Falling for the Hometown Girl by Shelli Stevens is the second book in the Marshall Ranch Series and will be released on May 2, 2017 by Tule Publishing as an adult fiction, romance novel. I really loved reading this book! Stevens writes about Katie Marshall, a small town girl next door type who lives on and runs Marshall Ranch in Montana. While working the summer cattle ranch retreat, she meets Hunter. He is a hometown boy who moved to Seattle, WA right after high school graduation. Hunter makes it big in the tech field, owning his own copy that creates video games. He as always had a crush on Katie. So when his coworker got engaged he knew the prefect place for a bachelor party and his chance to see Katie again. This is were the fun and flirty interactions begin. This book is really well paced and easy to get lost in romance novel. I like how the writer created a setting that is very romantic and beautiful. The story evolves around both characters back stories, which some are very surprising. The ending will warm your heart. I really enjoyed reading this book and cannot wait for the third book in this series

I am a Murietta fan but this is my first book by the author and this is book 2 in the series. It easily stands alone and it was a fun and flirty read. Very tame sexually and with mostly very likeable characters except for maybe Lance.

This is mostly the story about Katie Marshall who runs a ranch with her brother Wyatt. The start of the story centers on a bachelor party coming to their ranch. It turns out the best man, Hunter grew up in Murietta and knew Katie's other brother.

Hunter has some things in his past. Like the fact is he is not close to his family who still like in Murietta and Katie also has some things in her past like dropping out of college and running away from Seattle which is also where Hunter lives now..

The two get to know each other during the week Hunter is around for the bachelor party and I enjoyed getting to know the two. s they fall for the other, it cannot be longer than a week because Katie hates Seattle where Hunter lives and he hates Murietta, as he ran from it at 18.

How do they make it work? well you will have to read to find out.

A good read. I liked this book.

This is the first book by Shelli Stevens that I have read. I really enjoyed it. It was a quick read that reminded me of a Hallmark movie. I loved the characters of Katie and Hunter. They were both so kind and caring they made me want to be friends with them! I look forward to reading more books by Shelli Stevens!

Lovely story told in dual POV following ranch owner Katie Marshall, who runs a successful ranching retreat in Marietta with her brother. Enter big time Seattle computer gaming mogul, Hunter Richardson, for a bachelor party getaway. Hunter, originally from Marietta has always had a schoolboy crush on Katie, but until his break away from Seattle had never imagined anything could come of it. The story is one that has stood the test of time, bad boy returns home after a number of years and he's mega rich. I loved it, I loved the characters and it had just the right amount of spark and chemistry for a wonderful light easy bedtime read. I do feel however, that the author needs to mature more with her writing for me to rate 4 stars or above. I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a HEA romance about going home again. There was a wonderful dynamic taking place between Hunter and Katie...their coming together was sweet and heartwarming.

This series has been wonderfully touching so far, I'm looking forward to the next installment.

This ARC book was provided by the Publisher and Netgally, I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

3.5 stars

First of all, I love the cover of this book. The cover and blurb were the reasons that I wanted to read this one. This is book two of a series but it completely stands alone - you do not have to have read the first story to appreciate this story at all – and this book does not end on a cliffhanger. There is both on-screen sex, and cursing, including a couple of f-bombs which do not bother me in a book but which feel extremely of out of place in this one, So if those two things are a deal breaker for you, you probably won't enjoy this one. Also, there is a situation that could possibly be thought of as infidelity in this book. ***SPOILERS to end of paragraph*** It is just a couple of (really hot) kisses, no actual sex happened and the author/character are kind of ambiguous about Katie's dating status, but I was a little put off by her willingness to kiss someone else while she was still stringing her kind-of-boyfriend along. The boyfriend who – along with everyone else -obviously thought they were an exclusive couple. This would have been a five star read if that hadn't been part of the story.

Overall, this book was a very good read. Once I started it, I found myself engrossed in the setting and wanting to keep reading to find out what was going to happen. I loved the back story between Hunter and Katie and the way that they reconnected years later with sparks flying between them almost immediately. Their bonding moments were sweet, as was the way that Hunter defended Katie and protected her from his horrible 'friend'. In this day of men acting like total bullies and jerks and being labeled 'alpha' to excuse their deplorable behavior, it is always a nice change when the main male character is a good guy, and Hunter was an incredibly good guy. He was a little awkward, and a little insecure in ways that sometimes made him gruff, but he was consistently just a really good guy from start to finish and I loved that.

The side characters were interesting and helped the story along without overwhelming them. I thought that there might be something more going on with Wyatt and Claire (who were adorable), but that storyline didn't play out at all, to my surprise. Lance was a tool, and I was glad that things turned out the way that they did, as awful as that was. Cal was also a tool, but he came back around and redeemed himself and now I am very much looking forward to reading his story in the future.

If you enjoy a book about second chance romances with drama and a little bit of intrigue, you should give this book a try. While this was my first book by this author, I will definitely go back and read the first book in this series and look forward to reading more by her.

I requested and was generously granted an ARC of this book. I was under no obligation to write this review, I did so because I enjoyed reading this book.

The nice, sweet girl and the boy from the wrong side of the tracks, so to speak. Well, not exactly but Hunter definitely wasn't one of the most popular boys in high school and there are reasons why he never wanted to come back to Marietta.
A bachelor party at the Mashall Ranch brings him back into town - and to the one girl he could never forget. Hunter is the owner of a successful gaming company but coming back to Marietta wakes a bunch of sleeping dogs he'd rather not confront again but Katie is the one person that he never wanted to forget. There is a mutual attraction, right, but will that be enough? With Hunter leaving at the end of the week, is there a chance for the two of them?

I really enjoyed reading about Hunter and Katie even though I was a bit upset with Hunter for pressuring Katie considering the circumstances. She is living in a small town where everyone knows everyone and where people talk and judge rather harshly and he knows it and he exactly knows what he asks of her.
Sure, she is interested as well but he was rather selfish, just thinking of himself and his wishes and never thinking of the consequences for Katie. Katie is sweet and you just have to like her and Hunter, well, he grows on you. Owning up for things he himself did wrong and being able to move on and forgive past wrongs are traits that I can definitely respect in a character and of course, there was also Eddie and what he did for him and for kids like him. He was always nice but, well, I already mentioned that I didn't like the way he pursued Katie so that made for a bit of a rocky start for us.

A nice story that I really enjoyed with a wonderful HEA - I like it and would also read other books by Shelli Stevens.

Every book I've read by Ms. Stevens, I have immensely enjoyed. Yet, having not read the first book of this series, I dived into this one hoping that it could be read as a stand-alone, and I can say that it definitely can. From start to finish, this book kept me entertained, despite there being a jerk in one of the secondary characters. Katie is the good girl type and never one to do anything reckless, and yet, she throws caution to the wind by getting involved with Hunter. Will he stay in Marietta and finally be able to put the past behind him? The way this story started had me liking the heroine immediately, because it's palpable she's a people pleaser and gets along with everyone. Well, almost everyone, which is proven by how she stands up for herself against one of the secondary characters when she's treated rudely.

Both the main characters had interesting back stories, but most especially Hunter because he doesn't feel welcome in Marietta after how everything went down with his parents. He barely talks to them, if at all, and he knows he needs to make amends while he's in town. Will he be given a warm reception? I also liked how open and honest Hunter was about his feelings for the heroine, not only in the present but how he felt about her in the past. She's the one woman he's never been able to forget. Can Hunter convince Katie to give him a chance, even though he's hiding something from her? While the heroine, she's a Marietta girl through and through that doesn't plan to leave her hometown again. So, how could things possibly work out between her and Hunter when he lives in Seattle? She's also kind, caring, hard-working and I liked the close bond she shares with her siblings and her future sister-in-law, Claire. Luckily, she has Claire to give her sound advice when it comes to Hunter. Since she's so confused on whether to give the hero a chance or not, especially when she's casually dating someone else. What will she do about the other man in her life?

Overall, Ms. Stevens has penned a wonderful read in this book where the chemistry between the hero and heroine was all-consuming and illustrated they were incapable of ignoring the intensity of such chemistry. The way this story ended was delightful, despite Hunter's secret coming to light and it causing them to go their separate ways. Because Hunter realized he couldn't live without Katie, and I liked the surprise he had for her, as it proved how serious he was about them being together forever. I would recommend Falling for the Hometown Girl by Shelli Stevens, if you enjoy small town romances or books by authors Sinclair Jayne, Jeannie Watt to Eve Gaddy.

