Love love love! Every time I read a Maggie McGinnis book, I think to myself, this is the best one yet and I am always wrong. The author brings us back to the Whisper Creek Ranch again. By the end you can't help but smile.

What a sweet story all the way through! Jasper and his antics at the retirement home along with their residents and staff were hysterical and a whole lot of fun. His commitment to that place and his father was very touching. Emma in that environment was a breath of fresh air. I loved how she interacted with everyone and kept Jasper on his toes. He was very welcoming to her. This was a very sweet read and I loved all the characters. The story just draws you in and makes you feel you are reading about your own friends.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher through Netgalley.

Another phenomenal Whisper Creek book. As I am getting older, I find that I like reading the stories with characters that are in their thirties, I feel like I connect better with them since I to am in my thirties.

And let me tell you, I felt like I connected with Emma a lot, I too am a rule follower and not a rule breaker. I found myself falling in love with her and really hoped her and Jasper worked out there differences.

As always I can't wait for more from Whisper Creek. Ms. McGinnis definitely left it open for more from this awesome dude ranch. I hope to see Liam get get saddled next.

Emma Winthrop loves living in South Florida, the warm climate, sunny skies, what more could you ask for. Working in the corporate world, she’s hoping for the position as an executive will come up soon. When they send her to a nursing home in nowhere Montana, for field experience, she is completely surprised. What she finds is total mayhem of paperwork and rules that are constantly being broken by the rugged and extremely good looking Jasper Stone. Realizing she wants to make a good impression in the home office, Emma tries to organize the chaos.
Jasper Stone, is a daily visitor at the Shady Acres Nursing Home, since his father is a resident. Organizing wheelchair dodgeball games, balloon volleyball games, is becoming difficult with the temporary director. He was expecting an elderly person not this gorgeous woman that he can’t stop thinking about. Now everyone in town is trying to get them together. Even thou he’s not ready for a relationship, Emma is drawing him closer and closer. Can two people that have had difficult relationships in their past, put it behind them and start fresh.
This book is absolutely beautiful and a definite book to read.

3.5 stars

Taking a Chance by Maggie McGinnis is a good read.

I enjoyed the storyline and the writing, I liked both Emma and Jasper together just wanted a little more.
After having read the previous books I found the connection/attraction between the previous characters a little more intense and I feel this took away a little from my overall enjoyment.
But overall, Taking a Chance is still an enjoyable read and a good addition to the Whisper Creek series.

The Whisper Creek series has been a joy to read, each book can be read as a standalone and I highly recommend them all.

*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the advance copy.*

I loved this emotional, playful and excellently crafted Whisper Creek novel set in Carefree, Montana. As soon as I started reading, I knew I wouldn't be able to put the book down and I didn't want it to end when I got to the last page. I felt a real connection to the characters and enjoyed the chemistry, repartee and sweet love story that unfolded between Emma Winthrop, who is sent to be temporary director at Shady Acres while the director recovers from surgery, and Jasper Stone whose father is a resident at the nursing home.

This is the first book I have read by Maggie McGinnis but I hope to read more by this talented author.

I received a free advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my unbiased review.

What a great, sweet book. I loved it. This series can go on forever, as far as I'm concerned! :)

Emma Winthrop is sent to cover for a much loved Nursing Home director who needs emergency surgery. Emma is a workaholic trying to move up the corporate ladder. She has no previous hands on experience as a director and is terrified of someone dying on her watch. She occasionally lets her quirky, sassy side out.

Jasper Stone left his lucrative L.A. law practice for personal reasons. He moves to this small Montana town to work out his demons. He now owns and runs a coffee shop. His dad is in the early stages of Alzheimers and lives in the nursing home Emma is covering. Jasper is an easy going, troublemaking goofball.

Jasper walks into Bette’s office without knocking to discover Emma with her shirt off. They are off to an awkward start.

The first half of the book is painfully slow moving. Lots of fill in miscellaneous that felt extraneous. That being said, I liked Jasper and Emma, they just seemed more like good friends. Didn’t feel much chemistry.

This is a clean romance with no steamy scenes. After reading books 4 & 5 in this series, and enjoying them, I was disappointed with this one.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher.

When Emma Winthrop is sent to Whisper Creek to take over momentarily at Shady Acres nursing home she is certain she has been sent to a whole other world, it's peaceful, charming, and so unlike the bustling city life she is use to. Then she meets a certain sexy barista that instantly starts to stir up the butterflies in her stomach, he is charming, funny... and very easy on the eyes. But getting involved with him seems silly since her stay in town is temporary...

