He's No Prince Charming

by Luann McLane

At sixteen, Dakota Dunn was America's Pop Princess. Now twenty-five, she's all grown up-and definitely washed up. She decides to head to her parents' lakefront retreat in Tennessee, fixing to write songs and transform her image from squeaky clean to kickin' country.

Turns out her folks have handed things over to sexy, if cranky, cowboy Trace Coleman-a former bull riding champion benched by injuries. He's none too happy about Dakota's arrival-and makes no secret of it. But though Trace is rough around the edges, Dakota feels a pull of attraction she can't quite shake. For all his brooding, Trace has an animal magnetism that may just lead Dakota to dig in her heels and hold on tight...

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Humor, Cowboy Romance, Westerns, Music

283 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

LuAnn McLane writes sexy contemporary romance with a touch of sass and humor. Published in 2003, her novels have appeared on bestselling lists including USA Today, Nielsen BookScan, Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Her books have been featured selections for Rhapsody and Doubleday Book clubs. A love of country music led her to a collaboration with superstar Wynonna Judd with the novel Restless Heart. A member of RWA, she conducts workshops on a local and national level and connects with readers on social media. She divides her time between Kentucky, Florida and Arizona and when she isn’t writing or reading, she enjoys cooking, beachcombing and spending time with friends and family.

Reviews

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars – Contemporary Romance

This is a pretty cute, light, and entertaining contemporary romance about a sweet, quirky, spunky former teen pop princess, who returns to her Tennessee hometown lakefront property and country girl roots in attempt to find the inspiration she needs to revamp her image and restart her washed up career, and a big, bad, broody, injured, scarred, ex-bull riding world champion rodeo cowboy, who’s hiding from life and mourning his long gone glory days, finding the healing and love they both need in each other. It’s a little bit fluffy and silly at times because Dakota is such an insecure klutz, yet she somehow manages to come across as sweet and endearing. Trace is such an ultra broody cowboy, but it’s obvious he has a vulnerable, tender side underneath his hard, gruff exterior. There’s a fun secondary romance between the lake resort’s tomboy cook and playboy fishing guide that adds an extra little spark to the story. It’s a “charming”, easy read for contemporary romance fans and angsty, alpha cowboy lovers.

[Wminbc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay...did not any of my GR friends see that I love cowboys!!! That I love a fun, hot loving book??? That I love Cowboys???

Gosh, this was the find of the month and it was only November 1! I was on my way to grocery shop when I popped into my local second hand book store. As I browsed (looking for the 2 Pamela Clare books still TBR) I found the one and Dark Roots and Cowboy Boots. So, I took a chance. The bill was 5$, but with a 4.50$ credit...I got this hot little romance for 0.50$. Christmas shopping always makes me feel like I can't spend too much on books, especially in Nov-Jan. Well, this book was worth the cover price (9.99$).

I just loved the honesty and wounded nature of both our hero Trace and Heroine Dakota. Then we get the bonus love story of Grady and Sierra...such sweet vulnerable people who learn to move past their lifelong friendship and make something even better.

I am litterally going to devour more LuAnn McLane...starting with Dark Roots and Cowboy Boots!

Cheers!

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, but not enough that I'll remember it much a year from now. The secondary romance in this one is awesome and alone would be at least 4 stars. :D

The story, in a nutshell.
Former teen pop princess Dakota Dunn butts heads - and body parts - with Trace Coleman, the ex-rodeo star who now manages the marina/fishing camp that she owns. She moves back to the area in an attempt to find new musical inspiration and to reinvent herself as a country star, and, in the process, she turns life upside down for everyone at the camp.

The characters.
Dakota drove me nuts for a good portion of the story, but I warmed up to being "neutral" about her by the end. I just could not believe how klutzy and clumsy she was, and she also annoyed me immensely every time she screamed...seemingly without justification. A spider? SCREAM. A mouse in a mouse trap? SCREAM. Tripping in the bathroom? SCREAM. *smacks forehead* I'll give her something to scream about *waves fist menacingly*. Her saving grace was that she was kind-hearted and seemed genuine in her kindness. It's just that the kindness was packaged with her impossible clumsiness and her tendency to be rather unnecessarily theatrical.

I liked Trace. He didn't stand out in the pantheon of Romancelandia heroes, but he worked nicely for this story. He was gruff and grouchy...but then he reluctantly found himself concerned over the heroine's constant screaming (and even after he realized this screaming was over non-scream-worthy provocations). He's scarred - both inside and out - from his years as a champion bull rider and his sudden tumble from the top. And hot daaaaaamn is he (or at least his embodiment) a sexay beast on this cover. Rowr.

The secondary romance.
SQUEEEEE! I loved this part!! I loved the secondary characters and their secondary romance!! The book paid a LOT of attention to the secondary romance, and I absolutely devoured those parts. I think I might even have enjoyed them more than the main romance. *gasp* Basically, the tomboy camp cook caught the eye of the camp's fishing guide, who was the local playboy. He'd always treated her like "one of the guys," and they had a strong friendship with a lot of playful ribbing (a.k.a. flirting!). Dakota came onto the scene and showed the camp cook how to be a bit more girly, and the girls hit the town together. Well, the fishing guide and Trace decided to follow the girls into town to make sure they don't get into trouble. Hello, jealous beast!! Okay, seriously, I thought this part was really charming and had a huge grin at the payoff.

Romance and sexytimes.
The romance was nice. It was good. However, there was a lot of telling and not showing. Usually I don't pay much attention to that stuff, but it's pretty apparent in this story. And if there was showing, then there was also a lot of explanatory telling, too. For that reason, I don't think the romance was as strong as it could have been. The writing style simply wasn't to my liking.

The sexytimes were good. Pretty steamy, but nothing to blow you out of the water, either emotionally or creatively. They worked for the story.

Overall.
I liked it, and the secondary romance could have been a fine romance on its own. This isn't much of a cowboy book, despite the cowboy hat on the cover. However, it was an enjoyable and lighthearted contemporary and also an easy read, despite the initial misgivings I had about the heroine.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two broken souls come together and find love....

So corny!

BUT I LOVED ALL OF IT!!


Trace, former PCB bull riding champ, "former" because of a debilitating accident that left him scarred both physically and emotionally... (Awww, a big bad tough guy that needs fixing. For whatever reason, we women love to fix a man)


Dakota, former "bubble gum pop star", as they called her. She was a teen sensation whose starlight fizzled just as quick as it beamed. Here she was at 25 trying to revive her career... She should work on staying on her own two feet first.


But they found something more....


HAHAH it sounds so corny when you say it like that! But take that plot line and add in a total klutz and redneck tendancies it was a rather funny read! A quick enjoyable read that I would recommend to all my friends who enjoy a rough-around-the-edges-man with a heart of a teddy bear.

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite liked this story.

You've got your spunky heroine, your great subplot, steamy romance, and a brooding hero. The story centers around self development and I loved how the characters developed, grew and changed.

The one thing that didn't sit well with me was the outrageous clumbsiness of the heroine. It was like watching Anne Hathaway in the Princess Diaries as she walks into stuff to show how "cute" she is. Common now! I clumbsy episode or two is always entertaining but this girl was always falling into things, with her love interest always needing to save her and keep an eye on here. I think that is such a terrible theme.

great subplot romance in this one.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this book should have come with an instruction manual, something like: Take out brain, grab a beer (several may be required), insert self into hot tub (take care not to get book wet) and enjoy. At the very least "book best enjoyed with beer" should appear in small print below the book praises on the back cover. Under these circumstances, I may have rated this 4 stars...

While cute, 'He's No Prince Charming' definitely falls under the "fluff" category - there is absolutely nothing serious about this book. The heroine, Dakota, was a complete flake and "not prince charming" Trace was a stereotypically gruff alpha male with a chip on his shoulder and a take-charge attitude (not that I could blame him, Dakota really was a flake). There's some mild sexual tension between the two (that leads to some mild bedroom action) while they deal with personal issues and figure out how they fit together. There's also a secondary romance that plays out between the resident tomboy (who, yay!, gets a makeover courtesy of Dakota) and playboy once he figures out there's a girl underneath the sweatshirts and jeans. If you're in the mood for a contemporary romance that's "more fun than a county fair", then you should give this a try... just don't forget the beer :)

[Mojca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet, cute, bubbly romantic comedy of an ex-teenage pop-star attempting to reinvent herself back home, but her klutzy attempts at turning herself into a cool redneck chick only succeed in gaining the attention of former bull-rider turned fishing-camp supervisor.

Nothing special about it, it was fun and light. The only problem was the fact I actually liked the secondary romantic plot (between Grady and Sierra) a lot better than the budding romance between Dakota and Trace. Oh, well.

[Nicci · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a great easy read. The two main ladies in the book have some great adventures. Laugh out loud funny. Overall I thought the book was fun. Although the end of the book seemed rushed. There were a lot of pages spent developing the relationships of the characters then all of a sudden it's the end.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute easy quick read! Made me smile :)

[Lexie Hudek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another sweet and steamy romance novel by Luanne McLane. I enjoy them because they’re such light, easy reads. Perfect for the beach or vacation! I’m also a sucker for any stories that are set in the South. Gotta love a sexy, brooding cowboy and a sultry, Carrie Underwood-esque blonde getting it on! Yes, there are plenty smutty romance scenes, which can sometimes feel silly. But it’s also what makes the books juicy and fun to read. I liked the romance between Trace and Dakota. It was very sweet and had a little friction... Every great romance does! They had hot chemistry and were also emotionally supportive of each other. Great example of love! I also loved the secondary romance between Grady and Sienna. Very cute. If I were to point out things I did not like... Dakota referring to herself as a train wreck. Self-demeaning and not attractive. Also the way the characters would start fighting in the middle of a romantic encounter. It was overdone and annoying! All-in-all this was a great read for my vacation and I would give it to any of my girlfriends to read.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick entertaining read!!! The story is pretty cute. I enjoyed reading it!!! Made me smile!!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

At sixteen Dakota Dunn was a pop princess and at twenty five she was all washed up. She heads to her last piece of property Willow Creek Fishing Camp and Marina in Tennessee to do some serious song writing and contemplate salvaging her career. Her father had turned the camp over to be run by a cowboy, Trace Coleman a former Bull Riding Champion who's serious injuries had forced him from the sport. He sees her as troublesome pop princess not as a person who is struggling to transform her image from a child pop star to a grown up country music entertainer. Trace who also got left behind by his career did not want her at the camp he seen her as a complication he worried she may want to sell the camp which he had grown to love as he recovered from his injuries. He felt a strong attraction to her which he fought. There were others who also worked at the camp Sierra the cook and a camp worker Grady they all become great friends they kept having mishaps that made Dakota appear to be a weak, incapable,and, silly pop princess not the strong capable woman that she was becoming. Trace is afraid to give into there growing attraction he thinks she will take of and be a big country star and he is definitely no prince charming and appears to be happy being cranky and brooding over the past. This book surprised me it was fun I don't remember when I laughed this much Dakota's character seemed to be a magnet for mishaps! I fell in love with the all characters. From beginning to the end its perfect!

[Robin Reynolds · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dakota is a former pop star, who at the height of her fame bought a marina in her home town, which her parents ran. After her father’s health declined, he turned over the running to Trace. Now Dakota has come back to the marina to take up temporary residence in her old cabin while she tries to write some new songs and reinvent her image.

I really liked Trace. A former bull-riding champion who had to give up his career – along with fame, adulation and money - after being injured, he’s the wounded, scarred, reserved, tough as nails, push everyone away type of hero that I love. Dakota, on the other hand, got on my nerves. She was constantly tripping, stumbling, falling, and doing other clumsy things that caused her to constantly scream, shriek or squeal.

