A Creed In Stone Creek (Creed Cowboys, #1)

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A Creed In Stone Creek (The Creed Cowboys #1)

3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 · rating details · 1,813 ratings · 191 reviews

New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller returns with a brand-new trilogy about putting down roots and the healing power of love. Experience the thrill of her Creed and Stone Creek series in one powerful story...

When single attorney Steven Creed becomes guardian of an orphaned five-year-old boy, he trades his big-city law firm for a ranch near his McKettrick kin...more

Paperback, 384 pages

Published February 22nd 2011 by HQN (first published 2010)

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Dec 03, 2012 Ian rated it 2 of 5 stars

"A good story is life with all the boring 
bits taken out."   
- Alfred Hitchcock

"A good story is life with all the boring 
bits taken out."   
- Alfred Hitchcock

He found a flower shop after some searching, but it was closed. From there he proceeded to the supermarket. He'd seen seen roses and various house plants in the produce section of grocery stores lots of times. He'd have preferred something a little fancier, a big bouquet with exotic blossoms and a ribbon tied around the vase but for tonight anyhow he'd have to make do. Inside the store, Steven chose between daisies, rose-buds just opening up, and what was probably some kind of lily. He considered buying several bunches and putting them together but he wasn't sure which colors went with which so he settled for a dozen yellow roses.

I blame Facebook. Before Facebook nobody was really interested in the fact that you had a tomato sandwich for lunch.

Things I would rather do than finish this book

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Attend the synchronized swimming final at the Commonwealth Games.

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Go to a Star Wars convention dressed as Darth Vader

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Watch the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy on an iPod Touch

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May 13, 2012 Jennifer rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

This book would probably have worked better for a reader more familiar with her other books.

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Jan 26, 2011 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, netgalley, linda-lael-miller, contemporary-romance

Its that time of the year to head back to your cowboy roots with the queen of western romance. In this new trilogy, we meet up with some more of the Creeds, Steven and his twin cousins, Brody and Connor. This book features Steven who has recently adopted his best friends five year old son, Matt, and the towns prosecutor Melissa O'Ballivan. Steven moves to Stone Creek, Arizona to be near his McKettrick side of the family and leave a bad breakup and the big city behind and start over a bit with Ma...more Its that time of the year to head back to your cowboy roots with the queen of western romance. In this new trilogy, we meet up with some more of the Creeds, Steven and his twin cousins, Brody and Connor. This book features Steven who has recently adopted his best friends five year old son, Matt, and the towns prosecutor Melissa O'Ballivan. Steven moves to Stone Creek, Arizona to be near his McKettrick side of the family and leave a bad breakup and the big city behind and start over a bit with Matt. On his first day there he sees an attractive woman, who turns out to be Melissa, and the attraction is instant and mutual.

This book is full of small town country life. Melissa is coerced into supervising the town parade and as a result, has to deal with numerous small problems from the older women in the community. One of the side storied involves a young man that Melissa had successfully prosecuted and sent to jail, getting released and returns back home and he deals with some unfortunate circumstances and lead to Melissa and Steven, a public defender, squaring off against each other. And then there is Matt. I really loved the relationship between Matt and Steven. It was no surprise to Steven that he was the guardian, this was told to him shortly after Matt was born so there wasn't they big 'what do I do with a kid?' problem, which was great. There were a bit of inconsistencies, to me I felt, with Matts age and how he acted, but that seems to happen often with kids in the book. I think its hard to hit it just right with kids and how they act versus their age.

Also present in this book is lots of family and love between them. Melissa has her brother, Brad (who is married to Meg, Stevens cousin) and her twin sisters. Thank goodness both her sisters are happily married because I thought they were going to be paired up with Stevens twin cousins and I am a bit over the twin with twin thing lately. (Of course I don't know what happens with the next two books but I hope nothing happens to the sisters husbands!!) But, at the same time, the intertwined family life is a bit confusing sometimes. Everyone seems to be related somehow! The attraction between Steven and Melissa was heated and progressed very quickly but as Melissa had been burned by a guy with kids before, she is a bit hesitant as he with her as his ex was a prosecutor as well. They gradually overcome these issues with no big misunderstanding which was a plus!

Overall, this is a pleasant book to spend a nice snowy day with while curled up in front of the fireplace and some hot chocolate. I am looking forward to the twin cousins stories as there is some good back story waiting to be told that should be interesting. I have enjoyed all of Linda Lael Millers westerns and enjoy coming back each year for more. I have not tried any other westerns, as its not really my thing, but she does a great job giving you just enough without overpowering you. 3 1/2 stars

I received this ebook via netgallery.com
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Jan 13, 2011 Denise rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

As a fan of Linda Lael Miller, I was very happy to receive a pre publication copy of this book to review.
Attorney, Steven Creed has adopted his best friends son after he is killed in an accident leaving the boy an orphan. He decides to move to Stone Creek to raise his son near his McKettrick family. There he meets prosecutor Melissa O’Ballivan. Descendant of Sam from the book, Man from Stone creek. There is an instant attraction there that just sizzles. Both Steven and Melissa have been deeply...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Felicia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-read

Review Copy from NetGalley
(Release Date 2/22/11)

What I Loved: This was truly a story from the heart. I haven't read any of the McKettrick series so I didn't know much about any of the characters (other than what was in the blurb) before reading this book. Steven was a fantastic leading guy and Melissa was a wonderful leading lady. The fact that they were faced with a "history repeating itself" type of relationship and that they both worked through their issues showed a great deal of depth in bot...more Review Copy from NetGalley
(Release Date 2/22/11)

What I Loved: This was truly a story from the heart. I haven't read any of the McKettrick series so I didn't know much about any of the characters (other than what was in the blurb) before reading this book. Steven was a fantastic leading guy and Melissa was a wonderful leading lady. The fact that they were faced with a "history repeating itself" type of relationship and that they both worked through their issues showed a great deal of depth in both of their characters. They certainly were a throw back to classic love stories that we all love. Matt though who is stole the heart of the book for me. At 5, he was witty, strong, and pretty clever. I love that he was treated with the respect of a full blown character and that his story really shined through. He made me giggle a lot especially when he made Steven groan :)

What I Liked: I liked the glimpse of Brody and Connor. I can only imagine what their stories are going to be like and I am guessing they are the other two books in this trilogy. I loved the side love story of Tessa and Tom. It was very sweet to watch as Tom got up enough nerve to ask out Tessa. I also really enjoyed watching Melissa come to terms with the fact that a person she sent to prison really had grown up and became a good person while in there. It was a pretty realistic impression of how people can be wrong and eventually see it.

Complaints: I didn't really like 75 out of the last 100 pages of the book. Since it was clear through out the whole book which kid was really the bad kid, the situation at the end seemed forced and a bit unrealistic. I would like to think by then that Melissa was smarter than to have a knee jerk reaction. It made her look "dumb" when I think she was anything but that. Up till then this book was a strong 4.5 or higher. Since it only is a small part of the book though it did not ruin it for me completely.

Why I gave the book a 3.75: Closings are big parts of how I rate a book. Overall this was a fantastic book and love story. The characters are multi-dimensional, fun, and lovely people to get to know. The interactions are real and the story (with the exception of the part mentioned above) seemed very plausible. I enjoyed this book and read it very quickly. I would recommend it to people to read and add to their collections.

Who I would recommend the book too: Contemporary Romance fans and Western Romance fans. Even though this book is set in a small town that has parades, floats, and rodeos the lead characters are lawyers. Don't shy away from this book if you are passing it up because you think it is a western. It does a good job of balancing Contemporary and Western without going overboard on either one.

Author Website: http://www.lindalaelmiller.com/

Books in this series:
A Creed in Stone Creek (2/22/11)
Creed's Honor (5/31/11)
The Creed Legacy (6/28/11)(less)

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Apr 25, 2011 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, non-erotic

An LASR 'BEST BOOK'!

When you discover an author who talks to you through their writing, it is an exciting moment. Then when that author delivers one great series after another and connects them by beginning another series, well that is even more exciting.

Linda Lael Miller is truly the Queen of contemporary westerns and delivers the beginning of another of her wonderful, heartwarming series bringing together the McKettricks, the Creeds, the O’Ballivans and Stone Creek.

Prosecutor Melissa O’Balli...more

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Apr 21, 2011 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Steven Creed needs stability in his life now that he has Matt, his newly adopted son and after a visit with Meg McKettrick-O’Ballivan his long lost cousin he decides that Stone Creek has everything he’s looking for, the one thing he’s not looking for is sexy Prosecutor Melissa O’Ballivan. Mellissa wants what her sisters and brother have, a family and someone to love forever, she’s lost at love before so she’s not sure she’d know what love is if it bit her, well she’s about to learn the hard way...more

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Mar 29, 2011 Brenda Rupp rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked this book really well. It was not the best one written by Linda Lael Miller, in my opinion. I've read many by her and have read some that I liked more than this book, but isn't saying I didn't like it, I did. The characters were woven together into an interesting story. The little boy in the story, Matt, was so cute you could almost see him and want to smush his cute little cheeks! LOL
Little boys are like that and this one had so many cute things to introduce into the scenes he was in.
I...more I liked this book really well. It was not the best one written by Linda Lael Miller, in my opinion. I've read many by her and have read some that I liked more than this book, but isn't saying I didn't like it, I did. The characters were woven together into an interesting story. The little boy in the story, Matt, was so cute you could almost see him and want to smush his cute little cheeks! LOL
Little boys are like that and this one had so many cute things to introduce into the scenes he was in.
I read the book over 2 days or so, it kept my interest, I have a huge pile of books to finish and am actively working on reducing the pile. The book was written well enough that it was easy to keep reading rather than put it down and do something else. I would recommend it to any one who loves Linda's books, they will enjoy the story. I'm going to be curious to see if they love it as much as her other books. I found that she has some other books she has written that stand out more for me.

I checked and found I wasn't the only one who thought this was not LLM's normal story, it was a bit disjointed and didn't pull others into the story either. I was glad to find I was not the only one who felt that way. I normally LOVE LLM's books and this one was a little disappointing as I thought it was going to be as good as .... that ice cream sundae that you think about and wait for and when you finally get it the waiting was worth it as it is so great.... Not this book, it was not worth the build up and is not LLM's normal write.

Here is the info from the back of the book:
When single attorney Steven Creed becomes guardian of an orphaned five-year-old boy, he trades his big-city law firm for a ranch near his McKettrick kin in the close-knit community of Stone Creek, Arizona. Taking care of little Matt and fixing up his run-down ranch house with its old barn loosens something tightly wound inside him. But when Steven takes on the pro bono defense of a local teen, he meets his match in the opposing counsel - beautiful, by-the-book county prosecutor Melissa O'Ballivan. It'll take one grieving little boy, a sweet adopted dog and a woman who never expected to win any man's heart to make this Creed in Stone Creek know he's truly found home(less)

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Mar 24, 2011 Bookworm rated it 4 of 5 stars

A Creed in Stone Creek is the first book in the contemporary 'Creed Cowboys' trilogy.
Steven Creed becomes the guardian of five year old Matt, the orphaned son of his best friend. Steven moves out to Stone Creek to raise Matt. There he meets the beautiful county prosecutor Melissa O’Ballivan. Being such a small town Melissa notices Steven right away and finds out his story.

The story starts off slowly, with the characters in this small town being introduced. Steven is the perfect hero. He's sexy...more

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Mar 22, 2011 Stephanie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

This review originally appeared at www.readinasinglesitting.com

Melissa O'Ballivan is Stone Creek's prosecutor, and prides herself on her commitment to the law, her health, her family. In fact, the only area where Melissa struggles with commitment is with those of the male persuasion. Diamond rings? Children? The very thought makes Melissa run a mile--and that's in addition to the two she runs every morning. Even the thought of looking after a pet makes her break out in hives (literally). So when...more This review originally appeared at www.readinasinglesitting.com

Melissa O'Ballivan is Stone Creek's prosecutor, and prides herself on her commitment to the law, her health, her family. In fact, the only area where Melissa struggles with commitment is with those of the male persuasion. Diamond rings? Children? The very thought makes Melissa run a mile--and that's in addition to the two she runs every morning. Even the thought of looking after a pet makes her break out in hives (literally). So when defence lawyer Stephen Creed strides into town--and with kid and dog in tow, no less--Melissa's first instinct is to make like an ostrich and stick her head very firmly in the sand. But Stone Creek is your quintessential small town, and it's hard to avoid a newcomer, particularly when you share friends, family, and even a court case.

My thoughts

Regular readers of RIASS will know that I'm not an avid romance reader; in fact, I'm scarcely more than a dabbler, with only a handful of romance reads to my name. But some quixotic, parochial inner part of me has a thing for small towns and the American South, and if you wave such a book in front of my nose, I'm all but guaranteed to pick it up. And let me say that A Creed in Stone Creek has all things southern and small-town in spades. In fact, this small-town mentality is so evident that I think a disclaimer is required at this point: this is the kind of book where you'll need to check feminist and progressive attitudes at the door (a hard thing for me to do, admittedly). The book very much has a 1950s aesthetic to it, and with a feel not unlike something out of The Stepford Wives or Pleasantville. Delightful, chirpy families abound, all of them with doe-eyed children, cheerful pups, and attentive grandmothers in tow. The women dress in polka-dot dresses complete with ruffles (except for the octogenarian nudists, of course, but we won't go there!), and are fabulous cooks, exemplary cleaners, and have spectacular gardens, while the men are utterly adoring of their spouses and children, boast huge arm muscles, and have respectable manly careers. There's certainly an end goal in this book, and given the ubiquitous references to pregnancy, children, and all things related to breeding, it's something along the lines of "go forth and multiply".

One of the major foibles of our heroine, of course, is that she tries to avoid letting her uterus be her guiding force in life. But because of this, she has a job that, while fulfilling her desire to have an impressive qualification and a smart-sounding role, is generally less than inspiring; her culinary skills are limited to microwaving a frozen Weight Watchers dish; and her clothes contain things such as darts and tailoring, rather than ruffly goodness. It's a bit of a painful contrast, and it's hard not to take issue with the contrast between the hard-working spinster and the brownie-baking housewife. But this is a romance, after all, and I set aside my misgivings as best as possible (until the final chapter, but we'll get to that in a bit).

Curiously, A Creed in Stone Creek is less a romance than a mainstream novel that contains some romantic elements. Steven Creed is for the most part more interested in renovating his newly purchased ranch and looking after his adopted (and Children of the Corn-like creepily precocious) son than he is in engaging in a romance. Besides that, his heart was once broken by a lawyer, so it's pointless to go there again. It's a slightly bizarre motivation, and one that brings to mind plenty of pouting and petulant expressions, but weirdly it's the sort of motivation that's rife throughout this book. While most of the characters are pleasant enough archetypes--the sort that you'd see on a daytime soap--our hero and heroine are wildly vascillating in their motivations, reasoning, and actions. They're more up and down than a sine graph, and it's hard not to be confused by the childish, nonsensical ways in which they act around each other. There's a weird mix of the chaste and the promiscuous, and the rather out-of-the-blue raunchy scene in which they get down and do the dirty seems a touch odd after all of the ruffles and blueberry pies we've been reading about to this point. Moreover, while I accept that a romance necessarily has a scene in which the hero and heroine have to fight before getting back together again, the background for this in this book lacks believability, and the severity of the characters' reactions (Melissa's in particular) just seems bizarre. Refusing to talk to a man because he's agreed to take on a court case as part of his job? Hmm.

While I managed to suspend my feminist leanings throughout Melissa's existential and career-related struggles, I have to say that the ending of this book did manage to elicit a snort of indignation (or perhaps despair) from me, and resulted in a bit of a drop in my flashy little star rating below. While a happily-ever-after ending is requisite for this genre, the saccharine nature of this one has to be seen to be believed--and even then it's hard to understand. Our man-loathing, career-oriented, culinarily-impaired, canine-allergic heroine suddenly switches to the dark side, quitting her job to work in a pet shelter, becoming a domestic goddess, eschewing her tailored slacks in favour of peasant dresses, and getting engaged right off the bat (and pregnant with, of course, twins, since one bun in the oven isn't enough). All of this happens in the last five pages, making it all a touch difficult to fathom (and resulting in a slightly bilious taste in the reader's mouth).

Still, on the whole, the novel flows well, and is comfortingly familiar. It doesn't pack any punches, and you won't find yourself struck by any narrative twists or complexities, but you'll be able immerse yourself in the sweet-as-pie town of Stone Creek--complete with parade floats, diners, baking, and pet shelters--for a good few hours, and it's all pleasant and aww-inducing enough. There are a few minor plotlines, such as that involving a teenaged recidivist and his slimy friends, that seem a little forced, and there's a mystery element that would probably have been better left alone. In addition to that, there are quite a few scenes involving tiresomely mundane activities such as baking, getting dressed, going for a job, and putting petrol in the car that could have done with a bit of editorial excision, but overall, the novel is solid enough if very much reliant on cliches and archetypes. Oh, and the hero isn't an alpha male, which is a relief!

Summary

For a warm and friendly read that doesn't push the boundaries, but rather tries to take you back in time to a land of white picket fences and smiling wholesomeness, A Creed in Stone Creek is a solid read. Expect small-town shenanigans, all of your favourite archetypes, and plenty of lurve and family-oriented elements, but don't expect a plot that will knock your socks off or in-depth characterisation. This is the kind of book you read while sitting at home on a Friday night with a family sized packet of Maltesers in your lap.
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Mar 20, 2011 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book mostly because it was a nice romance book with a happy ending and some twists along the way. I have been reading a lot of books that are outside of my normal "type" of book so it was nice to read one that I could just enjoy.

Steven and Matt's story was just sad in the beginning. Matt's parents, Steven, best friends have died and left Matt in Steven's care. What a big adjustment for both boy and man. Steven leaves his home in Colorado and moves his new "son" to Stone Creek whe...more I enjoyed this book mostly because it was a nice romance book with a happy ending and some twists along the way. I have been reading a lot of books that are outside of my normal "type" of book so it was nice to read one that I could just enjoy.

Steven and Matt's story was just sad in the beginning. Matt's parents, Steven, best friends have died and left Matt in Steven's care. What a big adjustment for both boy and man. Steven leaves his home in Colorado and moves his new "son" to Stone Creek where his recently discovered distant family is in the hopes of giving Matt a new start. Steven buys an old farm that is in really bad shape. Upon they arrival, the cousin who found Steven arrives and instead of camping until the house is repaired, they are provided with her husband's tour bus. With all of this, Steven has promised Matt a new dog and they make an adoption.

Melissa is the county prosecutor and has had relationship issues of her own. She was engaged to a widower in town and just could not commit. Now he is getting married and Melissa is all alone and trying to convince herself that is okay. That is until she meets Steven and Matt in the County Building where she is getting conned into running the parade for the upcoming Rodeo. How can she ruin this little boy's dreams by not helping with the parade?

Very quickly there are sparks between Melissa and Steven and Matt is looking for Melissa to fill the Mom role in his life. Steven trying to keep Matt from getting attached to Melissa. But he is hooked as well. All is good until Steven takes on the case of a young man from town probono because he believes that the boy is innocent of the charges against him despite his past. Melissa is very upset and things go cold between them even though they are both still interested. Can they get beyond their differences?

I enjoy the story telling that Linda Leal Miller does during these stories. There are always story lines outside of the main line that keeps the story interesting and builds a lot of background and depth to the characters. I feel like I could be walking down the street and meet Melissa or Matt and I would know just who they were. A very enjoyable read.
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Mar 18, 2011 Tam Herra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: texas, small-town, pets, family-series

Ok. So this is my first Linda Lael Miller book. I've heard people talk about the McKettrick series but I've never read one all the way through. I partially blame the covers for this. The first additions to the Creed series (in 2009) and even McKettrick books from 2005 have covers that look like books I'd find in the bargain bin of my local community centre. That's all well and good, and I am sure they suit the book, but I could never get over the cover enough to read the content within.

I saw Cre...more Ok. So this is my first Linda Lael Miller book. I've heard people talk about the McKettrick series but I've never read one all the way through. I partially blame the covers for this. The first additions to the Creed series (in 2009) and even McKettrick books from 2005 have covers that look like books I'd find in the bargain bin of my local community centre. That's all well and good, and I am sure they suit the book, but I could never get over the cover enough to read the content within.

I saw Creed's Honor (the book after this) was available as an arc and that cover ain't too bad, and thus started my Linda Lael Miller experience. I started with this book and moved on to Creeds Honor (rated 4-stars, see posted review).

This book is hard to review. I liked part of it. The kid was cute, Steven's dedication to the kid was admirable, and Melissa was an interesting contradiction of a character. But at the same time the storyline was a bit cheesy, the romance was slow to develop and I was much more interested in the subplot involving the cop. I think there could have been a much more interesting story happening there but we don't see too much about it.

The kid's adjustment seemed a little wonky. Something just doesn't sit right about it, but I can't put my finger on it. Maybe there wasn't enough rough patches or something, I don't know. The kid was 5 and I don't care how smart he was said to be at first, he still seemed way older than 5 a lot of the time, which was weird.

Melissa's internal conflict was interesting and I think it is relevant to our 'times'. The idea here was that she was a successful law woman but yearned for a family and career change, but felt a bit trapped because she had previously worked so hard to get to where she was. That being said, I don't think it was properly explored or resolved. It didn't help that Steven didn't want an opposing career woman (as in, he didn't like that she was a prosecutor because his other girlfriend was). I'll be honest, if a guy was thinking "I'm not sure I can be with you because my past girlfriend had the same career as you and I am painting with the broadest brush here and therefore think you two will be the same" I'd tell him to suck it and go back to pining for my old ex who is recently remarried to someone else. I really felt like the career thing should have been her struggle, and that he internally or externally should given two shits about what she did with her life, especially when he is doing pro bono work and didn't appear to need the money -- so he could have changed his job to prevent himself from being opposing counsel.

Byron's story was interesting. I liked the idea of the misconceptions surrounding certain pasts and the fact that some people make mistakes and try to make retribution for them and move on to be good people.

So, bottom line: The romance in the main characters leaves a little to be desired. But other parts of the story surrounding the main romance were quite good and hooked me. I am giving this book 3 stars (a little higher than I think it deserves for its main romance) because it made me want to read Book #6 and maybe explore other Linda Lael Miller books regardless of the covers they sport.
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Mar 08, 2011 Jennifer Estep rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, western

A Creed in Stone Creek by Linda Lael Miller is the first book in her new Creed Cowboys contemporary western romance trilogy.

After defense lawyer Steven Creed finds himself caring for Matt, the 5-year-old son of his deceased best friends, Steven decides to move the two of them to Stone Creek, Arizona for a fresh start. What Steven doesn't count on is his intense attraction to county prosecutor Melissa O'Ballivan. Melissa finds herself attracted to Steven as well, but she's wary of having her hear...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyed this book very much. It has been a long time since I have read a Linda Lael Miller book and I have not been following the adventures of the Creeds, McKettrick's and the various others that are linked to this story very closely. However, it is not really a problem, even those family members come in and out of the story and I was able to sort it out. I did like the family and would like to go back and catch up to all their adventures. And of course continue to read the next two books tied...more

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Feb 24, 2011 Elisa Paige rated it 3 of 5 stars

There are so many things to enjoy about A Creed in Stone Creek. Topping my personal list is Miller's poignant handling of the relationship between Steven Creed and his adopted five-year-old son, Matt. Miller builds the budding father/son interactions of a single man who's just lost his closest friend and now finds himself with the incredible responsibility of raising an orphaned child. The sweetness between the man and boy brought tears to my eyes at times, and I am NOT a teary kind of person --...more There are so many things to enjoy about A Creed in Stone Creek. Topping my personal list is Miller's poignant handling of the relationship between Steven Creed and his adopted five-year-old son, Matt. Miller builds the budding father/son interactions of a single man who's just lost his closest friend and now finds himself with the incredible responsibility of raising an orphaned child. The sweetness between the man and boy brought tears to my eyes at times, and I am NOT a teary kind of person -- you'll never see me reviewing Nicolas Sparks!

As a Texan and a horse rancher, I also love the book's small-town community. Miller deftly paints both sides of this often insular lifestyle -- the warmth and genuine caring people have for one another, the comfort of knowing who everyone is and where you fit in, against the sometimes claustrophobic elements of those same people knowing everything about your life . . . the good as well as the embarrassing, seeing you at your best and at your worst, ALL the time.

That said, I was a bit frustrated by the abrupt changes of heart Melissa, the heroine, experiences in an effort to move the romance with Steven along. She leaps into bed with him after having met him only two days earlier, then she's cold and ugly toward him when their professional lives create the tiniest bit of friction. That Steven remains true toward Melissa just makes her seem that much nastier and him just a little too good to be believable.

Another annoying thing is that Melissa's angst over getting involved with Steven is that she was previously involved with a single dad who had two sons. The guy wanted to get married, but she kept dragging her feet -- while she loved the boys, she was afraid to love the dad because loving someone makes you vulnerable to their loss (in the event of death or if the person stops loving you). So the dad eventually got tired of her jerking him around and he dumped her, found a sweet local woman, married her, and now they're expecting their first child together. Melissa uses the situation to convince herself she's not meant to love anyone and the town locals (as well as her family) pretty much reinforce this belief by tiptoeing around her and coddling her about her pain over the breakup. WHEN SHE CAUSED THE BREAKUP HERSELF ! ! ! ! It's like blaming the gun because you shot yourself in the foot. I kept wanting her to woman-up and stop moaning about a situation for which she was solely responsible.

Because of this breakup, Melissa has psychosomatic allergies around pets -- an excuse not to have a dog or cat because, of course, people outlive their pets all the time and she doesn't want to love something only for it to die . . . well, SOMEtime. This was a huge head-scratcher for me and I could only figure that Miller included this element to show that Melissa was majorly screwed up (umm, kinda noticed that in the first few pages!), especially since her beloved fraternal twin is the town's vet so her Perfect Home (gorgeous and adoring husband, beautiful kids) is difficult for Melissa to visit. Oh no! A cat walks through (ahhhh-CHOOO). Oh no! Gorgeous hubby sweeps twin sister in for a big smooch (heartbroken pangs that Melissa is never going to have such love). Perfect child gives twin sister a sweet hug (more heartbroken pangs that Melissa is never going to have a child of her own). Twin sister cooks to perfection, her home is beautiful and tidy and a genuine HOME where everyone is welcome, it's noisy and filled with life and happiness (cue Melissa's ongoing angst).

[spoiler alert]

Which makes it all that much harder to believe that when Steven almost dies in a tussle with an armed bad guy, right at the very end of the book, Melissa suddenly does a total about-face. All her suffocating fears go out the window, as well as her so-called allergies, and now she wants to be with Steven, adores his family, wants a dog of her own, agrees to get married, and promptly gets pregnant. Even harder to swallow (since this all happens in about three pages), she gives up her role as town district attorney and decides to become an animal rights advocate/legal defender, thus leaving Steven's role as town defense attorney unfettered and their relationship uncluttered. But this is the same woman who spent 95% of the book talking about how driven she is, how career-focused, how competitive, that she'd never walk away from anything (well, except for handsome single fathers who are awesome in bed) . . . .

I've enjoyed Miller's McKettrick series and was thrilled to see that she'd started a new one (the Creeds are cousins of the McKettricks and cut from the same sexy-as-hell, rugged, integrity-driven, no-nonsense cloth). I'll definitely try the next Creed book, but without the same degree of enthusiasm as I began this one.

[ARC provided by netgalley](less)

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Feb 01, 2011 Becca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, contemporary-romance, netgalley, books-read-in-2011, arc-s, cowboys

Steven's life has changed so much in the past few months, and he's decided to make one more change and move to Stone Creek. In the past few months Steven's best friend died in a motorcycle accident leaving Steven to take care of his friends five year old son. Steven and Matt moved to Stone Creek to start anew, where Steven will be a Defense Attorney pro-bono and will work on his ranch. The last thing Steven expected was to find a woman that turns his world even more upside down than it already i...more

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May 22, 2012 Laurie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, cowboys, family, harlequin-romance, touch-of-hot, tough-chicks

This book surprised me, but not in a good way. I was expecting larger than life characters, but was sorely disappointed. The Heroine, Melissa, had just broke up with her ex (who had two children) when he demanded she marry him. Essentially, she had to choose to be a Mom or a career woman. Okay. I get that. What I don't get is if she broke up with a man with two kids because she had a commitment problem, then why did she get involved with the hero, Steven, who also had a son? It seems like she sh...more

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Feb 26, 2011 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporaryromance

I have faithfully read all the books in the Creed, O'Ballivan, McKettrick series, and this turned out to be one of my favorites. Steven and Meg meet when he comes to build roots in Stone Creek for the "son" he has adopted after his best friend and his wife pass away. Steven knows that he likes Meg; he finds her attractive, intelligent, and she treats Matt with respect. I really liked Meg, who has created a life for herself but realizes that something is missing. She has a great job, amazing frie...more I have faithfully read all the books in the Creed, O'Ballivan, McKettrick series, and this turned out to be one of my favorites. Steven and Meg meet when he comes to build roots in Stone Creek for the "son" he has adopted after his best friend and his wife pass away. Steven knows that he likes Meg; he finds her attractive, intelligent, and she treats Matt with respect. I really liked Meg, who has created a life for herself but realizes that something is missing. She has a great job, amazing friends (I LOVED her scenes with Tom), a nice house, and a solid family - but she sees the glow that her family has that comes from being with that special someone, and wonders if she will get that too. Meg's confusion over a job that she worked hard for but no longer really fits her felt genuine. I loved that Byron really challenged her to look at herself, and question whether he could have changed, and whether he deserves a second chance to start anew. What I really liked: I loved that she had such a great friend in Tom, without feeling like they should have been more with each other. I loved that Matt was so cute I couldn't wait for scenes with him. Steven and Meg had great chemistry, sexually and on a more intellectual plane. They challenge each other. I also appreciated that Meg had a great sexual relationship with her previous boyfriend, Dan. Sometimes it feels as if the heroine hasn't discovered sex until she meets her hero, and it was great to see she was confident in her needs. What I didn't like: There are so, many, children. Each book in the series has pregnancy (at least), if not every hero or heroine already having children coming into the relationship. Even Meg's ex had children. I felt it is a bit unrealistic, and while Miller writes families and children so well, I would have liked to see the romance stand-alone. In some ways, the child (or children) become a prop to carry the story, and she writes so well that the characters don't necessarily need it. I think this book is definitely worth reading, and even if you haven't read the series you wouldn't feel confused. (less)

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Apr 03, 2011 Marcia Berg Haskell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

"
When single attorney Steven Creed becomes guardian of an orphaned five-year-old boy, he trades his big-city law firm for a ranch near his McKettrick kin in the close-knit community of Stone Creek, Arizona. Taking care of little Matt and fixing up his run-down ranch house with its old barn loosens something tightly wound inside him. But when Steven takes on the pro bono defense of a local teen, he meets his match in the opposing counsel - beautiful, by-the-book county prosecutor Melissa O'Balliv...more

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Jan 22, 2011 Judith rated it 4 of 5 stars

This engaging novel bears the unmistakable stamp of Linda Lael Miller's wonderful writing style and story telling ability. Bringing together the Creeds of Montana and the McKettricks of Arizona is another literary device series writers often use. Here Steven Creed takes up residence in Stone Creek, setting up his law practice with the intention of providing legal representation for individuals and families who would not ordinarily be able to afford a good and competent lawyer. But in the process...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Kristi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

I suppose in many ways, this book is a pretty typical romance plot. Man and woman face off against each other but somehow fall in love despite their individual protestations. The certainly sums up the plot of this book. But, there was much more to it. The male protagonist, Steven Creed, is a new father, to a five year old. He's also new to town and new to owning and running his own ranch and new to small town defense lawyering. Our female protagonist, Melissa O'Ballivan, is an upstanding citizen...more

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Mar 14, 2011 Crystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, arc, read-march-2011

A Creed in Stone Creek was a very enjoyable novel. I liked the setting, I liked where the plot was going and I enjoyed the characters. I will be reading the rest of this trilogy as well as picking up some of her other series books now. Linda Lael Miller writes a book that brings you right into the story and keeps you there until the conclusion. The characters feel like your friends and you just don't want to say goodbye at the end (and thankfully you won't have to, because I am sure Steven, Matt...more A Creed in Stone Creek was a very enjoyable novel. I liked the setting, I liked where the plot was going and I enjoyed the characters. I will be reading the rest of this trilogy as well as picking up some of her other series books now. Linda Lael Miller writes a book that brings you right into the story and keeps you there until the conclusion. The characters feel like your friends and you just don't want to say goodbye at the end (and thankfully you won't have to, because I am sure Steven, Matt and Melissa will be making appearances in the next two books as well).

Let's start with the characters. I feel like this is Ms. Miller's strong suit - giving us great characters. I loved getting to know Melissa, Steven and wonderful little Matt. I also like the fact that she added a child to the mix of characters. It adds that extra depth and fun with precocious Matt. He really adds to the story and doesn't take anything away from the romance at all. In fact I love the fact that he adores Melissa from the start.

Another thing I enjoyed was the setting. The town takes on a life of it's own in this book and I have never kept it secret that I enjoy small town novels. Stone Creek is one of those towns where everybody knows everyone's business and most of the people care deeply about the town and the people around them.

There was also good tension in the book with Melissa being a prosecutor and Steven coming in as a new defense attorney. That added to the tension and growing romance between the characters and made a great obstacle for the two of them to overcome to find their love for each other.

While the romance is not prominent it is there, I see this more of a character or relationship novel than a romance and if you look at it like that you will really enjoy it. The romance is there, but it's not as front and center as some other romances I loved. But that didn't take away from the storyline for me. The storyline kept me interested and I kept turning the pages to learn more about Melissa and Steven and the town of Stone Creek.
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Mar 28, 2011 Stella rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, for-review, romance

This review was originally published on Book Lovers Inc.

My Thoughts: I'm not an expert when it comes to Western romances, so far I have only read about half a dozen of this genre, but I enjoyed those a lot, so I was looking forward to A Creed in Stone Creek, especially given its single-dad-raising-an-orphaned-little-boy premise and that as a junior lawyer I like reading novels where the hero and heroines are law practioners. Unfortunately A Creed in Stone Creek left me lukewarm.

A Creed in Stone...more

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Mar 03, 2011 Donna rated it 2 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the previous books about Stone Creek and the O'Ballivans but this was a huge disappointment. The writing seemed very disjointed, the people were poorly characterized and there were plot threads that led nowhere. I have so many negatives about this that I'll just pick a few. Melissa seemed inconsistent, frequently acting out of character. The side plot with Tom and Tessa felt like big chunks were edited out. The bit about the nudists seemed pointless. There was a rather glaring mistake...more

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Feb 26, 2011 Willow Brook rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary

Better than 2 stars but not sure if it merits 3. I'm a big fan of Linda Lael Miller, but this one was a bit too generic and slow for my taste. The first 75 % of the book is about the often awkward interactions between Steven Creed, attorney turned rancher who is raising his best friend's son and Melissa the town prosecutor with a history of failed romances. When not having sex, the two are plagued with doubts. Melissa frets a lot about her ability to take a chance on Steven and risk the pain if...more

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Jun 17, 2011 Missie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary

Hello, Cherry Pop, on my very first western romance read! And I can't think of a nicer way to get introduced to the genre than saddling up with the Creed men.

I really don't think there is anything hotter (or sweeter) than a handsome, single, and well-off man adopting his best friend's son after tragedy strikes the family. But that is Steven Creed for you. A honorable heartthrob who vows to take the little boy, Matt, who lost both his parents, and do right by him.

Eager to establish his own roots...more
Hello, Cherry Pop, on my very first western romance read! And I can't think of a nicer way to get introduced to the genre than saddling up with the Creed men.

I really don't think there is anything hotter (or sweeter) than a handsome, single, and well-off man adopting his best friend's son after tragedy strikes the family. But that is Steven Creed for you. A honorable heartthrob who vows to take the little boy, Matt, who lost both his parents, and do right by him.

Eager to establish his own roots with Matt, Steven buys himself a run down ranch, a fixer upper that his is all to pleased to make his own, in Stone Creek, thinking it will be a great place to raise the new charge that now owns his heart completely.

Upon arriving at Stone Creek, Steven soon meets the beautiful and smart county prosecutor, Melissa. But being that Steven is a criminal defense attorney, it doesn't take the two of them long to butt heads... and other things. Still, Melissa doesn't know if she can find a place in her life for a man with an adopted son.

I guess I shouldn't have been, but what surprised me the most was how slow going the story was. It seemed like it took forever to get the story moving and then when it did get somewhere, it seemed likely to never wrap up.

The set up was rich, telling of family histories and giving background stories for the main and secondary characters. There were a lot of people to keep track of, but it never felt overwhelming because of how thoroughly explained they were.

I did feel that the conflict between Steven and Melissa was forced. I mean, why would she sleep with Steven on their first date, declare it the best sex she's ever had, then not talk to him for weeks because he agrees to help advise a young man who finds himself wrongly accused? She was a bit too silly and over exaggerated at times for my taste.

Needless to say, that whole situation was a little off putting, but thankfully, Steven was a take charge kind of fellow who quickly won me over with his quiet sentimentality and honest demeanor. All in all, Steven, his adorable son, and the mystery behind his twin cousins, Brody and Connor, who are feuding kept me hooked in the story. Since I'm anxious to find out if those twin brothers can work out their differences, I'll definitely be checking out the next book in the series, Creed's Honor.

http://www.theunreadreader.com/2011/0...(less)

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May 01, 2011 Lisarenee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Notes: I won this one in a Goodreads first reads giveaway.

