Can't Buy Me Love (Crooked Creek Ranch, #1) by Molly O'Keefe

Mar 21, 2012 Saly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: single-titles, rom-contemporary, read-in-2012

A pretty impressive start to a new series & Molly's single title debut.
I really felt for Tara Jean Sweet, she was so messed up by her past and the life she had led, that she was her own worst enemy.
Luc was such a great guy, who was facing the potential end of his hockey career as well as having to face memories of his father he had tried to forget. I loved their romance and the real sexual pull between them even before thy hit the sheets or car in their case ;)

For Luc his struggling with h...more

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Jun 26, 2012 ♡KarLynP♡ rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-06-june, genre-contemporary, arc-copy, netgalley, published-2012, sport-theme

This book started off pretty good and I saw some great potential, but it went downhill. I couldn't wait to get to the end just to call this one 'done'.

I realize this is a debut, but I really don't think the author had this story well plotted out before she wrote it. Much of its potential was left undeveloped and meandered. The characters were also sporadic, I never knew what mood they were going to be in -- nice, mean, horny or wallowing. I never felt the romance, understood their attraction, n...more This book started off pretty good and I saw some great potential, but it went downhill. I couldn't wait to get to the end just to call this one 'done'.

I realize this is a debut, but I really don't think the author had this story well plotted out before she wrote it. Much of its potential was left undeveloped and meandered. The characters were also sporadic, I never knew what mood they were going to be in -- nice, mean, horny or wallowing. I never felt the romance, understood their attraction, nor cared when their self-inflicted point-of-conflicts tore them apart. Which is too bad, as the core story really had potential.

Tara pretends to be engaged to Luc's 89 y/o filthy rich father, a game meant to bring Luc and his sister Victoria to heal and back to Texas. Luc and Victoria rightfully disowned their abusive asshat father many years ago, but somehow (which I never understood) the news of a gold digger getting their inheritance becomes too much. In one chapter Luc swears he doesn't care, and in the next chapter he is in Texas with his sister trying to help her out so she can win her part of the inheritance.

That was just one of many actions these guys make that left me both confused and underwhelmed. When they get their chance at a reunion with their dad, neither Luc nor Victoria make any effort what so ever. I didn't understand all the drama that led us to this point, only to have nothing really happen. I guess they believed their mere presence would be enough for the dying old man to reverse his will? And if they really did care about the money (cause they certainly didn't care about the old man), you think they would have tried harder to stop the fake wedding. (Unless you count their snotty remarks lobbed at Tara -- repeatedly.)

I also assumed the old man would redeem himself and be a good guy. But no, he was just an ass. Then he dies. The rest of the book is about Luc trying to live out a crazy stipulation in the will, one that would ensure Victoria gets a sizable inheritance and he control of the ranch. Meanwhile, Luc's professional hockey playing career is on skids. He has had so many concussions that doctors don't want him to play anymore. Of course, he doesn't listen to any of that.

Then there is a bad guy from Tara's past. Again, I didn't get where the story was going and this character just pops in and out with threats. He makes for a climactic ending, but otherwise I never fully understood just why Tara felt compelled to capitulate to his demands.

I really wanted to like both Luc and Tara, and at times I felt I really could. But then suddenly they would say something awful or do something mean, and it kept me from really connecting with them.

There were also a bunch of unlikable and undeveloped secondary characters. There is Luc's sister Victoria who was a snotty, spineless, spoiled bitch. Eli the ranch hand who shows up from time to time but otherwise seems pointless in the story. Celeste, Luc's mother who also makes odd appearances and had little purpose to the story.

In the end, I was underwhelmed and not particularly feeling the romance. However, since this is a debut and I did see some great story potential, I would be compelled to read more by this author to see how her style develops. But it will not be Victoria and Eli's story, which is next. I didn't like them in this book, and I don't see why that would be any different if they had their own story.
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Jul 03, 2012 Lisa Hutson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Do not be fooled by the cover on this book. It is a sexy lovely fun cover. It is nothing like this story.
This story is hard and human. It is rare to find someone that can write a story this way. The h/h disliked each other to begin with, they fought, insulted each other. Usually, when someone tries writing this story, I find myself screaming, Oh for crying out loud, just get into the bed already!
But not this story.
The characters were human, real, not all mean, not all good. The whole group of...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Maureen McGowan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

Full disclosure, I know Molly, but I absolutely loved this book! Right from the opening lines, which made me laugh out loud and embarrass myself in public. I love how each one of the characters in this book has layers and isn't who they first seem to be. Molly O'Keefe writes characters who become so real for me, so alive. They talk and argue like real people, unlike the characters in many contemporary romance novels. Sure, sometimes they're mean to each other, lash out and say things they later...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Pamela(AllHoney) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: athletes-sports, challenge-2012, contemporary-romance, disabled-injured-scarred, love-hate-relationship, across-the-tracks, my-4-star-romances

A light contemporary romance. Tara Jean is a woman who makes a deal with her elderly, dying, wealthy boss. She will pretend to be his fiance to lure the man's children back to the ranch. Luc is the man's estranged son. Angry and resentful, he only returns at his sister's requests. But the old man dies and leaves the ranch and the majority of the leather business to Luc. I didn't always like the route this story took but it came together nicely. It didn't lag too much and had a satisfying ending.