Oh, that cover won me over, I saw it on NetGalley, and I just had to stop my regular schedule and take a detour at Marietta, Montana. And I am glad I did - the Seattle hipster computer geek comes home to Marietta and finally has a chance with the cowgirl he had dreamed about since high school - and it was definitely a swoon worthy seduction.
I liked that the author didn't take the easy way out with all the road blogs on the way. There were some tough bumps that the hero and heroine had to deal with before they could find a peace in their hearts.
Hunter Richardson never felt like he fit in Marietta as he was growing up. He was different and some made him feel it as well by bullying him. He had made his life into a huge success, found his place in the world, was comfortable in it, yet there was something missing. I adored how he had been pining after Katie Marshall since the drama class in high school. And I could understand it, Katie was a kind, sweet, considerate, loyal girl. She seemed to charmed everyone around her, and she was easy to like.
There's drama in the story, with the small town gossip, the bachelor from hell, and the high school bully to be faced again. But Katie and Hunter also live very different kinds of lives, and to have a future together, one of them would have to make a sacrifice that could be asking too much in a long run.
This story has romance, it has passion, it has friends and family drama. It made me smile and swoon with the Montana kind of romantic moments, yet the trouble Katie and Hunter face was real and it felt true. I really enjoyed the story, it was entertaining and enticing, charming and sweet.
~ Four Spoons!

Katie Marshall is known for her ‘girl next door’ reputation and for always playing it safe. So, when she books a bachelor party from Seattle at the Marshall Ranch, she isn’t sure what to expect until trouble strolls in–Hunter Richardson, local bad boy turned successful software tycoon…and Katie’s job gets a lot more interesting.

Hunter has always struggled to find his place in Marietta. Now, somewhat reluctantly, he’s back in his hometown and not looking forward to a week on a cattle ranch… but that all changes when he sees Katie, the girl he could never forget from high school. A girl he shouldn’t want anything to do with. Soon, he realizes he wants much more from her than just a guided tour of the Montana landscape.

Hunter’s plan had been to get through the week, before returning to Seattle and his million dollar gaming company. Instead, he finds himself falling for the hometown girl…

******************************************************************************
Hunter is a gamer and he's really good at what he does for a living. He's smart, sexy and finds himself back in his hometown for a bachelor party for the week, with a "friend" that he doesn't really consider a friend. So when he sees Katie, the girl who he liked in high school and who just happens to run the ranch where they're all staying...what can happen? Well, I'll tell you!! ALOT! Hunter is a great guy and I found myself loving his character. He was bullied as a kid and you find out that it's really heartbreaking that it happened the way it did but Katie was always nice to him. Katie is one of those characters that's strong and sweet. You know she's going to knock every wall that Hunter's built up one brick at a time and I loved seeing her do it. There were a couple of characters in this that I didn't care for, like Hunter's CFO Lance...what a prick!!! That dude could take a flying leap off a tall building without a chute and I wouldn't care. That's all I'll say about that. Then there's the pervy sheriff and I call him that because if some man were to call me cupcake....well I would beat him with his own nightstick but that's just me. Anywhoo....this is a really great book and you're gonna enjoy it, so if you haven't read the first one - I suggest that you pick that one up too. You don't have too, but it's great also and why not?

I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's.

What a great story. I haven't read the first book which didn't really matter much at all. It was a quick read and I totally enjoyed it. Great characters, great setting in Marietta and the ranch. I also enjoyed the other characters.

I enjoyed this book. It was a nice take on the homecoming romance. Katie and Hunter didn’t really have a history together when they were young, they “traveled in different circles” and knew of each other but had nothing really in common. I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop and I really liked how Hunter came to terms with the town he once felt so rejected by. I am enjoying this series and can’t wait to hear what happens to Katie’s other brother…. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Falling for the Hometown Girl could also be titled Falling for the Cowgirl. I liked the change in the roles as well as the characters. Shelli Stevens has written a fun and touching story concerning Hunter Richardson and Katie Marshall. Even though is no past romance, both went to the Marietta high school with Hunter being a few years older. It is a coming home story for Hunter.

The characters are engaging while being different. It makes for an entertaining read to see how they fit together once the attraction is acknowledged. Much of their backgrounds come in to play providing some surprises. It is an amusing read but also one with depth as the past catches up with the present. This story just goes to show the present doesn’t have to repeat the past.

This was a quick read that was action packed. Hunter and Katie were the typical star crossed lovers that finally see the light. There was just enough steaminess to make it interesting without taking away from the story.