Steven Creed was in a serious relationship and when his best friend died leaving his son orphaned, he stepped up the the plate and adopted him. His girlfriend, however, didn't like the package deal. When he proposed she said it was either the child or her. He picked Matt.

Melissa O'Ballivan was in a serious relationship three years ago. She was engaged and, for one reason or another, the wedding kept getting postponed. Perhaps it was cold...more

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Dec 05, 2011 Mindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Steven Creed is a new father, a lawyer and a displaced rancher. Melissa is a county prosecutor on the rebound and not looking for commitment but would love to quench her dry spell with a decidedly hot cowboy lawyer. I liked the banter between Melissa and her pal sheriff Tom Parker and the wacky residents of the B&B. Steven's adopted son Matt has some improbable dialogue given that he is five, but I have noticed that LLM tends to give children in her books that peculiarity. I have no doubt we...more

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Mar 22, 2011 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: would-read-again

There is something about a cowboy that sets my heart to racing…and Linda Lael Miller never fails to deliver some of the most delicious cowboys and story lines around.

She writes stories and characters you can relate to. They are your friends, your neighbors, people from your home town. She brings you into their lives and loves and makes you feel at home. I find myself putting familiar faces to some of her supporting characters, and even a hero or heroin or two, because I just know that I have met...more

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Dec 02, 2011 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

This book was decent. I should say that any issues I have with it, are because I was unaware before reading it, that it was contemporary. I just saw O'Ballivan and assumed the book took place soon after The Man from Stone Creek. I really loved that book and the setting and have not read all of the books in between the two. I notice this connects three families that Linda Lael Miller is known for writing about: the O'Ballivans who are related to the McKettricks and now the Creed family, which I c...more

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About Linda Lael Miller

Twenty-four years after she sold her first novel, Linda Lael Miller is having what anyone would call a stellar year.

The self-proclaimed barn goddess and author of novels set in the West of today and yesterday is celebrating exciting career milestones. With 70-some books to her credit, Linda is watching her modern-day McKettrick Men trilogy soar to the top of all the national bestseller lists, and...more Twenty-four years after she sold her first novel, Linda Lael Miller is having what anyone would call a stellar year.

The self-proclaimed barn goddess and author of novels set in the West of today and yesterday is celebrating exciting career milestones. With 70-some books to her credit, Linda is watching her modern-day McKettrick Men trilogy soar to the top of all the national bestseller lists, and the Romance Writers of America have announced Linda as the recipient of their prestigious 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award.

And the year is still young.

But what makes these successes all the more enjoyable is that Linda has come home, home to Spokane, Washington, home to writing the stories of her heart, stories set in the Western culture of her childhood, and home to living where she can pull on her boots and ride her beloved horses. Inside, there's the clatter of little paws, her dogs, Sadie and Bernice, and the elegant treading of two cats that Linda claims rule the roost.

The daughter of a town marshal, Linda grew up in Northport, WA, a community of 500 on the Columbia River, 120 miles north of her birthplace, Spokane. Her childhood remembrances include riding horses and playing cowgirl on her grandparents' nearby farm. So rustic was her grandparents' spread that in the early days it lacked the conveniences of electricity and running water.

As delightful as this childhood was, though, Linda longed to see the world. After graduating as valedictorian of her high school class, she left to pursue her dream. Because of the success of her author career, Linda was able to live part-time in London for several years, spend time in Italy and travel to such far-off destinations as Russia, Hong Kong and Israel. Now, Linda says, the wanderlust is (mostly) out of her blood, and she's come full circle, back to the people and the places she knows and loves.

Before Linda begins her writing day, she takes her first cup of coffee while enjoying the scenic view of the wooded draw behind her new home. Inspired by the view, which occasionally includes a wandering moose, she focuses on her work-in-progress. It might be another contemporary Western romance, like McKettrick's Luck, McKettrick's Pride or McKettrick's Heart, or it might be a new Western historical, such as July's hardcover, A Wanted Man. It also might be a romantic thriller, such as Deadly Gamble, which launched another winning Linda Lael Miller series for her enthusiastic publisher, HQN Books.

Devoted to helping others pursue their dreams, Miller is excited about another endeavor. Each year she sponsors a round of competition for her Linda Lael Miller Scholarships for Women. The stipends, which she funds from her writing and speaking earnings, enable women 25 years and older to improve their lot in life through education. Unlike traditional scholarships, Linda's may be used for childcare, transportation, or any other expense that stands between a woman's dreams and their fulfillment.

It's no wonder the protagonists in Miller's novels are women her readers admire for their honor, courage, trustworthiness, valor and determination to succeed, despite overwhelming odds. "These timelessly admirable qualities make them excellent role models for young women," Miller explains. "The male leads possess equally noble traits that today's woman would be delighted to find in her life's mate."

And speaking of finding, Linda is excited about her association with The Humane Society of the United States, for whom she has become an advocate for the group's Pets for Life program. Once someone finds a furry friend to bring into their home, Linda and The HSUS want to help them learn how to keep the critter for life.

Linda traces the birth of her writing career to the day when a Northport teacher told her that the stories she was writing were good, that she just might have a future in writing. Later, when she decided to write novels, she endured her share of rejection bef(less)

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A Creed In Stone Creek (The Creed Cowboys #1)

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