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Granite Falls #2
Fighting for Bailey
Small-Town Second-Chance Sweet Romance
A single dad must fight with all he has to keep his newborn daughter, even if it means accepting help from the woman who broke his heart when she left him.
Nick Carr takes one look at his newborn baby girl and knows he’ll do anything to keep her. His baby’s mother didn’t survive the delivery, and now her well-connected and influential parents are fighting him for custody.
Seven years earlier, Gillian Barnes broke Nick’s heart when she left Granite Falls and married another. At the time, she didn’t want to come back to the small town of Granite Falls, and he never wanted to leave. Now, she’s returned. Her life is in shambles. Her husband’s in jail awaiting trial; her body’s battered from a car accident, and her heart is broken from the loss of a child.
Gillian isn’t sure what to do with the rest of her life, but she suddenly knows what she’s going to do right then. She’s going to help Nick fight for his baby.
Only her husband has other plans. After being released from jail, he’s tying up loose ends and rebuilding his life along with his criminal enterprise. He’s not going to let Gillian go.
Grief can tear people apart, and it can stitch them back together. As Gillian and Nick begin to heal, they find their purpose. Gillian won’t let Nick lose his child. Nick won’t let Gillian’s husband take her away from him again.
Together, they find the love they once shared, but can they trust it enough to let it save them?
Can that love give them what it takes to fight against all odds and build the family they’ve both been longing for?
A single dad must fight with all he has to keep his newborn daughter, even if it means accepting help from the woman who broke his heart when she left him.
Nick Carr takes one look at his newborn baby girl and knows he’ll do anything to keep her. His baby’s mother didn’t survive the delivery, and now her well-connected and influential parents are fighting him for custody.
Seven years earlier, Gillian Barnes broke Nick’s heart when she left Granite Falls and married another. At the time, she didn’t want to come back to the small town of Granite Falls, and he never wanted to leave. Now, she’s returned. Her life is in shambles. Her husband’s in jail awaiting trial; her body’s battered from a car accident, and her heart is broken from the loss of a child.
Gillian isn’t sure what to do with the rest of her life, but she suddenly knows what she’s going to do right then. She’s going to help Nick fight for his baby.
Only her husband has other plans. After being released from jail, he’s tying up loose ends and rebuilding his life along with his criminal enterprise. He’s not going to let Gillian go.
Grief can tear people apart, and it can stitch them back together. As Gillian and Nick begin to heal, they find their purpose. Gillian won’t let Nick lose his child. Nick won’t let Gillian’s husband take her away from him again.
Together, they find the love they once shared, but can they trust it enough to let it save them?
Can that love give them what it takes to fight against all odds and build the family they’ve both been longing for?
180 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 17, 2022
11 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Cooke
113 books278 followersCynthia Cooke is an acclaimed USA Today Bestselling author, with a prolific career spanning two decades. Since her debut in 2003, Cynthia has captivated readers worldwide with her compelling storytelling. With over 40 novels to her name, she has enchanted audiences in 12 different countries through her works published by esteemed houses such as Harlequin, Entangled Publishing, and Amazon Kindle Worlds.
Recognized for her mastery of heartwarming small-town romantic suspense, Cynthia fearlessly guides her readers along the razor's edge of anticipation and intrigue. Her immersive narratives leave no room for rest and take you on a thrilling journey that will keep you on the edge of your seat long into the night.
Take a leap of faith and immerse yourself in Cynthia Cooke's world, where the heart races, emotions soar, and love conquers all.
Twitter - https://twitter.com/CynthiaCooke5
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.cook...
Recognized for her mastery of heartwarming small-town romantic suspense, Cynthia fearlessly guides her readers along the razor's edge of anticipation and intrigue. Her immersive narratives leave no room for rest and take you on a thrilling journey that will keep you on the edge of your seat long into the night.
Take a leap of faith and immerse yourself in Cynthia Cooke's world, where the heart races, emotions soar, and love conquers all.
Twitter - https://twitter.com/CynthiaCooke5
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.cook...
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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July 11, 2024
Fighting For Bailey is book two in the Granite Falls series by Cynthia Cooke. This book had a little bit of everything. Single father romance, second chance, suspense and probably more I am forgetting.
Nick Carr’s life is a mess. My heart broke for him to the point my heart was pounding. He had so much he was trying to deal with at the same time. Nick just became a father. His tiny baby daughter is in the hospital having been born premature. Her mother died in child birth. The baby’s mother’s parents who are grief stricken over the loss of their daughter, are fighting Nick for custody of the baby. And they are fighting dirty. Nick is trying to get his construction business off the ground. And on top of everything else, the woman who seven years ago crushed his heart, has returned to Granite Falls.
Seven years ago, Gillian Barnes might have been in love with Nick. But she was just a child with big dreams of getting out of this little tiny town. She wanted the big city. So, she left, leaving Nick behind and breaking his heart. She eventually met and was swept off her feet by someone else whom she married. Only now she has discovered that man was not who or what she thought he was. He’s now in jail and with nowhere else to go, Gillian has come back to Granite Falls, realizing way too late that this is really home, that she never should have left in the first place.
All it really took was one look between these two to realize that the love they shared all those years ago never died. It was still there stronger than ever. Gillian is determined to help Nick do whatever it takes to keep custody of his baby daughter. And Nick knows he wants Gillian in his life, both for himself and for his daughter. He let her go once but he won’t let her go again. But, do they even have a chance? Gillian’s husband will never let her go. And once the secret gets out regarding what her husband did, she could be more of a hazard to Nick’s case for custody then a help.
This really was good and fast moving. I don’t even know how Nick could function with everything he had on his shoulders. There was a lot going on here at the same time and I was so worried for these two. There is a lot packed into this little book and a few times, I thought things might be moving too fast. But, I really did love it.
As I said in the review for the previous book, I earlier started at book four of this series and read all the way to the end. I’m just now going back and reading the first three books. Book three is called Finding Home and I can’t wait to read it.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
Nick Carr’s life is a mess. My heart broke for him to the point my heart was pounding. He had so much he was trying to deal with at the same time. Nick just became a father. His tiny baby daughter is in the hospital having been born premature. Her mother died in child birth. The baby’s mother’s parents who are grief stricken over the loss of their daughter, are fighting Nick for custody of the baby. And they are fighting dirty. Nick is trying to get his construction business off the ground. And on top of everything else, the woman who seven years ago crushed his heart, has returned to Granite Falls.
Seven years ago, Gillian Barnes might have been in love with Nick. But she was just a child with big dreams of getting out of this little tiny town. She wanted the big city. So, she left, leaving Nick behind and breaking his heart. She eventually met and was swept off her feet by someone else whom she married. Only now she has discovered that man was not who or what she thought he was. He’s now in jail and with nowhere else to go, Gillian has come back to Granite Falls, realizing way too late that this is really home, that she never should have left in the first place.
All it really took was one look between these two to realize that the love they shared all those years ago never died. It was still there stronger than ever. Gillian is determined to help Nick do whatever it takes to keep custody of his baby daughter. And Nick knows he wants Gillian in his life, both for himself and for his daughter. He let her go once but he won’t let her go again. But, do they even have a chance? Gillian’s husband will never let her go. And once the secret gets out regarding what her husband did, she could be more of a hazard to Nick’s case for custody then a help.
This really was good and fast moving. I don’t even know how Nick could function with everything he had on his shoulders. There was a lot going on here at the same time and I was so worried for these two. There is a lot packed into this little book and a few times, I thought things might be moving too fast. But, I really did love it.
As I said in the review for the previous book, I earlier started at book four of this series and read all the way to the end. I’m just now going back and reading the first three books. Book three is called Finding Home and I can’t wait to read it.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
February 14, 2022
Her life has fallen apart. The man she thought she loved and married is a criminal and she miscarried their baby. When her husband is arrested, she flees home to Granite Falls. He lost his best friend, but their child survived and he already loves his baby girl, Bailey. Gillian Barnes returns but not as she had hoped and Nick Carr sees her as she is admitted to the hospital following her car accident. Nick was supposed to be her forever love, but she longed for more and now her life is a mess. He is in for the fight of his life as Bailey’s grandparents are fighting for custody, but he has love and Gillian on his side. When her husband is released from jail, he refuses to her go and she is no longer safe. A bit predictable, but still a beautiful and emotional story as they fight for Bailey and maybe a second chance for their future…together. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)
February 17, 2022
Nick Carr is going to have the fight of his life to keep his baby daughter as Shelley didn’t survive the delivery and her wealthy parents are determined to gain custody of her. They weren’t married, but were best friends and planned on raising their daughter together. Nick’s heart is still with Gillian after all these years. As Gillian has come home struggling with problems of her own, she is determined to help him keep his baby. She is also recuperating from an accident so that makes matters worse. Watch how these two work together to help each other and when Gillian mysteriously disappears, Nick doesn’t give up on finding her.
February 17, 2022
I enjoyed this second chance romance with a thread of suspense running through it. I loved Gillian’s character from the beginning and once we met Nick, we definitely have a great hero and heroine. Both are going through some pretty serious things with Gillian and what she found out about her husband and possibly being watched along with Nick and his new baby and dealing with the Reaves. I liked how Gillian used all her knowledge to help Nick out with turning things around and he helped her as well. There was a lot that happened within this story, and I have to say I was on pins and needles for the last few chapters. I am glad that the Reaves came around however I am not sure I trust them 100% yet and I am glad that Paul, who is evil personified, finally got his dues. The storage locker key still intrigues me but overall, a great story and I liked how the book ended for Gillian, Nick, and Bailey.
April 28, 2022
... okay.
I received a free ARC of Fighting For Bailey and I'm not very impressed with this book.
Cooke would have done better if she had picked a lane for the story to follow: first, there was the child custody issue, the second-chance romance, and then the weird suspense section. From the premise, the child custody and the romance are large parts of the story, but the former gets shunted to the side to make room for the suspense and the latter was all over the place.
