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Helluva Engineer #1
Helluva Engineer
How hard is it to re-ignite an old flame? Steve Sampson has one week to convince his college sweetheart to give him the second chance he craves. He still loves her and knows he was a fool to let her go. Steve learned the hard way, that sometimes being a hero comes at a cost that's impossible to live with. Dr. Patricia Decatur is content as a professor at her mineral engineering college in Colorado. She's got a fulfilling career and is excited to be helping with the Energy Summit being held on campus. Right up until she finds out who the keynote speaker is. Ten years ago, Steve broke her heart. She's not interested in a repeat of that event. As the keynote speaker Steve has plenty to share with the students and faculty. The bigger challenge will be to explain his past actions to his former girlfriend and entice (or let's be honest, beg, if necessary) Patricia to give him a chance to redeem himself. An all new stand-alone romance. These two engineers must reconcile their past, to savor the present, and determine if they can have a future...together.
198 pages, Paperback
Published July 17, 2021
13 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Shirley Penick
50 books443 followersI started writing late in life. I've always been a reader, devouring Nancy Drew books in grade school right on through to today. But writing is new to me and I am having a blast.
I have four series, all small town contemporary romance.
My Lake Chelan series is centered around a remote town in eastern Washington and all the challenges and shenanigans that go on there. Many of the characters in that series are volunteer firefighters. My father was a volunteer firefighter and walking into a station still smells like home to me. So I am having a lot of fun incorporating my memories into new stories.
My Burlap and Barbed Wire series at this point is Colorado Cowboys all from one family of cattle ranchers living in the Rocky Mountains at the base of Rocky Mountain National Park. Writing a family of siblings finding love has been a lot of fun.
My Saddles and Secrets series code named Wyoming Wranglers is focused on a rescue ranch for geriatric horses. Someone is causing problems and the local sheriff dept. is trying to find the culprit.
My Helluva Engineer series is a nod to my alma mater. The mineral engineers journey across the mountains to help find the gold mine that has recently started contaminating the Rockin' K ranch. Why it's started having poisonous runoff after two hundred years of dormancy, is the real question.
All my books are stand alone so you don't have to read them all or even in order, although it might be more fun to do so.
Join with me as I tell my stories, weaving real tidbits from my life in with imaginary ones. You'll have to guess which is which. It will be a hoot!
I have four series, all small town contemporary romance.
My Lake Chelan series is centered around a remote town in eastern Washington and all the challenges and shenanigans that go on there. Many of the characters in that series are volunteer firefighters. My father was a volunteer firefighter and walking into a station still smells like home to me. So I am having a lot of fun incorporating my memories into new stories.
My Burlap and Barbed Wire series at this point is Colorado Cowboys all from one family of cattle ranchers living in the Rocky Mountains at the base of Rocky Mountain National Park. Writing a family of siblings finding love has been a lot of fun.
My Saddles and Secrets series code named Wyoming Wranglers is focused on a rescue ranch for geriatric horses. Someone is causing problems and the local sheriff dept. is trying to find the culprit.
My Helluva Engineer series is a nod to my alma mater. The mineral engineers journey across the mountains to help find the gold mine that has recently started contaminating the Rockin' K ranch. Why it's started having poisonous runoff after two hundred years of dormancy, is the real question.
All my books are stand alone so you don't have to read them all or even in order, although it might be more fun to do so.
Join with me as I tell my stories, weaving real tidbits from my life in with imaginary ones. You'll have to guess which is which. It will be a hoot!
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 2, 2019
🌟 Enjoyable read with lots of heat. 🌟
As someone who got into Engineering in the 80’s as a young teenager, I was instantly attracted to the title, even though it referred to Environmental Engineering and Geology as opposed to the Instrumentation that was my trade. It was something that I enjoyed reading about, especially regarding the mining and it’s after-effects. I also gained a very broad appreciation about the passions of Geology.
While I can’t fault the story telling, it did almost seem like a diary of events to me which is probably because it is told in third person as opposed to my favourite dual POV. If this is your favourite type of narration, carry on as per usual!
I found it hard to like Steve. He’d left for the most noble of reasons and it was the stupidest of actions, destroying both of their hearts. It annoyed the hell out of me, and made Patsy seem like a push over for giving into him so easily. Unless she intends to keep her decision to enjoy the now and ditch him after the week is through. And truth to tell, their ‘now’ is incredibly lots and hot!
Still, it was a good formula for a second chance story, and I did enjoy it. 4 Stars.
As someone who got into Engineering in the 80’s as a young teenager, I was instantly attracted to the title, even though it referred to Environmental Engineering and Geology as opposed to the Instrumentation that was my trade. It was something that I enjoyed reading about, especially regarding the mining and it’s after-effects. I also gained a very broad appreciation about the passions of Geology.
While I can’t fault the story telling, it did almost seem like a diary of events to me which is probably because it is told in third person as opposed to my favourite dual POV. If this is your favourite type of narration, carry on as per usual!
I found it hard to like Steve. He’d left for the most noble of reasons and it was the stupidest of actions, destroying both of their hearts. It annoyed the hell out of me, and made Patsy seem like a push over for giving into him so easily. Unless she intends to keep her decision to enjoy the now and ditch him after the week is through. And truth to tell, their ‘now’ is incredibly lots and hot!
Still, it was a good formula for a second chance story, and I did enjoy it. 4 Stars.
June 12, 2019
Another Heartfelt Story
Life is never easy it seems. That point is proven when Patricia gets an unexpected call. It seems not only her past, but her heartbreak, her old love is returning. And unfortunately, she must face him both personally and professionally. If that’s not enough, he’ll be staying in her home while he’s on business. What she doesn’t know is that Steve is as excited to see her as she is devastated to see him. Their relationship ended when he left thinking he was doing what was best for her.
He moved on in life, reluctantly and regretfully. Things didn’t go well. Patrician moved on partially it seems. But neither can deny the feelings that still exist. They agree to live in the moment and move on. But their passion still shoulders. When a second chance seems possible and then shattered, will either be able to engineer another possibility.
Life is never easy it seems. That point is proven when Patricia gets an unexpected call. It seems not only her past, but her heartbreak, her old love is returning. And unfortunately, she must face him both personally and professionally. If that’s not enough, he’ll be staying in her home while he’s on business. What she doesn’t know is that Steve is as excited to see her as she is devastated to see him. Their relationship ended when he left thinking he was doing what was best for her.
He moved on in life, reluctantly and regretfully. Things didn’t go well. Patrician moved on partially it seems. But neither can deny the feelings that still exist. They agree to live in the moment and move on. But their passion still shoulders. When a second chance seems possible and then shattered, will either be able to engineer another possibility.
June 18, 2019
Every bit as inspirational and wonderful to read as are all of Shirley Penick's books. The story of Professor Patricia "Patsy" Decatur and Steve Sampson will have you swooning and saying, "Aww!"
Patricia has dedicated the last 10 years of her life to her love of Geology. After Steve broke her heart and married someone else. Steve was given the opportunity to come back to Colorado and give a key not speech hoping he could repair thing with Patsy since he foolishly made the wrong choice so many years ago. Their attraction is still there but as much as he wants this she fights this thinking this is something that will never work.
Patricia has dedicated the last 10 years of her life to her love of Geology. After Steve broke her heart and married someone else. Steve was given the opportunity to come back to Colorado and give a key not speech hoping he could repair thing with Patsy since he foolishly made the wrong choice so many years ago. Their attraction is still there but as much as he wants this she fights this thinking this is something that will never work.
February 9, 2022
This second chance romance is spicy hot! Patsy and Steve are old flames who are reunited at a conference. There's so much to keep them apart--he lives across the country and she loves her work as a Geology professor in Colorado; he'd like to get her back, but she needs to protect her wounded heart. With the odds stacked against them, but the flame growing hotter, will they find a way to make their relationship work?
June 18, 2019
Patricia was left heartbroken when Steve left her 10 years previously, and now he is back and in a limited time is determined for convince her to give him a second chance. This is a beautifully written story which I recommend for all.
June 12, 2019
Steve was an idiot! His ex wife knew how to play him perfectly. Patsy had her heart broken! I love how Steve was determined to get through to Patsy. This is a great second chance book! I thoroughly loved it!
May 31, 2020
It's very important to me that a book keep my interest, and this one did! The plot flowed quickly and naturally, it was hard to put it down. The interactions and conversations between Patsy and Steve were completely authentic and even seemed to almost have an underlying affection, in spite of their conflicts. I am not comfortable with this much “heat”, otherwise I’d have raised my rating, but I so love how brisk, sassy and fun the story is. The characters were all interesting in their own way and added to the story. It's an intelligent book, and their mining, geology and engineering careers are fascinating. Great writing talent and an enjoyable read!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews