An enriching story of family ties, broken hearts, and second chances from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst.When Ethan Bishop returns to the Hudson Valley, his body and spirit are a little worse for wear. As a former Special Forces paratrooper, he saw his fair share of conflict, and he came home with wounds, inside and out. At his sisters’ B & B and farm, he can keep all his … farm, he can keep all his pain at a safe distance. But quiet time isn’t easy when a fiery woman explodes into his life…
It’s business—not pleasure—that brings Manhattan PR agent Mia Thrush reluctantly to the farm. Tightly wound and quick tempered, Mia clashes immediately with the brooding Ethan. Everything about him is irritating—from his lean muscles and piercing blue eyes to his scent of sweat and musk.
But as the summer unfolds and temperatures rise, Ethan and Mia discover how much they have in common: their guarded histories, an uncontrollable desire, and a passion for the future that could heal two broken hearts. But will their pasts threaten their fragile chance at a brand-new future?
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Ethan is just full of charm, “he offered her a half shrug. “Felt like a good idea at the time. Didn’t know a simple kiss would freak you out so much, princess. It’s not like we need to embark on a shotgun wedding.” There are times Mia just needs to be blund with her man, “***,” she spit out. Why was the inside of her body burning up? “We’re talking about ***, horse man. And you know it.” Ethan just loves to taunt his woman, “he gave her a wicked look. “Already gave you a roll in the hay, princess.” Mia knows just want to say to her man, “she whispered the words against his mouth. “Bring a cupcake with you and feed it to me. Naked.” He growled, lowered his head, and kissed her.” I really liked this book I fell in love with Ethan.
Jennifer Probst writes charming stories. In her new STAY series, she brings it on to a small town in the Hudson Valley filled with quirky characters, including an animated chicken, charming dogs, and beloved horses and yes, there is a human or two in the story as well.
Ethan Bishop is just back from the Middle East where he served as a pararescue trooper. His last mission wounded his heart as well as his body and he comes home to his family’s B&B / farm to recuperate. Mia Thrush is the head of her own up and coming PR agency. Her business is on the brink of hitting it big by working on the team that will elect the next mayor of New York City. The problem is that his daughter is getting into trouble and someone has to watch her over the summer.
I have to admit, I was ready not to like Ethan. He is not much for first impressions because does not really care that much for what people think, especially from a spoiled diva like Mia. But circumstance as such that they are compelled to dig beneath the surface to really see each other’s souls. It’s a beautiful thing. This a perfect opposites attract story and the fantastic beginning to what I am sure will be a highly entertaining series.
It’s a modern day take on Green Acres.
Green Acres television show theme by Vic Mizzy:
Green Acres is the place for me
Farm livin’ is the life for me
Land spreadin’ out so far and wide
Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside
New York is where I’d rather stay
I get allergic smelling hay
I just adore a penthouse view
Dah-ling I love you but give me Park Avenue
This book was so good and had me laughing throughout and even shed a few tears which means it is a winner in my book! Mia is a PR powerhouse in Manhattan working with her biggest client to date, the future mayor or New York City when his daughter is convicted of vandalism and sentenced to community service in the country and he wants to send Mia to stay with her because he trusts her. Good premise through the daughter is 19 not 9 (even though dad treats her more like she is 9). Mia is not pleased to end up in the country and it is hilarious watching her adapt. Ethan has come home after being injured on his last mission and even though he left the farm years before because it is not where he wanted to be, this is where he needs to be now. The farm is slowly helping him heal and when he is put in charge of Chloe’s community service he gets Mia too. Oh, these two set off all sorts of sparks and the chemistry explodes off the pages! Every moment of this story is beautifully told and watching these two come together and learn to exist in each other’s space is intriguing and special. From the horses to the other assorted kookie animals this one is a treat! I definitely recommend this one and look forward to the next in the series!
A fabulous start to the series and a new favorite
As an auto-buy author for me, I saw the by-line and that this was the start of a new series, and I was in without even bothering to read the blurb. It more than lived up to my expectations–I simply adored this story. Not only does it include several of my favorite elements, it does them extremely well.
First there’s the enemies-to-lovers storyline. Ethan and Mia both recognize the chemistry between them even while they are antagonizing the heck out of each other. There’s plenty of banter and anticipation as their relationship grows and they learn that perhaps they have more in common than either of them supposed.
