From bestselling author Stacey Lynn comes This Time Around, an emotional and sexy standalone contemporary romance!Five years ago I married the man of my dreams. He was supposed to be my last first kiss–my happily ever after. He promised to hand me the world, but in one night, all of those promises were shattered. Now, I was barely surviving the tragic loss of my husband, struggling daily to … my husband, struggling daily to manage what was left of the life we’d promised to build together, when Cooper Hawke unexpectedly walked into my life.
The Hollywood heartthrob had plenty secrets of his own and his eyes held the same darkness as mine. I couldn’t stop myself from needing to know why. And as much as I tried to keep him out of my heart, he slipped past all my defenses.
We both had pasts that destroyed our trust and had broken our hearts, but nothing will stop Cooper from trying to convince me we could have it all this time around.
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Loved this love story couldn’t put it down.
Could not put it down.
Liked the story.
I loved reading this book. It was very different and am looking forward to reading more books from this author
Loved it! He is a famous movie star who’s agent sends him to his nieces ranch in Kansas to hide from the media during his divorce. She is a recent widow whose husband died in an accident. She has been trying to keep the ranch going alone and she is angry about the circumstances surrounding his death. He falls in love with ranch life but is due back in LA to start a new movie after the summer. She is hesitant to start up with him bc she knows he is leaving
A really good read. Great characters overcoming their own drama and manage to be connected to each other.
This book will find all of your emotions and tug deep in your heart but you’ll finish it faster than you expect because it calls for a late night.
This Time Around by Stacey Lynn is a standalone, slow burn, small-town contemporary romance told in dual POV. The main characters, widowed cattle rancher, Rebecca Splendid, and famous Hollywood actor, Cooper Hawke, were both very likeable.
Gorgeous, movie star, Cooper, is in the midst of a nasty divorce from his supermodel wife. To escape the media frenzy and avoid the paparazzi, he agrees to spend some time in Kansas helping out at a ranch belonging to his agent’s niece.
Still reeling from her husband’s death, Rebecca has been struggling to take care of the ranch by herself. She’s not looking forward to having a strange man around – even if she could use the help.
As Rebecca and Cooper work side by side, they form a friendship and continue to grow closer as they both deal with overcoming past issues and help each other to heal.
I enjoyed this story. I especially loved Cooper’s character and how sweet, steady, loyal and patient he was with Rebecca as she continued to pull away from him, stubbornly trying to keep her distance as she tried to fight her feelings. It’s a sweet story about finding love after loss.
4 out of 5 stars
Rebecca is a widow trying to maintain the ranch that’s been in her family for generations. Her uncle is an agent for some of the biggest names in Hollywood. He sends Cooper Hawke, actor and mega-celebrity, to spend the summer helping Rebecca — and to escape all of the drama from his LA life.
I enjoyed this story and the setting was perfect. I can’t imagine going from Hollywood to Kansas, but having lived in Kansas my whole life I have to say that Stacey did a good job of representing my state!
Cooper finds quickly that he doesn’t miss his crazy LA lifestyle:
The thrill of the hunt was fading ot the serenity of pastures and goats and cow manure.
This story was well-written and I enjoyed the banter and the slow burn to the hot passion with Cooper & Rebecca. I think Stacey does an incredible job of creating likeable, realistic characters that I don’t want to give up when the story is done.
*** I voluntarily read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ***
This book was absolutely amazing but you expect nothing less from Stacey Lynn. In my eyes she can do no wrong.
This book starts of with a bang. From the beginning you know Rebecca and Cooper are going to take you on the this amazing journey of healing and re-discovery. They both come from some what similar pasts.
They both help eish other heal and open each others world’s to new ways to move on. I loved their slow build, how Cooper understood her and what she was going through and never pushed her into anything. I love when a man is Alpha but has the incredible soft side when it comes to the woman he is falling for.
I have to tell you Brook and Kelly they are Rebecca’s best friends, they fucking Rock, these ladies are really the kinda Girlfriends you want.
Grab this Book ladies from the intriguing Dialogue and the Amazing Characters not forgetting the steam factor.
You won’t be sorry
Grab this now!!!!
Enjoy!!!!
~ 4.5 Stars ~
This might just be my favorite Stacey Lynn books. This Time Around is beautiful and inspiring. It makes you embrace who you are and fight for what you want. And Cooper might have just made my very short list of sweet guys that I fell for.
Rebecca is recently widowed and running her family farm by herself. When her Uncle, a LA Talent agent, tells her he’s sending her one of his clients to help her out because he needs to escape, she had no idea her life was about to change. Yet again. She didn’t want the help but once he arrived, things sure did change.
Cooper’s soon to be ex wife was the love of his life but she’s been cheating on him and all he wants to do is remove himself from the toxic life she has created. While not keen on the idea of being on a ranch in Kansas, he finds that that it is in fact the one place that will give him the peace he needs. And so much more.
This Time Around is a super sweet and endearing second chance romance that will make your heart flutter and keep you swooning. I enjoyed both Cooper and Rebecca and haven’t pulled for such a sweet couple like them in a long time. She’s stubborn, smart and kind and he’s patient, strong and supportive. These two find each other at the perfect time and just know they are right for each other.
If you want to swoon, feel the love and laugh at a goat called Pepper then you need to read this book!
Second Chance Romance Done Right!
I’m still reeling after finishing this book! It was so good! I don’t think I have ever read a book by Stacey Lynn that I haven’t loved. This one started out a little slower than I normally like, but once it got going holy cow was it fabulous!!!!!
Cooper and Rebecca were both such good people that were just dealt a bad hand in life. Him, with a total loser for a wife, ugh good god did I want to smack that witch more than once!!!! Her, with the man of her dreams, gone long before his time. My heart broke for both of them. I was so glad when they found each other.
Cooper certainly had his work cut out for him and I won’t lie there were a couple times I might just have walked away if I was him. I am so glad he didn’t listen to me, though. I mean I loved Rebecca, she really was a good person, but she pushed him a little to hard for my liking when she should have been pulling him oh so close .
I loved these two and I loved their story! I am really looking forward to more books from this series!
Love in the Heartland….
This Time Around is the first in the Love in the Heartland series.
This story of Cooper and Rebecca is just heartwarming. Like a big hug or a cozy blanket.
Rebecca is a widow with some secrets she feels she needs to keep and because of that has withdrawn from the world. I love her self-reliance and her strength of character. She is true to herself, even when it hurts.
Cooper, he is the movie star that needs to get away from it all and finds himself at Rebecca’s ranch. He is coming to grips with his failed marriage and finds his center again with Rebecca.
Cooper and Rebecca’s chemistry is off the charts! I love the patience that Cooper shows towards Rebecca and what she is going through. It takes a special man to be able to do that and Cooper has it in spades! You can feel the pain that Rebecca is going through as she comes to terms with her feeling for Cooper and her guilt over Joseph’s death.
I have really enjoyed reading Stacey’s work! She weaves a world that is charming to visit and I cannot wait to see who we read about in the next book in this series! (I am personally hoping for Jordan’s story!)
Oh my goodness!!!! This Time Around was such an amazing story!
Take one damaged, heartbroken, strong, determined woman (Rebecca) throw in a HOT, also heartbroken, sincere, man (Cooper) and what do you get????? I’ll tell you: an amazing love story of two people who have been emotionally destroyed by the ones who are supposed to never hurt them in ways that they have.
I loved how the story progressed (and also the relationship development between Rebecca and Cooper); it was spot on, not too fast and not too slow. The supporting characters also played a huge part of the story as well (which I am keeping my fingers crossed that we will see all of them again…….).
Reviewed by: Dana D.
