Category Archives: One and Only Texas Series

Review: One Wild Night by Melissa Cutler

Title: One Wild Night by Melissa Cutler
One and Only Texas Series Book Three
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley\

Summary:

Return to beautiful Briscoe Ranch Resort in Melissa Cutler’s next steamy installment of the One and Only Texas series, One Wild Night.

Get ready for the ride of your life…
A cowgirl at heart, Skye Martinez has a rebellious streak she’s determined to shake. Especially since she’s poised to take the reins of her family’s business at Briscoe Ranch Resort. It’s time for her to settle down and get serious about her future…right after one last night of fun with a handsome stranger she meets in the resort’s stable. But when a midnight horseback ride turns into a red-hot weekend with one of country music’s biggest stars, Skye’s world is rocked beyond her wildest dreams…

Gentry Wells rode his bad boy image all the way to the top of the country music charts. But churning out hits has dried up his creativity, and he can’t remember the last time his life was his own. Skye is a sexy distraction he can’t resist, especially since she breathes new life into his music. They bring out the wild side in each other, which is great for Gentry’s career–but a major threat to Skye’s. Too bad he’s fallen in love with her. With their hearts and futures on the line, can Gentry convince Skye to turn their joyride into a real chance to ride off into the sunset together?

Review:

One Wild Night by Melissa Cutler is the latest addition the One and Only Texas series.  Although this newest release is the  third installment in the series, it can be read as a standalone.

Skye Martinez is ready to settle down, but with a string a disastrous dates behind her, she is beginning to lose hope she will find a man to spend the rest of her life with.  When she decides to take a midnight ride, she is rather surprised to find a handsome stranger in the barn.  Skye decides to throw caution to the wind when she invites him to join her and then agrees to meet him the next night.  Unbeknownst to Skye, the sexy man whose company she is enjoying is fading country superstar Gentry Wells.  With completely different plans for their respective futures, Skye and Gentry agree to part ways after they spend a passionate night together.

Skye made an ill-fated choice almost a decade earlier that she has no intention of repeating.  Finally deciding it is time to live up to her mother’s expectation of settling down with a nice Catholic man, Skye is running out of options when she meets Gentry. He is everything she is trying to avoid, but she cannot resist one final fling before she resumes her search for the “perfect” husband.  Their night together exceeds her wildest dreams but once Gentry confides he has no plans to marry, Skye does not have any trouble walking away from him.  She is still searching for Mr. Right when Gentry makes an unexpected return but will she be able to resist letting her wild side free one last time?

Gentry is considered the bad boy of country music but none of his adoring fans realize that he is nothing like his beer swilling, skirt-chasing public persona.  Trying to revive his flagging career, he is struggling to write the songs for his next album when he meets Skye. The sultry beauty immediately fires up his flagging libido and helps him break free from his writer’s block.  Despite their fiery attraction, Gentry has no plan to marry again, so when their time together is over, the two go their separate ways.  However, Gentry cannot stop thinking about Skye and he tempts her into unleashing her rebellious streak again but their reunion has barely begun when disaster strikes.  In the aftermath, can Gentry convince Skye to give him another chance?

Gentry and Skye are interesting characters who are both carrying around plenty of baggage from past mistakes.  Gentry loves his career but he is ready to shed his bad boy image that made him famous. Skye is also trying to reinvent herself by denying the fun-loving side of her personality. Skye and Gentry share a combustible chemistry, but there does not seem to be any future for them since they both want different things for their respective futures. Following a crisis, Gentry makes a pretty dramatic transformation, but the same event solidifies Skye belief she is being punished for her choices.

One Wild Night by Melissa Cutler is an entertaining romance that is delectably steamy.  Although there is plenty of chemistry between Gentry and Skye, their romance is a little lackluster since they spend very little time with each other.  Skye’s need to change her personality is a little frustrating since it is quite obvious she is trying to mold herself into what other people want her to be.  Gentry’s change of heart is a little too drastic to believe despite his obvious commitment to his new life. Although this latest addition to the One and Only Texas series is an enjoyable read, the relationship between Gentry and Skye is a somewhat underdeveloped.

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Filed under Contemporary, Melissa Cutler, One and Only Texas Series, One Wild Night, Rated C+, Review, Romance, St Martin's Paperbacks

Review: One More Taste by Melissa Cutler

Title: One More Taste by Melissa Cutler
One and Only Texas Series Book Two
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

If you can’t take the heat…

Chef Emily Ford has the talent and ambition to make it in the cutthroat culinary world―which is why she refuses to accept her demotion at the hands of Knox Briscoe, the new CEO of Briscoe Ranch Resort. He has grand plans that include bringing in a celebrity chef to helm an exciting new restaurant at the resort, but Emily has plans of her own―to do whatever it takes to change his mind…

ONE MORE TASTE

Cut out of the Briscoe fortune by an old feud that left his family in ruins, Knox grew up dreaming of revenge. Out-maneuvering his uncle for control of Briscoe Ranch is merely the first step in a grand plan that doesn’t include the brazen and beautiful Emily Ford…or the attraction that sizzles between them. With both their futures on the line, can they keep their desires on simmer―or are they headed from the frying pan straight into the fire?e?

Review:

One More Taste by Melissa Cutler is an engaging romance between a chef and a CEO with an agenda.  This newest addition to the delightful One and Only Texas series easily stands on its own, but I highly recommend the previous installments as well.

Determined to right a thirty plus year wrong, Knox Briscoe has cleverly maneuvered himself into a position that will allow him to wrest control of the Briscoe Ranch Resort from his estranged Uncle Ty.  Knox is part owner in a very lucrative investment company and he has carefully planned to take revenge on the branch of the family that cut his now deceased father off without a penny.  With no idea what caused the rift in the family, Knox is finally getting to know his Granny June and assorted cousins, but his need to avenge his dad is the driving force behind his plans for the resort.  While he begins to care for various relatives, Knox has no plans to alter his plans but when culinary genius Emily Ford begins to work her way into his heart, will he change his mind?

Having escaped her dysfunctional family when she was a teenager, Emily considers the resort her home and she has nothing but respect for the entire Briscoe family. She is on the verge of achieving her dream of opening her own restaurant on the ranch when Knox arrives and threatens to derail her plans.  Using her incredible skills for reading people, Emily sets about proving that she is more than capable of owning a high end restaurant.  What she does not count on is how far Knox is going to get under her skin once she figures out what makes him tick. Realizing she needs to face her past so she can have a future with Knox, Emily makes an impetuous decision that could destroy everything she has worked so hard to achieve.

Knox and Emily are both surprised by how much they enjoy  each other’s company.  Emily’s past relationships have convinced her that sex and love are overrated so she is determined to ignore her attraction to her boss.  Knox has enough going on in his life so he is not looking for any type of distraction. He throws out the challenge for Emily to prove herself without thinking things through and he is quite shocked at how much he looks forward to spending time with her. Their sizzling hot attraction leads to a unexpected romance but will their unexpected feelings for one another change their plans for the future?

The reason behind the Briscoe family estrangement is a closely guarded secret that no one will talk about.  Knox’s father died an embittered man who never forgave his family for turning their backs on him.  Knox is merciless as he sets his plans in motion and although he feels a twinge of doubt as he moves forward, he refuses to back down.  When the ultimate revenge is within his grasp, an unexpected betrayal threatens to destroy his family’s legacy.  With his Uncle Ty feeling threatened, he turns on Knox and his shocking revelations turn Knox’s world upside down. Will this newfound knowledge alter Knox’s plans for the Briscoe Ranch Resort?

One More Taste is an absolutely delightful romance that beautifully illustrates how love can soften even the hardest of hearts.  This latest addition to Melissa Cutler’s One and Only Texas series is a wonderful journey of healing for Knox, Emily and the Briscoe family that old and new fans are sure to love. 

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Filed under Contemporary, Melissa Cutler, One and Only Texas Series, One More Taste, Rated B, Review, Romance, St Martin's Paperbacks

Review: One Hot Summer by Melissa Cutler

Title: One Hot Summer by Melissa Cutler
One and Only Texas Series Book One
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 379 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Welcome to Dulcet, Texas, home of the legendary Briscoe Ranch Resort, where one woman will discover that even love is bigger in the Lone Star State.

Celebrity wedding planner Remedy Lane is Hollywood royalty—until a scandal sends her packing to the wilds of Texas. She has a knack for leaving disaster in her wake, but she’s determined to reboot her career at Briscoe Ranch, a luxury resort known for extravagant weddings. Little does she know that weddings don’t happen at the resort without the approval of the town’s cowboy-swaggering, too-hot-for-his-own-good fire chief, Micah Garrity.

ONE HOT SUMMER
Micah knows trouble when he sees it, and all it takes is one glimpse of Remedy’s princess airs for him to know he’s met his match. Too bad he can’t stop thinking about her—even when she brings about one disaster after another at the resort. He and Remedy clash at every turn, but they can’t stop the sparks flying between them. They come from such different worlds—does love stand a chance or will this fire burn too hot for either of them to handle?

Don’t miss the first book in Melissa Cutler’s One and Only Texas series!

Review:

The first installment in Melissa Cutler’s newest series, One and Only Texas,  One Hot Summer is a humor-filled, sexy novel.  This opposites attract love story is an entertaining and captivating read that fans of contemporary romances are going to love.

After a scandal ruins her celebrity wedding planning career, Remedy Lane accepts a position as a special events manager at a luxury resort in Texas.  Hoping to return to California once the publicity dies down and she redeems her tarnished career,  Remedy immediately locks horns with local fire chief Micah Garrity.  The swaggering cowboy is undeniably sexy but Remedy has no use for an Alpha male who seems determined to make her life miserable.  The two share a sizzling hot attraction that is impossible to resist but will their misconceptions about one another and their personal baggage ruin their chance at happiness?

The daughter of two high profile actors, Remedy is used to being in the limelight but that does not mean she is comfortable being the center of attention.  Although she loves and respects her parents, she never quite felt like she fit into their world and she is determined to prove she can make it without their help.  Remedy is a fish out of water in the small rural town and as one of the executives from the resort, she is not exactly popular with many of the townspeople.  She has a few preconceived notions about country life that color her perceptions of her new home, but once she witnesses the close-knit community in action, Remedy begins to appreciate her new home.

Micah is overbearing and a bit of a jerk to Remedy the first few times their paths cross.  He takes his job as Fire Marshall very seriously and having witnessed firsthand the destruction fire wreaks, he refuses to cut the resort any slack.  He has a strict no fraternizing policy when it comes to the executives of the resort, but his desire for Remedy quickly trumps his long held rule.  Micah is tough and not always fair-minded but it is impossible not like him.  Underneath his gruff exterior beats the heart of a hero who wants to rush in and save the people he cares about.

In spite of their rather tension-filled first few encounters, there is no denying the chemistry between Micah and Remedy.   Remedy refuses to let him intimidate her and she is quite feisty as she throws a few well-aimed barbs his way.  Micah has a fairly big chip on his shoulder where the resort, its executives and its guests are concerned, but he cannot help but admire Remedy’s sassy attitude.  With the sparks flying at every meeting, it is inevitable that Micah and Remedy will give in to their desire, but a permanent relationship between them is far from certain.

One Hot Summer is an outrageously funny and passionate romance.  The storyline is engaging and innovative but it is the wonderful cast of quirky but appealing characters that makes it such an enjoyable read.  This absolutely charming beginning to Melissa Cutler’s heartwarming One and Only Texas series will leave readers impatiently awaiting the next installment.

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Filed under Contemporary, Melissa Cutler, One and Only Texas Series, One Hot Summer, Rated B+, Review, Romance, St Martin's Paperbacks