Brooke Markham needs a man. A real good man. But she’s not looking for a keeper. She’s too busy kicking ass, running an empire, and caring for her ailing father to spend time with men who want annoying things like relationships and commitment and…conversation. Brooke knows what she wants and it’s not a future with the growly barkeep. JJ Harniczek needs money. A whole lot of money. He’s determined … lot of money.
He’s determined to launch his distillery, expand his tavern, and put Talbott’s Cove on the foodie tourism map. But there’s no way he’s asking Brooke for a dime. Not before he takes her to bed and definitely not after.
JJ knows where he’s headed and the blonde bombshell isn’t about to change that.
Not until she changes his entire world.
Return to Talbott’s Cove with this steamy rom-com standalone!
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LOVED IT!
Another installment of Talbotts Cove – god I loved this self-deprecating mad at the world woman who was so smart, so witty and just needed someone to take care of her even as resisted. I loved the texting threads, the bloodless sister relationship and of course, the navigation of hating to love. I loved these characters!!
Kate Canterbary is a favorite author of mine, she’s clever; her characters are so real, flawed and relatable. A top 2019 book!
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Every time I read a Kate Canterbary book I think, “this is my favorite yet.” Well, here I am again saying the same thing. I absolutely LOVED this book. I laughed out loud so many times!! Kate’s writing is so much better than I can even put into words!!
Brook and JJ have a history of sorts. But of course having grown up in small town Talbots Cove, who doesn’t. Brook is smart and feisty, sexy and blunt. She’s a bit of a hard ass but she is one of those people that you want on your side!! Deep down she is so much more than she lets on but is so afraid to show it. Her relationship with Annette is one any woman would be grateful to have. Her relationship with JJ is unique. She’s lucky he knew her so well and put up with her.
The back and forth between Brook and Annette and Brook and JJ in text message was hysterical. I just can’t say enough about Brooks character. Her in your face cocky kind of attitude would normally be an issue for men but JJ just seemed to roll with the punches and knew she’d keep coming back for more.
JJ is one hell of a catch. He too is smart and sexy and he knows his woman. He knows what he wants and what she wants. He handled Brook, but don’t tell her, perfectly. He gave her enough space but he was always there and always seemed to know what she was thinking or what she needed before she did. They are amazing together and he brings out the best in her. So nice to see her soften, just a little, behind closed doors.
This book was an amazing!! An absolute MUST READ along with all Kate’s books.
Understandably angry
Brooke-Ashley Markham is an angry woman. I would be angry if I were in her shoes, too, but sexy tavern owner JJ has just the cure. Between JJ and best friend Annette, Brooke’s jagged edges start to be soothed. Like a big, fiery hot onion, Brooke’s prickly layers start to peel away and the woman that’s revealed is a big beautiful bundle of trouble and heart, and I loved her. Brooke and JJ are the most fun (and infuriating) couple I’ve met in a long time!
This is SO much more than boy meets girl. Or vice versa.
Brooke and JJ are front and center…but there’s so much of life here.
There’s the family that you’re born with, and the family that you make. If you’re lucky, they’re one and the same. But if not, that’s no less your family….Brooke and Annette’s bloodless sister bond. Nate. Even the begrudging relationship between JJ and Jackson.
Then there’s the weight of expectations. Those that people put on you. Those that the world puts on you. And those that you put on yourself – those are the heaviest. And you’re the only one who can put them down.
I’m going to be thinking about Talbott’s Cove for a long time.
I have never met a Kate Canterbary book that I don’t love. I look forward to every release and has been looking forward to JJ and Brooke since she introduced them in Hard Pressed, the first Talbott Cove romance. I love the little Maine village and every little details she put into it. Brooke is feisty and real but this book revealed so much of her pain and what makes her so snarky and ball busting. JJ maybe the growliest yet but oh so delicious, their hate sex is hot as AF. I love the layers she revealed through each interaction the couple had. Kate has a way with her prose that can gut you and fill you with so much joy. Her writing is intelligent and unapologetically feminist and her hero might be growly but they are true gentlemen and respect the women in their lives. It’s the kind of romance that is smart, salty, sultry, and oh so satisfying.
