I enjoyed this book even if the romance itself wasn't as well developed as I would have liked and even though the climax and resolution were too rushed.

Up until a short time ago, I thought Vaun was a good specfic/SF author, but I recently discovered that she writes a damned fine contemporary romance. This is the first of a series which is written by three different authors - Vaun, D Jackson Leigh and VK Powell. The books are set in Pine Cove, small town in Georgia that is the home of three life long friends with each book showcasing one of them. In Take My Hand, Vaun establishes the setting and introduces the characters with Clay Cahill, the broody butch artist/tow truck driver being the first friend up to the romance plate.

There's a great sense of humour in the book - the relationship between the three friends is easy and believable, all three relying on each other for support and still able to give each other a hard time when warranted. There's a great cast of secondary characters and I'm looking forward to more of them as the series progresses. Vaun did a great job in giving the introductions to the characters and the town, setting the tone and drawing the reader in - both to the novel itself as well as to invest in finding out what happens next for Trip and Grace.

When River Hemsworth, Manhattan art gallery owner, blows into the town, she's a city girl through and through who's only here to settle an estate and has no interest in sticking around. River is definitely a fish out of water - leading to some humourous situations and the instant draw to Clay leads to strong chemistry as they make their way through the book. Clay's been hurt in the past and her distrust is definitely the biggest obstacle. - and yes, she has a few bonehead moments, but I was still rooting for her and River.

The only thing that kind of irked me was some of the interplay between the three friends - Clay, Trip and Grace - they were a bit like frat boys calling dibs on the gorgeous woman who crashed into their small town. Perhaps a bit too much swagger and testosterone - but they settled down and I am definitely invested in reading the next books and seeing what happens next.

This is only my 3rd book by Vaun. I loved both Love at Cooper’s Creek and Crossing the Wide Forever, so I was really excited about this series. I am not a sci-fi fan so Vaun hasn’t really been on my radar of authors to pick up. So another non-sci fi romance by Vaun, I was excited. I also thought the idea of a series written by 3 different authors with crossover characters was fun, and interesting. ** I am writing these reviews after reading all 3 in the series** I have to say Vaun had the easiest go out of the set. I found her book interesting, and the characters were great. I loved the small town feel, and for me it felt a bit Steel Magnolia ish.. I chuckled several times, but in the end I didn’t love the book. I did however think this one is the best in the series. Not because Vaun’s writing is better than the others, and not because the story was better… but instead only because the story was fresh. I loved the crossover scenes, but by the 3rd book it felt very redundant for me. I really liked Clay, and she may have been my favorite out of the characters. I really think River got a sweet deal with her.

Lovely romance that oozes Southern charm. You can taste the fried green tomatoes and feel the heat in the air. It’s the ensemble that creates the atmosphere so keep those secondary characters coming. Excellent to know this is the first of the Pine Cone books so I have the promise of romances for Grace and Trip to look forward to in the next installments.

The writing is ok, you do know it is going to end, but it is a nice, light reading.
What I find completely unrealistic and hard to fall for is the overflooding number of lesbians this little town in Georgia has. The density is quite astonishing considering this is a small town in the South.

What do you do when you are betrayed by a woman you love and the pressure from your environment is too much for you, will you go back home and that's exactly what happened to Clay who went to the town of Pine Cone to heal. To the small-town enter River, I New York City or dealer who inherits a small gallery in Pine Cone. When her car breaks down outside of town she meets Clay who now is driving a tow truck.
If you love small-town life, two hot women who are smart and funny this story will grab you from the beginning and won't let go. The little town of Pine Cone seems to have A nice population of lesbian women who add to the fun of the story. This book is the first in a trilogy and when you get to the end of it you will not be able to wait until the second book comes out to see what happens with these two main characters. Can clay find a way back to art and be happy, and can River ever adjust to living in a small town?

Easily the best and most romantic of the three Pine Cone Romances (written by Vaun, D Jackson Leigh and VK Powell), this is a sweet and well written novel. Yes it does use the BSB checklist: bizarre androgynous names (River and Clay), the production line narrative arc (fall in love at this point, kiss, have sex, declare love, misunderstanding leads to fight one person walks out without listening/leaves a note then drama/trauma brings them back together and everything's ok), but I still quite liked it!

Worth your money and time but wouldn't be top of the list

Sweet small town romance, the first of a series featuring three best friends from Pine Cone, Georgia. I have a weakness for butch/femme couples so the Clay/River pairing worked for me, even if their names made me laugh. I like the way Missouri Vaun writes and felt like I got to know the folks in Pine Cone in just a few short scenes. River’s comment about slipping into some twilight zone lesbian version of Steel Magnolias following her close encounter at the Clip and Curl made me laugh and helped me look past the plethora of lesbians filling the streets of Pine Cone.

This is a quick read and a simple enough romance with the expected attraction followed by misunderstandings (quickly resolved) followed by some fairly steamy make-up sex. There is drama which pulls our two mains together and our hoped for HEA. The southern charm is front and center in Take My Hand and as River Hemsworth discovers, the locals are warm and welcoming.

ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.

3.5 stars

This was a very sweet lesbian romance. The two main characters, one a jaded artist, Clay, who has retreated to her small home town after her gallery owning lover cheats on her the same night that she features Clay's art in her NYC gallery; and the other, River, a gallery owner from NYC who comes to the same small town after inheriting her aunt's property. The two characters meet, with instant chemistry, but Clay grows cold when she learns what River does. It's a standard butch/femme sort of romance, but interestingly told, and the characters are charming and very likable. We also meet some of Clay's pals, this town seems to have a very large percentage of gay folks, and the town is beautifully accepting of them all. I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

I read the 2nd book in the Pine Cone series before I read this first one. Both books are perfectly fine as stand-alone stories and I expect the third will be as well.

In this book, Clay, artist/tow truck driver, meets River, a NY gallery owner when River comes into town to settle her late aunt’s affairs. Humor definitely takes centerstage in this book and the series. Dialogue and the way the town’s residents were drawn had me laughing and grinning long after I stopped reading. I did find it puzzling that the author wrote more in depth about River than about Clay and I would have preferred that the focus had stayed mostly on Clay. She really took my attention and I think she deserved more than the “James Dean” brooding artist portrayal which was fine but I wanted to know much more. The love story between Clay and River was a little rushed but sweet but less angst filled than book two’s romance. I liked Take My Hand but not as much as Take a Chance which I absolutely loved. I think this was a rare case of wishing the author had added much more to the book to fill in the blanks of Clay’s backstory.

href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40201938-take-my-hand" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Take My Hand" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1527132298m/40201938.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40201938-take-my-hand">Take My Hand</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8433400.Missouri_Vaun">Missouri Vaun</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2466574757">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I rec'd a copy from NetGalley/Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.<br />The first book in the Pine Cone Trilogy (by three different authors) all stand-alone books. <br />This storyline has leads Clay (artist and now tow truck driver) and River (art gallery owner) together with numerous characters interacting in a romance laced with humour and a teeny bit of angst. Ms. Vaun, as the author of the first book in the series, has the most weight on her writer's shoulders and does quite well. A set pattern romance that succeeds because of the supporting cast and feel good vibe, it was easy to picture the small town of Pine Cone with odd individuals (hurrah for the large percentage of lesbians). Kudos to the three writers for taking the leap, even though it was with a bit of a push. An easy summer read worthy of 4 stars.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/31134832-gail">View all my reviews</a>

This is the first book of a romantic trilogy about three childhood friends who grew up in Pine Cone, Georgia. Three authors are writing this series. Missouri Vaun wrote this first one about Clay Cahill, an artist and part-time garage worker. From what I have read about this series, D. Jackson Leigh will write the second book about Trip, the veterinarian in Pine Cone. The third friend is Sandy, who is a member of the town’s police force and she will be the focus of book three written by VK Powell.

Clay is an artist who travels to New York to pursue her art career. Unfortunately, she gets into a relationship with a woman who betrays her. She also does not feel comfortable in the face-pace art scene in the big city. Clay returns home and begins to work in her grandfather’s garage as a tow-truck driver. She has no desire to paint.

When River Hemsworth, a New York City art gallery owner, comes to Pine Cone to settle the estate of her aunt, she meets Clay. The meeting with Clay is unconventional. River is driving down the street, gets distracted and crashes into the local beauty salon. Clay is called to the scene to take the wrecked car to the garage. Although there is instant attraction, Clay’s past builds up emotional walls in hopes to guard her injured heart. River hears that Clay is an artist and initially hopes to engage her as a client.

Pine Cone, Georgia, is a town filled with gay people. Having lived in South Georgia for twenty years, I found this portrayal of a small town in Georgia a little too much like “Shangri-La”. However, it is a wonderful fantasy.

The plot is not complex. It is one that readers can almost predict, but it is a sweet romance and provides light reading. The characters are approachable and interesting. I certainly want to read the next two books to learn more about Trip and Sandy.

I recommend this book and give it 4 out of 5 stars. Bring on book 2!

I was given this ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

3.5 stars

This is the first book in a series of three by Vaun. Like others in the romance genre, this book introduces a group of three best friends, this time in a sleepy hollow called Pine Cone. Each book focuses on the romance of one of the three friends, as well as revealing the depth of the friendship between them.

This book pairs Clay Cahill with a newcomer to town. Clay is a talented painter who was treated badly by her last lover, the gallery owner in New York who put on Clay’s first solo show. Now healing her wounds back in Pine Cone, she works for her grandfather at his motor repair shop, and drives the town’s only tow truck.

River Hemsworth loves art, and has built her passion into a gallery in Manhattan. Leaving it to sort out the affairs of her recently deceased aunt, River flies into Pine Cone with the goal of getting out again within the week. Crashing her aunt’s car on the first day wasn’t on her agenda, but this brought the stunning Clay onto her radar. The sparks between them are obvious to everyone, but one wants to avoid complications and the other wants to leave town. Can they find a way to each other?

Vaun did quite a good job of introducing the three friends and giving them all distinct personalities, while allowing room for a common history to bind them all together. Bringing the out-of-towner River into the mix, was well handled. Vaun’s light touch with the prose meant that this was a charming and entertaining book with no pretensions of great depth. There is a delightful sense of place and the characters were fun to hang out with, so I found it a light book, and a joy to read. Perfect for my mood at the moment.

I’m looking forward to reading the other two books in the series.

Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Take My Hand is the 1st in the trilogy of the Pine Cone set. I was intrigued as this is my first time reading a Missouri Vaun book, plus it was part of a set written by three different authors. I wasn't disappointed on both points. The trilogy is around the friendship of Clay, Trip and Grace. This story is based on River and Clay, it's easy to love these two from the beginning. Well written and will keep you hooked until the end.. Once finished I found myself looking for the 2nd instalment

The premise of this series intrigued me immediately. Three authors, three stories of 3 friends finding love in small town Georgia. Pine Cone must be the most rainbow friendly place in the south according to book 1 in this series. One can only hope especially in the current political environment. Anyway, I enjoyed River and Clay’s romance despite Clay’s initial prickliness. I really felt for both women on a visceral level with River regretting never knowing her aunt and Clay desperately missing the close friendship she had with River’s aunt. There’s a bizarre plot twist towards the end that had me scratching my head at its sudden appearance and relevance to the romance. Honestly, I’d rather know more about River’s aunt and her positive influence that she apparently had on Pine Cone’s residents. This was a satisfying romance overall, especially if you’re a fan of a butch/femme relationships.

The whole time I was reading the book I had a feeling of déjà vu. Turns out the basic plot points were very similar to another book I had finished not very long ago from the same publishers. I guess the "city girl inherits property in the country, goes to country house even though they don't want to, meets a local, falls in love" plot is standard fodder for romance novels and the more I read the more them the more basic plots will stick out like this one.

Déjà vu aside this was a nice story and I have to say I rather enjoyed it for what it was. It will be interesting to see where this series of books takes us next.

ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

“River was beginning to believe the bump to her head might have transported her to some twilight zone lesbian version of Steel Magnolias.”

Missouri Vaun’s contemporary romance, set in rural environs of Pine Cone, Georgia, is first in a trilogy, each by a different author. Vaun sets the stage with memorable characters and three best friends, all of whom have their own romantic journeys ahead. While I love reading novels placed within big city drama, I have a soft spot for fiction set in small and/or rural locales. They feel more like home to me. Forget “six degrees of Kevin Bacon”, if you’re from a town of under 20,000 people.

Artist Clay Cahill fled New York City’s drama-ridden art scene for the safety of her hometown and grandfather’s auto repair shop. At a loss for what to do next, she tows damsels in distress from ditches and keeps an eye out for trouble at the garage. Shoeless and not quite so fancy-free Manhattan-based art curator River Hemsworth ends up in Pine Cone after an estranged aunt wills her property and a gallery. The two meet after River makes a “wrong turn” into the side of a local business. Though their attraction is mutual and immediate, the two women begin a tentative acquaintanceship. Flashbacks and family revelations reveal their uncertainties and reservations about relationships, especially for Clay.

Clay’s friends, Grace and Trip, and grandfather are well-meaning as they intercede throughout to bring the light back into their friend’s life. The close bonds of these longtime besties and annoying-but-you-get-me-and-I-love-you family allow for the romance to progress. There is no “I” in romance, as it goes. Their push-pull dynamic gradually brings them together (and helps unravel personal truths), but a twist might keep them apart.

The small town charms of Take My Hand evoke the heady perfume of pine needles and undergrowth, birdsong, and summer cocktails with friends. I look forward to seeing the rest of the trilogy unfold.

This is the first book in a trilogy with three different authors. I'm rather excited since I'm a fan of each. Take My Hand is the first in this series and as expected, I was not disappointed. The characters and story captured me from the first chapter. I found myself diving in and wanting more. I can already tell, this is going to be a great series for my students to review in their book group. I look forward to the next in the series. I highly recommend.

This is the first novel out of a total 3 set in a small town named Pine Cone. All three novels are written by three different authors however, certain events overlap with each other giving it an interwoven feeling.

What I liked about this one, are the three lead characters. This one belongs to Clay Cahil, a painter/artist who is undergoing a sort of a creative crisis after going through a bad relationship. She is still recovering when River crashes into two (literally) and needs Clay's help.

This was a slow buildup and the town setting was done really well. Unfortunately, the two romantic leads didnt seem to have much going behind the scenes. Personally, I couldnt get invested in them which is a shame since these two could have been a bit more interesting. If you read the next one, Take a Chance then you'll know what I mean.


Rating 3.5 stars

This is another book in the Pine Cone series. I think it’s so interesting to have three different authors take on each story. This book is about Clay and River. It was cute and kept me entertained. It wasn’t very deep and not much drama which is good. Overall cute read!!