Member Reviews

Meant to Be is the fifth lovely romance in the Whisper Creek series written by author Maggie McGinnis. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Loveswept for the advance copy.

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Shelby is devastated by her dads death. Her label sends her off to Whisper Ranch all alone to deal with her grief.
Cooper is working at whisper ranch, trying to come to terms with all that he's lost. Now he's been given the job of keeping an eye on the VIP guest, Shelby.
I loved the way the story progressed between Cooper and Shelby. They both have reasons to guard their hearts, and Ms McGinnis had them first trusting each other , then friendship and finally falling in love. It was a sweet heartwarming romance that is worth taking the time to read.

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“I really want to say something profound right now, but the stupidest, cheesiest lines are all I can think of.”

You have no idea how often this line ^^ applies to me, trying to write a review. Because when you read something so enjoyable, so fun and sweet that you want to share it with the world, you want to phrase in a way that entices people. Except… most of the time, I can't.

Most of the time, I get a little cheesy.

This might be one of those times. Meant to Be is the second book in this series I've read (I've also read book three, Once Upon a Cowboy), and I'm a little surprised I've not read the others yet. I mean, I clearly remember finishing the third book and thinking, yeah, this is my kind of series. And TBH, that's what I'm feeling all over again.

Meant to Be is a charming book. It's well-written, witty and all kinds of adorable—Cooper and Shelby are a mixture of slow burn romance propelled by a touch of insta-love… if that even makes sense. And it's fab. I loved that Shelby wasn't your stereotypical diva, and that Coop wasn't too alpha. I loved experiencing the beauty of Whisper Creek and the bruised souls that have gathered there.

I loved the way it made me want to smile.

I closed this book feeling happy, having enjoyed a story that was high on feel good moments and laced with a little drama and surprising emotion to keep it interesting, though I do have some residual questions—mainly about logistics, but also because I had theories…

It’s nothing I can't overlook, however, because Meant to Be checked off my other boxes when it comes to romance: swoony hero and likable heroine, set in a storybook small-town, chock full of moments both sweet and tender, and complete with an ending that brought most everything together in a guaranteed heart-happy kind of way.

Now, that's wasn't too cheesy. Was it??

“I don’t want anything from you, Shelby. Nothing except for you to be free to be yourself. Your real self, not the one the record company created.”
“What if I don’t even know who that is anymore?”
“Then we figure it out together.”

~ 4.5 Neverlandia STARS ~

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Shelby is attempting to mourn her father, the only family she had. Unfortunately, her assistant from the record company decided she wasn't mourning "properly" & shipped her off to Montana to a guest ranch. Shelby is an aging pop star & was on her final tour when her father's plane crashed. He was on his way to visit her because she'd called him in a panic & she feels guilty.

Cooper is an ex-cop who managed to bring down a group of bad cops, including his cousin. They implicated him to get back at him. His father was mad at him for sending his cousin to jail & turned his back on him. Cooper took off to find someplace to start a new life & ended up in Montana at a guest ranch.

I really enjoyed this book. The author was trying to let Shelby mourn in a realistic manner but did an excellent job of showing the public expectations on a public figure. The close eyes of the tabloid press can take a small incident & blow it out of proportion. The interactions between Cooper & Shelby were really enjoyable in a snarky sarcastic manner. They allowed each other to be who they really were, not what was expected of them. I loved the connection between them & the support of the other characters in the story. I adored piglet & the way Shelby took care of it, especially the scene in the bedroom. This was a great story & I'd recommend it to anyone enjoying contemporary romance.

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Book Info
ebook, 256 pages
Expected publication: March 14th 2017 by Loveswept
ISBN13 9781101967799
Edition Language English
URL
Series Whisper Creek #5
Other Editions (1)
Source:Netgalley EARC

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BOOK BLURB


At twenty-eight, Shelby Quinn is a has-been, and she’s more relieved than devastated. The one-time pop sensation’s latest album just debuted with a whimper, and her tour’s cancellation means she has her first chance to relax since . . . well, ever. But when her beloved father passes away, Shelby’s vacation suddenly becomes a time for soul searching. Alone and broken-hearted, she certainly doesn’t expect to meet a man who understands her in a way no one else ever has.

Cooper Davis was one of the NYPD’s top detectives—until his partner made off with his wife and his reputation. Now he’s wrangling horses and guests at Whisper Creek Ranch, while keeping one eye firmly on a super-secret VIP holed up in a private cabin—a beautiful, soulful singer who knows what it’s like to lose everything. Cooper and Shelby both have ample reason to guard their hearts. But if they can learn to trust each other, something magical waits for them under the big skies and bright stars.

My Thoughts


From my heart there is a yearning to find a place like Whisper Creek, surely it exists somewhere.

Shelby Quinn's world was already spiraling out of control, her pop music persona Tara Gibson was no longer one she was willing to portray.

The news of her fathers untimely death was her breaking point and the reason she was sent to spend a month in Montana at Whisper Creek resort. Her record label wanted her to lay low before embarking on her a tour to promote her latest album.

Stunned and grief stricken Shelby arrives at her destination with no clue how drastically her life had changed so swiftly. However it only takes a few days and the peace of her new surroundings becomes a welcome retreat rather than just a place to hide from reporters.

Not the least reason why this change occurs is her next door neighbor whose spaghetti and hamburger cooking skills prove irresistible to Shelby, especially since she has no culinary skills of her own.

The romance is sweetly poignant, the slow build a refreshing change from instant love and almost from day one sex with each other. I thoroughly enjoyed having Cooper and Shelby find their way to each other and in the process find how to resolve their pasts as well.

[EArc from Netgalley in exchange for honest review]


On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

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F 50x66
Nickie Adler's review Mar 04, 2017 · edit
really liked it

When Shelby Quinn loses her father in a plane crash, she feels that her world has come undone. Growing up with her famous Dad, a well known country singer, she toured with him from the age of 5. At 16 she was made a pop singer and has been touring on her own since then under the name of Tara Gibson. Now that she's 28, she is fed up with singing songs she doesn't write, of wearing clothes that are picked for her, and being told that this is her life. A life she wants no part of, specially now that she's lost the only person that mattered to her. Figuring she needs time away from life, her manager sends her to a dude ranch in Montana for a month.
Cooper Davis has been living at Whisper Creek Ranch for the past three months trying to forget the life he left behind in Boston. A life he worked hard for. Being a cop is all he ever wanted to do. Working undercover, he finds that the ringleader in the drug case he's been investigating, is no other than his cousin, another Boston cop. When it all comes crashing down on him and they start to implicate him, he takes matters into his own hands and drives to Montana to work at a dude ranch to get away from all the nastiness, till it clears up. The last thing he expected is to fall for the beautiful VIP that will be living at Whisper Creek Ranch for a month. Can these two lost souls, take a chance on each other and hope for a future filled with dreams and promises.
This series will bring out the cowgirl in all of you. Montana is a beautiful state and Maggie McGinnis makes you wish you were there with all the hot cowboys.

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Fantastic! That's the word that pops into my head every time I think back on this book. I loved everything about it. The characters were amazing and very well developed, the story moves along at a great easy pace, and the relationship between Shelby/Tara and Cooper is a nice slow build. The magic of Whisper Creek never fails to make everyone slow down, enjoy the world, and open their hearts. That's exactly what happens to these two troubled souls and it can happen to you as the story unfolds before you. I highly recommend it.

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Shelby and Cooper meet at Whisper Creek Ranch when she is sent away for a one month vacation after the death of her father. Shelby is known as Pop Star Tara Gibson and not her real name, Shelby Quinn. Her father died in a plane crash while heading to see her and she feels guilt about his death on top of her grief. Her publicist and management team were ridiculous in how they handled her and she should have stood up for herself long before his death. She meets Cooper, who is sent by Kyla to be her buddy and make sure she is doing all right. Cooper has no idea who she is and it takes him a while to figure it out. She does have a hard time trusting people and takes her sweet time to reveal her life to him. He has his own secrets and takes his time in revealing them to her, which boxes them both in at points. Shelby thinks they can figure out a life together when Cooper's past comes crashing back into his life in a bad way. He decides to do the right thing and distance himself from her for damage control but I found it absurd that she didn't stand up for herself more with Nic. It all caused some serious heartache for both of them. I enjoyed this story and was able to follow it without having read any of the other books in this series. I am grateful to have received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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💞💞💞💞💞Pure pleasure!!💞💞💞💞💞

Deep, heartfelt pleasure in every page. I fell in love with Shelby from page one, and I fell in love with Cooper long before Shelby did. Shelby had so much grief to deal with and almost insurmountable financial problems, and a sincere doubt about the motives of everyone trying to befriend her, so guarded that the hot cowboy next door was barely a blip on her radar. Then…spaghetti! Poor Shelby couldn’t cook for herself, there were incidents! Cooper just wanted the lovely, lonely girl, the unknown VIP, to have a decent meal.

Cooper had far too many problems of his own to get involved with a high maintenance, entitled, spoiled VIP trying to hide out for a few weeks. It didn’t take him long to realize that she was nothing like his preconceived ideas…she was just sad and lonely. He put aside his problems to befriend Shelby, and when he got to know her, his heart just had to get tangled up with hers.

This is a beautifully written, beautifully told story. Ms. McGinnis put me right in the middle of Whisper Creek with blue skies, blue water and green fields so vividly written that I was there as Shelby and Cooper rode trails or ate burgers from the grill. I cried with Shelby when she and Cooper had to part. My heart ached with them both as they went their separate ways, trying to find a way back to each other.

This is a perfect romance, guaranteed to keep you deep in the story. Psst…there’s a baby pig that sleeps in a fuzzy slipper!

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I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars it's that good! I loved it from the start & is definitely my favourite book in the series so far. The characters in this story were so fun but there was also a palpable sadness to them. Shelby is sent away to Whisper Creek by her record label to pull herself back together after her father's death in a plane crash that she blames herself for. Cooper is a former police officer who has left town to lick his wounds after being accused & aquitted of a heinous crime, finding himself at Whisper Creek working with horses. Now he's asked to watch over Shelby while she's there. What happens when 2 lonely souls cross paths is the story Shelby & Cooper. Cooper shows Shelby that there's still something inside looking to get out & Shelby brings to life feelings that Cooper thought were dead & buried. The levels of emotions run very high in this story, from the devastating grief, to the enjoyable friendships & growing love, to the joy & happiness found in finding oneself again & finally to the heartbreak of loss when everything goes wrong. Maggie McGinnis has brought it all out in this chapter of Whisper Creek. Definitely recommend to read.

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Shelby Quinn’s life is slowly coming apart, professional and personally. Now that her father has passed away her P.R. person has decided to send her away to Whisper Creek for a month. Whisper Creek is having their first celebrity stay with them at their ranch but they have no Idea who she is. They have asked new employee Cooper Davis former cop to live in the cabin next to hers and act as a body guard without her knowledge. This goes good for a while until her figures out that she cannot cook by the smoke coming out of her cabin, he then goes into cook mode which helps to open her up. This leads the two of them to become closer but throughout the story Cooper and the rest of the staff are still trying to figure out who she is. You also have Cooper’s life still unsettled back in Boston because of the case that made him retire. There was a lot that I liked about this story because the two characters both had to leave the ranch and you realize that the author you is going to take you on a different journey in this story than the other books. I must say I liked it and I liked the characters and dialogue as well. A very good story.

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A delightful romance! "Meant to Be" is a touching story about two lost souls just yearning to make a genuine connection and finally finding it in all the right places. McGinnis rounds out and connects the characters nicely and gently weaves yet another tale of sweet love at Whisper Creek. Its a series I could easily devour!

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Delightful read with a totally entertaining plot. A pop star takes a month off, incognito, at a
western ranch after her father has died. Romance and self-discovery follow.

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I love visiting Whisper Creek, & this book does not disappoint. Shelby is 28, a pop princess that goes by the name Tara Gibson, who's just lost her father (a famous country singer) in a plane crash. She was already struggling with her career & this event has pushed her to the edge. Her "people" decide to send her away to get some space & hid out from the paparazzi for a month & pick Whisper Creek. She's hesitant at first but decides it might be good. At Whisper Creek is Cooper Davis, a former Boston cop that lost his badge because of some shady business that may come back to haunt him. Kyla has assigned him to watch over Shelby. He has no clue who she is but he likes what he sees about her. Shelby just wants to hole up in the cabin & cry but cooper decides he's not going to let her do that. By making sure she stays out of the public eye, he takes her on trail rides & brings her food & even takes her into town. Slowly Shelby is starting to find herself again. Their relationship begins to heat up then Cooper is called back to the stand for a new court case. What will happen to them? Will this be the end? Please read this book to see the whole story develop. You wont' be sorry that you did!!

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(Goodreads and Amazon on release day)
Maggie McGinnis delivers a very sweet and sensitive romance about two people going through rather extreme situations. The heroine’s grieving over her father’s death is heartbreakingly described and is one of the features I loved the most.
I also liked the treatment of the effects of fame in celebrities, the weariness, the anxiety, even the paranoia.
It’s also interesting to watch the healing effect of music in the main characters.
In the second part, I got a bit distracted with the dialogue, that dragged a bit.
Overall a great story, great characters and a new author that I’ll be following, I liked her writing style.

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I love The Whisper Creek series. Maggie has a way of writing that makes her stories come alive. I could feel all the pain and angst as well as the joy and happinesss throughout the book. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

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Meant to Be by Maggie McGinnis grips your heart from the very beginning, and takes you on a highly satisfying ride of self discovery and what it means to truly love. All of her regular characters are there to add flavor, but the story is really about what Shelby and Cooper learn about each other and life. Their back stories are a fascinating part of the plot and the conclusion is heartwarming. I highly recommend this and the rest of the Whisper Creek series.

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This book was an ok read, found it to be a little slow. Cooper and Shelby developed a romance pretty quickly after the horrible situations both of them were dealt. Cooper is running from his life's problems and ends up in Montana to start fresh. Shelby loses her father and is sent away so that she does not have a public breakdown, she too ends up in Montana in a private lodging resort. They meet and fall in love and then Cooper has to leave to deal with his accusations again, so he breaks things off with her so as to not sully her name. Shelby has to return to her real life also, but cannot stop thinking of him. They get everything resolved and get together again.

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Oh how I love this series. All of the other characters are there... making appearances yet keeping the focus on the main couple of this tale.
Two extremely damaged and hurting people.... come together... and release their pain through the connection and caring they give... it has its ups and downs but in the end McGinnis always makes it work

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I'm always looking for a new author of sorbet and this synopsis sounded perfect.

I liked Shelby and Cooper. They're both genuinely nice people. She's grieving and it takes a while to see her spark, but it happened. And he's got some serious things happening in his life, so there's that. There are a lot of interesting characters and I'm guessing they're from previous books.

The plot was quite a slow burn and I was hoping for something a bit more chemistry wise. Yet, it was a cute read that was mostly fluffy and had a great epilogue.

**Huge thanks to Loveswept and NetGalley for providing the arc free of charge**

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