No one said being a celebrity is easy. But a washed-up
celebrity -- well that just stinks. Take the case of Dakota
Dunn. Singing sensation at sixteen she returns to the only
place she ever felt at home with a plan to reinvent herself.
Her manager's edict was get sexier, edgier or your career as
a singer/songwriter is kaput. Being sexy or raunchy is
unfamiliar territory for Dakota. So she heads to her marina
and plans to lay low in her little cabin hoping and wishing
for some inspiration. Instead of inspiration she finds
herself in a continual state of embarrassment as she
develops a serious case of klutziness inevitably in the
presence of the man her father hired as manager of the
marina. Trace Coleman had come to the marina seeking solace
from a career cut short by a serious bull riding accident.
Dakota's father found him escaping from life in a bottle and
gave him this opportunity to turn his life around.
Unfortunately running the marina also afforded Trace a great
place to hide. He was doing a pretty good job of running the
marina and keeping to himself with the exception of the few
people he employed. Not to say Sierra the cook and Grady his
right hand man didn't try to get Trace to ease back into
some sort of social life. But it took Dakota and her
seemingly constant need for rescue to get Trace's blood
stirring again. Try as hard as he could to stay out of her
way there was no alternative but to be on the alert for the
next certain calamity. Pretty soon it became obvious to both
Dakota and ever wary Trace that being together started to
outweigh lingering wariness of being hurt once again. One
step or misstep at a time their relationship was becoming
very real. Despite scars and a limp from his bull incident
Trace was beginning to find acceptance and more importantly
love. With Grady and Sierra discovering their own attraction
to each other the two couples were working together. And
with the air charged with passionate energy it's a wonder
the marina doesn't catch fire. Hey you know what they say --
with a little help from your friends.
There was definitely a time there while reading this book
that I unconsciously nicknamed Dakota calamity Jane. She was
endearing and guileless but just an accident waiting to
happen. Just couldn't help caring what happened to all four
of the friends and at the same time enjoying their
escapades. This is a laugh out loud story and one you won't
want to put down. So turn down the lights just a little,
snuggle before a fire and prepare yourself for a warm fuzzy
read. I promise. Enjoy
At sixteen, Dakota Dunn was America’s Pop Princess. Now
twenty-five, she’s all grown up—and definitely washed up.
She decides to head to her parents’ lakefront retreat in
Tennessee, fixing to write songs and transform her image
from squeaky clean to kickin’ country.
Turns out
her folks have handed things over to sexy, if cranky, cowboy
Trace Coleman—a former bull riding champion benched by
injuries. He’s none too happy about Dakota’s arrival—and
makes no secret of it. But though Trace is rough around the
edges, Dakota feels a pull of attraction she can’t quite
shake. For all his brooding, Trace has an animal magnetism
that may just lead Dakota to dig in her heels and hold on
tight...