Member Reviews
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC.
A charmingly whimsical romance with a touch of magic.
With an animal shelter as a setting, animals abound in this delightful novel.
An easy, enjoyable read, I read this sweet novel in one sitting.
What a sweet, fun contemporary romance with a fantasy twist! I read this one in just a few hours, and it was well worth it. Although it is the third book in a series, I had no trouble at all following along without having read the first two. While you meet the characters from the first two books and may get even more enjoyment from reading them first, I found it to be delightful regardless. It's a clean romance, so while there is some kissing, all the sexy times happen behind closed doors. It was a perfect summer read, particularly if you're reclining in a beach chair listening to the waves crash beyond you.
Growing up as a foster kid, Kat Davenport is resilient, stubborn, and independent. But when she's down on her luck with money, she'll take any job that comes her way. That's how she finds herself wearing a chicken suit asking for donations for the local animal shelter when she meets tall, dark, and handsome Jordan Prescott. The two part ways, but they meet again when Kat answers an ad for a room for rent, which just happens to be owned by Jordan and his aunt, Opal. Living on the Willowbrook Lavender Farm, which just happens to be right down the road from the animal shelter, seems like a dream come true. But dreams never last for Kat - it's month-to-month, because Jordan has every intention of selling the farm and returning to New York City. Determined to make the best of things, she dives into her work and the farm, and soon she has everyone wrapped around her finger - the animals, Opal, and even Jordan. Can love and a little magic bring these two together, or will the call of NYC be stronger than love?
I absolutely adored Kat! She was one of my favorite heroines of any book I've read this year, because she wouldn't compromise her values and personality for anyone. Even if it meant people thought her strange. Born with a unique gift that allowed her to communicate with animals, she earned a special place in my heart - any character who loves animals and does everything she can to save them is good in my book. Her kind ways and generous heart drew me in, just as they Jordan. Jordan was hard to read at first - at times charming and other times he was just plain rude. But as we learned more about his past and the farm, I began to understand why and empathized with him. The animals were lovely secondary characters, particularly Edgar the Crow and Waffles the Miniature Donkey. Their personalities shone so brightly on the pages that it made me wish I could visit the farm someday.
I will definitely be going back to read the first two books! Tara Sheets is officially on my list of authors to watch, and I can't wait to see what she writes next.
Best of the series, I liked it so much more than the first two! Excellent animal characters, and of course the people as well.
This is the 3rd in tara sheets series.
Kat has the ability to communicate with animals and gets herself a job at a pet shelter and rents a house on a farm and was asked to take care of the animals there. No one knew she had that ability to talk to animals until one day she shows Jordan the grandson of opal.
Romantic, funny, heartwarming and a touch of magic
I really liked this book much more than I expected. I generally go for the hot covers with a sexy shirtless man on the the front and a bit more racy story but truly enjoyed this book. The heroine was Kat Davenport, who grew up in foster care and comes to Pine Cove Island in the Pacific Northwest, broke after getting out of a bad relationship in Los Angeles. She has a ability to “talk” to animals.
I like it that it is not crazy illogical magic like she can speak to animals and hear them speak back like in the Dr. Doolittle movies, but that she can touch them and see what they have been going though or what their days have been like and determine why they are sad or what they want from seeing that, like if they are neglected, scared, or hungry.
The Hero is Jordan Prescott who grew up on the island on a lavender farm with his parents. Jordan has a business in New York and has returned to sell the farm because his worthless hippie parents recently left after his 90 year old Grandmother moved in with them to help run it. Jordan has a lot of bad memories of the place and his parents since they were not good parents. But he rents a room above the garage to Kat in exchange for cheap rent and a promise that she will take care of the chickens and miniature donkey.
The romance between the two main characters is slow to start but intense and romantic. Jordan is quite a broody fella, but he smirks quite a bit as well. He says he doesn’t like animals but he comes around pretty quickly, but then again with a miniature donkey, a miniature goat, a three legged dog, a tiny dog, a cat and kittens, who wouldn’t. I could easily picture in my head all the scenes with the animals, especially the campfire scene where the donkey was eating the graham crackers. Also the house reminded me a bit of the house in The Discovery of Witches, but that is ok because I loved that house.
It's another hit from Tara Sheets! The Holloway Girls series is a very charming series of books that follow these girls who have some magic to them. They are romantic and sweet, just the perfect reads for me. Don't Give Me Butterflies delivered on all the feels just as I've come to expect from this author.
Kat is a new addition to this series. At the end of the previous book, it was revealed that she may have a connection to the Holloway girls. She fit in just beautifully with Emma and Juliette. Kat has just decided to settle on the island of Pine Cove even though she has no job or even a place to live. She knows in her heart though that Pine Cove and getting to know the Holloway girls is the best decision for her. I liked Kat a lot. Even when life was not looking all that bright, she remained optimistic. She was a very gentle soul and this was especially highlighted through her magical ability to communicate with animals. She eventually finds a job at a local animal shelter where her magic comes into handy. I loved how much she adored animals and how far she would go to take care of them. She was a total softie with a very big heart. Speaking of the animals, what an entertaining bunch they were. A certain cat was especially a scene-stealer in Don't Give Me Butterflies.
