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Harvest Ranch Romance #2
Once Upon a Library
If you love fall, you’ll love this romance wrapped in changing leaves, pumpkin decor, harvest cookies, and spicy kisses.
Fall is in the air and that means one thing: change. Anything can happen as the air turns crisp and the harvest begins.
Welcome to Harvest Ranch
Alice Westbrook has a birthday wish... to kiss Russ Phillips.
It’s not like Russ doesn’t know who she is—they hang out together all the time.
That’s the problem. He doesn’t see her as a romantic heroine.
But she’s going to change his view and become the hero in her story. To do so, she must get him to look past the stunningly beautiful movie star who wants to drag him off to Hollywood to write screenplays.
When this small-town beauty and big-city bling go head-to-head, it’s scarier than Halloween.
Fall is in the air and that means one thing: change. Anything can happen as the air turns crisp and the harvest begins.
Welcome to Harvest Ranch
Alice Westbrook has a birthday wish... to kiss Russ Phillips.
It’s not like Russ doesn’t know who she is—they hang out together all the time.
That’s the problem. He doesn’t see her as a romantic heroine.
But she’s going to change his view and become the hero in her story. To do so, she must get him to look past the stunningly beautiful movie star who wants to drag him off to Hollywood to write screenplays.
When this small-town beauty and big-city bling go head-to-head, it’s scarier than Halloween.
- GenresRomance
Kindle Edition
Published September 21, 2020
148 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Lucy McConnell
189 books1,589 followersPlease hit the follow button. I'd love to keep in touch!
Lucy McConnell loves romance, chocolate, Christmas, horses, music, crochet, and fun!
She believes that romance books should:
Keep you up past your bedtime.
Make you laugh out loud.
Have happy endings.
With that in mind, she's written over 90 novels full of fun and flirty characters who navigate the turbulent waters of romance with open hearts and creativity.
If you enjoy sweet romance stories with great kissing scenes, follow her on Goodreads.♥️
Lucy McConnell loves romance, chocolate, Christmas, horses, music, crochet, and fun!
She believes that romance books should:
Keep you up past your bedtime.
Make you laugh out loud.
Have happy endings.
With that in mind, she's written over 90 novels full of fun and flirty characters who navigate the turbulent waters of romance with open hearts and creativity.
If you enjoy sweet romance stories with great kissing scenes, follow her on Goodreads.♥️
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 27, 2020
What a lovely story! So sweet and romantic! I totally enjoyed it from start to finish- and of course since it revolved around books and people who really love them, i was hooked. The characters are very well developed, the descriptions of the scenery are just wonderful and the fact that the 2 main folks are friends to begin with just is the icing on the cake. I was glad Russ came to his senses at the end and chose wisely. And Grandma, well she is just a kick for sure! Very nice storyline, easy read and a feel good story for anyone! This lady writes some of the best stories i have read in a long time and i am an avid reader so its nice to find an author like her with great stories.
October 14, 2020
Loved it! A fun, quick read that will leave a smile on your face and make you want hot cocoa. :)
September 23, 2020
I’m not good at remembering books that I’ve read previously, but this seemed like a more fleshed out version of a novella that Lucy did in one of the Echo Ridge anthologies.
It was cute! I was mad at Russ for being distracted by the reality tv starlet. He was an idiot for not seeing through her! I did like the romance, once he had his head on straight. I loved the library and the crotchety librarian. Alice was a sweetheart. I liked seeing her decide to become the heroine of her own story!
It was cute! I was mad at Russ for being distracted by the reality tv starlet. He was an idiot for not seeing through her! I did like the romance, once he had his head on straight. I loved the library and the crotchety librarian. Alice was a sweetheart. I liked seeing her decide to become the heroine of her own story!
November 24, 2020
Okay, we're all readers here. Who DOESN'T feel like the library is their happy place? I could totally relate to Alice and loved the chemistry between her and Russ. If you're looking for a small town feel-good romance, this is it.
September 7, 2020
This is the perfect rainy day read. The characters are relatable and likable. The story is cute and funny with just enough angst to keep the story interesting. You do not need to read the first book to enjoy this one. The book is well written. I would definitely recommend it. A received a free ARC. This is my honest review.
September 23, 2020
⚓⚓ONE INTERESTING JOURNEY⚓⚓
Fantastic! Lucy delivers this deliciously composed debacle weaving a cocoon around you so intricately and precise, drawing you deeper into this tangled web until everything else ceases to exist, wrapping this baby up sleek, shiny and tight. Witnessing the intimidating struggles and heart soaring triumphs, noting the dramatic twists and wicked turns, raising the stakes and keeping it real, catapulting this gem to life flawlessly. Toss in drama, intrigue, secrets, turmoil and suspense ensue in epic proportions, launching this jewel to life seamlessly. Shenanigans are rampant and havoc is rife, shattered boundaries are strengthened and amplified, unveiling the soaring ups and heartbreaking downs, breathtaking in it's simplicity and beautiful in it's depth, hooking you from the start and reeling you in for the duration. The attraction and chemistry collides with such intensity and ardor, baring the deep emotions and an undeniable bond, binding them to one another beautifully. The characters, interactions and charged atmosphere along with qualities and traits that add depth and diversity, transform into genuine charismatic personalities. The scenes are abundantly descriptive with colorful details that blend and flow, creating a majestic backdrop that's so rich and lively it feels as though you were transported to ground zero with them. Remarkable job Lucy, thanks for sharing this little jewel with us.
Fantastic! Lucy delivers this deliciously composed debacle weaving a cocoon around you so intricately and precise, drawing you deeper into this tangled web until everything else ceases to exist, wrapping this baby up sleek, shiny and tight. Witnessing the intimidating struggles and heart soaring triumphs, noting the dramatic twists and wicked turns, raising the stakes and keeping it real, catapulting this gem to life flawlessly. Toss in drama, intrigue, secrets, turmoil and suspense ensue in epic proportions, launching this jewel to life seamlessly. Shenanigans are rampant and havoc is rife, shattered boundaries are strengthened and amplified, unveiling the soaring ups and heartbreaking downs, breathtaking in it's simplicity and beautiful in it's depth, hooking you from the start and reeling you in for the duration. The attraction and chemistry collides with such intensity and ardor, baring the deep emotions and an undeniable bond, binding them to one another beautifully. The characters, interactions and charged atmosphere along with qualities and traits that add depth and diversity, transform into genuine charismatic personalities. The scenes are abundantly descriptive with colorful details that blend and flow, creating a majestic backdrop that's so rich and lively it feels as though you were transported to ground zero with them. Remarkable job Lucy, thanks for sharing this little jewel with us.
October 1, 2020
I’m not sure I’ve ever read any fall themed books before this year. But I’ve read several, including From Best Friend to Husband lately. The way these two were interconnected made me happy! They’re about different people, but those people interact with each other in the book. It was fun to see those scenes from a different perspective. And the author did a great job making sure these can be read in any order.
I LOVED Alice. She’s such a fun character. Alice is a down to earth young woman who knows what she wants. The only problem is that what she wants is Russ. And Russ isn’t sure what he wants.
Russ is a good guy. I loved how he didn’t want to hurt Alice, so he went out of his way not to lead her along. But his head got turned by another woman’s flattery. And that caused some problems for he and Alice as the book went along. Even with his head turned, it was obvious to the reader just who Russ should choose all along.
This town just makes me happy! I loved the town-wide fall festival. And how everyone knows everyone and everything about them. This is the kind of book I want to read over and over. I can’t wait for more in this series!
I borrowed a copy of Once Upon a Library using my Kindle Unlimited subscription. All opinions are my own.
I LOVED Alice. She’s such a fun character. Alice is a down to earth young woman who knows what she wants. The only problem is that what she wants is Russ. And Russ isn’t sure what he wants.
Russ is a good guy. I loved how he didn’t want to hurt Alice, so he went out of his way not to lead her along. But his head got turned by another woman’s flattery. And that caused some problems for he and Alice as the book went along. Even with his head turned, it was obvious to the reader just who Russ should choose all along.
This town just makes me happy! I loved the town-wide fall festival. And how everyone knows everyone and everything about them. This is the kind of book I want to read over and over. I can’t wait for more in this series!
I borrowed a copy of Once Upon a Library using my Kindle Unlimited subscription. All opinions are my own.
August 8, 2022
Russ was a whole lot oblivious and that made him a bit difficult to really like at times. On the other hand, I pretty much adored Alice right from the start. It hurt my heart to see the lengths that she went to that Russ didn’t (couldn’t/wouldn’t) see. I loved witnessing the growth both of them go through in order to get their Happy Ever After, and it was one of the cutest endings I’ve read in a while.
September 23, 2020
I loved Alice and her determination to not change for love. I know it was her character to be nice and forgiving but I wanted so badly for her to not forgive Russ so quickly. While his character was blinded by Gabriella, he wasn’t very deep, especially for an author of rom-com, which why it was so interesting. Most books have the alpha men and weak women but this was not the case with Alice or Russ.
Thoroughly enjoyed the unique difference from standard romance novels.
Thoroughly enjoyed the unique difference from standard romance novels.
September 29, 2020
Once Upon a Library by Lucy McConnell
An enjoyable, sweet romance – get your cup of hot cocoa and prepare to relax for a few hours.
This is the second book in the Harvest Ranch series. It can be read as a stand-alone as the books are about one couple at a time, and the series is mainly connected by the town of Harvest Ranch, its inhabitants, and the Fall Festival. Please note that this is apparently a re-release of “The Lion, the Witch, and the Library” from the Echo Ridge series. The language is clean, and the adult scenes just involve kissing. There is no cheating, no cliffhangers, and a HEA. The book is 150 pages and only took me not quite two and a half hours to read, so it is a quick, light read, faster to read than average. Great editing, proofreading. Okay, so I caught two typos, nothing to interfere with your enjoyment of the story and will probably be fixed before release.
The basic story is a friends to couple trope topped with a love triangle. I love the idea of Alice (our main character) deciding that she will be the heroine of her own romance story and then realizing that if he doesn’t want her as she is then he doesn’t deserve her. Good for her! The story is good if somewhat simple. The hero keeps vacillating between Alice and her rival, and there were several points where I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at Russ; but overall, the plot is believable. Alice’s character was nicely fleshed out but the rest could have used more depth. The first book in this series really put you in the mind of fall but not really in this book. The Fall Festival is mentioned but nothing is really shown. Even at the dance, the fall decorations are just listed, so you don’t get a truly fall feel to it. The story does have a TV star, a wonderful library (I like libraries ), a beautiful mountain, some jealousy, a sweet grandmother, an amazing sister, a fairy-tale ending (for book nerds), and a hero who finally comes to his senses.
It could have been better but was an enjoyable and satisfying way to spend some time. I give it a B (4 stars).
An enjoyable, sweet romance – get your cup of hot cocoa and prepare to relax for a few hours.
This is the second book in the Harvest Ranch series. It can be read as a stand-alone as the books are about one couple at a time, and the series is mainly connected by the town of Harvest Ranch, its inhabitants, and the Fall Festival. Please note that this is apparently a re-release of “The Lion, the Witch, and the Library” from the Echo Ridge series. The language is clean, and the adult scenes just involve kissing. There is no cheating, no cliffhangers, and a HEA. The book is 150 pages and only took me not quite two and a half hours to read, so it is a quick, light read, faster to read than average. Great editing, proofreading. Okay, so I caught two typos, nothing to interfere with your enjoyment of the story and will probably be fixed before release.
The basic story is a friends to couple trope topped with a love triangle. I love the idea of Alice (our main character) deciding that she will be the heroine of her own romance story and then realizing that if he doesn’t want her as she is then he doesn’t deserve her. Good for her! The story is good if somewhat simple. The hero keeps vacillating between Alice and her rival, and there were several points where I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at Russ; but overall, the plot is believable. Alice’s character was nicely fleshed out but the rest could have used more depth. The first book in this series really put you in the mind of fall but not really in this book. The Fall Festival is mentioned but nothing is really shown. Even at the dance, the fall decorations are just listed, so you don’t get a truly fall feel to it. The story does have a TV star, a wonderful library (I like libraries ), a beautiful mountain, some jealousy, a sweet grandmother, an amazing sister, a fairy-tale ending (for book nerds), and a hero who finally comes to his senses.
It could have been better but was an enjoyable and satisfying way to spend some time. I give it a B (4 stars).
September 29, 2020
When I began to read this book it seemed familiar and after reading other reviews I realized that this book seemed to be a revised version of another of the author's books in the Echo Ridge series. I loved it the first time and I loved it again. I particularly loved that Alice, an aspiring librarian, decided that she wanted to be the heroine in her own romance story--with Russ, her best friend who was a playwright, as her leading man. When Russ got infatuated with the razzle dazzle attention from a reality superstar whose good girl image on screen did not match her true self, Alice held her ground, did not chase him and decided that if Russ didn't value her romantically, she would not pine for someone who did not want her. Instead she would turn the page. If you haven't yet read this book, I think you will really enjoy it! I was entrusted with a copy of this book by the author and this is my voluntary and honest review.
October 12, 2020
This novel pulled on my heart strings a little. I think anyone who loves to read always had the dream of working in a library. So, I understood how Alice felt. She is coming from a family that is well known in the town but her family are the outcasts a little because of her dad. So she feels invisible to so many. After, developing a friendship with playwright Russ, Alice has found her true love. But, Russ is oblivious. He wants to be a well known author of plays and films. When a reality star vixen comes to town, she turns his head.
I loved the complex friend relationship between Russ and Alice. I loved how she knew she had to step back and let him figure this out on his own. And, I enjoyed how she was able to mend some of her family relationships.
I have been enjoying this series. I will read more of these books!
I loved the complex friend relationship between Russ and Alice. I loved how she knew she had to step back and let him figure this out on his own. And, I enjoyed how she was able to mend some of her family relationships.
I have been enjoying this series. I will read more of these books!
October 7, 2020
Love Harvest Ranch
I love the location, the setting, the season and Alice. She was an adorable, intelligent, fun, and relatable heroine. I cheered for her through this book, and longed for her to find a happily ever after. But she could have done so much better than Russ. He was A hero who lacked. He was fickle, unlikeable and I didn’t cheer for him. However, since he had to be the hero, the ending was perfect. The location for the final scene was spot on, the wording amazing and sigh worthy. So even if Russ isn’t my favorite literary hero, the ending was superb.
I love the location, the setting, the season and Alice. She was an adorable, intelligent, fun, and relatable heroine. I cheered for her through this book, and longed for her to find a happily ever after. But she could have done so much better than Russ. He was A hero who lacked. He was fickle, unlikeable and I didn’t cheer for him. However, since he had to be the hero, the ending was perfect. The location for the final scene was spot on, the wording amazing and sigh worthy. So even if Russ isn’t my favorite literary hero, the ending was superb.
October 23, 2020
I'm a fan of books, so I completely loved Alice. She had such a positive outlook on life and somehow found a balance between the expectations of fictional characters and living her own story. Russ was clueless and I would have liked a bit more begging, but I enjoyed all the happy chapters that a readers longs to read. The town is quirky and fun, although this is the first book I've read in the series I'm going to have to throw some more into my queue! Perfect for fall.
November 3, 2020
Cute yet slightly frustrating
This book was so cozy and adorable. However, I couldn't help but get frustrated with Russ and how he was acting. However, despite his behavior through the middle of the book I highly reccomend reading this book (and all of the series). Even when people don't seem like they will pull through, there is always hope for a happily ever after.
This book was so cozy and adorable. However, I couldn't help but get frustrated with Russ and how he was acting. However, despite his behavior through the middle of the book I highly reccomend reading this book (and all of the series). Even when people don't seem like they will pull through, there is always hope for a happily ever after.
November 1, 2020
I liked this short and easy read and I would have probably loved it if it weren’t for Russ, the male character. He was so distracted by a very fake tv actress and couldn’t see the love in front of him. It bugged me the whole time I was reading this book.
May 10, 2025
So freaking cute and wholesome. It happens at the same time the first book happens, as I'm beginning to think all of them do. But they are cute and barely overlap so it's not annoying to read. Still, these would make PERFECT pre-christmas books to hold you off until the Hallmark movies start 😊
November 22, 2020
Great
Another great book by Lucy McConnell. I loved the characters. I would recommend this book and all of Lucy’s books. I won a paperback copy of book from the author.
Another great book by Lucy McConnell. I loved the characters. I would recommend this book and all of Lucy’s books. I won a paperback copy of book from the author.
September 22, 2020
A good clean romance.
September 22, 2020
romance
Just a sweet clean romance.
Nothing over the top.
Entertaining
Just a sweet clean romance.
Nothing over the top.
Entertaining
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews