Andy may not have pipeline know-how, per se, but she’s got brains and every right to prove that she can do the job. Her estranged grandpa, Buck, believes she has what it takes to be his engineering assistant, and she’s not about to let him down. Rooster isn’t a bad guy. He respects women, he was raised by one of the best. But that new girl is too small and… feminine. She’s a distraction, plain … distraction, plain and simple, and she doesn’t belong on a pipeline. This job is his chance to impress Buck Brennan, a pipeline legend, and no girly greenhorn is going to ruin it for him.
Will Andy prove herself to her grandfather and forge a relationship with the old man, or will continuous disagreements and unexpected sexual tension between Andy and Rooster derail their hard work?
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Author Kirsten Fullmer has worked in the field of engineering, has been a teacher at the college level, was a freelance consultant, and has an affinity for art. Now retired, she has published ten novels including her six part HOMETOWN SERIES, SUGAR MOUNTAIN, and now, LOVE ON THE LINE.
One kindred spirit in Kirsten’s romance novels is the presence of strong female characters and how they cope with love, life and relationships, as is apparent in her opening chapter as we meet Andrea: ‘Andrea couldn’t ignore her boots. Not only were they stiff and chafing her ankles, they were clean. Practically spotless. Then again, it wasn’t like the men were staring at her feet. Hunching her shoulders, she clutched at the ends of her shirtsleeves, gripping them over her fingers like a cocoon. It was too warm for her heavy coat, but downright chilly without it. “You take them papers on over to the man behind the desk,” Grandpa Buck instructed, pointing toward the office manager. She peered up at the tall, thin man who’d brought her to the mountains of West Virginia, and her mother’s words rang in her mind for the umpteenth time. ‘He’s no good, Andrea; you can’t depend on him.’ But Andy had her own opinions of her Grandpa’
The author’s summary outlines the plot: ‘‘Andrea never thought she’d live in a camp trailer or work outdoors in inhospitable climates; but eager to leave the stress and tedium of grad-school behind, she sets off with her estranged grandpa, Buck, to build a pipeline through the rugged mountains of West Virginia. She’s determined to understand the man and the family divide that drove him away. Once the job starts, she forms an unlikely friendship with Nick, the rough and tumble foreman of the bending crew. Most of the guys aren’t willing to accept her, and Rooster, the handsome, cocky, tie-in foreman, is determined that she’s a ridiculous distraction. But building a pipeline is fraught with danger, fatigue, and confrontation as egos collide. Caught up in the all-male social microcosm, Andrea can’t help but understand the pecking order, and she’s at the bottom. Being a woman makes it even more unlikely she’ll be accepted. Buck proves to be a taskmaster, but a kindhearted teddy bear of a man under a gruff exterior, and Andrea comes to love him, opening herself up to the pain of his past. Rooster and Andrea are drawn to each other, yet they know an on-the-job romance will only cause problems. Rooster is tormented by his own past, and determined to prove himself to Buck, a pipeline ledged. Messing with the old man’s granddaughter is a line Rooster refuses to cross. But as Andrea shows herself to be a hard worker and a valuable member of the crew, she earns Rooster’s respect and he can’t keep his distance. It seems the couple can’t go back, they can’t move forward, and they can’t let go. Both will have to make sacrifices and take a chance on ruining their credibility in order to be together.’
Kirsten is at the top of her game with this fine novel. Fast paced and full of thoughtful insights into family and romance. Recommended.
Love on the Line by Kirsten Fullmer is the first in her Women at Work series and is an impressive start. Andrea “Andy” chose to work on the pipeline with her Grandpa Buck to save up for graduate school, but an engineer assistant is much harder than she thought. Being surrounded by rough men every day, the long hours, and the physical strength needed is almost more than Andy can endure. Rooster is determined that Andy shouldn’t be there and is determined she should know it, only making Andy adamant about staying. Can they find a truce before things get too hot?
This was a very informative and entertaining book for me. The story of self-discovery, rebuilding lost family connections, and finding love made this story really interesting but the strong, smart woman (Andy) proving herself in a “mans world” and refusing to bow down to pressure, mockery and out right discrimination was the main selling point. Kirsten’s passion for this story was palpable and how could you not love a book that is clearly so close to the author’s heart.
This is a book with many levels. The main being Andy, a young woman wanting to establish herself in a male orientated world and prove herself to her peers and grandfather; dealing with sexism and perseverance against the elements. The book is full of information about pipe laying and I always appreciate an opportunity to learn new things through reading so that was great. The story also has a bit of a forbidden romance between Andy and her supervisor which I thought was a nice touch and played out well. The family tensions added a nice realism to Andy’s world. The book is really well written and I can see that Kirsten Fullmer is a gifted writer, I will definitely be checking out her other books.
This book turned out to be so much more than a turbulent love story and for me that made the story so much more impactful. I really enjoyed seeing the growth of Andy as a woman and the development of the relationship between Buck, the grandfather, and Andy was very touching. There are so many pieces to the story; Managing a new job in an especially challenging environment, an “office romance” and family drama, make the book really true to life. 5 stars for an entertaining and relatable book!
This romance is so much more than it seems. Love on the line was my introduction to the work by Kristen Fullmer and I quite enjoyed it. I was never curious about pipelining but this story gave such detailed insight. Hats off to these men and women who work in this field, daily throughout the many seasons in the year.
Andy, a young girl trying to find herself, decides to work with her maternal grandfather, Buck, learning his engineering work with pipelining. Andy has never done this type of work before, and she is not very close to her grandfather.
Rooster enjoys his work and wants to make a big impression on the legend Buck. However, as much as he respects women, he cannot understand why Andy is there every day and why she gets to work with the legend.
These two have their walls built up around them to keep each other at bay. Yet the attraction is strong. Can they have a relationship in this male-dominated workforce? Will Andy also have a relationship with her grandfather after all of this?
I will be reading some more of Kristen Fullmer’s work!
5 Cranky Stars
I never even thought about Pipelining before. Never considered how our natural gas got to our homes or what life must be like for the workers. This story explained everything to me and added really relatable people that I fell in love with. I’m sad that the story ended.
Andy is a greenhorn to the pipeline and the only woman. Working with her grandpa Buck is hard and gruelling but so rewarding. With time she is able to prove her worth and even catch the eye of Rooster.
Rooster has a past that keeps him motivated to never lose his home. He loves his job and most of the guys he works with. They’re a family. When Andy walks in things change and so does his prospective.
This story shows how even the strongest family units have issues. Life can be hard but your outlook on it can change everything. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.
Andrea – Andy – is a young woman who decides to go work as engineering assistant to her estranged grandfather. Working in a man-dominated environment is hard for her, but she is stubborn and I was impressed with her dedication to succeed. Intense cold and later on heat, mud everywhere, intense labor while she is a small woman. Wow!
Tristan (Rooster) is one of the foremen and is against Andy working at the pipeline. She is too small he deems and the work is too dangerous and physical. He is however attracted to Andy. His goal is to make a good impression on the engineer and discovering that’s Andy’s grandfather makes it difficult. And when the job ends, Rooster will go on to another pipeline-job while Andy will go home.
I thought this was quite an interesting book. Not your usual romance! The only thing I disliked was the family misunderstanding, that could have been resolved easily years ago. There could have been a bit more at the end, an epilogue would have been nice!
(2017)