Blog Tour and Giveaway: Loving Cara: Kristen Proby

by - Friday, January 24, 2014



LOVING CARA 
(Love Under the Big Sky #1)
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Buy: Amazon /Barnes and Noble 
Expected January 21, 2014

LOVING CARA is a Contemporary Erotic Romance novel and is the 1st book in the Love Under The Big Sky Series being published by Pocket Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

CHEMISTRY WAS NEVER THIS SEXY IN HIGH SCHOOL.

In her sizzling new series, USA Today bestselling author Kristen Proby sets the stage for a passionate reunion under the breathtaking Montana sky.

Cara Donovan’s summer tutoring job is turning out to be a challenge—and not just because of her troubled twelve-year-old student. It’s his uncle Josh who’s the real problem. Ifproblem is the word for an irresistibly cocky, muscle-bound rancher with a taste for tight Levi’s and shameless flirtation. . . .

Cara is nothing like the wallflower Josh King remembers good-naturedly teasing in high school. This Cara is gorgeous, confident, fun. From the moment the fiery teacher steps foot on his family’s Lazy K Ranch, the stubborn playboy is determined to corral her. So what happens when his luscious lover takes over the reins?

The first in a steamy trilogy, Kristen Proby’s enthralling novel is filled to the brim with one hardworking family’s triumphs and challenges, all the wild adventure of the modern West, and a whole lot of titillating fun.


Loving Cara Playlist

Florida Georgia Line – Stay

Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert – We Were Us

Daughtry – Tennessee Line

Lady Antebellum – Just A Kiss

Zedd – Clarity

Brad Paisley – She’s Everything

One Republic – Good Life

Ellie Goulding – How Long Will I Love You

Ed Sheeran – Give Me Love

Train – Drops of Jupiter

Goo Goo Dolls – Come To Me

A note from the author:

I was surprised while writing Loving Cara how different my musical tastes seemed to be compared to when I write the Seattle series. I leaned toward bluesy, country and some rock music with this Big Sky series. While writing the scene in the bar, when Josh and Cara are dancing, the song Just A Kiss by Lady Antebellem seemed appropriate for the characters in that moment in time. It was sweet and romantic, and something they could lose themselves in while enjoying being in each other’s arms.

I hope you enjoy this playlist, and Josh and Cara’s love story.


Best wishes,
Kristen Proby


Josh King's life is about to change. The ranch owner finds himself helping to care for his twelve year old nephew, Seth with a big attitude. So he enlists the help of an old school mate and current teacher, Cara to be Seth's new tutor.

Josh was always nice to to the plain Cara as a kid, but she is no longer plain at all. They both have an immediate attraction and easily reconnect. Cara also begins to slowly make head way with the troubled Seth.

Josh is sexy, flirty, and bit bossy. But he cares about the ranch, his family, and friends and is protective. Cara is smart, sassy, sweet, and a little  insecure. She is not really sure why Josh is now paying attention to her now. But he makes no secret about what he wants and he is hard to resist. They have excellent chemistry and an easy rapport, but situations arise that cause tension and drama...some bring them closer and some threaten to break them apart. I really liked them as individuals and as a couple. I was rooting for them all the way.

I was in the mood for a light romantic read, and this one had just enough love, passion, and drama. The characters had depth and some had damage, but they were not dark enough to be crippled by it and bring the story down. There was definitely some dramatic tension and emotional scenes, but not a lot of angst. There were a few times when I thought it was almost too sweet and Josh was too good to be true. But then he would show caveman tendencies or other actions that would seem more realistic. And it became more dramatic and emotional as the book went on. It was told in both points of view so we could see what they thought of each other when younger and how it had progressed to their new situation. 

This book had hot ranchers, a military man, a sexy lawyer and strong, spirited women. The majestic Montana ranch scenery was almost a character in itself. The side characters that will be featured in the next two books were introduced and we learned some of their history and issues. Zack is Josh' twin brother who just got back from Afghanistan, is going through a divorce, and trying to forge a better relationship with his son. Seth was dealing with problems stemming from his Dad's absence and his mother's treatment of him. He really needed to find support, love, and understanding. Jillian is Cara's best friend who has been hurt by men and lost in love. Lauren has her own  male issues that she is dealing with that are causing her worry. Ty is Josh and Cara's lawyer friend who has his eye on one of the women already, but it is complicated. I already like these characters and couples and I am looking forward to Seducing Lauren and Falling for Jillian featuring them. This was a sweet, engaging beginning to this new series. 

Thanks to Kristen Proby for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. 

Loving Cara proved to be an excellent book to breathe through. After finishing an over the top emotional story, I was in need of something a little lighter and easier to get through. This fit the bill perfectly.

Josh and Cara have passed in town as long as either can remember, but it isn't until Josh needs a summer tutor for his nephew and the principal sends Cara that they spend any amount of time together since high school. Cara has secretly crushed on Josh since at least high school, as he was the best friend of her best friend's brother. Cara is a schoolteacher in the town she grew up in, and lives in the house her parent's raised her in. She is kind of a girl next door kind of character. Friendly, caring, but not necessarily someone who turns heads everywhere she goes (at least that she knows of). Josh is not a typical Wrangler wearing cowboy. He spends his days in Levi's and baseball caps. But his devotion to his family runs deep. Caring for the family ranch, watching out for his nephew until his brother returns from Afghanistan, and remembering his grandparents are all big parts of his daily routine.

This was a really nice friends to lovers story, with some twists and turns along the way. Parts of their love story felt rushed, but not in the sense that the writing gave me whiplash but only that the characters moved quickly when given the opportunity. It didn't feel like the writing was making the decisions for the characters, rather that the characters were directing the story based on the circumstances and opportunities they found along the way. It was like Josh and Cara were writing their own story.

I loved the whole community developed in this story. From the mean girl from high school, the retired teacher, Josh's family, Cara's best friend, and a few scattered other characters, there is a rich web of people that felt like home, even when they only played minor roles in the story. As this is the first book in a new series, it was fun to see the tension building for other future couples while Josh and Cara were figuring their own story out.

Loving Cara is a great opening to Kristin Proby's new Love Under the Big Sky series. It was a nice story, with great characters, main and lesser characters both. Saying it's a nice story, I don't mean it was all fluff. The plot kept me involved with just enough drama to keep the story moving, but not enough that it felt contrived or exaggerated. The characters she introduces for future stories have a lot of room to develop their own stories, even with what's been hinted so far. It was a nice, easy read that drew me in immediately and left me feeling happy. The only reason I didn't give this a solid 5 stars was that in comparison to other books I've rated that high, it didn't have that emotional, dramatic punch. But it was a fantastic book that fit perfectly into the (fairly) smooth happily ever after that I needed.

Thanks to Kristen Proby for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. 


Upcoming books in this series:

SEDUCING LAUREN CoverSEDUCING LAUREN (book 2)
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Pre-order Amazon
Expected August 19, 2014
In the second book in the Love Under the Big Sky series from this USA TODAY bestselling author of the With Me in Seattle series, life in Montana gets spicy when a woman and her divorce lawyer sign off the papers—and sign on to love.

Now that his best friend, Josh, has happily settled down with his true love on a Montana ranch, small-town lawyer Ty Sullivan starts thinking that maybe single life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And when Lauren Cunningham’s no-good ex-husband comes after her for an unexpected trust fund, Ty steps in to protect her. But soon he can’t help but think of her as more than a client. Lauren’s in no mood to jump into another relationship, so how can Ty convince her that her mistake wasn’t getting married, but marrying the wrong guy?

FALLING FOR JILLIAN (book 3)
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Kristen Proby 

Author photoKRISTEN PROBY is the USA Today bestselling author of the popular With Me in Seattle series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong characters who love humor and have a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type—fiercely protective and a bit bossy—and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves. Kristen spends her days with her muse in the Pacific Northwest. She enjoys coffee, chocolate, and sunshine. And naps. Visit her at KristenProby.com.    




We will be giving away a signed copy of LOVING CARA and 3 ecopies of LOVING CARA for one winner during the Blog Tour and this is an International giveaway.  

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