Katie Marshall owns a cattle ranch with her brother. They rent out the cabins in the summer for extra income. Katie is the quintessential girl next door. She is sweet, kind, easy going while taking no crap from the male guests and liked by everyone.
Hunter Richardson grew up in the same small town. He was not popular, a gamer and an introvert. He was even bullied because he was different. He left for college and never returned. He became a millionaire developing games and runs his own company.
Hunter books a bachelor party at the Marshall ranch. He has always had a soft spot for Katie because she was always nice to him. Katie doesn’t recognize him because he has grown from a gangly teen into a very good looking, muscled man. While Katie was always nice to him, her brother Cal was not, making his life miserable. A fact he does not disclose to Katie.
Katie is casually dating Jim, the deputy of the town, but is drawn to Hunter. She kisses Hunter a few times before she breaks up with Jim. Hunter and Katie decide on a one week fling because her life is in Marietta while his is in Seattle.
I was disappointed with Hunter’s character in his pursuit of Katie. Having been the victim of small town mentality he was pushing Katie awfully hard to have an affair. He knew the gossip it would stir up and what it could do to Katie’s reputation. He does somewhat make up for it by apologizing for his part in deceiving Katie about his issues with Cal and setting up classes/opportunities for kids who are like he was in high school. Not to mention his surprise for her at the end! Loved it.
Hunter struggled with coming back to his hometown. We watch him make peace with the town and his parents while finding his place.
I did not read the first book in the series and easily read this one as a standalone.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this romance novel. It’s the second in a series but I hadn’t read the first one and don’t think I missed anything much. I do, however, want to go back and read the first one! This is a really sweet story of a man who returns to his hometown and connects with the girl he couldn’t forget from high school. Nothing earth shattering about the story but I think Shelli Stevens really excelled at the characters and the sense of place in this one. It gave this book that something special that made it stand out to me. I really liked Katie and Hunter. There was something very sweet about their relationship and how their story comes together. I loved learning about the ranch that the story takes place on and the peripheral characters were really well done. All in all, I really liked this one and can’t wait to go back and read the first in the series. Definitely recommend to those of you who love a good romance!

I enjoyed reading Falling For The Hometown Girl in a lukewarm sort of way. Yes, it contained all of the elements of a contemporary romance, and the chemistry between the characters is there, but there was just not enough action – and I am not talking about the type that happens between the sheets.

This novel seemed like a formula novel – the typical parental misunderstanding, the normal small town boy made it big time, and game back home, to fall in love with small town girl from his past. It has everything that it is supposed to have, expect anything special.

It was not one of those books that I could not wait to find out what will happens next because I kind of already knew. It did not grab me in the way, that I wanted to come back to it, despite the tasks I had to accomplish – no, it was just there, and I went back to it, without much enthusiasm, like a cup of herbal tea, that is okay tasting and good for me, but makes me think that I would rather drink the strong cup of coffee instead. I was waiting and hoping for a strong cup of coffee kind of book, or at least a twist somewhere within the pages, that would make me go – okay, now you really got my attention.

Instead, I continued to nod at the story line, while looking forward to the next book on my TBR list.

This book review has been posted on my book blog http://withinthepagesofabook.com/book-review-falling-for-the-hometown-girl-by-shelli-stevens-a-contemporary-romance

A cute book, but the story line wasn't as developed as it could have been.

I loved this romance. The book is well written with a super great plot and believable characters. I also enjoyed the Montana ranch setting.

FALLING FOR THE HOMETOWN GIRL is a fun and flirty read that is perfect for lounging on the beach this summer. Nice blend of romance and discovering your future by examining your past. Katie Marshall enjoys running her family ranch and making guest feel welcome. When a blast from the past, Hunter Richardson, comes to stay with two friends for a bachelor party, she finds herself drawn to him. Hunter has spent the past several years trying to forget the girl he longed for from afar and his troubled past. Readers will enjoy watching the characters grow and develop. Definitely recommend.

A fun sweet read for a perfect lazy afternoon. Katie, "the girl next door" runs a ranch when she books a bachelor party from Seattle. She soon finds out that "the bad boy from town", Hunter is part of this party. After Hunter left town a few years ago, he now become a successful software tycoon. Hunter, has always had a certain liking to Katie, and now is the time to act upon his feelings. Will Katie open her heart or still play it safe? Soon there will be fireworks in the sky and not just for Fourth of July.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of finding love and opening your heart. I loved how Hunter, gave Cal and other kids like him a second chance in Marietta. Coming home, cane be good.