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Lake Howling #1-3
The Lake Howling Boxed Set
In a small Oregon town, three different couples are in for the ride of their life… LOL funny, sizzling sexy, this set of contemporary romances will deliver you all the feels, from USA Today bestselling author Wendy Vella.
PROMISE OF HOME (Jake and Branna)
Reclusive. Grumpy. Irresistible.
Dr Jake McBride loves two things in life. His people, and chicken cheesy-crust pies. Returning from Iraq, he’s done with medicine and strangers… in fact life. He knows all about trauma, and plans on dealing with his, his own way. His needs are simple, solitude and working on his new career as the town recluse. The only problem with that… well two actually, are the interfering towns folk of Lake Howling, and Branna O’Donnell. He’s damn sure that her return means nothing to him… until it does!
THE TEXAN MEETS HIS MATCH (Ethan and Annabelle)
Hot. Rich. Annoying.
Helicopter pilot Ethan Gelderman V is a man who understands woman, both in and out of the bedroom. Annabelle ‘killer’ Smith seems to be the only lady who looks at him like he’s something she got stuck on her stiletto. Sexy, beautiful and colder than a glacier, she lives in the small town of Lake Howling alongside his best friend, and she has a lifetime supply of Texan repellent. But Ethan has one thing in his favor – persistence - and when he gets the chance to infiltrate her defenses he takes it, and to hell with the bite marks!
HOW SWEET IT IS (Buster and Willow)
Enemies to lovers. And dangerously hot buns.
Buster Griffin has zero tolerance for idiots. Annoy him and you’re cut from his life. Unless you’re a friend, then you get two strikes. When Willow Harper from New York turns up in his home town of Lake Howling determined to meddle, he’s ready to move her on. The problems starts when her business woman persona sheds and he discovers the sweet, hot mess beneath. Before he knows it, he’s making plans to keep her.
If you enjoy your small town romance sizzling with a side of crazy, then Lake Howling is for you. Meet the real authority in town (the local book club) and remember to stick your nose in everyone’s business! Swim in the ice cold lake, then warm up with a coffee and mystery muffin at The Hoot Café. Plenty of feels and LOL’s, all wrapped up in a town that will have you packing your bags to head there from the opening page.
BOOKS IN THIS SERIES
A Promise Of Home
The Texan Meets His Match
How Sweet It Is
It Only Took You
Don't Look Back
A Long Way Home
Then Came You
ebook
First published October 28, 2015
624 people are currently reading
242 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Vella
96 books831 followersWendy Vella is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of historical romances filled with mystery, intrigue, unconventional heroines, and dashing heroes.
Connect with Wendy in her Facebook reader group facebook.com/groups/wendyvellareaders or sign up for her reader newsletter at WendyVella.com to get goodies, exclusive excerpts and behind-the-scenes peeks.
Wendy also writes small town contemporary romances under the name Lani Blake.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
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May 20, 2023🎁 FREE on Amazon today (6/12/2020)! 🎁
May 25, 2023
4.5 stars
1. A PROMISE OF HOME - 5 STARS
How have I missed this series? I absolutely loved this story and the interesting characters in this small town! I grew up in a small town in Ohio, where everyone knew your business but also were there to help no matter what. So this story really resonated with me.
Story used so many of my emotions, highs and lows. Abandonment issues to overcome, scarring from war, physical abuse (off line) but you see the aftermath, funny banter, honest dialogue, and don't forget loving and caring people to help you, whether you want them to or not - lol. Loved the story about the mystery muffin and the little boy.
Romance builds slowly, lovemaking outside of marriage - heat level 5 out of 5 and described many times. I found it filled with love and passion others may not. Many crude words used and the Lord's name used in vain a few times.
No cheating, no cliffhanger, surprises, suspense, violence, twists and I was surprised at the villain. You are left to wonder what profession did the H decide on. I'm sure that will be in the next book of this series. I can't improve on the blurb, just giving you some tidbits to decide whether to purchase or not.
