful. Fragile and vulnerable.

He made me feel so good about being me.

Vaughn was supposed to move to Wynne with his two-year long girlfriend. A month before he was to move, things ended and he moved alone. What was interesting to me, was to see how Vaughn discovered that what he felt with his ex wasn’t really love. It was him wanting things out of life, marriage, kids….the idea of a life. With Mutt, he took the time to discover the person she is and with that realized he would have those things but with someone he actually did love in the truest sense.
Her body was made for me. Every soft curve. Every corner and bend, I wanted to touch and claim for my own. I wanted it all. The freckles and scars, the whimpers and moans as she fell apart in my arms. The look of wonder in her eyes when I tasted her, and knowing that I’d been the only man to please her in that way. I’d had sex, and I’d done my share of fucking, but it had never been like we were together. Never that powerful. Never that intense. I’d never craved for more as bad as I did in that moment with her.

The hunger to build something with this woman was powerful and new to me. I didn’t want the idea of the perfect life, I really wanted it, and it was so easy inserting Hannah into all of those future thoughts. It was the most natural thing picturing her by my side.

Almost at the end, we get the “conflict”. And, while I didn’t like it, I understood where Mutt was coming from. She was always treated as a “mutt”. I’m sure it was hard to believe you deserved more than what you’ve been given. I was definitely rooting for them both for their HEA. And I loved the journey getting there.
Where had she been my whole life? Here. She’d been here, as if she were waiting for me.

Profile Image for Mandy.
1,559 reviews235 followers
March 30, 2016
4.5

Books like this are the reason I read romance - the chemistry, the slow building relationship, a hero who knows what he wants, appreciates it when he finds it and a strong, unique heroine who is fun and easy to relate to. I really loved the build up between Vaughn and Mutt- it was fantastic! This is a great book for anyone who loves a good, small-town romance.
Profile Image for Nicla.
416 reviews345 followers
May 3, 2019
I am so glad I finally pick this one up. It is a great small town romance that is low angst with a fantastic hero and heroine. Highly recommend.

HEA
Cheating/OW/OM
Any push/pull
Any couple separation
Angst Level: Low
Heat Level: High
Profile Image for NMmomof4.
1,787 reviews5,028 followers
July 27, 2017
3.5 Stars

Overall Opinion: This was a cute read. I think it's a great candidate for in-between heavier books because overall it's a sweet, light, low drama book. This was going to be a 4 star read for me until the last 10% (see below h spoiler) and the ending. I wanted more happy times between the conflict and the HEA epilogue, and the h made me so mad!

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Mutt and Vaughn's story. Vaughn is the new dentist in the small town that Mutt lives in, and they meet on his first night of arrival. They form a friendship of sorts when Vaughn really needs it because he is all alone, and Mutt realizes that she can truely be herself with him. Friendship turns into more, and they fall in love. There is some cute moments, some sexy times, and a little bit of drama...but the couple get their HEA ending.

POV: This alternated between Mutt and Vaughn's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Ok until the end. I hate how a lot of books now are having the big conflict so close to the end and then BAM we get the epilogue! That happened in this one. Otherwise, I never skimmed and I thought it flowed pretty well.

Instalove: Yes and no. Feelings developed fast, but it wasn't the annoying kind of Instalove that doesn't feel warranted.

H rating: 4 stars. Vaughn. He was pretty perfect. I wanted him to be a little more alpha at times though. I think it was me being used to the jerk Hs and when he was a genuinely nice guy that wanted to settle down it threw me off and I took it as him being too beta -- so it might just be me!

h rating: 3 stars. Mutt. I liked her, but then the last 10% she pissed me off. It left me frustrated and upset that the author felt like we needed the drama and threw it in into the very last part of the book!

Sadness level: Low. No tissues required.

Heat level: Moderate. They take a while to be intimate (50%ish), but when they do they have some good chemistry.

Descriptive sex: Yes. Some is just mentions of past intimate moments instead of present tense descriptions.

Safe sex: Yes. Condoms are mentioned. Some brief mentions of past use of condoms as well.

OW/OM drama: Yes, but mild

Sex scene with OW or OM: No.

Cheating: Not between the h and H

Possible Triggers: Not really.

Closure: This had pretty good closure, but I wanted more time between their big conflict and the epilogue (sorry if I'm beating a dead horse here). I would call it a HEA ending even though I usually want more -- just because I felt secure in their relationship (if that makes sense).

How I got it: It was part of my kindle unlimited subscription.

Safety: I think most people would call this Safe
Profile Image for Livros A Go-Go ~Joyci ~.
475 reviews26 followers
September 6, 2020
3,5
Um bom exemplo de como uma história simples e sem muitos dramas deve ser apresentada e escrita! A autora nos apresenta personagens comuns e também uma história comum de ocorrer.

De um lado temos a Mutt, filha de mecânico, atrevida, super gente fina e aquela que tem suas guardas altas para quem chega perto. Ela recebeu o apelido pejorativo pelo avô e ao longo dos anos tornou-se algo comum para ela e todos ao redor, até que surge Vaughn e muda tudo.
O sonho de Vaughn era se mudar para a nova cidade, casar e ter filhos com sua companheira. Esse plano foi destruído assim que levou um fora da namorada e agora ele se encontra sozinho para até mesmo ajeitar a casa recentemente comprada.
Mutt surge no cenário e conforme passam mais tempo juntos, o afeto entre eles cresce e uma nova garota desabrocha diante dele. <3
O livro basicamente é sobre esse encontro dos dois mas contado de uma maneira muito gostosa e despretensiosa. O legal é acompanhar esse desenrolar do relacionamento, que por sinal foi rápido, mas mostrado de uma maneira tão rica de detalhes e diálogos que você não sente que perdeu algo no caminho.
Ótimo livro para curar ressaca e passar o tempo sem desperdiça-lo.
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews131 followers
Want to read
October 24, 2018
💝 FREE on Amazon & on iBooks today (10/24/2018)! 💝

Blurb:
Suddenly, I was a bachelor in an unfamiliar town with a money pit of a house, a truck that wouldn’t run, and a new job. Yet, all could think about was Mutt, or at least that’s what they called her.

To me, she was gorgeous and witty ... and perfect. She knew more duty than desire, more perseverance than passion, and more acquaintance than affection, but here was no way I’d ever want to change her. In fact, I was dying to show her the life she'd been missing, but first she'd have to trust me enough to tell me her real name.

I wanted to plant roots, but I refused to clip her wings. Not when she was everything I’d been looking for and all the home I’d ever need.
Profile Image for Loz.
778 reviews
April 1, 2016
i really enjoyed this one. it's sweet and light-hearted but still has some nice steam. i loved the heroine, mutt and our hero, vaughn. this was a low angst with no unnecessary drama book which suited me perfectly at the same. sometimes it good to go back to those innocent good old fashioned small town romances. filled with some great one liners and good humour, i'd recommend!
Profile Image for SB*needs low angst books*.
348 reviews203 followers
May 1, 2017
This was a really good read. It was a slow burn, character driven, and low angst read that kept me interested and I thought was sweet and very well done.

This is about small town life with a girl that goes by the nickname Mutt. It is an unfortunate nickname that stuck. She lives and works with her Dad at his car garage. The hero is Vaughn who has moved into town to take over as the new dentist to the town. He has dealt with a recent breakup and is trying to now settle and get used to his new town. He meets the heroine when she is eating at the diner that is closed. They have ruff start but her generosity to him begins a friendship that turns into more.

It put me in the mind of how sometimes you go along doing the same ol same and then something changes and you can either run or stay and grow. The heroine in my opinion was one who got stuck in what the town thought she was and grew into that but also held pieces of herself back that she being to show and discover meeting the hero. The hero is one who knew what he wanted but was still trying to find it.

There is a brief ex drama for the hero but it is like a paragraph so nothing major in the least. I think the only thing was the brief breakup that got on my nerve but other than that a really good read. So it is a safe read and one I recommend for sure.
Profile Image for Dilek VT.
1,548 reviews1,679 followers
July 14, 2021


It is actually not a bad book but it is nothing more than an ordinary one. It is simple - too simple for my taste. The characters are likable but the writing and the story line make it a boring book.

The two of them meet, like each other, befriend first and then slowly become lovers. There are lots of mundane stuff in between all those happenings, such as painting the house, repairing things, going fishing etc.

*********************************************

As they like each other from the start, their relationship has no push and pull, it is simple and easy. Towards the end, there is a conflict and a little push by the heroine, which causes a short separation between them but the rest of the book has a happy tone. As they have a smooth relationship and because the hero is a perfect boyfriend; there is no angst or any kind of excitement.

Normally, in a book, if there is some push and pull and some good banter at first, I, as a reader, get excited and look forward to them giving in to their attraction and stopping their fight with each other. If it is smooth from the very beginning, there is nothing to expect, you know...

That's why, this book was boring for me. I got bored with their daily mundane tasks and lovey dovey scenes and started skipping to see if it gets any interesting. IT DOESN'T.

*********************************************

And once again, what I hate has found me; there is unplanned pregnancy. Why would some writers never let a couple be a couple for a while but rush them into parenthood? I'll never understand!

*********************************************

The book has a frustrating side, as well. Why the hell would a man let his father call his daughter "Mutt"? What kind of a nickname is it? Why the hell would he also start calling her Mutt and then cause the rest of the town to call her Mutt? It is only when the hero wants to know her real name and refuses to call her Mutt, we learn her actual name. That was so shitty. Thanks to the warnings of the hero, people have learnt to use her real name.

Also, the slut-shaming in the book bothered me.

My grandpa called me Mutt because apparently my mom was the town bike. Every town had one, and she was theirs. Among everyone else who had a go at her, my dad ended up getting the longest ride. He loved her. To tell you the truth, I thought he still did.

This one time I asked my grandpa about my name and he told me flat-out: “Your mom was a whore, Mutt. You could be anybody’s kid. You could be made up with anybody.”


Even if her grandfather said that, she didn't need to repeat it as if it was something normal. The fact that the heroine repeats it ans says that her mother was the town bike and her father got the longest ride felt disgusting to me.

*********************************************

All in all, it was a book that was not my cuppa at all. I finished it by skimming and scanning as I was not invested in their story at all.

*********************************************

P.S. Actually, I read Book 1 in this series because I wanted to read them in order so that I could see the first appearance of each character. However, my main target was Book 2.

And having read Book 2, now I can tell you that you DO NOT need to read Book 1 at all if you want to read Book 2 only. Save yourself from the boredom of Book 1 and jump into Book 2. It is a cute yummy romance and I loved it.
Profile Image for Alex ♈.
1,568 reviews1,405 followers
January 31, 2018
3.5 stars

very light and drama free read, as they promised in the blurb :-)

I enjoyed the book a lot. Slow burn, no virgin in sight, likable hero, funny moments.
I only wish the heroine were more self-confident (her doubts were a bit too much for my taste, she was a bright young woman, I wish she had more faith in herself).

Who... who the f*** calls his child Mutt?...
h's nickname and her acceptance of it made me mad.

description
Profile Image for Quirky Omega.
446 reviews75 followers
August 27, 2016
Whether we like it or not, we do often judge books by their covers. That is why authors and publishing houses invest so much into coming up with the most amazing and provoking covers.


Roots and Wings' cover completely charmed me. The feathers, the font, the colours: minimal and perfect.

As for the actual story; not as exceptional but pretty great in itself.

The female lead, Hannah, is so organic in her character that despite not being a book fantasy, she manages to be fantastical. Even though she's a tomboy, we're not forced to witness her acting like a man with vagina.

The book is mostly free of much of any stereotypes and I loved it.

The male lead, Vaughn, himself often made me smile. the author's focused more on him than how many abs and pectorals he has or what his junk size is. Thank heavens!

(Not that I am complaining about the lovely adult romances without which I couldn't survive. One needs books of all types.)

I am really happy I read this book.

Suggested read- Confessions of a Reformed Tom Cat (Modern Love Story, #4) by Daisy Prescott
Profile Image for Polly.
686 reviews244 followers
April 4, 2016
**3 stars**

When M. Mabie tagged this book as "Low on drama. High on love", I had to sign up right away. That's my preferred reading style! As a fan of her past NA works I had high expectations.

Roots and Wings is a story about small town love. As someone who grew up in a small southern town, I could relate to a lot of that side of the story.

Mutt (nickname and kind of annoying) was the town tomboy. She worked in her family's auto shop and loved to fish. I think I had a hard time relating to her and that's why I had a hard time in her POV. She was raised by her father and never settled down with a guy because everyone knew her family's history.

Vaughn is a dentist leaving behind a ex fiance and looking for a town where he can plant roots and build a family.

I think the thing that really took away from this one blowing me away was the extreme inst-lust/love. He was thinking of a relationship with her very early on. The story had a good flow to it and had a few laugh out loud moments but for some reason I could not connect to the characters fully.

I think that many readers that like very low angst and insta love will find this one to be a winner.


*arc provided for honest review*
**Guest reviewing for The Review Loft**
Profile Image for Megan ~The Never Ending Book Basket.
2,363 reviews92 followers
March 25, 2016
Have you ever read a book that just felt right from the very first words? You know, one of those books that sweeps you up right from the start with its ease, its goodness, and its personality. Have you ever experienced a story that flowed so naturally, so fluidly, and so vibrantly that you were just about smitten with everything that story was giving you? Have you ever fallen heart first in love with two unique and so easy to love characters in the midst of experiencing that story that just felt right and so good?

Well I certainly have because I just read Roots and Wings by M. Mabie, and it encapsulated all of those things and more into its oh so wonderful pages.

This book was sweet, it was meaningful and beyond easy to fall right into, and it gave me a story that took hold of me right from that very first page. Roots and Wings just felt right. Mutt and Vaughn’s story felt right, and I can’t tell you that enough. Experiencing this book felt so right, it felt so real, and it felt so perfect for the story, characters, and world I was experiencing within its pages. The more I read, the more I experienced all that Mutt and Vaughn were, the more I fell for those two as they fell for each other, and the more I fell love with everything this beautiful book gave me.

Now it’s no secret that M. Mabie is one of my favorite author’s around. I’ve loved each and every one of her books, and they always give me an extraordinary reading experience to say the least. She’s one of my go to author’s without a doubt, and she never fails to deliver a story with characters you will feel in your bones and your heart, a story that allows you to feel and think and experience every lick of, and a story with so many moments that you will never forget.

Roots and Wings was no different, yet at the same time this book has a bit of a different feel than her other books. That difference in the feel fit Mutt and Vaughn’s story to a T and was perfect for them and what they were sharing, and it showed that while Roots and Wings felt different, it still had that trademark M. Mabie writing that blew me away. The thoughtful weaving of romance, connection, authenticity, personality, and that oh so wonderful humor highlighted the true talent of M. Mabie and the exceptional stories and characters she weaves together.

Roots and Wings throws you smack dab in the middle of Wynne. Population 3,401. This town is what small towns are made of, with the characters and fantastic nuances to boot, and you definitely feel right at home when you enter the world of Wynne. From the very first page of Roots and Wings you meet Mutt O’Fallon, a wonderful, easy to love, rough around the edges kind of girl who tells it like it is in the best possible way. She’s lived in Wynne all her life, and has the nickname to prove it. She’s good with her life and the people in it, and she has no real desire to change anything…that is until the new dentist in town shows her what it might be like to use those wings of hers and fly.

Vaughn Renfro is new in town, and he’s looking for roots. The kind that stick. Vaughn is a charismatic, sweet, endearing, and oh so easy to fall for man who is just looking for that something special. He’s searching for that more, that family, and the feel and connection he’s always longed for, and that brings him to the wonderfulness that is Wynne. What Vaughn doesn’t expect is that on that very first day in Wynne, when everything seems to be going wrong, is to meet a woman that will change everything, a woman that might just show him what those roots are all about.

From the moment he meets Mutt, he can’t stop thinking about her or wanting to know more about her. He’s entranced, and she’s just as hooked into him from that very first meeting, and what ensues is a story bursting with real life romance that allows you to fall right along with these two. Roots and Wings follows Mutt and Vaughn as they try to figure out what exactly they’re sharing, and where in the world it’s leading them, as they both try to discover what it is they truly want, and how discovering that want might bring them the exact thing that they need.

In the synopsis for this book there’s a line that says “Low on drama. High on love.” and I don’t think there’s a more accurate description on the planet for Roots and Wings than that one. This book is all about the love and the feels. It’s all about what it’s like to fall in love, what it’s like to experience those unforgettable sparks when you meet the right person, and what it’s like to have that right person push you in the exact way you never knew you needed to be pushed. It’s full of connection, intense and exceptionally building heat, and a love that will melt your heart into a puddle of the best kind of emotion.

This story is certainly high on love and low on the drama, which felt amazing to experience. That’s not to say that Mutt and Vaughn don’t face their share of issues, because they do, but those issues fit into the story and what they were sharing so well. I completely understood why things went the way they did in Roots and Wings for Mutt and Vaughn, and I was there through the ups and downs that sometimes happened with them. I understood why they happened, and why Mutt and Vaughn’s characters needed to go through them because of what M. Mabie so phenomenally created in this story with them.

I understood their fears and worries and even their doubts as they tried to find those wings and establish those roots, and I loved being there every step of the way as they pushed and tried to find exactly what they both wanted and so desperately needed together.

What I loved about Roots and Wings was that Vaughn and Mutt’s love story just felt right. It felt right for them, it felt right for what they were going through and experiencing together, and it felt right that they shared what they did. It was never too fast or too slow, it was them and it was right. M. Mabie’s extraordinary writing let me experience every bit of these two falling for one another, and she melted me again and again with the two of them. She let me have butterflies with them, she made me audibly sigh and swoon with what they experienced together, and she even made me blush. A few times.

M. Mabie made Mutt and Vaughn and their love story real. She made every aspect of this book so authentic, so easy to love, and so easy to be mesmerized by, and it truly doesn’t get better than that when you read and experience a book.

Roots and Wings not only gave me the love story of Mutt and Vaughn, it gave me a whole cast of characters to fall in love with. The town of Wynne is almost like another character in this story, and M. Mabie creates that character in a way that made everything that I was reading come to life. Throw in a slew of characters I can’t wait to know more about, and I am telling you that you will be knee deep in your love for all things Wynne and the people who live there. M. Mabie truly shows what it’s like to live in a small town, the connections and relationships that all of these characters have, and the way she brought that into the story was nothing short of wonderful. I felt the connection of these characters, I loved their relationships and how they started to change a bit, and I loved having the chance to experience life, love, family and friendship with all of them.

Roots and Wings is a story about love. Real life love. Consuming, heartfelt, make you stop and think, melt your heart along with a few other things, love. It’s about what it’s like to meet that one person who changes everything, that person who makes you think and feel and wonder in the best possible way, and that person who gives you everything you never even knew you needed. It’s about what happens when you start to fall, start to feel, and start to realize that you just might have found the one things that’s been missing for so long.

This book is about what happens when a girl who’s always had those roots, starts to see what it might be like to use her wings and fly into something so extraordinary. It’s also about what happens when a man who’s always used those wings, starts to see the benefits of establishing those longed for roots that just might take root into something he never expected.

Roots and Wings gives you Mutt and Vaughn’s unforgettable, sweet, and heart melting story together as they look for those roots, push for those wings, and truly discover what love is all about.

M. Mabie once again blew me away with this book. She connected me to this story and these characters so authentically right from the start, and she let me experience what love is all about in Roots and Wings. This story was so beautiful, so sweet, and it just felt good to read through every single page. It melted me, it made me hope and think and feel, and in the end I could not get enough of its literal amazingness.

I already know this will be one of my top reads of the year, so I am begging you, run yourself, don’t walk yourself, to this book this very instant. Mutt and Vaughn are waiting for you, and they’re kind of the best, so it’s a Wynne Wynne all around. (See what I did there?!) But seriously….Read. This. Book. It would be wrong not to.
Profile Image for Cassie.
370 reviews18 followers
January 31, 2018
This was my first M. Mabie book and I must say I will be back for more as she tells a story well. Roots and Wings was a very sweet low drama book and I was long overdue to read one. These kinds of books are romance in its simplest form. There are many stolen kisses and sweet gestures. It doesn’t have to have high drama to keep the plot going. This book was a palette cleanser. It had also been a while since I have taken a chance on a book in a small town and I am glad I did. It had just enough of the town gossip element whereas I think some books can rely too heavily on that to stir up drama.

Mutt (sorry Vaughn… can’t spoil her name) O’Fallon is a self-described tomboy. Not only is that accurate but I enjoyed that it didn’t really change because of the hero. She softened with sharing feelings and tried on a few new outfits, but she really stayed the “rough around the edges” but kind person I instantly connected with at the beginning of the book.

Dr. Vaughn Renfro is sweet. Honestly, that is all I could come up with after a bit of pondering. While I like his character, I am not sure if he really stands out among the array of heroes I have come across.  His determination to make everyone see Mutt for who she is was quite endearing though. He is likable but a bit forgettable.

This book is for people who need a light read and/or love ooey gooey romance.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
2,905 reviews6 followers
May 19, 2016
1.5 stars rounded to 2

This was a quiet story about two regular people falling in love. There aren't any Hollywood actors, MMA fighters, or rock stars. I liked the everyday aspect of this story. Unfortunately, the story was really boring.

What I liked:
1) The H is a really nice guy. He's very sincere, albeit cheesy and sappy, and he treats the h right.
2) The alternating povs.
3) Not any drama really. Unfortunately there want anything else interesting to make this story not boring.

What I didn't like:
1) The story was boring.
2) Not much of a plot really.
3) Too much narration/telling, not enough showing.
4) Too much repetition. The MCs say a lot of the same things a lot.
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