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Mar 12, 2012 AnneOK rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads

(2/21/12--Received an ARC today from Romance@Random)

A remarkably well-written contemporary by a new-to-me-author. It is definitely not just a piece of fluff. There are some difficult and heartbreaking issues presented along with a complex yet wonderful romance.

Full review will follow closer to the release of this book. Book Two (Tori and Eli's story) will be released in July 2012.

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Jun 26, 2012 Janga rated it 5 of 5 stars

Can’t Buy Me Love sounds like a cute, clever contemporary romance. The deceptiveness of that impression seems appropriate since deceptive appearances is one of the novel’s motifs. The title seems to be amusing pop culture word play, but it is far more. Tara seems to be engaged to Lyle Baker, but she isn’t. Luc thinks she’s a shallow slut out for all she can get, but she isn’t. Tara thinks he’s a spoiled celebrity who can’t be bothered with his aging father, but he isn’t. There is humor in the bo...more Can’t Buy Me Love sounds like a cute, clever contemporary romance. The deceptiveness of that impression seems appropriate since deceptive appearances is one of the novel’s motifs. The title seems to be amusing pop culture word play, but it is far more. Tara seems to be engaged to Lyle Baker, but she isn’t. Luc thinks she’s a shallow slut out for all she can get, but she isn’t. Tara thinks he’s a spoiled celebrity who can’t be bothered with his aging father, but he isn’t. There is humor in the book, but there is no froth. Tara and Luc are characters shaped by their abusive pasts that have left them damaged in ways that adulthood and success have not healed. Strong chemistry and captive hearts cannot make them whole and healthy enough to accept themselves as people of value who deserve to be loved. The damage is not limited to the principal characters. Luc’s sister Victoria is filled with self-hatred and unable to define herself apart from a man. Eli Turnbull, the ranch foreman, is consumed with bitterness that the land that belonged to his family for generations is now Baker land.

Near the end of the novel, Victoria voices a truth all the characters must learn: “We’re more than our mistakes. . . . More than our pasts. We can be more than the things we let define us.” Once Tara and Luc accept this truth, they can accept their flawed selves and open their hearts to receive the love that is waiting for them. These sentences are thematic not only for Can’t Buy Me Love but also for Molly O’Keefe’s work generally. It is a theme that was present, if less directly articulated, in The Temptation of Savannah O’Neill, the first O’Keefe book I read, a theme I found throughout the backlist I then glommed, and one that resonates in her newest work of category fiction, Unexpected Family.

Can’t Buy Me Love is a single-title debut worth celebrating. Molly O’Keefe tells a great story that evokes laughter and tears, and she does something more. She reminds her readers of a truth we all need to learn. I highly recommend this book.

See full review at The Romance Dish:
http://www.theromancedish.com/2012/06...(less)

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Feb 24, 2012 Ac rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, good-reads-win, arc, first-reads

I am so loving this book. I just finished it last night. I am not a professional reviewer just to let you know, I'm more of a professional romance book reader who loves happy endings. I won this book in the First Reads contest/giveaways. My version is ARC- advanced reader copy.

Fist off I love this book. The dialogue is smart, witty and full of snark. I totally see a lot of the conversations really taking place. The book flowed pretty smoothly except for a few places. I did like how easy it was...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Nicole Helm rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: messed-up-heroines-i-love

This was a book with characters I shouldn't like and situations that usually would make me throw the book across the room, but I loved every minute of it. Somehow, O'Keefe gave the characters, even ones as pathetic as the hero's sister, motivations that made me like and care about them. From a writer's perspective I sometimes had to stop and ask myself, "how is she doing this?"

I don't have an answer except this book is really good. Great, complicated, realistic characters on the backdrop of som...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, high-angst-meter

One thing about this book is that you'll either love it or hate it. Personally, I love a truly angsty romance and I'm a big fan of authors who go out on a limb and write characters that do not initially appear to be likeable. I get a bit tired of the Mary Sues that are often found in romances. Tara Jean is a majorly flawed character. She has had a very rough past, has done things that are not at all admirable and has built a hard shell around her heart and her emotions. She's also the first to a...more One thing about this book is that you'll either love it or hate it. Personally, I love a truly angsty romance and I'm a big fan of authors who go out on a limb and write characters that do not initially appear to be likeable. I get a bit tired of the Mary Sues that are often found in romances. Tara Jean is a majorly flawed character. She has had a very rough past, has done things that are not at all admirable and has built a hard shell around her heart and her emotions. She's also the first to admit that she is a coward and in the past has often taken the easy way out. However, once she meets Lyle Baker, she starts to remake herself and has almost singlehandedly turned around his failing company with her clothing designs. When he asks her to participate in a scheme to lure his estranged son and daughter back to his ranch so he can see them before he dies, she agrees to do it. Of course, she gets more than she bargained for when he dies soon after his kids come home and his son Luc, a famous hockey player, is left in charge of all of his assets.

Luc is fighting his own demons in the form of brain damage due to repeated concussions, and is struggling with the fact that he should retire to protect his brain, but he doesn't want to because after being abused himself as a child, hockey is the thing that he has built his own self-worth on and it is all-emcompassing in his life. Without it, he feels like he is nothing. Because of this, he is also a damaged character and I feel like this gives him the empathy to see beyond Tara's brittle exterior and down to her true core.

The chemistry between Tara and Luc burns up the pages and I found it heartbreaking to watch Tara struggle with her baser impulses that are telling her to run away as fast and far as she can, even while her heart is trying to break free of its cage and reach out toward happiness. Luc, meanwhile is wonderful. He quickly figures out that Tara is more than she appears and he tries hard with her, even as she is pushing him away. Others have found her unlikeable and got impatient with her inability to let go of her past, but I felt that the author depicted her realistically. Someone who is as damaged as she is doesn't just throw off their bad experiences without a lot of internal struggle.

This was the first book I have read of Molly O'Keefe's but I will definitely read more. The main reason I can't give this book 5 stars is because I felt that Lyle, the father, was a true abuser and it didn't make sense to me that Tara would continue to defend him. He was horrible to Luc and his sister Victoria when they were children, and even after he lured them back to the ranch, he still continued to be horrible. I felt like Tara should have at least acknowledged that Luc and Vickie had a right to hate him and to not want to reconcile with him. However, that was my only complaint with this book.(less)

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Jan 29, 2013 Tina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reads, romance-contemporary

2.5 stars

There was a really good book in here somewhere trying to get out.

The premise was pretty promising. An irascible Octogenarian rancher is dying and has hired a young woman to pose and his fiancee to lure his estranged children, Luc and Victoria, back to the ranch. The threat of being dis-inherited in favor of a blonde bimbo should get them to come back lickety split. This is all good and fine.

I liked the idea of Tara Jean and thought of all the characters in the book she was the most suc...more 2.5 stars

There was a really good book in here somewhere trying to get out.

The premise was pretty promising. An irascible Octogenarian rancher is dying and has hired a young woman to pose and his fiancee to lure his estranged children, Luc and Victoria, back to the ranch. The threat of being dis-inherited in favor of a blonde bimbo should get them to come back lickety split. This is all good and fine.

I liked the idea of Tara Jean and thought of all the characters in the book she was the most successful as a character. She had layers and a personality. After a few chapters, I was even able to exorcise that picture of Anna Nicole Smith and her 80+ y.o.husband out of my head (the first pages of this book basically re-create that famous picture in words). I just wish she hadn't been pushed into 'woman-in-jeopardy' territory as a major plot point.

Which brings me to my biggest issue with the book. Everybody was so damned...put upon..by everything. Tara Jean had a terrible childhood and was on her own at 16, she is an ex-grifter and had an old grifting partner who is out to get her because he needs money and owes some bad people. Luc (the hero) is a professional Hockey player in his 30s who really can't afford another hit to the head and who may be traded anyway. The sister Victoria is a wreck who is completely broke because her husband went to jail because of a Ponzi scheme. Luc and Victoria had a terrible relationship with their father who was abusive. So in one book there is child abuse, sport injuries, Ponzi schemers and stalkers.

The cover of the book makes you think this is going to be sexy and light. I didn't feel that it was either.

Don't get me wrong, the book wasn't terrible or anything, it just wasn't great either. Tara Jean is definitely the MVP of the story. She is responsible for at least 2 of the 2.5 stars.

There is a sequel with Victoria but I was less than impressed with Victoria as a character and am not the least bit interested in reading about her.
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Oct 29, 2012 Capri rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: brooding-hero, contemporary-romance, part-of-a-series, hockey-hero, molly-o-keefe

I was excited to buy Can’t Buy Me Love and look forward to reading it. But it was not what I expected. The cover is delicious and the synopsis sounded interesting but the writing does not flow and almost all the characters fell flat, are mean and not very likable.

I was not feeling Luc. In the beginning I thought he was sweet to take care of his half sister Victoria by letting her and his nephew Jacob live with them. I liked how he is protective of her and Jacob especially when it comes to their...more I was excited to buy Can’t Buy Me Love and look forward to reading it. But it was not what I expected. The cover is delicious and the synopsis sounded interesting but the writing does not flow and almost all the characters fell flat, are mean and not very likable.

I was not feeling Luc. In the beginning I thought he was sweet to take care of his half sister Victoria by letting her and his nephew Jacob live with them. I liked how he is protective of her and Jacob especially when it comes to their abusive father Lyle. He is for sure the brooding hero who can not accept the fact that he is injured and might not be able to play hockey again and has serious issues about his past with his abusive father Lyle. The times he thinks of his past and his father are a bit sad but the writing did not pull me in where I wanted to weep for him. Just knowing the fact he was abused was sad.

Tara Jean the heroine was too wishy washy for me. One minute she is falling for Luc and the next out of the blue she turns into a bitch. I get she is trying to protect everyone on the ranch from her psycho ex but in one chapter she is sweet to Luc and the next bang she is bitchy.

Did not feel any chemistry with Luc and Tara Jean. Not when they were trying to make a go of their relationship. The sex scenes are boring and way too much talking and not the good “Dirty Talking”

All the secondary characters do play a important roll in the book but Victoria was a spoiled brat. I get she had everything she wanted before her husbands betrayal and his suicide and was taken care of but really I would think mother instincts would kick in and she would do what ever it took to care of her son and not be like I need my inheritance and I do not know how to work, I do not have experience. Then she lets her son see his grandfather who also abused her as a kid. The only two characters I found interesting were Luc’s Mother Celeste who I adored. As soon as she found out Lyle was abusing Luc she made sure he never went back to the ranch to see him when he was younger. I loved how Luc is a grown man and still his mother has the upper hand. I giggled during Lyle’s funeral when Luc is talking to Victoria and Celeste pinched his arm and when he was going to make a call, she took the phone away and told him, he was being disrespectful. The other character I liked and want to know more about is Eli. He seems mysterious and I am curious about him. I enjoyed how is kind and protective of Tara Jean.

Lyle was a mean character and even meaner in his will. That is when things start getting interesting. The story does take awhile to get to this part. Even though this book was just okay for me I am still interested to see how everything is played out with the land etc. from the will. Eli and Victoria story is next and even though she is not my favorite character I am still curious about Eli. I am going to read their story as I think this series does have potential

Originally posted at Wickedly Delicious Book Blog (less)

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Aug 08, 2012 Amy Jacobs rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

I am still laughing at the plot of this book. I don't know if it was the writing, the characters or the whole scheme that has me shaking my head in displeasure with this read.

I had a really hard time getting into this story from the first page. It felt forced, the characters were one dimensional, and there was hardly any spark between the two main characters. I knew about 50 pages into the story that it was not going to get much better. Even with the story problems and such, I kept reading hopin...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Virginia Campbell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

"Can't Buy Me Love", from author Molly O'Keefe, is a hot and humorous hoot of a romance read. It's just the kind of book you need to shake off the dust from your reader's comfort zone shelf. You will laugh out loud--maybe even snort--if you are so inclined. However, there is heart underneath the laughs and libido. Tara Jean Sweet is a pretty young woman whose life holds some ugly secrets. Agreeing to pose as the fiancee of a wealthy elderly Texan bent on bringing his own family to heel is an opp...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Madame X rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: brings-the-funny, contemporary-romance, romance-ends-with-hea-or-hfn

CAN'T BUY ME LOVE is a book with three distinct parts, and I have to say I liked each one a little bit less than the previous.

Part One: in which Luc, professional hockey player facing the end of his career, returns to his childhood home to convince his dying father not to marry the heroine, Tara Jean Sweet, who's playing the role of gold-digging bimbo. Tara isn't really engaged to Luc's father, Lyle; she's just playing the part, one that Lyle knows will infuriate his children. Luc thinks his fat...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Patti Loves FAB Romance rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary

While I normally love romances with an “enemies to friends” storyline, I found the characters in Can’t Buy Me Love were overly antagonistic and unlikable. This book was a DNF for me.

Review:
Luc Baker is a hotshot hockey star who’s doctor has just given him the news that he’s only got one year of actively playing hockey left. He’s debating what to do about it, because hockey is his life, when his sister informs him a gold-digger has her clutches all over their father. Luc hates his father with a p...more While I normally love romances with an “enemies to friends” storyline, I found the characters in Can’t Buy Me Love were overly antagonistic and unlikable. This book was a DNF for me.

Review:
Luc Baker is a hotshot hockey star who’s doctor has just given him the news that he’s only got one year of actively playing hockey left. He’s debating what to do about it, because hockey is his life, when his sister informs him a gold-digger has her clutches all over their father. Luc hates his father with a passion, and rightfully so since his father was abusive and made Luc’s childhood miserable. He doesn’t want to go back to see his father, but Luc’s sister is broke and she can’t afford to lose her inheritance to this new “fiancee”.

Tara Jean Sweet has been working for Luc’s father designing leather fashions, and has turned his once-floundering company into a thriving, profitable business. Luc’s father is very sick and wants to see his children again before he dies, so he asks Tara Jean to pose as his fiancee to lure them back home.

Tara Jean and Luc hate each other on sight, but underneath the mutual dislike is a smouldering attraction. Neither wants to be anywhere near the other, but the stipulations of Luc’s father’s will are going to make that impossible…

I was pretty excited about Can’t Buy Me Love; I’m normally a sucker for a hockey player hero. Unfortunately, after reading about half of the book I had to put this one down. The characters were difficult to like; I never developed any sort of affection for them. I found Luc to be kind of a selfish jerk, and although he did go back to see his father in an effort to support his sister, his attitude really didn’t change. I also had problems with Luc’s sister, who was willing to allow her son to have a relationship with her physically abusive father in the hopes that it would clinch her inheritance. Tara Jean was, in turns, scared, mean, or depressed. The instant attraction between Tara Jean and Luc was difficult to believe as they spent most of their time thinking ugly thoughts about each other.

I think overall the characters were just too intense for my taste. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy a flawed heroine and a grumpy hero, and have the patience to enjoy their journey to redemption.(less)

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Jul 25, 2012 Jo (Mixed Book Bag) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, romance

I kept seeing Can't Buy Me Love on Amazon Vine. It kept catching my attention so when it went on Last Harvest I sent for it. The premise sounded cute and in some forms it would have been. However the book deals with some very important issues and it does it within the content of a story that have various elements. There are a few cute moments, some laugh out loud moments, and very serious moments all wrapped into the story line.

Characters: I liked Tara Jean Sweet. She is working had to change he...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Nikki Wilde rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think I need to preface this by saying that I did like this story. It was different from the norm. However, something is keeping me from loving it. I feel like everything was there but the struggles to get to the end were fairly repetitive.

Tara Jean Sweet is marrying a dying rich man named Lyle Baker. Or at least it appears that way to his children that haven't spoken to him in over ten years. As much as they hate their father they fly out to his ranch to try to stop the wedding. If he marrie...more

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Jul 11, 2012 drey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, romance-contemporary

I didn’t really like how this one started out – a sexy young thing in barely-there clothes in a photo shoot with an old, old man. And they’re engaged. You so know where I’m going with this, right?

But all is not as it appears… The old man is dying, and has nobody left except for Tara Jean. So they take a photo and send it out to his estranged children, Luc and Victoria. Both have reasons aplenty to hate their father – and “hate” is definitely not too strong a word to describe their feeling. “Hate...more

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Jun 28, 2012 MandyM rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

I bought this book because of a great review on Dear Author and because I love the enemies to lovers theme. It's the story of Tara Jean Sweet, a beautiful woman from the wrong side of the tracks, who has done some bad things in her life but is now trying to turn things around. Her elderly employer is trying to reunite with the children he wronged so long ago. To entice them to visit him at his ranch he persuades Tara to pretend to be engaged to him, thus threatening their inheritance.

There are f...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Guilty Pleasures rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: guiltypleasures-lee, publishersent

Lee's review posted on Guilty Pleasures

In the first installment of the Crooked Creek books we are introduced to Luc Baker, an injured hockey player that is at risk of having his career taken from him with one more concussion, and Tara Jean Sweet, a girl with a troubled past that is running from her demons.

Coming back to Crooked Creek Ranch was the last thing that Luc ever wanted to do, but when he finds out that his father is getting married to “Bimbo Barbie”, and that he’s taking his sisters in...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Kristina Circelli rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'll be the first to admit that the only reason I entered the giveaway for this book was because of the cover (what can I say, I'm a sucker for muscles). Not being a fan of the romance genre, I didn't expect to enjoy the book as much as I did.

At first I wasn't sure I would like the novel, being that the characters were, in the beginning, very hard to like. They were either fake, whiney, or just plain cruel. But the more I read, the more these false exteriors were broken down (well, except for t...more I'll be the first to admit that the only reason I entered the giveaway for this book was because of the cover (what can I say, I'm a sucker for muscles). Not being a fan of the romance genre, I didn't expect to enjoy the book as much as I did.

At first I wasn't sure I would like the novel, being that the characters were, in the beginning, very hard to like. They were either fake, whiney, or just plain cruel. But the more I read, the more these false exteriors were broken down (well, except for the sister, who never really redeems herself and is still stuck in 'poor me' mode and hard to care about) and I found myself genuinely interested in what would happen next.

Despite not liking the genre, I've read a lot of romance novels over the years and was expecting something similiar to the typical story. I was actually pleasantly surprised that this wasn't your average run-of-the-mill chick book in that the characters, namely Tara and Luc, have real flaws and real problems that one can relate to. I was annoyed by Tara at the end and wanted her to just get over it and stop acting the way she was, but at the same time, it was a real reaction and therefore I understoodd (as much as I can understand a made-up character).

The one thing I wish we could have seen more of is the very end. I know there is a sequel, which will likely give some more details on Tara and Luc's relationship, but being that the book is mostly about Victoria, I doubt that would satisfy my curiosity.

Normally most romance books end in a way that tells you everything is going to be a 'happily ever after' kind of ending because you don't need to know anything else. But in 'Can't Buy Me Love' the ending needs more. The characters are too caught up in their flaws and confusion and love for the book to just end. There needs to be something...more. I also wanted to know more about Eli, since he may be my favorite character despite not having a big role.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed the book - read it in less than a day. It held my interest and is one I'll definitely pass on to friends and family that I know love romance novels.(less)

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Jun 22, 2012 Misty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Molly O’Keefe’s Can’t Buy Me Love is one fantastic debut. Can’t Buy Me Love has all the elements that I love in a contemporary romance, a pair of strong leads, with a good set of supporting characters. A girl from the wrong side of the tracks, Tara Jean Sweet knows that opportunity will never knock; she’ll have to seize it. Elderly Texas rancher Lyle Baker has a dying request: He will give Tara Jean a stake in his leather business in exchange for a little family subterfuge. All Tara Jean has to...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Stephanie Collins rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is sort of a hard review to write...

I liked the book ... Some sections I adored... I liked Tara Jean and Luc but something fell flat with them together. Not that I think they aren't a good pair but something just wasn't 100% there with the pairing.

The good:
1. Tara Jean - You want to not like her at the beginning just from the fact she was willing to participate in the farce used to get the kids home. You also want to dislike the fact that she is judging people she has never met and just he...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Lisarenee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lyle Baker had a plan to get his family to visit him. Tara Jean Sweet had agreed to go along with the scheme because he was offering her a portion of the Leather fashion design company she had helped to bring back from the brink of bankruptcy. Lyle was dying and he wanted to see his kids one last time. He couldn't claim to have been a good father, but in his own way he loved his kids. Perhaps he just wanted to make amends or maybe he just wanted the opportunity to control them one last time. One...more Lyle Baker had a plan to get his family to visit him. Tara Jean Sweet had agreed to go along with the scheme because he was offering her a portion of the Leather fashion design company she had helped to bring back from the brink of bankruptcy. Lyle was dying and he wanted to see his kids one last time. He couldn't claim to have been a good father, but in his own way he loved his kids. Perhaps he just wanted to make amends or maybe he just wanted the opportunity to control them one last time. One thing was for sure, he figured an invitation to his wedding, which included a picture of him and Tara, would send his family scrambling to his side to stop him. After all, millions of dollars were at stake and Lyle was a master manipulator. He knew how to push their buttons.

Luc Baker didn't wish to go back. He'd put his past and his father behind him a long time ago. His childhood home did not hold any fond memories, and he didn't want the feelings his father had instilled in him as a child to awaken ever again. While he didn't need his father's money, for he had plenty of his own, his sister, Victoria, was another story. Too proud to take any of Luc's money, she was financially challenged and had felt, after the awful childhood she'd endured at her father's hands, she was owed her inheritance. She'd been counting on it to see her through. Lyle knew all this, and he knew his son would never let his sister down. So despite being handed the news by his physician that his career might be over, Luc escorted his sister home to his father. He was prepared to deal with his father. What he wasn't prepared for was Tara. She wasn't what he expected and wasn't like anyone he'd ever met before. While his father may have done a number on him, Tara might just be his undoing.
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They say first impressions are important, and they are, especially those our parents have of us. They can lift us up or bring us down. They can emotionally scar us even if no one else can see the wounds. It's those scars, hidden deep within us, that can haunt us for life and, if we let them, allow the one person we shouldn't let control us to do so years after the physical or emotional abuse has ended. That is the one things Luc and Tara have in common.

Luc had done all he could to stay away from his father. He'd built himself a career as one of the best hockey players and had hopes and aspirations of bringing the Cup to his team in Toronto. But what he hadn't realized was that he was still tormented by what had transpired all those years ago. While he no longer sought his father's approval, a portion of him still bought the BS his father had tried to sell him all those years ago, that he wasn't good enough. He'd thrown himself into his career and, other than his sister and mother, distanced himself from any serious relationships.

Tara had been raised by a mom who really didn't have time for her and finally kicked her out at 16. That was when she'd fallen in with Dennis, a scam artist, and had paid for it dearly when she tried to get out. That is how she ended up in the same hospital as Lyle nearly five years ago. She's tormented by her past sins and Lyle managed to build up her self esteem by offering her an honest job as a designer of a leather clothing line with his company Baker Leather. Later, he'd offered her financial security by way of a percentage of Baker Leather in exchange for her going along with his plans to stage a fake engagement. While Lyle was compensating Tara for her help, he was also setting her up to be in a bad position when he passed. He left his kids thinking she was a gold digging tramp who had targeted their dad.

My favorite quote:

"We're more than our mistakes...More than our past. We can be more than the things we let define us."

I truly enjoyed the book and gave it 4 out of 5 roses. I enjoyed the drama created when Tara's past came back to haunt her. I loved watching Luc and Tara come to terms with their pasts. I loved how Luc seemed to figure out Tara so quickly. It kind of tied in to they way he was with his teammates. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one scores a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.
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Jun 11, 2012 Kathy Martin rated it 3 of 5 stars

This wasn't the easy romance that I was expecting. Both main characters are very damaged people and neither is over the damage. Tara Jean Sweet, as she is known now, began life as the abused daughter of a woman with bad taste in men who lived on the wrong side of every track. She got out by using her body and her ability to scam old, lonely men. She has tried to turn over a new leaf but the past she is running from is in danger of catching up.

Luc Baker is a pro hockey star who is holding on to h...more This wasn't the easy romance that I was expecting. Both main characters are very damaged people and neither is over the damage. Tara Jean Sweet, as she is known now, began life as the abused daughter of a woman with bad taste in men who lived on the wrong side of every track. She got out by using her body and her ability to scam old, lonely men. She has tried to turn over a new leaf but the past she is running from is in danger of catching up.

Luc Baker is a pro hockey star who is holding on to his position on the team despite numerous concussions and the possibility of brain damage because hockey is the only place he has felt a sense of self worth. His elderly father abused him both physically and verbally as a child. Now the father is dying but a threat to marry Tara Jean brings Luc and his needy half-sister home to the ranch. When he dies, he leaves 40% of his leather goods business to Tara Jean, which was her incentive to fake an engagement, and the rest to Luc provided he runs the business for five months. Luc feels caught because his sister's inheritance depends on him taking the deal.

Tara Jean and Luc are attracted to each other but trust issues and secrets keep getting in the way. They hurt each other numerous times throughout the book. Tara Jean is particularly defensive and does everything she can to drive Luc away. It is the only way she can think of to protect herself and him. The story was filled with strong emotions as both characters struggled to put their pasts behind them and define the futures they want to have.

This was a very intense read. It isn't a light, fluffy beach read but an in-depth exploration of two damaged people who manage to overcome great difficulties to find a romance. The author really swept me into this story and made me ache for both of the characters. The one character I didn't have much sympathy for during most of the story was Luc's sister Victoria. She was so needy. She was used to defining herself through her husband but, when he was convicted of masterminding a Ponzi scheme and committed suicide, she didn't take advantage and learn to stand on her own feet but rather decided to lean on her brother for support. I thought it took quite a while for her to wise up. I'm curious to read the next book in this series which will be her story.
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Apr 17, 2012 Traann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tara Jean Sweet is a woman who wants to take hold of her life but to do that she has to play the part of a gold digger so that elderly dying rancher Lyle Baker’s children will come home to stop her. Luc, Lyle’s NHL star son wants no part of his father but more than that he doesn’t want Tara to marry his father and inherit what he feels should belong to his sister Victoria.

From the very first pages of this book you feel for all of these damaged characters, Tara Jean who learned about life the ha...more Tara Jean Sweet is a woman who wants to take hold of her life but to do that she has to play the part of a gold digger so that elderly dying rancher Lyle Baker’s children will come home to stop her. Luc, Lyle’s NHL star son wants no part of his father but more than that he doesn’t want Tara to marry his father and inherit what he feels should belong to his sister Victoria.

From the very first pages of this book you feel for all of these damaged characters, Tara Jean who learned about life the hard way and made many mistakes but is trying just to have something that is hers and some where along the line needs to forgive herself. Luc who grew up hating his abusive father, never living up to his expectations even though he is a superstar after 20 years in the NHL but is now recovering from a career changing head injury. Then there is Victoria whose deceased husband orchestrated a ponzie scheme bilking people out of their money and leaving his wife and son with nothing except what others give them. There is so much going on with all of these characters and yet Molly O’Keefe keeps the interaction fresh, sometimes funny, sometimes hot but always making you want to turn that page and see what happens next.

The past is coming back to threaten Tara and leaves Luc frustrated with not trusting his feelings or Tara since she doesn’t want to expose what she did or where she came from, she just wants to hide at Crooked Creek Ranch and run Baker Leather. But her past is going to get someone hurt, no matter how she handles it.

Luc after 20 years in the NHL has been hit in the head one too many times and is forced to take a break while sorting out families problems. Called Grandpa by his team mates because he is always worrying about everyone, he wants to help his sister Victoria claim her inheritance, solve the mystery of Tara Jean and her problems along with working out the fireworks that seem to shoot off whenever Tara is around. But every time he gets too close Tara Jean just pushes him away, afraid of just how good it could be.

The interaction between Tara Jean and Luc will leave you entertained, hot and bothered and just hoping that they can see their way clear to overcoming all of their personal history, to be able to move forward toward each other and a new beginning. The sexual tension and playful banter will keep you smiling just as the insecurities and feelings of hopelessness with make you a cheerleader, wanting the best for both of them.

Then there is secondary character Eli, the son of a former employee of Lyle’s who worked the twenty years Lyle’s children would have nothing to do with him who has inherited part of the estate. He is frustrated because it is due to his hard work and management that the ranch is thriving and he wants what he feels is his due. Towards the end of the book Eli lays out what he wants but we don’t know how it will play out, you have to wait for the second book in the Crooked Creek Ranch series to find out how his plans will end. Victoria will get in his way and for Luc, family always comes first so you know there is a lot more story to come.

Without giving away too much of the story be prepared to watch the characters deal with emotional childhood memories, physical and emotional abuse, despair, hope, sexual tension, the chance at a future they could have only dreamed of and with the help of the other characters the strength to overcome it all and maybe find their way towards what they really deserve.

Can’t Buy Me Love by Molly O’Keefe is my first book by this author and it was such a wonderful surprise. This contemporary romance is an addicting read. The characters are easy to fall in love with. You empathize with their difficulties, get excited by their sizzling interactions. They make you want to be their friend since they are each hurting and in need of someone to love them for themselves, not for what they can do for you which seems to be part of their problems. I found myself comparing Molly’s writing style to Susan Mallery’s. So if you like Susan, check out Molly O’Keefe. I can’t wait for Victoria and Eli’s story, “Can’t Hurry Love” which is coming out in July. (less)

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Mar 01, 2012 Sue Grimshaw rated it 4 of 5 stars

Just finished the first book in Molly's new series with Bantam, CAN'T BUY ME LOVE. The Crooked Creek series looks to be delightfully fun as Molly's writing is full of wit! The story is perfectly paced as I just flew thru the book. This is actually the first I've ever read of Molly's books & I now know that I will be combing her backlist to see what else is available --
Story recap:
Heroine Tara Jean Sweet grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and does not turn down a good opportunity when s...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Mskchick rated it 5 of 5 stars

I won this ARC book in the First Reads contest/giveaways. I have never read anything by this author before. Wow, what a great book! I loved it. I already have the next book on my list of books to get, when it is released in July. Almost all of the characters in this book has some deep-rooted emotional issues. There is a lot of angst in this book. The amount of emotional scaring got a little much a few times, but it really gives depth to the book. This is not some fluff feel-good book. This is a...more I won this ARC book in the First Reads contest/giveaways. I have never read anything by this author before. Wow, what a great book! I loved it. I already have the next book on my list of books to get, when it is released in July. Almost all of the characters in this book has some deep-rooted emotional issues. There is a lot of angst in this book. The amount of emotional scaring got a little much a few times, but it really gives depth to the book. This is not some fluff feel-good book. This is a book about redemption and growth, as well as a romance.

Tara Jean Sweet agrees to pretend to be the fiance of an elderly man, who will inherit everything when he dies. Lyle asks her to do this to lure his estranged children back to his Texas ranch for him to see before he dies. Lyle's son, Luc, does not want to see his father or forgive Lyle for his behavior toward him and his half sister. Luc shows up with preconcived hatred for Tara and an old grudge against his father. As he gets to know Tara, however, he comes to realize that all is not as it seems, and he falls in love with her against his better judgment.

Tara Jean Sweet used to be a sort of small time con artist. Not really running cons, but charming money out of elderly naive men in hospitals. She's been running from her past, but it comes back to bite her (and others on the ranch) in the butt. She has a hard time believing in love because of her past, with her mother and her many boyfriends, as well as her past involvement with the con man who convinces her to fleece the elderly men in hospitals. Because of her body and face, she has been objectified her whole life, and her feelings of self worth are generated by how men perceive her. She acts and dresses like a hooker as a defense mechanism, and I enjoyed her more when she started to allow herself to realx instead of being a caricature of a sexpot (her nickname by her "fiance's" family is Blonde Bimbo")

Luc is an NHL hockey player. I thought that there was going to be more hockey in the book when I started reading it, but he is at the end of his career due to health issues. Luc has his own personal issues of self worth to deal with, along with dealing with the end of his career. I thought the author did a good job at the beginning of the book making the hockey parts feel realistic. My main beef with sports romances is that the sports part is typically wildly unrealistic. Later in the book, the sports realism slips somewhat, but I didn't find myself rolling my eyes at those parts because they were not as egregious as most sports romance-writing errors by other authors.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I would definitely recommend it enthusiastically to others!
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Jun 03, 2012 Cherise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, arc-or-review-copy

Tara Jean Sweet has a past she isn’t proud of and has more than a few demons haunting her. Agreeing to be an aging and dying rancher’s new fiancée is a scam she’s not quite comfortable with, but she’d do just about anything for her friend. Lyle rescued her when she needed it, and now she’s trying to get his estranged children riled up enough to make the trek back home.

Luc hasn’t seen his father in years and there is no love lost there. He couldn’t care less if he marries some young bimbo. He is...more

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Can't Buy Me Love (Crooked Creek Ranch #1)

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