Second, there’s the injured ex-military hero. I loved Ethan, alpha but vulnerable as he’s still recovering from an assignment gone bad, leaving him with injuries, survivors’ guilt and PTSD. I also loved the way he has a knack with injured things, whether that’s a mistreated horse, a teenage girl who has lost her way or a woman whose cheating ex’s have taught her to mistrust men.
Third, because I’m a sucker for animals in stories, I loved the setting that included a horse rescue. Whether it was Ethan, with his talent for working with and helping mistreated horses, or Chloe working off her community service, I found the idea of humans and animals healing each other immensely appealing,
There were so many great characters here in addition to Ethan. I loved Mia as well; she’s intelligent, spirited and talented, and carries her own scars. There are also Ethan’s sisters, Chloe, and a whole host of guests at the B&B as well as local townspeople, each with their own part to play and each adding depth to the story.
Great characters mixed together with some of my favorite story elements, plus several story threads winding together to provide laughter, chemistry, tension and a few tears all made this a fabulous start for the new series. Not only is this my new favorite story by this author, it’s one of my favorite reads for the year. 5++ stars
B2B Kelly
In one word YES is how I would describe Jennifer Probst new series. The horseman a.k.a sexy Ethan, who one minute is insulting Mia, rude, arrogant and kissing her wickedly senseless raising her hormones to Mia making him go sex crazed. Not only is he bad but is making her lose all her sanity in a good way. Not only we have these two but we have tons of memorable characters from his sisters to even a chicken maybe with craziness and psychotic with attitude. Jennifer Probst has outdone herself in this book from Disney movies to even some romantic authors name dropping loved it. Great way to start this new series and cannot wait what is in store at this B & B.
“I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.”
The Start Of Something Good is the start of a really good series. This book is a touching, romantic comedy/enemies lovers and very entertaining read. It’s the breath of fresh air that I needed and thoroughly enjoyed.
Mia is a witty, sassy and successful owner of a public relations firm in Manhattan. She’s been given the task of being the temporary guardian of a nineteen year old college student named Chloe who’s gotten herself into some legal trouble. Chloe just happens to be the daughter of one of Mia’s clients who’s running for mayor and her legal problems would have a negative effect on his campaign. Chloe has been sentenced to serve community service hours at a Bed & Breakfast/Horse Rescue Farm in a small country town in upstate New York. Reluctantly, Mia has no choice but to spend her summer guarding Chloe and it’s the last place on earth she would rather be.
Ethan is a brooding former military agent and Hollywood bodyguard who returns to his home town after suffering tragedy and heartbreak. He shares ownership and works at the Horse Farm with his two sisters. When meet the uppity city girl and down to earth country boy meet, their dislike for each other is immediate. The clever comedic banter begins and so does their undeniable attraction. The Start Of Something Good has the perfect balance of hysterical love/hate relationship, intimate and swoon-worthy moments. I found Ethan and Mia to be very charming couple. They made each other come alive and their deep connection was palpable. Reading how their relationship developed, was very heart warming.
One of my favorite things about this book is the “Golden Girls” crew!!! These guests at the inn brought hilarious noteworthy comic relief.
I truly enjoyed The Start Of Something Good from beginning to end and I can’t wait to read the next book, A Brand New Ending.
Ethan ex-military man comes home to rest and recover from his injuries. His sisters want him to re-enter society. Mia owner of a PR company is working for a high profile man Jonathan, who is running for mayor. Jonathan is a widower with a daughter, Chloe who is a freshman in college. This is hate at first sight. Jennifer Probst does write some of the most hilarious scenes Hei Hei is just one of many. Highly recommended.
I love it when Jennifer starts a new series. It’s like a whole new world for me to fall in love with. I love the way she tells a story and has us falling in love right along with the characters.
“I caught the way you looked at her. It was cute.”
“I refuse to discuss this further. I once parachuted into enemy territory, broke my arm landing wrong in a tree, ran eight miles, and still managed to extract the target to safety. I’m not cute.”
This was one of the funniest enemies to lovers book I’ve read in a while. It was light on the angst I usually enjoy with those types of stories though. They were complete opposites but throughout the story you get to watch them evolve and want to change for the other and open up to have them in their life. There might have been a few cliché lines but if I’m going to read a book with them then I’m going to read it from Jennifer because she always delivers on the swoon and the flutters.
“Mia?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re enough. Never doubt you’re more than enough for a man. Because if you belonged to me, I’d get on my knees in gratitude every damn night and make sure you never doubted it.”
I don’t read a lot of the “cookie cutter” or the “classic” or the “inside the box” romances. I love to live outside of that and read romances that are not mainstream or typical. When I do go for them I like to stick to the ones that I know can deliver a good story with all the emotions that romance books should have. Jennifer Probst nails those for me every time and she has never let me down.
The Start of Something Good is the first book in a series by Jennifer Probst, who in my opinion is an amazing romance author. I loved everything about this book. It was extremely entertaining and a whole lot of fun. I fel in love with all the chacters almost instantly especially Hei Hei lol. I can’t wait read the rest of the series.
Would recommended this book and author to everyone.
Ethan Bishop heads home to Gardiner, a small town in upstate New York where his family owns a bed & breakfast, and a horse farm. He’s been gone too long, and returns to the life he’d once run away from for something bigger and better. He is ex-special forces, and a former Hollywood bodyguard who should feel lucky to be alive. He’s come full circle, and was now just trying to heal all his broken pieces in private. He’s back with his sister’s Ophelia & Harper, but considers himself unsuitable for the outside world, and really wasn’t up to dealing with people for a while. Looking forward to some alone time, he’s not too happy when he finds out he’s going to be in charge of a teen girl for the summer who’s been given mandated community service. He’d come home for peace & quiet, not to babysit.
Mia Thrush owns a successful publicity firm in Manhattan called Strategy Solutions PR where her dreams are finally coming true. She’s representing a politician running for Mayor, and the upcoming election is everything. When his daughter suddenly gets into some trouble the entire election could be at stake. His daughter is to serve as a volunteer at a horse farm upstate, and to help avoid scandal Mia reluctantly agrees to accompany her to make sure she stays out of trouble.
Mia despises small towns, and doesn’t know how she’s going to survive in some podunk town for the summer. Born and bred in NYC, she’s more comfortable in heels and designer clothes. When she arrives in the Shawangunk Mountains she immediately clashes with a rugged, brooding, bearded, sexy, rude ginger named Ethan. He’s like a hot Grizzly Adams, and everything about him annoys her. From how attractive he is, to his infuriating, arrogant attitude, she strongly disliked him.
Ethan thinks Mia is a rich, uptight, stuck up, high maintenance city girl used to a big, fancy life. He doesn’t want to be stuck dealing with her high drama all summer. She barreled into his life, and he’s angry that she both irritates and intrigues him at the same time.
Ethan& Mia’s turbulent relationship evolves as they spend time together. As they get to know one another they learn they actually have a lot in common. Sexual tension ignites and soon Mia finds herself being completely, thoroughly seduced by Ethan. A strong connection grows, and they both feel alive again and so understood. They begin a summer fling that turns into more. Can they make it work beyond the summer when she lives in the city, and his life is on the farm?
I really enjoyed this story about love and healing. Two opposites come together in a beautiful place and connect on a deep level. They find their missing piece and fight for a future together. I loved these characters, the farm animals (lol, that polish chicken ;)), and the sense of unity and family throughout the book. I can’t wait for Ophelia’s HEA!
Phenomenal start to a new series. I loved the family dynamic between the Bishop siblings but also between Mia and Chloe. The almost enemies to lovers was super fun and allowed for a slower burn that was done so well as was the PTSD and survivors guilt issues.
Can’t wait for more!
What happens when you take a high maintenance city girl out of her element and throw her onto a horse farm to babysit a troubled teen for the summer? Throw in a gruff, former special ops soldier recovering from his mental & physical scars and you have pure magic! Some meddlesome seniors, well meaning siblings and a hilarious rescue chicken round out the delightful supporting cast. This enemies to lovers story sparks with chemistry and verbal sparring as Ethan & Mia slow burn their way toward a relationship that can only lead to heartache when summer ends. Jennifer Probst paints a rich, descriptive narrative of coming home, the value of family and finding yourself in this beautifully written contemporary love story. First in a new series, I look forward to the next book!
This wasn’t just a romance story about how the two main characters came together, this was also about the personal growth.
I’m a sucker for a good enemies to lovers story and I liked that this one hit a good balance between the two. Sometimes you get too much hate/animosity and sometimes the flip to love/lust is a bit too quick for me to accept as believable. This one did a great job of establishing why Ethan and Mia didn’t like each other and it seemed like a believable, organic progression to when they eventually came together. And then, WOW!
In addition to Ethan and Mia’s character growth, it was nice to see that there was some focus paid to the secondary character of Chloe. Granted, she was essentially the catalyst for bringing Mia into Ethan’s world, but it was nice to see that some attention was paid to her and her character arc and she wasn’t just used as a plot device.
And as an animal lover, I adored the personalities of the various farm residents that made appearances. And can I just say that I now want a Polish chicken as a pet?
I can’t wait for the next book in the series – the setup in the epilogue makes it sound like it could be GREAT.
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
This is a great opposites attract/enemy to lovers romance. Ethan is ex special forces who is coming home to work and recover on his family’s bed and breakfast and farm in upstate New York. Mia runs a PR firm in Manhattan. Mia has a client Jonathan Lake who is running for Mayor of New York. He is a unicorn of a politician, one who really cares about the people and doesn’t lie (I have heard of these mythical politicians, but have yet to see one in real life). Jonathan’s 19 year old daughter is in trouble at school and must serve her community service at the farm. Jonathan insists that Mia stays with his daughter while she is at the farm. Of course Mia and Ethan initially clash, but eventually give into their attraction. This is a great read. All of the characters are well developed, the relationship takes time to progress, and all of the secondary characters are interesting. This is my first book by this author and I cannot wait for Ethan’s sisters’ stories. I was given an ARC of this book for my honest review.
I really enjoyed this story! It is definitely aptly titled because it is the start of something good, another great series by Jennifer Probst!
This is a beautifully written story about two people, Mia and Ethan, who seem to be just about as opposite as they can be but who really are perfect for each other. He is a wounded former special forces soldier with PTSD trying to find solace back in his hometown and she is trying to make a huge name for herself in PR. Both Ethan and Mia are such well developed and wonderful characters that you can’t help but fall in love with them falling in love. The secondary characters from Chloe to Harper and Ophelia to the fun senior guests at the B&B are always so amazing and essential to the story being told. It’s a beautiful story about family, love and healing on a deeper level and how sometimes all it takes is special people in your life to make things finally feel right. It is so well balanced with heat, sexiness, humor, crazy pets, intense connections, poignant moments and everything else you want in a romance. So much goodness in this story! So much to love! Looking forward to the next book in the series after that tease at the end!
What a wonderful start to the new Stay series! Ethan Bishop is still healing, emotionally and physically, from a tragic accident on a Special Forces mission. He has come home and is hiding away from the world. His two sisters run the family farm and Inn. They love and support Ethan and think it will help him heal if he helps with the horses and farm. After Ethan reluctantly agrees, he is given charge of a young woman sentenced by a judge to work there instead of going to jail. Chloe is so sweet but is just as lost and broken as Ethan. Mia works for Chloe’s dad and is sent there to watch over his daughter. Mia is all city girl with a successful business and not ready to spend the summer on a farm. She and Ethan butt heads from the start and make false assumptions about each other. With the help of some quirky folks staying at the Inn, the three of them form a bond that is so sweet and moving. Ethan and Mia have a strong attraction and begin a summer affair. But when the summer is over and Mia heads back to the city, will Ethan be able to let her go?
I really loved Ethan, Mia, Chloe and the rest of the fun and quirky friends and family. Ethan and Mia complimented each other so well and their chemistry was off the charts. I enjoyed the family banter, along with the unconditional love and support they gave each other. This is a fun, engaging, emotional family saga, and steamy romance with so much heart! I am looking forward to reading the next book in this delightful series.
What do you get when you mix a crazy chicken, some wild elderly people, a PR woman, and a horse man? The start of something good. And the start of a great new series.
The B and B, along with the horse farm, is the setting for most of the story. Ethan and Mia butt heads right away. He doesn’t think he will end up feeling at home there, she is a city girl and prefers the finer things, but deprives herself of good food and doesn’t have much in the way of close friends. I really like how this place breathes new lives into the animals and people, kind of giving them a second chance.
As much as I enjoyed Ethan and Mia, with their passion and banter and sweetness, I enjoyed the other characters too. Like Chloe and Ethan’s sisters, and the guests at the B and B. Oh not to mention the crazy animals and the residents of the small town that I may have fallen in love with. I look forward to book 2!
4.5 Star Review The Start Of Something Good (Stay #1) By Jennifer Probst
Having read other books from Jennifer Probst, I was excited to read book one in a new series,and oh what a story it was.
The characters were strong and well developed, not only the main characters, but also the secondary characters who I hope get their own stories soon.
The Start of Something Good is a well written, emotional story with hot and sizzling scenes, as well as a great deal of humour and wonderful characters.
Ethan Bishop returns to the Hudson Valley, a man recuperating from his injuries and broken in spirit, to help his sisters at the family B & B and farm.
Mia Thrush is a Manhattan PR agent who is staying at the B & B to keep an eye on Chloe, the daughter of one of her clients who has been sentenced to community service at the farm and the rescue horses.To be honest I wasn’t particularly keen on Mia but she did grow on me but I really liked Ethan from the start.
Ethan and Mia clash from the first, but as they get to know each other, they realise how much they have in common; with attraction and passion igniting.
When Mia needs to return to the city, can her relationship with Ethan withstand the distance? Or is it destined to fail? Can a city girl be happy living in the country?
One click now and find out.
The Start of Something Good by Jennifer Probst is a heartwarming coming home story.
Ethan returns home after healing from being shot in the leg, to help his sister run her ranch for rescued animals.
Mia, an upity and somewhat prissy, politician’s assistant, helping to keep his PR clean, is sent to “babysit” the politician’s daughter after she is required to do community service at the ranch.
It is a unique story line, interesting small town-type romance…a bit of enemies-to-lovers. Many wonderful characters! Well-developed and kept me into it!!!
I have always been a fan of Jennifer’s and this one certainly increased my fan-girling!
This book has both cursing (including f-bombs) and on-page sex. If those things will cause you to leave a bad review, this might not be the book for you. Also, there are a lot (like A LOT) of current pop-culture/brand name references in this book so if you’re the kind of reader who finds that off-putting, just be aware of that. This book starts a series but stands completely alone.
This story is, at first blush, a city girl/country boy “opposites attract” story, but it is so much more than that. There are so many different layers of personal relationships that take place in this that I found myself personally invested in what happened not only with Mia and Ethan, but with the people of the town, with Chloe, with Ethan’s sisters, and even with the barnyard animals. Mia’s relationship with Chloe became one of those things that I couldn’t get enough of while reading – watching those two figuring life out together was fantastic. And yet none of the side-stories or characters overwhelmed the beautiful story line that took place between Ethan and Mia.
Also, even though there are some sexy sexxxxy times in this book, there is a perfect balance of friendship/relationship between the main characters – they don’t just meet and fall into bed and declare their love for each other, but they cultivate a personal relationship before falling in love, something that I appreciate so much as a reader.
Now, I must confess – I Could. Not. Stand. Mia to being with. As a low maintenance kind of girl, I just cannot connect with a big city, label-obsessed, eating disorder-having-but-denying, clueless-about-life-outside-of-her-bubble kind of heroine. I’ll read about them, but I don’t understand them. Mia was totally That Heroine to begin with, but I wound up love love LOVING the way that she grew and changed as this book went on. When Mia found balance in her life she became someone that I wanted to read more and more about. (***Some could consider the rest of this paragraph spolierish***) The best thing about Mia is that although she grew and changed, she didn’t change herself fundamentally – I adored that her spunk and grit never wavered. Mia could still give as good as she got, but it was so amazing to see her becoming more comfortable in her own perfectly imperfect skin and finding a balance between Gucci and lovelorn chickens. The fact that she made those changes to make *herself* feel better and not to make Ethan love her made all of her growth even better.
And then there was Ethan. I LOVED Ethan. He was cranky and a little (okay a lot) bottled up, but from the start his goodness shown through and even though he had a few moments that made me frown at him, he just got better as the book went on. The best thing about Ethan is that he never tried to change Mia. Once they built a friendship, he loved her for who she was and didn’t give her an ultimatum or conditions – he took all of her just as she was.
***SPOILERS in this paragraph *** One of my favorite things about this book was that there was no gigantic drama between Mia and Ethan. There was no over-dramatic big blow up or eye-roll-worthy misunderstanding between them that required one or the other begging for forgiveness. Their issues were organic and realistic, and even though times got difficult, neither one of them expected the other to cave to their wishes. Again, the word balance comes to mind. Their relationship was functional and beautifully balanced and so incredibly refreshing.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a beautifully written love story that combines humor, sexy heat, and a ton of heart.