My Problems: 1. Getting distracted by a pretty client. 2. Getting attracted to the client. 3. Getting caught kissing her. 4. And finally, getting her pregnant.
My ranch is my refuge. I opened it up to help trauma victims recover. Teaching them to ride horseback is healing for us all. Until Livvy shows up.
It’s not the first time a client had a crush on me. This is just the first time it’s been a problem.
This woman could be the death of me. She’s adorable, brave, and so unique. Trying her best to get over her husband’s death two years ago. Our attraction makes her feel guilty. God knows I shouldn’t be looking twice at her unless I’m adjusting a stirrup.
There’s no going back. We were meant to be together. No matter what obstacles stand in our way. Affection, passion, it’s wonderful until we argue and she takes off. Now I have to find her in a dangerous storm before something happens to her.
I won’t let anything happen to her. I’ll keep her safe, heal her grief. Let her know that she has my heart. Forever until I die.
Annie J. Rose is an Amazon top 30 best seller contemporary romance author who loves to bring all of your fantasies to life. She writes steamy romance with a happily ever after.
Born and raised in New Zealand, she often spends most of her time writing stories by her balcony. Pharmacist by day, smut-writer by night.
This was a good read. Livvy is trying to get over the death of her husband. Her best friend sends her on a healing retreat. While here she meets Ben and falls for him. She of course feels guilty. Luckily in the end everything works out and they get their happy ending.
PTSD can afflict anyone following a traumatic experience. Often associated with survivors of a war experience, PTSD can follow any traumatic experience—a fire, a flood, an assault, a toxic living situation in childhood—any experience that causes the brain to identify a threat and to prepare to fight it or run away from it. Once this internal threat alarm sounds, a powerful mixture of hormones floods the body, preparing to "survive". Most people’s body will absorb this mixture within hours with no lingering impact. But for some, the experience is so intense, prolonged or repeated, that the body is unable to regulate or control these hormonal floods. For these individuals, once their unique threshold has been exceeded, their body begins re-wiring their nervous system to prepare for potentially greater threats. While the body is responding in a preset response to protect the individual, this over-active threat perception system is now activated whether the individual is in a threatening situation or not depending on the individual’s trigger.
Oliva Warren—Livvy—a petite, 3rd grade teacher from Chicago with golden-red hair and beautiful hazel eyes experienced her worst nightmare—the unexpected and violent death of her husband, Daniel, in a car accident which killed him instantly, and left her with injuries so severe that she endured a year of hospitalization and physical therapy before finally, one-year-later, picking up her disarrayed life and returning to her classroom. But, her psychological healing is taking much longer than the year her body needed to heal and recover.
The accident occurred as the high school sweethearts, and now young married professionals who had begun trying to start a family, were leaving a restaurant following dinner with her best friend, Meg and Meg’s date. When the couples parted, Livvy and Daniel’s car had been T-boned by a car driven by drunken driver who ran a red light as the young couple’s car crossed the intersection. The cruel irony was that Daniel had been obsessive about never drinking and driving—always volunteering to be the “designated driver” if alcohol was to be consumed.
Now, the accident two years in the past, Livvy has returned to her professional life as a teacher, and while Livvy’s body has healed, her mind has not. When dining out with Meg, the antics of individuals over-indulging in alcohol precipitates panic in Livvy. So, bff Meg arranges for her broken friend to attend a 6-week session of physical activities and PTSD therapy sessions at Recovery Ranch located outside of Casper, Wyoming. The program has received excellent reviews, staffed with certified PTSD therapists. And owned and operated by 5 former Marines who served in Afghanistan who know first-hand how PTSD can take control of an individual’s life long after physical injuries have healed. The five brothers-in-arms had been the only survivors from their team on their final mission. And now the five survivors—Ben, Dallas Clarke, Kyle Thomas, Walker Payne, and Colin Donahue have recognized their emotional damage and had to fight out of the darkness of PTSD, recognizing the triggers that propelled them back to their living nightmare. Now, they have banded together to provide a place of beauty and isolation, and hopefully, recovery, with activities to distract the mind and therapy sessions to begin to help to heal or manage the emotional scars, which in the past, had been managed with an unhealthy mix of drugs or alcohol to numb the pain of memories. But one strict rule that must be a part of the ranch’s interaction with the clients is that no intimacy is allowed—ever. The integrity of the operation and licensing would be at risk if lines of professionalism were to be crossed at any time.
Ben’s contribution to the ranch’s “mind diversion” activities is horseback riding. A native of Oklahoma, Ben spent his pre-Marine years riding and caring for horses. Now, he provides the ranch’s clients the opportunity to learn to trust and care for an animal which can respond to the clients’ need for unconditional love and acceptance. Under Ben’s careful instruction, the ranch’s clients are able to care for the horses, losing their own self-consciousness in caring for another living and responsive creature—just what Livvy needs to begin to heal. But trust is not something that develops quickly, and Livvy must learn to trust the actions and intentions of others—especially if alcohol is in the mix.
Annie Rose has begun to explore the friendships and evolving relationships of a group of emotionally wounded warriors who have become brothers and who have recognized that help is needed to heal. Filled with tension and passion, Rose weaves a powerful and moving love story of two strangers who seek emotional healing and love. This is a novel that not only entertains, but also provokes the reader's contemplation of the road blocks and threats which can impede an individual’s healing following trauma which is needed to permit growth of relationships on the pathway to love. Rose offers the reader the challenges of love complicated by choices of life and unexpected challenges.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review ARC, and bought a copy on Amazon.
Piecing her heart back together and finding love again
Breaking The Rules is a romantic and smexy forbidden romance story about Livvy and Ben. Livvy has been struggling the last two years since her husband was killed by a drunk driver when he hit their car. They had been high school sweethearts who stayed together and were living a great life with a wonderful and loving future. She had been severely injured in the accident also and had missed a year of teaching the third grade to recover and do physical therapy. But nothing could help heal her heart and soul....there was just a big black hole and she wanted to just cry most days. Two years later and she was living a new normal, not her normal but something very different. Ben is an ex-Marine who with a group of other men who served together bought a ranch in Wyoming and started a recovery center on it. They only took people who had been diagnosed from PTSD or had suffered from some sort of trauma. They had hired a group of therapists and had a number of activities and allowed the "guests" to have quiet, enjoy the wide open spaces of nature and concentrate on their recovery. During the time that Ben was in the Marines he liked what he did but then things happened and he suffered mentally. So starting the center had also helped him as much as he was helping others. Livvy's best friend Meg, a fellow teacher, suggests that she go to a recovery center in Wyoming that she found for her. Meg knows that Livvy is struggling and needs some help, and she loves her a lot. Livvy is not too keen on the idea as hiking with a bunch of alpha ex service men is not what her speed is. But with some more prodding Livvy finally ends up in Wyoming for a six week program. One look at Ben and things start to feel alive again. But there are very strict policies at the ranch and one of them is no, and I do mean no, fraternization/romance between the employees and the guests. As Livvy stays she starts to recover and heal, mentally and emotionally. Her heart may never be completely pieced back together but Ben watches her come alive again and start to heal. Along the way his feelings for her grow stronger, and Livvy also has some stirrings in her heart and other places for Ben. Well this has the potential to be quite a situation as these two fight their feelings. But sometimes the heart will not be denied what it wants, no matter the cost or consequences.
This is a well written book with an engaging story-line that has it all...drama, heartbreak, romance, redemption, love and a wonderful HEA. I really liked the characters, including the various supporting characters. I am hoping this book is the start of a new series as the various men of the ranch should each have their own story.
I received a copy of this book and am leaving my honest review. My opinions are all my own.
Breaking the Rules is a beautiful story about a woman finding love and more again after a terrible loss. Annie J. Rose captured Livvy's pain beautifully and brought her the kind heart of Ben to help her put her life and heart back together. It's been two years since Livvy lost her husband to a drunk driving accident. Not only did she lose her husband, but she suffered her own injuries along with a broken heart. Livvy and Daniel were high school sweethearts with a whole life ahead of them. To heal, Livvy's best friend Meg, pays for her to go to Wyoming to a recovery ranch to get the help she so desperately needs. On her first day there, she meets handsome Ben and it's instant attraction. She can't stop thinking about him, but she feels that moving on and getting involved with someone else would be like cheating on Daniel. It takes a lot of therapy as well as spending time with Ben to make Livvy realize that she can move and be happy. The problem is they are hiding their relationship and if anyone finds out it could hurt the ranch. They can't stay away from each other, so they sneak around until they are spotted. Not only that, Livvy becomes pregnant and doesn't know how to tell Ben. It doesn't take long for them to both realize that they love each other and want to have their lives together.
The story is captivating and the characters are written to be very relatable to the reader. I was hooked on this story from the beginning to the end and enjoyed it immensely. I would highly recommend it to all readers who love a sweet, sexy story about finding love again.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a forbidden romance story about a young woman, Livvy who lost her husband while they were in a car accident. The recovery was intense with all her injuries and after 2 years she was able to go back to teaching. Livvy has PTSD and her best friend Meg pays for her to attend a ranch run by ex military men who help with therapy, horse back riding, hiking and being outside their normal routines. Ben handles the horses and helps out around the ranch and when Livvy shows up he can not believe the attraction he has to her. These ex military men all share a past from serving in the military and started this ranch to help others. Both Ben and Livvy know they can not stop wanting to be with one another and that they’ve crossed professional boundaries they should not have. It’s amazing to see how everyone at the ranch, the guys and therapist genuinely care for one another and their clients. They have their ups and downs as their communication and past make it hard for them to move on in every day life. Livvy takes a chance on love and Ben has never been in love before and seeing how they come together is just right! I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
“Breaking the Rules” Just Didn’t Sit Well with Me Annie J. Rose’s “Breaking the Rules” has a lot to offer: a sexy, handsome military veteran, a beautiful, intelligent widow, a therapeutic horse ranch, and some wonderful side characters that could easily set this story up for a series. Individually, I loved Ben and Livvy. I even loved the instant connection between them, the sweet moments, and the steamy bits. Again - lots going for it. However, there was a big disconnect for me as far as the storyline went. Ben and his friends had built an amazing resource for people with PTSD, and I have a very difficult time believing that a seemingly honorable man like Ben would risk losing the ranch over a scandal. Livvy clearly still has a whole lot of healing to do, and jumping into a risky relationship doesn’t seem in character for either of them. On top of that, there were some moments - some hypocritical reactions to stressful situations or discussions - that didn’t ring true for me.
A more than 5-star read! Now the complete opposite of the Jolene she was in high school, Jolene McCallister has become not only striking but also the head medical examiner for Whitepeake, Colorado. Her nemesis from that time has returned to Whitepeake, Colorado in the form of Sawyer Williams, who doesn’t recognize her when she literally runs into him at the local coffee shop. She is the central witness in a murder trial due to her discovery that it was a murder not a suicide. He needs to show his stability by having a wife in order to become the CEO of the family company. If he fails, the cybersecurity company will be dismantled with the parts being sold to the highest bidder. In the meantime she is kept busy with the murders that keep happening in the area of her hometown. You probably won’t be able to put this down until you’ve finished either, so be prepared I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is an emotional read, where it focus on PTSD and the recovery. The ranch that was built just for suffers of PTSD. Ben and his friends or family as he calls them, created the ranch as Ben and his family have PTSD. they wanted to help others. It was such an emotional read. Poor Lucy is suffering and her best friend really wants to help Lucy get better and start living again. So she pays for Lucy to attend the ranch, Its for 6 weeks and as she's a teacher she has the summer holiday's starting. Which is great timing. Once she arrives straight away she feels things she has not felt since her husband was alive. It scares her and feels guilty too. The characters Lucy and Ben have issues they both need to over come before they can start a relationship/ To read their journey was so good and loved it. It was great to watch them grow as people. Loved this book big time. Highly recommend
