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Texas Fever #1
Texas Wide Open
Katie Harris loved growing up on a ranch. She had her horse, the beautiful Texas prairie, and Cole Logan, the cowboy next door. But there are a lot of secrets hidden under a Texas sky…
Katie always knew she’d marry Cole one day—until he broke her dreams and her heart. But now that Katie’s father is sick, she’s back home, older, wiser and nowhere near the love-sick fool she once was.
Cole knows Katie doesn’t want anything to do with him. But after so many years, he can’t pretend she’s no more than a neighbor. Not when thinking about her cherry lip gloss and hell-for-leather passion is keeping him up all night. Holding his ground was hard enough when she was seventeen. Now that she’s her own woman, Cole’s heart doesn’t stand a chance…
“Passionate, gritty and fast paced…with a hot blooded, honorable hero to make every woman's knees go weak.”—Diane Whiteside
Katie always knew she’d marry Cole one day—until he broke her dreams and her heart. But now that Katie’s father is sick, she’s back home, older, wiser and nowhere near the love-sick fool she once was.
Cole knows Katie doesn’t want anything to do with him. But after so many years, he can’t pretend she’s no more than a neighbor. Not when thinking about her cherry lip gloss and hell-for-leather passion is keeping him up all night. Holding his ground was hard enough when she was seventeen. Now that she’s her own woman, Cole’s heart doesn’t stand a chance…
“Passionate, gritty and fast paced…with a hot blooded, honorable hero to make every woman's knees go weak.”—Diane Whiteside
223 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 11, 2011
About the author
K.C. Klein
26 books169 followersKC Klein has lived most of her life with her head in the clouds and her nose buried in a book. She did stop reading long enough to make a home with a real life hero, for over sixteen years. A mother of two children, she spends her time slaying dragons, saving princesses, and championing the belief in the happily-ever-after. An award winning novelist, KC Klein is celebrating her latest release in the Texas Fever series, Hustlin' Texas. KC loves to hear from readers and can be found desperately pounding away on her laptop in yoga pants and leopard slippers or more conveniently at www.kckleinbooks.com. To keep up with exciting book news and special promotions please sign up for her newsletter. http://kckleinbooks.com/newslettersignup
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
January 6, 2013
This was a terrible book. For all that I started to skim read near the end, I still can't believe that I finished the book.
The book started off okay, but then tanked. Parts of the book felt like the author just copied and pasted scenes from earlier in the book to later. The secondary plot was introduced 2/3rd of the way through the book and then was dropped by the end leaving me feeling totally confused as to why the heck it was put in in the first place cause it did nothing for the story.
And then the end. Oh man the end. What should have been this epic ending because the 2 main people who are clearly suppose to be together turns into this epic clucsterfuck. The two get married in a vegas style elopement by a best friend while he's half drunk, then have crazy sex, then almost break up and end everything, AND THEN like 10 pages later they're happily ever after and he's thinking of "filling her with babies" or some such weirdly worded sentence.
The only thing that I liked about this book was that I got it on sale at Kobo for $2.99, because if I had bought it at full price I might have cried.
The book started off okay, but then tanked. Parts of the book felt like the author just copied and pasted scenes from earlier in the book to later. The secondary plot was introduced 2/3rd of the way through the book and then was dropped by the end leaving me feeling totally confused as to why the heck it was put in in the first place cause it did nothing for the story.
And then the end. Oh man the end. What should have been this epic ending because the 2 main people who are clearly suppose to be together turns into this epic clucsterfuck. The two get married in a vegas style elopement by a best friend while he's half drunk, then have crazy sex, then almost break up and end everything, AND THEN like 10 pages later they're happily ever after and he's thinking of "filling her with babies" or some such weirdly worded sentence.
The only thing that I liked about this book was that I got it on sale at Kobo for $2.99, because if I had bought it at full price I might have cried.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2015
Rating: 1 out of 5.
I think I might create a new shelf. A new shelf titled "books I wish I had never read". Books, which, after reading have made me want to scrub my brains out and forget I read something so foolish or stupid. Or in this case, archaic.
There were so many things wrong with this book. I'll just list them one by one.
- I didn't like the main love interest. Cole was everything I do not want in a man. He is promiscuous, he is 8 years older than the female protagonist, Katie. The 8 year old age gap, I know many people are okay with it. I personally am not, but what made this 8 year old age gap worse was that at one stage he was calling her a kid, buying her ice-creams, treating her like a sister (the impression I got) and then a couple years later he was lusting after her. These things creep me out.
- Cole at one stage tells her that she looks like she is going out to walk the streets. I hate it when men use sexuality to derogate women. And if we are being all technical, he fits the description better, with his league of women, not her. He is a disgusting pig. Really, I don't get what the attraction is to promiscuous men. And please, good lord, where is the sense in these protagonists? The first thing of order is to get them tested. Don't be stupid. STDs are real and exist and affect even the good looking ones.
- Katie cheats on her fiancé. It doesn't make it any better that in the end the author tries to paint her character in a better light by writing the fiancé's confession of cheating. She didn't know that he had cheated prior to that conversation, so what she did was wrong. Absolutely and utterly wrong. I don't care that she is in love with Cole. You just don't treat another human being like that. If you love another to take the next step with them, then break it off with your fiancé first. She says to Cole that she still cares about him, the fiancé. Well I call that BS. I wouldn't even treat the person I hated the most like that, let alone someone I care about.
- At one stage, I thought the only thing that can make this novel worse is if, Katie is a virgin. Because that's what good girls should do right? Remain a virgin for their promiscuous men, wait for them to finish sowing their oats or what not. Ugh. So turns out she is. I am not too surprised, by this stage I had already mentally rated the book in the negatives.
- My final and last comment. Katie's father tells her that Cole isn't ready for marriage at that stage. He says the following: “There’s a time in every man’s life when he’s ready to step up and take responsibility, ready to take care of a family. Cole’s not there." a.k.a. sowing oats. I just find this whole concept archaic and disgusting. The fact that it is blatantly stated so, in a book published in the 21st century, makes it even more disgusting. And what the hell? A 18 year old girl/woman is ready to get married and a 26 year old man is not ready - there is something very wrong with this picture,is there not? I also didn't like how when Cole was ready, that was when this story reached its HEA, not before when Katie was chasing after him, no. Of course, Katie had been waiting for this moment since the day she was born. She was made for this.. (Okay, I know, too much sarcasm, but this book has been throwing out these archaic notions like they are going out of style, and it's gotten me really annoyed).
I found that Katie lacked a backbone and independence. I wanted to tell her to grow some pride, because she had none. It was so pathetic, her character and her actions. It's like all these years of progress, fighting for equality and women's rights have, over time, made little change to the very fabric of our society.
I think I might create a new shelf. A new shelf titled "books I wish I had never read". Books, which, after reading have made me want to scrub my brains out and forget I read something so foolish or stupid. Or in this case, archaic.
There were so many things wrong with this book. I'll just list them one by one.
- I didn't like the main love interest. Cole was everything I do not want in a man. He is promiscuous, he is 8 years older than the female protagonist, Katie. The 8 year old age gap, I know many people are okay with it. I personally am not, but what made this 8 year old age gap worse was that at one stage he was calling her a kid, buying her ice-creams, treating her like a sister (the impression I got) and then a couple years later he was lusting after her. These things creep me out.
- Cole at one stage tells her that she looks like she is going out to walk the streets. I hate it when men use sexuality to derogate women. And if we are being all technical, he fits the description better, with his league of women, not her. He is a disgusting pig. Really, I don't get what the attraction is to promiscuous men. And please, good lord, where is the sense in these protagonists? The first thing of order is to get them tested. Don't be stupid. STDs are real and exist and affect even the good looking ones.
- Katie cheats on her fiancé. It doesn't make it any better that in the end the author tries to paint her character in a better light by writing the fiancé's confession of cheating. She didn't know that he had cheated prior to that conversation, so what she did was wrong. Absolutely and utterly wrong. I don't care that she is in love with Cole. You just don't treat another human being like that. If you love another to take the next step with them, then break it off with your fiancé first. She says to Cole that she still cares about him, the fiancé. Well I call that BS. I wouldn't even treat the person I hated the most like that, let alone someone I care about.
- At one stage, I thought the only thing that can make this novel worse is if, Katie is a virgin. Because that's what good girls should do right? Remain a virgin for their promiscuous men, wait for them to finish sowing their oats or what not. Ugh. So turns out she is. I am not too surprised, by this stage I had already mentally rated the book in the negatives.
- My final and last comment. Katie's father tells her that Cole isn't ready for marriage at that stage. He says the following: “There’s a time in every man’s life when he’s ready to step up and take responsibility, ready to take care of a family. Cole’s not there." a.k.a. sowing oats. I just find this whole concept archaic and disgusting. The fact that it is blatantly stated so, in a book published in the 21st century, makes it even more disgusting. And what the hell? A 18 year old girl/woman is ready to get married and a 26 year old man is not ready - there is something very wrong with this picture,is there not? I also didn't like how when Cole was ready, that was when this story reached its HEA, not before when Katie was chasing after him, no. Of course, Katie had been waiting for this moment since the day she was born. She was made for this.. (Okay, I know, too much sarcasm, but this book has been throwing out these archaic notions like they are going out of style, and it's gotten me really annoyed).
I found that Katie lacked a backbone and independence. I wanted to tell her to grow some pride, because she had none. It was so pathetic, her character and her actions. It's like all these years of progress, fighting for equality and women's rights have, over time, made little change to the very fabric of our society.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2013
This was angstier than I was expecting when I started it. Considering I like angst, that's not a bad thing for me ;) With that being said, this was a hard read. Not only the tears, but just reading it. There was a lot of back and forth between the past and present.
I did not like the way this ended. I didn't like the fact that her dad hid info from her and she did nothing but walk out of the room when she found out. I also didn't like the way Cole's friend, Jett, and his sister Nikki's story was started and left pretty much up in the air. Was that done intentionally so there could be another book? But overall, it was a pretty good book :)
I did not like the way this ended. I didn't like the fact that her dad hid info from her and she did nothing but walk out of the room when she found out. I also didn't like the way Cole's friend, Jett, and his sister Nikki's story was started and left pretty much up in the air. Was that done intentionally so there could be another book? But overall, it was a pretty good book :)
November 24, 2013
Couldn't take it any more at 80%, at the fake wedding.
I'm not sure who the target of this novel is. Sure as hell it seems a new adult to me and should had been labelled as such. Otherwise you'll get pissed 40+ women like me who are bored to death and beyond by the antics of a young teen princess brat spoiled as hell.
I disliked everything in this "romance".
-The pace, the then, now, then, now, then, now, etc that destroyed any getting into the story, the presence of a secondary love affair that was annoying and worsened the pace problems. You got everything in sketches.
-The characters. From the father, who rather than being a man with some nuts, let a younger man shoulder the responsibility of making his daughter see reason, to the hero of the story that rather than brooding looked just stupid. Let's not talk about the heroine. As a teen she was a self-centred, spoiled princess. Her antics with the hero were downright embarrassing, the way we usually are at the age (I still cringe thinking about some of mine :). Getting half a book of her was bad, but worse was the other half when you should get a woman and don't.
Both the women in it are immature young twenties. And, sorry, this isn't what I'm looking for. It's not age the problem, it's the brain and maturity you put behind it. Here none of them had them.
Let's not talk of words like honesty and fidelity/loyalty. What about the fiancé?
-The romance. Sorry, again this is not my idea of love. I don't really believe you know anything of love and life at 17 and it saddens me to read about women that never overcome this "love". After years they still pine and suffer. I found it demeaning. There's quite a difference from this way of imagining love and a woman who has lived her life fully and then comes home and realise that the guy she was in love when she was a teen is still a nice/right guy. And they start over as adult.
No, this is not a book I like. Not the way it was written, nor the story it told.
I'm not sure who the target of this novel is. Sure as hell it seems a new adult to me and should had been labelled as such. Otherwise you'll get pissed 40+ women like me who are bored to death and beyond by the antics of a young teen princess brat spoiled as hell.
I disliked everything in this "romance".
-The pace, the then, now, then, now, then, now, etc that destroyed any getting into the story, the presence of a secondary love affair that was annoying and worsened the pace problems. You got everything in sketches.
-The characters. From the father, who rather than being a man with some nuts, let a younger man shoulder the responsibility of making his daughter see reason, to the hero of the story that rather than brooding looked just stupid. Let's not talk about the heroine. As a teen she was a self-centred, spoiled princess. Her antics with the hero were downright embarrassing, the way we usually are at the age (I still cringe thinking about some of mine :). Getting half a book of her was bad, but worse was the other half when you should get a woman and don't.
Both the women in it are immature young twenties. And, sorry, this isn't what I'm looking for. It's not age the problem, it's the brain and maturity you put behind it. Here none of them had them.
Let's not talk of words like honesty and fidelity/loyalty. What about the fiancé?
-The romance. Sorry, again this is not my idea of love. I don't really believe you know anything of love and life at 17 and it saddens me to read about women that never overcome this "love". After years they still pine and suffer. I found it demeaning. There's quite a difference from this way of imagining love and a woman who has lived her life fully and then comes home and realise that the guy she was in love when she was a teen is still a nice/right guy. And they start over as adult.
No, this is not a book I like. Not the way it was written, nor the story it told.
November 5, 2012
Sweet!!! Seems like I flew through this book.
Ever since she was a little cowgirl all Katie wanted was to marry Cole Logan. Cole hurts Katie to push her away & give her the chance to go to college. A brokenhearted Katie runs off to attend college in New York. She returns four years later after her beloved Dad has a heart attack. She comes home wearing another mans engagement ring on her finger. It drives Cole down into the bottle...a place he's very familiar with. Katie's attempt at comfort ends with a late night, spur of the moment wedding. But Katie's fiance shows up the next morning hoping to win her back.
Then there is Cole's sister Nikki & his best friend Jett. Well...Nikki's a mess. (Big secret) And because Jett loves her he keeps bailing her out of trouble. Only Nikki doesn't know that he loves her. When he professes his love for her the girl freaks. There is no resolution for Nikki & Jett in this book. I'm hoping they will get their own book soon. (hint...hint)
I liked it! Those Logan siblings were so messed up but that's what made it soooo good.
Ever since she was a little cowgirl all Katie wanted was to marry Cole Logan. Cole hurts Katie to push her away & give her the chance to go to college. A brokenhearted Katie runs off to attend college in New York. She returns four years later after her beloved Dad has a heart attack. She comes home wearing another mans engagement ring on her finger. It drives Cole down into the bottle...a place he's very familiar with. Katie's attempt at comfort ends with a late night, spur of the moment wedding. But Katie's fiance shows up the next morning hoping to win her back.
Then there is Cole's sister Nikki & his best friend Jett. Well...Nikki's a mess. (Big secret) And because Jett loves her he keeps bailing her out of trouble. Only Nikki doesn't know that he loves her. When he professes his love for her the girl freaks. There is no resolution for Nikki & Jett in this book. I'm hoping they will get their own book soon. (hint...hint)
I liked it! Those Logan siblings were so messed up but that's what made it soooo good.
June 28, 2013
1.5 stars
Why, oh why do authors try to force on us young immature characters on adult themes? In the end, the two main characters seemed to be playing house with each other and I couldn't picture a happy ending for them, what, with one being an unhappy alcoholic (with good reason) and the other behaving like a spoiled immature self-centered drama queen brat all the time.
Why, oh why do authors try to force on us young immature characters on adult themes? In the end, the two main characters seemed to be playing house with each other and I couldn't picture a happy ending for them, what, with one being an unhappy alcoholic (with good reason) and the other behaving like a spoiled immature self-centered drama queen brat all the time.
August 31, 2014
This book was really great! I'm a sucker for a reunion story and this one delivers in spades. I love Katie and Cole and the interspersing of Nikki and Jett's story really kept the pages turning. And now I want a pair of red cowboy boots!
November 21, 2012
Another excellent netgalley find! KC Klein writes an intense story about love, forgiveness, patience and forever.. This was not a sweetness and light book and it wasn't a simple plot that many books of this genre are dedicated to. This book was gritty.. I don't think of westerns as gritty, well not modern day once. I think of them as romantic, or sweet, or fun, or ... you get the picture. When I think gritty I think Urban Fantasy.. or some PNR.. or Sci-Fi but never a western romance.. but again I will say it this book was gritty.
As far back as she could remember Katie Harris loved Cole Logan.. Even as a child she knew he was hers and that they belonged together. Only trouble was he was 8 years older and he was knew Katie needed to grow up. At 17 she finally made her move, convinced he would sweep her into his arms and never let her go, well.. he didn't and he did.
Pushing Katie Logan away at the age of 17 was the hardest thing Cole Logan had ever done. It almost destroyed him.. and yet he rose from the depths of his despair to become the man he wanted to be. Well at least part of it, Cole always wanted to be Katie's man..
Watching Katie and Cole's relationship grow through a series of flashback chapters was gut wrenching. What woman doesn't remember being 17 and loving someone so desperately and having that love rejected? Then from a man's perspective, can you imagine knowing you have a soul mate? Knowing she is supposed to be yours.. and knowing it forever? Only knowing she was 8 years younger and you had to wait? yeah.. add that interesting family dynamics.. Katie's father is a gruff, demanding know what's best for his daughter kind of man. AND he has been Cole's sole anchor since the death of Cole's Father.. sometimes the reader starts to think that he loves Cole more than Katie.. that is never really the case it's just a twisted dynamic..
Cole's best Friend Jett, playboy extraordinaire and his romance of Cole's sister Nikki plays a large part in defining this book. It is a story of the rich boy and the girl born on the wrong side of the track.. dirt poor and wild.. yet Jett has carried a torch for her forever.. their story, well it's a little more complicated (hard as that is to believe) than Cole and Katie's. But in the end both women have lessons to learn.. Both are given something precious and rare but both have to understand what they have been given and understand that the choice is theirs. And finally both have to accept who they are first.
This was a wonderfully powerful book, full of hopes dashed but never destroyed. Of love.. of learning and yes of promise. A most excellent story.
Shauni
This review is based on the ARC of Texas Wide Open provided by netgalley
For more reviews by Shauni check out Tea and Book and
Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy
As far back as she could remember Katie Harris loved Cole Logan.. Even as a child she knew he was hers and that they belonged together. Only trouble was he was 8 years older and he was knew Katie needed to grow up. At 17 she finally made her move, convinced he would sweep her into his arms and never let her go, well.. he didn't and he did.
Pushing Katie Logan away at the age of 17 was the hardest thing Cole Logan had ever done. It almost destroyed him.. and yet he rose from the depths of his despair to become the man he wanted to be. Well at least part of it, Cole always wanted to be Katie's man..
Watching Katie and Cole's relationship grow through a series of flashback chapters was gut wrenching. What woman doesn't remember being 17 and loving someone so desperately and having that love rejected? Then from a man's perspective, can you imagine knowing you have a soul mate? Knowing she is supposed to be yours.. and knowing it forever? Only knowing she was 8 years younger and you had to wait? yeah.. add that interesting family dynamics.. Katie's father is a gruff, demanding know what's best for his daughter kind of man. AND he has been Cole's sole anchor since the death of Cole's Father.. sometimes the reader starts to think that he loves Cole more than Katie.. that is never really the case it's just a twisted dynamic..
Cole's best Friend Jett, playboy extraordinaire and his romance of Cole's sister Nikki plays a large part in defining this book. It is a story of the rich boy and the girl born on the wrong side of the track.. dirt poor and wild.. yet Jett has carried a torch for her forever.. their story, well it's a little more complicated (hard as that is to believe) than Cole and Katie's. But in the end both women have lessons to learn.. Both are given something precious and rare but both have to understand what they have been given and understand that the choice is theirs. And finally both have to accept who they are first.
This was a wonderfully powerful book, full of hopes dashed but never destroyed. Of love.. of learning and yes of promise. A most excellent story.
Shauni
This review is based on the ARC of Texas Wide Open provided by netgalley
For more reviews by Shauni check out Tea and Book and
Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy
November 26, 2012
I just read TEXAS WIDE OPEN by KC Klein. I am still wiping tears off my cheeks. This is the BEST BOOK I have read this year. NO question. I'm a romantic suspense author and my tastes run toward, well, romantic suspense obviously, and paranormals. But KC is a friend so I figured I would read this contemporary romance to be nice. I'm so glad I did. Honestly, I had reservations - because it's not a genre I typically enjoy. And, it skips back and forth in time, showing what happened in the past then what's happening in the present. I thought it would be a chore reading back and forth in time. Instead, I found myself marveling at KC's brilliance. The way she wove in what happened and juxtaposed it against current day was exactly the way this story should have been told. It was an incredibly clever way to keep building tension by revealing bits and pieces of backstory. I loved the hero and heroine and the secondary love story was wonderful as well. This story is gut-wrenchingly emotional. If you don't cry at least once, something is wrong with you. Seriously. I absolutely loved it. And I do have to add a plug for how she handled the setting. I know nothing about Texas and very little about horses. KC wove such unique, interesting elements of both into the story that I really felt like I was there, in Texas, on a horse ranch. I highly recommend this book. It's just an absolutely wonderful love story. My only complaint is that I didn't want it to end!
August 4, 2016
upon doing some research into finding second chance romances, one particular reviewer highly recommended this. I keep following for their horrible ideas of what is a great story.
This one actually isn't terrible, it's just all over the place. KC Klein is a good storyteller, unfortunately, she needs to stick with one couple. It was very frustrating going from one scene to the very next paragraph with a different couple. These should've been different chapters. Another complaint is that there was hardly any development between Cole and Katie. I would've liked more of their past. Finally, I hate cheating when it's completely unwarranted. Katie should've taken care of her past before jumping to her future.
This one actually isn't terrible, it's just all over the place. KC Klein is a good storyteller, unfortunately, she needs to stick with one couple. It was very frustrating going from one scene to the very next paragraph with a different couple. These should've been different chapters. Another complaint is that there was hardly any development between Cole and Katie. I would've liked more of their past. Finally, I hate cheating when it's completely unwarranted. Katie should've taken care of her past before jumping to her future.
June 3, 2021
I liked this ! The writing was punchy and carried things that normally wouldn’t be my jam such as time hopping or a secondary romance running simultaneously but I loved the second chance element and the author produced well thought out characters so the chemistry and angst was palpable when the heroine returned. I will try more in this series.
June 15, 2017
Way to much drama
This book has way too much drama in it. It's full of fights, guilt, sugary romance and just a little sex. I can't say it is a pleasant read. Not my taste. It reminded me of the old soap operas, that my grandmother used to watch back in the 90's .
This book has way too much drama in it. It's full of fights, guilt, sugary romance and just a little sex. I can't say it is a pleasant read. Not my taste. It reminded me of the old soap operas, that my grandmother used to watch back in the 90's .
November 6, 2012
3.75 stars
This book was an interesting mix of would-be lovers drama, pent-up lust and hope for a happily-ever after.
Katie is a 20-something woman who returns to her home in Texas when her father falls ill. She fled her home at 18 after being rejected by Cole and hasn't looked back. Meanwhile, Cole is an old soul with a painful past that made him mature before his time. His life revolves around his ranch, his horses and ultimately his love for Katie. Try as she might, Katie could not get Cole to see her as something more than a child or so she thought. Until a fateful night when she put it all on the line and Cole - so strong and honorable - just lets her go.
I enjoyed how the story was weaved between the present and the past. It gave me a lot more glimpses into the character's thoughts, feelings and personalities. Which in the end helped me connect to them. I liked that Katie was strong-willed and stood her ground. She was determined to win Cole's heart before having to leave for college and she gave it her all. I admired that. Just as much as I admired Cole's understanding that she needed to leave and discover the world beyond the ranch.
The author, K.C. Klein, made their journey in finding their happily ever after an interesting one. My major complain was that she included Jett and Nikki's story in there as well, which side-tracked me from Katie's and Cole's story. Mind you, theirs was a very interesting coming together and I would love to read more about them, but the switching of point of views was very distracting. At last count, there were 5 point of views and that is a first for me. Add to that the lack of a clear transition between past and present in some parts of the book and you get total confusion on my part.
That said, the author did a marvelous job of letting me connect to the characters. I felt Katie's desperation and need to be loved by Cole, while at the same time I could feel Cole's apprehension and his conflicted emotions. Their chemistry was very palpable and when it finally happened it was amazingly written. I liked that it wasn't explicit and that it wasn't immediate. All I will say is that the anticipation was well rewarded. I feel that some events could have been left out even it if made for a shorter read - mainly Jett and Nikki's story. While others should have been explored more. For example, an epilogue would have gone a long way into increasing my rating.
All in all, a great read. Yes, my rating would have differed if I were less finicky about point of views and the ending would have been less abrupt, but the story as a whole was very good.
This book was an interesting mix of would-be lovers drama, pent-up lust and hope for a happily-ever after.
Katie is a 20-something woman who returns to her home in Texas when her father falls ill. She fled her home at 18 after being rejected by Cole and hasn't looked back. Meanwhile, Cole is an old soul with a painful past that made him mature before his time. His life revolves around his ranch, his horses and ultimately his love for Katie. Try as she might, Katie could not get Cole to see her as something more than a child or so she thought. Until a fateful night when she put it all on the line and Cole - so strong and honorable - just lets her go.
I enjoyed how the story was weaved between the present and the past. It gave me a lot more glimpses into the character's thoughts, feelings and personalities. Which in the end helped me connect to them. I liked that Katie was strong-willed and stood her ground. She was determined to win Cole's heart before having to leave for college and she gave it her all. I admired that. Just as much as I admired Cole's understanding that she needed to leave and discover the world beyond the ranch.
The author, K.C. Klein, made their journey in finding their happily ever after an interesting one. My major complain was that she included Jett and Nikki's story in there as well, which side-tracked me from Katie's and Cole's story. Mind you, theirs was a very interesting coming together and I would love to read more about them, but the switching of point of views was very distracting. At last count, there were 5 point of views and that is a first for me. Add to that the lack of a clear transition between past and present in some parts of the book and you get total confusion on my part.
That said, the author did a marvelous job of letting me connect to the characters. I felt Katie's desperation and need to be loved by Cole, while at the same time I could feel Cole's apprehension and his conflicted emotions. Their chemistry was very palpable and when it finally happened it was amazingly written. I liked that it wasn't explicit and that it wasn't immediate. All I will say is that the anticipation was well rewarded. I feel that some events could have been left out even it if made for a shorter read - mainly Jett and Nikki's story. While others should have been explored more. For example, an epilogue would have gone a long way into increasing my rating.
All in all, a great read. Yes, my rating would have differed if I were less finicky about point of views and the ending would have been less abrupt, but the story as a whole was very good.
July 15, 2013
This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.
Expected Release Date: November 15, 2012
Publisher: Kensington
Imprint: Kensington Trade/eKensington
Author’s Website: http://kckleinbooks.com/
My Source for This Book: Gift from the author
Part of a Series: No
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy
Pet Peeves: Adultery or Infideliy, Too Much Emphasis On Secondary Romance
Favorite Tropes: Unrequited Love, Good Use Of Flashbacks
As most followers of my reviews already know, I tend to shy away from contemporary novels in general, but as a fan of Ms. Klein’s sci-fi tales, I couldn’t turn this one down.
The use of flashbacks was brilliant, and expertly crafted to build tension without becoming tiresome, and the copious amounts of angst and heartache in the story were sublime.
The two biggest, and really only, drawbacks for me were the presence of infidelity on the part of one of the protagonists, as one of them was involved in a relationship with another person when Katie was unexpected thrust back into Cole’s path, and the secondary romance between Jett and Nikki. The former is simply a pet peeve of mine, and the latter threw me off quite a bit. Cole and Katie’s tale is interrupted somewhere around halfway through by a full albeit integrated secondary tale of Cole’s sister Nikki and Cole’s best friend, Jett. As the story progressed, I began to really enjoy the secondary storyline, but was incredibly disappointed by the ending — so much time had been spent building up things between them, but the ending is at worst unsatisfying and at best bittersweet, and not at all what I was expecting as the book was obviously drawing to a close.
Even so, the emotional roller coaster that was Cole and Katie’s relationship made it more than worth the while to read. This is not a light, fluffy romance by any means, but I think that those looking for a harder road to a happy ending will be quite pleased.
4.5/5 Stars, and I’m really hoping that Nikki and Jett get a sequel.
Expected Release Date: November 15, 2012
Publisher: Kensington
Imprint: Kensington Trade/eKensington
Author’s Website: http://kckleinbooks.com/
My Source for This Book: Gift from the author
Part of a Series: No
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy
Pet Peeves: Adultery or Infideliy, Too Much Emphasis On Secondary Romance
Favorite Tropes: Unrequited Love, Good Use Of Flashbacks
As most followers of my reviews already know, I tend to shy away from contemporary novels in general, but as a fan of Ms. Klein’s sci-fi tales, I couldn’t turn this one down.
The use of flashbacks was brilliant, and expertly crafted to build tension without becoming tiresome, and the copious amounts of angst and heartache in the story were sublime.
