Anyone looking for a love story?  Just a love story without any magic or fangs or space warps – a love story.  If so, I offer you the first novel in Krisen Proby’s series Love Under the Big Sky.

Title:  Loving Cara
Series:  Love Under the Big Sky #1
Author:  Kristen Porby
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  January 21, 2014
Source:  own

Josh King is an expert at running his family’s multi-million dollar ranch in Montana. (And all that outside manual labor has done wonders for sculpting his six-foot-three body, too.) But as sure footed as he is when it comes to the ranch, Josh doesn’t know anything about how to deal with an adolescent boy—so when his twelve-year-old nephew, Seth, is dropped off on his doorstep, looking scared and acting surly as hell, Josh knows he needs help in straightening him out.

Cara Donovan loves her quiet life as a teacher in her sleepy hometown, so she jumps at the chance to make a little money over the summer as a tutor. But when she learns she’ll be teaching Josh King’s nephew, Cara’s sweet summer job gets a little bit hotter. Cara tries to focus all her attention on tutoring Seth, but Josh proves to be a delicious distraction, while Josh’s memories of the shy girl he once teased in high school are nothing like the beautiful woman he’s facing now. Can he persuade her that there’s more between them than a summer fling?

Catch your interest?  Then read on for my thoughts on Loving Cara.  No true spoilers, promise.  🙂

It was really nice to read a hot, sexy love story.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my vampires, shifters, werewolves and the hunks and ladies of history’s past … but it was nice to just sit back and watch two people fall in love, with the heart as the only magic involved.

Josh King has a pretty fulfilling life.  He runs the family ranch, enjoys the outdoors and the satisfaction he gets from his life.  That life is about to get stirred up.

Seth is 12 years old, Zack, his dad (Josh’s twin) is away fighting in the military and his mom just dumped him at his dad’s family ranch – and left.  Onward to her new life, without him.

Carolina (Cara) Donovan is a school teacher on summer break.  She has been offered the job of tutoring Seth over summer break.  A summer job that will take her through so many emotions, and perhaps change her life forever.

Josh has always been her secret crush, her hero.  As a young student Cara was not among the most popular girls, far from it with her frizzy hair, not skinny body and a self-esteem that didn’t allow her to fight back against the “mean girls” in her classes.  He smiled at her, pulled at her curls in a nice, teasing way and he never, ever looked down on her.

Now, she’s going to have to deal with the all grown up Josh on a daily basis.  A dream come true?  Or a nightmare waiting to happen?

Cara and Josh’s love story is hot, sweet, intense, heartbreaking and redeeming – all in one book.  There is definitely a lot of hot, steamy, drool-worthy sex in this one.  But this is also the story of how insecurity can affect us and those we love.  Cara has to fight against those insecurities throughout this novel, is she really good enough to be with Josh, will he stay, did he really mean for her to move in, did he lie to her?  Questions that keep running through her mind will undermine their romance.  Even with Josh’s reassurances.

Overhearing a conversation that she misunderstood, an accident that puts Seth in danger, an over-reaction by Josh — all of this will either tear the lovers apart or bring them to a deeper than ever life long love.

I really enjoyed Loving Cara and look forward to reading (and reviewing Seducing Lauren and Falling for Jillian).

If you love hot, sexy men – if you would rather read about strong, beautiful women getting exactly the man they deserve – if you can find room in your heart for a troubled pre-teen then you are in for a treat.  I highly recommend this one.

Loving Cara is available at Amazon in paperback, audio and on Kindle.