A Cold Creek Homecoming

Cowboys of Cold Creek #5

by RaeAnne Thayne

SHE WAS THE LAST PERSON HE EVER EXPECTED TO SEE

Fifteen years later, Quinn Southerland still hadn't forgiven Tess Claybourne for treating him like the dirt beneath her boots. But the widowed nurse tending his ailing mother was a world away from the spoiled homecoming queen Quinn had known. Yet she was just as achingly beautiful, still arousing the old bittersweet longing for something he could never have.

Or could he? That fierce attraction still burned between them. This could be their second chance ... if they let love lead them where their hearts longed to go ...

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Westerns, Enemies To Lovers, Medical

217 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

I'm not one of those people who knew from birth she was destined to become a writer. I always loved to read and throughout my childhood I could usually be found with a book in my hands. To the disgust of my friends, I even enjoyed creative writing assignments that made them all groan. But I had other dreams besides writing. I wanted to be an actress or a teacher or a lawyer.

Life took a different turn for me, though, when my mother made me take a journalism elective in high school (thanks, Mom!). I knew the first day that this was where I belonged.

After I graduated from college in journalism, I took a job at the local daily newspaper and I reveled in the challenge and the diversity of it. One day I could be interviewing the latest country music star, the next day I was writing about local motorcycle gangs or interviewing an award-winning scientist.

Through it all -- through the natural progression of my career from reporter to editor -- I wrote stories in my head. Not just any stories, either, but romances, the kind of books I have devoured since junior high school, with tales about real people going through the trials and tribulations of life until they find deep and lasting love.

I had no idea how to put these people on paper, but knew I had to try -- their stories were too compelling for me to ignore. I sold my first book in 1995 and now, more than 30 books later, I've come to love everything about writing, from the click of the computer keys under my fingers to the "that's-it!" feeling I get when a story is flowing.

I write full-time now (well, as full-time as I can manage juggling my kids!) amid the raw beauty of the northern Utah mountains.

Even though I might not have dreamed of being a writer when I was younger, now I simply can't imagine my life any other way.

I love to hear from readers. You can reach me at my email address, raeannethayne@gmail.com

Reviews

[Lover of Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.



First Impressions
A Cold Creek Homecoming was such a fun surprise for me when I picked this one up. I don’t know why I always hesitate to pick up this author because every time that I read her I am completely blown away by her beautiful stories but this one is one of her older books and was actually part of the Harlequin Silhouette line which is why the audiobook was so short at 5 hours of length. But it was one I could easily listen to in one day. And I truly think this is an author that will charm her readers no matter the length. And the way that this story just worked for me is saying something especially with the trope that we see come into play which I do need to be in the mood for and I went into this book completely blind. But I am happy that I did because Thayne worked her magic with this story and she gave me some delightful sexy surprises that I wasn’t expecting.

Summary
This story starts off with Quinn Southerland who hasn’t forgiven Tess Claybourne for how she treated him in high school. Quinn has returned back home when his foster mother is on her death bed fighting her battle of cancer and she isn’t winning the fight. Quinn isn’t close to ready to saying goodbye to the only mother he has ever known. But when he returns home, one of the nurses taking care of her, is none other than his high school nemesis Tess Claybourne. Tess has regretted many things in her life, but her treatment of Quinn is one the most prominent in her mind. She has had her own share of battles in her life, as her high school sweetheart was in an accident shortly after their marriage and became an invalid and for years she was more of a caregiver than a wife. But now she is ready for a fresh start, but she is determined to make amends with Quinn as he is her biggest regret in her life. There is a rising tension that grows between Quinn and Tess and they both realize that the attraction between them is undeniable and a sweet fast love builds. But Quinn has unresolved issues with his past and seeing his birth parents struggle so much in their marriage and refuses to have that type of life for himself. But his love for Tess will test his resolve and he will need to ask himself if she is worth letting go for his determination to be safe in his relationships….

What I Loved
This book was everything that i needed this week. It was angsty sure but so delightful. I was so invested in their story from the very beginning and I just wanted to see these two work out their issues and get to their happy ever after. RaeAnne Thayne definitely did this book justice. Personally, I really struggle with heroines that are bullies even if it’s in the past. So I didn’t know how I would take this heroine, but you can see how much she has changed over the years and I really wanted to see her find a good life with Quinn. Quinn has his own issues and I really liked how we delve into these unresolved issues of the trauma of seeing his parents fight and how it imprinted on him so much mentally as an adult. I had such fun with Quinn and Tess as a couple though. They really worked for me because I love seeing a pairing where they have a past together and they have to work to get their issues solved and the realism to this story was so real. These characters just come alive so quickly for the reader and I was stunned in seeing how this completely work for me in every way. And also there was a little surprise for me….there is some smexy times in this book. (GASP) I know what a shocker right? Anyone that has read this author will know that she never writes sexy times in her books. She is strictly a closed-door type of author. So yeah I was so surprised by this turn and not that I am complaining at all, because it was done well. But I think the story would have worked just as well without it as well. The way that this author crafted the country-like atmosphere and the tension with the other side characters was delightful. I can’t wait to read their stories because the bond between these found family siblings was so endearing.

What I Struggled With
Well, this definitely wasn’t a five-star read, I think the reasoning for that is it didn’t completely win my heart 100%, I really loved many aspects in this book, but I didn’t see why one of the elements in the ending was placed in the story. It didn’t have to be placed in at all, because it isn’t what delivers the HEA. So I felt like it was just a filler to the end part of the plot.

The Narration
This narrator was such a delight and she was pleasant to listen to she really grabbed my attention from the beginning and definitely a big part of the reason why I enjoyed this one so much.

Overall View
A Cold Creek Homecoming was a heartbreaking romance that just tore through my emotion, cultivated the romantic heart, and brought a smile of joy to the soul.

[Anna Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found in a free library, not mad about it. 3.5 ⭐️ for cowboy romance

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Quinn Southerland returns home to spend time with his dying mother (no spoiler - the back cover tells you this). This book touched home with me because my elderly mother lives alone 1,073 miles away from me and has numerous health issues. Although she isn't dying, I could easily relate to the issue Quinn was going through. This book brought tears to my eyes numerous times, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

[Kritika · Rating 3 out of 5]

It ws a nice love story.. short and simple.. I bought it for my flight read and realised it is best suited for that!

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I opened the pages for this story, I was pretty much hooked. What hooked me wasn’t necessarily the romance between Tess and Quinn, but the story in general. It was very engaging just with the characters and the storyline and the writing. I find that something about RaeAnne Thayne’s writing style really gets to me and just puts me right in the middle of the story. With this story in particular, I felt remnants of Diana Palmer stories, who is one of my favorite authors, and found myself comparing her with that and in a good way because it had such a familiar feel to me.

This was a different type of story that I have ever read in the past. In fact it was kind of sad and heartbreaking especially with the plot line. Quinn was coming back to Cold Creek to basically say goodbye to his foster mom, who was dying of cancer. She only had weeks to live, and her last wish was to see and say goodbye to her fosters sons and niece. Quinn hadn’t been back in years but for his foster mother’s dying wish he obliged. Come to find out that the woman caring for his mother was Tess, an enemy of his who made his life hell in high school. So he wasn’t happy with that turn of events. It wasn’t exactly an uplifting start of the book, and I don’t if I have ever read a beginning like this one and was very unique experience to say the least.

What was most engaging about it though was defiantly the characters in this story. I really enjoyed seeing the dynamics between the characters especially Quinn’s interaction with his foster mom, and how truly he was devoted to giving her everything in her last moments of life. I liked seeing him taking care of her and talk to her, and just be with her. It was a very bittersweet moment especially since he knew where this situation was heading. All the characters did and it was like hovering and just waiting for the moment for her to pass as morbid as that seem. But what made really interesting was the fact that everyone in the book was preparing for this moment where she was leaving this Earth, but yet not being prepared for at the same time. Everyone was just hanging by thread waiting for the shoe to drop. As weird as it sounds, that created a lot of suspense and anticipation because as a reader I was trying to prepare myself for the foster mother’s death and wondering with every turn of a page whether it was going to happen in this chapter or chapter. Was going to happen in the beginning, the middle, or end. Not that I wanted her to die, but I definitely was wondering when it was going to happen especially after all the lead up to that moment. It kept very into the story and engage. And I hoped that she would get the death that she wanted.

While all that was going on Quinn and Tess had to deal with the dynamics of their own relationship both past and present. There was an attraction between them since high school, but nothing had occurred between them. One reason, Tess wasn’t particularly nice to Quinn and treated very unfairly and cruelly, causing him to hate her. So they have to hash it out in this dramatic situation. The both had to see each other for what they were currently and not for the people that they were in the past. For example, Quinn thought that Tess was nothing but a spoiled little rich girl that had to always get her way or a temper tantrum would ensue and not caring who was hurt in the process like he was in the past by her. But come to find out that Tess was nothing like that immature high school girl that he came to know. Tess had dealt with tragedy in her young life and hadn’t had the easy time. She was caring and devoted to those around her, which was not only shown with his care of his foster mother, but he learned about her taking care of her late husband after he was in a horrible accident leaving him with a severe brain injury. Once he learned about the true, Tess then he could see her more clearly and feelings started to ensue and gown. But they both had to get to that understanding first.

It was nice to see Quinn and Tess become close as they got to know each other as people. It was a nice and sweet coming together between them that had some really beautiful moments to them. They shared an intimacy and passion that they had never shared with anyone else, revealing fears, pasts, and desires. They bonded and it was sweet see. I enjoyed their scenes together especially the tender ones. I liked them together. This may not been my favorite romance that I have read of all time and I might have wanted a little more romance wise because it did feel a little rushed, but it was still good and was satisfied with it.

I definitely did enjoy this story overall, and I was engaged from the very beginning. The characters were the heartbeat of the story. It was bittersweet yet tender. Loving yet heartbreaking. Emotional. Just everything I would expect from this type of storyline. Each of the characters had been through some brutal times and had scars because of that, which in turn lead to complications especially in the romance department. I liked seeing them overcome those obstacles so they could be happy again. It was a nice change from what I usually read, and even though the romance wasn’t what I was totally expecting it was still good and worth the read. It touched my heart and gave me all good vibes when I was reading it and once I completed the story, and that’s all I can really ask for in a book.

[Dasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bastante normalito pero por lo menos me ha interesado lo suficiente como para terminarlo.
Es muy tradicional en algunos aspectos y no me ha gustado nada cómo habla del maltrato.
Pero llevo tanto tiempo leyendo esta serie en Navidad que me cuesta dejarla. Además, nunca sé si la siguiente novela merecerá la pena o no 😅

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quinn and Tess. His foster mother Jo dies in this book but happily all her boys come back to Winder Ranch .. Quinn, Brant and Cisco. Of course Easton lives there permanently.
Tess is the hospice nurse for Jo.
I have read all of their stories. May reread Brant’s.
Good series. Tess is due in 6 months with a baby girl: Liberty Jo.

[Bev Walkling · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me more than one attempt to really get into this book but I liked that it shed a light on Palliative care.

[Crissy Kasten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been staying up with my book clubs, but I’ve skipped a few that have been far too heavy for my already heavy, grieving heart. I have once again leaned on your books. A Cold Creek Homecoming was balm for my soul.

[Suze · Rating 5 out of 5]

A COLD CREEK HOMECOMING

I loved this book, wonderful story about foster kids and their special mom. Great series, will eventually read them all.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!! Great story!! Love this author's books!!

[Karissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The four winds are being called home to Winder Ranch. Their foster mom is gravely ill and wants to see each of them before she passes. Quinn Southerland returns to spend time with her and is stunned to find one of her hospice nurses is Tess Claybourne. Tess was the "it" girl in high school and picked on him incessantly, tormented him really, and now she purports to have changed. The town views her as a long-suffering saint for caring for her invalid husband until his death a couple years ago. Quinn knows better and is more than a little suspicious why she's hanging around the ranch. As another brother works on leave to come home from the military, Quinn searches for the final brother who's somewhere in Central America and proving difficult to track down. All the while life keeps throwing Tess and Quinn together. Whether in late night encounters, moonlight horse rides, or later to share their memories and love. They are different people from high school but old hurts and feelings are manifesting and interfering with getting to know each other as they are now.

This book was more than a little depressing, fatalistic, and even aggravating at times. I usually love RaeAnne Thayne, but this was one book I had to force myself to finish. I just do not like sad even if a slow-burn romance, snarky repartee, and a gorgeous setting are included.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always difficult when you start off the premise of a romance with death. That Quinn is a man who's come home to say goodbye to the woman who raised him seems to be a setup for a story that will be impossible to like. How can one possibly be in the mood for love with such sadness?

Enter Tess. As a hospice nurse, her job is to make the transition easier on everyone, patient and family alike. That she has history with Quinn (not a good history either, given how she relentlessly bullied him in high school) makes this a story rife with conflict. Yet at the same time...we want to see these two come together.

There is so much beauty which unfolds in this story. First in the setting, second in the growing relationship between two people who have so much to resolve. Add in some delightful family and some super bittersweet moments and you have a recipe for a lovely story I fully enjoyed reading. I definitely want to read more of the Cold Creek stories.

[Kate Vale · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the Cowboys of Cold Creek, in which hospice nurse Tess Claybourne encounters her high school nemesis, Quinn Southerland when he comes home to be by the side of the dying woman who raised him after the deaths of his parents.

In the course of their reacquaintance, she explains why she was so nasty to him in high school and he realizes that his disdain for her then has morphed into an attraction he can't shake.

The pre-death mourning that relatives and friends must deal with in advance of saying good-bye is part of what these good characters must deal with. So also the death of dear Jo, but what really brings them together is the honesty with which they face elements of their backstory that gradually come out. An affecting tale in which the death of a loved one leads to a new love for deserving people.

[Becky Tatar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quinn Southerland returns to his home in Winder Ranch, Idaho, to find his foster mother dying and in hospice care. To top it off, one of the hospice nurses is Tess Claybourn, who made his life a hell in high school. He doesn't see that she's changed, but caring for his foster mom is more important than their feelings. However, Tess is only in town for a few more weeks. She's moving to Oregon for a new job.

[Marjorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quinn Southerland has come home to Cold Creek as his foster mother is dying. Her nurse is Tess Claybourne and he had had a tremendous crush on her in high school though she treated him terribly. Their love story is learning how to look beyond the past and realize how time has changed each of them.

[Mary Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been reading books by RaeAnne Thayne since she first published in Silhouette romance novels years ago. I didn't feel that this is one of her better novels. The relationship between Tess and Quinton seemed to progress unnaturally fast. It could have used more development with more scenes between those two characters.

[Emily Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quinn returns to Cold Creek because his foster mother is dying. He is shocked to find out that one of the hospice nurses is Tess, the girl who made his life miserable in high school. Have Quinn and Tess changed enough over the years that the teen antagonism can turn to love?

[Laura Aase · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very satisfying. A little too much arguing but good story. Quinn comes home to say goodbye to his beloved foster mother only to find her number one nurse is Tess, a girl who was cruel to him all during high school.

[Cathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

RaeAnne writes beautiful stories!!

Her characters are believable. They make you feel they are real and you are there in Pine Gulch, watching them from inside the story. Not from the other side of the book!

[Patricia Rutland · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Road to Healing

A warm story that goes beyond the attraction of a man and a woman. This story holds many truths not the least of which is redemption. A tender and beautiful tale.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

More 3.5 stars. Enemies to friends to lovers. Semi forced proximity when she takes over as hospice nurse to his dying foster mom. Lots going on with the other 2 foster brothers and the woman raised with them. Looking forward to more in the series.

[ellise · Rating 5 out of 5]

quinn southerland you have stolen my heart

tess was definitely dealt a bad hand but she somehow comes out stronger

“the person he thought he despised the most in the world ended up being the one he turned to in his greatest need”

[Betsy McGill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me forever to get through this book. Too much unnecessarily descriptive sex. If I start another book by this author, I will put it down immediately if she puts in a sex scene. I absolutely do not recommend this book.

[Jasmyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty standard enemies in the past thrown together in the present and they fall in love type of story. I wasn't all that into them as a romantic couple. Take them or leave them. I did enjoy the story of the family coming together around Jo as she passed.

[Bernie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Cold Creek Homecoming is the fifth book in the Cowboys of Cold Creek series written by author RaeAnne Thayne.

[Sue Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book - the conflicts, the sorrow, the anticipation. Amazing characters, each perfectly doing their part to capture me and not let me go.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have such a soft spot for former Queen Bees who are brought low by circumstance.

[Jean Millican]

previously read

[Robbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad about Jo but I liked Tess and Quinn together.