Can't Hurry Love

Crooked Creek Ranch #2

by Molly O'Keefe

From award-winning author Molly O’Keefe comes a wonderfully written contemporary romance about second chances at life and at love.
 
Victoria Baker, the penniless widow of a disgraced financier, is ready to stand up, be counted, and make a new life for herself and her beloved son in Texas. She’s taking over Crooked Creek ranch, her birthright, and turning it into something special. All that stands in her way is Eli Turnbull, a rugged, too-handsome cowboy who wants the land just as badly.
 
If Victoria wants a fight, Eli will give her one. He’s devoted his life to Crooked Creek, and he’s not about to let some pampered city girl—even one as brave and beautiful as Victoria—turn it into some silly spa. But Victoria’s and Eli’s burning anger and frustration only fuel heat of another uncontrollable passion. And soon they each realize that the person standing in their way is the one they can never do without.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Westerns, Audiobook, Childrens, Ebooks

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 31, 2012

About the author

This author is also published under: M. O'Keefe.

Molly O'Keefe has always known she wanted to be a writer (except when she wanted to be a florist or a chef and the brief period of time when she considered being a cowgirl). And once she got her hands on some romances, she knew exactly what she wanted to write.

She published her first Harlequin romance at age 25 and hasn't looked back. She loves exploring every character's road towards happily ever after.

Originally from a small town outside of Chicago, she went to university in St. Louis where she met and fell in love with the editor of her school newspaper. They followed each other around the world for several years and finally got married and settled down in Toronto, Ontario. They welcomed their son into their family in 2006, and their daughter in 2008. When she's not at the park or cleaning up the toy room, Molly is working hard on her next novel, trying to exercise, stalking Tina Fey on the internet and dreaming of the day she can finish a cup of coffee without interruption.

Reviews

[Crista · Rating 4 out of 5]

After finishing this book, I'm feel'in HOT, HOT, HOT! Holy smokes, this book certainly turns up the heat and for the most part, I whole-heartedly recommend it!

This book features Luc's (from Can't Buy Me Love) sister Victoria and their sexy ranch foreman, Eli. In all honesty, I couldn't stand Victoria's character in the previous book, however, this author has an amazing ability to redeem even the most unlikable characters. Throughout this book, I ended up really liking Victoria and respecting her courage and heart.

What was frustrating, yet appreciated about this book was the realism of the characters. In Can't Buy Me Love, Luc and Victoria's father remains a complete jerk throughout the book and never redeems himself. The same is true with this story. The unlikable characters remain unlikable and there is no "perfect ending" where everything is tied up in a nice pretty bow.

Eli's mom took off and left he and his alcoholic father when Eli was only 8 years old. The abandonment that Eli faced from this event impacts every aspect of his life and how he relates to others. I love a tortured hero and Eli personifies this as he struggles with internal torment. He is a commitment-phobic and carefully protects his heart from anyone who could potentially cause him pain. Victoria and her adorable son sneak past all those defenses and remarkably, this detached man comes to terms with his feeling far before Victoria does.

The sensuality in this book is scorching. The sex scenes are plentiful and very creative :-)! Victoria longs to explore her sexuality, and Eli is up for the task every. single. time.

There was quite a lot going on this book, however there were a couple of aspects of this story that I felt could've been left out as they did nothing to further the story. Some of the minor characters almost became a distraction. There is a secondary love story happening in the background of the primary love story in this book, and the couple for the next book is introduced towards the end of the book. I must say I am very intrigued about their book as well.

Ms. O'Keefe has a strong writing voice, almost reminiscent of Susan Elizabeth Phillips, a favorite author of mine. I am eager to start the next book in this series Crazy Thing Called Love!

[Tina "IRead2Escape" · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Can’t Hurry Love is the 2nd book in the Crooked Creek Ranch series by Molly O’Keefe and the best one, yet! I loved this book! It had it all, angst, overcoming the past, a kid, a very hot cowboy and great sex!

Victoria Baker is taking back her life. She was under the thumb of her father for years and went straight from him to a husband that expected a society wife to do his bidding and keep her mouth shut. This fit her perfectly. She was never the brave one and was fine with her husband having that role. That is until he stole money from their friends and others and then killed himself in their den rather than face the world. Now, she’s back on the ranch that her father left to Victoria’s brother in his will. Luc told Victoria he would give her a year to make a go of things. If all is well she could have it all. This is a lot for a coward, but she has to do something for herself and her son. She decides to put her trust in the foreman whose always wanted the ranch and gets burned. Little does he know, he gave her the push she needed to finally be brave and explore a dream she’s always had. Now, if only she can use this new strength to keep her distance from that same foreman who is the center of her fantasies.

Staring at his ass was inappropriate. She totally knew that. But part of her wanted to write a letter of appreciation to the Wrangler Denim Company, because honestly…

Eli Turnbull has been the foreman of Crooked Creek Ranch for as long as he can remember. He’s always thought he’s paid his dues and when the old man died he would get first shot at buying the land, once owned by his family, back. He was blindsided and oh so angry when it was all left to the snot, nosed kids that had never looked back when they left years ago. He finds himself taking his anger out on Victoria. She knows nothing about a ranch, yet she has it and he doesn’t. With her permission, he sells most of the prized herd that the late Lyle Baker loved more than anything else on earth. This leaves Victoria holding land that she has no means of income. He pushes Victoria to the breaking point one day and she fires him. Little did she know, she saved his life when she issued those 2 words. He is finally able to let go of the ranch and start his own life. Unfortunately, that’s harder than you would think. He can’t get his mind off of the beautiful Victoria and he finds himself respecting her more and more. She makes him want things and feels things he thought he didn’t have in him. Now, he just has to make her overcome her fears and give them a chance to be a family.

“You can be scared to love me. I get it, it’s scary. And I’m in no hurry.” His smile was so sweet, the sweetest thing she’d ever seen. “But don’t be scared to let me love you.”

Seriously, you can’t not love this book! It was so much fun to see Victoria come to terms with the woman she was meant to be. I absolutely loved everything about Eli. He did a few mean things, but he always realized it and did his best to make it right. He was good to Victoria’s son and seemed to really like him. The sex was great and the banter was fun! The peripheral characters were just as fun. Read this book!

You can find this review and others at http://tinar1121.blogspot.com

[JoLee (Cozy.Sunday.Reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was curious about Eli from Can’t Buy Me Love #1 and my heart ached for him in Can’t Hurry Love. His mother left him and his dad when he was eight and never seen her since. His dad took it out on him by drinking, barely feeding him and never cared if he went to school.

I went into Can’t Hurry Love knowing I did not like Victoria, but I was hoping she would turn out better than her spoiled brat character from Can’t Buy Me Love. Oh My Goodness she became just flat out evil and mean. She is turning the ranch into a spa and hires Eli’s mom as the architect, knowing that she left Eli when he was young and he was not going to be happy about it.

I was enjoying Can’t Hurry Love until Victoria’s betrayal. I did not feel she redeemed herself from this. Kudos to Molly O’Keefe for writing an intense betrayal scene and loved the out come of it. It was nice to see Eli not take it too well. Eli’s character I adored and loved his relationship with Jacob. Even though I was not big on Victoria and Eli’s relationship and think he deserved better, the epilogue was sweet and sad.

I really wanted to like this book more, but it is so hard when most of the characters are mean, unlikable and never redeem them selves.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Originally posted at Wickedly Delicious Book Blog

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t Hurry Love is a sexy, emotionally gripping, complicated love story about two people who are deeply scarred by their pasts. It is a story about the struggles of two people trying to overcome the hurts and disappointments from previous relationships in order to be able to open up their hearts to one another.

Molly O’ Keefe's characters are beautifully flawed and real. They are so fleshed out that they simply pop off the page. Eli and Victoria start off as characters that are not very likable, but as we learn more about their difficult past experiences, we begin to empathize with them and forgive them for their flaws.

I loved watching Eli and Victoria transformed by the relationship building between them. They each had emotional baggage to deal with, but they eventually found that with the love and support of the other they were able to work through their issues.

The dialogue in this book was excellent. It was emotional, realistic and purposeful.

Ms. O' Keefe's stories suck me in to the point that I am unable to put her books down until I am done. Once I finish them though, I feel sad because I am not ready to let her characters go! I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes sexy, emotional stories that will tug at your heart strings.

[Dianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can’t Hurry Love Molly O'Keefe

This is the second book of Molly O’Keefe’s series, with a third book “CRAZY THING CALLED LOVE” – Coming January 28, 2013. This series all started with the death of Victoria’s father and the fact that Lyle Baker (her father) was using his death and wealth to lure his children back to the ranch and reunite them. So far, it has been working quite spectacularly.

With this book, we find Victoria Baker, the ‘bastard’ daughter of Lyle helping her brother Luc out. Luc inherited the ranch and now Victoria is going to run it. She is a mousy little thing whose husband created a Ponzi scheme and then took the easy way out of his troubles by killing himself. Now she is up against Eli Turnbull the foreman of the ranch and he wants the land from the Baker family since Lyles family had taken advantage of Eli’s when they acquired the land years and years ago.

Of course, tempers flare and sparks fly when Victoria and Eli meet. In fact, Eli and Victoria act like spoiled children over this ranch and its land. Soon they will come to an understanding of sorts, one that will be sexual in nature and quite hot at that.
Victoria decides to turn the ranch into a spa and for me that is where the story went downhill. I can understand that fiction writers can and will take many liberties when writing. I can understand why, but the story of the remodel is, for anyone who has ever done something like a remodel, just too unbelievable.

Eli is so damaged from his mother leaving and his bitterness with the Bakers that he nearly becomes a caricature. Yes, a lot of his hurt is understandable, but I think I’m just getting annoyed with books were both characters are dark, bleak, soul-searching, overly inner dialoguing and angsting people who are unsure of themselves and feel as if they don’t deserve to be happy or loved. I read for escape as most people do, and to read something that is at times depressing and angry when I am trying to lose myself in a book...it is just too much.

