Whiskey and Oak Leaves

This book had a promising start, but went downhill from there. Meg, a paramedic, meets June when June breaks her leg breaking in a horse. They meet again a year later. Rhonda, June's friend, is attracted to Meg. Rhonda brings Meg out to June's ranch to go horseback riding. Meg is attracted is June. Meg is sleeping with the local bartender.No sparks anywhere. June seems so self-centered and so closed up. And the author uses an annoying shifting point of view. Each chapter is told from either Meg or June's point of view. Sometimes, you forget who's telling the story!Things happen that are too coincidental (the Hudsons and the well, and how things are wrapped up). Things are wrapped up too quickly too, with Meg and the bartender, and with Rhonda and June's sister Karen. The book ends abruptly, and seems a chapter short.Save your money. This one's not a keeper. Maybe borrow it from a library or buy it used, but don't pay full price.

When I first heard the title of this book and read the back cover, I was intrigued. The words didn't lend themselves to even a speculation of what the story would be like. However, a Clevenger fan, I ordered it anyway and am glad I did.Meg is a paramedic with a busy life. She loves her job, but when her partner is seriously injured on a call her passion for driving an ambulance wanes. June is a divorced woman trying to keep her horse ranch alive. Her co-owner sister wants to sell to developers but June resists. Things only get worse when it seems they will lose water rights after their elderly neighbors sell.First meeting when Meg is called to an emergency on June's ranch, they are reacquainted when Meg decides to take riding lessons. Of course, this "chance" second meeting comes via a mutual friend who is trying to enhance business and help June keep the ranch. This mutual friend has a crush on the seemingly straight June. Top that off with Meg's growing attraction to the rancher and a young ranch hand who also fancies June, and the reader is up for a romantic roller coaster. Add the drama of June's sister, the developers, and the water rights, and the reader is set up for a great book period.Add Clevenger's talent as an author to this great story premise, and you have a real winner. Don't miss this great book with lovable characters and so many twists and turns your head will spin.

Save this book for when you have a chunk of time - you won't regret it.This is a book full of interesting diverse people rich in character development.I wouldn't call this a romance - more a character study.I was fascinated how 34 year old horse ranch owner June and Meg the paramedic thought of and dealt with life and those people in their inner circle.I was most fascinated by June and the ranch hand Chris - Chris is a character that has so much breadth to her story that she deserves her own book. Equally interesting is June's sister Karen. I don't want to color another's reading but I found her relationship with her sister immensely absorbing.This is a novel that you will regret if you rush the reading.

June is definitely a "go away, closer" type woman, and I got tired of her antics after a while. Then again, Meg's no winner, either. June's relationship with her sister over the ranch was interesting, and I was looking forward to how that would play out, so I was disappointed by the deus ex machina that saved the ranch. Middle of the road romance, not good, not bad, just ok.

This was an interesting story but the characters could have been developed a little more. Each of our heroines seemed to spend a lot of time in their own head and just waiting for the other to make a move. Not quite up to Jaime's standards but I enjoyed the book anyway.

Great book , really descriptive scenery. You could really imagine being there. Difficult to put down. Interesting characters. Would def recommend !

A short easy read that's taken along at a good pace. The main characters are reasonably well realised. It's worth a read.