While this is their story, the sidekicks get plenty of page time also, and as much as I loved Trace, I was more interested in the romance developing between Grady, who runs fishing tours and does other odd jobs around the marina, and Sierra, the camp cook. Grady has been a love and leave ‘em type, and Sierra has always just been one of the guys while nursing a crush on Grady. She and Dakota make a pact between them – Sierra will help Dakota become a redneck country girl, and Dakota will help Sierra bring out her feminine side. Which gets Grady’s attention. Their relationship developed a bit quicker than I would have liked, but was still more fun than Dakota’s mishaps.

Fortunately, the last three chapters put Dakota in a better light and everything was resolved quite satisfactorily.

[Katherine Grey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a problem with the book right from the opening with the whole mouse and spider thing. I kept hoping it'd get better but... I felt a lot of it was contrived with Dakota constantly falling and being ridiculously clumsy to put her in a compromising position i.e. the whole bathtub scene with Sierra and when Dakota manages to fall face first in Trace's crotch when they are in the hot tub or just so Trace could come to the rescue.

Also, the end seemed rushed to me. It was almost as though the author realized she was getting close to the 300 mark so she had to wrap things up in a hurry.

I enjoyed Sierra and Grady's romance much more than I did Trace and Dakota's. I almost wish the romances were reversed -- the secondary romance of Sierra and Grady to be the primary romance and so forth.

[macy · Rating 2 out of 5]

it wasn’t a bad book, it was a good book to be completely honest. however i either read this during a slump or just did not enjoy it that much. once again, a great book. i think it’s the style for me, im not sure.

the one thing i did not like it how the main male lead acted in /that/ one part but he could have been a much bigger dick so i’m good with it. :)

i gave this book two stars because this book was good but I probably won't remember anything from it if you ask me about it in the future. I may not even remember the name. that’s why it’s two stars.

[Ann Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book in a day and was glad for the quick, predictable distraction. I would have liked a lot more edge to the plot but the character were likable enough to keep me turning pages. Dakota, a washed up pop singer, goes back to home town to reinvent her career. She falls for (really fast) a former champion rodeo cowboy whose injury in a bull riding competition left him unable to compete again. It was a flirty and fun read.

[Caitlyn "Books Are My Life" Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me smiling and laughing out loud from page one! Nothing could be cuter than a story about a) two former famous people who have been on top of the world and now have to rough it in the middle and b) a surprise romance between two main-but-secondary characters! This was a perfect fluffy, happy, predictable-but-in-a-good-way, shake-your-head-laughing kind of book. Perfect for a quick and steamy summer read!

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just OK for me. I was a bit annoyed by the slap-stick in this, felt it was not necessary. I got tired of the heroine falling down all the damned time, necessitating a rescue by the hero. I think the romance could have happened without all of that. I did like the secondary romance in this one- that seemed more realistic to me than the primary one did.

[Tanya T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable quick read. Though I enjoyed the secondary female character, Sierra, just as much as the female lead character. Quick paced like any typical Harlequinn or Silhouette type romance books I used to read in the mid 1990's, things move fast when you only have so many chapters to write it in, but a cute story none the less.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, funny - cute - cowboys - quick.

This was well written, I haven't read this author before but really enjoyed her style.

I loved Trace and Dakota's story and loved all the characters, it was sugar sweet. The ending was too quick though.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

LOVE THE COVER :) but I just felt it was lacking plot. It was an enjoyable frivolous light read but not a keeper.

[Starlet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a quick read for me it was very funny and light hearted. I loved all the characters.

[Lianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute and read this pretty fast.

The last part felt rushed though.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved this book. trace drove me crazy always second guessing himself and being selfish but i love how it ended.

[Carla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just no

[Danica Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had fun reading this book... read it twice actually!

[Sabrina Bellesbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ehhh. It's probably more of a 2.5 stars, but I'm feeling a little generous today.

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

very funny! Loved Dakota's quirky klutziness! I enjoyed how her perkiness pulled Trace out of his dark shell.

[Rae Latte · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great cowboy romance - lots of fun!

[RamenGrrl]

not for me.