She needs a husband to keep her ranch…can she convince the cowboy next-door to marry her?Darren Dumond has been working at Chestnut Ranch since he sold his place after the death of his first wife. But he starts to see the woman who owns the ranch just north of where he works over the summer, and he thinks his heart can handle a new relationship.His heart was wrong.He ends things with Sarena, … wrong.
He ends things with Sarena, but he’s oh-so-lonely.
And Sarena Adams is desperate.
Her father died a few months ago, and she only has six months to get married or she and her sisters lose the ranch to their greedy uncle.
He’ll never get Fox Hollow, she vows.
And if that means she has to swallow her pride and go back to the only man who’s made her heart beat faster—and who’s broken that heart—she will.
Perhaps Darren could redo the marriage thing if it wasn’t real…
Can Darren and Sarena make their fake marriage work? Or will the feelings get too real and leave them both broken-hearted for a second time?
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Can they recover together?
Darren and Sarena are both still reeling from the death of loved ones, both would rather hide than move forward, can they move forward together? To a future neither dared to dream of, but hope for.
This is an emotional journey full of guilt, forgiveness, fear, hope and understanding….but will that be enough to find love?
The sixth book in the series, it is a sweet romance but it doesn’t steal the title of series favourite, which for me goes to book 5.
Available on Kindle Unlimited this is a lovely series if you like your romance with teasers but little to no sex then you have a ranch full if cowboys here for your entertainment.
An absolutely amazing second chance romance. It is emotionally deep, beautiful, funny, and sweet with some drama, secrets, twists and turns, and ups and downs. The characters are likeable, well developed, and amazing together. Beautifully written, this story is very interesting and will hold your interest from start to finish. Strongly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
So much can happen over a pasture fence!! Darren and Serena were very backwards in the start of this relationship and had many insecurities to work through
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Sarena and Darren had been dancing around dating each other for a while and discovered that they liked each other. Darren discovers he is afraid of hurting Sarena because he is still in love with his late wife Diana. Sarena approaches Darren with a last ditch plea, help her keep the ranch by marrying her. Both struggle with their feelings as they walk through this unorthodox marriage. Interesting read.
What a wonderful story!! Darren and Sarena are a wonderful couple. I like how the author wrote their struggles and how they worked through them. I loved reading about Griffin and Toni’s wedding and look forward to Serendipity and Brian’s story.
Heat level: mild (kissing only)
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I just loved this book. It was so well-written that it captured my mind and I was dragged along for the ride. Once I started reading I could not put it down until I read the last page.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
such a lovely sweet tale of how two people, who perceiving themselves as broken, give each other the desire to love again.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a well written book that holds your attention. It’s a sweet clean heartwarming read that will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next. This book was a joy to read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A few moments of emotional roller coaster rides, a bit of suspense and add in a twist or two and it’s a book you have a hard time putting down. The characters are wonderful and easy to fall in love with. The story is well written and flows from page to page.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a very sweet story with several emotional ups and downs, along with a bit of a mystery and a plot twist or two. I really enjoyed the way this book shows finding love again after a loss, and that it shows the whole process sometimes isn’t as simple as just deciding that you’re ready. I also appreciated that Darren and Sarena show us that relationships take work. That it’s more than love at first sight, fated mates, overwhelming chemistry, or any other trope in the genre. I’m looking forward to seeing what the other has in store for the other Adams sisters.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book through Booksprout.
I was willing to accept Darren’s hesitation about getting involved with Serena because of his ex-wife’s death. But he seemed to suddenly get over it and start dating Serena again.
I thought Darren and Serena were close to 40, if not in their 40’s. I didn’t understand why Serena felt so strongly about keeping their marriage a secret AFTER they had gotten married. Especially, why keep it secret from her uncle. I really thought Darren might be more forceful in their relationship. He just seemed to be along for the ride.
Then, I really didn’t understand why as a grown man, he didn’t tell his parents or family that he was married. If his survivors guilt was that strong, maybe the point was that he came to terms with it through his faith. There was no sense of chemistry between Darren and Serena. He certainly did not have a forceful personality.
When I think about it, what was wrong with ALL of these, supposed mature, ADULT people that held onto so many secrets?
Darren and Serena got their HEA, but the behaviors in this book left me with unanswered questions. It was a sweet romance, but kind of blah, and I was glad that they truly fell for each other in the end.
I voluntarily read and reviewed the Advanced Reader Copy received from Booksprout.
Darren is a ranch hand at Chestnut Ranch. He and Sarena dated for a while, and they had a good time together, but he broke it off when it felt like he was cheating on his deceased wife. Sarena needs a husband – fast! – or the ranch will go to her Uncle Dale, according to the terms of her father’s will. Darren doesn’t want to lose her completely, so he agrees to help her out. They try keeping the marriage a secret, but you know small towns… They both admit that they’d like to see if they can turn the fake marriage into a real one in time. This is such a great addition to the series. Both characters are struggling to overcome deaths of a loved one – his wife and her father. She has the added burden of finding out other family secrets. Darren and Sarena are real and flawed, and people I’d like to know in real life. Her sisters are a hoot – his friends and employers are like family to him. And I’m looking forward to the next book, where I hope that Seren will let Brian kiss her.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
At the reading of their father’s Will, Sarena Adams and her two sisters are told that one of them has to get married to inherit the ranch – otherwise their greedy Uncle Dale will get it! Sarena agrees that she will be the one to marry, but now she has to convince Darren Dumond, a cowboy working at a neighboring ranch and who had dated her previously, to help her pull this off.
Darren has cut himself off from love since his wife died. But he is very lonely and may be ready to try again. When Sarena talks to him about her situation which must be resolved within 6 months, Darren agrees to help her with a fake marriage. When their feelings start to come into it, will they decide to make the marriage a real one? Or will they walk away once everything is finalized?
This story line is getting a bit overworked, but the author did a good job with. Grab your copy and see if the ranch is saved and if a more permanent arrangement is ultimately made between Darren and Sarena.
Ever since Darren and Sarena and their relationship was discussed in the last book I’ve been looking forward to reading their story. They were both broken, he by the loss of his wife and some post traumatic stress over it and she by the loss of her foot and her father and the stipulations in his will that she or one of her sister have to married to inherit the ranch. Darren and Sarena were attracted to each other, so even though their marriage was on paper only it had the potential to one day be real. Darren shied away from Serena at times afraid that his feelings for her would mean he’d gotten over the loss of his wife. She seemed like she was afraid to risk her heart also, putting up a front at times. But they were both willing to fight for their marriage. I loved his puppy Koda and her sisters Serendipity and Sorrell were a riot. I’m looking forward to reading their romances.
Sarena needs a husband to fulfill her father’s will or she will loss the ranch she grew up on and works it everyday. She had dated Darren for a few weeks and really liked him but he suddenly broke things off with her. Darren never told Sarena about his wife Diana that died five years ago and he tried dating her and liked her but he felt that he was cheating on Diana. She finally tells him she has to marry soon and why but he does not think he is ready but after a few days comes back and agrees to marry but they will not live together has husband and wife. Loved this book and wanted to slap Darren a few times because he was just too closed off to move on after five years and felt sorry for Sarena for having to put up with his constantly changing moods but she stuck it out and in the end all was well
Darren and Sarena were a well-matched couple as we get to realize when their fake relationship turns very emotionally real indeed. This type of storyline is becoming quite common amongst authors lately but not all of those authors have the ability to pull it off with as much success as Ms. Eugene does. Her books become better with each one that I read. I am looking forward to what she has planned next for us in this wonderful series!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This story is quite fine. Cowboy story through and through. It felt a bit drawn out and a bit too long but nothing that is easy to point a finger at. The beginning of the story was quite longish I felt and the real deal started somehow a bit late. But it is well written and the characters were well written. So overall it was quite a fine story and I am glad to be able to give it four fantastic stars.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A sweet and touching book about second chances and the power of true love, Sarena and Darren were an amazing couple and lovable people, you will love them.
Emmy Eugene follow a lot of other writers with the fake marriage theme with Sarena needing to be married to save her ranch. Darren, a widow and sure he’ll love again, agrees to help her.
I have mixed thoughts about Darrens character lack of backbone and waffling. Seems like a lot of authors like to got for what they consider strong women and make the men almost weak and wishy washy to go along with them.
Overall it was a good read. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
I liked the book but…
Darren and Sarena had a thing going then it was off now Sarena needs help so she turns to Darren. You will notice that both of these characters really need to talk to each other because there are a few misunderstandings due to problems in communication. Where I enjoyed the book I do agree with one reviewer that the author has made Darren rather weak and wishy-washy. I am not sure why authors are so bent on de-masculine male characters. It is ok to have both strong and weak combined because that is what is real. I am interested to see what else Ms. Eugene writes. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.