2. THE TEXAN MEETS HIS MATCH - 4.5 STARS
I did like the verbal sparring these two brought out in each other. This story is partly about someone with a heroin addiction. Is this true to life how it's managed - NO! So if you are a stickler for everything being true to life, you will be disappointed. The relationship with the H's brother etc., is a little out there too. When the villains are caught I had to suspend belief how it went down, with the sheriff not being involved. But, it's fiction and I absolutely loved the MC. There connection worked and I enjoyed the journey of them discovering what their relationship could be.
Lovemaking described often and some heat level 5 out of 5. Since I loved them as a couple, it was filled with passion and love. Romance builds slowly which I enjoyed.
This is a stand alone, but the secondary characters' are so engaging and quirky that I urge you to purchase these stories. They've been out for awhile and are now in a boxed set.
Story has suspense, intrigue, twists, great banter, crude words used many times and the Lord's name. No cheating, no cliffhanger, HEA, romantic and steam.
I can't improve on the blurb, just giving you some extra tidbits to decide whether to purchase or not, which I recommend.
3. HOW SWEET IT IS - 4.25 STARS
A few editing issues, but nothing you couldn't figure out. This story didn't have nasty threatening villains as books 1 and 2. Just two people who think they don't need anyone else besides their friends. Some miscommunication that is resolved within a few days.
Lovemaking outside of marriage - heat level 5 out of 5 and described a few times. Crude words and Lords name used, but not as many times in the previous books.
Some twists, romance builds slowly, steam, no cheating and no cliffhanger. I didn't think the person who showed up at the carnival was needed. I did like the epilogue 6 months in the future. I did enjoy catching up with the characters from the previous stories.
I can't improve on the blurb, just giving you some extra tidbits to decide whether to purchase this story. (ljb)
1. A PROMISE OF HOME - 5 STARS
How have I missed this series? I absolutely loved this story and the interesting characters in this small town! I grew up in a small town in Ohio, where everyone knew your business but also were there to help no matter what. So this story really resonated with me.
Story used so many of my emotions, highs and lows. Abandonment issues to overcome, scarring from war, physical abuse (off line) but you see the aftermath, funny banter, honest dialogue, and don't forget loving and caring people to help you, whether you want them to or not - lol. Loved the story about the mystery muffin and the little boy.
Romance builds slowly, lovemaking outside of marriage - heat level 5 out of 5 and described many times. I found it filled with love and passion others may not. Many crude words used and the Lord's name used in vain a few times.
No cheating, no cliffhanger, surprises, suspense, violence, twists and I was surprised at the villain. You are left to wonder what profession did the H decide on. I'm sure that will be in the next book of this series. I can't improve on the blurb, just giving you some tidbits to decide whether to purchase or not.
2. THE TEXAN MEETS HIS MATCH - 4.5 STARS
I did like the verbal sparring these two brought out in each other. This story is partly about someone with a heroin addiction. Is this true to life how it's managed - NO! So if you are a stickler for everything being true to life, you will be disappointed. The relationship with the H's brother etc., is a little out there too. When the villains are caught I had to suspend belief how it went down, with the sheriff not being involved. But, it's fiction and I absolutely loved the MC. There connection worked and I enjoyed the journey of them discovering what their relationship could be.
Lovemaking described often and some heat level 5 out of 5. Since I loved them as a couple, it was filled with passion and love. Romance builds slowly which I enjoyed.
This is a stand alone, but the secondary characters' are so engaging and quirky that I urge you to purchase these stories. They've been out for awhile and are now in a boxed set.
Story has suspense, intrigue, twists, great banter, crude words used many times and the Lord's name. No cheating, no cliffhanger, HEA, romantic and steam.
I can't improve on the blurb, just giving you some extra tidbits to decide whether to purchase or not, which I recommend.
3. HOW SWEET IT IS - 4.25 STARS
A few editing issues, but nothing you couldn't figure out. This story didn't have nasty threatening villains as books 1 and 2. Just two people who think they don't need anyone else besides their friends. Some miscommunication that is resolved within a few days.
Lovemaking outside of marriage - heat level 5 out of 5 and described a few times. Crude words and Lords name used, but not as many times in the previous books.
Some twists, romance builds slowly, steam, no cheating and no cliffhanger. I didn't think the person who showed up at the carnival was needed. I did like the epilogue 6 months in the future. I did enjoy catching up with the characters from the previous stories.
I can't improve on the blurb, just giving you some extra tidbits to decide whether to purchase this story. (ljb)
October 6, 2021
A Promise of Home
The first book I read in this series was kind of in the middle. It’s interesting to now come back to the beginning to see what started it all. Jake and Branna are both wounded souls that have gotten really good at keeping everyone out, using their pain as a way to shield themselves from getting hurt any further. Watching them essentially hide from their lives made my heart hurt, especially when they would lash out at one another to gain distance back. But, I loved seeing the growth they both undergo and the steps they take to heal the relationships in their lives that they had damaged.
The Texan Meets His Match
This was another pair that have gone out of their way to prove that hate and love aren’t opposite sides of the coin. There were so many sparks between Ethan and Annabelle – and not all of them the good kind. Ethan I could understand; he fits a pattern that I could recognize. For the most part, it was easy for me to love him. Annabelle left me wanting to tear my hair out by the roots. A lot of that could be how much of my own bad behavior I could recognize in hers. Stubbornly proud, she’s independent to a fault, and won’t take ANY help that’s offered to her without a whole lot of fuss and bother. She heaps guilt onto herself that’s not hers to own and she puts so much effort into enabling her brother. Even after all of that, I enjoyed the book. I loved seeing Jake and Branna’s wedding at the end of it. But, Annabelle was a lot to take.
How Sweet It Is
I’m really kind of torn about this story. I loved Buster in the previous books, but he comes across as a bit of a jerk in this one. However, he was still easier to love than Willow most of the time. I connected with her as the harried professional trying so hard to achieve her dream, but disconnecting from her emotions and the quantity of anger she felt towards her family didn’t make a lot of sense to me. I loved who this pair became in the end; it just felt like I had a lot of work to get there. I was also a little thrown off by the spelling, grammatical, and continuity errors.
The first book I read in this series was kind of in the middle. It’s interesting to now come back to the beginning to see what started it all. Jake and Branna are both wounded souls that have gotten really good at keeping everyone out, using their pain as a way to shield themselves from getting hurt any further. Watching them essentially hide from their lives made my heart hurt, especially when they would lash out at one another to gain distance back. But, I loved seeing the growth they both undergo and the steps they take to heal the relationships in their lives that they had damaged.
The Texan Meets His Match
This was another pair that have gone out of their way to prove that hate and love aren’t opposite sides of the coin. There were so many sparks between Ethan and Annabelle – and not all of them the good kind. Ethan I could understand; he fits a pattern that I could recognize. For the most part, it was easy for me to love him. Annabelle left me wanting to tear my hair out by the roots. A lot of that could be how much of my own bad behavior I could recognize in hers. Stubbornly proud, she’s independent to a fault, and won’t take ANY help that’s offered to her without a whole lot of fuss and bother. She heaps guilt onto herself that’s not hers to own and she puts so much effort into enabling her brother. Even after all of that, I enjoyed the book. I loved seeing Jake and Branna’s wedding at the end of it. But, Annabelle was a lot to take.
How Sweet It Is
I’m really kind of torn about this story. I loved Buster in the previous books, but he comes across as a bit of a jerk in this one. However, he was still easier to love than Willow most of the time. I connected with her as the harried professional trying so hard to achieve her dream, but disconnecting from her emotions and the quantity of anger she felt towards her family didn’t make a lot of sense to me. I loved who this pair became in the end; it just felt like I had a lot of work to get there. I was also a little thrown off by the spelling, grammatical, and continuity errors.
November 10, 2019
Purchased this contemporary three-book Lake Howling series, after reading the first book wanting to continue. Loved the first book with its multi-faceted theme (grieving, family, issues, romance, mystery). Books 2 & 3 had simpler plots surrounding family issues hindering commitment, however, it is always difficult to maintain momentum following a great first book. These books (hot and sexy with strong language) flourishes with verbal and interactive sparring between the characters, but more geared to the younger generation with its almost too descriptive and repetitive, but similar, explicit sexual encounters. Well-written and able to maintain one's attention throughout for those who prefer this genre.
May 25, 2023
I like the side characters and when they all get together it’s very well written and entertaining. However the protagonists in each story are each keeping secrets and are very prickly towards others, especially when anyone offers help. So the conflict is bad communication and bad attitude in each case! I’m not really a fan of soap operas either. I also noticed a tendency of the men to ignore the women’s wishes and just push right on to doing what they want. This is not forceful or attractive, just disrespectful and a giant red flag.
February 11, 2018
Just what I felt that....l
Something small town, cozy, romantic and hot! I liked the first and last. I lOVED the second. the Texan meets his match. I need a Gelderman the 5th! I loved Ethan and Annabelle. That was a great enemies to lovers story & smoking hot, lol.
I like the town and all, but I’m pretty sure I could read a book about Ethan a week for the rest of my life and live happily. Where can I find my own Texas Tomcat? 😉
Recommend.
Something small town, cozy, romantic and hot! I liked the first and last. I lOVED the second. the Texan meets his match. I need a Gelderman the 5th! I loved Ethan and Annabelle. That was a great enemies to lovers story & smoking hot, lol.
I like the town and all, but I’m pretty sure I could read a book about Ethan a week for the rest of my life and live happily. Where can I find my own Texas Tomcat? 😉
Recommend.
June 12, 2020
I enjoyed these stories very much. Quite refreshing and the threats in the the story line
Very interesting. I am sure most would enjoy this series, cannot wait to read the rest of the series. Thank you!
Very interesting. I am sure most would enjoy this series, cannot wait to read the rest of the series. Thank you!
June 18, 2020
Wonderful box set
This box set is great. All stories were great & well written.The characters were great & each book was a standalone. No cliffhangers.They kept your interest until the end. It was hard to them down.Highly recommend.
This box set is great. All stories were great & well written.The characters were great & each book was a standalone. No cliffhangers.They kept your interest until the end. It was hard to them down.Highly recommend.
June 5, 2023
Fun small town romances
I enjoyed these stories in the Lake Howling series. Fun characters, good love stories, happy endings. Makes me want to keep reading to find out the next character's story.
I enjoyed these stories in the Lake Howling series. Fun characters, good love stories, happy endings. Makes me want to keep reading to find out the next character's story.
June 20, 2023
Lake Howling series
This is a terrific 3 volume series taking place in a small town where everyone knows everything about everyone in town. 3 different couples all find mystery and romance. They all are best friends so the story just continues on to each volume. It's a great read!
This is a terrific 3 volume series taking place in a small town where everyone knows everything about everyone in town. 3 different couples all find mystery and romance. They all are best friends so the story just continues on to each volume. It's a great read!
January 4, 2020
The Lake Howling Series
This was the first time a read anything by Wendy Vella. I was hooked right away. I Love this series.
This was the first time a read anything by Wendy Vella. I was hooked right away. I Love this series.
June 16, 2020
Well etched characters and the dialogues flow easily. The characters have a great chemistry with each other. Enjoyed reading it.
June 17, 2020
Please see individual stories for review.
June 1, 2023
Decent read.
June 4, 2023
This was mostly a wonderful series but it would have been vastly improved without the graphic sex details.
June 17, 2023
Great Read!
I enjoyed the first 3 books in this series and will have to now read the next 4. I will recommend these to friends and family.
I enjoyed the first 3 books in this series and will have to now read the next 4. I will recommend these to friends and family.
Want to read
June 17, 2023Amz Purch. May 20, 2023
June 22, 2023
Good series. Humor, romance, some suspense. I enjoyed them.
June 25, 2023
Each book was reviewed separately.
Was not impressed.
Was not impressed.
July 6, 2023
I fell in love with each character, the story line is great can't wait to read the rest of the series😀
September 29, 2023
Good collection
May 10, 2025
Lake Howling
Enjoyed the stories. Makes you want to visit and maybe move there. Sorry the rest of the series needs to be bought instead of on unlimited.
Enjoyed the stories. Makes you want to visit and maybe move there. Sorry the rest of the series needs to be bought instead of on unlimited.
January 7, 2021
Really nice read with this, you get to know the characters and the town they live in. Definitely worth reading
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews