Logan Jenkins never knew his father until a week ago with inheritance. He never heard of town of Nugget and he wanted to find out who his father was. When he arrived at Nugget, he never expected to find his father's ranch and find a job. He wanted to find out where his father worked all his life and find some kind of connection. This little town of Nugget is strangest town he ever experienced.
Annie wanted this summer to be different. She has been helping her family's farm and her lazy ex-boyfriend. She has her own dream of owning her own farm/ ranch. As now she is helping her good friend Gia and living while she is on break from summer break. When handsome Logan comes in and seems like he just answered the ad in the paper.
Annie finds out Logan happens to be previous owner's son and she fears he is back to make troubles. But he is opposite of what she expected and they seem to have chemistry off the chart. Logan knew he won't be staying long and Annie doesn't want to get involve someone who will be leaving but it seems her hearts has mind of its own.
Annie really wants Logan to stay but he won't be since his new life will start as soon as he is back in San Diego. Will this be another fling that would leave both heart breaks or will they find happily ever after.
I enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read the next one on the series. This town of Nugget has enough romance, gossips and interesting characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and Lyrical press for my ARC in exchange for honest review.

I couldn’t finish this book, I like the author’s writing and have enjoyed many of their books before but this one wasn’t one I could get into. I will try again when the author’s next book is released as I am a fan of theirs.

From the onset there was a genuineness and honesty between Logan and Annie that completely captured my heart. The entire story was filled with the type of emotions that drive by a story smoothly and effortlessly. There was the perfect balance between romance, reconciliation, and drama to give the overall story the heart it so wonderfully deserved.

The author wrote with a passion which shown through not only the chemistry between Logan and Annie, but also all the quirky characters who also added the charm that only small town residents are capable of doing.

The series has been running for sometime now, but I hope it continues...there are so many opportunities for more HEA's!

This ARC book was a complimentary copy provided by the Publisher and Netgally, I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

This story really drew me in and captured my heart. Annie was earning her doctorate at UC Davis and had come to Nugget, CA to work on an estate and do some consulting work with local farmers. She had her life planned and because of her deadbeat brother, who was sucking the profits away from her family's farm, she needed to get away and make a life for herself away from the family rice farm. She was overseeing the cleanup of some cabins on her friend's estate, while they were away and was waiting for the person who had responded to the ad to show up and begin work.

In walks, Logan Jenkins, who actually was trespassing on what had been his father's farm. His father, who he never met and knew nothing about but who had left him an inheritance in his will upon his death. He just wanted to see where he had come from so he landed on the estate. He had just gotten out of the Navy Seals and was going to be doing some civilian contractor work with a fellow ex-Seal but he had some time to kill before that work began.

When he met Annie, he was struck by how beautiful she was. She wasn't model beautiful but there was a goodness and sweetness about her that was very attractive to Logan. But, he was the love 'em and leave 'em without getting involved type of guy. He had no intentions of getting drawn in and losing his heart to Annie. The more time he spent with her, though, the more time he wanted to spend with her. With their lives heading in such different directions, though, was there any way it could work?

I thoroughly enjoyed the story. My one criticism was the descriptive sex scenes. I don't feel they are necessary to the story and I tend to skip over the details.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book 9 in the Nugget series by Stacy Finz stars the intelligent Annie Sparks whom we first met in the last book along with Logan Jenkins the illegitimate son of Ray Rosser, the convicted murder and no good sonovabitch of Nugget who died in prison. Logan didn't even know who his biological father was until he was contacted by a lawyer about being named in his father's will. Logan out of curiosity went to the ranch that use to be his father's, it now belonged to Gia Trendwell, he didn't care about any of that he just wanted to know more about his father. Annie moved on to the Rosser ranch when she walked out on her boyfriend. She had enough with lazy moochers who did nothing but waste her time and this included her brother who continually made bad decisions and cost their parents lots of money and this time collateral on the farm they could not afford to lose. Annie wanted nothing more than to help Gia's tree farm succeed especially the part of the plan that helped women get back on their feet, learn money management and business.

It was just suppose to be temporary, it was just suppose to be a fling until he left to San Diego and then Annie would get on with her life wherever that was heading and that was it. Annie and Logan never intended to fall in love, but they did and hard and neither of them knew how to handle that. It's hard enough trying to figure out where your relationship is going when moocher brothers cause problems and then there is Raylene, Logan's half sister who if you've read the other books you know how she is, getting in the picture just to rock the boat and stir up trouble for Logan. Logan, omg, he's such a freakin' sweetheart; even though it's "casual" he ends up buying Annie new boots because she needs them and a pair of cowboy boots just because he knows she'll like them. Logan is the opposite of what Annie normally goes for but he is exactly what she needs. Logan is the opposite of his father, he was raised by a good man and it shows he even goes out of his way to help Raylene after she acted like a twat.

Overall, this is another great read. I love this series it is one of my favorite small town romance series and they just keep getting better and better.

I received this ARC from the publisher through NetGalley. I just loved this book. This is a great series by a great author. It was so wonderful to be back in Nugget, California. Reading this book just felt like getting into a nice snuggly pair of pajamas. It felt great to be back in Nugget, catch up with some of the old characters and meet some new ones. Stacy Finz is starting a new series coming this summer and I look forward to it. Since the new series takes place in a nearby town to Nugget, hopefully we will run into one of these characters occasionally. If you liked Robyn Carr's Virgin River series, you will also like the Nugget series by Stacy Finz.

4.5 stars.

Falling Hard, by Stacy Finz is an interesting contemporary romance with intriguing characters living in the small town of Nugget, California.

Shortly after leaving his life as a Navy SEAL, Logan Jenkins discovered the true identify of his now deceased biological father. Logan arrived in Nugget in searching for a sense of connection to his father and extended family, who once lived on the Rosser Ranch.

During his initial visit to Rosser Ranch, Logan meets Annie Sparks, who hires him to help out for a few weeks, while uncovering his historical roots. Despite her productivity and determination, Annie recently had to leave her family farm to branch out on her own in agricultural economics, yet she's still dealing with on-going family drama.

Even though their situation is temporary, Logan and Annie give into their attraction to each other. As the story unfolds, they continue to deal with family issues, career choices, and geographical living options. Plus, Nugget is a typical small town with gossipy neighbors and quirky characters, yet there's underlying problems.

Since it's the ninth book in the Nugget series, it's recommended to start with the first book, Going Home, yet it's not necessary to read the books in order.

Falling Hard is an interesting story with intriguing characters, and it's geared towards those who enjoy reading modern romances, particularly small town romances.


Note: I received this book from NetGalley, which is a program designed for bloggers to write book reviews in exchange for books, yet the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip back to Nugget. The characters were well written, dialogue was interesting between the main characters and the surrounding characters as well. I love series romances that take you back to a specific town and you get to catch glimpses of favorite characters from prior books. This always makes me enjoy a book more! Stacy Finz has become a favorite author of mine and I hope she becomes one of your favorites as well.

“I received a free, advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.”

Falling Hard was a story easy to fall for. I have read some installments of the series before, and the small town Nugget has charmed me with its meddling townsfolk and fast friends who have made caring for each other and spreading information fast into an artform.
Annie Sparks is a lovely heroine. I have met her in a previous story and liked her immediately. There is just such a genuinely kind spirit in her, she likes to help others, she is unique, sweet, and fun to be around. Her family farm is struggling because of the drama around her brother, her ex took an advantage of her kind heart, yet through the story, she learns to stand up for herself, she makes compromises, and she falls hard, head over heels, for Logan Jenkins.
Logan is perfect hero material. The former SEAL came to his biological father's small hometown to seek his roots, met Annie, and decided to stay for awhile. Logan is a solid character, he is generous, kind, considerate, fearless, badass who likes an adrenaline rush. With a little action and danger, he gets to show what he is made of, with Annie all his better qualities are present. It was delightful to see him falling for her, the feelings were palpable in the air, the passion and adoration were zestful and gentle.
Falling Hard is a story that gives you all those warm and fuzzy feelings. It makes you smile and sigh while you live in the moment with characters, hoping for the best and cheering them on. There aren't many surprises or unexpected twists in the story, but it still kept the hold of my interest, were vastly entertaining, Nugget being one of those small towns where you want to keep returning to for a visit. A lovely and lively story for romance lovers
~ Four Spoons

Falling Hard by Stacy Finz gives me my needed visit back to Nugget in this ninth addition to the series. Lots of previous couples make appearances since this is a small-town series. For me that is wonderful seeing what everyone is up to but for someone new to the series I’m not sure I could say it is a stand-alone. However, as far as Annie and Logan’s story goes it is self-contained with no cliffhanger.

Like the previous couples, I really enjoy how Logan and Annie build a relationship first instead of jumping into uncontrollable lust/love. Logan comes to Nugget looking for answers not permanence, the very opposite of Annie who had longevity in mind when she considered her newish home of Nugget. Besides how Annie would fit in this SEALs plans was only half the entertainment because the community of Nugget is loving, nosy and meddlesome to boot. Logan would have his work cut out for him on his plans for leaving so I couldn’t wait to see how it all panned out. Seeing the main problem early by no means took away from my enjoyment. Falling Hard is just as good as the first book of the series. I can recommend this book to all whether it your first Stacy Finz book or your ninth.

I had not read any of the books in this series before being granted an ARC from Netgalley so I was a little concerned about hopping in on the 9th book- but that turned out not to be a problem at all. Nugget is a charming town and Annie and Logan- well, they are a really neat couple. It was fun to read how their attraction grew. Both of them came at the relationship with a little skepticism but Finz was smart to make them friends first. I knew they would get together but I really enjoyed the dance. I know I wasn't catching nuance from the supporting characters so I'm going to look for more from Finz. Like her writing style, which made this a breezy afternoon read.

***4 “Small Town” Stars***

I have to start out with a confession: My main reason for reading this series is largely due to the unique cast of characters that populate the town of Nugget, California. I love how they epitomize small town living by always being in everyone’s business and giving advice whenever they feel the need to without batting an eye, but this isn’t to say that it totally overshadows the romance between the main couple, it simply helps it along as it does in this book. And the romance was a sweet and smexy, slow building one that had me dopey smiling even while wanting to Gibbs smack both Annie and Logan, but in the end left me will all the feels.

Logan’s world was already influx when he said good-bye to the Navy, but now it’s gone sideways as he finally finds out the identity of the man who gave him half of his DNA. Logan is one of those guys that is just a good guy. He’s polite, considerate, and even if he’s not totally all in on a situation he will go along with it because he doesn’t want to be rude. But he also has that protective smexy alpha male thing going on that could look like he has a hero complex, but it’s not a conscious I want attention thing, it’s just how he’s wired. He take on small town life wasn’t always glowing, but I loved how he grew to see it’s appeal and find comfort in it.

Annie loves working the land. She’s grown up farming the land with her parents and has always held an affinity with nature and helping things grow from it and can’t see doing anything else with her life. Overall I loved Annie. I loved her drive and love of the land. I loved how she stood up for herself and her family, even when they didn’t want her to. But there were certain beliefs she held on to so strongly that had me wanting to shake her. I couldn’t fault her, but when refusing to even try at a compromise jeopardized her happiness I started to growl.

Logan and Annie’s road was definitely a slow building one with quite a few bumps along the way, some from outside sources, but most from within. Both are so set in how they see their future that it was frustrating, even as it made sense. Thankfully they do bend a bit and find that despite their almost polar opposite views on some major issues, they are quite compatible and it was sweet to watch as they got to know each other. The last few chapters had me at the edge of my seat in both a good and a bad way, but I loved how everything worked out and was quite satisfied with where they were in the end.

The writing is engaging, though I did find the pacing a little slow in some spots, but I think that has more to do with me than anything else. There are quite a few things going on throughout the story and I thought they were all done well and I liked how all the various issues were resolved. As I said at the start, my love of this series really does have to do with the inhabitants of Nugget and I get a kick out of each of them and what they bring to story. It’s because of them that the small town feel is so strong and has me wanting to get my hands on the next book.

This is book 9 in the series. The only other book in this series I have read is number 7, and I vaguely remembered most of the supporting characters in this book. I think to get the full effect, you really need to read this series from the beginning.

Annie Sparks grew up on a farm. She was hoping to continue to grow her family’s farm but when her parents over extend themselves loaning her brother money, she leaves to find her own way. She has a degree in agricultural economics, working on her PhD. She ends up in Nugget, consulting and living on one of the farms, with dreams of owning her own farm.

Logan Jenkins just got out of the Navy where he was a Seal. His best friend Gabe is looking to start a private security company and Logan wants in. In the meantime, Logan just found out who his biological father was and that he left him some money. At loose ends for the moment, he ends up in Nugget looking to get some info on his roots and his father.

When Logan runs into Annie on Rosser farm, she mistakes him for someone answering the help wanted ad. He plays along, figuring he can gather intel at the same time. Doesn’t take long before everyone discovers who he is.

The initial meeting of these two just felt weird. It didn’t flow well for me. I didn’t feel their attraction. They spent a great deal of time as friends, just hanging out. I didn’t feel the sparks during this time. And the transition from friends to lovers wasn’t smooth either.

This is a small town series. Everyone knows everyone’s business. The townspeople make frequent appearances and are quite nosey. I struggled to finish this book. I think this will most likely be my last visit to Nugget.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by Netgalley.

4 Stars! I enjoyed this return visit to Nugget, and I really liked the hero and heroine. The hero had a lot of baggage to sift through and the heroine had to learn to look out for herself once in a while. There were a few time skips that were jarring, like a hook at the end of a chapter that was skipped over at the start of the next chapter. But the military suspense felt realistic and the romance was very strong. I'll read this series and this author again!

So good!! I'm a huge fan of this series and this book is another great addition. The characters in this small town are all wonderful and hilarious. Annie and Logan fit right in. This is a great story of two people going in opposite directions but the pull between them stopping both of them in their tracks and reassessing exactly what they want in life. Logan is a former SEAL stopping in Nugget only long enough to learn what he can about a man he never knew. Annie's had her share of loser's in her life and is looking forward to working the earth at her new job and steering clear of men. Then Logan shows up and all her plans go up in smoke.

This is a fantastic read and definitely one I recommend to everyone.

Really great story by Finz. I enjoyed a lot and can't wait for the next one.

falling hard is the ninth book in the nugget romance series, and even though it stands alone, a lot of the secondary characters have previously been featured in the series, so the connections between them might be a little easier to keep straight if you've read them all.

in falling hard, we meet logan jenkins, who inherited some money from his biological father and who is native to nugget. he happens upon his father's old estate, and annie sparks, the acting caretaker mistakes him for the hired help. because logan is at loose ends and he is interested in gaining some perspective on his heritage, he goes along with this.

though, because nugget is a small town his ruse doesn't last long. people remember his mom, and they definitely remember his dad. even though they can't tell him one nice thing about him. logan's intentions were never to stay in nugget, he's just left the navy seals and intends to work in the private sector. but meeting annie and falling for her isn't what he planned to do with his post-military life. he's always been an adrenaline junkie, and life in nugget doesn't seem to be all that thrilling.

but there is something about nugget that gets its hooks into you. because the more people from the town logan encounters, the harder he has to fight the desire to stay. logan never thought he was missing all that much by not knowing his biological father. but coming to nugget and being with annie allows him to see the value of putting down roots. but for someone who was used to a rootless existence, he's not sure how to handle this change of outlook.

but life can be about compromise. and both logan and annie are adults who communicate, so they will figure this out. and maybe build something beautiful together while they're at it.

I'm sorry to say but this one was not for me. The story was kinda clunky and while sweet it was super hard to sink into. The characters were difficult to form an attachment with and I felt their relationship was a pretty big stretch. As far as physical chemistry that too was awkward and I have to say lacking in passion. I liked the small town vibe and the possibility of a series that includes the new security venture but that too seemed farfetched. There aren't a lot of original ideas out there so it's up to the storyteller to make the familiar feel new. I hoped this author could do that for me but it didn't happen. That's not to say that it won't ring someone else's bell.

My favorite Nugget novel yet!!
Logan and Annie have an incredible chemistry from the moment they meet. But they both know that, even if they act on it, they know their time would be limited. Logan has made commitments to his friend to start a security business in San Diego, which is 10 hours away.
Logan is easily liked in the town of Nugget and it becomes obvious that everyone wants him to stay.
I was on the edge of my seat near the end because I had no idea how this was all going to work out to a happy ending! I shed more than one tear in the end.
5 stars!

Annies book was a long time coming for me. We met her in the few preceding books and I always enjoyed her character. The book touched my soul and really enjoyed Logan as well, strong hero with his own issue.. Beautifully written and good plot.