Nancy Herkness - The CEO Buys In

Self-made billionaire Nathan Trainor feels restless and disillusioned. His company may be thriving, but he can’t find a woman who sees him for more than his wealth. With his love life in the red, he meets two other billionaire bachelors at the ultra-exclusive Bellwether Club. The three of them make a wager of the heart: they must find women who love them for who they are, not their money.
Savvy office temp Chloe Russell is trying to scrape together the money she needs to support her grandmother. So when a flu epidemic strikes Trainor Electronics and she’s promoted to Nathan Trainor’s assistant, she jumps at the lucrative opportunity. But then Nathan himself falls ill, and he and Chloe must work from his penthouse while he recuperates. Before long, it’s clear there’s genuine heat between them, and it’s more than just a fever spike. Will Nathan win Chloe’s heart—and the bet? Or will their differences destroy any chance for love?

Comment: This is the first book in the Wager of the Heart series by Nancy Herkness. I saw some positive comments on it somewhere and since in the blurb it was described the heroine was a hard working woman who had to pay bills and help her grandmother, I imagined catnip, since I really like struggling heroines but, of course, who can reach an HEA.

This book starts with the hero and two other rich guys making betting on a wager to find a woman who falls in love with them and not with the fact they have money. Knowing this would be quite difficult, billionaire hero Nathan tries to get out of the morning after but a new temporary receptionist and his own illness so soon after make them spend a lot of time together and the more he knows Chloe, the more genuine she appears.

For Chloe, this is another job but she can see her new boss is very good looking. However, things start to become weird after he gets ill but with some money issues to deal with, she also doesn't say no to better benefits.

Will these two hare more than a professional relationship?

When I saw the blurb for this book I was both surprised and eager because I had read a trilogy by the author before (Whisper Horse) and despite also being in contemporary genre, it didn't include a lot of sensuality (in my POV) but I hoped here the author would also include that. I mean, I liked the books in the other trilogy but they had been quite polished, in the sense that the character's behaviors felt contrived at times and there seemed to lack some obvious sexual attraction between them, even when it was described they kissed and so on.

I imagined this series might be sexier yes, but I wouldn't have minded the focus to be on the class differences between a rich hero and poorer heroine, since this is one of the tropes in romance I don't mind reading about.

When the story begun, I was hooked. I liked the idea of rich guys trying to find a woman that would love them for themselves and although the possible situations they would face being probably clichés didn't stop me from wanting to read it anyway. In fact, some scenes between Nathan and Chloe were like that, with him showing his money, his power, his possibilities in very obvious and sometimes absurd way.

Obviously, the goal here was for the reader to understand how the fact Nathan was very rich was not important for Chloe but several scenes just felt exaggerated, especially since the force behind it (show Chloe's lack of interest in his money) was repeated often.

In order for their relationship to seem being set in more than physical attraction, the author chose to have Nathan lacking emotional stability and his father was described as harsh because of his military profession and not willing to be close to Nathan like that. Of course Nathan has trust issues and so on... but I'd have preferred Nathan to be as confident and wealthy emotionally as he was financially. It just felt too easy to make them a complement like that, since Chloe is clearly down to earth and very attached to her grandmother.

Then we have the sexual attraction and intimacy. Whereas the Horse Whisper trilogy lacked some passion and defined romantic scenes (in my opinion, of course), in this story the couple jumped too quickly to sex. Of all the talk of finding someone for who he is and all that, he can't wait to sleep with her, even knowing she is his employee.

I'm as fan of boss/secretary romances as other romance readers but honestly, after the promising pages with Chloe not being "affected" by her new surroundings, the fact they so obviously gave in to their attraction made things lack romance for me. 

I don't think I liked them that much after that and the fact the focus was more and more on how they were together and in the details each took to a relationship instead of the share of special moments while their lives kept on being, this stopped being about a rich guy and a poorer girl and become more about how Chloe would accept being with a rich guy anyway.

There were interesting details in the story, the pace was only obviously negative to me when it concerned the physical relationship between the couple.