The two biggest, and really only, drawbacks for me were the presence of infidelity on the part of one of the protagonists, as one of them was involved in a relationship with another person when Katie was unexpected thrust back into Cole’s path, and the secondary romance between Jett and Nikki. The former is simply a pet peeve of mine, and the latter threw me off quite a bit. Cole and Katie’s tale is interrupted somewhere around halfway through by a full albeit integrated secondary tale of Cole’s sister Nikki and Cole’s best friend, Jett. As the story progressed, I began to really enjoy the secondary storyline, but was incredibly disappointed by the ending — so much time had been spent building up things between them, but the ending is at worst unsatisfying and at best bittersweet, and not at all what I was expecting as the book was obviously drawing to a close.
Even so, the emotional roller coaster that was Cole and Katie’s relationship made it more than worth the while to read. This is not a light, fluffy romance by any means, but I think that those looking for a harder road to a happy ending will be quite pleased.
4.5/5 Stars, and I’m really hoping that Nikki and Jett get a sequel.
November 24, 2012
Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick
I couldn't put this book down, it was so good. I love the way the author blending the past and the present. The chemistry between Cole and Kate was explosive and I found myself rooting for them for the entire book. I'm so glad these two got their long awaited HEA.
Seriously, this book was so good. The raw emotion you feel from the characters is so in your face and it leaves you wanting more. I found myself unable to turn away from my kindle because I was so engrossed with what was happening.
Cole is sexy and it breaks your heart to see him struggle to do what he believes is right. All he is wants is to do right by Katie and it breaks your heart to see this man struggle with how deep his feelings truly are towards Katie and the way his life takes a downward spiral when she subsequently leaves him. I never expected his feelings to be so strong and so deep.
Katie has known since she was eight that she would marry Cole. It was the mantra she said into her pillow each night. The older she got the stronger her feelings became and all that much more difficult it was to hide them. When she finally makes her move it's met with everything she always wanted then followed by devastating results which led to her moving away to college.
Now she's back and all of the feelings she thought she buried and left in the past have come rushing back to the surface. She's aware of his every breath and move and she's finding it hard to keep all of her repressed feelings to herself. Will these two somehow be able to work past all of their issues with each other and find a way to finally make it work?
Oh my goodness these two had me in a emotional wreck. I just couldn't take it. I just wanted them to find a way to get past everything and just when I thought things were bad enough, the author throws me a curve ball I never saw coming. This book is truly amazing and I can't wait to read more.
**ARC provided by NetGalley**
I couldn't put this book down, it was so good. I love the way the author blending the past and the present. The chemistry between Cole and Kate was explosive and I found myself rooting for them for the entire book. I'm so glad these two got their long awaited HEA.
Seriously, this book was so good. The raw emotion you feel from the characters is so in your face and it leaves you wanting more. I found myself unable to turn away from my kindle because I was so engrossed with what was happening.
Cole is sexy and it breaks your heart to see him struggle to do what he believes is right. All he is wants is to do right by Katie and it breaks your heart to see this man struggle with how deep his feelings truly are towards Katie and the way his life takes a downward spiral when she subsequently leaves him. I never expected his feelings to be so strong and so deep.
Katie has known since she was eight that she would marry Cole. It was the mantra she said into her pillow each night. The older she got the stronger her feelings became and all that much more difficult it was to hide them. When she finally makes her move it's met with everything she always wanted then followed by devastating results which led to her moving away to college.
Now she's back and all of the feelings she thought she buried and left in the past have come rushing back to the surface. She's aware of his every breath and move and she's finding it hard to keep all of her repressed feelings to herself. Will these two somehow be able to work past all of their issues with each other and find a way to finally make it work?
Oh my goodness these two had me in a emotional wreck. I just couldn't take it. I just wanted them to find a way to get past everything and just when I thought things were bad enough, the author throws me a curve ball I never saw coming. This book is truly amazing and I can't wait to read more.
**ARC provided by NetGalley**
December 9, 2012
This review was first seen at Reading Between the Wines!
Girl grows up with the older boy next door. Girl falls madly in love with the older boy next door, and even at the age of eight knows that one day, she's going to marry that boy. (Cue famous Trisha Yearwood song) Girl grows up, and boy next door breaks her heart at the age of eighteen, so girl leaves her small hometown in Texas to go to college in New York.
In New York she meets a new boy who is sweet, and after a couple of years tells her he loves her, and wants to marry her. So girl gives up on hometown heartbreak from the boy next door and moves on. Right?
Wrong. Nope. No ma'am, not right. Our heroine Katie gets a phone call from the heartbreak kid, otherwise known as Cole, when he tells her that her Dad had a heart attack and she needs to come home to Texas. Cole sees Katie's father as surrogate father since the day Cole's Dad died when he was sixteen and had to become the man of his house. So needless to say, he's there Mr. Harris as he's recovering from the heart attack. It's hard on his own heart though, to have the only girl he ever wanted as his own back home and still mad enough at him to spit nails. Or take a baseball bat to his truck. If she only knew the truth why he had to do what he did a few years ago, maybe she could forgive him and then they could get on with their lives together. Or at least that's what he thought till he saw the engagement ring on Katie's finger.
I liked this story. It was angsty and emotional and had a total Carrie Underwood moment that I've wanted to try myself a few times in life. It's also laid an excellent plot line for a sequel involving Cole's sister and his best friend Jet that I can't wait to read! Brave Ms. Klein for a great book and it's a solid four wine glass toast to Texas Wide Open! (On a side note - am I the only one who thinks those red boots on the front cover kick ass?)
Girl grows up with the older boy next door. Girl falls madly in love with the older boy next door, and even at the age of eight knows that one day, she's going to marry that boy. (Cue famous Trisha Yearwood song) Girl grows up, and boy next door breaks her heart at the age of eighteen, so girl leaves her small hometown in Texas to go to college in New York.
In New York she meets a new boy who is sweet, and after a couple of years tells her he loves her, and wants to marry her. So girl gives up on hometown heartbreak from the boy next door and moves on. Right?
Wrong. Nope. No ma'am, not right. Our heroine Katie gets a phone call from the heartbreak kid, otherwise known as Cole, when he tells her that her Dad had a heart attack and she needs to come home to Texas. Cole sees Katie's father as surrogate father since the day Cole's Dad died when he was sixteen and had to become the man of his house. So needless to say, he's there Mr. Harris as he's recovering from the heart attack. It's hard on his own heart though, to have the only girl he ever wanted as his own back home and still mad enough at him to spit nails. Or take a baseball bat to his truck. If she only knew the truth why he had to do what he did a few years ago, maybe she could forgive him and then they could get on with their lives together. Or at least that's what he thought till he saw the engagement ring on Katie's finger.
I liked this story. It was angsty and emotional and had a total Carrie Underwood moment that I've wanted to try myself a few times in life. It's also laid an excellent plot line for a sequel involving Cole's sister and his best friend Jet that I can't wait to read! Brave Ms. Klein for a great book and it's a solid four wine glass toast to Texas Wide Open! (On a side note - am I the only one who thinks those red boots on the front cover kick ass?)
November 21, 2012
TEXAS WIDE OPEN by KC Klein is three stories rolled into one wonderful contemporary romance that will have you spitting nails when it ends because you're going to want more.
KC Klein creates a tale that takes you from a heartbreaking past that had me in tears before I finished reading the Prologue, to the present when Katie Harris is summoned home because her father has suffered a severe heart attack.
KC Klein opens TEXAS WIDE OPEN with a look into the past then takes us to the present then back to the past again for a look at the beginning of this hot, desperate love between two hard-headed, single-minded people who are too proud to admit their wants and their mistakes. By taking us on a journey to the past, KC explains the angst that Katie feels upon returning to town and being close to the one man, Cole, who can steal her breath with a sideways glance. In the meantime, she slowly introduces us to a pair of secondary characters with their own romance in the making. All four characters have known each other all of their lives. Their lives, their stories, their wants and their desires are all interwoven which helps create the seamless transition from past to present and back again. With a happily-ever-after for one pair that will have you smiling with delight, there's the promise of another yet to come.
TEXAS WIDE OPEN by KC Klein is an intrinsically clever weaving of three stories surrounding a second chance at a love that was fated to be. Not to mention that all of this is set around a horse ranch with plot tiers of trust, willfulness and the struggle to prove one's worth, plus a very sexy cowboy, making this one of the best contemporary romances I've ever read.
***eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.
KC Klein creates a tale that takes you from a heartbreaking past that had me in tears before I finished reading the Prologue, to the present when Katie Harris is summoned home because her father has suffered a severe heart attack.
KC Klein opens TEXAS WIDE OPEN with a look into the past then takes us to the present then back to the past again for a look at the beginning of this hot, desperate love between two hard-headed, single-minded people who are too proud to admit their wants and their mistakes. By taking us on a journey to the past, KC explains the angst that Katie feels upon returning to town and being close to the one man, Cole, who can steal her breath with a sideways glance. In the meantime, she slowly introduces us to a pair of secondary characters with their own romance in the making. All four characters have known each other all of their lives. Their lives, their stories, their wants and their desires are all interwoven which helps create the seamless transition from past to present and back again. With a happily-ever-after for one pair that will have you smiling with delight, there's the promise of another yet to come.
TEXAS WIDE OPEN by KC Klein is an intrinsically clever weaving of three stories surrounding a second chance at a love that was fated to be. Not to mention that all of this is set around a horse ranch with plot tiers of trust, willfulness and the struggle to prove one's worth, plus a very sexy cowboy, making this one of the best contemporary romances I've ever read.
***eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.
December 7, 2012
3 1/4 stars
“Texas Wide Open” by KC Klein is a contemporary Western romance that follows the tumultuous relationship between Cole Logan and Katie Harris, as well as the complicated interactions between Jett Avery and Nikki Logan. The Logans have struggled to survive after losing their parents during their formative years and both Katie and Jett have managed to befriend the prickly siblings who consistently reject overtures from others. Their complicated tales are conveyed through poignant flashbacks interspersed with more recent happenings which are catalyzed by Katie’s return home after her father’s serious heart attack. The longstanding friendships between these complex individuals are about to be tested as their interactions enter a new phase and their lives change significantly.
This angst-filled tale details the complicated tap dance between disparate souls who feel a deep connection yet want to deny it for one reason or another. The individual scenes are filled with rich imagery and wonderful emotion but the overall story didn’t quite resonate with me and seems a bit too cliched while the characters are a bit two-dimensional. I am not a big fan of flashbacks but this author does a nice job of gradually conveying the events which formed the Logan siblings into the somewhat emotionally damaged individuals that they have become. The heroine’s erratic behavior is frustrating to me, especially when she acts out a popular country song and there are a few other things which strike me as illogical or unrealistic but I do think the individual vignettes are vivid and entertaining and make this a worthwhile light read.
A copy of this title was provided to me in exchange for an honest review
“Texas Wide Open” by KC Klein is a contemporary Western romance that follows the tumultuous relationship between Cole Logan and Katie Harris, as well as the complicated interactions between Jett Avery and Nikki Logan. The Logans have struggled to survive after losing their parents during their formative years and both Katie and Jett have managed to befriend the prickly siblings who consistently reject overtures from others. Their complicated tales are conveyed through poignant flashbacks interspersed with more recent happenings which are catalyzed by Katie’s return home after her father’s serious heart attack. The longstanding friendships between these complex individuals are about to be tested as their interactions enter a new phase and their lives change significantly.
This angst-filled tale details the complicated tap dance between disparate souls who feel a deep connection yet want to deny it for one reason or another. The individual scenes are filled with rich imagery and wonderful emotion but the overall story didn’t quite resonate with me and seems a bit too cliched while the characters are a bit two-dimensional. I am not a big fan of flashbacks but this author does a nice job of gradually conveying the events which formed the Logan siblings into the somewhat emotionally damaged individuals that they have become. The heroine’s erratic behavior is frustrating to me, especially when she acts out a popular country song and there are a few other things which strike me as illogical or unrealistic but I do think the individual vignettes are vivid and entertaining and make this a worthwhile light read.
A copy of this title was provided to me in exchange for an honest review
November 9, 2021
Esta es la típica novela en la que la chica se enamora del vecino que es más mayor que ella (8 años), hay un poco de drama por lo que el padre de ella le ayuda a salir adelante y él se siente en deuda. A partir de aquí la historia se lía. Típico romance de segundas oportunidades bien salpicadito de drama por todas partes, con muchos vaqueros texanos dando vueltas y caballos.
Está contada a dos tiempos de modo que vamos viendo lo que ocurre en el ahora mientras conocemos qué pasó entre los personajes principales.
Hago un pequeño resumen bajo spoiler sin mucho detalle por si a alguien le pica la curiosidad: .
Además de la pareja principal también tenemos el punto de vista de la hermana y el mejor amigo de Cole que son los protagonistas de la siguiente novela de la bilogía y, sinceramente, tiene bastante mejor pinta que esta porque los personajes me han parecido mucho más divertidos.
Tiene algunos puntos de machismo que no me han gustado mucho, entiendo que debe ser un poco la "forma de ser" en el sur de USA porque es un estereotipo que se repite muchísimo en las novelas románticas ambientadas en esa región. La cosa es que al menos es bastante pasable y la parte femenina normalmente se enfada o se rebela cuando ocurre algo así.
Si buscas una novela para pasar un buen rato, que se lea rápida y te enganche para saber más es una buena opción.
Está contada a dos tiempos de modo que vamos viendo lo que ocurre en el ahora mientras conocemos qué pasó entre los personajes principales.
Hago un pequeño resumen bajo spoiler sin mucho detalle por si a alguien le pica la curiosidad: .
Además de la pareja principal también tenemos el punto de vista de la hermana y el mejor amigo de Cole que son los protagonistas de la siguiente novela de la bilogía y, sinceramente, tiene bastante mejor pinta que esta porque los personajes me han parecido mucho más divertidos.
Tiene algunos puntos de machismo que no me han gustado mucho, entiendo que debe ser un poco la "forma de ser" en el sur de USA porque es un estereotipo que se repite muchísimo en las novelas románticas ambientadas en esa región. La cosa es que al menos es bastante pasable y la parte femenina normalmente se enfada o se rebela cuando ocurre algo así.
Si buscas una novela para pasar un buen rato, que se lea rápida y te enganche para saber más es una buena opción.
January 8, 2016
I enjoyed this tale - it ticks all my requisite romance elements - sultry hero with complex back story (not happy), feisty heroine with long history with hero, texas, ranches and cowboys, interesting secondary plot lines, lots of conflict, misdirection and resolution.
I'm sure my vision of Texas (based on novels and tv as never been there) is nothing like reality but the point of novels is to take us out of reality and depict a fantasy - this worked for me, though if I was there I'd be telling most of those men what for!
The two MC's (Cole and Katie) relationship is an emotional roller coaster and proceeds through from Katie age 8 to 21, with highs, lows and emotional drops! Katie's pa has a big role in the major angst part of the story which we find out about 3 years later. The secondary 'romance' of Jett and Nikki was just as intriguing, with an unexpected ending - though I did think he should have just upped sticks and left her to it a long time ago - their ending has the hook for another novel surely?!
Overall a good read to get swept up in.
I'm sure my vision of Texas (based on novels and tv as never been there) is nothing like reality but the point of novels is to take us out of reality and depict a fantasy - this worked for me, though if I was there I'd be telling most of those men what for!
The two MC's (Cole and Katie) relationship is an emotional roller coaster and proceeds through from Katie age 8 to 21, with highs, lows and emotional drops! Katie's pa has a big role in the major angst part of the story which we find out about 3 years later. The secondary 'romance' of Jett and Nikki was just as intriguing, with an unexpected ending - though I did think he should have just upped sticks and left her to it a long time ago - their ending has the hook for another novel surely?!
Overall a good read to get swept up in.
February 27, 2015
My first read of KC Klein's. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and am anxious to read the next in this series. Katie and Cole grew up next door to each other. He's 8 years older and Katie's savior and true love. Cole and his sister Nikki grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and learned the hard way how important money is. Cole works hard to bring the ranch up to par from the age of 16. His best friend Jett is the senator's son and is always trying to help Cole out in the strangest ways at times. Katie is the vet's daughter and knew she was going to marry Cole since she was 8 yrs old. Cole waited for her to grow up and grew frustrated as Katie blossomed into a woman. He had to send her away as a promise to her dad but when she returns home, the sparks fly. It was an interesting road these two traveled to be able to meet in the middle. Hot, cold, hot again. Loved this story!
November 13, 2012
3.5 stars. Texas Wide Open is a fast-paced story that is full of drama, lust and unrequited love. To read my review in its entirety, please click HERE.
January 17, 2013
I really liked this book. I love with the hero thinks he knows best and fights it. This book had an added element to that story line that broke my heart. I'm so glad that everything worked out in the end.
January 31, 2013
This is a great earthy, gritty love story about two very real people who, after far too much time and far too much hurt, find the love they've been meant to share their entire lives. There are moments of humor, of tenderness, of pathos and abiding love. K.C. truly weaves a mesmerizing story.
February 7, 2014
This book causes a rollercoaster of emotions...i lauged i cried i wanted to shake Katie and Cole and tell them just to be in love!!!! I was worried as I got close to the finish of the book that they wouldn't get their happily ever after! I loved this book and couldn't put it down!!!
July 28, 2013
This author is an auto-buy. LOVE the writing. Klein puts you right into the story and you feel the character's every heartbeat. BUY!
November 16, 2013
Truly surprised by how much I loved this book!! I highly recommend it!
June 12, 2013
Really enjoyed this one!
November 10, 2013
I liked this story ,blends the past and present leading to drama hope and love ...
August 27, 2016
4.5 stars!
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