Sugar Daddy (Travis Family #1)
by
Lisa Kleypas (Goodreads Author)
Lisa Kleypas has enthralled millions of readers with her powerfully seductive novels. Now she delivers a story featuring her most unforgettable characters yet....
SHE'S FROM THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS
Liberty Jones has dreams and determination that will take her far away from Welcome, Texas---if she can keep her wild heart from ruling her mind. Hardy Cates sees Liberty as...more
SHE'S FROM THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS
Liberty Jones has dreams and determination that will take her far away from Welcome, Texas---if she can keep her wild heart from ruling her mind. Hardy Cates sees Liberty as...more
Hardcover, 371 pages
Published
March 6th 2007
by St. Martin's Press
(first published March 1st 2007)
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Oct 15, 2011
Auntee
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of Lisa Kleypas
With already 446 reviews of this book, I'm sure everything's already been said..but I'll add in my 2 cents!
I've had this book on the TBR pile for years--and I don't know why. I love LK's historicals (she's one of the few historical authors I read), so I don't know what kept me from trying this one. Maybe I didn't have faith that Kleypas could weave her magic with a contemporary as well as a historical? Well was I ever wrong! I thought this book was just wonderful. Yes, there were just a few thin...more
I've had this book on the TBR pile for years--and I don't know why. I love LK's historicals (she's one of the few historical authors I read), so I don't know what kept me from trying this one. Maybe I didn't have faith that Kleypas could weave her magic with a contemporary as well as a historical? Well was I ever wrong! I thought this book was just wonderful. Yes, there were just a few thin...more
This is my favorite LK series. Yes, I know, I know. I'm mainly a historical romance reader. Plus, I've never really been thrilled over first-person POV*, but these books sold me. This book leading the series is truly wonderful.
I still remember when I first saw the paperback was finally out in the bookstore and being so disappointed because yet another one of my favorite HR authors was bowing to pressure and going mainstream. I wasn't reading contemporary romances at the time, so I actually hesit...more
I still remember when I first saw the paperback was finally out in the bookstore and being so disappointed because yet another one of my favorite HR authors was bowing to pressure and going mainstream. I wasn't reading contemporary romances at the time, so I actually hesit...more
May 05, 2009
Shawna
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Contemporary romance fans; anyone who loves a great heroine
Shelves:
contemporary-romance,
lisa-kleypas,
2009-reads,
favorites,
i-read-own-faves-keepers,
made-me-cry,
cowboy-stud-fever,
hero-im-gaga-over,
heroine-i-adore,
best-top-favorites,
hero-mix-of-alpha-beta,
favorite-romance-series,
hero-i-wanna-marry,
reunions-are-sweeter-second-chances,
chick-lit,
heroine-naïve-virgin-like-a-virgin,
series-travises,
favorite-romance-couple-hh-pairings,
austin-texas-rocks,
hero-alpha,
hero-stud-mantel-hall-of-fame,
hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst,
heroine-abused-traumatic-past-rape,
sizable-packages,
hero-expert-skilled-voracious-lover,
culinary-lovin-food-and-sex-chef,
first-person-pov,
heroine-curvy-plump-not-stick-thin,
enemies-to-lovers-opposites-attract,
hero-cold-cruelbrute-dark-dangerous,
hero-bad-boy-playboy,
hero-stalk-me-baby-possessive,
humorous-at-times-or-fluffy-fun,
pregnancy-fertility-baby-kids-drama,
small-town-lovin,
cheating-hearts-fidelity-issues,