I'm pretty sure most of the legal drama isn't correct. (At least in Missouri) unless the child is born in a marriage, the father is not considered the father by the courts. Since Nick was never married to Shelley, the courts won't count him as the father. (Technically, if Shelley was married to some guy, he would be considered the father even if everyone knows he isn't.) And yet, the custody case is almost blown under the rug. It's illogical and random and barely has a place in the story because of it.
Nick and Gillian's old relationship was rarely discussed and it was hard wanting them together without knowing most of their history. Without it, their romance was too quick too fast. Nothing really fits in the story. The plot went here and there and the characters were decent, I guess, and it felt too crazy. If Cooke truly enjoyed all of the different storylines, she could write other books and use those storylines instead of trying to wrap them all into one.
I received a free ARC of Fighting For Bailey and I'm not very impressed with this book.
Cooke would have done better if she had picked a lane for the story to follow: first, there was the child custody issue, the second-chance romance, and then the weird suspense section. From the premise, the child custody and the romance are large parts of the story, but the former gets shunted to the side to make room for the suspense and the latter was all over the place.
I'm pretty sure most of the legal drama isn't correct. (At least in Missouri) unless the child is born in a marriage, the father is not considered the father by the courts. Since Nick was never married to Shelley, the courts won't count him as the father. (Technically, if Shelley was married to some guy, he would be considered the father even if everyone knows he isn't.) And yet, the custody case is almost blown under the rug. It's illogical and random and barely has a place in the story because of it.
Nick and Gillian's old relationship was rarely discussed and it was hard wanting them together without knowing most of their history. Without it, their romance was too quick too fast. Nothing really fits in the story. The plot went here and there and the characters were decent, I guess, and it felt too crazy. If Cooke truly enjoyed all of the different storylines, she could write other books and use those storylines instead of trying to wrap them all into one.
February 17, 2022
Their lives are a disaster. They both have troubles to work through, not really having time to pursue a relationship. Even one that is familiar since they were high school sweethearts. For the most part this story is really good. I wouldn't say it's my favorite book; it seemed like there was so much going on with both of them, making the story almost seem slow in the beginning- then suddenly it comes to a big climax and it almost becomes boring. I mean, he has his daughter, but there's still a battle for custody and Gillian is missing. Weeks go by, we see glimpses of something going on- mostly the danger she's in. Then the custody battle comes to a peaceful end and they finally have a clue to find Gillian. We have a little more action as Gillian gets rescued. Even with the danger she's in-which escalates when she's found briefly-it almost seems anticlimatic. Maybe that's just me. I still enjoyed the story concept and the characters.
*I am leaving an honest and voluntary review after receiving this book as an ARC.
*I am leaving an honest and voluntary review after receiving this book as an ARC.
February 18, 2022
Returning home after the implosion of her life, Gillian is a bit shell-shocked. When her high school boyfriend Nick sees that she's returned, those old feelings for his teenage girlfriend return in full force. Maybe he never got over her. As they reconnect, each begins to reveal their secrets and heartaches to the other. Nick will have to fight for custody of his infant daughter and Gillian is trying to figure out how to extricate herself from her criminal husband.
This book seems to consist of very different stories that don't quite mesh into a single narrative. There is the child custody story line, the second chance romance story line and a suspense element thrown into the mix. There's quite a bit happening to these characters over the course of the story, not allowing each storyline to fully develop. For example, while Nick and Gillian were high school sweethearts, why they reconnect and how they feel about each other as adults isn't fully explored.
Three stars for this second chance romance.
Note: Story elements including drug use, abuse and violence may trigger some readers.
This is an honest, voluntary review of an ARC of the story.
This book seems to consist of very different stories that don't quite mesh into a single narrative. There is the child custody story line, the second chance romance story line and a suspense element thrown into the mix. There's quite a bit happening to these characters over the course of the story, not allowing each storyline to fully develop. For example, while Nick and Gillian were high school sweethearts, why they reconnect and how they feel about each other as adults isn't fully explored.
Three stars for this second chance romance.
Note: Story elements including drug use, abuse and violence may trigger some readers.
This is an honest, voluntary review of an ARC of the story.
February 18, 2022
I like the premise of the book. My big problem was how quick it was. It was like bam, let’s add some drama, bam. There was no real flow.
The characters were great and believable. I thought Paul was sleeping with the psychical therapist, I mean why would she do what she was without it or money. You can’t tell me she would sit by and watch him hurt her without some kind of thing going on.
The issue with the baby was resolved way to quickly. I didn’t believe any of it.
Warning: kidnapping, drug use(not willing) included in this book
Received from Hidden Gems for honest review!
The characters were great and believable. I thought Paul was sleeping with the psychical therapist, I mean why would she do what she was without it or money. You can’t tell me she would sit by and watch him hurt her without some kind of thing going on.
The issue with the baby was resolved way to quickly. I didn’t believe any of it.
Warning: kidnapping, drug use(not willing) included in this book
Received from Hidden Gems for honest review!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews