Loving Lauren

The West, Book 1

By: Jill Sanders

Narrated by: Roy Samuelson

Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's Summary

Lauren had been raised to not be afraid of anything, and she lived by that code, that is until her dad died and left everything in her hands. Now she’s not only in charge of her two younger sisters, but she’s running a full-blown Texas ranch. Caring for a thousand-acre ranch has its ups and downs, physically, mentally, and financially. All she is looking for is a little break. What she doesn't have time for is someone who will only complicate her life further.

Chase is back in his hometown. Helping his dad with his veterinary practice is high on his list. So is being with the lovely Lauren West. Years ago, he found a unique way to bind them together. Now all he has to do is prove to her that he’s the right man to spend the rest of her life with.

©2014 Jill Sanders (P)2014 Jill Sanders

An enjoyable first story in this series

Loving Lauren, the first story in Ms Sanders new series, The West, is a sweet , touching story .
Three sisters that have experience the tragic loss of their mother, and later , their beloved father.
Lauren, the oldest of the girls, took charge at a young age, and did everything she could to keep them together and their ranch in their possession.
Seven years after their last loss, Chase returns to town. Now a veterinarian , he is back to help his Dad in his practice. But there is more to him than that. He and Lauren were friends and have a history.
This story is about family, not only the importance of the members, but also about the dynamics between them. It’s a story about survival and the steps some will take to keep the family together. As well as a story about trust, hope and opening your heart to others and to love. Not always an easy road to take.
An enjoyable start for this series . I am looking forward to the stories about the other two sisters, Alex and Haley.
I bought the book and was gifted the audiobook. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Sweet and Spicy!

A great introduction to the West series! Great character development leaves you with strong female characters and an intriguing plot keeps you listening for more! This particular book was narrated by a man and that was a welcome change. I'm looking forward to listening to more of this series!

Sappy, steamy and everything dreamy!

Where does Loving Lauren rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I loved listening to this book and I can't wait to hear the rest of the books from the series! It is among my top audio books so far.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lauren was my favorite character because she was so strong, independent and stubborn. She still had a sense of humor though.

Which scene was your favorite?

The wool blanket (before and after).

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes... I avoided getting out of the car. I also woke up at 6am on a SATURDAY just so I could go to the gym and have time to listen to my book.

Any additional comments?

This is my first book by Jill Sanders and I'm looking forward to many more. It is obvious that she truly has a gift for writing. I can't wait to listen to the second book of this series!

Lauren and chase

Secret marriage for 7 years. Love the western setting. Great storyline. Easy read excited for book 2. If you are looking for mild mystery and easy romance. This book is fantastic. Loved it.

2.5stars....Lauren Almost Caused Me To Stop Listen

2.5 stars
I originally gave the ebook 3 stars when I read it about 4 years ago. I had completely forgotten I read it. If I hadn't rated it in Goodreads, I would have thought it was my first time.

I listened to the Audiobook this time, and my rating dropped, mostly because of the h. The narration was good. It made Loving Lauren a better book. As the narrator described working on the ranch, it didn't seem as romanticized like in some western romances. He did an excellent job of transporting you to the hard working, dusty, sweaty, sore muscled, smelly aspects of working a ranch.

The actual storyline was ok. I understand why Chase and Lauren did what they did, but keeping it a secret for so long was beyond me. I even understand why Lauren felt such a strong need to be in control.

I found her difficult to like at the beginning of the book. I eventually was able to tolerate her. She was so unpleasant, I almost didn't finish listening. Chase had the patience of a saint. He had to love her for him to keep wanting to help her. She blew hot and cold so often it was ridiculous

I also thought it was interesting that Alex came across as a bit shallow and selfish at the beginning, but her true nature gradually surfaced, and you could sense her vulnerability. Lauren's sisters were much more likeable than she was, at least until towards the end.

For Lauren to supposedly be so independent, she spent a fair share of her time with Chase rescuing her. There was action, danger, and suspense, along with the romance and a bit of steam. The book was ok. I just had to get past my dislike of Lauren.

Steady and sweet

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

It was an ok ending would have liked to have seen more of their future

Did Roy Samuelson do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

I wasn't all the way happy with his female voices but it he did a good job

Could you see Loving Lauren being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No it was an ok read/listen but I do not see this as a movie not enough mystery

Any additional comments?

This was a cute sweet read it isn't one that you will remember for long it will not stay with you. There is nothing to set it off and keep in your mind. The author gives you great characters that you will like. I had a hard time believing some of it but it does go well with the story. I do not see this as every happening in real life.

Lauren loses her mother in a terrible way and years later as she turns 18 she loses her father. She must stand up and take over along with taking care of her sisters who are underage she must raise them, run the ranch and find away to keep it and her family together. Finding out her father owed money was a shock even more of a shock was the plan Chase put into play as he left town. Lauren is a very independent woman, as well as headstrong. With Chase returning she will have to decide a few things and their secrets must come out.

Chase has come home to stay he now wants to take up with Lauren where they left off. He must get her on the same page as he is. He does his best to show her how much he cares taking the money she saved to pay him back into fixing her place up. Which sets her off and leaves him doing some toe stepping to get his way.

Roy Samuelson did a good job of narration making you feel the emotions of the characters. I did not think his female voices were the greatest but you have no trouble knowing who was speaking and how they felt. There is no background noise and if he took a break you could not tell. I would listen to more audio's from this narrator, he isn't my favorite but worth your time to give a listen to.

The author takes you though the steps of these two overcoming their issues, she puts a little mystery into it but not enough for me to want to read again. I would like to know how the sister lives works out but not enough to buy either the book or the audio. It was a cute read that I enjoyed. I did chuckle a time or two but there was nothing that reached out and grabbed me throughout this read. Give the book a listen or read it and decide for yourself. I wasn't sorry I had read it just expected more from this author.

Good Story - violent h

Overall opinion: 3.25 Stars for me.

I liked the story and it was entertaining to read. The loss of a Sr for me has to do with how unlikable the h was through 60% of the story and through part of the ending. The fact that she uses violence when she is angry is a huge red flag. I do wish that romance authors would treat female violence in the same way that they treat male violence.

Brief Summary: No need to expand on the author's summary.

Narrator(s) single - OK.

POV: dual

Overall Pace: medium to fast

Instalove: no

H Rating: 3/10

h Rating: 8/10

Sad/happy/thrill/Angst/TSTL - frustrating / happy

Heat Level: 3/10

Descriptive Sex: 4/10

OW/OM Drama: meh

Sex with OW/OM: no

Cheating: no

Separation: no

Triggers: money or wanting to help

Closure (HEA/HFN/Cliffhanger): HFN

Additional Thoughts?

Pat, Trite, Disjointed, Awful

Narrator should not do women's voices, sounds fake and makes the women seem like they're a mockery. Storyline was so bad, it was disjointed, and totally unrealistic and there was seriously no development of characters. Just awful.

That’s 5 hours I’ll never get back...

The worst story ever! The narrator was horrible, making the story seem so fake. Couldn’t even get through half of the without getting nauseous!

Great story!

I really enjoyed this book. It was quick, but still well developed. I really enjoyed the characters. Both the hero and heroine were great, but I also fell in love with the side characters as well. can't wait to see what else comes from this series.

The narration was also really well done! This was my first time listening to Roy Samuelson, but it won't be the last.