That all they deserve is sex, a lot of spectacular sex to be sure, but empty nonetheless. It’s depressing. Then to get even luckier, we are treated with a secondary story of Luc’s mother and her quest for youth and coping with the changes a 65 years old has to eventually face with her looks. She too will be angsting and inner dialoguing to beat the band. She even has a younger and wildly handsome man lusting for her body and wanting her mind and she is still miserable and taking it out on everyone.

I just couldn’t take the unhappiness of this book, even though I knew it had to have its ‘happily ever after’ I had to work too hard to finish it.. Too many things just seemed off about this book, especially after such a strong start to this series.

The sex was smokin’ hot and I really wonder what Ms O’Keefe will do in her third book to top this escapade. The sex and sex scenes seemed to increase over the first book.

[Janga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Can’t Hurry Love, I was reminded of one of my favorite Flannery O’Connor quotations: “There is something in us, as storytellers and as listeners to stories, that demands the redemptive act, that demands that what falls at least be offered the chance to be restored.” Molly O’Keefe’s Crooked Creek books feature deeply flawed characters who need redemption. For Luc and Tara Jean in Can’t Buy Me Love, despite their real faults, I found something likeable in them early on. It took me much longer to like Victoria and Eli and even one of the secondary characters--Luc’s mother, Celeste. There is humor in the book, but at the heart of it, there is darkness because these are characters who dislike themselves. When Eli makes choices that will hurt Victoria, he dislikes the man he is becoming. Victoria hates the weak, needy woman that she has been. Celeste hates her coldness and snobbery. It was not until they began to change and their vulnerabilities were exposed that I began to care about their happiness.

See full review at Just Janga:
http://justjanga.blogspot.com/2012/07...

[Lisarenee · Rating 4 out of 5]

They say once you hit rock bottom there's no way to go but back up. What they don't tell you is that sometimes when you're attempting to stand back up, you get knocked right back down again. That would pretty much sum up Victoria Baker Schulman's life. Every time she's hit bottom something or someone knocks her back down. Now she was attempting to get her life together once more and wouldn't you know it, Eli Turnbull, the ranch's sexy manager, was taking his turn at bat attempting to thwart her plans of running the ranch and getting her life back on track.

Eli had a history with the Bakers. His whole family did. Years ago the Bakers and taken advantage of the Turnbulls and piece by piece stolen their land. Oh, everything had been done above board, but they'd taken advantage of the family at a desperate time, low balling on the price they'd snatched the land up for for less than what it was worth. When he heard Victoria declare she was keeping rather than selling the Crooked Creek Ranch, he decided turnabout was fair play. He was going to use every method available to get what he felt rightfully belonged to his family back.
_________________________________________________

When I read Can't Buy Me Love I wondered if a romance would be in the works for Victoria and Eli. Eli was painted as such a nice guy in that book, and I thought the two would make a good match. In the beginning of Can't Hurry Love, however, we see a completely different side to Eli, one I didn't like. Thankfully it wasn't one he liked either, but it took me longer than Victoria to like him again.

The Turnbulls have been upset with the Bakers for years. It seems with each generation the Turnbulls would pass their sense of being robbed of their family land and birthright to the next generation. While Eli's father and uncle may have had a better feeling of betrayal being as they still remember when the ranch was still in their family, Eli has only learned the sentiment from them. His initial plan was to wait patiently for the land to come back to him when Lyle died, but then Tori (Victoria) got it in her head to run the place. His dreams and plans for the last 10 years had all been for naught. Combine that with an Uncle who knew how to push his buttons and Eli, well, let's just say he acted in a way that would not be labeled as one of his finer moments.

Victoria had been wasting away since her husband decided to commit suicide rather than face the consequences of his swindling a lot of people out of a lot of money including some of his closest friends. With his death, the burden of the blame had unjustly fallen onto Victoria's shoulders. Now she was determined that when push came to shove she'd shove right back. So when she found out Eli and basically sabotaged the ranch by selling off nearly all of their main source of income--her father's prized Angus heard, she got busy finding another means for the ranch to make money. She leased the land Eli so desperately wanted to get his hands on. Hey, all's fair in love and war and she was fighting for survival.

This is definitely a more serious read than a lot of contemporary romances. The hero and heroine both have issues they need to come to terms with and deal with. Only then can the two truly be a couple. They may not be a perfect individuals, but in the end they are perfect for each other. I liked the fact that Victoria had to pick herself up, dust herself off, and realize she needed to change or nothing would change. I like seeing a heroine rise from the ashes of life because occasionally we do too. While their imperfections might take the fairy tale edge off the story, I find it can sometimes make the tale all that much more enjoyable.

Overall, I gave this one 3 1/2 out of 5 roses. I liked how Victoria stood up for herself and faced her inner demons while finally figuring out who she was, what she wanted, and not backing down when things got uncomfortable. I liked how Eli stopped trying to please his uncle and left the family skeletons where they should be--buried. If I was Victoria, however, I don't think I could have trusted Eli enough to actually start a relationship with him. I'm chalking this up, however, to her knowing him well enough when she was younger to know that his one night of bad behavior was totally out of character for him. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one gets a STEAM rating--- too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.

Order of series:


To see more of my reviews, please visit my blog at www.seducedbyabook.com I'd greatly appreciate it. :)

[Shallowreader VaVeros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another case of a "fun-times-at-Spring-break" cover on a serious romance. I enjoyed this book.

[Dottie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story you will not want to miss! Actually rated 4.5. Taken from my review at RomanceJunkies.com:

After her financier husband became embroiled in a scandal and subsequently killed himself, single mother Victoria returned to her father’s ranch with her son Jacob. After her father’s death, the ranch is left to her brother Luc, who wants nothing to do with it. So he offers it to her, giving her a year on the ranch until the escrow runs out. Then she can purchase it from him. This is a dream come true for her, but she does not know how to run a ranch and she has failed in her past endeavors. To make a success of the ranch she needs the help of the foreman Eli. Unfortunately, Eli is upset about her father’s will.

The ranch had once belonged in Eli’s family and he wants it back, feeling that Luc and Victoria’s father cheated his family out of it. So, after working for the man for many years, he is upset when all he is left is part interest in the stock. He had been willing to buy the ranch from Luc and had hoped to do so, until Victoria decided she wanted it. She knows absolutely nothing about running a ranch and now she expects him to teach her what she needs to know. But he figures that by selling the stock, Victoria will have no way to make money, although she doesn’t seem to realize that fact. It could also mean that she would sell him the land a little at a time, as she needed the money, the same way his family had lost the ranch to the Bakers over the years. He has his wealthy Uncle John to back him, but he has worked the Crooked Creek Ranch for years and is determined to do this on his own.

However, just as Eli has a plan for the land, so does Victoria and she is just as determined as he is. She wants to turn the ranch into a spa with the help of her stepmother Celeste, her housekeeper Ruth and even Eli’s estranged mother. Despite all of this, it doesn’t take long for Eli and Victoria’s passion for the land to turn into a completely different kind of passion for each other. How long will it take before they realize that what they really want is right in front of them?

An emotion-packed read, CAN’T HURRY LOVE, the latest book by RITA award winning author Molly O’Keefe, is a witty, passionate contemporary romance that will capture your interest from the very beginning. Most of Victoria’s past failures are due to lack of confidence thanks to her abusive husband. Add to that the scandal and all the attention it engendered and all she wants is to escape to the ranch. But as she starts taking care of problems around the ranch, she begins to gain confidence and stops second guessing herself. The spa has been her dream for a while and she is finally getting the chance to see it come to fruition, if Eli does not put a stop to it. The secondary characters add a great deal of appeal to this story. Filled with humor, sizzling situations, emotion, complex characters, clever banter, romance and second chances, this story is one you will not want to miss. Although this book can be read as a standalone, you will not want to miss CAN’T BUY ME LOVE for further insight into this story as well as additional enjoyment. I enjoyed this story immensely and look forward to seeing what Ms. O’Keefe comes up with next.

Dottie, RomanceJunkies.com

[Jonetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Victoria Schulman, half sister of Luc Baker, returned to Crooked Creek Ranch in Texas just before the death of her father, hoping that she would receive a healthy part of his legacy so she can pick up the pieces of her life. Her late husband left her destitute and shamed following the discovery of his illegal Ponzi scheme and subsequent suicide. Now she's been left the ranch and is ready to learn how to manage it so that she and her seven-year old son, Jacob, can move on with their lives. However, Eli Turnbull, the ranch foreman who has been waiting to recover the property taken from his family many years ago, has a different plan.

I must admit I dragged my feet a little bit in starting this story because Victoria wasn't very likable in the first book. While I was sympathetic to her plight, I found her shallow, desperate and a bit self absorbed. Fortunately, the story starts right off with her discovery of Eli's duplicity and the impact of his actions. Victoria grew up pretty quickly, developing a spine and determination. This doesn't happen overnight but the story of her transformation was really well told and her ever evolving relationship with Eli was a major part of that change. His story was also pretty tragic, keeping me from throwing him under the bus as his motivations were understandable and he, too, was in the midst of his own evolution. These were two very damaged people who, despite their actions sometimes, were very likable because of their circumstances. It is a tribute to the O'Keefe's writing skills that you could both be disgusted and empathetic to Victoria and Eli. I really wanted them to succeed, not only in their relationship but in overcoming their pasts.

There were also secondary characters who played instrumental roles in the story, specifically Celeste Baker, Luc's mother. Her relationship with Victoria, who is the product of Celeste's ex-husband's affair with another woman while they were married, couldn't be more complex. She treated Victoria pretty badly as a child and is consumed with guilt and shame because of her actions. She's a former super model who is still beautiful and a quite daunting. But, Celeste and Victoria formed this odd partnership that was also intriguing to see unfold.

I loved the romance, the conflicts and the wacky relationships brought about because of so many tragic circumstances. It all seems to work to create a very good story. I'm glad I didn't drag my feet too long in starting this book because I would have missed something special.

(I received an ARC from the publisher)

[FicTalk Blog · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reviewed by Lisa

I was going back and forth between rating this book 2 stars or 2.5 stars. I finally settled on 2 stars because, to be honest, this book drove me up a wall. Wait, let me be clear, the characters in this book drove me up a wall.

I have to say that the heroine especially was the most annoying for me. She was too wishy-washy and couldn’t make good decisions about her life and her relationships. She flip-flopped around too much for my liking, and came off rather whine-y, and unlikable.

The Hero, well, he wasn’t as bad, but he also wasn’t much better, either. I swear to all that is Holy, if I wasn’t reading this book on my kindle I would have thrown it against a freaking wall.

I get that both characters had their issues. Victoria Baker, who just recently lost her scheming husband due to him offing himself because of all the people that he stole from, is back on Crooked Creek ranch after the death of her father and is trying to make a go at running the ranch and making something of herself, and not having to depend on a man for security.

Eli Turnbull, is the ranch’s foreman, and has been working on the ranch for the past fifteen years, is trying to sabotage any and all of Victoria’s efforts at running the ranch by selling off more than half of the ranch’s livestock. And this is all because he wants what is owed to him and his family: The land now known as the Crooked Creek ranch that his grandfather sold of bit by bit whilst in a drunken stupor.

He succeeds, but Victoria isn’t so easily cowed, or so she pretends to be. It isn’t until he does something that is so unforgivable, like bringing her seven year old son into the mix. I did agree with Victoria in that regard, if you want to mess with me, fine. But do not ever bring my son into your little game of revenge.

The only time I started to actually feel and relate to these characters was at the 80% mark, not going to lie.

So yes, overall, this book just wasn’t for me. It wasn’t as engaging as I’d have liked and while the storyline was what caught my attention it just didn’t deliver. It took too long to really develop, the characters made me want to pull my hair out of my head, and it just all felt too long and drawn out, then rushed at the ending with the happily-ever-after ending. Unrealistic, in my opinion.

[Franny · Rating 4 out of 5]

In CAN'T HURRY LOVE, Victoria's husband Joel committed suicide after being caught running a ponzi scheme. Thrust out of her posh life in New York City, she begins the steps to start anew. Victoria asks her brother, Luc, if she can run the ranch left to him by their father until it is out of escrow and she can purchase it for herself and her son. She had never really felt she had accomplished much besides having a wonderful son who is now 7 years old. Eli, the ranch foreman, had been planning to buy the ranch from Luc, but his plans are thwarted by Victoria's desire to buy the ranch. He decides he has to run her off if he is to have a chance to own the ranch his family has worked for the past three generations.

I wasn't sure what to expect from CAN'T HURRY LOVE. I had read the blurb and it had piqued my interest. It was reminiscent of a modern day Romeo and Juliet/The Hatfield vs. The McCoy's. In this case it was the Turnbull's and the Baker's. Eli's family has lost their land to the Bakers, bit by bit. All he wanted was to get it back. His dad spent his life bitter and unsuccessful in getting the land back. His legacy was passed to Eli to accomplish his father's wish. The attempts were making Eli bitter and hateful. It made him into someone he didn't want to be.



Victoria was crapped on by her dad, then her husband, her boyfriend and finally by Eli. Eli's betrayal gave Victoria the push/courage to discover and live her dream. Victoria only wanted to accomplish something on her own, to mean something to someone besides the unconditional love of her son.

I started out thinking Eli was a real jackhat. There was an evolution in many of the characters including Eli and Victoria. Eli went from jackhat to hero, swooping in to save the day. I went from sympathizing with Victoria to wishing she would get her head out if her petunia. I burned to read CAN'T HURRY LOVE, finish it, to find out what was next. I would have stayed up all night and skipped work if I didn't need a job to maintain a roof over my head. My gut was in knots at pivotal points. CAN'T HURRY LOVE is a solid Contemporary Romance with hot, sexy cowboy and a frumpy socialite turned sex fiend and deviant.

[Christi Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review:

When I read book #1 in this series, I hated Victoria's character, but was determined that I would still give this book a chance. Thank goodness that I did because I adore both her and Eli's characters in this book. These are two people who are so caught up in their own misery and bitterness that they have a hard time seeing anything else. That's what makes this book so good though because you see both their transformations as their relationship develops and they both get there in very different ways.

For Victoria, she's had a really hard last few years. Her husband masterminded a ponzi scheme and then killed himself in their home when it all came out. While she was still reeling from all that, her 7 yo son, who suffers from asthma and allergies, almost died. She lost her home, her friends, all her money, and all the things that had made up her identity since she got married. She is determined that running this ranch is going to pull herself out of that misery.

Standing in her way is Eli. He wants nothing more than the ranch to fail. If he can't have it, then no one else deserves it. Certainly not the spoiled little princess, Victoria. It's no secret that they get off to a really awful, vicious start as they attack and retaliate through the first few chapters of this book. Finally, their conflict hits a climax and it opens Eli's eyes to the person he's become. Like I said, there is a really nice character arc through this book. At the beginning neither one is a very good person and certainly not anyone that you would want to know. But watching their struggles and discoveries is a wonderful journey.

I LIKED this book...a lot and I absolutely fell in love with both these characters. They are so wounded and scarred. For me, they both just simply touched my heart. I wanted to weep for both of them at different times throughout the book. Just a really incredible book!

I received a complementary copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been sitting on this book for almost 5 months because I really want to write a review. It's one of few books that I finish reading and immediately start again.

The main characters are just so f*cked up. We met both in the previous book of the series. Victoria was Lyle Baker's illegitimate daughter whose inheritance was contingent on her brother staying on the ranch. An unlikable character - she was the widower of a lawyer who had commited suicide after his ponzi scheme got found out, and a woman who simply didn't know how to carry on from there.

Eli is Lyle Baker's foreman, like his dad before him and his dad's dad before him. Before that they owned the land before lousy decisions or drink lost them the land. His goal, his family's goal is to get back the land and that is all he lives for. After working all these years - Lyle leaves him 50% of the livestock so he is pissed.

Through a turn of events - Victoria fires him and suddenly he is free. He realises all he needs is the land he lives on and a paddock for his horses that he intends to breed. Of course there's not much else to his life. He has no friends, he visits his father at a home (the dad suffers from Alzheimers) he doesn't have a relationship - his life is actually pretty empty.

These 2 messed up people come together and have to really work for their happiness, they have to overcome their pasts and actually believe that they deserve a little happiness.

There's a gorgeous secondary love story between Luc's mother, an elegant ex-model in her 60's, with a younger man - a contractor in his late 40's - Eric the Viking, that is just equally delicious. She obviously feels that she is too old for this Viking, as she thinks of him while he is completely on board with this sexy woman. And his son Thomas trying to help them along is just too much.

I really loved this book and read it again immediately after finishing it.

[Nicole Helm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I could go on and on about this book. It was just...wow, really good. Where the first book in the series I spent a lot of time in my "writer mind" wondering how O'Keefe managed to pull it off, mainly this book I spent as a reader, wallowing in Tori and Eli's total effed-uppedness and their slow, rocky climb to learning how to be themselves and learning how to communicate that to each other. I like how finding solace in each other allowed them to finally be the best version of themselves instead of the worst. Where in Can't Buy Me Love Tara Jean & Luc were these hard people hardened even further by their experiences, Eli and Victoria were the opposite to me. Softened and broken down by life, learning to be strong instead of learning to soften the hardness in them.

Complicated with a hero and heroine who aren't always nice to each other (and not to "save" anybody but themselves) I love that this is where romance is going.

Tell me romance is light, fluffy escapism. Mommy porn. Trash. What a laugh.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I liked this one a bit more than the first. I can't quite put my finger on why. I think it might have to do with the fact the Tori and Eli have known each other a while. It could also be that I felt like they took more time to fall in love with each other. I also liked that there was an epilogue of sorts that gave me a greater sense of closure for the couple that I didn't get in the first one.

Both Tori and Eli have abandonment issues. This makes it harder for them to trust each other and trust in their feelings. Tori's dead husband was involved in a Ponzi scheme that isolated her from everyone when he died. She feels responsible and takes a long time to get over her guilt. I have to say, I loved how she stands up for herself in the end. Eli and Tori were great together and I was really rooting for them. There is also a very sweet side romance involving Luc's mother, Celeste and a very handsome contractor.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review written for www.books-n-kisses.com

There is a thin line between love and hate best describes this book. This is the second in the Crooked Creek Ranch series. And I will admit that I have not read the first one and based on this book I will not be picking it up anytime soon. I was very disappointed in this book. The characters are mean, hostile and dark. While I can handle the fighting in the beginning I expected the characters to have a change of heart that never happened. They fought on a constant basis. The characters never connected even during the “love” scenes.

I do not read a book to live vicariously in a dysfunctional situation and that is what this story was. Having never read this author before I am not sure if this is how she normally writes but I will say this series is just too dark for a fan of the romance genre.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Goodreads first read and Random House for the GOOD READ!

What can I say 4 stars for this one. Victoria Baker is a women who has allowed men to walk all over her all her life ; she has taken over the running of the family ranch after hers fathers death. Victoria is seeking a new life for herself and son Jacob after her husbands horrific and disgraceful death.
Unfortunately , Victoria knows nothing about ranching . Victoria finds herself relying on Eli Turnball her fathers ranch Forman to teach her,however he has a hidden agenda of gaining the ranch for himself.
Through the head butting between the two them a sexual tension and relationship develops, each of them drawing out parts of the other that they never expected.Victoria grows stronger and Eli opens up emotionally !
Multiple sub plots with supporting characters weave this story all together.

[Barbara ★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a series that I really loved. Our hero, Eli Turnbull was one of those characters you want to smack upside his head. He was so mean and nasty to Victoria Schulman because she inherited the ranch he felt was owed to him. He did everything he could to make her fail and then some. Of course, she turned the tables on him and succeeded regardless of his shenanigans.

This is a complicated love that shows how messed up families are and how much you really want to change can affect the results. Both Victoria and Eli had things in their past they were ashamed of (or felt guilty of) that needed to be overcome before love could survive between them. This is a truly romantic story of love and redemption.

[Stephanie E · Rating 3 out of 5]

I skimmed thru this. From the moment she hired his absentee deadbeat mother as the architect for her project, I was done. What a bitch the heroine was. I wanted him to leave and her grovel even more. I am contemplating if I should read the next one.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic. It was sexy, emotional, and I loved the pulsing, uncomfortable anger of the hero. It made the ending so satisfying.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost DNFed this a couple of times. The MCs had so many issues.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

{The review originally appeared on Clear Eyes, Full Shelves.}

I have a a tough time reading the romance genre. Renegade is our Official Romance Correspondent, and she is so shrewd with her observations of what works an what doesn’t, and really articulating that in the context of the genre.

And, I think that romance is a very important genre. Yep. People who know me are often shocked by this. That’s because romance is the only genre that’s largely dominated by female readers and writers. This is a significant thing.

However, I often find myself distracted by the tried and true character types and story structures. There’s nothing wrong with those things, it’s just they often don’t work for me. I like books that push the limits and take characters in unexpected directions. And more than anything, I want an emotionally authentic story.

This is why I appreciate the two novels I’ve read by Molly O’Keefe so much—they work for me because they’re emotionally complex and the characters surprise me. Can’t Buy Me Love was remarkable in how challenging the characters were, pushing all sorts of boundaries in terms character motivation and development. Can’t Hurry Love, the companion novel featuring different characters but set in the same Texas ranch, featured similarly challenging characters, one of whom was simply unlikable in the previous novel.

But (also as in the previous novel) Can’t Hurry Love explores damaged people finding a path forward and coming to terms with their own pasts and figuring out a future together.

Victoria is the sister of Luc, the ailing hockey player in Can’t Buy Me Love. In that novel, we learn that she’s recently widowed, following the suicide of her husband who had orchestrated a Ponzi scheme that bilked the couple’s friends in New York out of much of their money. She and her son and alone in the world, as all of her former friends have turned their backs on her. Marooned at her late father’s Texas ranch, she really has no means to take care of herself and support her son—she was always taken care of.

In the previous book Victoria came across as, well, pretty much a colossal bitch. (Which is why I’d held off on buying Can’t Hurry Love, to be honest.) But, in this novel, the reason for her hostility and insular behavior is revealed. My heart sort of broke of Victoria when I understood more about her character. She’d always been taken care of, filling a certain role in New York society, but she never really worked out why she is and what she wanted out of life.

Then there’s Eli, who lived his entire life on the Crooked Creek ranch, and who knows exactly what he wants: to live on the ranch and start his horse breeding business. He’s happy being a loner and has built of very carefully lines of demarcation around his life. The terms of Victoria and Luc’s father’s will left him a portion of the herd of cattle, so Will finds himself suddenly able to finance his dream.

Except Victoria throws a bit of a wrench into his plans to buy the ranch when she announces that she’s finally figured out a plan to support herself by converting the ranch into a luxury spa catering to the sort of people she left behind in New York. Enter an interesting push and pull between the two, as they each dig in their heels and challenge each other. What’s unexpected to both is how the other rises to the occasion. When Victoria mucks out the horse stalls for Eli, she also sprinkles them with potpourri. This push and pull is interesting, because each reacts to it extremely different.

Victoria embraces pushing back as a rejection of her old self, the person who spent all of her time playing a role. It’s freeing.
On the other hand, for Eli, this dynamic makes him feel like an ass. It’s this element that makes Can’t Hurry Love work so well for me. If you were to read the blurb for the novel, it sounds like the two characters are tried and true archetypes. However, almost immediately it’s clear that both Eli and Victoria are wearing masks, letting people only see what they want them to see. As the grow closer, they each let the other see a bit more of the “real” person behind that carefully-construction facade. It’s quite moving.

There are also some intriguing side-stories in Can’t Hurry Love.

My favorite of which is the transformation of Victoria and Celeste—Luc’s mother whom Victoria’s father cheated on with Victoria’s mother. Celeste is a former model, gorgeous and a self-made success. Yet, aging preoccupies her. She’s invigorated by her new partnership with Victoria, and she also gets involved with a contractor working on the spa project. For me, this was a satisfying direction for Celeste’s story to head, as I viewed her as symbolic of Victoria’s possible future had she not given herself permission to get involved with Eli. (I know not everyone loves this sort of veering from the main story, but I adore it when it’s done well, and it was in this case.)

A lot of Eli’s family history as he knew it unravels as his relationship with Victoria grows into something real. This is brought on by the presence of Eli’s mother, who’s an accomplished architect that Victoria and Celeste hire to work on the spa project. Lots of things that Eli thought were true about his family and the circumstances of his childhood come to light and, like Victoria’s character, his behavior makes far more sense with this context. I love that there’s resolution to the family issues, but it’s not “fixed,” the groundwork’s simply laid for Eli to be able to move forward.

The one significant annoyance in Can’t Hurry Love occurs near the end of Eli and Victoria’s story. While I can’t say what it is, because that would be too much of a spoiler (even though it’s a minor plot point), I addressed it in the spoiler below and in the spoiler discussion area on the blog. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic.

Despite that one frustration, Can’t Hurry Love proved, much like its companion, to be an emotionally authentic and fresh novel that should appeal to readers who don’t usually pick up a romance. The journey that the main characters take together, as well as their individual growth rang as realistic and compelling. It’s messy and difficult, just like real life.

FNL Character Rating: Tim and Lyla

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author—which now has my favorite inscription on any book ever.



Initial reaction:
I read and really liked Molly O'Keefe's Can't Buy Me Love, so when she sent me a copy of the second book in this series about interconnected characters on a Texas ranch, promising a Tim and Lyla-type story, I was pretty excited. (Despite the yuck waxed man chest cover.) And I really, really liked this one too. Like CBML, this one is one that should appeal to folks who don't read a lot of romance and people who like complex, emotional stories that are as much about the characters' personal growth as their relationship with one another. I was pretty impressed with how sympathetic both characters were, since Eli and Victoria both annoyed me in CBML. This would be a solid 4 stars for me (it's probably around 3.5, but I rounded up, because that plot point is more of a personal bugaboo for me) if it weren't for the epilogue and tiny epilogue-related storyline at the end of the novel.

FWIW, I don't think the book description does a very good job of really explaining what CHL is about. Both of these characters have had really tough experiences, so they're prickly, but the description makes it sound like the two are warring throughout the novel, and that's not really how it goes down. It's more of a negotiation for middle ground with these two--it's more realistic.

I'll write a longer review for the blog, but in general I recommend CHL to anyone looking for a different, emotionally authentic romance.

An aside: I was recently discussing this with someone on Twitter, but this book reminded me of a question: why don't women in romances know about the morning after pill? I mean, geez... Anyway...

[Connie N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

#2 Crooked Creek Ranch romance series

I had planned throughout this book to give it a 3-star rating because the characters were so frustrating--causing so many of their own problems because of their fear of commitment, their hang-ups, and the fallout from their pasts. But then I realized that I had been caught up in the story from the beginning. Despite my annoyance, I was compelled to keep listening, anxious to discover how things would work out for everyone. I was absorbed in the story, and this is the sign of a good book, in my mind. Victoria is still the scared, beaten-down woman whose husband was arrested for scamming people in a Ponzi scheme, then he killed himself. After weathering scorn and abuse from the media, clients, and former friends, she returns home to the ranch, only to find herself living with her father's estranged wife. Uncomfortable, for sure, and Victoria isn't handling it well. Her attraction (more like lust) for the foreman on the ranch is overwhelming her, but he's pretty much of a jerk to her too because of his resentment about her family "stealing" the land from his family. Years and years ago, for Pete's sake, so why doesn't everyone just get over it? Victoria's vision to turn the ranch into a spa becomes a goal that she and her stepmother Celeste share. But there are plenty of bumps along the way. I liked the interactions between the players, even when they were uncomfortable. I liked that things kept happening, both positive and negative, to keep my interest and definitely moved the story forward. O'Keefe creates real, living characters with vulnerabilities and flaws, but they are basically likeable and have appealing moments. The narration by Susan Denaker was spot-on, with great male and female voicing and smooth reading. I very much enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the last in this trilogy (which was set up nicely towards the end of this book).

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A plot-driven romance that pays off. Victoria is the owner of the ranch her father left her after he died, and she doesn’t know what to do with it, until Eli, the ranch hand who bears a long-standing family grudge towards her dead father, pretends to help her while hiding his plans to acquire the land back for his family. They eventually fight and she fires him, which ends up for the best because it opens both to go after their dreams—her to turn the ranch into a spa and him to start a horse breeding business—and it opens them up to fall in love with each other. But can she overcome her fears and feelings of worthlessness after her Ponzi-scheming dead husband and his friends diminished her for years, and can he learn to trust after his mother abandoned him and his remaining family abused and used them? It’s a romance so you know the answer. Great book.

[Dar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, the growth and the difference in the characters from the start of this story until the end was simply breathtaking! Victoria and Eli have a million very valid reasons for how they feel and what they do because of those feelings, but what they can’t deny is that, though they should be enemies, are enemies because of their family roots, they have a connection. Not just a physical attraction, but an emotional one. And by seeing the cracks the other, they are able to heal the cracks in themselves. By being there and supporting the other, they are building up and releasing their own inner strength. Out of sync, and in denial for most of the story, when they finally let everything fall into place, they are beautiful with the perfectness of them being together!

[Jennifer Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sorry, but I just can't give this book more than 2 stars. I absolutely hated Victoria. I was actually hoping for her downfall and didn't want her happy with Eli. I started this one and book one at the same time (listening to them) but didn't think it mattered since they were romances and we all know how they turn out anyways. I think had I finished the other one first, I would have never started this one. She was a b in the first one as well!

[Alyssa Edmonds · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good story but it was very dry! I wasn't entertained enough to listen to (read it) in a shorter amount of time. Sometimes it felt I was completing a chore just to listen to it but at other times you couldn't break me away from the story for anything. All in all, worth the download but not worth the 20 days it took me to finish it. :(

[Phylisha Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Overall I liked the story, however there was a lot going on! Multiple character stories, a Ponzi scheme, a runaway mother, young troubled children, guilty mothers, etc. In spite of this I think I be reading the next book in this series, because there were characters introduced whose story will be delved into.

[Carole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Almost DNF'd several times in first few chapters since Hero and Heroine were so nasty, spiteful and unlikeable and Hero sexually assaulted Heroine, but it turned her on...grrrr... Had nothing else to read that day, so finished the story and while it all comes to HEA by the end, it was not I expected of this author. 1.5 Stars TOASTED from my Ebook Library.