sweet-romance-left-smile-on-my-face,
hh-sweet-nice-paired-vs-gruff-cynic,
hero-or-heroine-exotic,
heroine-beautiful-bombshell,
favorite-love-scenes,
kindle,
i-read-kindle,
aar-top-100-romances-2007-2010,
5-stars-or-higher,
hero-brooding,
hh-across-the-tracks,
hh-social-class-wealth-matters,
interracial-romance,
hero-daddy-warbucks-wealthy,
hero-redeems-himself-reformed,
hh-rags-to-riches,
love-triangle-vying-courtships,
childhood-ties-friends-sweethearts,
hero-attractive-handsome-heartthrob,
hero-too-yummy-perfect-to-be-true,
best-endings-epilogues,
controversial-memorable-event-scene,
heroine-commoner-lower-class,
heroine-destitute-poor,
hero-southern-boy-charmer,
brothers-sisters-cousins-family,
a-all-time-fave-heroine,
a-all-time-fave-hero,
tearjerker-tugs-at-heartstrings,
hero-entrepreneur-mogul-tycoon,
a-all-time-best-of-best-fave-dik,
hero-flirt-charmer-ladies-man,
hero-starchy-loosen-up-buttons-babe,
heroine-single-mom,
heroine-kickass-spirited-strong,
heroine-plucky-lively-feisty-spunky,
hero-darcy-paragon-haughty-staid,
unrequited-love-crush,
hero-silent-quiet-type-reticent,
hero-reformed-rake-player,
heroine-good-girl-nice,
heroine-girl-next-door,
a-all-time-best-top-50-fave-dik,
hero-bedroom-bad-boy,
hero-sharp-dressed-man,
hero-hot-car-sexy-costly-ride,
hh-biracial-multiracial,
heroine-latina-hispanic,
loved-you-from-afar-or-for-years
5++ stars – Contemporary Romance
This is the first novel I have read by Lisa Kleypas, and I mainly read it in order to have the necessary background to read “Blue-Eyed Devil” and “Smooth Talking Stranger”, both of which had sparked my interest. I honestly didn’t have very high expectations of “Sugar Daddy” based on the mediocre book jacket description, after reading some of the mixed reviews referring to it as chick-lit rather than romance, and that it’s written solely in first person point of vi...more
This is the first novel I have read by Lisa Kleypas, and I mainly read it in order to have the necessary background to read “Blue-Eyed Devil” and “Smooth Talking Stranger”, both of which had sparked my interest. I honestly didn’t have very high expectations of “Sugar Daddy” based on the mediocre book jacket description, after reading some of the mixed reviews referring to it as chick-lit rather than romance, and that it’s written solely in first person point of vi...more
I initially gave this 3-stars but revised it to 4-Stars on second read.
Thoughts on first read (in 2009):
I am a huge fan of Kleypas’ historical romances and was somewhat disappointed in this contemporary story. It read like the life story of Liberty Jones as opposed to a contemporary romance. I did really love Liberty and really felt for her through her hardships, but felt a lot of the things that happened in the first half of the book could have been shorter. Based on the blurb at the back of t
Jun 02, 2012
Baba ♥♥♥ Marcus, Tyler, Tate, Dan, Ty, & Hunter
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
chick-lit
FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED
Sometimes life has a cruel sense of humor, giving you the thing you always wanted at the worst time possible. The irony of it split my heart open, setting loose more bitter regret than I could bear.

Be aware that my review is a little bit spoiler-ish; nothing major though
About my rating
When you read my review you will ask yourself why I rated this book so high. Well, even though I dislike chick lit I think it wouldn't be fair to give it a low rating. That's a personal pref...more
Sometimes life has a cruel sense of humor, giving you the thing you always wanted at the worst time possible. The irony of it split my heart open, setting loose more bitter regret than I could bear.

