SOMEBODY LIKE YOU is book one in Lynnette Austin's
fabulous Maverick Junction
series. Simply addicting no
matter what order read. Actually that's exactly what I did
-- read them totally out of order. That's one of the
beauties of a Lynnette Austin series, you can join in at
any time. All three books in the Maverick Junction
series
are now re-issued so this is your chance to read an
engaging heartwarming set of tales with some remarkable
folks.
SOMEBODY LIKE YOU ponders the age old question about
relationships, what matter more, love or having things
in common. Sure life styles certainly impact who we are,
but they don't necessarily define us.
When Annelise Montjoy decides to set off on her motorcycle
she has a plan, but her plan has lots of holes in it,
but the prize for her efforts is immensely important.
Annelise has never done anything like this before in fact
her life has been one of control, security and carefully
constructed boundaries. Annelise never expected or counted
on meeting Cash and certainly never entertained the
thought of finding a small ranching town that could fill
so many voids in her life.
Impressions are often deceiving. Both Annelise and Cash
were guilty of forming unsubstantiated first impressions
of each other. If they had the luxury of time their
relationship would probably been less rocky but time was
at a premium.
Annelise was working tirelessly to keep her true identity
a secret, the why is really pretty sad and prophetic. She
loved being Annie, that's what Cash called her from the
very beginning, that's who she was to all these dear
people. And the longer Annie remained in Maverick Junction
that's who she realized she really was. This is the person
Annelise wanted to be.
The big challenge was how to step up to the bat, tell
Cash who she was without having him freak out. Cash did
not like secrets, he believed his life and job per se
firmly set Annie and him in two different worlds, worlds
that couldn't possibly mesh. All Cash's defensive moves
just couldn't stop his heart becoming more invested in
this thing with Annie. Sure there was no real future since
Cash was dead set on not getting married any time in the
foreseeable future. And as time went by Annie was
beginning to see her life, her future with Cash.
The age old tug of war done with panache by the very
talented Lynnette Austin. I just adore this series and
SOMEBODY LIKE YOU is a wonderful addition. In SOMEBODY
LIKE YOU Lynnette Austin lets us know that it is
absolutely okay to look outside the box. The heart know
better and in SOMEBODY LIKE YOU the heart wins.
WHEN A COWBOY MEETS AN HEIRESS
Cash Hardeman thinks he'll have all the time in the world
to
find the right woman . . . until he discovers he might
lose
the family ranch if he's not married by his thirtieth
birthday. So when Boston beauty Annelise blows into town
on
her Harley, Cash can't help wondering if she's the sexy,
leather-clad answer to all his problems.
Giving her bodyguards and the paparazzi the slip, heiress
Annelise Montjoy comes to Maverick Junction on a mission
to
help her ailing grandfather. But keeping her identity
hidden
in the small Texas town is harder than she
expected-especially around a tempting cowboy like Cash.
He's
the kind of man who makes her want to spill all her
secrets.
Soon Annelise starts to wonder if she's finally found the
man who can love her for herself rather than her money.
But
will the secrets they both keep ruin their plans to ride
off
into the sunset together?
Excerpt
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Annelise Montjoy motored her Harley along what appeared
to be the town’s main street. This was Maverick Junction?
A blue Cadillac, surely old enough to be in a museum, was
parked nose-in to the curb. An incredibly ugly dog sat in
the front seat.
Thank God, this, the final destination of her cross-
country trip from Boston, was temporary. It looked like
the kind of place you ran away from, not toward. If luck
was on her side, she’d be out of here in a couple weeks
at the most.
And then a store door opened and her breath caught. Go,
Texas! Look at that cowboy. So different from any of the
men in her life. So…intriguing. She slowed to nearly a
standstill and watched as he swiped an arm across his
forehead, then dumped a grocery bag in the backseat of
the old Caddy.
Cracking open a bottle of water, he turned his head in
her direction. Her breath hitched as his gaze ran lazily
over her, her bike. Then he snagged a Styrofoam cup from
inside his car and filled it before setting it on the
blistering pavement for the dog waiting patiently beside
him.
Leaning against the faded fender, he thumbed back his
battered Stetson and chugged the rest of the water.
Twisting the cap back on, he tossed the bottle into the
recycling bin beside the grocer’s door.
Annelise pulled her bike into a parking space across the
street, deliberately turning her back on the stranger.
While his clothes might have been stereotypical cowboy—
worn jeans, a faded T-shirt, cowboy boots, and hat—he
took everything from simmer to boiling point. The jeans
hugged long legs, while the shirt stretched taut across
his muscled chest. There was something very alluring
about him and that surprised her. He wasn’t the kind of
man she was usually drawn to.
He shouldn’t appeal to her.
He did.
Not so much as a breeze stirred. The flag on the post
office hung limp, and the cheerful red, white, and blue
balloons someone had hung outside a beauty salon drooped
listlessly.
Unable to stop herself, she peeked in the bike’s rearview
mirror. Cowboy was bent over, talking to the dog. Quite a
view, but she wasn’t here to admire a fine jean-clad
butt. She needed something cold to drink and something
light to eat. Then she’d go in search of Dottie Willis
and the apartment she’d rented over the Internet.
Maverick Junction, Texas. Annelise wished she was driving
through, wished she could view it as simply a spot on the
map where she’d stopped for lunch one summer day.
Well, she’d just have to work fast.
But before she’d even taken two steps, her cell rang. She
checked caller ID, blew out a huge sigh, and dutifully
answered.
“Annelise, where are you? When are you coming home?” Her
mother’s voice sounded strained.
“Don’t worry, Mom. Are you and Dad okay?”
“Come home.”
“I can’t.”