Jaded (Walkers Ford, #2) by Anne Calhoun

Aug 21, 2013 Baba rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, books-kelly-and-baba-liked-or-loved, anne-calhoun

4 stars.****Full review posted January 30, 2014

Lucas likes to work out to keep his body in shape.
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Classy and well-bred yet reserved Alana Wentworth is the temporary librarian at Walkers Ford Public Library. She came to Walkers Ford to get over a bad breakup. Her only goal at the moment is to get under her landlord and Chief of Police, Lucas Ridgeway, to make him her rebound man. There's a little problem, though. Alana is not so savvy when it comes to men and figuring out how to get Lucas between ...more

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Mar 11, 2015 Alp rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, favorites

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

It was a pleasure to read this beautiful and heartwarming contemporary romance story. This was my first time reading Anne Calhoun's book, so I didn't know what to expect. Turned out, I loved everything about this one! I loved both Lucas and Alana, and also the chemistry between them, which was, of course, off the chart. The sex scenes were extremely steamy and sensuous! I was impressed with the friendships between people in a small town of Walkers Ford. And most of all, there w ...more

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Feb 04, 2014 Jo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Jo by: Alp

Shelves: 4-5-stars, books-i-love, mine, gr2016

This book was fantastic!! It was a perfect example of why I love small town romances.

“I believe that we all have a purpose in life, that God created us to fulfill a responsibility here on earth. We all have a place to be, where we’ll make an impact on the world. We can choose to listen to that call, or we can ignore it. The question is, when you hear the call, will you respond with your whole heart?”

Alana Wentworth is used to living her life for her political family, always being there fo

This book was fantastic!! It was a perfect example of why I love small town romances.

“I believe that we all have a purpose in life, that God created us to fulfill a responsibility here on earth. We all have a place to be, where we’ll make an impact on the world. We can choose to listen to that call, or we can ignore it. The question is, when you hear the call, will you respond with your whole heart?”

Alana Wentworth is used to living her life for her political family, always being there for whatever they need to make their lives easier. But after getting a marriage proposal from Mr. Wrong, she decides to take a break and for a few months live the life she always wished she could have as the librarian of the small town Walkers Ford library. She wasn’t supposed to have any entanglements, but she couldn’t help but make friends, and try to make a difference when she is given the opportunity to present a proposal to improve the library before her contract ends, and she has to return to her family. And she wasn’t supposed to be attracted to her very sexy landlord, the town’s chief of police, Lucas Ridgeway. But what better way to make sure she returns a changed woman than convincing him that a fling would be perfect between them before she leaves in a few weeks.

He had a heart that had been broken so many times, the pieces weren’t even worth offering to someone else.

Lucas is disillusioned by life. Everything that happened in Denver, and his failure of a marriage has left him jaded and cold. He had hoped that returning to Walkers Ford would present him with the opportunity for a clean slate, where he could just uphold the law and never again form any emotional entanglements. But then his very tempting neighbour who is also his tenant kisses him senseless, and he can’t help but give in to the desire between them.

But can Alana and Lucas keep their hearts out of their lustful encounters, and can Alana leave Walkers Ford without leaving her heart behind?

Even though the sexy times between Alana and Lucas started very early, I was a bit hesitant about their romance. Their chemistry was scorching, but it seemed to only be based on lust and not more, which I need to love the romance. But as the story progressed so many things were revealed about Lucas and about Alana and they just won me over. Both are too afraid to feel more, Lucas because he has lost all hope for life being the way he wanted it to be: having a family and being able to save the people he protects, and Alana because she feels that her life should be lived for her family, for the assistance they need from her. And I loved seeing these two falling for each other, especially because they thought ending things would be easy.

What I loved most about this book, and what always makes me love small town romances is the secondary characters:
Cody the teenage boy who had to serve his community sentence by working in the library. He has such a hard life, trying to care for his three little brothers and his mom, and not knowing how they would get enough money for food. And then there’s his older brother being on parole, and making life even harder because he couldn’t keep out of trouble. I just loved this teenager. He was my favorite character of this book.
Tanya, Lucas’s cousin. Whose whole life was derailed and who was so very lost. She’s an addict, and it just broke my heart that she fell so far from what she dreamed of being. I really hope that she will get her own book in the near future.
Then there’s Lukas’s retired dog, Duke. I just loved him and the way Lucas was with him.
Mrs. Battle, the sweet little old lady who helped Alana in the library.

And the ending was just perfect. This was such a wonderful book with so many great characters and a wonderful little town to fall in love with. I simply loved it. A definite must read.

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Sep 26, 2013 Heidi rated it liked it

Shelves: part-of-series

I so desperately wanted to love this, because Anne Calhoun is one of my favourite authors.

I feel so flat after reading it. I didn't feel the sizzling chemistry between Alana and Lucas. I found myself skimming. The sex scenes are always good with Anne but after each, Lucas basically got dressed and walked out. That feeling of I can NOT live without this other person, just didn't come through for me.
...more

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Feb 01, 2014 Corduroy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: dnf, 1-2-star-romances, contemporary-romance

DNF for now at 45%.

I don't know. I used to think that I really liked this author's books, but now I think that maybe I really just like two of them (Liberating Lacey and the one with the virgin and the cop, ahem), because I am having some problems with this.

Alana Wentworth is a librarian on a short-term contract in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, South Dakota. (She has a backstory about how her parents are overbearing overachievers and not happy with her life choices.) Lucas Ridgeway is ...more

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Jun 08, 2014 Glamdring rated it it was ok

Shelves: 50-states-challenge, 2014, contemporary-romances

*1,5 stars*

When I started Jaded I thought that I was in for a fluffy, potentially hot small town romance. I was wrong.

As much as I loved Liberating Lacey I found this book meh. Not only did I found the romance lukewarm, the story boring but at times the writing was off for me. It's hard to pinpoint but I think that it's due to how the author managed the time line as well as the lack of continuity in the line of ideas. And as a matter of fact instead of being interested by the heroes or their st ...more

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Mar 16, 2014 Saly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: cops-law-enforcement-security, rom-contemporary, single-titles, read-in-2014

Rating 3.5 stars
I love me a good librarian romance though my complain was that the book needed to be a bit hotter. The heroine's time in Walkers Ford is coming to an end and before that happens she intends to share some quality time with her landlord, the hero and chief of police Lucas.

I loved their romance, it was low-key and they knew what they had was temporary. I felt Lucas was more invested than Alana, who I had a problem with, her reasons for wanting to go back to her family and their fou ...more

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Jan 26, 2014 Jess rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: for_review, contemporary

Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: A-

This is a romance that really sneaks up on the reader. It’s a nice read, and I remember thinking that exact thought as I passed the halfway mark. The characters are interesting, the small town is intriguing, the romance is sweet but not at all in your face. And then the last 20% hit and I was sucked in completely, as in I couldn’t put the book down until I finished the last page. The emotional buildup to the end and the culmination of every Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: A-

This is a romance that really sneaks up on the reader. It’s a nice read, and I remember thinking that exact thought as I passed the halfway mark. The characters are interesting, the small town is intriguing, the romance is sweet but not at all in your face. And then the last 20% hit and I was sucked in completely, as in I couldn’t put the book down until I finished the last page. The emotional buildup to the end and the culmination of everything that was building between the hero and heroine, Lucas and Alana, as well as their relationship with other members of their small town Walkers Ford, was so emotional and so well done, the journey for these two packs a big punch.

Alana planned to be in Walkers Ford only temporarily to help run the library and she’s asked to stay a little longer to put together a presentation on a major rebuild that the library needs to go through to make it more useable and useful to everyone in the community. Even though she’s sticking around just for a short time, she wants to be unlike her “normal” self before heading back to Chicago soon. So, acting a little out of character, she sets her sights on her neighbor and landlord Lucas. She doesn’t want anything permanent, neither does he and they start to sleep together and have a short term fling as Alana wraps up her Walkers Ford commitments. But she does what her sister warns her against doing, getting ensnared. Not only is Lucas starting to make her rethink her future plans, but she’s slowly become an important person the in community, making friends, having people begin to depend on her and she has to decide if she really wants to go back to a life that she was led into by her family, or make something for herself in this small town.

Lucas is dealing with some past pain that’s caused him to shut himself off, do the job and not let emotion play a role in anything he does. In fact, he’s really only close and sweet to his dog at the start. He’s hardened his heart after having it crushed in a few different ways, including a divorce and losing a young boy he was mentoring prior to moving to Walkers Ford. He’s not a mean guy, he’s just not willing to let go of that hard shell, let people in and let some of his decisions be based on his heart instead of his head. This all starts to change when he and Alana get closer and they end up being exactly what the other person needs. Alana needed a reason to make a change in her life for her and Lucas needed a reason to let go of the pain and see that happiness doesn’t always lead to heartbreak.

Like I mentioned above, this romance really sneaks up on you. I can’t say I was completely taken with Alana and Lucas together, it was initially all about sex and little else. But they started spending more time together and in that, their relationship deepened and you can see on page the importance they’re each starting to have in the other person’s life and how much they help each other change for the better. The romance, while the buildup is slow, is well worth the wait so stick with it because I was captivated by not only their relationship but the other relationships that ended up being so important to both Lucas and Alana.

For Lucas, he’s dealing with his addict cousin, a woman who’s been in and out of rehab many times and the cycle continues here. It’s a small look into Lucas, his family and how he goes from dealing with Tanya at the start of the story to how he deals with her after Alana’s influence. There’s also a young teen, Cody, who is serving community service hours at the library under Alana. He’s helping take care of his three younger brothers while his single mom works, struggling to make ends meet, which isn’t happening. I loved Cody’s supporting role and how it showed the impact Alana has on not only his life but what her overall impact on other members of the town is and could be. I’m a sucker for small town romances and this one just hit all the right buttons.

Bottom line, I started out liking this story but ended up loving the end result and the overall journey of Lucas and Alana. Theirs is an understated love story but just because it doesn’t jump off the page and smack you in the face, it’s still powerful, emotional and a great read. ...more

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Nov 29, 2013 Lisa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: feb-2014

What a FABULOUS story! Anne Calhoun has a way of taking you on a slow and inviting journey through the lives of people in Walkers Ford. It always takes me a chapter to get into the rhythm of this style of writing but I once get sucked in I want to curl up in a chair, read slowly and savor everything.

I adored Alana Wentworth. She was such a lovely person who took her role of tending to everyone else's needs seriously. She effortlessly went about her job of librarian in Walkers Ford not realizing What a FABULOUS story! Anne Calhoun has a way of taking you on a slow and inviting journey through the lives of people in Walkers Ford. It always takes me a chapter to get into the rhythm of this style of writing but I once get sucked in I want to curl up in a chair, read slowly and savor everything.

I adored Alana Wentworth. She was such a lovely person who took her role of tending to everyone else's needs seriously. She effortlessly went about her job of librarian in Walkers Ford not realizing how her presence affected others.

Chief of Police Lucas Ridgeway was a man carrying a lot of pain and went about his job of keeping the town safe while keeping people at arm's length. He was totally working the dark and brooding alpha role. I immediately wanted to hug him (and swoon of course).

The slow burn between Alana and Lucas was great. I've always enjoy the way Anne Calhoun can create two characters who bring their own set of issues to a relationship without making it about angst and drama. I loved how their relationship started hot and sexy and slowly and quietly bloomed into so much more emotionally. Their HEA was perfect.

The supporting characters were all a wonderful addition to this story. My heart went out to Cody Burton. Community Service brought him to the library and working for Alana. A young man helping his mother raising younger brothers meant his future wasn't too bright. Alana's encouragement brought out Cody's confidence to show his creative side, allowed him to feel his potential as an artist and give him hope for a positive future.

Mrs. Battle was delightful. She felt like everyone's grandmother who offered words of wisdom and loving support. Her relationship with Alana was heartwarming.

I loved Freddie, Alana's sister. What a ball of fire. Freddie was the one person who knew Alana was so much more than just her assistant. She recognized Alana's heart was in Walkers Ford and encouraged her to follow her heart. Their devotion to each other was fantastic and so endearing.

Obviously I'm a huge fan of the author and if you are too - this is yet another perfect addition. Now Go Forth and Read!

...more

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Jun 04, 2017 Mareli rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I liked it very much. The story was nice. I liked both hero and heroine there. She was afraid to be involved and instead she deserved to be involved in that little community. He was very good. I like little town story but I cannot say this was the factor for this book because the previous one had the same background and I didn't like it. So it must be the book ;) ...more

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Dec 08, 2013 Ellie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

3.5 stars
Review to come

Full review

This was my first book by Anne Calhoun. After reading some great reviews of her other works by my GR friends, I had some pretty high expectations of this book. For the most part they were met and I enjoyed the story, just not as much as wanted to.

This book is the second installment in Walkers Ford series but can be read as a standalone. It's a small-town romance and I have a love-hate relationship with these stories. Sometimes they work really well for me, other 3.5 stars
Review to come

Full review

This was my first book by Anne Calhoun. After reading some great reviews of her other works by my GR friends, I had some pretty high expectations of this book. For the most part they were met and I enjoyed the story, just not as much as wanted to.

This book is the second installment in Walkers Ford series but can be read as a standalone. It's a small-town romance and I have a love-hate relationship with these stories. Sometimes they work really well for me, other times - they are a complete disappointment. This one falls in the middle, I liked it, but didn't love it.

I liked the main characters, though the heroine came as annoying at times. She struggled to live up to the expectations of her family (which btw, were impossibly high), and the same time she was so resigned to not being good or glamorous enough. She kept putting herself down and tying to convince herself and the others that she was happy the way things were - with her being in the background, doing everything to please the others, not acknowledging what she wanted and going for it.

I liked the hero better. He was closed off and distant in the beginning and, yet his good heart always shone through his armour. It was Alana that made him feel again, her presence in Walkers Ford and in his life gave him back the will to care for the others.

Their relationship started as no-strings-attached sex and gradually it became indispensable for both of them. I very much enjoyed the slow build up of their feelings.

The flow of the story was good, just a bit slow in the middle. Ms Calhoun created convincingly the small town atmosphere, all the supporting characters were well built and complemented the story of Lucas and Alana.

I felt let down with the ending of the story. I loved the happy end for Lucas and Alana but I found the transformation of Alana's sister and mother too good to be true. The sugary sweet ending didn't fit the realistic tone of the rest of the story.

I found the writing style subtle and a bit subdued, very much in tone with the nature of both Lucas and Alana. There was no major drama or dark secrets in this story, just normal issues and difficulties ordinary people face.

Overall, I liked both the story and the writing and would love to read more of Ms Calhoun's work.
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Nov 25, 2013 Mandi Schreiner rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary

Alana Wentworth left her high-powered family where she was the research librarian for her family’s foundation and moved to the small town of Walker’s Ford, South Dakota to serve as the temporary library director. After a bad break-up, she felt she needed to find herself and a spontaneous move to a new place was a life cleanser she was craving. She rents an old home from the town’s chief of police and is currently helping write a proposition to expand and remodel the library. As her time is comin ...more

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Mar 29, 2020 Aly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

3.75

Alana Wentworth has always felt like the black sheep in her family because they all have prestigious job/title and her sister is marrying a rock star. But Alana wants simple things so in an effort to live her life to the fullest and not feel like just a spectator, she accepted a temporary position as a librarian in an other state. She'll go back to Chicago soon but in the meanwhile, she intend to have a fling. Not to say that she would choose just anyone, but the man she rent a home from (an ...more

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Dec 15, 2013 Tania rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

4.5 Stars! For more on this review, please see...

http://www.scandaliciousbookreviews.c...

So in a roundabout way, I was vaguely aware of Anne Calhoun before I stumbled upon her latest release, Jaded, book two in the Walkers Ford series. I thought I recognized the author's name and asked my Nerds if they had read anything by her when a resounding 'Duh, Liberating Lacey' came back in response. How could I forget? Although I haven't had a chance to read this book yet, (can you feel Nikki's eyes roll 4.5 Stars! For more on this review, please see...

http://www.scandaliciousbookreviews.c...

So in a roundabout way, I was vaguely aware of Anne Calhoun before I stumbled upon her latest release, Jaded, book two in the Walkers Ford series. I thought I recognized the author's name and asked my Nerds if they had read anything by her when a resounding 'Duh, Liberating Lacey' came back in response. How could I forget? Although I haven't had a chance to read this book yet, (can you feel Nikki's eyes roll?) this book gets a lot of chatter amongst the Herd. Without reading it, I can tell you that Hunter is a gorgeous hard bodied cop with a 'tool' belt he ain't afraid to use and there is plenty of scandaliciously hot sex. So after my memory was refreshed, it certainly wasn't a hard decision do delve into this series.

Walkers Ford, South Dakota is small town U.S.A., where the residents consist of the wealthy, poor, young and old and where the descendents from the original founding families (sorry, that sounds so Vampire Diary'ish) still reside. With so much town history there comes a lot of memories that aren't easily forgettable and reputations that precede themselves. I sit here and I attempt to think of exactly how to describe these characters that make up Walkers Ford and try to do them justice. Each character that Anne Calhoun has taken the time to develop in this series is flawed in some way. They have done what is necessary for their own survival and peace of mind, some don't give a damn what others in the town think of them or their reputation and some try to carry on discreetly and privately. These are not perfect characters. Hell, the town sweetheart's marriage is the product of an unfaithful relationship that the reader is aware of but not the rest of the townsfolk and it paints the innocent parties in a questionable light. Anne Calhoun's superb story telling made me happy, made me angry and made me cry. But most of all, she made me want to fight for the happiness that most of these characters deserved.

Jaded is the story of the town librarian and the chief of police. How cliché, right? It's the running joke between Alana and Lucas except that Alana isn't your typical small town librarian and Lucas isn't your good ole boy police chief. Alana Wentworth hails from a prestigious political family. Her step-father is a former Senator and her family heads the Wentworth Foundation that focuses on positive global change. Her mother plays the role of matriarch and party hostess while her older sister Freddie, lives in the limelight, jet setting across the globe and implementing the foundation's initiatives. Alana had been content to live her life in the background as her sister's research analyst until she's finally confronted with the notion that she truly doesn't know what she wants out of life. Putting aside her family's desire for her to tow the party-line, she accepts a temporary position as a library director and moves to middle-of-nowhere South Dakota to regroup.

"She really, really wanted to belong somewhere, to someone. Because there was a difference between being part of a package deal, and belonging."

As Alana's sabbatical draws to a close and her return to Chicago is imminent, she realizes she hasn't really cut the attachment to her family, and she is yet to have the life changing epiphany of her life's purpose. If she is to return home changed in the slightest, it's time to put her plan in motion and seduce Lucas Ridgeway, her landlord and incredibly good looking chief of police. Lucas' career has left him weary and cynical. A crushing blow in his personal and professional life has rendered him a mere shell of a man and he outwardly expresses no real sign of emotion. Lucas feels there really is no gray area to law enforcement and he follows his job to the letter of the law. His experiences have left him jaded believing that people are going to do what they want to do and you shouldn't waste your time trying to change a situation that has little hope of success.

Lucas is completely on board with the secretive, no strings attached, sexual proposition his gorgeous tenant has proposed. Except when personal and professional lines start to blur, this booty call arrangement morphs into something more than just physical. Alana doesn't see people as clear cut as Lucas. She sees the good in people and is quick to defend, always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need, and encourages the potential in others. Without realizing it, Alana has formed deep rooted attachments and although her intentions were to avoid any painful goodbyes, she finds herself entangled in the lives of the citizens of Walkers Ford. Unexpectedly, Alana has finally found where she belongs, in a community that not only embraces her, but needs her. Except loyalties run deep and Alana accepts her fate that she must return home. She has obligations to her family she can no longer ignore and it is time to say goodbye to her temporary escape. The emotionless and broody cop? Well, she breathed new life and feeling into him, just in time for him to mourn her loss.

If you take anything away from Walkers Ford, I hope it's the sense of home. Home isn't a place you are tied to because of obligations. Home isn't a punishment you return to because you must right the wrongs of your past. Home isn't the place where you go through the motions of living but don't really live. Home is where your loved ones are and wherever you choose to make that home, is entirely up to you.

"I'll tell Mother you're going home." Alana looked at Lucas, and wove her fingers more tightly with his. "Tell her I'm already there."
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Mar 04, 2014 Anna's Herding Cats rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: pets, neighbors, for-review, calhoun-anne, police-fbi-rangers-law-enforcement, small-town, librarian, 2014

Small town romance. A sexy cop. A librarian. The cutest retired police dog. And a town brought together by an unlikely new addition to their ranks. I mean. Hello. That's just an amazing combo. Jaded was a fun read that easily kept me entertained as Alana and Lucas start up a bit of a fling before she's supposed to leave town and things, well, they get...complicated.

The quick of it is that Alana landed in Walker Ford as their temporary librarian to escape a bit of a blunder back home and to live Small town romance. A sexy cop. A librarian. The cutest retired police dog. And a town brought together by an unlikely new addition to their ranks. I mean. Hello. That's just an amazing combo. Jaded was a fun read that easily kept me entertained as Alana and Lucas start up a bit of a fling before she's supposed to leave town and things, well, they get...complicated.

The quick of it is that Alana landed in Walker Ford as their temporary librarian to escape a bit of a blunder back home and to live a little on her own terms and not for what everyone else expected of her. But her time in Walker Ford is almost over and she wants one last thing before she leaves town...a hot and heavy fling with the town's police chief Lucas.

I really enjoyed both Alana and Lucas. Alana was delightful. She's good at what she does, puts her whole heart into everything and really makes a difference to the people around her--even if she doesn't think she's all that remarkable. And damn. Lucas is a lot of sexy in one tasty man package. And omg he is the sexiest thing doting on his senior pup the way he does. Instant *girly sigh* from me. He's also a bit of a damaged hero that's sporting a lot of hurts after a horrible incident and is in desperate need of someone who will just make him feel again.

The romance between them and seeing their fling turn into something more was nicely done. Things get pretty steamy and I loved watching not just their relationship evolve and them grow as individuals but the sexual side of things change and evolve as well. They were always nice but very much moved from just an orgasm and a thanks see ya later to a deeper emotional impact on each of them which was just wonderful to see. And holy hell...steamy. There's a LOT of heat in this one and it was excellent.

Her hands found his lower abdomen, warm skin and ridged muscle that sent a hot zing along her nerves. She looked down. His pants had ridden down again, revealing the erection straining against the waistband of his boxers. She loosened his tie, pulled it free, and dropped it on the floor. Starting with the lowest button on his dress shirt, she worked her way up to his throat, then spread the fabric wide. He looked at her, his body bared to her, his gaze unapologetically unashamedly sexual.

And for good reason. He was built, ripped, whatever the slang was for not an ounce of fat under skin stretched over workout-honed muscles. She looked him over, her fingers winding in that tantalizing line of hair.

"That doesn't tickle?" she asked.

His abs tightened but his smile loosened. "Not enough to distract me from how close your hand is to my cock."

Heat flared in her cheeks. "Very close," she said as she trailed the tip of her middle finger down the chestnut brown hair, then squeezed the hard shaft straining against his zipper.

These two really complimented each other nicely in and out of the bedroom and I loved watching him coming back to life and feeling something other than pain and guilt and her realizing her worth and not only the impact she had on him but on the whole town.

And the town. They're an interesting group and felt pretty real. There are some ugly real to life things shown--poverty, health issues, etc--but seeing them deal with it and plug along was pretty touching and just had me falling for them in all their bits and pieces.

All in all, I had a really good time with Jaded. My only complaint was that more than once it was glaringly obvious I'd missed things by not reading book one which made for some awkward scenes since I didn't know the backstory/characters being spoken about. It didn't ruin the story obviously but made for some harder reading so I'd suggest picking up book one first. But other than that I loved the characters, the town and watching love sneak up on these two.

Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup. ...more

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Feb 10, 2014 Lily (Night Owl Book Cafe) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, print, challenge-2014, romance, first-reads

Alana Wentworth comes from a large political family. After an embarrassing public proposal, she takes the opportunity to act as a stand in librarian in a small town of Walkers Ford and escape a life she never thought was meant for her. Lucas Ridgeway returned to Walker's Ford to serve as their chief of police after an incident in Denver bringing him back home to start over. He doesn't want any distractions but the blushing librarian next door is proving to be one he cannot ignore.

Cute story. I Alana Wentworth comes from a large political family. After an embarrassing public proposal, she takes the opportunity to act as a stand in librarian in a small town of Walkers Ford and escape a life she never thought was meant for her. Lucas Ridgeway returned to Walker's Ford to serve as their chief of police after an incident in Denver bringing him back home to start over. He doesn't want any distractions but the blushing librarian next door is proving to be one he cannot ignore.

Cute story. I juggled between 3.5 stars and 4 stars on this one, and in the end I decided to give it 4 for many reason.

I really enjoyed the romance. I felt the sparks between them and so much more. The interaction between Lucas and Alana was comfortable and easy. After reading a bunch of heavy stuff, this was rather welcoming. There was sparks and of course just the right amount of chemistry.
It takes place in a small town and if you been following me for a while you know I love my small town romances. They make me all warm and fuzzy on the inside with their small close knit community and recurring characters. Speaking of which, thought I have not read the first book, I did look to see who was in it and Adam and Marissa do appear in this book as well!
The pace of the book was pretty good. The story flowed and I found myself really immersed in it. Sure there was some parts that were kind of slow in the end but they where brief and minor and did not take away from the overall enjoyment of the book.
I liked the storyline, especially in the end. Alana was not meant to stay in Walker's Ford. She was there to propose a project in rebuilding the library and in the end managed to show the community how important the library was to the town and it's people. How many of them it has helped, and how central it was to the community.
Lucas. A brooding chief of police with a retired police dog named Duke? Yes please. Thought Lucas did manage to get on my nerve at times, I was so glad that in the end he allowed to town and it's appeal to kind bring down his own walls and start to actually help people a little more on a personal level. I did not like how he treated Cody and Tanya at first, but everything clicked nicely in the end!
I liked the supporting characters. There was trouble and people who come from broken homes and Alana had managed to get entangled with each and one of them and make an impact on their lives. Even Lucas had bought down his walls in the end. I really loved that he did not give up on his cousin Tanya and had drug addiction as much as Alana did not give up on a teenager by the name of Cody who also came from a broken home.

Lovely story, so much more then just a romance I liked the other stuff that was going on in the background just as much. Of course I enjoyed the romance in this book as well. Thought a part of me wishes she didn't jump into Lucas bed right off, since I do love and enjoy the build up more. It did seem to work!

Looking forward to more from Walker's Ford and it's characters :) with familiar faces.

I got a copy of this book from goodreads first reads in exchange of an honest review. ...more

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Sep 25, 2016 Dark Faerie Tales rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-by-roxanne

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: The Librarian and the cop start off with a bang, but will they fall in love for real?

Opening Sentence: “Alana Wentworth locked the front door to the Walkers Ford Public Library with one thing on her mind: Chief of Police Lucas Ridgeway.”

The Review:

Alana has taken a temporary position with the library in Walkers Ford to get away from the public debacle her last boyfriend made back in Chicago. Alana decides that a fling with Lucas is the one thing Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: The Librarian and the cop start off with a bang, but will they fall in love for real?

Opening Sentence: “Alana Wentworth locked the front door to the Walkers Ford Public Library with one thing on her mind: Chief of Police Lucas Ridgeway.”

The Review:

Alana has taken a temporary position with the library in Walkers Ford to get away from the public debacle her last boyfriend made back in Chicago. Alana decides that a fling with Lucas is the one thing she needs in order to take charge of that aspect of her life. Lucas was a cop in Denver, but after getting burnt out he returned home to Walkers Ford. Lucas spends a lot of time with Alana because they are neighbors and she is renting a house from him.

When Lucas sends over Cody to do community service at the library; Alana begins to think about what she really wants out of life. She starts trying to help Cody achieve his dreams and find a way to provide a better life for his younger siblings. Lucas and Alana are growing closer and closer as they continue to hide their fling from the prying eyes of their small town. Soon they find that this might not be a fling, and they just might be in over their heads.

I did find the first book and read it, but this is not a series in which you need to read every book in order to understand what is going on. Although Lucas and Alana were in book 1 and Adam and Melissa are in book 2. I find more and more that I am just not a fan of romance novels where they hop into bed before we really know anything about the characters. Maybe that is harsh, but I like build up to the hot steamy stuff, not hot steamy stuff and then romance. Weird, I know that being said, overall this a good solid romance novel. A hot cop (check), a hot librarian (check, check) and a dog, but he is a cute dog. So if you are looking for a quick fun read, then look no further because Jaded is a great way to spend the afternoon.

Notable Scene:

“Librarians kept secrets. They heard odd stories, got requests that ranged from reasonable to wildly inappropriate it, and like cops, they learned not to bat an eyelash. But keeping the arousal humming under her skin from turning into a radiant aura visible in the spring darkness took every bit of her professional demeanor. And then some.”

FTC Advisory: Berkley/Penguin provided me with a copy of Jaded. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ...more

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Nov 22, 2013 Annie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2014, genre-erotic-romance, review-requests, arc, genre-contemporary-romance, ebooks, author-anne-calhoun, series-fords-walker

In the third instalment to the Walkers Ford series, Anne Calhoun features a hot cop and a sweet librarian. When Lucas Ridgeway returns to Walkers Ford, South Dakota for work, he wants to remain completely focus on the job without any distractions. However, temptation comes in the way of an intelligent and sweet woman named Alana Wentworth.

This Contemporary Romance series feels unique to me in that it doesn’t have the usual cutesy/fun/flirty humor that a lot of well-loved series have. But at ...more

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Aug 31, 2013 Mandy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: anne-calhoun

I'm struggling with how to put into words exactly how this book made me feel. Isn't that ringing endorsement in and of itself? I'm speechless and thoughtless. Actually, I'm not so thoughtless, I have lots of thoughts and that is the problem. I wish I had a wand, like in Harry Potter, where I could just pull the thoughts right out of my head. Poof! I will say that I am an unapologetic certified Anne Calhoun fangirl. I'm pretty confident that whatever she writes will always work for me. This book ...more

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Jan 27, 2014 Muse rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

I got a copy of this book from goodreads first reads in exchange of an honest review.

Love small town romances, so was really glad to get my hands on the copy of Jaded. Alana comes from a rich family that has build quiet a name for themselves. Thought she lived a very different life, coming to Walker's Ford might be just what the doctor ordered. Coming off a bad proposal, Alana takes the job to escape only to find Walker's Ford more then just another job.

I loved the romance. It started out with A ...more

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Aug 08, 2013 Tori rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2013, series, friends-to-lovers, romance-contemporary

Read my review at Heroes and Heartbreakers

http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com... ...more

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Jan 02, 2014 Sunny rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own, a-contemporary, a-1-favorite-series

subtle elegance in this story. no big storylines, no big confessions. a story about discovery and renewal.

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Mar 18, 2014 Crystal~BIG book addict~ rated it really liked it

Shelves: ebooks

3.5 Jaded Stars!

This was such a sweet, feel good read.

Full review to come.

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Sep 28, 2014 Lisa rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: gr-rom-contemporary, 2014-read, ch-fav-heroines, rating-3-point-5, ch-great

This kinda reminds me of KA's Breathe. Town's fav cop hooking up with the librarian.

Anyway, Lucas is hot yes but Alana steals the show for me. SHE IS SO AWESOMEEEEEEE ...more

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Feb 25, 2020 Elizabeth GlamShazam rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Oh, I truly wanted to like this one. I AM a research librarian! I married a man from South Dakota! I was so excited for this. But the tired, tired tropes of: he's a REAL man because he's quiet, stoic = manly, women love being claimed, argh. Just give me a break. Just give me a freaking break. As the wife of a South Dakotan man, I can say that yes, culturally speaking, stoicism is huge. And yes, most humans (not just women, go figure) like to feel a part of something larger than themselves, wheth ...more

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Jul 25, 2013 E_bookpushers rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, romance, contemporary, series, read-in-2014, published-in-2014

Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2014/02/12/...

Publisher: Berkley
Publish Date: Out now
How I got this book: ARC from the publisher

They can’t hide from desire…

After life as a cop in Denver leaves him burned-out, Lucas Ridgeway returns to Walkers Ford, South Dakota, to serve as their chief of police. He’s hoping to start over with a clean slate and avoid any emotional entanglements—even after his next-door neighbor kisses him senseless. Alana is passionate, dedicated, and mo ...more

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Mar 01, 2014 Debbie Lester rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Author Anne Calhoun continues her Walkers Ford series with Jaded, the story of a big city cop who returns to his small hometown to become sheriff and a pretty young librarian who is about to leave town for good. Readers who haven't read Calhoun's other books will be surprised by her expertise with setting. Walkers Ford gives readers an enchanting small town feel with engaging, reoccurring, characters and plenty of spice. A great feel good story that will leave readers wanting more.

What I liked: ...more

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Nov 23, 2013 The Romance Evangelist rated it really liked it

Shelves: review-books

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for an honest review at Seductive Musings.

The small town librarian and the police chief. It may be a cliche, but JADED shows us why it works. When you live in a town as tiny as Walkers Ford, everybody knows your business. We saw how destructive that could be in UNFORGIVEN, the first book in this series, and fear of those repercussions is reflected in the behavior of our hero and heroine when JADED begins.

Alana is one of those people who choose a A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for an honest review at Seductive Musings.

The small town librarian and the police chief. It may be a cliche, but JADED shows us why it works. When you live in a town as tiny as Walkers Ford, everybody knows your business. We saw how destructive that could be in UNFORGIVEN, the first book in this series, and fear of those repercussions is reflected in the behavior of our hero and heroine when JADED begins.

Alana is one of those people who choose a small town as a place to hide from their responsibilities back in the big city. She’s spent her whole life hiding from others, content to let her famous sister be the public face of their family’s foundation while she works tirelessly behind the scenes. It wasn’t until their mother pushed a family friend to propose marriage that Alana finally fled her privileged life in Chicago for a place where she could directly influence the lives of people in need. What Alana didn’t count on was a landlord who would make her regret her decision to leave Walkers Ford when the job was done.

Lucas grew up in Walkers Ford, but had left years before to be a cop in the big city of Denver, returning only after he believed his actions had led to the death of a young man he’d mentored there. After a bitter divorce and the descent of his beloved cousin into drug addiction, Lucas has become too cynical to believe that love was worth the trouble it could bring, even as he embarks on a secret fling with Alana. But as she prepares to leave Walkers Ford for good, he has to decide if he can take one more chance on love and on her.

Anne Calhoun’s UNFORGIVEN was one of my top ten best reads of 2013, so I was especially excited about reading this next book in her new Walkers Ford contemporary romance series. As much as I enjoyed its over the top drama and angst, I was relieved to see the level was dialed back a bit here in JADED. We have a hero and heroine who are both spending all their time doing everything for everyone else in their lives, but unlike the stars of the previous book, neither of them seems to have an unhealthy level of self-loathing. Still, the fear of small-town gossip keeps them from going public with their liaison and feeds into their respective worries that the other isn’t looking for anything beyond a temporary fling.

Lucas and Alana are brought together by their shared inability to keep their hands off each other, and their intimate scenes are loaded with sexual chemistry and undeniable passion. As their affair progresses, the responsibilities they each have threaten to tear them apart. But the love they find with each other helps Lucas and Alana reach the balance they both need in their lives and begins to heal the pain which had brought them to Walkers Ford.

What Anne Calhoun shows us in JADED is that you can’t do your best for others if you won’t give yourself the same amount of consideration first. It’s a lovely return visit to Walkers Ford and bodes well for the next book in the series.

Ratings:

Overall: 4.5 stars
Sensuality level: 3.5
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Feb 04, 2014 Christi Snow rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

My Review:
The title of this book is all about Lucas. He's the police chief in this small town, but he moved there from Denver where he worked with the DEA. He's burnt out and lost hope for actually helping people after so many disappointments both in Denver and locally. He is jaded in every sense of the word and as a result, he's cut himself off emotionally. There are several points in the story where it talks about nobody being able to read him because he's created this mask of disinterest that My Review:
The title of this book is all about Lucas. He's the police chief in this small town, but he moved there from Denver where he worked with the DEA. He's burnt out and lost hope for actually helping people after so many disappointments both in Denver and locally. He is jaded in every sense of the word and as a result, he's cut himself off emotionally. There are several points in the story where it talks about nobody being able to read him because he's created this mask of disinterest that has come from seeing and getting hurt way too much.

The other side of the coin is Alana. As the town librarian (temporarily) she shows every single little emotion. She's lived a very high-profile life with her Senator father and working with her high-powered philanthropic sister, but she's been protected and sheltered most of her life and is truly a little naive. She wants to help everyone. Lucas hates this plan. He knows she's there temporarily and keeps warning her that she's raising expectations for things that will never happen when she leaves.

They both symbolize the two extremes and the book follows their character arcs as they learn that they're both wrong.

Caught up in the midst of that are two heart-wrenching character stories....
*Cody the young 17 yo caught stealing to feed his younger siblings. He's serving 100 hours of community service at the library. He's also an incredibly talented artist that Alana wants to encourage. Lucas sees him as just a step away from prison and holds no hope for him. His story hurt my heart...I loved him and hated the situation he was in and the fact that Lucas didn't want Alana to help him.
*Tanya, Lucas's cousin, who also planned to work law enforcement until an arrest left her with a shattered elbow, shattered dreams, and an addiction to pain medication. Her mental anguish is palpable through the story and she's another person Lucas has given up on.

The book is great. There is a lot of emotional angst to it, but I never felt like it got too heavy. Unfortunately, I feel like it was probably pretty spot-on to how most cops feel after time. It's so easy to get jaded by life and circumstance. Everyone needs an Alana to come in and bring some positive thinking to the table...everyone. I liked that message and liked the book.

I also have to note here that something about this cover just makes it so gorgeous. I have it in print and every time I would pass by the table where it sat, it caught my eye. I want to frame it and put it up on the wall because even the cover feels positive and happy....LOVE that! I really am looking forward to more from this series. Maybe Tanya or Nate will get a story next... (crossing fingers)... ...more

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Dec 01, 2013 Pam rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I thoroughly enjoyed this emotional story, filled with self discovery for both Alana and Lucas.

Alana Wentworth is a public Librarian in Walkers Ford, South Dakota, a job she has dreamed about having while working for the Wentworth Foundation as their researcher. She decided that she is going to be proactive in her life rather than letting things happen, and even though it is only a temporary position she feels that she is finally doing something for herself. Alana’s family is very well known, h I thoroughly enjoyed this emotional story, filled with self discovery for both Alana and Lucas.

Alana Wentworth is a public Librarian in Walkers Ford, South Dakota, a job she has dreamed about having while working for the Wentworth Foundation as their researcher. She decided that she is going to be proactive in her life rather than letting things happen, and even though it is only a temporary position she feels that she is finally doing something for herself. Alana’s family is very well known, her stepfather is a former senator and her sister Freddie is an overachiever who is about to marry a rock star and Alana has always felt like the background in the family.

Lucas Ridgeway is the Chief of Police in Walkers Ford and Alana’s neighbor. Alana has decided that she would like to get to know him better, so sets a plan in motion to get his attention before she needs to get back to her other life. They start this no strings affair yet neither realized that events that surround them, the young teen named Cody who does community service at the library, Lucas’ cousin Tanya who is ruining her live with drugs and the town itself all pull them closer together, and no matter what they have set their minds to, they get entangled.

This is such an enjoyable book, I like the way Ms. Calhoun creates characters with layers of emotion and it takes awhile to get to the real issues that make that person tick. You can see that Alana never gets too involved in life, just skims the surface, she never wanted to get entangled but of course it happens without realization and she is not sure what to do. I love when she tells her sister that she got caught, but not just because she fell for Lucas, it was also Cody, the people and even the town itself, I could visualize the surprise in her expression, believing she was holding herself back so she would not get emotionally attached.

I really like Lucas and Alana together, their chemistry is off the charts and the relationship feels right. I absolutely love Lucas, he returns to Walkers Ford believing he could save his marriage, but when that did not work he decides to stay on. He knew Alana was leaving in a few weeks but starts a relationship with her anyway, and he is the one that gets hooked first, he even calls her out on the fact that she never goes all in. He tries to be this tough officer but the way he feels about his uncle, cousin and even Cody, the young kid from a troubled home you can tell he cares. All in all a wonderful romance full of emotion, I am looking forward to more of this series.

Copy from publisher for an honest review
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