The secondary characters were quite forgettable for me, they only played a role but throughout the story I just felt some detachment of what was happening. I think that, in terms of writing appeal, this story is pretty much in sync with what I had read by the author: precise, well executed prose but not engaging to the point of making things look special or addictive.

In this sense, I got a bit disappointed over the book, it wasn't as captivating as I hoped for, especially since I was not a fan of how Nathan and Chloe worked as a couple.

I don't think I'll read the rest of the series.

Grade: 6/10

Nancy Herkness - The Place I Belong

Fleeing professional scandal and a broken engagement, veterinarian Hannah Linden abandons Chicago for the mountain town of Sanctuary, West Virginia, hoping to put her troubles with men and the media behind her. But when she encounters world-famous chef Adam Bosch, she finds herself increasingly drawn to the charming but darkly complex man and his troubled teenage son, Matt. Adam, a recovering alcoholic, fears he can never be a worthy father to the surly, distant boy he has just come to know, and enlists Hannah’s help in his struggle to connect with his son.
Hoping to coax Matt out of his shell, Hannah introduces the boy to an ailing brown pony who has the power to change his view of the world. But can the determined little whisper horse prove to Hannah, Adam, and Matt that they were meant to be a family?

Comment: This the third story in the Whisper Horse trilogy by author Nancy Herkness. I've read and enjoyed the previous two books but I have to say this one was much better. Nevertheless, it wasn't perfect, especially because the romance could have been more...well, romantic.

This book presents us Hannah Linden, a new veterinarian who comes to work for dr Tim (hero from book #1) so he can have more free time to travel with his wife.

Hannah has had a bad experience professionally and she applied to Sanctuary so she could hide but eventually her past catches up with her. Still, Hannah does her work and she helps a sick horse before he died. At the same time she bonds with both Adam Bosch and his son Matt, for different reasons. But Adam and Hannah come from different backgrounds and experiences. Can their relationship be more than polite and friendly? What about the town, would everyone accept Hannah as one of their own?

I enjoyed this book quite a lot, in particular when Hannah was working. I think her work shines here and the knowledge about how to treat and care for animals is quite realistic. I think part of my delight over this third book is because the theme is more interesting than the artistic elements or connected to the art world we got in bigger quantities in the previous books. 

I like animals and it was great to read about them as well. Although the hero, Adam, is a chef and we read some about his job and experience, the focus is clearly on Hannah and liking what she does, being that an important part of the novel, made this book feel better.

Despite this, I can't help but notice how little romantic the story is. The author's writing is elegant and precise, very serious and with a feel to it that doesn't seem to be written by someone who's there to play around. But this means, despite how well executed and presented the story is and how interesting or not the characters are, nothing is truly addictive to read about. The relationship between the protagonists is realistic, not unbelievable in terms of pace or development, but it's too precise, too easy to fit within what's to expect. They don't behave as people falling in love, everything is too quiet and safe. Almost like they can't have fun because of their pasts or the things they face in their heads...I think I'd like to see them act more happy once in a while.

Adam is an interesting character, we've learned some things about him the other books but here we have his whole story and why he is making some choices concerning his son. I liked to see him falling for his son as well, to understand he will be a good father. There are some dep layers to Adam's personality I liked seeing but I sure wished he were more fun sometimes and that we could have more glimpses of his work.

Because most focus was on Hannah, that aspect got slightly lost but all things considered, it was nice to see Adam in his territory, so to speak.

Hannah, obviously, was the main character here. I think she is a great heroine, I liked knowing and reading about her and how brave she was to face everything, even if she took some time to bear her thoughts. I especially liked seeing her work and think how important it was to have roots, to feel part of a community again. The epilogue was nice in that sense.

Her relationship with Adam was lacking in some aspects I think would have added more interest and even passion to everything but I can't say it was badly done.

My favorite parts were about the animals and their owners..although even that had one or two sad situations that made me cry. But I think any animal lover would appreciate this story.

Out of all three, this made the more sense to me in all levels. But, I keep saying, the romance could have had more romantic scenes or moments to explain to us with no doubt how much they were in love. Otherwise, it's still good but it doesn't seem as convincing when they finally admit it.

Still, a good story.

Grade: 8/10

TBR Challenge: Nancy Herkness - Country Roads

When sheltered artist Julia Castillo flees her family home, she has just one goal: to prove to her overbearing family once and for all that she can make it on her own. In Sanctuary, West Virginia, her horse paintings promise to take the art world by storm. Yet Julia finds her courage tested as never before—by her love for a handsome country lawyer, by her bond with a dangerous black stallion, and by the secret she is so desperate to keep…
Paul Taggart abandoned his high-powered legal career to return to Sanctuary, giving up his own dreams to care for his troubled brother. But the day he rescues Julia Castillo from the side of the highway, his staid, responsible life changes forever. Irresistibly drawn to the fiery but unworldly artist, Paul will do anything to protect her—even sacrifice his own happiness to guarantee hers. Dramatic and emotional, Country Roads is a heartwarming tale of two people struggling to balance the bonds of family with a passionate love of their own. 

Comment: This is another TBR Challenge read. This month the theme is Contemporary and I picked this book because of that and also because I wanted to read more about the characters I've met in the first book in this Whisper Horse trilogy. The books are set in Virginia and revolve around the idea of people needing a whisper horse to lay their issues and problems down and the horse's presence will help them come to terms to any decision or step they would need to take. However, I think this is only a secondary element, to be honest.

We first met Paul Taggart in the first book and he's a gentleman although part of his life seems to be constricted somehow. One day he helps Julia Castillo, someone we also know from the first book because she's a famous artist, with her car and somehow he becomes her lawyer too.

But Julia is running from a situation she feels she can't control and Paul and her newfound whisper horse will help her come to realize what she wants to do with her life.

Paul and Julia start off as friends but their relationship quickly changes to something more... but can the two of them let go of all the things bringing them down to take a step towards not only happiness but self worth?

I enjoyed reading this book. I think the author has a good control over her story, she writes well and the narrative is fluid and polished, carefully presented and executed.

All seems perfect except... it's too perfect. I think the plot was thought about and prepared but it lacks more passion or closeness to what one would expect of a small town and romantic characters...

I also had this issue, sort of, with the first book. I had a good time but I didn't feel I was being dazzled by everything that was happening, it was more like being led through well staged scenes. It doesn't mean there are no feelings expressed here or more intense scenes showing us the characters' wishes and thoughts, but... too easy to read.

I mean, there's nothing wrong with the writing. I can understand what's happening, what we are supposed to believe in or wonder about when it comes to the character's, but something is definitely lacking and I can't think of the right word.

The two main characters, Paul and Julia, face personal issues that influence their decisions and choices in life and it can get frustrating to read about. But if we think about it a bit more, in real life, how difficult it is to do radical changes in our lives, to makes ourselves believe we can do it... things do work out in the end because this is a romance novel, but there's food for though for us too.

Their relationship progresses well, rather quickly to be honest, I think I would have liked a little less polite agreement and a bit more fighting their feelings so the book could have more strength, more vibrancy or something... everything is too perfect with them.

Sure, part of t is their personalities...I liked Paul more, I think his character is better developed, especially with little references here and thereto his thoughts, to what other think of him, how he feels about it...

Julia is someone we just met, I do have to say she sounds a bit whiny even if she has reasons for it! And she does, but it's my impression.

Still, they get a HEA, again too convenient and perfect and not as romantic as I imagined despite the interesting scene where Paul tells her he loves her...

The plot has some interesting elements. I liked knowing more about art and expectations artists face, I liked seeing how two people can rationalize even when they face difficult challenges in heir personal lives, I enjoyed seeing friends offer a hand and how Paul and Julia found comfort in their friendship and intimacy...

But then the main characters, despite their notions about reality and what should be done, still took too long to act in certain situations. I've said it's something expected in real life but in a story it would have been great to see them be braver or be decisive sooner.

I know it sounds complicated but what endeared me to the story can also be seen from a different, less "magical" perspective.

All in all, Paul's life as lawyer and falling in love and Julia's change of art inspiration and falling in love are wonderful themes to develop a romance plot, but all things considered, the narrative was  a little bit too perfect, too polished to make this as captivating as I hoped. It's enjoyable, fluid but I wanted a bit more out of it...