This Time Around by Stacey Lynn is a contemporary romance about two people struggling with their past and learning to move forward, becoming the best of friends while doing so. Told in dual POV this book absolutely blew my socks off with it’s gentle blend of moving on from a lost love and learning to love again mixed with some sexy moments that made me swoon!
Rebecca is still mourning the loss of her husband. She is harboring a secret about his last days that no one else knows and she is too ashamed to share. It’s making the loss of Joseph even worse for her – se can’t miss him without also being mad at him and being mad at a dead man just causes her crippling guilt. When her uncle decides to send an A-list Hollywood actor/heartthrob to her ranch for the summer to give him a chance to get away and to also help her now she is on her own she reluctantly agrees.
Cooper is desperate to get away from the spotlight and the paparazzi that has been hounding him thanks to his soon-to-be ex-wife and her flair for dramatics. When his agent, Max, suggests a trip to Kansas for the summer to get away he takes him up on the offer. Anything has to be better than LA right now. What he doesn’t expect is the closed-off beauty ghat is Rebecca Splendid or his undeniable attraction to not just her physical appearance but her strength and determination and kindness.
Romantic, slightly suspenseful, heartwarming, sexy and detailed this story was everything you want in a romance. Enjoy!
I received a copy of this book from the author.
This is the first book in a new series by Stacey Lynn. I think y’all are going to love it. These characters are great! In this first edition we meet Rebecca, a widow cattle ranch owner, and Cooper – Hollywood heart throb. Cooper’s agent sends him to his niece’s farm to get away from Hollywood a bit.
That’s how a rural farm girl meets a man she’d likely never meet no matter who her uncle is. Not that it should matter. Rebecca is in mourning. Her husband died. It isn’t time to move on, is it? Working day after day with Cooper Hawke on her farm makes it hard not to notice him as a man. Not just any many but one she’d like to get to know.
There’s lots of conflicting emotions here. There’s no real time frame for when it’s “acceptable” to start another relationship after your married ended in death before it’s time. Only the individual can decide. Yet – Cooper’s time on Rebecca’s far is limited. He’ll be returning to Hollywood soon so maybe he can help mend her broken heart.
These two are great characters. Their new love story is so sweet. I really enjoyed their banter and their getting to know you chats. I think you’ll enjoy reading it too.
I loved this emotional and beautifully written romance! Set on a ranch in Kansas, it tells the story of a young widow trying to keep her family cattle ranch from sinking while dealing with her grief and a Hollywood A-list actor sent there to escape a heartbreaking scandal. Both Rebecca and Cooper have been dealt painful and heartbreaking blows; they’re both afraid of becoming bitter and jaded and prefer to keep their secrets to themselves. Told in dual POV, This Time Around is the first book in a new series, Love In the Heartland, and I can’t wait for more!
Rebecca Marx Splendid has been a widow for over eight months and is still mourning Joseph’s death. It came on the heels of her parent’s fatal accident and now her only surviving relatives are Jordan, her brother, and her Uncle Max, her mother’s brother.
“First it was our parents. Then it was Joseph. And since then, I’d been treading water. If I didn’t get some serious help, it wouldn’t be long until I drowned completely.”
Rebecca’s been running the cattle ranch she took over, that has been in her family for various generations, by herself. Jordan, a former MBL star, lives close by and runs a golf/spa resort but he has no interest in the farm. He’s offered to help Rebecca out, if only she’d ask, but she hates asking anyone for help. When her uncle, a Hollywood producer, calls asking her for a favor and offering some much needed help, she can’t refuse his offer.
“Perhaps everyone was right. It was time to move on. To live and not simply survive. Maybe it was time to find my way on a weeded path I never would have taken on my own. Sometimes those journeys could be the best.”
