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Big Timber #1
Blame It On Your Heart
Fans of Bella Andre, Rachel Gibson, and Victoria Dahl will love this sexy, emotional story of a second chance at love! There was a time when Ellie Tanner wanted nothing more than a simple life in Big Timber with the love of her life, Damon Decker. But after Damon broke her heart and crushed her dreams, Ellie couldn't get out of town fast enough. Twelve years later, Ellie is back, and life is nothing like she'd once imagined At age 30, she is widowed, broke, and a single parent to a 5 year old son. Humiliated after discovering that her "Wizard of Wall Street" husband had swindled his clients out of billions of dollars, Ellie is forced to move back in with her mother until she can get her life back on track. When she'd forced to work closely with Damon, Ellie tries to ignore the powerful attraction still simmering between them. But it doesn't take long before she finds herself once again under Damon's spell. . There was a time when Damon believed Ellie wanted the same things he did - to get married and raise a family in Big Timber. But her move to New York and marriage to a Wall Street high flyer proved that the life Ellie really wanted was nothing Damon could ever give her. As far as he's concerned, Ellie Tanner did him a favor when she dumped him cold all those years ago. Then Ellie shows up back in town, looking more beautiful than ever, sending Damon's blood - and his heart - racing. But he learned the hard way not to count on a future with Ellie. While he may not be able to keep his hands off her, this time he knows better than to let himself fall for her all over again. Until he's forced to admit that when it comes to it comes to loving Ellie, he doesn't have a choice. Praise For Jami “Jami Alden always takes you on a wild ride! - New York Times best seller Catherine Coulter “The perfect balance of emotion and romance.” -New York Times best seller Maya Banks “Hot and emotionally charged, Jami Alden always delivers.” -New York Times best seller Shannon McKenna “A fantastic story that will keep you hot and bothered.” -Romantic Times Book Reviews for Private Party “Alden can wring every emotion from her characters.” -Romantic Times Book Reviews
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 26, 2013
155 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Jami Alden
41 books797 followersLike so many romance readers, my first romance novel was by Kathleen Woodiwiss - The Flame and the Flower, to be exact. I was thirteen. I spent the next month working my way through her entire back list. Shortly thereafter I discovered Judith McNaught, Johanna Lindsey, Karen Robards, Catherine Coulter, Shirlee Busbee among others, and devoured their lavish historical epics full of overbearing alpha males and the women who brought them to their knees. I was hooked. My high school teachers marveled at my ability to read romance novels under the desk and still score straight A's. I started to imagine myself, living in a cabin in the mountains somewhere, writing romance novels.
It took me quite awhile to pursue my dream. After graduating from Stanford with a degree in English Literature, I worked in a variety of soul sucking admin jobs before I began my career in marketing. It wasn't exactly my dream job, but at least my writing appeared on several web sites and in many software marketing brochures. Unfortunately I wasn't able to fit the phrase "and her loins melted like hot wax" into any of them.
During my stint as the world's surliest receptionist, I took my first stab at writing. The result was a very melodramatic western historical which reads like a bad Elizabeth Lowell rip off. Its currently languishing on my hard drive, forever stuck on page 330.
Then in fall 2001 I had an incredible stroke of luck and got laid off from my marketing job. I decided it was time to stop saying I wanted to be a writer and to actually give it a serious go. Fortunately my husband, a socially well adjusted alpha male, is a very generous patron of the arts.
Four years later, I sold my first book and I'm pretty much living the dream of getting paid to write romance. I don't live in a cabin in the mountains, but I do live in a rural-ish town near San Francisco (hey, we have deer and bunnies in our yard, along with the occasional coyote) with my husband, sons, and two dogs who patiently listen to my dialogue and help me work out plot points. When I'm not writing sexy romance, I enjoy running, reading, yoga and watching Food Network and bad reality TV.
It took me quite awhile to pursue my dream. After graduating from Stanford with a degree in English Literature, I worked in a variety of soul sucking admin jobs before I began my career in marketing. It wasn't exactly my dream job, but at least my writing appeared on several web sites and in many software marketing brochures. Unfortunately I wasn't able to fit the phrase "and her loins melted like hot wax" into any of them.
During my stint as the world's surliest receptionist, I took my first stab at writing. The result was a very melodramatic western historical which reads like a bad Elizabeth Lowell rip off. Its currently languishing on my hard drive, forever stuck on page 330.
Then in fall 2001 I had an incredible stroke of luck and got laid off from my marketing job. I decided it was time to stop saying I wanted to be a writer and to actually give it a serious go. Fortunately my husband, a socially well adjusted alpha male, is a very generous patron of the arts.
Four years later, I sold my first book and I'm pretty much living the dream of getting paid to write romance. I don't live in a cabin in the mountains, but I do live in a rural-ish town near San Francisco (hey, we have deer and bunnies in our yard, along with the occasional coyote) with my husband, sons, and two dogs who patiently listen to my dialogue and help me work out plot points. When I'm not writing sexy romance, I enjoy running, reading, yoga and watching Food Network and bad reality TV.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 13, 2019
4.5 stars
Oh, how I love second chance romance!
This book simply did it for me! It was lovely, sweet, sexy, and incredibly emotional. I enjoyed it from start to finish.
Oh, how I love second chance romance!
This book simply did it for me! It was lovely, sweet, sexy, and incredibly emotional. I enjoyed it from start to finish.
February 21, 2015
I DNF this book. It just pissed me off too much to go on. Maybe it will get better, but in the early stages I took a dislike to a number of characters, including the H and h, the h's sister who is a biotch, the h's mother and the H's mother. Wow, I think that's everyone in the book so far, except the h's kid, and even him I thought was a brat who had to be bribed with lollies to do what he was told, so hard to sort of get over all that. . No point reading on about a romance between two people I just didn't like surrounded by secondary characters I didn't like. It's a shame as I thought it would be good and I have read this author before and liked her books.
September 29, 2013
High school sweethearts who had their lives planned together have a fight which changes the course of their lives. Ellie Tanner ends up going to the east coast to school and eventually marries someone else and has a son. But the man she married swindled millions from their friends and then died in a car accident leaving her with the shame of what he had done and penniless. She has no choice but to return her mother’s and to the hometown where her heart was broken all those years ago.
All Damon Decker wanted Ellie to do was wait for him for two years while he went into the Army. But do to her own father being in the service and never around eventually leaving she didn’t want to live the life her mother lived and in her immature mind she gave Damon a ultimatum that he couldn’t live with nor forgive her for putting him in that position.
When Ellie gets to town she finds out that the family owned restaurant her mother and sister run is now also partially owned by Damon. Damon’s is not ready to forgive and forget. These two, even when they were at odds, were off the charts with sexual chemistry and its not long before they are going hot and heavy but not really dealing with their past issues.
There are lots of secondary characters. One of Damon’s Army buddies is the cook at the restaurant and he and Ellie’s sister are constantly bickering but you can see these two totally want each other but she is determined to marry the guy she has been chasing since high school even though he wont commit to a date. Most of the couples from the Private series either make an appearance in this book or are mentioned.
Even though you wanted to hit Ellie and Damon over the head a few times to get over there fear of the other one hurting them again and just admit they were soul mates this was a very enjoyable read that had both heartfelt and laugh out loud moments. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
All Damon Decker wanted Ellie to do was wait for him for two years while he went into the Army. But do to her own father being in the service and never around eventually leaving she didn’t want to live the life her mother lived and in her immature mind she gave Damon a ultimatum that he couldn’t live with nor forgive her for putting him in that position.
When Ellie gets to town she finds out that the family owned restaurant her mother and sister run is now also partially owned by Damon. Damon’s is not ready to forgive and forget. These two, even when they were at odds, were off the charts with sexual chemistry and its not long before they are going hot and heavy but not really dealing with their past issues.
There are lots of secondary characters. One of Damon’s Army buddies is the cook at the restaurant and he and Ellie’s sister are constantly bickering but you can see these two totally want each other but she is determined to marry the guy she has been chasing since high school even though he wont commit to a date. Most of the couples from the Private series either make an appearance in this book or are mentioned.
Even though you wanted to hit Ellie and Damon over the head a few times to get over there fear of the other one hurting them again and just admit they were soul mates this was a very enjoyable read that had both heartfelt and laugh out loud moments. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
February 3, 2016
I actually really liked this book. Second chance romances are often immediate favorites (thank you Kristen Ashley) and this one would be a favorite, too, if not for two things: it is too light on dialogue and too heavy on narration of internal thoughts. I still recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance with a true--albeit rushed--HEA.
September 26, 2013
WHAT AN ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS READ!!!! So bloody emotional.... and Damon was one HOT, SEXY PIECE OF $@*&%$^@ 
October 4, 2024
I had been looking for a good contemporary romance to read. After a string of letdowns, I finally picked up this one. I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed it.
The plot revolves around the long lost love theme, which is a theme that has been used to death by romance authors. However, Alden's take was interesting and different in that the characters separated for unique reasons. Basically they were both two stubborn to realize they were in the wrong. Alas, being young and on the verge of adulthood, you think you know everything. The two characters didn't rush back into a relationship, which I appreciated. Even after their romance rekindled, they didn't rush into things. At the same time, they kept this distance due to minor misunderstandings. Oddly enough, this didn't come across as annoying to me. Normally I hate when characters hold back because they are too stupid to realize what is in front of them. This book had that to an extent, but their feelings and actions felt very natural.
The plot revolves around the long lost love theme, which is a theme that has been used to death by romance authors. However, Alden's take was interesting and different in that the characters separated for unique reasons. Basically they were both two stubborn to realize they were in the wrong. Alas, being young and on the verge of adulthood, you think you know everything. The two characters didn't rush back into a relationship, which I appreciated. Even after their romance rekindled, they didn't rush into things. At the same time, they kept this distance due to minor misunderstandings. Oddly enough, this didn't come across as annoying to me. Normally I hate when characters hold back because they are too stupid to realize what is in front of them. This book had that to an extent, but their feelings and actions felt very natural.
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February 1, 2021
by and1515
The wheels went round and round and line and more lines there was nothing like the monotony of a long road trip and a little boy who was ready for it to be done.
Apparently She'd lived in a magically bubble where she'd been deaf, dumb, and totally blind but then her whole world was shattered.
What was left of there old life was packed in her car which sadly didn't amount to very much.
She'd left here a naive girl and returned a disillusioned woman.
Nor was she prepared for the shock of who her family's new business partners were.
Now her sister was hounding her to step up and take one for their family.
There was nothing like renovations to quench his need to smash things; he really did hate that stupid color.
So everything made since he should be finished before the cold set in again; or at least he hoped it would be.
He had a right to be hurt and angry Ellie was still a sour topic for him even after all this time.
Sometimes the you have to fix the broken things you left behind before you can see the present.
However things couldn't get any more complicated yeah right. Seeing Ellie standing there brought back quite few memories and he wasn't going to pass up such a sweet opportunity.
Until yeah a five had him done before they'd hit that beautiful magical moment.
But that was okay he promised he'd finish what they stared and yeah he kept his word.
She was his achilles heel his one weakness he couldn't shake even after all these years and all the baggage between them but for some dumb reason they keep making the same mistakes.
He had one last chance to finally get it right before she ran again.
The wheels went round and round and line and more lines there was nothing like the monotony of a long road trip and a little boy who was ready for it to be done.
Apparently She'd lived in a magically bubble where she'd been deaf, dumb, and totally blind but then her whole world was shattered.
What was left of there old life was packed in her car which sadly didn't amount to very much.
She'd left here a naive girl and returned a disillusioned woman.
Nor was she prepared for the shock of who her family's new business partners were.
Now her sister was hounding her to step up and take one for their family.
There was nothing like renovations to quench his need to smash things; he really did hate that stupid color.
So everything made since he should be finished before the cold set in again; or at least he hoped it would be.
He had a right to be hurt and angry Ellie was still a sour topic for him even after all this time.
Sometimes the you have to fix the broken things you left behind before you can see the present.
However things couldn't get any more complicated yeah right. Seeing Ellie standing there brought back quite few memories and he wasn't going to pass up such a sweet opportunity.
Until yeah a five had him done before they'd hit that beautiful magical moment.
But that was okay he promised he'd finish what they stared and yeah he kept his word.
She was his achilles heel his one weakness he couldn't shake even after all these years and all the baggage between them but for some dumb reason they keep making the same mistakes.
He had one last chance to finally get it right before she ran again.
October 10, 2024
The MCs are a bunch of bozos. Tis true, they were bozos in their teens and they are bozos now. I mean, the MMC loves the FMC so much that he doesn't even share his plans with her, he hates hurting her but he deliberately withheld information from her for a long time, knowing full well that she wouldn't approve, gave her a ring and expected her to fall in line and when she didn't, he up and left. He then had the audacity to act like the victim, and our FMC being the doormat she is, let's him treat her like one.
Overall, meh!!
Overall, meh!!
August 10, 2020
WHY WHY WHY.......
Did this author feel she needed to use the Lords name in vain??? Why did she feel she had to ruin what may have been a good story, which I didn't continue to read, by doing this? Why did she take the gift to write and slap the face of the creator who gave her the gift? Why doesn't she realize that great authors don't lower themselves like this in order to sell books, mmmmm.......WHY?
Did this author feel she needed to use the Lords name in vain??? Why did she feel she had to ruin what may have been a good story, which I didn't continue to read, by doing this? Why did she take the gift to write and slap the face of the creator who gave her the gift? Why doesn't she realize that great authors don't lower themselves like this in order to sell books, mmmmm.......WHY?
November 19, 2020
3 star
Second chance romance filled with people doing stupid things because they're scared. People do that too much in real life too.
Second chance romance filled with people doing stupid things because they're scared. People do that too much in real life too.
June 9, 2016
Received this complimentary arc copy from the author for an honest review.
OMG - What an emotionally brilliant story. Loved it to bits.
Decisions that are made between Ellie Tanner and Damon Decker have serious consequences when they are only teenagers. Had a lump in my throat reading this story at times. All those years wasted..... BUT now Ellie is back in town 12 years later.
Getting to know Damon again was emotional for Ellie but the instant chemistry is still there. Yes, even sneaking into her room at night confirms that, but is it all about just sex!!! Seeing all her family and Damon's was sometimes awkward but she know she has to do this for her son Anthony. A couple fighting their emotions, coming to terms with their past to decide what happens in their future. I fought for them all the way, willing them to get back together, make the right choice this time. I admit, I am a romantic at heart.
This is one brilliantly written story and would love to read more of Jami Aldens books. This was my first one and absolutely loved it.
OMG - What an emotionally brilliant story. Loved it to bits.
Decisions that are made between Ellie Tanner and Damon Decker have serious consequences when they are only teenagers. Had a lump in my throat reading this story at times. All those years wasted..... BUT now Ellie is back in town 12 years later.
Getting to know Damon again was emotional for Ellie but the instant chemistry is still there. Yes, even sneaking into her room at night confirms that, but is it all about just sex!!! Seeing all her family and Damon's was sometimes awkward but she know she has to do this for her son Anthony. A couple fighting their emotions, coming to terms with their past to decide what happens in their future. I fought for them all the way, willing them to get back together, make the right choice this time. I admit, I am a romantic at heart.
This is one brilliantly written story and would love to read more of Jami Aldens books. This was my first one and absolutely loved it.
May 9, 2016
This was an amazing second chance romance!! Ellie and Damon fell in love back in high school but they let their pride get in the way. He wanted things his way, she wanted things her way, and neither would let go of their pride to compromise. So they went their own ways, with their hearts breaking along the way. Damon joined the armed services and grew up. Ellie went somewhere completely different from her home town, married someone completely different from her true love, and grew up. Then Ellie's life fell apart and she went home to wallow in her misery. But she found her heart once again.
July 26, 2016
I read to 40% and couldn't go a single page further. The characters were totally forgettable; so much so that I couldn't keep track of who the Heroine was. I had no compassion for what sent her home, and felt no sense of family or loyalty. Then there was the crudity. The way the H&H talked to each other was disgusting. I've never seen the F word said so many times. Crude and crass. I actually had Amazon refund my purchase price and remove this from my kindle.
January 8, 2014
My issue with this book was the editing. It became so bad that it took away from the story. It bums me out because I love this author. I sincerely hope that the next in this series has better beta/editors because this one was lacking. I loved the storyline and the characters, I just couldn't get past the editing issues.
January 11, 2014
It was a great novel and it is one of those romance novels where it gives you hope. It makes it more special. I loved that they were high school sweethearts that eventually made it full circle and back to each other.
March 4, 2014
Love this story of high school sweethearts and how the same words can have different meanings and contexts to each individual
April 3, 2014
3.75 - horrible editing
July 15, 2014
Great Story!! Made me cry!!
September 15, 2014
3.5 Stars
June 11, 2016
This book was worth the time spent. Good story along with steam, which is how all books should be, in my opinion. Am looking forward to more by this author.
December 21, 2016
3.5 stars
June 12, 2020
3.5 nice reading
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews