Welcome to the Six Pack Ranch, where one sweet young thing plus the Coleman boys equals trouble with a capital T.

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Blake Coleman is old enough to know that acting on impulse causes nothing but a heap of trouble. But when trouble’s a blonde wearing a cowboy hat with slim legs that go on forever, what’s a man to do? Wanting the sweet girl next door is just wrong. Hell, he was the one that taught her to ride a horse and now all he can think about is riding her. The responsible thing to do is keep his hands off.

Jaxi has other plans for his hands, and his heart. She may have considered Blake a big brother once but that was a long time ago. She’s all grown up now and ready to convince him that she’s just what he’s been waiting for.
Add the complication of two sexy younger brothers who have suddenly noticed Jaxi and things heat up fast. Blake’s gonna have to decide if a little trouble is worth fighting for.

After a particularly hot prologue that sets the scene for the rest of this novella, the story truly starts when Blake Coleman’s mom breaks her arm in an apple picking accident. Jaxi is the one to take care of her until she’s better and this puts her in close proximity to Blake, her childhood’s crush, a proximity she welcomes because she’s ready to make her move on Blake. She’s had her friendly fun with the other Colemans, even dated Travis, which didn’t work out but now it’s time to rope in her man.

Jaxi is a sweet, loyal and quick-witted young woman. She has always considered the Colemans as her second family because of her close friendship with the younger brothers, the twins, and the neglect by her own family.
Blake is caring, giving and responsible, the typical traits of a first-born son.

Even though on the surface Jaxi and Blake relationship seems a big brother-little sister relationship type of thing, it’s soon clear that they have feelings for each other that defy any brother-sister type of relationship. Both fight those feelings though, Jaxi because she is sure Blake doesn’t reciprocate the feelings and Blake because he is ten years older than Jaxi and feels like he’s too old for her. At first Jaxi’s relationship with Travis seems to be the big problem but this is soon taken care of. Travis does have some sort of secret that was a very intriguing given in the book. I am fairly certain I know what that secret is and am anxious to see it confirmed. I must also admit that Travis’ character puzzled me a bit, certainly if my suspicions about his secret turn out to be correct. I am not a fan of him. He treated Jaxi badly and acted like a first-class jerk. Am very curious to see what Vivian is going to make of his story

For a short novella, I have to say it was a very good read. It had development in the characters, spanned a reasonable and believable period of time and the romance, sex and characters were very well balanced. Kudos to Vivian Arend for proving that short novellas can be satisfying too and the length of a story doesn’t have to impede the storytelling qualities.

So if you’re looking for a hot and sweet contemporary with Canadian cowboys, ROCKY MOUNTAIN HEAT would be the perfect choice because it was a short and sweet and above all, a HOT read. I loved it from start to finish and when I was done I couldn’t wait to see what Vivian Arend had in store for the other Coleman boys/men.

Rating: 8 out of 10



Welcome to the Six Pack Ranch, where learning to live again takes some sensual twists.

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Beth Danube has escaped to a small Alberta town to make a new start for herself and her three little boys. Her emotionally abusive husband may be dead and buried, but so is her heart. What she doesn’t want is another man in her life—not now, maybe not ever. Yet when her libido reawakens after ten years of unsatisfactory sex in the missionary position is any woman strong enough to turn down sex-in-boots, Daniel Coleman?

The middle child of the rowdy Coleman boys, Daniel’s the quiet one who has always subdued his desires and acted as peacemaker. His powerful attraction to the young widow takes him by storm, and he’s willing to pursue her until they both find satisfaction—in and out of the bedroom.

Only Beth isn’t sure she’s ready to cross the line. Becoming friends with blazing hot benefits means she’s still the one in control. Letting her heart trust again? She isn’t that brave—or foolish. Daniel is going to have to be mighty convincing to help her overcome the past.

Beth Danube and Daniel Coleman meet during a night on the town in a Calgary bar. Sparks sizzle but Beth is not planning on pursuing anything with the first man who makes her want to explore her sexuality after an abusive relationship. Then faith lands her right in Daniel’s arms again when she moves to his hometown and ends up in a farmhouse owned by his father. Daniel always wondered why the woman he shared some hot moments with months ago, ran off leaving him with no way to contact her. Now that she’s fallen into his lap, he’s not letting her go again.

Beth has had a rough past, after a terrible accident in which her abusive husband died and she was left with a severe leg-injury, she’s trying to build a new life for her and her three sons Lance, Nathan and Robbie. She’s resilient and strong, despite the adversities she’s been through.

Daniel is the quiet Coleman brother, the peacemaker. He’s confident and direct but he’s also intuitive and compassionate.

I loved this second installment of the Six Pack Ranch series as much, if not more, as the first one. I loved the contraction in Daniel. He is quiet and sweet but also sexually dominant at the same time. I also loved Beth’s strength and her love for her sons and as a reader who likes children as characters in romance, Beth’s sons stole my heart and Nathan broke it when he opened up to Daniel about his fears. No I didn’t keep it dry, but don’t tell me you were expecting me too because by now everyone knows I’m a crybaby when it comes to emotional stuff in books.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HAVEN is another hot, hot, hot book in this series. Vivian Arend is very talented and creative when it comes to sex scenes. They are explicit and beautifully written and I can guarantee you need something to cool down with once you’re done with her books.

In a rather small page count Vivian Arend delivered a beautiful story, full of loveable characters, hot sex, family dynamics and sweet romance. I didn’t think she could top ROCKY MOUNTAIN HEAT with its sequel but she certainly did by giving me the emotional, tear-jerking ending I crave so much in the romances I read.

Quotes:
She came undone. Between the relentless strokes, the dirty talk and the whole
naughtiness of the situation, the earth unraveled and took her with it. His mouth clamped down on hers as she started to cry out, the need to express the pleasure tearing her apart, overriding the logical sections of her brain.

"Tonight, you're mine. No games, no playing. Just open yourself up and give
yourself to me, Beth. Let go and let me catch you." Her throat was tight as he suspended himself over her, thigh to thigh, nose to nose. His eyes, oh damn—his eyes were beautiful. Full of tenderness and need and she wrapped her arms around his torso and pulled him down on top of her, sighing as his bare
skin touched hers as if for the first time.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

In general about this series and the writing:

I have found another pack of cowboy siblings to love and add to my keeper shelves because next to the McKays from Wyoming (yup, I’m talking Lorelei James here) I now have the Colemans from Alberta. All the Coleman brothers are undeniably and deliciously yummy, from Blake down to the oh-so naughty double-teaming twins Joel and Jesse whose story I am awaiting with abated breath. From the obnoxious Travis to the quiet Daniel and the mediator Matt, they all have that “come-to-mama-and-let-me-make-you-feel-real-good” vibe that just pulls you in. The bond between them is strong and heartwarming and the banter is highly amusing.

Though I’ve only read these two books in the series (because there are only two so far…I’m pining for the next), I already know that each book has a different and unique vibe to it. Each book fits the personalities of the main couple both sexually and emotionally. I appreciate this in series and Vivian Arend did a great job of it.

Whether it’s straight contemporary, paranormal or cowboy romance, Vivian Arend's writing is so easy and natural it’s no hardship to read. Humorous, hot, down-to-earth…I really like that combination and they keep pulling me back to her books. Shortly I’ll have read her complete backlist and yearning for more if I keep this up…