The Trouble with Cowboys (Catcher Creek, #1)

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The Trouble with Cowboys (Catcher Creek #1)

by Melissa Cutler (Goodreads Author)

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 138 ratings · 43 reviews

Cowboys have never been good for Amy Sorentino. First her hard-riding father bankrupted the family farm. Then her all-hat-no-cattle boyfriend sold her out on national television, ending her promising career as a chef. Now she and her squabbling sisters have partnered up in a final attempt to save their land by starting an inn and local restaurant. So it figures that with e...more

Paperback, 312 pages

Published October 2nd 2012 by Zebra

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Nov 19, 2012 Wminbc rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: coming-soon-from-nrr

Review is up
http://www.nocturne reads.com/2012/11/review-trouble-with...

Sooo cute and smexy and yummy cowboys...now I want that hot SWAT brother!

6 likes · like · see review

Sep 27, 2012 Rachael Davila rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: EVERYONE

Recommended to Rachael by: Melissa Cutler

I loved Trouble with Cowboys from the first teaser chapter to the very end. I couldn’t put it down. I need to be careful where I read Ms. Cutler’s work; it had me laughing out loud in public places. Good for the author because I enjoyed her voice, characters and dialogue. Bad for me because of the crazy looks I received.

What I liked most about the introduction to Catchers Creek and its inhabitants, is each character is lovable, especially Mr. Dixon and Lisa Binderman. Kellan and Amy stood on th...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Christi Snow rated it 5 of 5 stars

My Review:
I caught sight of this book a few months ago and was completely floored (and drooling a bit) over the gorgeous cover. (Top Off Tuesday) So I was very excited when I found out that I won an ARC of the book. Unfortunately, ARC's usually aren't so pretty, but Melissa knew I was having a love affair with the cover so she also included a VERY GORGEOUS cover flat for me to pet and lick and stroke. He is so very pretty, isn't he??

You see...I have this in common with the heroine of the book, A...more My Review:
I caught sight of this book a few months ago and was completely floored (and drooling a bit) over the gorgeous cover. (Top Off Tuesday) So I was very excited when I found out that I won an ARC of the book. Unfortunately, ARC's usually aren't so pretty, but Melissa knew I was having a love affair with the cover so she also included a VERY GORGEOUS cover flat for me to pet and lick and stroke. He is so very pretty, isn't he??

You see...I have this in common with the heroine of the book, Amy. She has a serious weak spot for cowboys. In fact, for her it is so bad that she's had to make up rules about them...#1 is that she has to stay away from them. Yeah, she doesn't do so well with her rules, but that's what makes this book, especially the first chapter, so good and fun. I love Amy. She's in a tough spot. Her two sisters are counting on her to hold it together so they can save the family farm. Her mother was never stable and Amy has a tendency to be a bit over-emotional herself. The problem is....she is very easily swayed when faced with a sexy cowboy and that's been known to mess things up...like tanking her career on national tv.

She has this weak spot...and you know Kellan is just a guy who is also feeling the effects of their incredible chemisty...he's not afraid to exploit her weakness if he needs to. But then he finds out something about her family ranch that means he has to stay away from her, but by then the chemistry has already turned into so much more.

I loved this book. Kellan and Amy both have serious family issues between their siblings and the way they were raised. For Amy and her sisters...they fight like cats and dogs, but at the end of the day they're family. For Kellan and his brother, Jake, they no longer speak. I liked the way that Melissa brought their family issues into everything and how it affected the way the relationship between the two of them developed. Amy turns to her sisters. Kellan turns to his friends, but it's not the same.

There were so many things that made this book so good. First, the characters. There are a lot of them, but from Amy's sisters to Kellan's friends to the strays that Amy was constantly taking in (loved Mr. Dixon and Sloane). They were all wonderfully developed and offered an interesting impact on the story. Then there's the setting...Everything about the setting was perfection. The book takes place in Eastern NM (which I love that area of the country). Kellan runs a cattle ranch while the girls are setting up a guest farm. I liked the undertones of the big-bad oil company and how that affects the lease-land ranches. Being from this area of the country, so much of the book rang true. And then there's the sexy cowboy....yep, I have a weak spot too...thank goodness I live in ranching country. ;o)

Finally I loved the glimpses into Vaughn and Rachel's relationship. I hope this means that we get their story soon. I loved them both and ached for the obvious heartache between them. But I also found myself intrigued about the mystery of Jenna's little boy and who the father is. I also really hope that we get to see more of Kellan's brother Jake.