Kat meets her love interest, Jordan, when she rents out a room at his grandmother's house. The two don't see eye-to-eye initially, but love eventually blooms between them. Jordan's personality was in contrast to Kat. He was much quieter and broodier than she was. He was only back in Pine Cove temporarily with the goal of selling his grandmother's farm. He has his reasons for being a total grump and eventually, we see moments where his grumpiness fades away thanks to Kat. Their connection sizzled with chemistry and watching them bond emotionally was a delight for this reader. They obviously had obstacles and conflicts they needed to overcome, but I liked that their relationship remained relatively drama-free. While the romance was just lovely, it was Kat finding out about her past as well as her family ties to the Holloway girls that were the highlight for me. I loved the kinship between the three girls and I loved that Juliette and Emma welcomed her with open arms. As always, they made me laugh, smile and go "aww" at how cute they are.
I truly cannot recommend Don't Give Me Butterflies and the rest of this series enough for those of you keen on reading feel-good small-town romances!
(4.5 stars) - Perfect summer entertainment
Tara Sheets' 3rd book from her "charming" Holloway Girls series is possibly the best of all. While the book can stand alone, I highly recommend reading them all in order to fully appreciate their family's background & gifts.
These are fun, lighthearted stories with an almost fairytale feel to them, and this one's recurring hints at Beauty and the Beast with the beauty being an animal charmer were pretty amusing.
The magical premise adds an interesting twist on a popular romance trope, and the ending is a highly satisfying conclusion to the series!
Clean romance level: passionate kisses, secular attitudes on sex outside of marriage & the main characters have sex, but despite occasions of innuendo & some initial detail, no graphic details are given
Language: a smattering of d*** & h*** usages
Religion: secular, though there are a handful or two of instances of using the Lord's Name in vain, unfortunately
I received a copy of Don't Give Me Butterflies by Tara Sheets from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, this novel missed the mark for me. I felt that the plot should have been interesting given the story's summary, but the plot wasn't evenly paced and it was kind of messy. Also, I wasn't keen on the main characters - found them to be very one dimensional and kind of boring.
Quick and mostly fluffy read. Jordan and Kat were cute together and it was a nice ending for them. The side plot with Kat discovering her true origins was interesting enough. I did feel that I needed to have read the other 2 books in the series for some of the plot points so it didn’t really feel like a standalone. I also found myself skimming a lot of the talking to animals stuff. Overall sweet story.
2 stars
This book was not what I expected. Onto of that, t was very slow paces for me. I found her "talking " to animals kind of odd.
A very sweet clean romance. It’s a easy fast read.
The heroine is adorable, quirky and communicates with animals.(I enjoyed that a lot) The hero is grumpy-antisocial but grows on you.
It was enjoyable but I’m not sure if it was memorable...sorry.
~BREAKDOWN OF RATINGS~
Plot~ 3/5
Main Characters (hero/heroine)~ 3/5
Secondary Characters~ 3/5
The Feels~ 3/5
Pacing~ 3/5
Addictiveness~3/5
Angst~ 3/5
Steam/Hotness/Chemisty ~ 3/5
Theme or Tone~ 3/5
Flow (Writing Style)~ 3/5
Backdrop (World Building)~ 3/5
Originality~ 3/5
Ending~ 3/5
Book Cover~ Cute and colorful
Series~ Holloway Sisters- stand-alone
Source~ Kindle eBook- ARC provided by NetGalley
This is the first book I've read by this author, and I enjoyed it very much. It's apparently the third in the series, and it can certainly be read as a standalone. However, I enjoyed it enough that I now want to read the other two books. The characters are well developed and likeable, and it's a lot of fun to watch Kat and her hodgepodge of orphaned animals break down grumpy-puss Jordan's walls. As an animal lover, I was captivated by all the critters and by Kat's magical ability to communicate with them. Uncovering the truth behind Kat's connection to the Holloways was entertaining as well. Overall, this is a very entertaining, sweet read that certainly gave me butterflies.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing an ARC for review.
Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A sweet clean romance about a quirky woman with the ability to talk to animals. She rents a room in a farm and begins to fall for Jordan who lives there temporarily with his grandmother. Although they are from opposite worlds, both find common ground. A nice story if you're in the mood for something light and airy.
Cute and fun
What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Part of a series: The Holloway Girls
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue
I look forward to reading more from this author.
The story of Kat and Jordan. I hadn't read other books in the series but I don't think it mattered.
Kat is new in town, looking for a place to call home. Jordan is back in town grudgingly to help his grandmother sell the farm. Although they start off not so well, soon they can't keep away from each other, so what will happen to Kat whe she looks set to lose her home once again, and Jordan is the one causing this to happen.
Looking forward to reading the other books in this series now.
I absolutley LOVED Don't Give Me Butterflies by Tara Sheets. This is the third book I've read by Ms. Sheets and its definitely another winner. Wonderful storyline, great dialogue, likable characters and overall a super fun read. Another 5 stars for one of my favorite new authors.
#DontGiveMeButterflies #NetGalley