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
An enjoyable story. Ben is a retired military man suffering from PTSD as a result of experiences in Afghanistan. He and four comrades from that experience have opened a ranch to treat people with problems and help them recover. Livvy is a client, sent by a friend of hers because of deep depression over losing her husband in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. They meet, and a relationship gradually develops between them, despite the ethical problems of a partner in the ranch having a relationship with a client; and despite the problems that both of them are living with every day from their past experiences. However, they are strong, and the relationship that develops is warm and passionate so that the HEA is logical and enjoyable. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Can a new love repair a broken heart? Livvy is lost! The love of her life was taken from her in a tragic accident and she still can’t wrap her head around it 2 years later. Her best friend decides to take action and convinces her to go to recovery ranch run by smoking hot ex- Marines. Livvy decides it can’t hurt and agrees. There she meets Ben. He’s gorgeous and her heart seems to beat a little faster by just being near him. She’s fights the attraction because she feels as if she’s betraying her late husband. But the more time she spends with Ben the happier she feels and the deeper the connection between the two become. But a personal relationship between a staff member and a client is against the rules. How will they make it work? Could Ben possibly want a future? How will he react to the surprise Livvy’s been hiding?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Livvy's body has healed from the night her husband was killed by a drunk driver, but her mind is still suffering from the resulting PTSD. Her best friend, Meg, arranges for her to go to Recovery Ranch in Wyoming that is dedicated to healing through physical activities and therapy sessions. Ben is an ex-Marine who suffers PTSD from his time in Afghanistan and now he works with the horses and teaches the clients to trust and care for the horses, showing them that they can find unconditional love and acceptance, again. Ben notices Livvy and knows there's something special about her, but he can't break the rule of not becoming involved with the clients. It's not that easy, however, and soon it's too difficult to stay away from one another. As Livvy learns to trust, Ben realizes that he's never been in love before. And with the surprise that awaits them, they have a chance at their HEA.
This story centers around PTSD and that is a subject that I am sensitive to as I have family who suffers. The story follows Livvy and Ben. Ben’s former military unit put together a PTSD recovery ranch where people have access to a therapist. The ranch offers a variety of options, hiking, riding etc. Livvy also suffers after herself and husband were hit by a drunk driver and he died. To make matter more emotional they had just decided to start a family. Both Livvy and Ben were smitten. They had a lot in common and liked each other from the start. For the most part I enjoyed the story. There were a few area I found just didn’t ring true for me so I couldn’t give it 5 stars but it was still enjoyable.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Livvy lived through a traumatic experience but lost her husband that she had known since high school. It was hard for her to make adjustments that got her acclimated back to life so her friend purchased her a trip to a ranch that specialized in PTSD where she connected with Ben. When these two met the sparks fly off everywhere between them but Livvy is guilty of the feelings. As these two get close Livvy is afraid of the feelings she is experiencing and when an argument sends her running, will Ben be able to find her and smooth things over? This story will have you in their corner to get their chance for finding happiness.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I voluntarily read an arc of this book and am leaving an honest review. I really loved this book so much! The characters are relatable and interesting. The back and forth between characters really keeps you invested. This book deals with difficult issues that really pulls on your heart strings.Livy suffers from the loss of her husband and the guilt of moving on. Ben is a tough ex-marine who deals with other peoples struggles. A relationship between them is forbidden but their need is so great! Follow these two an amazing road to romance and recovery.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Lovey story with Livvy and Ben who meet when she comes to the ranch that he and his friends own and offer PTSD counseling. Livvy lost her husband and soul mate two years ago when a drunk driver crashed into them which also left her with longterm physical damage along with the PTSD that she suffers. Her friend Meg pays for her trip where she meets ex Seal Ben and is attracted but feels guilty for the feelings she is having for him and Ben thought he would never open his heart again after his wife left him while he was on a tour. Will Livvy and Ben open their hearts and allow the love they feel for each other to grow?
Livvy is dealing with the PTSD of the loss of her husband and heads to Ben's ranch. Ben is ex-Marine and is running a program with some fellow ex-Marines to help people dealing with PTSD. From the moment Livvy and Ben see each other there is an instant attraction. Ben is torn between his feelings for her and his job. Livvy is torn because she feels guilty for falling for someone while still mourning her late husband. This is a heartbreakingly beautiful love story between two people who deserve to get their happily ever after. The writing is good and I was cheering for these two to get their chance at love. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
This had all of the plusses that one looks for in a book written by this author but while it was good, it just was not great as per her usual offerings. Ben and Livvy had a lot going for them and while I loved the sweet as well as the sexy interactions between them I could not see them risking the reputation and all of the good that the ranch did to not be able to wait until Livvy was no longer a client to hop into bed. Which would have been the mature, adult, responsible thing to do. Of course, that would have made for a very short book then. Somewhat disappointed in this one.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I couldn`t put this book down until I had finished reading it from the start to the finish. A great read for all to read. The story just flowed from the start to the finish for me. The characters worked so well together and I had a wonderful connection with them all. It is a bit of a teary book as well, but so well written. I never found any spelling mistakes or any holes in the plot of the story.
I can really recommend this for others that are over the age of 18+
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Breaking the Rules by Annie J. Rose lives up what to I expect from this author. Wonderful characters, scenery that I felt like I could step into and a storyline that had my emotions everywhere. This story had tears in my eyes but it also showed recovery and strength. Livvy and Ben had incredible chemistry. Her guilt just punched me in the gut. Together these two just clicked. I recommend this book and author. It is well written and emotionally draining but rewarding.
This story is one of those really sweet love stories that are a pleasure to read. Love and ranches are just somehow a really good combination. There are so many possibilities to make a good combination with these two that, I at least, mostly enjoy reading these stories very much. This story here is just such a story. It was a pleasure to read this one. The storyline is good and the characterization is very good as well. Overall it is really worthy of the fabulous four stars I am giving it here.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
As always this author delivered another masterpiece. I loved the first person point of view which is always a deal breaker for me. The story pulled me in from the start, because this author just has a unique style of writing that just pulls you into the story. Emotionally this story will put you on a rollercoaster and that was what made it even better. 5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Breaking The Rules by Annie J. Rose is a captivating,emotional,touching,steamy and filled with drama..a romance story of Ben and Livvy.. two broken souls found each other and help each other to over come the guilt,sorrow and loneliness of their heart..An ex marine and a teacher romance story that will touch your heartstring. well done!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Livvy was in a shocking accident which took her husband's life. It took many months for her to recover from her injuries, but not the mental ones. They were still there. Her best friend, Meg, bought her a six-week stay at a therapy ranch for people with PTSD. There she meets one of the gorgeous owners called Ben. They are drawn to each other, but she is a client. And she also feels guilty because of her husband. What a wonderful story. Loved it.
This book is so good and not to be missed. When Livvy and Ben first meet there is an instant attraction but would either act on it. He runs a therapy ranch where people can go to heal and she is a client at the ranch. I loved how they were together but will guilt tear them apart. Full of emotion and so much love but will they get their HEA. A brilliant ending.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wow!! What a story! It caught my attention and had me smiling almost all the time. There were some down spots, emotionally but you could see them being worked out. The chemistry between Ben and Livvie was hot! Each character is awesome, well-developed and written. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it!! A must read!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Story was so well written and pulled you in from page one. After suffering a tragic loss, Livvy’s best friend books her into a program run by ex marines. The program is for people who are suffering from some form of trauma. Ben is one of the owners and works with the horses, Livvy takes lessons and soon falls hard for Ben. Ben who should not fall for a client does so anyway. They have all kinds of problems but are able to work through them all.
The story is full of good characters, attraction, connection, chemistry, grief, sorrow, PTSD, guilt, ups, downs, support, understanding, recovery, beautiful creatures, strength, bravery, healing and love. It is a story that tugs at your heart.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The author has given us a wonderful story that pulls us into the lives of Livvy and Ben and does not let go. The story drags your emotion to the surface with all the challenges that Livvy and Ben will have to deal with before they even have a chance at happiness.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Arc review I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. Livvy is a third grade teacher and after the death of her husband and her recovery after the accident. she is still struggling after 2 years ,so her best friend sets her up for 6 weeks a recovery ranch . this story has chemistry romance and so much more awesome story.
Good read. Ben, a former Marine, and Livvy, a widower, both suffer from death, but in different ways. There is an instant attraction and some ethical issues with said attraction, but they make a wonderful couple. And we get our HEA!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.