It was just a great book and I'm so happy that I won it. I will definitely be looking forward to more from this author and series!

I won an ARC of this book in a random giveaway on Goodreads.
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Nov 08, 2012 Pam rated it 5 of 5 stars

Catcher Creek, New Mexico is home to Amy Sorentino, although she has not lived here from several years she is now committed to creating a life here with her sisters and nephew as she has given up her career and sold her condo to put money in the ranch project.

Unfortunately she has to live down her most humiliating experience, her mental collapse on the reality TV cooking challenge called The Ultimate Chef Showdown. She came close to winning the show but was sabotaged by a chef who dressed like a...more Catcher Creek, New Mexico is home to Amy Sorentino, although she has not lived here from several years she is now committed to creating a life here with her sisters and nephew as she has given up her career and sold her condo to put money in the ranch project.

Unfortunately she has to live down her most humiliating experience, her mental collapse on the reality TV cooking challenge called The Ultimate Chef Showdown. She came close to winning the show but was sabotaged by a chef who dressed like a cowboy (Brock McKenna) and probably never spent any time near a horse. Amy liked Brock and flirted with him throughout the show never knowing that he was trying to ruin her chance at winning. When her meal was ruined and she was voted off the show, she had a meltdown that was filmed and viewed my millions. Rule number one became her top priority - stay away from cowboys.

Amy likes to chop vegetables when she is stressed and coming back home to the stares and whispers of the town has her chopping celery to an extreme, much to the delight of the hogs on the farm. While on a desperate search for celery one day, Kellen Reid comes to her rescue before she makes a scene at the mini-mart in town. Kellen is the owner of Slipping Rock Ranch one of the best ranches around that has quality beef and she needs to talk to him about plans for the ranch.

Her sisters (Rachel and Jenna) along with Amy are transforming their farm into a vacation spot for families, including a restaurant. Her restaurant called The Local Dish will feature locally grown ingredients and she is visiting the local business owners to buy their products. As she talks with Kellen about the future restaurant, she totally forgets rule number one and spends an amazing night with Kellen only to regret it almost immediately no matter how attracted she is to him.

While growing up, responsibilities of the farm were left to Rachel and Amy while their father was always thinking of his next money making scheme. Jenna did not work on the farm much preferring to run a little wild until she found herself pregnant and turned her life around for her son. Although all three sisters have had their priorities changed since Tommy was born, Rachel is still angry the other two left her the responsibility for the farm, and they are constantly bickering about anything and everything. Their father was a dreamer and their mother self medicated her depression to where they could not count on them. Their mother (Bethany) is currently in a facility because she no longer can take care of herself. Amy has always felt she would turn into her mother so was deeply affected when she had the meltdown on TV.

Years ago Amy's father signed an agreement with Bruce Morton and his company Amarex; he is the uncle of Kellen to be able to purchase the farm in case of foreclosure. He has been trying to get the sister’s land even though it is thought that there is no oil on it. Kellen is at a loss as to why his uncle wants it so badly. Kellen knows that his uncle is an unscrupulous person so never wants to help him when asked. So when Morton contacts him about the Sorentino farm he is determined to finally ruin him and send him to jail. Kellen has been taping conversations for several years to ruin Morton for just this reason.

Kellen also comes from dysfunction; Kellen and his brother raised themselves until their parents went to jail sending them into foster care. His brother Jake rarely speaks to him because he feels betrayed when Kellen turned eighteen. Kellen feels bad about that but at the time he was too messed up. Here in Catcher Creek, he has made a family with his good friends.

While Kellen and Amy sort out their feelings family, business and emotion come into play to make life a bumpy road to happiness.

I loved this book as it is an emotional roller coaster ride from the beginning to the end. The characters are a wonderful collection of quirky and interesting people. I loved the interactions between Kellen and his friends that he has embraced as family. The story was touching, you could tell both Amy and Kellen have issues they must resolve before they can totally commit to each other however the attraction between them keeps them coming back together. The storyline of Kellen's family is so moving that I needed tissues. What started out as a combustible attraction between them moved to friendship then love – wonderful.
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Feb 27, 2013 DavinciKittie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: melissa-cutler, catcher-creek-series, cowboys, romance

Check out the full review on GraveTells.com, including Memorable Quotes, here:
http://gravetells.com/2013/02/28/revi...

Either I haven't read enough romance books with chefs as the heroines or Amy is just the unusual exception, but her therapy of chopping celery to stem her frustration and sexual needs is both unique and a little frightening (I mean, what ELSE would she consider dicing up? *gulp*). If I were this woman's man, I'd be sure to keep her completely satisfied or risk that fancy Mac knif...more Check out the full review on GraveTells.com, including Memorable Quotes, here:
http://gravetells.com/2013/02/28/revi...

Either I haven't read enough romance books with chefs as the heroines or Amy is just the unusual exception, but her therapy of chopping celery to stem her frustration and sexual needs is both unique and a little frightening (I mean, what ELSE would she consider dicing up? *gulp*). If I were this woman's man, I'd be sure to keep her completely satisfied or risk that fancy Mac knife practicing on my sensitive bits. Ms. Cutler sets the stage quickly and efficiently, giving us a glance into Amy Sorentino's frustrating history with cowboys, family drama, and recent professional embarrassment. She then rides straight into a little lets-blow-off-some-steam nookie between Amy and our sexy rancher hero, Kellan.

Let's talk about the sex. Oh, don't be shy - you know you wanna! My initial thought, from their first encounter, was that the love scenes in this book would be too skimpy, short on details and lacking in chemistry. Girlfriend, was I wrong! The detail and intimacy of the sex scenes grows with the relationship between Amy and Kellan in a healthy, organic way. Their chemistry is superb, both tender and passionate, and the romantic moments along the way reflect the intimacy level of their relationship as it develops. I loved Kellan's respectful cowboy ways and his sweet Southern accent, and I could easily picture his sexy Stetson, boots, and tight Wranglers. Kellan is not a glamour cowboy and, aside from a little wardrobe over-exaggeration to fire up his prospective lady's cowboy fetish, he's as honest and true as so many of the lovable Southern men I've known.

Ms. Cutler's style is comfortable and natural, straightforward with a charming Southwestern flair. The dialogue is also authentic, a pitfall for many authors who don't actually live in the unique culture that is "the south". Seriously, I can practically hear the thick accent rolling off the characters' tongues (and not in a cheesy, makes-me-want-to-/faceplam way either), and the landscape is a vista of beauty, with earthy depictions only someone who has lived and loved that environment could understand. There was a scene between the Sorentino sisters that had me laughing out loud, it was so spontaneously fun and refreshing. Each of the Sorentino women has a distinct and vibrant personality and their relationship with each other is genuine and believable, right down to the sibling spats and stalwart support.

This book is really good. It starts off feeling like a cowboy fluff piece and blooms into a heartbreaking saga of love, loss, and the bonds between family, friends, and lovers. The writing is mature and elegantly appropriate and the characters will draw you right into their world of desert vistas and Southwestern charm, where the slower pace of life makes everything that much more rich and enjoyable. I just wanted a quick, smutty read for Cowboy Romance Week and this book completely demolished all my expectations, continually endearing me in to a story that opens up in its own sweet time. Sexy with heart, is what this book is. More please, Ms. Cutler! And I don't want to wait! The Trouble With Cowboys is a GraveTells "must read"!(less)

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Feb 10, 2013 CoffeeTimeRomance andMore rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary

As fast as Amy Sorentinogets out of Catcher Creek as a kid, she is glad to be back. She just has to remember a few steadfast rules, also avoiding any further humiliation and embarrassment.

Building his ranch from the ground up makes Kellan Reed very proud of all he has accomplished. He has come a long way from an angry, scrawny teenager to a man with a successful business and a beautiful home.

Cowboys are Amy’s downfall; always have been, and always will be if she cannot get a handle on her emotio...more

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Nov 04, 2012 J.M. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Cover Blurb:
Cowboys have never been good for Amy Sorentino. First her hard-riding father bankrupted the family farm. Then her all-hat-no-cattle boyfriend sold her out on national television, ending her promising career as a chef. Now she and her squabbling sisters have partnered up in a final attempt to save their land by starting an inn and local restaurant. So it figures that with everything on the line, Amy's key supplier is just the kind of Stetson-tipping heartbreaking bad boy she's sworn t...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 26, 2012 Kerry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Amy Sorentino has moved back to her childhood farm to live with her sisters and try to save the farm from foreclosure. The death of her father revealed that there was no money left to support the land. Her father drank too much and worked too little in his last years to keep the farm afloat, and now foreclosure was looming.

The sisters are planning to open the family home and farm as a bed and breakfast with a farm theme to give city dwellers a taste of what life on a real farm is. Working toget...more Amy Sorentino has moved back to her childhood farm to live with her sisters and try to save the farm from foreclosure. The death of her father revealed that there was no money left to support the land. Her father drank too much and worked too little in his last years to keep the farm afloat, and now foreclosure was looming.

The sisters are planning to open the family home and farm as a bed and breakfast with a farm theme to give city dwellers a taste of what life on a real farm is. Working together is a challenge for the sisters because of their different personalities, and sibling rivalry. Amy is a master chef and will run the restaurant, the ‘Local Dish’ attached to the bed and breakfast.

Amy has always had ‘a thing’ for cowboys. This seems to be her way of recreating the love she wanted from her father, but did not get. The cowboys have always disappointed her by not having the honor, hardworking ethic and integrity that she expected cowboys to have.

Kellen Reed has the ranch spread next door to the Sorentino farm. He had his own childhood miseries growing up; his parents were drug addicts and Kellen and his brother ended up in a foster home when his parents went to prison on drug related charges. This left Kellen bitter and angry as a young man, and he deserted his little brother as soon as he aged out of the foster care system, in search of the Uncle that wouldn’t take them in when he and his brother needed family to help them.

Mutual attraction brings Kellen and Amy together for heated sexual encounters, and they learn from each other the difference between lust and love, and forgiveness within family relationships

This is a very touching love story, with two people, both from very dysfunctional family backgrounds learning to love and let go of the past. The heated sexual encounters between Kellen and Amy keep the pages of the book steamed up, and also gave me a sense of who these characters really were. Kellen, with the reputation of the playboy, and Amy, somewhat neurotic in her rules for life. I loved the ending, the way that Kellen and Amy came together and to an emotional understanding of love. I love LOVE!
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Sep 18, 2012 E_bookpushers rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, contemporary, romance, series, western, reviewed

Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2012/09/18/...

Publisher: Zebra
Publish Date: Oct 2nd
How I got this book: ARC from the publisher

It was their parents’ ranch, through the good days and the bad. But if they want to hang on to their land, their pride, and their family, the three Sorentino sisters will have to reinvent it from the ground up–and one of them just may reinvent herself in the process…

Cowboys have never been good for Amy Sorentino. First her hard-riding father bankr...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Kimberly Rocha~ Book Obsessed Chicks rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romances-a-la-kimberly

Amy Sorentino is a legend of sorts. A former contestant on a big reality cooking show, The Ultimate Chef Showdown. She is infamous for a very public outburst during the filming. The ultra talented chef loses the big prize and eventually returns to her life in Catcher Creek as one of three Sorentino sisters struggling to keep the family ranch afloat after their father's untimely death and their mother's emotional breakdown which, which puts her in a home with constant care. The Sorentino sisters...more
Amy Sorentino is a legend of sorts. A former contestant on a big reality cooking show, The Ultimate Chef Showdown. She is infamous for a very public outburst during the filming. The ultra talented chef loses the big prize and eventually returns to her life in Catcher Creek as one of three Sorentino sisters struggling to keep the family ranch afloat after their father's untimely death and their mother's emotional breakdown which, which puts her in a home with constant care. The Sorentino sisters have decided to turn the family ranch into a dude ranch that features meals comprised of staples from all local growers and suppliers.

Kellan Reed, cowboy extraordinaire, owns a prestigious cattle ranch that produces the best beef around. Kellan has proudly worked to the bone to start and run his business. Kellan also has a big secret he would prefer the world never know. He is the sole heir to Amarex oil corporation, of which his maternal uncle is the shady owner. Uncle Morton attempts continuously to drag his nephew into his unethical dealings, but thus far, Kellan has been able to steer clear.

Amy and Kellan bump into on another at the local Quick Stand, where chef Amy is in search of celery and she holds up the line at the store. Some of the locals in that line bring up the touchy subject of The Ultimate Chef showdown and also try to rile her about her family and just before Amy goes off on the locals, Kellan Reed steps in to save the day. Immediately sparks fly between Kellan and Amy and there is no use denying the fire that has ignited between them, even though Amy has a set of rules with number 1 being "NO COWBOYS".

When Kellan finds out that his uncle is after Amy's childhood home, he realizes this is a conflict of interest and he attempts to step back, only to be sucked back in due to, first, his feelings, and second, Sorentino family issues that tug at his heart as well. Sisters, Amy, Rachel and Jenna are at wits end with family issues and throwing in the prospect of losing the ranch may just too much to handle for everyone involved.

The Trouble With Cowboys by Melissa Cutler is a book that grabs you from the first, with its immediate sparks flying between the Amy and Kellan. Then it keeps you interested with each character's story. Kellan is a straight forward decent guy. I immediately was attracted to his passion for his work and being a self-made man. Amy, having been taken advantage of in her past is a tad gun shy, especially when it comes to cowboy Kellan, but his persistence is admirable. Melissa Cutler has added a cast of characters who only compliment the entire scheme of things with Kellan's friends Vaughn, Lisa and Chris and Amy's quirky new employees, Sloan and Douglas.

I loved the The Trouble With Cowboys by Melissa Cutler. This story is riveting and well written with a great balance of humor and drama. This book goes through a gamut of emotions, laughter and tears and leaves the reader well sated. I am so looking forward to the next in the Catcher Creek series as I am already making bets on who will be the next two to fall in love. Gahhhhh, must we wait a year for this book?

~KIMBERLY~

5 Stars (Hook Line and Sinker)
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Nov 19, 2012 Chris Bails rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a great book and read. Very excited for the next book in the series.
This is a story about the Sorentino family. Their are three sisters and are called home because their mom is sick and they are also about to lose their family farm.
Amy is a chef and has to give up her life & job to help her family. She has been having some hard times and more than willing to go home.
Kellen Reed is just the cowboy she is looking for. She finds him then remembers her rules, no cowboys. But he is so...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Ni_kii rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cowboys, chef, sexy, smexy, strong-female-charcter

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Really 4.5 Stars
Reviewed at http://scorchingbookreviews.blogspot....

Amy Sorentino is back in Catchers Creek to try to restore her family’s ranch back into something that earns money before they lose the ranch completely. After her public breakdown on reality TV, becoming the chef for their new restaurant venture seems to be the one thing that she needs....well, as long as she sticks to her rules. Rule number one is no Cowboys, but that rule is tested the second she lays eyes on Kellan.

Kellan onl...more Really 4.5 Stars
Reviewed at http://scorchingbookreviews.blogspot....

Amy Sorentino is back in Catchers Creek to try to restore her family’s ranch back into something that earns money before they lose the ranch completely. After her public breakdown on reality TV, becoming the chef for their new restaurant venture seems to be the one thing that she needs....well, as long as she sticks to her rules. Rule number one is no Cowboys, but that rule is tested the second she lays eyes on Kellan.

Kellan only wants to stop the crazy lady at the store from fighting with other customers when he intervenes in Amy’s life. The next thing he knows he’s getting every piece of cowboy gear he owns out of his closet in order to use her Cowboy fetish to his advantage. The only thing he has to get past is her “no-cowboy” rule and once he sees what her last Cowboy did to her, live on TV, he realises that, although they may be able to steam up the sheets, the chances of her wanting anything more than a night are slim.

The night his creepy Uncle contacts him to tell him of his plans to bankrupt the Sorentino’s and take their ranch, he realises that his fun and steamy tryst with Amy is over. He can’t help her and sleep with her; it would be completely unethical. He can’t tell her who he is but he can’t see her go to rack and ruin; what is a poor Cowboy to do?

We have a running joke amongst me and my friends that I’m not allowed near Cowboy land for fear I’ll be arrested for stalking one. I laughed my ass off when Amy fell hook, line and sinker for anything in a Stetson; I could totally relate. This book was a complete revelation and I whole heartedly recommend it.

Kellan is a successful rancher who raises cattle, rides a horse and is dedicated to being successful at what he loves. I loved him. When he meets Amy, he doesn’t see a soul mate; he’s sees a woman he wants in his bed. I laughed when he pulled out his western shirt, bolo tie and Stetson for the church service he knew she attended; he didn’t dress like that normally but pulled out all the stops once he knew her weakness. It all seemed so carefree until his creepy Uncle entered the pages and then this angst started to appear. Kellan didn’t have a happy background, had done plenty of things that he regretted, but he was determined not to let Amy be one of them. He didn’t have to help her, could have just sowed his wild oats and moved on but instead he ignored his carnal desires to do the right thing. I really did like him.

Amy is a woman that I understood. Bar the Cowboy obsession, she was driven and ambitious. She had let a man screw her over once, she was not going to let it happen again. Unfortunately she didn’t count on the charms of Kellan. She fought against her attraction, but she couldn’t resist his ample charms. But she was determined not to let him too far in. I loved her sense of preservation, even if it was misguided. I knew the shit would hit the fan eventually; let’s be honest, it always did. The way it hit the fan wasn’t shocking, but it was enough of a hook to make me wonder what would happen. Then things took a turn for the worst with Amy’s family and there were some seriously upsetting scenes. I knew her priorities had changed but damn I wanted them to work!

The sex scenes in this book are worth their very own paragraph. The sex scenes in this book are HOT. Like melting ice cubes hot. The chemistry between them is very well written and every scene had my pulse racing and my temperature rising. There is a scene with specialty salt....Oh. My. Gosh....

A scorching hot romance between a self-made cowboy and a feisty chef. With a romance driven plot featuring some seriously hot sex scenes, I was entertained from start to finish. I loved the view we got into the lives of the residents of Catchers Creek... I wonder who we get to meet next?(less)

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Jan 17, 2013 Cheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books

I really liked this story. This is the first story I've read by Cutler. Amy Sorentino is trying to save her family's ranch from foreclosure, she is also trying to live down an embarrassing breakdown while doing a realty show. She calms herself by slicing and dicing, being a chef it's therapy. She meets Kellan Reed at the store looking for veggies to chop. Oh, she has this thing for cowboys. It's her biggest weakness and she falls hard for any guy wearing a Stetson and cowboy boots. There is a lo...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Shoshana Brown rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved Amy from page one, when she brought out her MAC SPK-95 Classic chef knife. How can you not love a heroine who knows how to handle a deadly weapon?

Amy and Kellan fit together really well. Her interaction with her sisters shows him the way a healthy family relationship is supposed to look, and his reliability and strength gets her through one of life's toughest moments. Plus, he has a set of MAC knives.

The Trouble With Cowboys is the perfect book to curl up with during the holidays to reme...more

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Dec 15, 2012 Denece rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: western-romance, favorites

Great book. Still some unfinished things in there I hope there will be a 2nd one!!

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May 01, 2013 Candace rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I was walking through the bookstore, this book caught my eye in the New Romance section. I have an obsession with Cowboys and Romance!  Of course this book caught my eye! I found that from reading this book I share this weak spot for cowboys with Miss Amy Sorentino. So I already relate to the heroine in some aspect. This is the first novel I had seen from Melissa Cutler. I looked up the author and loved how she said that her and her friend would go to the bookstore and to the romance secti...more When I was walking through the bookstore, this book caught my eye in the New Romance section. I have an obsession with Cowboys and Romance!  Of course this book caught my eye! I found that from reading this book I share this weak spot for cowboys with Miss Amy Sorentino. So I already relate to the heroine in some aspect. This is the first novel I had seen from Melissa Cutler. I looked up the author and loved how she said that her and her friend would go to the bookstore and to the romance section and see which book came to the hot and steamy parts first and that’s the book they would buy! After reading that, I just had to buy this book!

Amy Sorentino is coming off of a very dark, humiliating point in her life when she was sabotaged by her so-called beau and had a mental breakdown on national TV. After hitting rock bottom, she is trying to pull her life back together, but she seems to have the weight of the world on her shoulders as her two sisters are expecting her to help save the family farm! In walks Kellan Reed, and that is trouble with a capital “T” for Amy since cowboys seem to be her weakness and have caused nothing but trouble for her in the past. But with everything going on and the high levels of stress and nerves, she gives in to her weakness very early on! And it hooks you instantly.

I loved the development of the characters and all the supporting characters that you are introduced to. Each one of the three Sorentino sisters has distinct personalities and quirks that make them unique. They seem to bicker and often argue, but at the end of the day, they are family and blood sticks together. Kellan Reed has that sweet Southern charm and is very honest and true to himself and works hard for what he has. Kellan has his own struggles with family as his mother abandoned him as a child and being estranged from his brother. He is connected to the town of Catcher Creek and his friends and the town are now his family. The chemistry between Amy and Kellan is raw and passionate and pulls the reader into the struggle that Amy has with her feelings for cowboys versus her feelings for this one man. Amy feels like she is all alone and is weak, but it turns out that Kellan will be a rock in her life and will be there through some of the toughest moments in her life and that she has a backbone that she had to go home to find. In the end, fate steps up to the plate and smashes a home run!

I love how Melissa teased some of the backstory into Rachel and Vaughn’s relationship and set up the next book which I cannot wait to read! There seems to be so much passion and love eating away at them that has caused tremendous heartache for both of them. I imagine their story will be filled with heartache and pain, but hopefully will end in triumph!
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Jan 31, 2013 Kristi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, ebook, fiction, kindle, own, romance, western

A time tested plot and believable characters come together well in Melissa Cutler’s Catcher’s Creek series debut. Amy Sorentino has sworn off cowboys, but she has returned to the cowboy country of her youth to start a restaurant in a last ditch effort to help her sisters save the family farm their father nearly bankrupted. Of course on her first day back she runs into an irresistible specimen of a cowboy, Kellan Reed, who just happens to live on the ranch next door and is the top choice beef sup...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Angela the Fair ~Lusty Lace~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Review also posted at Under The Covers Book Blog

“Ms. Cutler delivers, not only a sexy cowboy hero, she also delivered an enthralling story line” ~Under The Covers

This is my first read from Melissa Cutler and it will not be the last. I have to admit that I picked this book up on a basis of just looking at the cover. I’m lucky I landed with a good book because I just
should not decide on that reason alone. But hey, true to the cover, Ms. Cutler delivers not only a sexy cowboy hero she also delive...more Review also posted at Under The Covers Book Blog

“Ms. Cutler delivers, not only a sexy cowboy hero, she also delivered an enthralling story line” ~Under The Covers

This is my first read from Melissa Cutler and it will not be the last. I have to admit that I picked this book up on a basis of just looking at the cover. I’m lucky I landed with a good book because I just
should not decide on that reason alone. But hey, true to the cover, Ms. Cutler delivers not only a sexy cowboy hero she also delivered an enthralling story line.

Amy Sorentino of the Ultimate Chef Showdown has returned to her small town home of Catcher Creek. After losing the contest to her Ex-jerk-boyfriend, she decided to go back home to help her sisters save their family land. With the plans to turn their property into a Bed and Breakfast type of business, meeting with the owner of the best cattle ranch is inevitable…for the best piece of meat, of course.

I love Amy. With her, there are no pretenses. What you see is what you get including her emotions and decisions that go with it. She totally made me laugh with her rule of NO COWBOYS. Due to her past heartaches, she has become cynical and avoids cowboys like the plague. However, her attraction for them, especially Keelan was unavoidable. Her inner dialogue trying to avoid him was hilarious. On the other hand, Keelan was just straight up with how he felt. His sexual innuendos made it even harder for Amy to resist. Their sexual tension was so obvious and totally off the charts. But it wasn’t just that, they complimented each other and they seem to solve each others problems.

The subplots were a great addition to the story and the rest of the characters were intriguing. With financial hardships, the Sorentino sisters’ argued and irritated each other. However, with each
confrontation they seem to find the “sisterhood” and in the end, working things out. A few more stories brewing in the background with Vaugn (Keelan’s BFF) and Rachel (Amy’s sister). Jenna (the other sister) and her son’s story was vague but I’m totally curious to see what’s up her…I mean, what her story is all about. Sloan, Mr. Dixon and Lisa looks like will be a permanent part of the sisters’ lives. I hope to read more of everyone in the next installment scheduled to release
October 2013. Rachel’s story!!!

* Review copy provided by publisher
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Oct 17, 2012 Melvina Davis rated it 5 of 5 stars

I LOVED this book from start to finish. It has a perfect small town setting, interesting characters, an intriguing plot and steamy sex scenes. This is a touching story about Kellan and Amy, both from dysfunctional families learning to love and let go of the past. The author Melissa Cutler also touches on the lives of several other characters providing hints as to other relationships for the other two Sorentino sisters, Jenna and Rachel in future "Catcher Creek" series books. Melissa Cutler is a...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Marianne rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm still laughing the day after finishing this book! I thoroughly enjoyed the characters -- how can you not love a woman who takes out her frustrations by chopping celery, onion and other veggies?? But only with her specialized set of knives!! Lots of good humor, a ditzy but delightful heroine, and, of course, a lovable cowboy ... can't wait for the books about the other sisters in this family. Good, good read!!!

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Jan 27, 2013 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

I LOVE this boook ! It is so nice to have a story line where the women is not a submisive. Amy goes after what she wants! Kellan is just... well I couldnt get enough of him! I do hope this becomes a series. When you are done reading this you will be wanting to know more about Rachel, Vaughn, Jenna, Jake, & Matt the lawyer. If you like Jill Shalvis, Bella Andre, or Lori Foster you will LOVE this :)

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Mar 25, 2013 Jenn Cunha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: won, own

Maybe a 3.5 for that cover alone. This is my issue with this one. It felt like a really long book, but it was unnecessarily long. I wanted to know more about his relationship with his uncle and more about her family life, but I didn't get that. Instead, there was a lot of unmemorable filler. Don't get me wrong, the sex was steamy and their relationship was adorable, but it took so much to get there. There needed to be more and less.

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Oct 21, 2012 Marcie Oropeza rated it 4 of 5 stars

What a great novel! Had a bit of trouble getting into it but about 25% of the way in, I was hooked! Let's say this Kellan is NOT a douchebag (nor is the other one, not really,....never, in my heart I know this) and he can cook my filet mignon any day...or night!

I loved the way Melissa presented "blood" families, in all of their sticky complexities, and how they were contrasted w/ the families we....create for ourselves. I liked the way she presented mental illness and alcolholism and their treat...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Karla Doyle rated it 5 of 5 stars

I first heard about The Trouble With Cowboys on Twitter, before it'd been picked up for publication. It's been on my radar ever since. The early hype was right on the mark. This book is funny, sexy and a tear-jerker, to boot. All-around awesome.

As heroes go, well, I was in love with Kellan Reed pretty much from the first time he showed up on the page.

Hero aside, there was so much to love about this book. The heroine and all the secondary characters were excellent, too. I loved the sizzle betwee...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Ann Lorz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary

I read this for our book club. I have to say this book had one of the best covers I've seen in awhile. Just look at him! It was a very easy read. I do wish that we got to spend more time with the two main characters together. One of my biggest complaints was the paper they used. The book felt weird, like they used cheap paper. Not a good feeling.

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Mar 27, 2012 Cassi Carver rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was thrilled to get an advanced copy of Melissa Cutler's outstanding contemporary western, The Trouble With Cowboys! It hooked me from the first chapter with a lovable cast of characters, a perfect small-town setting, an intriguing plot, and scorching-hot sex!

This stellar debut novel should be at the top of your to-read list!

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Apr 13, 2013 Julz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Love this book because it talked about all family members and left me wanting to know more about every one involved.
Characters were easily likeable and quickly introduced. I can’t wait to find out what happens in the next book.

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Oct 12, 2012 Judy Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is great. I loved it. Can't wait to read more about the other two sisters!! I know Melissa is going to write two more books to go with this one!! It was such a great story line she can't stop with just one book!

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Jan 18, 2013 Sue rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved this book from the very first page all the way to the end! I am currently rereading because I am so impatient for the sequel! I highly recommend both the book and the author. Bravo!

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Oct 27, 2012 Cyndi rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this book for the book club I run. I must say that I really liked this book. The main characters Amy and Kellan were real. Sometimes authors write characters that a bit too Hollywood for me. What I mean is they are too tidy fake phony. Not the case here. Amy does things that make you go 'huh?' but they are realistic reactions. Refreshing to read a book with perfectly imperfect people. Kellan is a great hero. I had a few minor problems-wishing for some more explanation but this book was a...more

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About Melissa Cutler

Melissa Cutler knows she has the best job in the world, dividing her time between her dual passions for writing sexy contemporary romances for Kensington Books and edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense for Harlequin.

She was struck at an early age by an unrelenting travel bug and is probably planning her next vacation as you read this. When she's not globetrotting, she's enjoying Southern California'...more

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Quotes from The Trouble with Cowboys

“One more salt to try," Kellan said, reaching into the box. He brought a jar of black, flaky crystals up to the light. "Black diamond finishing salt. Extremely rare and too bold for those with meek palates. But, for a true connoisseur, the flavor is incomparable." He lowered her head and torso to the ground and pushed her sweater up to expose her stomach and ribs. "I want to sample it on your skin.” — 2 people liked it

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The Trouble with Cowboys (Catcher Creek #1)

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