The moment Jasper Stone's eyes land on the beauty sent to run Shady Acres he can't help but fall a little for her, she is unlike any other woman he has ever met, and the sparks swirling around between them tells him there is something there worth exploring. But her stay in Whisper Creek is short term, so he must decide if that "something" between them is worth the risk to his heart...

Taking A Chance is a touching, light-hearted, literary treasure! It has been a while since my last visit to the Whisper Creek series, but mere minutes into this read I found myself making myself right at home all over again, oh how I missed these wonderful characters! I thoroughly enjoyed this new addition the series, it warmed my heart, made me laugh, and left me blushing more than a few times! The story line was engaging and held my interest throughout, and the characters were perfectly crafted... you really can't go wrong with this one, it is one of my absolute favorites from Ms. McGinnis to date! Highly recommend this one, these small town folks are sure to charm their way into your heart!

Taking a chance
By: Maggie McGinnis
📚💕⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💕📚

Open Hearts Lead To Love

If you open your heart you just might find exactly what or who you need. Even at our first encounter with Emma I found her easy to like in just the perfect kind of snobbery. Jasper was so mischievous it was easy to not only like him but waiting to see what he would do next.

Author Blurb: A rising star in the corporate world, Emma Winthrop enjoys the view from her cubicle in sunny Florida. But when she’s dispatched to a nursing home in Whisper Creek for three months to run the home while beloved Bette has surgery, she discovers a slice of heaven made of mountains and mayhem—mostly in the form of rugged, drop-dead gorgeous Jasper Stone, who grinds his specialty beans at the town’s best coffee shop in between organizing dodge-ball games and wheelchair races in Emma’s hallways.

When Jasper walks in on this beautiful angel in silky purple underwear trying to rinse out her blouse, it’s a breathtaking view—even for a Montana native. Wreaking havoc here at Shady Acres keeps his dad in good spirits, but getting under Emma’s skin is proving to be even more fun. Jasper knows that he’s falling faster than a man with his past has any right to, but his body and his heart have a mind of their own. And Emma appears to be claiming both.

Sooo when Jasper and Emma finally give in to the attraction they have together knowing they only have less than two months before Bette will return to Shady acres to her job and Emma will return to Florida in hopes of a promotion. The both have reasons to protect their heart but what happens when one runs scared and the other know or thinks they know they’ll never be able to be enough.

This book is clean and sweet with the perfect amount of angst. The characters are fun and easy to like and you’ll definitely get to visit with previous residents from Whisper Creek. Written in dual POV my personal favorite.

Thanks to Netgally for letting me read and review!!!

This was a good story, well written and compelling enough that I kept reading to the end. The hero and heroine and both likable and fun, their budding romance pushed the story along beautifully. My only complaint would be that there wasn't much chemistry between Emma and Jasper. They were friends and they liked each other and even seemed to be attracted to one another but I needed more fire between them.

The story was good and I will likely continue the series.

Taking a Chance is book six of the Whisper Creek Series by Maggie McGinnis. Simply a marvelous addition to the series which centers around a nursing home this time, not a ranch. Jasper is definitely a renegade having escaped from the corporate world to Whisper Creek, Montana owning the coffee shop there. This is the very world that Emma has left for three months unwillingly.

Jasper is an easy guy to like, not without his flaws but overall a kind soul. I enjoyed his interaction at the nursing home as he livens it up for the residents. The residents are a huge fun supporting cast for this story. Emma is also a caring person, so it is no wonder that these two have an intense attraction. The romantic sparks fly in this story as the conflicts, friendship and budding romance builds. I love that about Maggie McGinnis books, not graphic, but oh, so romantic.

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest visit to Whisper Creek where cowboys do grow old and the community continues to care for them. I also appreciated the message that someone sitting in an office far away, needs to get out and get personal with the residents so that they can make the best decisions for them. Then of course, I loved the romance between Jasper and Emma.

I love Whisper Creek and everyone in that perfect town, so I was excited to get another story from Whisper Creek. Emma and Jasper’s journey was so much fun! These two had me laughing throughout the whole book! But with all the laughing I did I also did a lot of tearing up. Jasper’s story..wow! But I just love these two!
Maggie McGinnis does a great job bringing me into this amazing little town! She writes these characters that I feel that I know and get attached to. Her Whisper Creek series is very enjoyable and light hearted and a super fun read!

​​​​​4.5 Stars!

Maggie McGinnis is a wonderful storyteller, and as a result, I read Taking A Chance from cover to cover in just a couple of days. This entertaining and emotional narrative captured my heart from the very beginning with its engaging plot, lively characters and Montana landscape. I loved the liveliness of the nursing home setting, (yes, very spirited residents), the loyalty of the locals, and the meaningful friendships that developed quickly.

Emma Winthrop loves living and working for Galway Health in the sunshine state. She believes she is one step away from a promotion, so imagine her surprise when she is transferred to Carefree, Montana, albeit only for only twelve weeks. Instead of writing proposals, making decisions and managing projects, she is the new director of the Shady Acres retirement home, one of her company's many facilities.

Jasper Stone left the rat race in Los Angeles for a quieter life in Carefree. Since he owns the best and only coffee shop in town, he supplies Shady Acres with his best brews. The residents, which includes his father, truly appreciate his efforts. Jasper is not only smart and handsome, he is a goodhearted man. Emma makes him feel things he has not experienced in a long time, and within two weeks, they are more than friends. They both bring a lot baggage to their newly formed relationship.

Overall, this is a well-written, emotionally charged novel with two main characters that I could not get enough of. Ms. McGinnis nicely combines sexual tension, drama, and funny moments into this clean, romantic story. I immediately connected with both Emma and Jasper, and there was never a moment that I did not want them to acknowledge their feelings for each other and become a couple. The scenes with the kittens were cute and adorable. Overall, this is a terrific book with a happy ending that will leave you smiling from ear to ear. This is the sixth book from the author's Whisper Creek series and it can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

I fall deeper and deeper in love with this series with every book. Every single book blows me away. This is by far one of my favorite series of all time. I love Maggie McGinnis’s writing style. Her scenery descriptions are magnificent, the characters are people I would love to meet and hang around with. If Carefree, Montana, and Whisper Creek Ranch were real, I know I’d be there in a heartbeat, drinking all the water on the ranch I could find!

I not only fell in love with Emma and Jasper, but all of the residents of Shady Acres as well. I laughed so much with the shenanigans and banter. I was hooked with Emma and Jasper’s story from the beginning and was rooting for them to find their HEA. I was so not prepared for Emma’s story and had to fight sobbing loudly since I was at work. My heart physically hurt for her – and she’s a character in a book! That’s some intense and exceptional writing right there!

This is a beautiful, second-chance romance that is full of laughter and playfulness, letting go and opening up, pain and healing, and most of all – a true and unconditional, forever kind of love.

**I requested and received an advanced copy, provided by NetGalley and the publisher, and I am voluntarily providing an honest review**

This book was the first that I have read from Maggie McGinnis and it was such a delightful and entertaining read with the well written storyline and the well defined characters that I was totally captivated until the very end! I definitely look forward to reading more from this author!

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

Jasper escapes the demanding legal world in LA after tragedy strikes and finds himself in Carefree, Montana, a place where the land soothes his soul and the people mend his heart. Emma takes a temporary, twelve-week assignment as the director of the retirement home in Carefree and learns that there’s more to life that statistics, charts and numbers. She soon finds that A) people are not numbers and statistics, and B) the biggest challenge to her new job is resident rule breaker and maverick, Jasper. Despite the growing attraction between Jasper and Emma, twelve weeks surely isn’t enough time to build a relationship, even if they both weren’t keeping big secrets from each other.

The advance copy I read of this book was my first by this author, and I fell in love with everything and everyone in Carefree! With a backdrop of rugged landscapes and small-town quaintness, the fabric of Carefree, Whisper Creek ranch and Shady Acres retirement community come alive. From the cowboys and their ladies to the coffee shop patrons and employees, to the residents of Shady Acres, the larger-than-life characters create a colorful tapestry that is Carefree. Jasper and Emma immediately won my heart with their kindness and strength as they worked to repair their damaged hearts and learn how to love. It was so rewarding to see Jasper let go of the pain from his past, and to watch all the good that came from Emma learning to break a few rules. Their story is a bit of an emotional roller coaster ride, by turns tender and sweet, painful and poignant, zany and hilarious, and rewarding and satisfying. Run to the 1-click button so you don’t miss this phenomenal read!

Taking a Chance was my first read from Maggie McGinnis and I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed it. It's funny with just enough of an angsty past to pull at your heart strings and get you to become emotionally involved. 

Emma has her sights on a promotion within her health care administration job so when she was asked to go out to Montana to fill in for a director out on leave, she didn't think twice about it. Hoping this was her break, she sets her sights on making sure everything goes smoothly. However, she didn't see that prankster coming not only for her smile but for her laugh. 

I had so much fun with Jasper and his shenanigans. He was the life of the nursing home that kept the party going and pretty much had all the residents eating out of the palm of his hand. I knew never what he was going to do next and I loved every minute that he pushed Emma's buttons. 

From the moment Emma and Jasper meet, you can tell that there's something there and you can't help but root for them. They certainly balance each other out. Jasper helps Emma kind of rediscover the playful and carefree person that she can be. 

While this book is part of a series, it definitely can be read as a standalone. I didn't feel like I was missing anything while reading it. I did enjoy the other characters so that made me want to go back and get their own stories but it didn't take anything away from Emma and Jasper's story. 

Overall, I thought this was a fun and mostly light hearted romance that was easy to pick up and hard to put down. I certainly got my laughs and fell in love with Jasper right along with Emma.

If you have followed my blog, then you know how much I dislike starting a series off in the middle/end of the series. I always feel that I am missing something by doing that. But, there is the rare series where the books can be read as stand alone. The Whisper Creek series is such a series. I started the series on book 4 and I am now at book 6. Each book that I have read I could do and not worry about the issues/characters from the other books showing up. So when Taking a Chance showed up on my NetGalley queue from Loveswept, I had to request it. I am glad I did because I enjoyed reading this book.

I can say that I have read only one other book that had some scenes in a nursing home. Taking a Chance was the first book that I read where the romance started and stayed in a nursing home setting. I loved it. I was a dietary aide in a nursing home many years ago. The residents at Shady Acres reminded me of the ones that I met at my nursing home. I loved them and was sad when I ended up leaving.

I thought Emma was a bit uptight. She was also so salty about her older sister, it wasn’t even funny. But the more the author revealed about her background, the more I understood why she was so uptight. I also understood why she was so jealous of her sister. Her meeting Jasper was a good thing. Jasper made her let her hair down. She had fun with him. Also, hello, kittens!!! Emma did have a secret that made me sob when she told Jasper. Instead of a scene where she was telling him, the author actually brought us there. I was a mess after it was done and my SO was looking at me with an “Ok, what sad thing happened in the book now” look on his face. It also made what happened later in the book more special.

Where do I start with Jasper? I mean, he was the total package. He ran a coffee shop that made the best coffee in the world (according to the book). He was friends with the studs at the Whisper Creek Ranch, which did give him points with Emma. He was a foster-father to a litter of kittens, which made my heart melt. He also visited his father almost every day and he made friends with the residents. On top of all that, he was fun. But, Jasper was broken and held hostage to a very painful past. Like Emma’s secret, the author chose to go back to that awful memory so we could get the full force of what happened. I was a sobbing mess, runny nose and all. Like with Emma, his past made what happened later on more special.

I loved their romance. I called it the anti-romance. They slept together once and then Jasper friend zoned Emma. He did it so fast that my head started to spin. But he lusted after her from afar. I will say that I did like that the sex wasn’t super explicit. You went from Emma telling Jasper that she wanted him to Jasper waking up late the next morning. Your imagination did the work. I loved it!!

I did like the end of the book. I liked the whole “where is Emma” theme. I got a mental image of one of those “Where’s Waldo” books expect it was Emma and Jasper had to find her. I did feel bad for Jasper because he went everywhere looking for her. And she ended up being in the last place he checked. I loved the epilogue. I thought it was the sweetest thing ever. I do hope that there is a book 7 because, well, I need to know things. Sorry about being super vague but read the book if you want to find out what I mean.

Taking a Chance was a well-written romance that is the 6th book in the Whisper Creek series. This book can be read as a stand-alone, so don’t let that it is the 6th book scare you off. The plot was great. The characters were funny and well written. I will be reading this book again.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex (not graphic), mild language

I would like to thank Maggie McGinnis, Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Taking a Chance.

All opinions stated in this review of Taking a Chance are mine and mine alone.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Jasper has a little bit of a rebellious side that draws the attention of the director in Shady Acres. Known for his crazy ways of keeping the residents entertained and motivated to be active, Jasper gets by with more than he should. Until the temporary director steps in, Emma is a rule follower to the core. Unable to shake off impending doom at being thrust into this position on a short notice, Emma needs all the help she can get.

After a crushing blow to his personal life, Jasper uproots and heads to Carefee, moving his father with him. Finding the change of pace he was looking for Jasper is learning to enjoy life to the fullest. Emma is still trying to accept that she will never be the overachiever her parents wished her to be. Finding true acceptance in the Carefree allows Emma to follow her heart.

I cannot explain how much I loved this book; it had me from page one. Watching Emma break out of her shell and truly experience a little fun was great. They both had emotional trauma in the past they were trying to work through, I was so relieved to see that Emma stayed and worked through it, it added another level of maturity to the developing relationship. The chemistry was perfect, between Jasper and Emma along with the other couples. McGinnis’ secondary characters were icing on the cake, the plot was smoothly flowing and kept me interest throughout the novel. This was my first read in the Whisper Creek Series and will not be my last, I have one-clicked previously released novels and am anxiously awaiting more!