Poignant and charming story of second chances and redemption.
This review was difficult to write because while this book was well written, it started out slow and several times I was tempted to not finish it.
However, there were hints in the dialogue between the characters that compelled me to continue and I’m glad I did.
Just keep reading!
Halfway way through, the story shifts and it becomes an emotional and passionate, heartfelt story of second chances and missed opportunities rooted in Talbott’s Cove.
The genius of the writing is how many emotions Brooke and JJ’s characters evoked, especially Brooke.
Brooke was a tough nut to crack and even tougher to like. She’s so angry and rude and nasty. Her anger manifests itself in every aspect of her everyday life including very hot, angry sex with one hot Barkeeper named JJ.
OHH …JJ! He knows her all too well and he gives as good as he takes! Their banter and chemistry was hot, angry and full of snarky humor!
She has a reason for all that anger and when we discover what it is, the whole story falls into place and makes perfect sense.
JJ and Brooke have a long history since high school, but a misunderstanding led to another layer of missed opportunities in her life.
What happens?
Indeed this story is a “far cry” from your typical second chance romance, and that made it unique and worth reading!
Brooke & JJ are combustible!
When we got our first glimpses of Brooke-Ashley and Jedediah Judson in Hard Pressed, I had hoped that these two growly, snarky characters had layers that we had not yet seen. My dreams have been realized in Far Cry, the latest edition of the continuing saga of Talbott’s Cove from the wonderful mind of Kate Canterbary.
These characters are beyond angry at life – for reasons that would make anyone frustrated – but with each other over so many little things. Their story is not a traditional enemy-to-lovers path. The hate-sex that occurs in this book is off the charts – and could cause earthquakes to occur in Maine – of that I am quite certain. Kate’s ability to make her characters human is a true gift to writing meaningful stories. The way she can pull the reader in, make them cheer for these flawed and human characters, all the while wanting to shut the book because they are being so damn rude to each other, is a testament to her craft.
Perhaps the best story-telling in this book, however, is the constant communication Brooke has with her best friend, Annette (from Hard Pressed.) If you have a female warrior friend, someone who would help you kill your ex-lover, help bury the body and then bake a cake to celebrate, all while smiling, then the text exchanges between these two characters are going to be right up your alley. I must admit, I was not the biggest Annette fan from Hard Pressed. Kate has converted me with her undying support of Brooke and always being the champion for pushing her friend just toward the edge – and ultimately getting Brooke to get out of her own way and consider a life unexpected.
Kate Canterbary writes amazing stories – as the reader you are always the winner – and this book does not disappoint. This book can be read as a stand-alone, but her other stories (Fresh Catch and Hard Pressed) will help the reader with backstory references.
Another great read that didn’t disappoint. All the feels and growls one would expect in a Kate Canterbary novel.
“The air changed when she was around. It was charged, unpredictable, almost dangerous. No, always dangerous. There was no trusting this woman.”
Brooke Markham is a prickly, sharp tongued woman who wants nothing more from a man then a no strings attached one night stand. She enjoys antagonizing surly nonsense bartender Jed “JJ” Harniczek until their verbal sparring sparks a more heated physical connection. Has the sassy, salty Brooke met her match in the gruff & grumbly JJ?
There’s so much to recommend in this book! There’s the passionate pairing and Taming of the Shrew like fighting of the main characters. The author also has a lot of fun with the hilarious and often NSFW conversations between Brooke & bestie Annette. Need more? There’s the often awkward but always amusing bromance developing between JJ & Jackson. And JJ’s protectiveness of troubled Nathan. Oh, and let’s not forget Butterscotch!
Full of colorful characters and sharp, snappy dialogue, Talbotts Cove is a place you need in your life & will want to revisit often.
Full of Mighty Good Book Energy
So if you only manage to read one book this year, let it be “Far Cry”. JJ and Brooke’s story is beautiful and poignant, snarky and irreverent, and everything in-between.
This adversary to lovers story is worth the read and the re-read. I devoured it in one day but then immediately re-read it a little bit slower to savor all the complexities and nuances in the book. I’m still suffering some major envy over Annette and Brooke’s friendship.
It was great to be back in Talbott’s Cove with Brooke and JJ, Annette and Jackson, and Cole and Owen (would have loved some more Cole and Owen).
I really think Kate Canterbary writes magic.
I am always excited when I get to go into the world of Talbotts Cove. I fall more in love with the people and this world with each book that Kate gives us. Brooke and JJ have known each other for years….since high school. An attraction, a misunderstanding and water under the bridge and they went their separate ways . Brooke has returned to Talbotts Cove to care for her ailing father the Judge. This gal is a force to he reckoned with power, intelligence and such a quick sass you can’t help but love her but under that tough exterior is a very venerable young woman that is unsure what she wants . Although she does know what she needs and that is to scratch an itch . It is slim pickings in a small town but you always have tourists and with that she heads to the local watering hole . JJ is a bear of a man. He runs the local tavern and does not want trouble, sass, or funny business in his bar well guess what Brooke has just delivered all that and more when she slides on to the bar stool . He isn’t sure of her plans at first but once he figures it out he is more than happy to put on his gruff exterior and run interference . I absolutely loved their crazy witty sarcastic banter!!! They have a lot to learn about each other and it is a tough road but it would be so worth the end result! You knew deep down that is was fueled by desire and want. As the layers began to peel away from these two you could help but fall more in love with them !!
Such a fabulous story!!!!
~~Michele McMullen ~~
I’m not sure there are words that I haven’t previously used to describe how much I love Kate Canterbary’s writing and every time I read another of her books, it becomes my favorite. I love Talbot Cove and I’ve loved the previous stories that take place there. Far Cry though? I think it is truly one of my favorites. Brooke (I can’t tell you how much I love Bam-Bam) seems to be a cross between Shannon and Magnolia to me. There is nothing I loved more than the text interactions between her and her bloodless sister. Kate writes like some of us which we would think lol…quick on the draw, amazing dialogue, witty as heck, intellectual, smart, self-deprecating, amazing humor. JJ drew me in from the minute I met him early on…his grouchy, cranky persona completely intriguing to me and Far Cry brought him to the top of my book boyfriend list. When you spend so much time trying to prevent others from hurting you and leaving you, you build a wall that only the most special of people can ever break down. Watching it fall was indeed a beautiful thing…but it wasn’t easy and there is plenty of fight left between these two.
Brooke is the sassy, ultra-smart, polished girl returned home…JJ is the hardworking, kind-hearted and mysterious townie tavern owner who is as salty as Brooke is sassy and their combination is fantastic. JJ was the moody man in the background and was overshadowed by Brooke’s brassy and bold personality, but this story brings them together in the perfectly natural way…kind of by accident.
A good guy looking out for the women in the small town and a little interference works out to be the most delicious confrontation and push/pull tension you could ever want.
Brooke and JJ are everything! I could end this review right here and it would be enough for those that know Ms. Canterbary’s books to completely understand and agree. But alas a review needs more than this to grab the interest of new to Kate Canterbary readers.
Fans of the Talbot Cove series have met Brooke-Ashley and JJ and we’ve been patiently(read as impatiently but we hide it well) for these two characters to get their story. And what a story it is. It gripped me from paragraph one and didn’t let go. It was really hard to adult….book world problems folks!
These two are gritty, don’t expect butterflies and rainbows with Brooke and JJ! They are feisty as hell. They throw insults like they are compliments and are passionate about their outward disdain for one another. They are raw and fiery, and that’s just during a conversation. They are so damn funny to. But when they come together in passion, watch out! It’s a conflagration of wills and one up-manship that is so hot your eyebrows will singe. But through all the time they are butting heads you see that they know and respect each other on a level that is so deep. Watching their relationship morph into something more is a sight to behold. You will love every emotion, every laugh, every insult and every struggle they go through to find their HEA.
As a side note: you don’t have to have read the previous books in the series to ready Far Cry but it’s highly recommend as previous characters are involved in this story.
I was really looking forward to Brooke’s book so I was a bit disappointed. While the actual writing was very good, and Annette and Brooke’s interactions were very amusing, I had a hard time feeling JJ and Brooke. There was so much animosity and anger. Their relationship seemed toxic to me for most of the book. They both softened at the end, but by then I was so used to the antagonism, I was waiting for an argument to break out.
Far Cry is the 3rd book in the Talbott’s Cove series by Kate Canterbary and it just keeps going from strength to strength. This is Brooke and JJ’s book- an enemies-to-lovers story. It can be read as a standalone but I really do recommend that you read the previous books in this series ( Fresh Catch & Hard Pressed ).
Brooke is this complex character- she comes across as this bundle of angry but she really isn’t. Her character is so much more and the writing expresses this. JJ is this silent hero yet he gives as good as he gets. These two grew up together when younger and are now back together after Brooke comes back to town.
JJ and Brooke’s red-hot chemistry is intense as is their love-hate…oh the feels and the steam. Ms. Canterbary writes some good emotions that will have the reader in tears one moment and the next in laughter. Loved the main characters and the secondary characters. I can’t wait for the next book in this amazing series!!
My Rating: 4.5 stars *******
This book y’all. If you’ve ready anything from Kate Canterbary in the past (and if you haven’t get ready to do some binge reading!) you’ll know she’s the QUEEN of growly men and salty women. Brooke and JJ fit those characteristics to a T.
The banter in this book is SPOT ON. Not only between Brooke and JJ but between Brooke and her best friend Annette. Everyone deserves to have a friendship like Brooke and Annette have, and their text conversations will have you rolling in laughter!
I don’t know how Kate does it, but with each and every book she releases I find another set of characters I want to be friends with. Oh how I wish Talbott’s Cove was a real town I could go visit and find me these people to hang out with.
As per this author’s MO, the reader should expect a kickass, salty, sassy heroine and a hot, grumpy, growly hero, accompanied by conversations that are witty, funny, and vulnerable. Ms. Canterbary does not disappoint in Far Cry, it’s all of this with the salty brought to a whole new level. Bottom line, get ready for top level feels here people. This is by far my favorite book in the Talbott’s Cove series, and I’ll be surprised if future books in the series can top it. JJ was introduced to us back in Fresh Catch and Brooke in Hard Pressed. Brooke and JJ are essential friends with benefits and that turn into a couple who fight with each other basically as a form of foreplay. While I knew from Hard Pressed that Brooke was kickass and probably a little broken, I could never have imagined how broken. Never did a think these characters could ever be so vulnerable, especially with each other. When they finally admit their love to each other, I didn’t expect it to go down the way it did, but when it happens, expect your heart to melt in the best way possible. On top of getting an amazing love story, you also get a beautiful story of friendship between Brooke and Annette that Hard Pressed only began to scratch the surface of. Never have I ever encountered a world of characters where I want to be friends with all of them. Ms. Cantebary’s books are the type that you keep going back to and read over and over because you can’t help love this little universe that she’s building.
No one does growly, bitey boys like Kate Canterbary! Taking us back to Talbot’s Cove we finally get the nitty gritty of JJ and Brooke Ashley, aka BAM BAM. Their story was so worth the wait. I loved that their story jumps right in and then as the story progresses we get to learn more about their history together and the history of Talbot’s Cove. We also get to follow the continuing friendship of Annette and Brooke. To anyone who has a “soul mate” friend, their story was just as poignant. Another great read by Kate Canterbary!