I'm still curious about book #3 and will read it soon.

Grade: 7/10

Nancy Herkness - Take Me Home

When Claire Parker left Sanctuary, West Virginia, she thought it was for good. But now she's back, reeling from an ugly divorce.
Readjusting to small-town life is harder than Claire expected, so she's surprised, and grateful, to find companionship in Willow, an abused Thoroughbred mare.
Willow is Claire's "whisper horse," and they share a special, rare bond. Except Willow isn't the only one helping Claire heal; Willow's ruggedly handsome veterinarian, Dr. Tim Arbuckle, is sympathetic...and secretive.
Devastated by his wife's death, Tim thought he'd never find love again.
The stoic, sexy doctor was sure he'd left his heart behind when he came to Sanctuary. But Claire stirs up emotions he thought he'd buried long ago.
 For the first time, the doctor can see past his grief...until Willow falls gravely ill. Tim and Claire must save Willow's life and, surrounded by the majestic mountains of West Virginia, believe in a love so encompassing, so intimately intense, their lives will never be the same again.

Comment: I found out about this book from one friend who claimed this was a beautiful story. Based on the blurb I thought it would be so and I purchased the book in January. This month I just had to read it because I was really curious about it.

This is the story of Claire, she's a art dealer sort of and she put her career in New York on hold to help her sister back in West Virginia because she has Lyme disease. Things aren't well in her sister's marriage either and Claire can't help but think of her own failed marriage. She starts working for the local gallery and she volunteers at the horse stables where she finds a whisper horse to talk to.

The veterinary Dr Tim also has issues with his former relationship, his well known celebrity wife killed herself and he doesn't seem to be over that but after meeting Claire something tells him it's time.

Dealing with their closed ones lives and their own fear, can Claire and Tim start something new?

First of all, I have to say this, the author must be a fan of that song "country roads" by John Denver because the titles of this trilogy by her are "take me home", "country roads" and "the place I belong" which are the main words in the chorus of that song which goes by "...country roads, take me home, to the place I belong, West Virginia...."...and yes, guess what, the setting is actually West Virginia! I totally get the inspiration here!

This being of my chest, I have to say the story didn't start as that amazing for me. This is the first book by the author I read and I guess I wasn't really focused on it because the beginning seemed rushed, it looked like we landed right on the middle of things and I missed the slower introduction author in this genre usually have.

After a few chapters I started to get more into the plot and details but there was always a certain feeling of something not being really smooth as I imagined, in terms of development, I can't explain it. I just knew something was off but I now think it was all about my mood.

Later on when I went back to the story with less outside interference I could focus better and enjoyed the story much more.

So, after some chapters the characters started to grow more on me and I ended up liking them and their small town of Sanctuary. Still, it seems for such a small town they had a lot of things we normally don't see but I assume this is my misguidance again as I've never visited an American small town. Anyway, the whole community seemed supportive and played an important part in the story's development. Not the characters in there, the actual town is what I mean. I liked how the author gave life and importance to the place itself and how that changed the character's POVs sometimes.

To talk about the characters I need to mention the romance. Claire and Tim have similar issues from their pasts to overcome and they end up finding happiness together. I liked how they were shown to complement each other, how their feelings looked like intensifying throughout the book but again, at first I thought their connection happened too fast so, not perfect for me.

I loved the HEA.

This story talks about second chances and grabbing a new life, a new purpose, a new experience after something bad. I applaud when authors do this but in real life things wouldn't certainly be as easy or fast. Still, the idea, the concept are both interesting and dignifying and show how everyone can look for something better even if we need to overcome bad things before getting there.

The secondary characters aren't taking up space from the main couple but they exist and don't just fill up space which I liked. I'm curious to see how the tight group pf characters would interact in the following books.

All in all, this was a good book which didn't start as well as I imagined but that eventually grew on me mainly because the plot gained interest and increased the romance/personal character development. I think the author managed to reach a sort of balance that makes this book feel well thought and edited. I hope the next ones are as good.

Grade: 7/10