Leave a comment today to get your name in a drawing for a signed copy of
The Boden clan thought their problems had ended with the death of a dangerous enemy, but have they truly uncovered the real plot to take their New Mexico ranch? Rancher Justin Boden is now in charge. He is normally an unshakable and rugged man, but with his brother, Cole, shot and in mortal danger, even a tough man faces doubts. And it doesn’t help that Angie DuPree, the assistant to the doctor trying to save Cole, is as distracting a woman as Justin ever laid eyes on.
With her and the doc’s timely skills, Cole looks to be on the mend, and Justin and the rest of the Bodens can turn their attention back to the dangers facing
them. It’s clear now that everything that’s occurred is part of a much bigger plot that could date back to a decades-old secret. Can they uncover all the pieces before danger closes in on them, or is the threat to the ranch even bigger than any of the Bodens could imagine?
~~~~~~~~~~
This is a fish out of water book. A citified woman from waaaaay back east (Omaha! smirk) comes west and is falling in love with a New Mexico rancher who owns (with his family) about half a million acres.
And she doesn’t know how to cook. Or gather eggs. Or ride a horse (unless it’s going really SLOW). So of course when Justin Boden meets her he is immediately smitten, at the exact same time he knows ranch life will probably kill her. And it’ll kill her NOT COUNTING the outlaws threatening to steal the Cimarron Ranch, a Mexican Land Grant that isn’t all that secure when the land under it suddenly is in America, after the Mexican American War.
Plenty of challenges ahead, until Angie faces real true danger and then we see just how tough she can be.
Can you think of ‘opposites attract’ books or movies? Here’s a few that came to mine. Pretty Woman, Titanic. Ummm…searching for the name, the one where Jennifer Lopez is a maid in a fancy hotel and she falls for a rich guy and wears a rich lady’s clothes, who is staying in the hotel?
I looked it up. Maid in Manhattan. I left the paragraph earlier so you can see my jumbled thought processes. 🙂
What about a book? Name an opposites attract book.
Mine Til Midnight by Lisa Kleypas. An over-stressed ‘Lady’ trying to hold her eccentric family together falls for a wealthy gypsy.
I read one by Nora Roberts, the hero is an immortal, the heroine is a werewolf. Trouble there.
Karen Witemeyer’s Full Steam Ahead…great, fun book.
Let’s hear some of yours.
And, brand new on Amazon, available for preorder
(Cimarron Legacy bk #3)
coming October 3, 2017
Cole Boden’s story and the exciting conclusion to the Cimarron Legacy Series
Cole spent years back east and loved it, but he missed his family. Now he’s home and happy to be with his family except he misses Boston and the work he did back east. Is he a man who can never be happy anywhere? Or maybe he’s a man who can enjoy whatever life throws at him. Even Cole doesn’t know the answer to that. Not until Melanie Blake adjusts his thinking just a little bit.
Author of Romantic Comedy...with Cowboys including the bestselling Kincaid Brides Series
https://petticoatsandpistols.com/sweepstakesrules
Another Karen Witemeyer book comes to mind. In A TAYLOR-MADE BRIDE, Hannah Richards is a lovely, young seamstress who makes and wears lovely fashionable clothing. Jericho Tucker runs the town livery stable and resents everything she represents. It doesn’t help she got the property he has been trying to buy.
It is a common trope and I know I have read many books based on it. I just can’t remember any others at the moment. I enjoy your books and the sense of humor with which you write. I look forward to reading this series.
Patricia, there has to be SOME reason they can’t just meet, be interested in each other, date for a while as their feelings deepen, then get married.
What kinda book would that be?
I mean is Romeo and Juliet’s parents were long time friends and delighted with the match…no book.
I often tend to look for general themes of books and “opposites attract” is a favorite one, along with mail order brides and marriages of convenience where I get to read about match-ups from the very start that often seem improbable. Some of the books below have multiple themes, such as Devil in Winter with opposites and marriage of convenience themes. So, my list:
Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas
Silver Lining by Maggie Osborne
Heaven Sent and Marrying Stone by Pamela Morsi
Hummingbird and The Gamble by by LaVyrle Spencer
Open Season and Son of the Morning by Linda Howard
Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale
Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
The Proposition by Judith Ivory
The Secret and The Bride by Julie Garwood
Kiss an Angel and Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Guilty Pleasures by Laura Lee Guhrke
Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid
The Texan’s Wager by Jodi Thomas
Eliza what struck me was the Julie Garwood reference. I loved her Scottish laird/English Maiden books and boy were those a match of opposites.
Just an observation. I didn’t see the Garwood books as opposites because of what country the characters came from because the author generally made her heroes, both English and Scottish, alphas matched up with varying types of heroines. In The Bride, the heroine is simply naive and inexperienced, while in the The Secret the heroine is a more resourceful woman. I enjoyed the books back when I read them but in hindsight the Scots are portrayed in a fairly stereotypical manner as Scottish “barbarians.”
I think a great opposites attract book would be Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.
I love opposites attract stories and an old one might be the story of Beauty and the Beast.
Blessings,
Cindy W.
Oh, yikes, Cindy. PERFECT! Redeeming Love, the kindly Christian farmer and the prostitute.
Yes, most Disney Cartoons are perfect. Human/Mermaid Aladdin the thief/Princess Beauty and the Beast.
Cinderella and the prince. Great.
I do like opposite attract books but I can’t think of any specific ones.
Hi Virginia, thanks for stopping in. You’re names in the drawing for the comment, it’s not necessary to come up with a title! 🙂
I do like them but can only thnk of one where she is a cop and he is crook.
Well, that’s perfect. What could be better?
So many of the books that appeal to me are about opposites. One of my favorites is Fancy Pants by Cathy Marie Hake. Lady Sydney and Big Tim couldn’t be more opposite.
Personally, I married a man who couldn’t be much more opposite than I am. When we got married a group of our so called friends made bets on how long this would last. Today marks 43 years – not a bad start.
Thanks for your great sense of humor and your enjoyable books.
Rosie they say opposites attract and maybe that’s true as far as ATTRACTION, but to really marry someone so different is a challenge. But 43 years. No one came bet on that now! WTG
I do like books where opposites attract books and I can’t think of one right now to early I guess. My husband and I are kind of like this though.
Hi Quilt Lady. I had to think on it for a while when I composed the blog. All I could think of was Disney Movies. LOL I may have too many grandchildren (Hah! Not even CLOSE to too many!)
Frozen…Anna the Princess and Kristoff the ice seller!
Such a great series, Mary. Love your books! Some of my favorite opposites attract books are the old Julie Garwood books with Highlanders and English Ladies. The Secret is my all time favorite.
I think my very favorite is Saving Grace. Castle is 2nd. Secret is great. I don’t like the titles though. I can’t tell them apart. Secret, The Bride, The Gift, The Wedding
c’mon!!
Cannot wait to read the rest of this series.
Ok – right now I cannot think of a book. I am sure I will sometime today?.
Come on back if you think of one to share with us. I’m making a list!
Wonderful book which sounds captivating and special.
Ah, thanks Ellie. I really like it. Such a fun couple. So WRONG for each other. But Angie’s weakness brings out every ounce of Justin’s heroic, protective nature.
I love My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade and Sixty Acres and a Bride by Regina Jennings. ANd classically speaking, you can’t forget Pride and Prejudice; and of course, there’s always Beauty and the Beast, the best fairy tale ever.
Opposites attracting definitely makes for fun stories!
Great examples, Rachael!
In SEP’s novels many of the relationships are complete opposites which are very intriguing.
Nobodies Baby but Mine is my favorite of SEP. The brilliant scientist goes to great lengths to trick a really DUMB football player to get her pregnant.
Because she felt so weird being such a genius.
And she wanted a TOUGH baby of average intelligence.
Then it turns out the football player is almost as smart as she is, and not happy about finding a woman carrying his child without telling him. They WILL marry. How could love come from this.
the moment when the football player’s mother says to the prego woman, “You mean you chose my son to get you pregnant because you thought he was STUPID?
I don’t think of Nobody’s Baby But Mine as an “opposites” book merely because of the professions of the main characters. It’s just an opening plot device by the author having the heroine making a false assumption. If there’s anything opposite about the two, I’d say it’s about ethics, meaning the heroine Jane’s unethical acts to trick the hero Cal. JMO
Mary Balogh has written books with delightful relationships which to me are opposites.
How about High Noon? Not exactly a love story, though that’s at it’s heart.
The tough lawman and the non-violent Quaker wife.
And bad guys coming to town.
BTW in real life ALL THOSE PEOPLE IN THAT TOWN WOULD HAVE STOOD WITH THE HERO. The movie was an insult to our fine American tradition of self-defense and standing for the law.
“Opposites attract” stories are so fun! My husband and I are total opposites but somehow we work… probably because we find each other hilarious 😉 Here are a few books I thought of: The Thirteenth Chance by Amy Matayo, Forever Safe by Jody Hedlund, and A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade.
Hi Heidi, thanks for tossing those in.
My list is growing. I just bought my first Amy Matayo books!
Wuthering heights.
Well, they did have being DEAD in common.
Hi Mary, congrats on the new release. I love the idea of opposites attract but I’d also love an update on them twenty years later. It seems more peaceful to be with somebody who doesn’t cause conflicts LOL. And in that vein from Anne above, I’ll pick Jane Eyre.
Oh My Gosh, Tanya, what a great one. Brooding Rochester
Ooh opposites attract… I am a fan of those types of stories!
Hi Colleen! Thanks for leaving a comment. You’re in the drawing!
Opposites attract stories are such fun! I can’t wait to read Long Time Gone!
Such fun reading your books! How do you find time between that and counting new calves? Enjoy every moment!
I love opposites attraction stories because there is usually fireworks!
So excited to read this! I’ve been (not so patiently) waiting for it to come out.
I have loved this series and I enjoy reading about how those that you think have nothing in common are sometimes the best matches.
From Noon till Three movie with Charles
Bronson & his wife Jill Ireland.
I’m so excited! I love Mary’s books. Its sooooo hard to name books because its only February 16th, and I’ve already read 41 books……
I love your books. This series is really good.
Would love to win of your books. Have read most of them except this series. Love them.
Breakfast Club – Claire and John Bender
Grease – Sandy and Danny
Dirty Dancing – Baby and Johnny
Hi, Mary! I love your books.
One opposites attract book I recently re-read was Until the Dawn by Elizabeth Camden.
The American Heiress Brides collection has several opposites attract novella’s in it.
Man from snowy River and return to snowy river. A young man from the hills of Australia falls for a rich young daughter of a cattleman that he goes to work for.
Hi Mary, Look Veda the Kincaid Men and their women. Looking forward to reading The Boden Birthright series
While I cannot for the life of me think of a book title other than those I’ve read, I do hope to get in on the book drawing. I love your work and have been anxiously waiting for this new book to come out. Only one more week til the day, good news for sure. Keep up the good work.
I love ALL of the books by Mary Connealy. I can’t wait for the next series!!
Mary, Opposites attracting and fish out of water are two of my favorite romance tropes. Let’s see. In Sarah MacLean’s Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, Callie is book smart and the hero is worldly smart. Jennifer Crusie sometimes features opposites attracting. And Sally Kilpatrick’s The Happy Hour Choir featured a piano player and her opposite Luke. I love thinking of fish out of water books and opposites attract movies. One of my favorite movies where opposites attract is a classic called The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer where a debonair artist meets a by the book judge. I’m about to start Calico Ranch, and I absolutely loved the first line of your book.
So many of the Christian and sweet historicals seem to have the opposite attracts theme, maybe that is why I enjoy them so much! Thanx for the giveaway!
For some reason all I can come up with now are movies… Ever After, Pride and Prejudice, many of the Hallmark movies, one of the later Love Comes Softly movies (the doctor and the blacksmith). I know opposites attract are all through the books I’ve read but I seem to be drawing a blank. Lol
I’ve enjoyed every book I have read of yours…sweet romance and witty comedy. This looks just as good!
I love these books
Kat Martin Against the Night- ex- Army Ranger now a PI and a kindergarten teacher posing as an exotic dancer to find her sister
Looking forward to book 2 release.
What a great series! Opposites are always so much fun!!!