Can love help a champion bull rider face his fears and find his future? Welcome to Heart Falls, a new series from New York Times bestselling author Vivian Arend. Ivy Field’s heart nearly broke when she left Heart Falls, but her high school sweetheart insisted she follow-through on her dream of becoming a teacher. She thought that meant putting their relationship on hold briefly, but it’s taken … their relationship on hold briefly, but it’s taken eleven years to return. Now she’s back, no longer a painfully shy young girl but a confident woman who knows exactly what and who she wants—a home and a family—with too-sexy-for-his-boots Walker Stone. He was her first; she wants him to be her last.
Walker “Dynamite” Stone was still reeling from his parents’ unexpected deaths when Ivy left. He let her go, throwing himself into work on the Silver Stone ranch and dangerous living on the rodeo circuit. But lately Walker’s adrenaline junkie ways have crashed—he’s having panic attacks. While potentially devastating to his budding musical career, they’re a deadly handicap when shooting for eight seconds aboard an angry bull. He needs to learn to face his fears to save the family fortunes. If he succeeds, this time Walker will be the one to leave Heart Falls, and Ivy, behind.
Will Ivy and Walker have to give up on forever, or can they turn this rancher’s song into a winning duet?
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I”ve read many books by Vivian Arend and I really like the way she bring in characters from previous novels. You can always count on her for a good story.
I’ve been a fan of Vivian Arend for a couple years. I’ve read much of the Rocky Mountain series and was curious about her new series. When I was asked to review A Rancher’s Song, I jumped at the chance. This is the second book in this series. The book stands alone, but there were times where I felt if I’d read book one, some things would make more sense.
A Rancher’s Song is a reunion story. Ivy and Walker were high school sweethearts who went their separate ways following graduation. Ivy went off to college and Walker ended up in the rodeo. Now years later, they’re both back in their home town and obviously still have feelings for each other. They also both have secrets and issues to overcome.
Ivy was a much easier character to like. She’s overcome various obstacles in life and now is ready to live life to the fullest and go after what she wants most. She’s got her dream job, is back around family and now she wants Walker.
Walker on the other hand was a little harder to get a grasp on. I don’t mean to say he wasn’t likable, he was. But he was a little brooding and like a lot of guys, he didn’t want to talk about what was bothering him. His internal struggles got a little repetitive after a while.
The romance between Ivy and Walker is the whole story. It is sweet and well developed. There wasn’t any crazy drama or external forces trying to tear them apart. In fact, it seems that everyone was cheering them on. In the end, it was just internal issues with Ivy and Walker that had to be handled in order to find their happy ever after.
All in all, I found this to be an enjoyable read. I could have used a little drama, some sort of friction. But it was a sold read and my emotions were engaged. If you’re looking for a good western romance, check this one out.
My review originally posted at Romancing the Book.
Good book
This is a wonderful story about Cowboys and true Cowboys still living is amazing series with recommend them all
I LOVE all of Vivian ‘s books!
very good
Very steamy, but good.
I mostly get free books through Bookbub. The characters were wonderful and the story so well written that I bought the next book in the series to see what happened to the next character.
Great book. I love this author.
Entertaining
Oh, it is so sweet when the tumbleweeds find their way back home!
Ivy and Walker were high school sweethearts, and she is back home to stay after being away for 11 years. Walker has been out on the rodeo circuit, but is back for the summer to make some choices. Neither of them ever got over the other, and they parted so Ivy could pursue her dream of becoming a teacher. As they get to know each other again, they realize they are more mature, but they still feel the same. Circumstances are reversed this time around, and Ivy has to figure if she can do what is best for Walker, while Walker needs to figure out what is best for him
A truly sweet and sexy journey as two people fall in love all over again!
Wonderful story with such likeable and real characters you wish you knew them in real life.
I have been a fan of this author for years and love her paranormal world. Ms Arend is one of the very few authors whose contemporary books I read and enjoy.
What a lovely sweet read about second chances with the Stone and Coleman family dynamics thrown in for good measure.
Ivy and Walker were childhood sweethearts but Walker made a huge sacrifice and pushed Ivy to follow her dreams.
These two never forgot or stopped wanting the other.
Ivy knows what she wants her life to be going forward now she is back in Heart Falls after qualifying as a teacher.
Ivy knows she wants a chance with Walker, a grown-up chance at a future that nearly never happened due to her health problems.
Walker has been on the rodeo circuit but is having problems, he is unfortunately fighting some guilt and demons which he believes he is going to have to sort out on his own. Not in this family he won’t. Whilst they let him work it out on his own they are fully supporting him every step of the way.
Love the hint of something between Luke and Kelli and the teaser at the end for the next book.
Also have Brad and Hanna to look forward too and something is going on with Ginny in Italy.
Lots of background action and interaction as is usual from this author to give you a well-rounded and interesting read.
Once again this author has written a story that makes me laugh and cry and leaves me feeling content and feeling like I have enjoyed myself.
This is my honest review of this book.
ARC – I voluntarily offered to review this book with no obligations and my opinions are honest
This was a book about second chances.
Sometimes the choices that you make might lead you on a path that you might or might not have wanted.
Ivy + Walker are 2 of those people.
This book is about how they found their way back home, and to each other.
The storytelling + the character’s build were awesome!
It has all the ingredients that you need for a great book!
I can’t wait for the next book in the new series!
This is Book 2 in the Heart Falls series. It is a stand-alone book. Ivy and Walker were high school sweethearts who had different dreams in life. She wanted to be a teacher and he let her go. It was a difficult time for Walker whose parents had died unexpectedly. Now she’s back and he will be the one leaving. They are struggling but it’s to be expected after 11 years. Can this sweet romance ever come together between the 2 of them? I loved the way the author brought this couple to us. It’s like they are part of our lives and we want to step into the book to help them out. I really enjoyed reading this book and watching as they struggled but overcame so much in their lives. They did this together and separate. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*A copy of this book was gifted to me from the author and freely give my honest review*
I liked it very much; a little slow in the beginning but boy did it escalate….
* Very good storyline that was going at a steady pace. Once the first chapter was done I couldn’t put it down.
* The author has built a world I want to live in.
* Characters that feels familiar and I think one of the reasons is that she introduced them slowly in the previous books.
* Walker and Ivy has a sweet connection that is described in a very tasteful way.
* No unnecessary descriptions of surroundings and dialogues that keeps the story running.
I recommend you dive in to this world
***4 ‘Tumbleweeds’ Stars***
Vivian Arend is one of those authors whose books I always look forward to reading because I know that I’m going to get a story that will have me pretty smiling the whole time as the MC’s figure out what they want while their family and friends, who are always, always vibrant and intriguing in their own rights, add in their two cents without adding on more drama than necessary and I got that and more. A Rancher’s Song is sweet, smexy and filled with lots of heart and laughter.
Walker is a sweetheart, and that may sound bad, but it’s not. He’s a good man who loves his family and friends and will do what needs to be done to help out when and where he can. Ivy is an enigma. There is a sassy, take no prisoners side to her that is mingled with a need to not be the center of attention. She’s had struggles to overcome, but she has and is looking towards her future.
Walker and Ivy’s second chance romance was fun and sweet. There are a few bumps, but no major drama. It’s simply two people who had different paths to travel crossing paths again and deciding what they want their future to look like. The connection and chemistry between them jumped off the page and I loved how things worked out for them in the end.
I’m a fangirl of the author, as is obvious from the opening of this review, and one part is due to her no muss, no fuss way of telling the story. She doesn’t add in drama, for drama’s sake and she has her characters take the high road aka the mature adult way (most of the time) of dealing with the issues they are dealing with. The other part is that I love how the family dynamic just jumps off the page and makes you believe that these characters are as close as you want them to be. I will admit that I’m happy this particular family/series doesn’t appear to have as extensive of a family tree as her Rocky Mountain House series, but I love visiting with them just as much. Catching up with Caleb, Tamar, Emma and Sasha was fun as was hanging out with Luke and Dustin. And getting to know Ivy’s sisters and their friends better was awesome! And after the little tease at the end of the book, I cannot wait to get my hands on the next two in the series!
So, if you are looking for a romance that’s on the sweet but still smexy, low on angst read, then this is definitely a must read for you!
~ Copy provided by the author & voluntarily reviewed ~
A RANCHER’S SONG is the second instalment in Vivian Arend’s contemporary, adult THE STONES OF HEART FALLS / HEARTS FALLS erotic cowboy, romance series focusing on the Stone siblings of Heart Falls, Alberta. This is rodeo champion Walker ‘Dynamite’ Stone, and grade school teacher Ivy Field’s story line. The HEART FALLS series is a spin off from the authors SIX PACK RANCH series but you do not have to have read the original series to follow or understand the current story lines.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Ivy and Walker) A RANCHER’S SONG is a second chance story line between rodeo champion Walker ‘Dynamite’ Stone, and grade school teacher Ivy Fields. Years earlier Ivy Field left her home town of Heart Falls, Alberta to pursue a post secondary education but in doing so left behind her high school sweetheart, who continues to suffer with the loss of his parents years before. Enter rodeo champion Walker ‘Dynamite’ Stone, the man with whom Ivy is still in love, but a man who struggles with his path in life including claiming the woman who stole his heart. What ensues is the rekindling romance between Ivy and Walker, and the potential fall-out as their time together comes with an end date as Walker is pushed to make a life altering decision that will affect the family ranch, and the rest of his life.
Walker Stone suffers with mind-numbing panic attacks that leave our hero with no memory of the how or why. The return of Ivy Fields finds Walker reconsidering the future, a future that may or may not involve staying in Heart Falls with the woman he loves. Ivy is often overwhelmed at family gatherings and public affairs, in this Walker and Ivy are more or less kindred spirits in heart and love.
The relationship between Ivy and Walker is one of second chances; a rekindling romance between high school sweethearts who have never stopped loving one another so much so that neither one moved forward in their personal lives. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic, and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
There are a large number of colorful secondary and supporting characters including Walker’s brothers Dustin, Luke and Caleb (Tamara) Stone; ranch hand Kelli James, local firefighter Bradley, single mom / office cleaner Hanna and her eight year old daughter Crissy, as well as Ivy’s sisters Tansy, Fern and Rose; their parents Sophie and Malachi Fields; and an assortment of Stone extended family, cousins, siblings and friends from the Six Pack Ranch Series. Brad and Hanna’s story is next in A FIREFIGHTER’S CHRISTMAS GIFT September 2018.
A RANCHER’S SONG is a story of family and friendship; romance and love; second chances and a happily ever after. The premise is seductive and engaging; the characters are charismatic and dynamic; the romance is hot and provocative. A RANCHER’S SONG is an energetic, inspiring and encouraging story of romance and love.