Gambling On A Secret
By: Sara Walter Ellwood
Former runaway-turned
heiress Charli Monroe is hiding her sordid past and planning a future in
Colton, Texas. Attending the local
college for a degree in social work, she intends to raise cattle on her newly
purchased ranch, which she plans to open as a home for troubled teens. Only a
few glitches—the Victorian mansion is crumbling, the barn needs a roof, and her
oilman neighbor wants more than friendship. When she meets Dylan Quinn, Charli
is willing to take a chance on the town drunk to help her rebuild the rundown
ranch.
Dylan
has his demons, too. The former Special Forces commander can’t get past his
ex-wife’s betrayal and the botched mission that left him with much more than a
bad limp. Certain the greedy oilman next door to Charli wants much more than
just her heart, Dylan’s even willing to stop drinking in order to protect her.
When
things get dangerous and secrets of the past are revealed, is he only looking
out for his new employer, or is she the new start he so desperately needs?
CONTENT WARNING: Details
abuse of a minor, drug abuse, alcoholism, swearing, spicy sex, murder.
COVER
QUOTE: “Full of intrigue, tangled pasts, and raw emotions, this
one is guaranteed to keep you turning pages from start to finish and then
wishing for one more chapter!”
Carolyn Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Just a Cowboy and His Baby.
Carolyn Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Just a Cowboy and His Baby.
Ms. Brown also named Gambling
On A Secret as one of her favorite romance reads in 2012 in the Happy
Ever After Blog on USA Today.
My Review:
Charli
Monroe wants to go to school, become a social worker, run a cattle ranch all
while running from her past. Dylan Quinn is a former Special Forces commander
who is struggling to get over the Dear John letter from his ex wife and the
incident that happened in Afghanistan that left him with a limp. I like Charli,
she interviews Dylan while wearing very expensive heels, she’s got money and
isn’t afraid to spend to get what she wants. That’s a fun twist, the heroine
with all the money and the hero not a billionaire who sweeps her off her feet.
Charli doesn’t need Dylan to sweep her off her feet but she does need him to
turn her ranch into a workable, liveable place.
Charli
and Dylan have this amazing chemistry and I loved them. Dylan was so hurt and
so messed up and Charli understands that. This is a great love story set on a
ranch with a bit of a mystery thrown in. It builds up nicely and I would easily
read another book from this author. This isn’t a fall into bed story, they get
to know each other and I love that. Pick this up for a sweet read with a bit of
suspense thrown in, it doesn’t disappoint.
4 Books
I received a review copy in
exchange for an honest review.
Excerpt:
“Ferguson, what are you doing
here?” Dylan barked.
Leon ambled toward them on the
stone path. “I’m saving a young maiden from torment. What are you doing here,
playing the part of the devil?”
“I’m Miss Monroe’s new
manager.” The deadly edge of his voice matched the flintiness of his eyes. “If
there’s anyone to save the young maiden from, it’s you.”
“Mr. Quinn, please.” She turned
to Leon. “Leon, is there something I can do for you?”
He smiled, showing off perfect
white teeth in a face handsome enough to belong to an actor. “I was just
passing by on my way home and decided to stop. How are the boys working out?”
Dylan’s stance widened and his
hands flexed at his slides. “What boys?”
“Charli and I have entered into
a business arrangement.”
She lost the battle with the
urge to wrap her arms around herself. As much as she appreciated Leon’s
kindness, respected him, and was even a little attracted to him, something
about him didn’t sit right with her. He represented her peers in the community.
According to Mrs. Pratt, besides the Cartwrights, she and Leon were undoubtedly
the wealthiest residents in the county. No one in Colton could learn about her
past. It would ruin her, and Leon, no doubt, had the means to dig up the dirt.
“Really?” Dylan stepped closer
to her in a protective manner. Whiskey tainted his breath as the warmth of the
exhalations tickled her cheek. “What kind of business arrangement?”
She could protect herself.
Dylan Quinn wasn’t any safer than Leon Ferguson. Stepping away from him, she
forced her arms to her sides. “Mr. Quinn, I can handle this.”
She faced Leon. “I’m amazed by
how much the men got done since starting on Monday. The foreman told me last
evening they’d be reseeding another fifty acres for hay this morning. And they
have the corrals fixed and started on the fencing in the north pasture.”
“Good, good.” He glanced at
Dylan. “I’ll be going, unless you need a more reliable exterminator. I couldn’t
help but overhear about your snake infestation. I can give you the name of the
company that has gotten rid of the snakes in our lakes over on Oak Springs for
years.”
Although he presented the
perfect solution, she didn’t the like way Leon had looked at Dylan as he said
the word exterminator. “No, Mr. Quinn is quite capable of getting rid of
the snake.”
“Oh, I’m sure he is.” Leon
tipped his hat. “Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you,
Charli.” Dylan’s jaw tightened as his uncle glanced at him. “It’s good to see you
up among the living again.”
Leon headed back to his
Porsche. With no pretense of lowering his voice, Dylan said, “Now, there’s a
snake no one wants in their garden.”
Upon hearing the jibe, Leon’s
shoulders jerked in mid-stride.
Rattled by Leon’s attention and
the snake fiasco, she turned on Dylan. “You aren’t off the hook. I want those
snakes gone.”
“We’ll see.”
“I hate snakes.” She shuddered
and put her hands on her hips. “Maybe I should have asked him who the
exterminator is.”
About the Author:
Sara Walter Ellwood is an award
winning author whose novel Gambling On A Secret was named by bestselling
author Carolyn Brown in the Happy
Ever After Blog on USA Today as one of her favorite romances of 2012.
Although Sara has long ago left the farm for the glamour of the big town, she
draws on her experiences growing up on a small hobby farm in West Central
Pennsylvania to write her stories. She’s been married to her college sweetheart
for nearly 20 years, and they have two teenagers and one very spoiled rescue
cat named Penny. She longs to visit the places she writes about and jokes she’s
a cowgirl at heart stuck in Pennsylvania suburbia.
She also writes paranormal
romantic suspense under the pen name of Cera duBois.
Buy Links:
Lyrical Press: http://www.lyricalpress.com/gambling-on-a-secret/
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gambling-on-a-secret-sara-walter-ellwood/1114062294?ean=2940016153667
BookStrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/gambling-on-a-secret
Author links:
Website: http://www.sarawalterellwood.com
Giveaway:
Sara
is hosting a TOUR WIDE giveaway for a $5.00 Amazon/B&N Gift Card to one
randomly drawn commenter. Please leave a comment with a VALID EMAIL ADDRESS.
Thank you for hosting today!
ReplyDeleteSounds like something to put on my TBR! Thank you for sharing the excerpt and post!
ReplyDeleteDawnbushemail@yahoo.com