Event planner Raine DiMarco has royally screwed up her life. Now, trying to grow into the person she ought to be, she returns to McCormick’s Creek and finds people still judging her. She leaps into town life anyway–she can’t back away from a challenge, whether it’s proving herself to former BFFs or a mountain biking dare from a handsome newcomer.Adrenaline-junkie Brandt Walker gave up a cushy … a cushy job in the family business to live his own life in the scenic Oregon mountains. A mountain bike rally is just the thing to help the town…and keep his new bike shop in business.
Brandt thinks he’s got a much-needed tourism grant locked in until Raine challenges him for it. Can their budding relationship survive one of them winning while the other loses?
Scroll up to One-Click and start reading!
“Jen Peters writes sweet and satisfying romances with a dose of persevering through troubles and just the right chemistry between characters.”
The McCormick’s Creek Sweet Romance series (can be read in any order):
- Trusting His Heart (Cat & Justin)
- Finding Her Heart (Ree & Mitch)
- Safe in His Heart (Robin & Cliff)
- Stealing His Heart (Raine & Brandt)
more
I was looking forward to Raine’s redemption story, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Her journey from high school mean girl to productive community member wasn’t easy. Raine had a reputation to overcome, and a lifestyle of parties, drugs, and alcohol left her empty and seeking change. Could she be a different person back home in McCormick’s Creek? Will the townspeople give her a chance?
Brandt left his father’s high powered real estate business for a simpler life in McCormick’s Creek. His passion is the outdoors, and this is the perfect place to enjoy the adrenaline rush of extreme mountain biking. Now, if he can get his bike shop in the black, and fund the areas first rally life would be perfect.
I loved the chemistry between the two. As sparks fly each one must decide what things in life are more important to them. Jen has written them with genuine feeling. I recommend this book if you like fast moving sweet romance.
I received an ARC courtesy of the author and this is my honest opinion of the book.
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Event planner Raine DiMarco has royally screwed up her life. Now, trying to grow into the person she ought to be, she returns to McCormick’s Creek and finds people still judging her. She leaps into town life anyway — she can’t back away from a challenge, whether it’s proving herself to former BFFs or a mountain biking dare from a handsome newcomer.
Adrenaline-junkie Brandt Walker gave up a cushy job in the family business to live his own life in the scenic Oregon mountains. A mountain bike rally is just the thing to help the town… and keep his new bike shop in business.
Brandt thinks he’s got a much-needed tourism grant locked in until Raine challenges him for it. Can their budding relationship survive one of them winning while the other loses?
MY TAKE
I’ve loved this series. In the earlier books, we’re introduced to the “old” Raine, the one who betrayed her high school friend Robin in her attempts to win favor with the popular girls. It’s no small thing when Raine decides to turn her life around and begin again in the town of her youth. It can be hard (and lonely) to get people to see you’re changing, especially people you’ve hurt.
This is very much a tale of redemption. Peters takes her time letting us know exactly how badly Raine messed up, but she’s determined to be a better person now. In her efforts to do something to help the town of McCormick’s Creek, she finds herself in competition for a grant with the handsome Brandt who wishes to do the funding to help the town—but on a different project.
It’s a lovely story of healing and forgiveness and the determination to be a better person. The romance is a delight and made me love these characters even more.
In Stealing His Heart, both Raine and Brandt have difficulties to overcome. Brandt’s family is constantly trying to lure him back to the family business. Raine has to overcome an addiction to parties, drugs, alcohol and sex – in the small town where she was a high school mean girl. These characters are well written and have some real chemistry. This romance pulled at my heart strings as Raine tried to apologize and mend fences. She fights her attraction to Brandt because she thinks she needs to overcome her past before looking at men. This is just a clean, sweet romance that I could not put down.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and I am voluntarily reviewing it.
This was a wonderful story. It was full of conflicts and heart-warming moments. Brandt is an adrenaline-junkie small business owner. He used the inheritance that he received from his grandmother to leave the family’s real estate business and follow his dreams. He loves mountain biking. He hopes to receive a grant from the town to hold a rally next year to not only help his business but the town as well. Raine is a bad-girl trying to overcome her past mistakes. She moves back home to start fresh and make amends to those she has hurt in the past.
The plot was a strong solid one. The characters were wonderful and prior characters made multiple appearances. I loved having the story in my favorite dual POV. Getting insight into their thoughts really made them more realistic. At first I wasn’t sure about the book as Raine had used drugs in the past. I normally stop reading books at that point as that turns me off of the book. But the author was good about mentioning that it was in her past.
This was a clean romance with two strong and stubborn people and having to overcome their own obstacles while coming together.
A tale of possibly the two most stubborn people EVER.
Both show a real strength of character in choosing to remain on their path even with the push-back they receive. Great reminder that “stubborn” isn’t always a bad thing.
We get a HFN, with a solid foundation for a HEA in the future.
I received an ARC of this book from the author, Jen Peters, via Bookfunnel and this is my voluntary and honest review. This is a great book about Raine and Brandt and their romance and the small town they live in. Raine is trying to make amends for things she did in her past that hurt people. Brandt is trying to make his mountain biking business a success so he won’t have to become a realtor in his Dad’s company in the city. Competing for a town grant, Raine and Brandt, find out if what they feel for each other will survive if one of them wins the grant. You will have to read the book to find out who wins and if their blossoming love survives. There is suspense also when Brandt and his friends who are volunteer firemen battle a house fire when tragedy strikes. I was on the edge of my seat wondering who would survive the fire. I highly recommend this book and the rest of the books in this McCormick’s Creek series.
I’ve enjoyed this series. This was a good 2nd chance book. A 2nd chance for especially the h but also a 2nd chance for the H to do what he loves for work. I think the way the fractured friendship was handled by the 3 friends was done well and felt realisitc. I like seeing past characters make apperances and they added a nice richness to the story. I’m crossing my fingers for a book for Javi! The book has good imagery to imagine myself in McCormick Creek and part of the stroy. It has good dialogue and nice flow. I saw a meme about the Princess Diaries 2 where the main characers were at odds but had a huge attraction to each other. I thought that’s these two! I think this could be read as a stand alone. It might be a little bit of a spoiler if you read out of order since you’d know who other the other 2 R’s are dating.
This clean romance was an enjoyable read. The backstory of the main female character, Raine, kind of broke my heart as it revealed how badly women can sometimes treat one another. In high school Raine succumbed to the desire for popularity and she delivered up her best friend for humiliating and demeaning treatment by her posse of mean girls. Why are mean girls popular anyway? Then when Raine repented of her despicable ways and turned over a new leaf, her once good friends refused to forgive her–at least until significant groveling occurred. It was not the finest hour for most of the ladies in this story. My favorite part of the book was the sweet romantic connection between Raine and Brandt. I enjoyed and recommend this book! I received a free copy from the author and this is my voluntary, honest review.