Jaded:
Luke
Laurel
Creek Series #1
by
Hildie McQueen
Genre:
Contemporary Western Romance
Haunted
by PTSD and a failed marriage, Luke Hamilton returns home to Laurel,
Montana. Going home isn’t an easy fix, but it beats ending up in
prison or dead. At first the familiar surroundings and open land seem
to set things right, but soon his old demons rear their ugly heads
and he realizes it's the wrong time to enter any relationship.
Leah
Morgan’s experience in the corporate world has prepared her to
prosper her father’s ranch in Montana. She knows everyone expects
her to fail, but nothing will stop her from turning the ranch around
and selling it to the highest bidder – especially not a rancher.
The quicker she closes the deal, the sooner she can get out of Laurel
and move on with her career.
But
when Luke and Leah cross paths, they both discover that starting over
can be a complicated business.
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Momma Says: 3.5 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Let me start by saying that I absolutely loved main character, Luke. He's such an endearing character and his struggle with PTSD is so heartbreaking. The secondary characters in this story are also quite interesting, especially Luke's twin and his cousin. Much of the dialogue is witty and often humorous, adding some levity to a serious situation.
I'm still unsure about Luke's love interest, Leah. She's so angry and driven. I gather from her actions that she is a perfectionist, but we're never really told why she reacts the way she does. I would've liked to have seen a bit more development for Leah's character so as to understand her quick turnaround where Luke is concerned. That, in my opinion, could've easily made this one a five-star read.
Overall, the story is good and kept me turning pages to see how things would come out for Luke. I'll be interested to see where this series goes.
-Momma😘
Needing fresh air, Leah went to the front door and stepped out to the wide porch that ran across the entire front of the house. Although some of the white paint on the walls and columns was chipped, it remained steadfastly beautiful. The wide porch with rockers had always made a perfect first impression to the graceful home she’d grown up in.
A truck rambled toward the house and she glanced at her watch. Whoever it was came early. The meeting was not for half an hour.
“Damn it,” she looked down at her worn jeans and bare feet. She’d hurriedly pulled on a t-shirt and jeans to cook and planned to change before the meeting. Too late now.
The truck stopped and a man surfaced. Over six foot of muscles, tattoos with the blank expression of someone who would snap your neck and spit down your throat sauntered toward her.
Eyes wide, she took a step back. This was not one of the Hamilton’s at least not someone she remembered. Of course she’d seen Tobias and Taylor in the last couple weeks. Luke, Tobias’ twin was gone, lived in Texas, or somewhere south last she heard.
“Who are you?” She said having made it just inside the doorway with one hand on the doorknob so she could close it before he reached the porch.
“He stopped in his tracks giving her a chance to study him.
This was not your typical Montana rancher. Instead of a Stetson, he wore a baseball cap. No plaid shirt for this man, instead his form fitting black t-shirt, left no illusions of the muscular body underneath. If it weren’t for the flatness in his eyes and the stoic expression, she’d find him utterly gorgeous.
At the moment, however, she’d describe him as more of a serial killer than a hunk.
A hunky serial killer. She moved back and closed the door a bit. “Who are you?”
“Luke. I’m Luke Hamilton. And you’re Pesky Morgan.”
No one had called her that since...well since middle school. Then it was Luke Hamilton who’d started everyone at school calling her that.”
“I hate that nickname. Don’t ever call me that again.” She relaxed and opened the door wider. “What are you doing here? Where’s Tobias, or Taylor. We have a meeting.”
His wide shoulders lifted and lowered and his upper lip lifted in what she could only describe as an Elvis snarl. “Neither want to deal with you. So they sent me.”
“From where?”
“From Hell. I’m the devil.” His right eyebrow rose, the only hint he was kidding.
Leah blew out an annoyed breath. “Well come in Lucifer. I have to get brownies out of the oven.”
Bestselling
author Hildie McQueen loves unusual situations and getting into
interesting adventures, which is what her characters do as well. She
writes romance because she is in love with love! Author of Romance in
Highland historical, Western Historical and contemporary, she writes
something every reader can enjoy.
Most
days she can be found in her pajamas hiding from deliverymen while
drinking tea from her David Gandy coffee mug. In the afternoons she
browses the Internet for semi-nude men to post on Facebook.
Hildie's
favorite past-times are romance conventions, traveling, shopping and
reading.
She
resides in beautiful small town Georgia with her super-hero husband
Kurt, an unruly boy Chihuahua Pepito and a spoiled rotten girl
Chiweenie named Lola.
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