Be aware that my review is a little bit spoiler-ish; nothing major though
About my rating
When you read my review you will ask yourself why I rated this book so high. Well, even though I dislike chick lit I think it wouldn't be fair to give it a low rating. That's a personal pref...more
Apr 29, 2011
Annie the Destroyer *Leather Lust*
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Contemporary romance fans, LK fans
Recommended to Annie the Destroyer *Leather Lust* by:
Elena
Despite being forewarned that this wasn’t exactly a contemporary romance, I was still surprised to read that Sugar Daddy was more of a women’s fiction read. It was a heartfelt coming-of-age story involving one of the best heroines I’ve read in a long time. Liberty Jones wasn’t born into a lavish life. She lived with her mother in a trailer park with her useless boyfriend in a place where being half-Mexican wasn’t entirely accepted. But despite being dealt bad cards, Liberty has an inner strengt...more
I approached this book with much trepedition. Lisa Kleypas is my favorite historical romance author, so I wasn't thrilled about her recent move to contemporaries. (Very few authors can actually pull this off.) And then there is the fact that this book is written in first person. (Not a fan!) The blurb on the back of the book does not do it justice either.
Frankly, I thought I would be forcing myself to plow through a Danielle Steel-esque type of soap opera.
But I found that I was pleasantly surp...more
Frankly, I thought I would be forcing myself to plow through a Danielle Steel-esque type of soap opera.
But I found that I was pleasantly surp...more
What an utter disappointment this book was. I was tempted to give this two stars but then I changed my mind to three stars because it’s more like 2.5 seeing as it is generally well-written, but in no way is this a romance in my book. I’ve read mixed reviews from some saying it’s romance and others it’s women’s fiction. It’s 100% chick-lit which I dislike. I don’t care about the main character’s “journey” through hardship and angst, I want to see the romance, the emotional connection with the oth...more
Sep 09, 2010
Mollie *scoutrmom*
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of contemporary romance
This book was very different from most romance novels I've read. It started when the heroine was not yet fifteen, and carried through more than a decade. I also felt a bit different about this story because it was all told from a single point of view. The tense sometimes changed, but the narrator didn't. This seemed more of a narrative story or a memoir than it did a romance novel, but there is no doubting the outcome. I was surprised to find that I loved it in spite of myself.
The Texas setting...more
The Texas setting...more
Sugar Daddy is about Liberty Jones. Liberty's father died while she was very young in an oil accident. He was Mexican while her mother is blond and fair. Liberty inherited her father's coloring though and feels like her family isn't enough with only her and her mom. They move to a trailer park in Welcome, TX and that's where she meets Hardy. Hardy is pure trouble, but from the moment they met Liberty is in head over heels. They are a few years apart however and Hardy plans on leaving Welcome. He...more
Feb 08, 2010
Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of coming to age stories about wonderful heroines
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
So I can't believe a Lisa Kleypas book made me cry!!! My first contemporary romance by her and I loved it - even though it's written in first-person POV - it was extremely engaging from page one and I couldn't read it fast enough. Wow, this was a very emotional read and I can't believe I found myself crying several times (I hope I don't start crying again now).
Liberty Jones is our heroine and this book is basically her life - starting when she's a teen. Her mother is a single mom, originally fr...more
Liberty Jones is our heroine and this book is basically her life - starting when she's a teen. Her mother is a single mom, originally fr...more
Apr 13, 2009
Miss Kim
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Any CR fan
Shelves:
2009,
contemporary
This was my first Kleypas book, so I went in without any expectations. I have ready many reviews that state this book stinks because it's not like her historicals. I liked it very much.
I loved the Texas references in this story. I'm almost jealous that I am not from such a cool state! LOL. There are almost inside jokes about how the wealth’s statuses are different from Dallas vs. say...Houston or Austin. They all seem to look down on the other. Also, the hero's hair was twice referred to as 'lik...more
I loved the Texas references in this story. I'm almost jealous that I am not from such a cool state! LOL. There are almost inside jokes about how the wealth’s statuses are different from Dallas vs. say...Houston or Austin. They all seem to look down on the other. Also, the hero's hair was twice referred to as 'lik...more
Including her childhood.
Truly unpredictable ending. (Guessing who the heroine’s going to end up with is usually easy, but I never could have guessed the ending of this one.)
Churchill and Diana’s heartbreakingly sad past. (My tears were uncontrollable while reading their story.)
Beautiful ending. (Though a happy ending, I feel depressed. I really wish Hardy hadn't changed. How can I ever forget her beautiful childhood memories? *sigh*)
Too descriptive. (It was agonizing!) I think I really need...more
Apr 17, 2012
Suzanne the Mighty ~Satin Seductress~
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Come and check out the review on Under the Covers
Having read and loved most of Lisa Kleypas’ historical novels, I was unsure what to expect from her first foray in to contemporary romance. However, I wasn’t disappointed. Although this wasn’t my favourite of her books, I really enjoyed it.
It is told through the eyes of Liberty Jones, and it tracks her life, the first part showing her childhood in a trailer park with her mother, and her unrequited love for Hardy Cates, and then later her beloved l...more
Having read and loved most of Lisa Kleypas’ historical novels, I was unsure what to expect from her first foray in to contemporary romance. However, I wasn’t disappointed. Although this wasn’t my favourite of her books, I really enjoyed it.
It is told through the eyes of Liberty Jones, and it tracks her life, the first part showing her childhood in a trailer park with her mother, and her unrequited love for Hardy Cates, and then later her beloved l...more
Sugar Daddy is and always will be one of my all time favorite Kleypas reads. Something about her writing changed with this novel and it wasn’t just that it was her first contemporary. Reading Sugar Daddy is like you’re sitting down at your best friend’s home and she’s telling you her life story. It’s not just mere reading; it’s a rich and visceral experience. It’s like eating the best five course meal you’ve ever had from a renowned chef, it’s full bodied, mature and it flows so easily. You can...more
Oct 07, 2008
L8blmr
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Those who enjoy Southern contemporary romance
This is NOT your mother's Lisa Kleypas (I've always wanted to say something like that!). What a departure! But, I truly enjoyed it. The lady has talent, and she used it in a different genre to produce dialogue and circumstances in a contemporary setting that tugged at my heart. Almost fairy-tale like, we meet the heroine, a poor girl who grew up in a trailer park in Texas after her father died. Most of the book takes place when the girl is a teen, and I found the details to be believable. When w...more
This book is really hard to review.
For the first 200 pages (and yes, the book has like 312 pages) i was constantly checking at the cover image of my e-book, wondering if i'd somehow screwed up the purchase and was reading some story from the wrong author. I'm a recently initiated Lisa Kleypas' lover, but i think i've come to know her style, but to me, 3/4 of the book was an awful narrative experience, with lots and lots of pages of over descriptive chapters telling us the struggles Liberty had t...more
For the first 200 pages (and yes, the book has like 312 pages) i was constantly checking at the cover image of my e-book, wondering if i'd somehow screwed up the purchase and was reading some story from the wrong author. I'm a recently initiated Lisa Kleypas' lover, but i think i've come to know her style, but to me, 3/4 of the book was an awful narrative experience, with lots and lots of pages of over descriptive chapters telling us the struggles Liberty had t...more
You know that expression about good singers: "You could sing the phonebook"? Borrowing that expression, Lisa Kleypas could write advertisements for the yellow pages that would leave me enthralled! She has such a gift of taking an average sounding story and turning into something compelling and full of romantic energy. I love her writing!
I originally picked this book off the shelf several months ago at the library after only having read one Lisa Kleypas book. I read the book cover and wrinkled my...more
I originally picked this book off the shelf several months ago at the library after only having read one Lisa Kleypas book. I read the book cover and wrinkled my...more
Jan 23, 2010
Lady Valee
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites,
cont-romance
OMG. Seriously, there are no words to describe how I feel about Lisa Kleypas's books. How is it that every book I read of hers ends up being even better. Her books are so good that once I start with them I can't stop.
But after starting with this series I have to admit that I would like to say several things.
This has automatically become my fave series. I mean, the wallflowers was amazing but this book... Damn... there is anything I can say that will actually describe how I felt after reading it...more
But after starting with this series I have to admit that I would like to say several things.
This has automatically become my fave series. I mean, the wallflowers was amazing but this book... Damn... there is anything I can say that will actually describe how I felt after reading it...more
Feb 25, 2012
✿Alyssa✿
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
lisa-kleypas,
travises-series
This review was posted at: My Secret Romance
To sum it up: Liberty Jones has dreams and determination that will take her far away from Welcome, Texas- if she can keep her wild heart from ruling her mind. Hardy Cates sees Liberty as completely off-limits. His own ambitions are bigger than Welcome, and Liberty Jones is a complication he doesn't need. But something magical and potent draws them to each other, in a dangerous attraction that is stronger than both of them.
When Hardy leaves town to purs...more
To sum it up: Liberty Jones has dreams and determination that will take her far away from Welcome, Texas- if she can keep her wild heart from ruling her mind. Hardy Cates sees Liberty as completely off-limits. His own ambitions are bigger than Welcome, and Liberty Jones is a complication he doesn't need. But something magical and potent draws them to each other, in a dangerous attraction that is stronger than both of them.
When Hardy leaves town to purs...more
May 10, 2011
sandsun331
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
contemporary-romance
I'm giving it 5 stars for the last 100 pages or so. I loved Gage Travis! He is so steadfast, so devoted, so loving, so... everything that Liberty needs (really brought home in what she tells Hardy when she confronts him). Once we touched on the actual romance, the book just took off for me and I didn't even mind (then) that the book was 1st person and entirely Liberty's POV. Would I have preferred the first 200 chick-lit type pages to be condensed to the opening of the book and the introduction...more
Jul 07, 2012
Ronyell
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Lisa Kleypas fans!!!
Shelves:
1st-person-pov,
adult-books,
american-hero-or-heroine,
best-books-of-2012,
book-series,
books-i-want-to-own,
chapter-books,
contemporary-romance,
drama,
favorites,
family-situations,
lisa-kleypas,
my-blog-reviews,
racism,
read-in-2012,
reviewed-books,
sexy-good-girl-heroine,
sexy-bad-boy-hero,
strong-heroine,
strong-hero,
mexican-american-hero-or-heroine,
interracial-romance,
aar-top-100-romance-books-2010,
ronyell-s-epinions-reviews
Ever since I had started reading Lisa Kleypas’ “Hathaways” series, I had fallen in love with her romance novels ever since! Well, after reading so many romance novels from Lisa Kleypas that were mostly historical romance, I began reading some of Lisa Kleypas’ contemporary romance novels, the most recent one I have read is none other than “Sugar Daddy!”
Liberty Jones was fourteen years old when she first met the local hunky boy next door Hardy Cates. Unfortunately, Hardy Cates ends up leaving the...more
Liberty Jones was fourteen years old when she first met the local hunky boy next door Hardy Cates. Unfortunately, Hardy Cates ends up leaving the...more
Oct 29, 2010
Joyzi
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
18 years old and above, fans of Judith McNaught
Recommended to Joyzi by:
Just pick it on Booksale
My Book Review
(Note: This review is not for Gale fans and certainly will have Mockingjay Spoilers.)
So I just happen to go in a bookstore and saw this pinkish sort of orangery book and I thought it look like a candy and I want toeat read it.
Then before I read this I search the book on Goodreads because I've no idea what's this book is all about and who was the author Lisa Kleypas.
So I found out that Kleypas has so many psycho fans that I was really excited to read it and I was jumping up and d...more
(Note: This review is not for Gale fans and certainly will have Mockingjay Spoilers.)
So I just happen to go in a bookstore and saw this pinkish sort of orangery book and I thought it look like a candy and I want to
Then before I read this I search the book on Goodreads because I've no idea what's this book is all about and who was the author Lisa Kleypas.
So I found out that Kleypas has so many psycho fans that I was really excited to read it and I was jumping up and d...more
Sep 27, 2010
Jane Stewart
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
contemporary-romance,
4-plus-star-romance
4.5 stars. Well done, in depth novel. Thought provoking. Excellent story.
This reminded me of Maeve Binchy’s style of writing, but with a little more romance. There is more in depth character and plot development than I was expecting. I give 5 stars to a book when my immediate reaction after reading it is “I loved this.” My reaction to “Sugar Daddy” was more of “Wow. That was great.” I was close to giving it a 5 because it was such good quality.
There is a lot of heartache and sadness in the first...more
This reminded me of Maeve Binchy’s style of writing, but with a little more romance. There is more in depth character and plot development than I was expecting. I give 5 stars to a book when my immediate reaction after reading it is “I loved this.” My reaction to “Sugar Daddy” was more of “Wow. That was great.” I was close to giving it a 5 because it was such good quality.
There is a lot of heartache and sadness in the first...more
Cheesy cover and eyebrow-rising inducing book title aside, I probably would have enjoyed this book more if it had been marketed as a chick lit rather than a contemporary romance. Seeing as the former is exactly what the majority of this book is, I was glad that I was informed beforehand, otherwise I probably would have felt more mixed about it.
Although this isn't solely a romance, the chick lit side of this is so well thought-out in typical Kleypas style and strength to her main characters that...more
Although this isn't solely a romance, the chick lit side of this is so well thought-out in typical Kleypas style and strength to her main characters that...more
This is a type of book, that I usually feel 5 STARS just won't do it justice! More like 10 STARS!!!
While putting this amazing book on to my favourite shelf, I can't stop feeling overwhelmed by the story I just read. The story that covered almost a lifetime of a small family, but what a journey it has been.
Liberty Jones fell in love with Hardy Cates when she was just fourteen. But Hardy craves a life bigger and better than their hometown of Welcome can offer. While he's fond of Liberty and feels...more
This was my first Lisa Kleypas book and I am fairly new to romance novels of any kind--I really liked it!
It starts out following the lives of young Liberty and Hardy growing up disadvantaged and living in a trailer park and trying to make it in life. When the book started, I thought I know exactly where the book was headed and it was a nice surprise to see that I was wrong. I love it when an author throws a curve ball and surprises me.
I found myself routing for Liberty all the way through the b...more
It starts out following the lives of young Liberty and Hardy growing up disadvantaged and living in a trailer park and trying to make it in life. When the book started, I thought I know exactly where the book was headed and it was a nice surprise to see that I was wrong. I love it when an author throws a curve ball and surprises me.
I found myself routing for Liberty all the way through the b...more
Hmmm...Sugar Daddy isn't a romance novel until the last third of the book. I suppose it was necessary to develop Liberty's background but it made the book like one of those '80s type romance-cum-woman's fiction ala Barbara Bradford except that those books had the heroine make the money the hard way, not marrying it as Liberty does.
I have to admit it was the glimpses of Hardy that kept me reading because there was something about Liberty that made it hard for me to warm up to her though I find it...more
I have to admit it was the glimpses of Hardy that kept me reading because there was something about Liberty that made it hard for me to warm up to her though I find it...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardy & Gage | 12 | 106 | 16. Mai, 08:31 Uhr | |
| Nothing but Readi...: Kleypas, Lisa - Sugar Daddy: A "buddy read" start Oct. 17, 2011 | 122 | 33 | 25. Oktober, 12:48 Uhr |
LISA KLEYPAS is the RITA award-winning author of 21 novels. Her books are published in fourteen languages and are bestsellers all over the world. She lives in Washington State with her husband and two children.
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“Sometimes life has a cruel sense of humor, giving you the thing you always wanted at the worst time possible.”
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“Sometimes a woman needs a man for company, no matter how useless he is.”
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