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Stud Ranch #2
Hunter
Snow White’s on the run and sexier than ever…
ISOBEL:
I’m on the run from my evil stepmother but no one can know.
Least of all my new boss and major pain in the ass, Hunter Dawkins.
We might have had one amazing night together but the next morning he went colder than a Wallstreet banker’s heart during a charity ball.
I have zero tolerance for assholes in my life. No thank you. I’ll show up, do my job, and earn enough to stay off the grid where my stepmother can’t find me, but that’s all.
HUNTER:
I have big plans for my large-animal veterinary clinic and they don’t include taking on a gorgeous, fast-talking city-slicker for a summer intern.
The fact that she’s got legs for days and curves that could make a grown man weep? Or that we spent one unforgettable night together?
Doesn’t mean a thing. She’s got secrets and she doesn’t intend on sticking around for long.
How can I have a future with a woman who has no past?
But when trouble comes to town, I realize the woman I love to hate might just be the one I can’t live without.
ISOBEL:
I’m on the run from my evil stepmother but no one can know.
Least of all my new boss and major pain in the ass, Hunter Dawkins.
We might have had one amazing night together but the next morning he went colder than a Wallstreet banker’s heart during a charity ball.
I have zero tolerance for assholes in my life. No thank you. I’ll show up, do my job, and earn enough to stay off the grid where my stepmother can’t find me, but that’s all.
HUNTER:
I have big plans for my large-animal veterinary clinic and they don’t include taking on a gorgeous, fast-talking city-slicker for a summer intern.
The fact that she’s got legs for days and curves that could make a grown man weep? Or that we spent one unforgettable night together?
Doesn’t mean a thing. She’s got secrets and she doesn’t intend on sticking around for long.
How can I have a future with a woman who has no past?
But when trouble comes to town, I realize the woman I love to hate might just be the one I can’t live without.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 23, 2017
2357 people are currently reading
1645 people want to read
About the author
Stasia Black
73 books2,093 followersStasia was born in Georgia, grew up in Texas, recently spent a freezing five-year stint in Minnesota, and now is happily planted in sunny California, which she will never, ever leave.
She loves writing, reading, listening to podcasts, and has recently taken up biking after a twenty-year sabbatical (and has the bumps and bruises to prove it). She lives with her own personal cheerleader, aka, her handsome husband, and their teenage son. Wow. Typing that makes her feel old. And writing about herself in the third person makes her feel a little like a nutjob, but ahem! Where were we?
Stasia’s drawn to romantic stories that don’t take the easy way out. She wants to see beneath people’s veneer and poke into their dark places, their twisted motives, and their deepest desires. Basically, she wants to create characters that make readers alternately laugh, cry ugly tears, want to toss their kindles across the room, and then declare they have a new FBB (forever book boyfriend).
She loves writing, reading, listening to podcasts, and has recently taken up biking after a twenty-year sabbatical (and has the bumps and bruises to prove it). She lives with her own personal cheerleader, aka, her handsome husband, and their teenage son. Wow. Typing that makes her feel old. And writing about herself in the third person makes her feel a little like a nutjob, but ahem! Where were we?
Stasia’s drawn to romantic stories that don’t take the easy way out. She wants to see beneath people’s veneer and poke into their dark places, their twisted motives, and their deepest desires. Basically, she wants to create characters that make readers alternately laugh, cry ugly tears, want to toss their kindles across the room, and then declare they have a new FBB (forever book boyfriend).
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May 7, 2020💝 FREE on Amazon today (1/30/2018)! 💝
Blurb:
She came into his life like a fairytale.
But was she a princess in need of saving or the wicked witch sent to torment him with that curvaceous body meant for sin?
A small town boy.
A woman on the run.
And one night of incredible passion that will change both their lives forever.
Blurb:
She came into his life like a fairytale.
But was she a princess in need of saving or the wicked witch sent to torment him with that curvaceous body meant for sin?
A small town boy.
A woman on the run.
And one night of incredible passion that will change both their lives forever.
July 7, 2018
Audiobook Review
Overall 3.5 stars
Narration 4 stars
Story 3 stars
This was a steamy spin on the Snow White fairy tale. Since it's loosely based on that story, we do see references to mirrors, animals, a group of (sexy) men, our huntsman (the town veterinarian named Hunter), and even apples (in the form of pie). The book also deals with issues of mental health, suicide, body image, and self-esteem. It took me a bit to warm up to the story and Isobel and honestly, I didn't feel invested until I was more than half way through. As things started to pick up though, and our characters were finally honest with each other, I found myself enjoying the book a lot more. There are some seriously hot scenes between Hunter and Isobel and I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers vibe. The twist in Hunter's past wasn't one I saw coming and though it resolved quickly, the revelations about Isobel's past also surprised me in a good way.
There are a lot of secondary characters to keep track of, but I liked that everyone had their own mysterious back story and it opened up the possibility for future books. This is my first book narrated by Melissa Stiletto and I thought that she did a great job with all the different characters and accents. I enjoyed the epilogue from one of the secondary character's POV and it revealed a few surprises about his past while also setting up the next book in the series.
Overall 3.5 stars
Narration 4 stars
Story 3 stars
This was a steamy spin on the Snow White fairy tale. Since it's loosely based on that story, we do see references to mirrors, animals, a group of (sexy) men, our huntsman (the town veterinarian named Hunter), and even apples (in the form of pie). The book also deals with issues of mental health, suicide, body image, and self-esteem. It took me a bit to warm up to the story and Isobel and honestly, I didn't feel invested until I was more than half way through. As things started to pick up though, and our characters were finally honest with each other, I found myself enjoying the book a lot more. There are some seriously hot scenes between Hunter and Isobel and I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers vibe. The twist in Hunter's past wasn't one I saw coming and though it resolved quickly, the revelations about Isobel's past also surprised me in a good way.
There are a lot of secondary characters to keep track of, but I liked that everyone had their own mysterious back story and it opened up the possibility for future books. This is my first book narrated by Melissa Stiletto and I thought that she did a great job with all the different characters and accents. I enjoyed the epilogue from one of the secondary character's POV and it revealed a few surprises about his past while also setting up the next book in the series.
January 14, 2019
I liked this book even more than the first one. We get to know Hunter, the towns veterinarian more up close and personal and we meet Isobel a city girl just trying to escape all the bad going on in her life. When the story started I was a little unsure how it was going to go. Isobel was fleeing her cheating boyfriend and stepmother who was trying to sabotage her any way she could. After she meets Hunter in a bar, followed by a steamy encounter, she finds out that she will be working with him during the summer. Well this is where we discover that she is not as weak as she might have been portrayed to be initially. She is stubborn and a hard worker. We get to meet lots of new characters that work on the farm with Xavier and Mel from the first book. I loved being able to continue to see what they are up to without it being all about them. Hunter seems to be still hung up on his 'ex' but when the truth comes out it is nothing at all that I saw coming! When Isobel is finally thinking that things may just work out, her evil stepmother returns to the story and attempts to really do a number on her. I cannot wait to indulge in the next book!
December 29, 2018
Blah
I thought this was going to be better than it actually was. It is a retelling (barely) of Snow White and the Huntsman. Isobel is running away from her evil stepmother after her father passed away and she has hidden herself in Wyoming on a ranch. She meets a hot guy at the bar the night she arrives in Wyoming and they have a hot night together. The next day she gets a job interning for a local vet named Hunter who is the same guy she spent the night with. But the book was a bit boring.
I thought this was going to be better than it actually was. It is a retelling (barely) of Snow White and the Huntsman. Isobel is running away from her evil stepmother after her father passed away and she has hidden herself in Wyoming on a ranch. She meets a hot guy at the bar the night she arrives in Wyoming and they have a hot night together. The next day she gets a job interning for a local vet named Hunter who is the same guy she spent the night with. But the book was a bit boring.
January 9, 2019
Good twist on Snow White
This was probably the most interesting take on Snow White I've ever read. Isobel Snow is our main female character. Her dad has just passed away and her stepmother is trying to sabotage her. Isobel runs away to Wyoming, where she becomes a veterinary assistant to Hunter. I'm glad we got to see more of Hunter, especially after the horrible marriage he had in the 1st book. I also like the side male characters that lived with Isobel. They were all super cute and great friends to her. I enjoyed seeing more of the horses and animals getting taking care of, and I chuckled at Isobel because she can be stubborn. There were of course some great romance scenes, very steamy! I really like these books and I am definitely looking forward to reading the next in the series.
This was probably the most interesting take on Snow White I've ever read. Isobel Snow is our main female character. Her dad has just passed away and her stepmother is trying to sabotage her. Isobel runs away to Wyoming, where she becomes a veterinary assistant to Hunter. I'm glad we got to see more of Hunter, especially after the horrible marriage he had in the 1st book. I also like the side male characters that lived with Isobel. They were all super cute and great friends to her. I enjoyed seeing more of the horses and animals getting taking care of, and I chuckled at Isobel because she can be stubborn. There were of course some great romance scenes, very steamy! I really like these books and I am definitely looking forward to reading the next in the series.
January 24, 2019
Following her father's death, Isobel makes a tiny error in trying to strangle her manipulative stepmother. Worried that she will be thrown in jail or a mental facility, she runs all the way to a small town in Montana with the hope that she can get a job at the horse rescue that she heard about and hide out there for a while. On her way through town, she runs into Hunter and has a steamy night with him. When Isobel finds her way to the horse rescue, she is disappointed to find that they have no job openings. Mel (from book 1) suggests that she can stay at the ranch if becomes the intern for the local veterinarian - who happens to be Hunter. Despite their deep attraction from the night before, they don't get along well. Hunter spends most of the summer trying to drive her away, but of course, she has nowhere to go so she puts up with his rudeness. Just when they start to work things out, Isobel's past sneaks up on her.
This was an interesting retelling of the Snow White story; I quite liked it. Isobel's character is messed up; she has some serious baggage! And so does Hunter. I wouldn't say that they were meant for each other because of their issues, but they manage to make it work and it's a good story. The smut factor is just shy of a 4 out of 5. They do have some hot scenes, but most of their time together is spent helping animals. It is better than average, but not a full 4.
This was an interesting retelling of the Snow White story; I quite liked it. Isobel's character is messed up; she has some serious baggage! And so does Hunter. I wouldn't say that they were meant for each other because of their issues, but they manage to make it work and it's a good story. The smut factor is just shy of a 4 out of 5. They do have some hot scenes, but most of their time together is spent helping animals. It is better than average, but not a full 4.
October 16, 2017
I knew to expect Hunter by Stasia Black as a hot, sexy and steamy read, but I was unprepared for what I read. Hunter is so much more than that. It was emotional; full of true highs and lows, made you laugh, was full of drama and could leave you in tears. The author gave you the ability to delve into these characters and realize that they are more than where they came from and that family truly doesn’t just mean by blood.
Isobel is a third-year veterinarian student, but has been on leave due to her father’s recent illness and passing. She comes from a broken home, but not in the standard divorce situation. She does have, however, a crazy stepmother that is just vile. While she was home for the funeral, she realizes that her boyfriend of three years has not been the most loving and faithful boyfriend. After an incident with her stepmother she flees her family home and ends up in Hawthorne, Wyoming.
Hunter is a large animal vet in Wyoming, but has been trudging through life the past year just existing. He meets Isobel one night at the bar and for the first time in a year he feels something for someone. Surprise, surprise they end up having a one night stand, but Isobel leaves early in the morning, due to insecurity issues she has.
Sometimes life just has a funny way of working out and they encounter each other that next day. The thing about these two is they both have insecurities, but don’t know how to voice their concerns with the other. This was frustrating for me, because I just wanted to reach through the book and shake some common sense into them. Ms. Black creates a wonderful emotional and physical dichotomy between these two that is hard to read about, but is truly leading towards a bigger picture. There was one scenario later in the book that I was thinking ‘for real?’, but lo and behold all was explained in the next chapter.
Stasia knows how to write one heck of a good book. I am so excited to read about the other characters in the book. This band of characters sound like a ‘hoot’!
“What it it’s not running away from the bad stuff? What if it’s more about running towards something good?”
Isobel is a third-year veterinarian student, but has been on leave due to her father’s recent illness and passing. She comes from a broken home, but not in the standard divorce situation. She does have, however, a crazy stepmother that is just vile. While she was home for the funeral, she realizes that her boyfriend of three years has not been the most loving and faithful boyfriend. After an incident with her stepmother she flees her family home and ends up in Hawthorne, Wyoming.
Hunter is a large animal vet in Wyoming, but has been trudging through life the past year just existing. He meets Isobel one night at the bar and for the first time in a year he feels something for someone. Surprise, surprise they end up having a one night stand, but Isobel leaves early in the morning, due to insecurity issues she has.
Sometimes life just has a funny way of working out and they encounter each other that next day. The thing about these two is they both have insecurities, but don’t know how to voice their concerns with the other. This was frustrating for me, because I just wanted to reach through the book and shake some common sense into them. Ms. Black creates a wonderful emotional and physical dichotomy between these two that is hard to read about, but is truly leading towards a bigger picture. There was one scenario later in the book that I was thinking ‘for real?’, but lo and behold all was explained in the next chapter.
Stasia knows how to write one heck of a good book. I am so excited to read about the other characters in the book. This band of characters sound like a ‘hoot’!
“What it it’s not running away from the bad stuff? What if it’s more about running towards something good?”
October 27, 2017
Hunter is a modern take on the Snow White and the Huntsman tale. In this case, Isobel is Snow White, Hunter is the huntsman and Isobel's stepmother is the evil queen.
When Isobel has a hot tryst with a guy she meets in a bar, she never expects him to be the vet she'll end up interning with. Unfortunately for her, it seems as if he either doesn't remember their night together, or he does, and it turned him off so much that now that they work together, all he does is ignore her or yell at her when he's forced to interact with her. Both Hunter and Isobel suffer from shaky self-esteems, thanks to her stepmother and his wife, who had left him. Put Hunter and Isobel together and they're a hot mess just waiting to explode.
Their hot and cold, back and forth, lack of communication bs drove me absolutely batty at times and made me want to smack them more than once. Thank God they finally got their heads out of their asses and finally talked, finally gave into their obvious attraction, because I was about to the point where I was going to stop reading! Then add in the craziness of the ending, and Hunter ended up being a wild ride. It's sexy, it's intense, and the twist at the end is some good storytelling.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
When Isobel has a hot tryst with a guy she meets in a bar, she never expects him to be the vet she'll end up interning with. Unfortunately for her, it seems as if he either doesn't remember their night together, or he does, and it turned him off so much that now that they work together, all he does is ignore her or yell at her when he's forced to interact with her. Both Hunter and Isobel suffer from shaky self-esteems, thanks to her stepmother and his wife, who had left him. Put Hunter and Isobel together and they're a hot mess just waiting to explode.
Their hot and cold, back and forth, lack of communication bs drove me absolutely batty at times and made me want to smack them more than once. Thank God they finally got their heads out of their asses and finally talked, finally gave into their obvious attraction, because I was about to the point where I was going to stop reading! Then add in the craziness of the ending, and Hunter ended up being a wild ride. It's sexy, it's intense, and the twist at the end is some good storytelling.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 22, 2024
Es que Stasia nunca me defrauda❤️ este libro ha sido como ver una peli romántica alemana de antena3 un domingo por la tarde jajaja Muy ameno y divertido. Me encanta los crossover con otros protagonistas de esta saga :) Deseando seguir con mis señores rústicos
October 17, 2017
This new read by Stasia Black in her smexy & twisted fairytales doesn’t disappoint. There’s funny parts and there’s “OMFG!!!” parts. There’s a chapter that had me tensed up with my heart pounding...so emotionally invested in these characters I may have passed out until I remembered to breathe.
If you’ve never read her books before, her plots will surprise you. A fresh talent, you’ll never be disappointed. Another home run for Ms. Black!
If you’ve never read her books before, her plots will surprise you. A fresh talent, you’ll never be disappointed. Another home run for Ms. Black!
May 14, 2020
Good story, H and h both need therapy, but they got their HEA after all sorts of issues. He's separated from his unhappy wife, the h is running away from abusive family life and they are both vets. He is so mean to her, really cruel but she rolls with it and impresses him. They are mad about each other but they have to go through so much to be together. I really liked it.
October 20, 2017
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of the book.
Hunter was a lot more intense than I was expecting and I sort of dug that! It's a Snow White retelling, complete with an evil stepmother, a heroine with a way with animals, 5 friendly ranch hands ( to take the place of 7 dwarves). Isobel (the heroine) and Hunter (the male lead) both have a ton of baggage and issues, but also have an immediate connection that they try to fight tooth and nail, to no avail. The sex scenes are HOT and the angst and tension are thick. There's a bit of a plot twist that I appreciated as well. There were a few aspects of Isobel's past that I wish had been explained a little bit more and I wish that their had been more details about how Isobel and Hunter's relationship developed besides just time jumping and sex, but I did feel like the emotions between them were real and not just based on physical attraction. I also enjoyed the sneak peek of the next story in the series, which I will more than likely pick up. 3.5 out of 5 wine glasses.
Hunter was a lot more intense than I was expecting and I sort of dug that! It's a Snow White retelling, complete with an evil stepmother, a heroine with a way with animals, 5 friendly ranch hands ( to take the place of 7 dwarves). Isobel (the heroine) and Hunter (the male lead) both have a ton of baggage and issues, but also have an immediate connection that they try to fight tooth and nail, to no avail. The sex scenes are HOT and the angst and tension are thick. There's a bit of a plot twist that I appreciated as well. There were a few aspects of Isobel's past that I wish had been explained a little bit more and I wish that their had been more details about how Isobel and Hunter's relationship developed besides just time jumping and sex, but I did feel like the emotions between them were real and not just based on physical attraction. I also enjoyed the sneak peek of the next story in the series, which I will more than likely pick up. 3.5 out of 5 wine glasses.
November 1, 2017
4.5 stars closer to 5 than 4
Isobel is running away from her evil stepmother. The only place she thinks to go to, is a horse sanctuary she has heard good things about. She understands animals, in fact, she connects better with them than with humans. What she is not looking for is a man. But what sane person would send away a whole night of fun?
Hunter hasn't been able to move on since his wife left, but when he sees the gorgeous strange woman inside the bar, he decides he can have one steamy night to let go of his past. But reality is never to far, and it comes crashing down on him in the morning. Is he ready to jump in the dark and risk get steamrolled again?
I guess my question would be, what hasn't worked for me within this book? I've loved it!
Cover: It is hot! Usually I'm shallow like that, this type of cover has me downloading a lot of freebies. :) But, I love when a cover adds to my reading journey. This one, even being sex as hell, doesn't tell me anything about the book.
Plot: So so so great! The author has written a fast-paced, cohesive plot that has kept me reading in one sitting and feeling dizzy at the end. Yes! I want more!!!
Characters: OMG! They are great. All of them! Primary and secondary. I've loved, connected and understood them. I want to meet them all and I would love to spend a summer with them at the ranch. :)
Heat: YES! It has been a while that I read an extremely hot book (which I'm a fan) with amazing plot. Even though there is a lot of smut, it all feels relevant to the story. OMG! So many scenes! This is a scorching hot, jump-your-husband-afterwards kind of book. Scenes at bars, trucks, rugs. You name it!
Freshness: I like the authors creativity. There is nothing boring about this book and even the usual stuff feels a bit unique. A couple of twists at the end has really added to the shock value.
Addictiveness: I spent the entire day in the same chair reading this book. Today is a holiday in Brazil and I've skipped lunch reading this. I couldn't put down!
If I had book #2 of the series now to read. The only thing that could be better here.
I love finding new-to-me authors. Ms. Black is one of those amazing surprises. In fact, I wasn't expecting this book to be so so so good. I started with trepidation. I have been a bit unlucky with some of the ARCs I have accepted this month. Specially those that I've chosen just because the cover was hot.
I love steamy, smutty reads. I can read all sort of romance, but steamy ones are more my style. But lately I haven't found many as hot as this one.
What about world-built? This one is awesome. Great little town with one of the best set of characters in which everybody seems interesting. I want to meet them all!
Well, Eagle Scout Hunter, I give you a ten for presentation and let's say a... She pursed her lips, ... and eight point five for performance. by Isobel
Isobel is running away from her evil stepmother. The only place she thinks to go to, is a horse sanctuary she has heard good things about. She understands animals, in fact, she connects better with them than with humans. What she is not looking for is a man. But what sane person would send away a whole night of fun?
Hunter hasn't been able to move on since his wife left, but when he sees the gorgeous strange woman inside the bar, he decides he can have one steamy night to let go of his past. But reality is never to far, and it comes crashing down on him in the morning. Is he ready to jump in the dark and risk get steamrolled again?
He supposed the real question was whether or not he was up for the chase. Was he willing to risk it all again for love? by Hunter
I guess my question would be, what hasn't worked for me within this book? I've loved it!
Cover: It is hot! Usually I'm shallow like that, this type of cover has me downloading a lot of freebies. :) But, I love when a cover adds to my reading journey. This one, even being sex as hell, doesn't tell me anything about the book.
Plot: So so so great! The author has written a fast-paced, cohesive plot that has kept me reading in one sitting and feeling dizzy at the end. Yes! I want more!!!
Characters: OMG! They are great. All of them! Primary and secondary. I've loved, connected and understood them. I want to meet them all and I would love to spend a summer with them at the ranch. :)
Heat: YES! It has been a while that I read an extremely hot book (which I'm a fan) with amazing plot. Even though there is a lot of smut, it all feels relevant to the story. OMG! So many scenes! This is a scorching hot, jump-your-husband-afterwards kind of book. Scenes at bars, trucks, rugs. You name it!
Freshness: I like the authors creativity. There is nothing boring about this book and even the usual stuff feels a bit unique. A couple of twists at the end has really added to the shock value.
Addictiveness: I spent the entire day in the same chair reading this book. Today is a holiday in Brazil and I've skipped lunch reading this. I couldn't put down!
If I had book #2 of the series now to read. The only thing that could be better here.
I love finding new-to-me authors. Ms. Black is one of those amazing surprises. In fact, I wasn't expecting this book to be so so so good. I started with trepidation. I have been a bit unlucky with some of the ARCs I have accepted this month. Specially those that I've chosen just because the cover was hot.
I love steamy, smutty reads. I can read all sort of romance, but steamy ones are more my style. But lately I haven't found many as hot as this one.
What about world-built? This one is awesome. Great little town with one of the best set of characters in which everybody seems interesting. I want to meet them all!
You MAY read this because you like great small towns; you SHOULD read this because you enjoy AMAZING characters; you MUST read this because you want your reads HOT and DANGEROUSLY STEAMY!!!This review was originally posted on More Books Than Livros
February 20, 2019
This naughty re-telling of Snow White was one of the best naughty re-tellings I have read in a long time. Who would have thought that this simple Disney story can be interpreted into something so magical like this?
This story had everything- crime, multiple layers, complex characters, great love story and even a happy ending! It talked about stuff that could easily happen in our normal lives and also mentioned difficult topics like eating disorder or being on a runaway. Add onto it the hot scenes and simple everyday work and we have this. A perfect Mish Mash.
This was also one of the 'safe stories' in the whole series. When I was looking for a new read to start I read descriptions of others book in this series and let's just say they were maybe too controversial for me? This one was played safe (enough) and was very interesting, still leaving me in a great mood that was appreciated by my partner. Wink... Wink...
I'm not completely sure if I am going to read the other two stories but I might wait for something like this one.
Perfect book for those that are currently in reading slump. Easy and faced paced with a great great story.
This story had everything- crime, multiple layers, complex characters, great love story and even a happy ending! It talked about stuff that could easily happen in our normal lives and also mentioned difficult topics like eating disorder or being on a runaway. Add onto it the hot scenes and simple everyday work and we have this. A perfect Mish Mash.
This was also one of the 'safe stories' in the whole series. When I was looking for a new read to start I read descriptions of others book in this series and let's just say they were maybe too controversial for me? This one was played safe (enough) and was very interesting, still leaving me in a great mood that was appreciated by my partner. Wink... Wink...
I'm not completely sure if I am going to read the other two stories but I might wait for something like this one.
Perfect book for those that are currently in reading slump. Easy and faced paced with a great great story.
October 26, 2017
This was the first book I've read from this author and I'm glad to say it won't be the last. I really liked getting to know Hunter and Isobel.
The chemistry between these two characters was amazing and I hate that they had so much negative tension between the two of them. At times I found myself doing the forehead smack, like seriously, you're both adults! Just open your mouths and talk to each other. I hate that Hunter became a totally different person, but I could definitely understand due to his past.
I loved Isobel's resilience. The evil stepmother angle was enough to drive anyone crazy and it was so sad to know how much she suffered with no one to help her when she needed it most.
I loved the boys! So hilarious when they said they must be the seven dwarfs - there's only five of us! Can't wait to see if they get their own stories.
**I received an ARC and reviewed voluntarily. **
The chemistry between these two characters was amazing and I hate that they had so much negative tension between the two of them. At times I found myself doing the forehead smack, like seriously, you're both adults! Just open your mouths and talk to each other. I hate that Hunter became a totally different person, but I could definitely understand due to his past.
I loved Isobel's resilience. The evil stepmother angle was enough to drive anyone crazy and it was so sad to know how much she suffered with no one to help her when she needed it most.
I loved the boys! So hilarious when they said they must be the seven dwarfs - there's only five of us! Can't wait to see if they get their own stories.
**I received an ARC and reviewed voluntarily. **
Want to read
January 29, 2018
March 18, 2023
The first half-ish of this book was so boring, I am personally not a fan of angst, but the sex scenes were very good so I willed myself forward and OH MY GOD, did the story turn in the last few chapters! Intrigue, suspense, action, emotion. Really well done, I did not see that coming.
I guess it was the slow burn that tripped me up at the start but definitely worth it to push through, just for that ending.
I guess it was the slow burn that tripped me up at the start but definitely worth it to push through, just for that ending.
October 2, 2024
Librazo. Más romántico que el primero, y yo muero por un romance. Hunter es todo amor, in love, y la prota me ha parecido un personaje muy completo y me ha gustado el tema de sus traumitas y sus trastornos. Han pasado cosas que no me vi venir, por lo que top. Me pareció una historia super completa y adictiva.
May 15, 2020
Better than the first one. This one there is romance and chemistry, even though at times Hunter was an arse. Plus there's a crazy step-mom thrown in the mix.
July 11, 2021
3.5⭐️
October 16, 2017
Hunter by Stasia Black a five-star read worth hunting down. This is the first book in the Stud ranch series, and what a first book. I loved it, Stasia is a new author to be and someone I came by through a friend’s recommendation, I will be kissing her feet when I see her again for recommending such a great author.
Isobel is a woman who has been beaten down, lost the only person she has truly loved in years, fearing the worst she runs away and what will she find? Will she find the peace she wants and needs? Or will she find so much more? As a character Isobel was one I couldn’t get enough of her story pulled me in and refused to let me go before she had told her story.
Hunter Dawkins was a broken man, working to live and not living to work, it’s been a year since his wife left and he’s a broken man he’s still calling her voicemail just to hear her voice. He needs help with his practice as the animals are taking up more and more of his time, but he doesn’t need a hot young thing, does he?
I can’t wait to read more from this author and more from this series.
Isobel is a woman who has been beaten down, lost the only person she has truly loved in years, fearing the worst she runs away and what will she find? Will she find the peace she wants and needs? Or will she find so much more? As a character Isobel was one I couldn’t get enough of her story pulled me in and refused to let me go before she had told her story.
Hunter Dawkins was a broken man, working to live and not living to work, it’s been a year since his wife left and he’s a broken man he’s still calling her voicemail just to hear her voice. He needs help with his practice as the animals are taking up more and more of his time, but he doesn’t need a hot young thing, does he?
I can’t wait to read more from this author and more from this series.
November 8, 2017
A love / hate erotic romance interwoven around some very difficult topics - Highly Recommend!!
This story is very good but may be a difficult read for some, as it contains a theme of suicide, verbal abuse, death of loved ones, cheating, etc. The verbal abuse was combined with physical sabotage and started for the heroine when she was a teenager by her step-mother. It also contains violence, adult language and erotic, detailed intimate scenes. If you are sensitive to any of these scenarios, then this may not be the book for you.
Isobel Snow hated her step-mother, Catrina, and the feeling was apparently mutual. Catrina has been making snide comments since Isobel was 10, right after she married Isobel's father, Richard. The comments ranged from her being porky / fat, that she was just like her mother, and how ashamed her father was of her. Isobel went to her dad once with the things Catrina said, but he didn't believe her and that just made it worse. These things tore down Isobel's confidence and led to her developing eating disorders and being institutionalized.
When she went away to college Isobel was finally able to develop some healthier eating habits. Isobel was just completing her 3rd year of veterinarian school at Cornell, but returned home to be with her dad after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Catrina picked up and escalated her verbal abuse of Isobel after she returned. Telling her how fat she had gotten since she returned, and how her disappointed her dad was and that he didn't love her. Isobel figured she had put on about 30 pounds even though she had returned to counting every calorie and drinking a green veggie smoothie every morning. No matter what she did though, her weight continued to increase. This also caused Isobel to return to her other old habits of binging and purging after her dad died.
Her boyfriend of 3 years, Jason, came out to be with her. Right at first he was hesitant to be intimate, but Isobel just wanted to feel alive and be held even though she wouldn't let him see her with the lights on. Afterwards he went straight to the shower to get cleaned up. While he was in there he received a text. It was from her best friend Vanessa and it was a topless pic for him to keep him company until he returned home ....
Isobel couldn't believe this was happening but she wasn't going to tolerate it. She marched into the bathroom and he had just placed shampoo in his hair and she told him to get out of her house, not even allowing him time to rinse off. When she got him out of the house, she went straight to the freezer, got out the ice cream and ate a bunch while on her latest sob fest. When she finished she went to the trash can, placed a finger down her throat and purged. The door was still open on the cabinet, and while she was trying to get herself together, she noticed a can of protein powder.
Why would a can of protein powder be down there with the other cleaning products? Her dad never pumped weights, he had only jogged occasionally, so there would have been no need. Catrina was a former model and still retained the same stick thin frame. Then Isobel noticed the special cognac that Catrina loved was sitting under there as well. She was always accusing Isobel of stealing and drinking it, but she wouldn't only because she didn't like the taste of it, no matter the cost of $600 per bottle. Could she really be so evil to place the protein powder inside Isobel's am smoothie? Humph, who is she trying to kid, it is exactly what the witch would do. So that explains the previously unexplained weight gain!!
About the time that Isobel figured out what had happened, the witch came in and spoke about how he cheated on her and how that was to be expected since she had gained so much weight, etc. Isobel kept herself together for the most part and then confronted her about adding the powder to her smoothies. Catrina tried to remain calm and started talking about how Isobel was out of control, how the doctor said she became addicted to the attention she received after her mom died and how crazy was just in her DNA ... the two went back and forth and Isobel knew she needed to leave.
When Isobel turned around to go, Catrina started talking about her being a coward and how she continued to run away just like her mom did. Then she referenced how her mom committed suicide when she was 30 and wasn't Isobel almost 25 now? Everyone said she was just like her mom, soon she would give in to the inevitable and how her dad must be glad that he didn't live long enough to see Isobel institutionalized again.
IT WAS TOO MUCH! Isobel charged after her, wrapped her hands around her neck and started to squeeze. Right at first, Catrina wasn't too worried and then she started to struggle and a look of fear entered her eyes. This brought Isobel to her senses and she let go.
Isobel knew Catrina would call the police. She needed to be leave now, so she ran upstairs and started throwing some items into her bags. She went into the bathroom to take one of her pills and get her medicine. She spilled some and realized that the pills were not all the same. That witch substituted something else for her anxiety medicine! She finally had some proof of what she had done! Then she thought everything through and realized Catrina could still explain it all away. So she got into her car, went to the pharmacy for a new prescription, withdrew the max amount from her account and hit the road.
Hunter Dawkins is a small town veterinarian in Hawthorne Wyoming. His wife left him a year ago last week and he was sick of drinking at home by himself, so he went to the local watering hole, had a seat at the bar and ordered a beer. When he had entered, he was greeted by several people saying how glad they were to see him out and about. After he settled in, he still found himself thinking about Janine, his wife, and how he still is not sure what happened to drive them apart. Hunter's main theory was she hated living in the small town almost from the time they arrived. She was a NYC girl, enjoyed the restaurants, shopping and night life. It got to the point that she started coming home later and later, would want to be intimate, then get up and sleep on the coach, like she couldn't stand him anymore. Janine also started to get more aggressive and wanted rougher sex.
Hunter tried to do different things to make her happy, such as weekend trips to a bigger city, cooking dinner for them, asking the local dinner if she could set up there versus the coffee house so far away, etc., but it never made any difference or it caused a fight.
Hunter realized that going out tonight wasn't taking his mind off her, so he might as well go home and do his drinking there. Hunter just hated the silence, and missed the feeling of a warm body next to his, as well as the little things that used to drive him crazy. Funny how the things that drove him nuts about his wife ended up being the things that he missed the most when she was gone.
Before Hunter could get his wallet out and request his tab total, he heard the door open and looked up. It was the most beautiful and stunning woman he had ever seen walking in. She looked around and made her way to the bar and sat down in the empty chair by him. Hunter wasn't sure if that was because of him or some other reason, but he wasn't going to question his good fortune. She ordered a beer and a burger. Then before he could speak with her, Larry came over and got between them. He was drunk per usual and kept coming onto her with very bad sexual innuendos. Hunter had heard enough so he got him away from her and told Larry to go home via taxi or her was going to call Maria.
This opened the conversation, and flirting, between the two. Then when she was through with her burger after eating about half, Hunter decided to go for broke. He asked if she would like to go home with him and she said yes.
I am going to stop there, as I don't want to accidentally provide any spoilers or twists.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This story is very good but may be a difficult read for some, as it contains a theme of suicide, verbal abuse, death of loved ones, cheating, etc. The verbal abuse was combined with physical sabotage and started for the heroine when she was a teenager by her step-mother. It also contains violence, adult language and erotic, detailed intimate scenes. If you are sensitive to any of these scenarios, then this may not be the book for you.
Isobel Snow hated her step-mother, Catrina, and the feeling was apparently mutual. Catrina has been making snide comments since Isobel was 10, right after she married Isobel's father, Richard. The comments ranged from her being porky / fat, that she was just like her mother, and how ashamed her father was of her. Isobel went to her dad once with the things Catrina said, but he didn't believe her and that just made it worse. These things tore down Isobel's confidence and led to her developing eating disorders and being institutionalized.
When she went away to college Isobel was finally able to develop some healthier eating habits. Isobel was just completing her 3rd year of veterinarian school at Cornell, but returned home to be with her dad after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Catrina picked up and escalated her verbal abuse of Isobel after she returned. Telling her how fat she had gotten since she returned, and how her disappointed her dad was and that he didn't love her. Isobel figured she had put on about 30 pounds even though she had returned to counting every calorie and drinking a green veggie smoothie every morning. No matter what she did though, her weight continued to increase. This also caused Isobel to return to her other old habits of binging and purging after her dad died.
Her boyfriend of 3 years, Jason, came out to be with her. Right at first he was hesitant to be intimate, but Isobel just wanted to feel alive and be held even though she wouldn't let him see her with the lights on. Afterwards he went straight to the shower to get cleaned up. While he was in there he received a text. It was from her best friend Vanessa and it was a topless pic for him to keep him company until he returned home ....
Isobel couldn't believe this was happening but she wasn't going to tolerate it. She marched into the bathroom and he had just placed shampoo in his hair and she told him to get out of her house, not even allowing him time to rinse off. When she got him out of the house, she went straight to the freezer, got out the ice cream and ate a bunch while on her latest sob fest. When she finished she went to the trash can, placed a finger down her throat and purged. The door was still open on the cabinet, and while she was trying to get herself together, she noticed a can of protein powder.
Why would a can of protein powder be down there with the other cleaning products? Her dad never pumped weights, he had only jogged occasionally, so there would have been no need. Catrina was a former model and still retained the same stick thin frame. Then Isobel noticed the special cognac that Catrina loved was sitting under there as well. She was always accusing Isobel of stealing and drinking it, but she wouldn't only because she didn't like the taste of it, no matter the cost of $600 per bottle. Could she really be so evil to place the protein powder inside Isobel's am smoothie? Humph, who is she trying to kid, it is exactly what the witch would do. So that explains the previously unexplained weight gain!!
About the time that Isobel figured out what had happened, the witch came in and spoke about how he cheated on her and how that was to be expected since she had gained so much weight, etc. Isobel kept herself together for the most part and then confronted her about adding the powder to her smoothies. Catrina tried to remain calm and started talking about how Isobel was out of control, how the doctor said she became addicted to the attention she received after her mom died and how crazy was just in her DNA ... the two went back and forth and Isobel knew she needed to leave.
When Isobel turned around to go, Catrina started talking about her being a coward and how she continued to run away just like her mom did. Then she referenced how her mom committed suicide when she was 30 and wasn't Isobel almost 25 now? Everyone said she was just like her mom, soon she would give in to the inevitable and how her dad must be glad that he didn't live long enough to see Isobel institutionalized again.
IT WAS TOO MUCH! Isobel charged after her, wrapped her hands around her neck and started to squeeze. Right at first, Catrina wasn't too worried and then she started to struggle and a look of fear entered her eyes. This brought Isobel to her senses and she let go.
Isobel knew Catrina would call the police. She needed to be leave now, so she ran upstairs and started throwing some items into her bags. She went into the bathroom to take one of her pills and get her medicine. She spilled some and realized that the pills were not all the same. That witch substituted something else for her anxiety medicine! She finally had some proof of what she had done! Then she thought everything through and realized Catrina could still explain it all away. So she got into her car, went to the pharmacy for a new prescription, withdrew the max amount from her account and hit the road.
Hunter Dawkins is a small town veterinarian in Hawthorne Wyoming. His wife left him a year ago last week and he was sick of drinking at home by himself, so he went to the local watering hole, had a seat at the bar and ordered a beer. When he had entered, he was greeted by several people saying how glad they were to see him out and about. After he settled in, he still found himself thinking about Janine, his wife, and how he still is not sure what happened to drive them apart. Hunter's main theory was she hated living in the small town almost from the time they arrived. She was a NYC girl, enjoyed the restaurants, shopping and night life. It got to the point that she started coming home later and later, would want to be intimate, then get up and sleep on the coach, like she couldn't stand him anymore. Janine also started to get more aggressive and wanted rougher sex.
Hunter tried to do different things to make her happy, such as weekend trips to a bigger city, cooking dinner for them, asking the local dinner if she could set up there versus the coffee house so far away, etc., but it never made any difference or it caused a fight.
Hunter realized that going out tonight wasn't taking his mind off her, so he might as well go home and do his drinking there. Hunter just hated the silence, and missed the feeling of a warm body next to his, as well as the little things that used to drive him crazy. Funny how the things that drove him nuts about his wife ended up being the things that he missed the most when she was gone.
Before Hunter could get his wallet out and request his tab total, he heard the door open and looked up. It was the most beautiful and stunning woman he had ever seen walking in. She looked around and made her way to the bar and sat down in the empty chair by him. Hunter wasn't sure if that was because of him or some other reason, but he wasn't going to question his good fortune. She ordered a beer and a burger. Then before he could speak with her, Larry came over and got between them. He was drunk per usual and kept coming onto her with very bad sexual innuendos. Hunter had heard enough so he got him away from her and told Larry to go home via taxi or her was going to call Maria.
This opened the conversation, and flirting, between the two. Then when she was through with her burger after eating about half, Hunter decided to go for broke. He asked if she would like to go home with him and she said yes.
I am going to stop there, as I don't want to accidentally provide any spoilers or twists.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 23, 2020
Ok 3 1/2
Ok read. The other two books on the series are way better then this one. It was good and lots of hot sex, but it just didn’t hit me like the others did. It is a great series even though I read out of order.
Ok read. The other two books on the series are way better then this one. It was good and lots of hot sex, but it just didn’t hit me like the others did. It is a great series even though I read out of order.
October 17, 2018
Isobel is in the run, of her past, abusive stepmother and her boyfriend who cheated with her best friend.
Hunter is the veterinarian in Hawthorne, he still suffers from the disappearance of his wife.
After one hot night, isobel left him to go to where she thought she will find a job, alas there is no more available spot. But thanks to her veterinarian degrees, she get a place with Hunter, who is still furious because she left him.
To learn more, you will have to read it.
I loved both characters, they are real, with their flaws, fighting their past and issues.
I really do recommend you to give this story a chance.
I’m curious to see which other character will get its story after.
I give it a 5 stars rate.
I received a free copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Hunter is the veterinarian in Hawthorne, he still suffers from the disappearance of his wife.
After one hot night, isobel left him to go to where she thought she will find a job, alas there is no more available spot. But thanks to her veterinarian degrees, she get a place with Hunter, who is still furious because she left him.
To learn more, you will have to read it.
I loved both characters, they are real, with their flaws, fighting their past and issues.
I really do recommend you to give this story a chance.
I’m curious to see which other character will get its story after.
I give it a 5 stars rate.
I received a free copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
October 27, 2020
Iba con recelo tras leer el primero de esta saga y estar totalmente en contra, pero debo decir que no tiene nada que ver con el primero respecto a los comportamientos denigrantes. Mejora la saga aunque el comportamiento de él sea malo en algunas partes del libro (todo se solucionaría dialogando) pero es "justificable".
October 13, 2017
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book has a lot chocked inside, it has self-esteem issues, mental health issues, betrayal, loss, love, revenge…Since this storyline is loosely following the “Snow White” fairytale we also have the evil stepmother.
The story starts with Isobel finding out her long distance romance has now sprung a leak. Then she has a run in with her stepmother that starts the old insecurities coming back in full force. Isobel lets out all of her pent up rage and frustration on her stepmother when she pushes Isobel to far. Isobel is now afraid that the consequences may be too much for her to handle and she leaves town quickly.
Isobel had heard of a small town that does rescue work with horses and that’s where she runs into Hunter at the local bar. Hunter has been dealing with the after effects of a marriage gone wrong and has avoided female company for over a year. When he gets a look at Isobel his heart begins to beat again after laying dormant for the past year. They make an awkward first connection, which has some spark, that soon heats up as they get to Hunters’ place.
As fate would have it after their night of passion it turns out that Hunter may be Isobel’s new boss. Hunter feels that Isobel misrepresented herself when she said she was from a small town when she was actually from the big city. One of the biggest problems in his previous marriage was that his wife was from the big city and hated small town life.
With both parties feeling a bit out of kilter with what started as something sexually freeing for both of them has now become wroth with tension and misunderstandings.
After their first night together Hunter gives Isobel the cold treatment. Throughout most of the book they take turns icing each other out, after a bit it got repetitious. It almost felt like they kept having misunderstanding on top of misunderstanding to add drama to the story.
The best parts of the book and some of the saddest parts of the book was when they were actually being veterinarians. The almost slap stick moments when Isobel was flying solo on helping a cow give birth, were funny and endearing. Her genuine love and care for the animals was evident in her manner when dealing with them and her thoughts.
Hunter knew his job and his care and regard for both his patients and their owners was very much in the forefront. His almost constant pissed off attitude and fault finding with Isobel got wearing after a while.
With the exception of their first night together most of the other sexual times felt like the author wanted to throw in a little of this and a little of that to make the sex seem exciting, it just felt forced and not very titillating.
There are so many characters thrown in that sometimes trying to figure out their purpose in the story just kind of left you scratching your head. Through all of this we know that there is going to be a reappearance from her stepmother because it is a “Snow White” story. Didn’t expect it to take the form of an almost tabloid TV talk show, which then morphs into showing up at the bar complete with lights, camera and paparazzi. Then the story takes a serious left turn and follows another fairytale down the rabbit hole “Alice In Wonderland” to include hallucinogenic dreams and utter chaos and confusion. Once we have finally surfaced from that murky pit we now have immediate Epilogue narrated by Liam?!?! What the heck why is he doing the epilogue? Is his story the next one to happen?
There so many other ways the author could have gone with this story, a few more animal episodes. Hunter and Isobel actually working together and becoming this really tight team, anything but the almost constant hot and cold. The seemingly insurmountable distance between Isobel and Hunter made the story boggy and the throw a little of everything in the mix sexcapades dimmed the heat considerably for me. Then the drastic left turn the last quarter of the book just made it a solid three star for me.
This book has a lot chocked inside, it has self-esteem issues, mental health issues, betrayal, loss, love, revenge…Since this storyline is loosely following the “Snow White” fairytale we also have the evil stepmother.
The story starts with Isobel finding out her long distance romance has now sprung a leak. Then she has a run in with her stepmother that starts the old insecurities coming back in full force. Isobel lets out all of her pent up rage and frustration on her stepmother when she pushes Isobel to far. Isobel is now afraid that the consequences may be too much for her to handle and she leaves town quickly.
Isobel had heard of a small town that does rescue work with horses and that’s where she runs into Hunter at the local bar. Hunter has been dealing with the after effects of a marriage gone wrong and has avoided female company for over a year. When he gets a look at Isobel his heart begins to beat again after laying dormant for the past year. They make an awkward first connection, which has some spark, that soon heats up as they get to Hunters’ place.
As fate would have it after their night of passion it turns out that Hunter may be Isobel’s new boss. Hunter feels that Isobel misrepresented herself when she said she was from a small town when she was actually from the big city. One of the biggest problems in his previous marriage was that his wife was from the big city and hated small town life.
With both parties feeling a bit out of kilter with what started as something sexually freeing for both of them has now become wroth with tension and misunderstandings.
After their first night together Hunter gives Isobel the cold treatment. Throughout most of the book they take turns icing each other out, after a bit it got repetitious. It almost felt like they kept having misunderstanding on top of misunderstanding to add drama to the story.
The best parts of the book and some of the saddest parts of the book was when they were actually being veterinarians. The almost slap stick moments when Isobel was flying solo on helping a cow give birth, were funny and endearing. Her genuine love and care for the animals was evident in her manner when dealing with them and her thoughts.
Hunter knew his job and his care and regard for both his patients and their owners was very much in the forefront. His almost constant pissed off attitude and fault finding with Isobel got wearing after a while.
With the exception of their first night together most of the other sexual times felt like the author wanted to throw in a little of this and a little of that to make the sex seem exciting, it just felt forced and not very titillating.
There are so many characters thrown in that sometimes trying to figure out their purpose in the story just kind of left you scratching your head. Through all of this we know that there is going to be a reappearance from her stepmother because it is a “Snow White” story. Didn’t expect it to take the form of an almost tabloid TV talk show, which then morphs into showing up at the bar complete with lights, camera and paparazzi. Then the story takes a serious left turn and follows another fairytale down the rabbit hole “Alice In Wonderland” to include hallucinogenic dreams and utter chaos and confusion. Once we have finally surfaced from that murky pit we now have immediate Epilogue narrated by Liam?!?! What the heck why is he doing the epilogue? Is his story the next one to happen?
There so many other ways the author could have gone with this story, a few more animal episodes. Hunter and Isobel actually working together and becoming this really tight team, anything but the almost constant hot and cold. The seemingly insurmountable distance between Isobel and Hunter made the story boggy and the throw a little of everything in the mix sexcapades dimmed the heat considerably for me. Then the drastic left turn the last quarter of the book just made it a solid three star for me.
November 1, 2018
Isobel Snow's grew up with money and privilege but still, her childhood wasn't easy. She knew suffering and loss after the death of her mother. Following her father's second marriage anxiety and frustration would follow in ways that would have felled weaker people. After losing both parents, and discovering the truth that had been present almost her whole life she flies into a rage and nearly hurts someone. That act causes her to flee from the only life she's ever known. She finds her way out west to a horse ranch that she's heard about that always needs help. That turns out not to be the case though so she's stuck, nearly broke and needing a job.
Hunter Dawson is a vet in the same small town in Wyoming where he grew up. He works long hours in his very labor intensive job. He does it because he loves it but also because it allows him to forget that his life hasn't been easy either. He also knows loss and suffering so he sees a kindred spirit in her. They have a one night stand, complete with all night sexcapades, but unfortunately, it leads to a morning after that neither will forget when she leaves without waking him.
Imagine their surprise when she ends up being hired by him for an internship for the summer and living with some of his clients. Turns out that she is just one year shy of her vet degree and needs practical hands-on training. He can give her that. He will give her attitude too but she can deal with him.
This book contained all the needed elements of a good book; drama, angst, betrayal, etc. However, this story fell flat for me. I think it took me almost a whole week to finish it. That's very hard to believe when I normally read a book in under 4 hours. It felt somehow like too much and not enough. I liked the elements of farm calls and the play between all the characters but could have done without the tornado and the hotel debacle. It just went over the top.
I found a few minor mistakes in spelling and proper names that bothered me but not tremendously so. I had a harder time with issues of continuity. It was easily caught so I'm not sure why it wasn't. The first example that comes to mind is a farm call. She ties up a heifer and they have this very comical episode where the cow keeps opening the gate. Hilarious! But!! Later both of them reference the fact that she didn't tie up the heifer. Really? Am I having a stroke?
The sex scenes were well written but a bit vanilla. This wasn't ever meant to be a BDSM book but these were a bit more vanilla than normal. The author tried to make the H seem like an alpha but for me at least that was only laughable.
As the title says this is a retelling of Snow White brought into the modern age but only in the slightest way. Yes, there's a damsel in distress and an evil stepmother and an attempted murder but it didn't work for me. I would've liked a little more adherence to the classic story.
Hunter Dawson is a vet in the same small town in Wyoming where he grew up. He works long hours in his very labor intensive job. He does it because he loves it but also because it allows him to forget that his life hasn't been easy either. He also knows loss and suffering so he sees a kindred spirit in her. They have a one night stand, complete with all night sexcapades, but unfortunately, it leads to a morning after that neither will forget when she leaves without waking him.
Imagine their surprise when she ends up being hired by him for an internship for the summer and living with some of his clients. Turns out that she is just one year shy of her vet degree and needs practical hands-on training. He can give her that. He will give her attitude too but she can deal with him.
This book contained all the needed elements of a good book; drama, angst, betrayal, etc. However, this story fell flat for me. I think it took me almost a whole week to finish it. That's very hard to believe when I normally read a book in under 4 hours. It felt somehow like too much and not enough. I liked the elements of farm calls and the play between all the characters but could have done without the tornado and the hotel debacle. It just went over the top.
I found a few minor mistakes in spelling and proper names that bothered me but not tremendously so. I had a harder time with issues of continuity. It was easily caught so I'm not sure why it wasn't. The first example that comes to mind is a farm call. She ties up a heifer and they have this very comical episode where the cow keeps opening the gate. Hilarious! But!! Later both of them reference the fact that she didn't tie up the heifer. Really? Am I having a stroke?
The sex scenes were well written but a bit vanilla. This wasn't ever meant to be a BDSM book but these were a bit more vanilla than normal. The author tried to make the H seem like an alpha but for me at least that was only laughable.
As the title says this is a retelling of Snow White brought into the modern age but only in the slightest way. Yes, there's a damsel in distress and an evil stepmother and an attempted murder but it didn't work for me. I would've liked a little more adherence to the classic story.
January 29, 2018
Hunter (Stud Ranch, #1) is my first Stasia Black book and I am certainly looking forward to finding another book in this series. I read this book over the course of two nights, not because it wasn't good, it is! But more because initially, I struggled with my desire to continue the story. It starts off a little slow for me, and I had a hard time with Isobel. HOWEVER, (and yes, I mean to yell that at you!!!) now having read the whole book, I really, really enjoyed it and once the story got going, it definitely wasn't slow. Isobel took a little while to grow on me, but over the course of the story, I did learn to like her. About the time Isobel when flying through a cow pasture for improperly securing a heifer she was birthing and I was laughing my butt off, I started finding myself more and more interested in the story and started to actually enjoy Isobel. (Having raised horses and the desire to be a large animal vet) I was maybe slightly more invested in parts of this story then the average reader might be but regardless, Isobel's mistake with the heifer will have anyone cracking up. Then there was Hunter, who was easy to like and even easier to lust after...
This story ended up being very enjoyable. I loved the plot twists the author through in to the story, and am extremely curious to see what plans Stasia Black has for the series since I really enjoyed the secondary characters in this book. While they were not as prominent as they "could've" been, they are active enough in the story to have little question marks shooting through your mind whenever they were active parts of the story. The plot kept you entertained (after what I would call a rocky start) until its conclusion. This book was also extremely sexy and has some lite erotica aspects.
One area that I struggled with (and hate to bring up but also want to leave my honest review), is that the author switched perspectives on a couple of scenes between Isobel and Hunter without meaning to. By this, I mean, that if the scene was listed as being from Isobel's perspective, readers would suddenly be reading the story from Hunter's perspective or visa versa. This was a little confusing and took some rereading of the scenes to understand what had happened. Overall, the author wrote well but that one issue detracted from the story for me since it happened two, maybe three times. If the things I mentioned, I hope you'll give this book a chance if you enjoy a good western romance because it was good and I did ENJOY it, as did many other reviewers.
This story ended up being very enjoyable. I loved the plot twists the author through in to the story, and am extremely curious to see what plans Stasia Black has for the series since I really enjoyed the secondary characters in this book. While they were not as prominent as they "could've" been, they are active enough in the story to have little question marks shooting through your mind whenever they were active parts of the story. The plot kept you entertained (after what I would call a rocky start) until its conclusion. This book was also extremely sexy and has some lite erotica aspects.
One area that I struggled with (and hate to bring up but also want to leave my honest review), is that the author switched perspectives on a couple of scenes between Isobel and Hunter without meaning to. By this, I mean, that if the scene was listed as being from Isobel's perspective, readers would suddenly be reading the story from Hunter's perspective or visa versa. This was a little confusing and took some rereading of the scenes to understand what had happened. Overall, the author wrote well but that one issue detracted from the story for me since it happened two, maybe three times. If the things I mentioned, I hope you'll give this book a chance if you enjoy a good western romance because it was good and I did ENJOY it, as did many other reviewers.
October 20, 2017
Through No Fault😞 of Her Own💋💔
ARC received for an honest review.
Isobel's life is a total wreck, a mess, and she's only 25 years old! Her step mother has harped on her for being fat and ugly most of her life, even though her weight is normal and she's a beautiful girl. Isobel had bulimia and depression for years, then she ended up in treatment when she became emaciated. She has a skewed body image and thinks she is fat all the time. Her father dies, and her step mother's attacks become secretive, she puts placebos into her anxiety medicine. Then, her so called boyfriend of three years is cheating on her with her best friend. Isobel solves her problems by running away.
I felt Isobel's mental problems were so severe that she would never be able to have a real relationship with a man, and this is the story of the book.
After the disaster of Her life in New York, she runs away, leaving that life behind. She's a veterinary student at Cornell, and she goes West to work at a horse rescue she knows about in Wyoming.
Stopping in a small town near the farm, she goes in the local 🍸bar to get a 🍺beer and a 🍔burger. On the stool next to her is Hunter🐺🍌🌋,a tall gorgeous, handsome man. They begin talking and before long, one thing leads to another, and he takes her home for an all nighter 🌙! They both seem to want and need each other and the sex is incredible, but because of Her mental sickness and low esteem, she sneaks out in the morning.
When she gets to the horse rescue, they don't have a job for her, but when Hunter🐺🍌🌋 shows up to treat some horses🐎🐎, they tell him he needs to hire her. He is angry she snuck out, angry she didn't tell him she was a veterinary, angry she lied about her up bringing.
He is so mad, because he sees elements of his ex wife in her( with absolutely no proof) and he hates his ex. So she goes to work for him and he treats her like crap, all the while lusting after her.
Hunter's treatment of Isobel💋💔, brings on some of the self destructive behavior she has tried so hard to out run.
I'm not really a fan of the love💘 to hate, back to 💘love theme of this book, but the story is well written, interesting and good. The book does have a fair number of misspellings and omitted words. I own a small ranch with horses and cows, and most of the veterinary work that Hunter🐺🍌🌋 and Isobel💋💔 do is authentically described.
YEHAW! Ride em Bareback🍌, Cowgirl!🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎
ARC received for an honest review.
Isobel's life is a total wreck, a mess, and she's only 25 years old! Her step mother has harped on her for being fat and ugly most of her life, even though her weight is normal and she's a beautiful girl. Isobel had bulimia and depression for years, then she ended up in treatment when she became emaciated. She has a skewed body image and thinks she is fat all the time. Her father dies, and her step mother's attacks become secretive, she puts placebos into her anxiety medicine. Then, her so called boyfriend of three years is cheating on her with her best friend. Isobel solves her problems by running away.
I felt Isobel's mental problems were so severe that she would never be able to have a real relationship with a man, and this is the story of the book.
After the disaster of Her life in New York, she runs away, leaving that life behind. She's a veterinary student at Cornell, and she goes West to work at a horse rescue she knows about in Wyoming.
Stopping in a small town near the farm, she goes in the local 🍸bar to get a 🍺beer and a 🍔burger. On the stool next to her is Hunter🐺🍌🌋,a tall gorgeous, handsome man. They begin talking and before long, one thing leads to another, and he takes her home for an all nighter 🌙! They both seem to want and need each other and the sex is incredible, but because of Her mental sickness and low esteem, she sneaks out in the morning.
When she gets to the horse rescue, they don't have a job for her, but when Hunter🐺🍌🌋 shows up to treat some horses🐎🐎, they tell him he needs to hire her. He is angry she snuck out, angry she didn't tell him she was a veterinary, angry she lied about her up bringing.
He is so mad, because he sees elements of his ex wife in her( with absolutely no proof) and he hates his ex. So she goes to work for him and he treats her like crap, all the while lusting after her.
Hunter's treatment of Isobel💋💔, brings on some of the self destructive behavior she has tried so hard to out run.
I'm not really a fan of the love💘 to hate, back to 💘love theme of this book, but the story is well written, interesting and good. The book does have a fair number of misspellings and omitted words. I own a small ranch with horses and cows, and most of the veterinary work that Hunter🐺🍌🌋 and Isobel💋💔 do is authentically described.
YEHAW! Ride em Bareback🍌, Cowgirl!🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎
November 15, 2017
Isobel Snow has had enough. When she discovers her best friend Larissa having sex with her boyfriend, Jason, she heads back to the house where she has grown up only to discover what her step-mother has been doing to her to make her gain weight while insulting how fat she is and messing with her medication. Desperate to get away she leaves town and ends up in Hawthorne where she is hoping for a new start.
But even that begins to fall apart when the job she wants has already been filled but someone recommends her working for a veterinarian but she soon discovers it is the handsome guy from the bar she may have had a one night stand with.
Hunter Dawkins is no longer the man he was since his wife left him a year ago but he lets go of everything one night when he meets the mysterious woman in the bar who has gotten under his skin. But in the morning she is gone.
When Hunter hires Isobel as a favor to Mel and Xavier, he knows he is torturing himself but will he let Isobel explain that night? When things spiral out of control will Hunter let Isobel help when he is left with no other choice? Can they work out things before the past comes back?
This was a good book on second chances for a first impression and about trust.
Isobel did not have an easy go when her father died and her step-mom was anything but nice and supportive. She needed to escape and had really no money to do it with as she did not want to be found and knew her step-mom would try. She was desperate for any job and although she really didn't want to work with Hunter she knew she needed the job.
Hunter was still hurt about his wife leaving him and when Isobel is gone after their night together he was emotionally upset. When he is somewhat forced to hire her, he is put in a rough position but does not want to refuse Mel and Xavier.
There were definitely a few twists and turns that brought Isobel and Hunter closer together but the two still needed to resolve issues from their past before moving forward together. Both Hunter and Isobel had insecurities which almost destroyed their relationship. Their chemistry together was through the roof and definitely hot!!
The twist at the end was awesome although a little scary with not knowing what was going to happen but I loved the answer at the end!
But even that begins to fall apart when the job she wants has already been filled but someone recommends her working for a veterinarian but she soon discovers it is the handsome guy from the bar she may have had a one night stand with.
Hunter Dawkins is no longer the man he was since his wife left him a year ago but he lets go of everything one night when he meets the mysterious woman in the bar who has gotten under his skin. But in the morning she is gone.
When Hunter hires Isobel as a favor to Mel and Xavier, he knows he is torturing himself but will he let Isobel explain that night? When things spiral out of control will Hunter let Isobel help when he is left with no other choice? Can they work out things before the past comes back?
This was a good book on second chances for a first impression and about trust.
Isobel did not have an easy go when her father died and her step-mom was anything but nice and supportive. She needed to escape and had really no money to do it with as she did not want to be found and knew her step-mom would try. She was desperate for any job and although she really didn't want to work with Hunter she knew she needed the job.
Hunter was still hurt about his wife leaving him and when Isobel is gone after their night together he was emotionally upset. When he is somewhat forced to hire her, he is put in a rough position but does not want to refuse Mel and Xavier.
There were definitely a few twists and turns that brought Isobel and Hunter closer together but the two still needed to resolve issues from their past before moving forward together. Both Hunter and Isobel had insecurities which almost destroyed their relationship. Their chemistry together was through the roof and definitely hot!!
The twist at the end was awesome although a little scary with not knowing what was going to happen but I loved the answer at the end!
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