Cooper Hawke is a Hollywood leading man. After walking in on his Brazilian supermodel wife cheating on him, and her cruel words afterwards, he’s convinced his dream of a happy marriage, like his parents have, isn’t in the cards for him. He loved Camilla but after discovering it wasn’t the first time she’d cheated on him he filed for divorce. Wanting to escape the glare of the paparazzi he takes his friend Max up on an offer to hide him on his niece’s ranch, helping her out by working there, for four months until his next role goes into production. Having grown up in upstate New York he isn’t familiar with work on a cattle ranch but is willing to try. And as he works and gets to know Rebecca more and more, he slowly begins to slowly realize his dream isn’t dead, it’s changed for the better.
“I would die a happy man if this was all I had to live for and carry not a single damn regret of walking away from dreams I’d had my entire life.”
When these two unlikely and damaged people are thrown together, working side by side, they start to heal each other and slowly release the pain they’ve been holding on to.
Cooper and Rebecca’s story made me fall in love, not only with them but with Stacey Lynn all over again. She always delivers a heartfelt and raw story while bringing depth and emotion to each of her characters. Their pain becomes your pain, and their love for one another becomes more palpable with each moment. The author also organically and seamlessly unfolds their story, giving them an opportunity to heal, find peace within, and experience love beyond what they could ever imagine.
As with all her stories, Stacey has Cooper and Rebecca living in the real world. Their problems are ones that we all could face. They have realistic expectations of what they want in life. There’s also a sense of community and family among their friends, so much so, that you could see yourself living your life right alongside them. Yes, Cooper is a Hollywood heartthrob on the run from his turbulent life, but he’s so much more than that. After all, isn’t he just a person doing a job he loves? Like most everyone, Cooper wants to be happy. Fortunately for him (and us), his agent and Rebecca’s uncle, Max, decides to step in, giving him a little push while helping his niece out at the same time.
While Cooper is open to this new adventure of life on a farm, Rebecca fights his intrusion with every ounce of control she has left. She’s so deep in her despair and need to prove herself that she won’t allow happiness back into her life. And with Cooper charming his way through her friends, she desperately clings to her ability to keep him at arms length. Through their interactions during daily activities, learning to work side by side and through their emotional turmoil, Rebecca begins to see the steadfast, caring man that Cooper is. Furthermore, she realizes he may be the only person to whom she can tell her secrets and find solace from her pain. As she begins to let go, Rebecca struggles to find closure in regard to her husband’s death. I feel like she needed to have a heart-to-heart with his best friend, Ryan, about what happened. It seemed like it would have helped her find peace much sooner in regard to that chapter of her life.
As we navigate the rocky terrain of infidelity, death, and letting go of the past, we witness something purely exquisite develop between Cooper and Rebecca. I loved watching their healing journey and once again living a life full of passion knowing that this time around love would endure. I can’t wait to see what Stacey has in store for us with the rest of this series!
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Readers Copy of this book.
I have read all of Stacey Lynn’s books and it has been amazing to watch her grow as an author.
This book was not your typical cocky Hollywood heart throb story. This was a beautifully written story about loss, betrayal, strength, hope, and love. I loved everything about this book. From the storyline to all the characters. It was very well thought out. It held my attention from the beginning to the very end. A definite must read!!
This Time Around had my emotions all over the place. Cooper is an actor going through a very public and painful divorce after finding out his wife was cheating on her. He’s trying to keep things together, but going through this upheaval in the public eye is far from easy. His agent sends him to a cattle ranch in Kansas so he can have some peace and quiet while he tries to get his head back on straight before his next movie starts filming. When he arrives on Rebecca’s ranch, he doesn’t get the warm reception he is expecting. Rebecca herself is going through an emotionally trying time, trying to deal with the death of her husband. Can two heartbroken people find a way toward healing with each other? Even if they do, is there any place in Cooper’s life once he returns to his famous reality?
This book, as I mentioned, out me through an emotional ringer. My heart broke for Cooper and Rebecca and the pain they were both going through. Their relationship was was not rushed as both took their time getting to know each other and dealing with their emotional baggage. Sometimes slower romances can be a bit tedious, but it worked beautifully here. Cooper was not the typical hotshot actor and it was refreshing reading about him and the slow burning romance he and Rebecca shared.