This was a cute story and I thought it read like a movie. I loved all the characters-main and secondary. I thought they were well written and had depth. Emma and Jasper have both gone through traumatizing things in their lives. Emma's back story had me in tears and I'm so glad she gets her second chance. This story has the perfect balance of sexual tension and humor. The chemistry between Emma and Jasper is hot but this is a clean read. If you're looking for a heartwarming, second chance romance you'll love this book.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the sixth book in the series. You can read it as a standalone, but it is richer for having the background to Whisper Creek and the magic it imbues!

A very enjoyable, fun, and poignant read; both Emma and Jasper have had painful pasts which have held them back from love – but the chemistry between them cannot be denied, all it needs is for them to take a chance. Thankfully the gang at Whisper Creek, and the water, are on hand to help them both get the message.

As always there are many side characters who add to the richness of the story, and help round out the personalities of the leads. I also loved the description of Jasper's flat, especially the bathroom – which is unusual for me, as I generally find room tours to be filler, but not here, it was perfect and led to some lovely lines of humour.

Ms. McGinnis has a lightness of touch when dealing with difficult issues, and a great sensitivity when leading two people to their happily ever after. Very satisfying reading, thank you.

“Oh, I grew up just fine. I’m just figuring out how to grow back down now.”

Emma is sent from the home office in Florida to the Shady Acres nursing home in Carefree, Montana to be the interim director of the facility while its current director is recovering from surgery. The only thing is, she has three college degrees but no practical experience in running a nursing home.

Jasper owns and operates Java Beans, the best coffee shop in town which supplies the nursing home with its coffee plus his father is a resident of Shady Acres.

So Emma and Jasper start seeing a lot of each other and the attraction is almost instant.

But both have troubled pasts they need to overcome before they can seriously look to the future.

Lots of kittens, water from Whisper Creek Ranch, cloud watching and tree climbing - all are part of this emotional, romantic tale set in beautiful Montana.

I received this book from Loveswept through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read the book and write an unbiased review for it.

Bette, the head of Shady Acres, is having surgery and is need of a replacement. Emma, a Floridian, is suddenly sent to Whisper Creek to fill in with explicit instructions to NOT make any changes. Emma, believing she was sent because she's single with no ties to Florida, soon questions why she was sent. The employees approach her with caution as they think she's there to fire them. They obviously love Bette and believe no one can fill her shoes. While Bette is not a "by the books" director, Emma is. Emma thinks everything she needs to know she's learned in school or it can be found in the instruction manual...

Jasper moved to Whisper Creek years ago after suffering great loss. Jasper, an attorney, used to live in the corporate world. He spent 60+ hours a week with clients and with colleagues, just not his wife. Realizing he didn't like who he'd become, Jasper leaves his former life behind and ends up in Whisper Creek. The lure of the mountains and a simpler way of life "called" to him. Jasper opened up a coffee shop and moved his dad into Shady Acres, to be closer to him. Jasper wrecks havoc at Shady Acres, trying to make the nursing home a more pleasant place to live. When Bette leaves, she makes Jasper promise to be good...

Eager to meet the new girl, Jasper walks in on Emma as she's changing. Emma thinks he's the most handsome, sexy man she's ever met. The more Emma sees Jasper with his dad and other residents, the more intrigued she becomes. Jasper finds it easy to talk, be with Emma, but also knows she'll be gone in 3mths. He's also not sure if he's ready for a relationship. Even though they know it's a bad idea to start anything, they find themselves drawn to each other....

This was such a powerful, poignant read. You laugh, cry, laugh, and then want to jump through your ereader to shake Jasper silly!!! I loved the easy banter, quick wit, and sense of family. I also enjoyed learning different ways we could make nursing homes better, less depressing. Wheelchair volleyball, designing the halls to be like city streets, and the animals-resident programs were excellent ideas! One could also envision the mountains and the stars as though they were there. I loved it!!! I read a gifted copy and all opinions stated are my own.

Love love love! Every time I read a Maggie McGinnis book, I think to myself, this is the best one yet and I am always wrong. The author brings us back to the Whisper Creek Ranch again. By the end you can't help but smile.

What a sweet story all the way through! Jasper and his antics at the retirement home along with their residents and staff were hysterical and a whole lot of fun. His commitment to that place and his father was very touching. Emma in that environment was a breath of fresh air. I loved how she interacted with everyone and kept Jasper on his toes. He was very welcoming to her. This was a very sweet read and I loved all the characters. The story just draws you in and makes you feel you are reading about your own friends.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher through Netgalley.

Another phenomenal Whisper Creek book. As I am getting older, I find that I like reading the stories with characters that are in their thirties, I feel like I connect better with them since I to am in my thirties.

And let me tell you, I felt like I connected with Emma a lot, I too am a rule follower and not a rule breaker. I found myself falling in love with her and really hoped her and Jasper worked out there differences.

As always I can't wait for more from Whisper Creek. Ms. McGinnis definitely left it open for more from this awesome dude ranch. I hope to see Liam get get saddled next.

Emma Winthrop loves living in South Florida, the warm climate, sunny skies, what more could you ask for. Working in the corporate world, she’s hoping for the position as an executive will come up soon. When they send her to a nursing home in nowhere Montana, for field experience, she is completely surprised. What she finds is total mayhem of paperwork and rules that are constantly being broken by the rugged and extremely good looking Jasper Stone. Realizing she wants to make a good impression in the home office, Emma tries to organize the chaos.
Jasper Stone, is a daily visitor at the Shady Acres Nursing Home, since his father is a resident. Organizing wheelchair dodgeball games, balloon volleyball games, is becoming difficult with the temporary director. He was expecting an elderly person not this gorgeous woman that he can’t stop thinking about. Now everyone in town is trying to get them together. Even thou he’s not ready for a relationship, Emma is drawing him closer and closer. Can two people that have had difficult relationships in their past, put it behind them and start fresh.
This book is absolutely beautiful and a definite book to read.

3.5 stars

Taking a Chance by Maggie McGinnis is a good read.

I enjoyed the storyline and the writing, I liked both Emma and Jasper together just wanted a little more.
After having read the previous books I found the connection/attraction between the previous characters a little more intense and I feel this took away a little from my overall enjoyment.
But overall, Taking a Chance is still an enjoyable read and a good addition to the Whisper Creek series.

The Whisper Creek series has been a joy to read, each book can be read as a standalone and I highly recommend them all.

*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the advance copy.*

I loved this emotional, playful and excellently crafted Whisper Creek novel set in Carefree, Montana. As soon as I started reading, I knew I wouldn't be able to put the book down and I didn't want it to end when I got to the last page. I felt a real connection to the characters and enjoyed the chemistry, repartee and sweet love story that unfolded between Emma Winthrop, who is sent to be temporary director at Shady Acres while the director recovers from surgery, and Jasper Stone whose father is a resident at the nursing home.

This is the first book I have read by Maggie McGinnis but I hope to read more by this talented author.

I received a free advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my unbiased review.

What a great, sweet book. I loved it. This series can go on forever, as far as I'm concerned! :)

Emma Winthrop is sent to cover for a much loved Nursing Home director who needs emergency surgery. Emma is a workaholic trying to move up the corporate ladder. She has no previous hands on experience as a director and is terrified of someone dying on her watch. She occasionally lets her quirky, sassy side out.

Jasper Stone left his lucrative L.A. law practice for personal reasons. He moves to this small Montana town to work out his demons. He now owns and runs a coffee shop. His dad is in the early stages of Alzheimers and lives in the nursing home Emma is covering. Jasper is an easy going, troublemaking goofball.

Jasper walks into Bette’s office without knocking to discover Emma with her shirt off. They are off to an awkward start.

The first half of the book is painfully slow moving. Lots of fill in miscellaneous that felt extraneous. That being said, I liked Jasper and Emma, they just seemed more like good friends. Didn’t feel much chemistry.

This is a clean romance with no steamy scenes. After reading books 4 & 5 in this series, and enjoying them, I was disappointed with this one.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher.

When Emma Winthrop is sent to Whisper Creek to take over momentarily at Shady Acres nursing home she is certain she has been sent to a whole other world, it's peaceful, charming, and so unlike the bustling city life she is use to. Then she meets a certain sexy barista that instantly starts to stir up the butterflies in her stomach, he is charming, funny... and very easy on the eyes. But getting involved with him seems silly since her stay in town is temporary...

The moment Jasper Stone's eyes land on the beauty sent to run Shady Acres he can't help but fall a little for her, she is unlike any other woman he has ever met, and the sparks swirling around between them tells him there is something there worth exploring. But her stay in Whisper Creek is short term, so he must decide if that "something" between them is worth the risk to his heart...

Taking A Chance is a touching, light-hearted, literary treasure! It has been a while since my last visit to the Whisper Creek series, but mere minutes into this read I found myself making myself right at home all over again, oh how I missed these wonderful characters! I thoroughly enjoyed this new addition the series, it warmed my heart, made me laugh, and left me blushing more than a few times! The story line was engaging and held my interest throughout, and the characters were perfectly crafted... you really can't go wrong with this one, it is one of my absolute favorites from Ms. McGinnis to date! Highly recommend this one, these small town folks are sure to charm their way into your heart!

Taking a chance
By: Maggie McGinnis
📚💕⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💕📚

Open Hearts Lead To Love

If you open your heart you just might find exactly what or who you need. Even at our first encounter with Emma I found her easy to like in just the perfect kind of snobbery. Jasper was so mischievous it was easy to not only like him but waiting to see what he would do next.

Author Blurb: A rising star in the corporate world, Emma Winthrop enjoys the view from her cubicle in sunny Florida. But when she’s dispatched to a nursing home in Whisper Creek for three months to run the home while beloved Bette has surgery, she discovers a slice of heaven made of mountains and mayhem—mostly in the form of rugged, drop-dead gorgeous Jasper Stone, who grinds his specialty beans at the town’s best coffee shop in between organizing dodge-ball games and wheelchair races in Emma’s hallways.

When Jasper walks in on this beautiful angel in silky purple underwear trying to rinse out her blouse, it’s a breathtaking view—even for a Montana native. Wreaking havoc here at Shady Acres keeps his dad in good spirits, but getting under Emma’s skin is proving to be even more fun. Jasper knows that he’s falling faster than a man with his past has any right to, but his body and his heart have a mind of their own. And Emma appears to be claiming both.

Sooo when Jasper and Emma finally give in to the attraction they have together knowing they only have less than two months before Bette will return to Shady acres to her job and Emma will return to Florida in hopes of a promotion. The both have reasons to protect their heart but what happens when one runs scared and the other know or thinks they know they’ll never be able to be enough.

This book is clean and sweet with the perfect amount of angst. The characters are fun and easy to like and you’ll definitely get to visit with previous residents from Whisper Creek. Written in dual POV my personal favorite.

Thanks to Netgally for letting me read and review!!!

This was a good story, well written and compelling enough that I kept reading to the end. The hero and heroine and both likable and fun, their budding romance pushed the story along beautifully. My only complaint would be that there wasn't much chemistry between Emma and Jasper. They were friends and they liked each other and even seemed to be attracted to one another but I needed more fire between them.

The story was good and I will likely continue the series.

Taking a Chance is book six of the Whisper Creek Series by Maggie McGinnis. Simply a marvelous addition to the series which centers around a nursing home this time, not a ranch. Jasper is definitely a renegade having escaped from the corporate world to Whisper Creek, Montana owning the coffee shop there. This is the very world that Emma has left for three months unwillingly.

Jasper is an easy guy to like, not without his flaws but overall a kind soul. I enjoyed his interaction at the nursing home as he livens it up for the residents. The residents are a huge fun supporting cast for this story. Emma is also a caring person, so it is no wonder that these two have an intense attraction. The romantic sparks fly in this story as the conflicts, friendship and budding romance builds. I love that about Maggie McGinnis books, not graphic, but oh, so romantic.

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest visit to Whisper Creek where cowboys do grow old and the community continues to care for them. I also appreciated the message that someone sitting in an office far away, needs to get out and get personal with the residents so that they can make the best decisions for them. Then of course, I loved the romance between Jasper and Emma.

I love Whisper Creek and everyone in that perfect town, so I was excited to get another story from Whisper Creek. Emma and Jasper’s journey was so much fun! These two had me laughing throughout the whole book! But with all the laughing I did I also did a lot of tearing up. Jasper’s story..wow! But I just love these two!
Maggie McGinnis does a great job bringing me into this amazing little town! She writes these characters that I feel that I know and get attached to. Her Whisper Creek series is very enjoyable and light hearted and a super fun read!

​​​​​4.5 Stars!

Maggie McGinnis is a wonderful storyteller, and as a result, I read Taking A Chance from cover to cover in just a couple of days. This entertaining and emotional narrative captured my heart from the very beginning with its engaging plot, lively characters and Montana landscape. I loved the liveliness of the nursing home setting, (yes, very spirited residents), the loyalty of the locals, and the meaningful friendships that developed quickly.

Emma Winthrop loves living and working for Galway Health in the sunshine state. She believes she is one step away from a promotion, so imagine her surprise when she is transferred to Carefree, Montana, albeit only for only twelve weeks. Instead of writing proposals, making decisions and managing projects, she is the new director of the Shady Acres retirement home, one of her company's many facilities.

Jasper Stone left the rat race in Los Angeles for a quieter life in Carefree. Since he owns the best and only coffee shop in town, he supplies Shady Acres with his best brews. The residents, which includes his father, truly appreciate his efforts. Jasper is not only smart and handsome, he is a goodhearted man. Emma makes him feel things he has not experienced in a long time, and within two weeks, they are more than friends. They both bring a lot baggage to their newly formed relationship.

Overall, this is a well-written, emotionally charged novel with two main characters that I could not get enough of. Ms. McGinnis nicely combines sexual tension, drama, and funny moments into this clean, romantic story. I immediately connected with both Emma and Jasper, and there was never a moment that I did not want them to acknowledge their feelings for each other and become a couple. The scenes with the kittens were cute and adorable. Overall, this is a terrific book with a happy ending that will leave you smiling from ear to ear. This is the sixth book from the author's Whisper Creek series and it can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

I fall deeper and deeper in love with this series with every book. Every single book blows me away. This is by far one of my favorite series of all time. I love Maggie McGinnis’s writing style. Her scenery descriptions are magnificent, the characters are people I would love to meet and hang around with. If Carefree, Montana, and Whisper Creek Ranch were real, I know I’d be there in a heartbeat, drinking all the water on the ranch I could find!

I not only fell in love with Emma and Jasper, but all of the residents of Shady Acres as well. I laughed so much with the shenanigans and banter. I was hooked with Emma and Jasper’s story from the beginning and was rooting for them to find their HEA. I was so not prepared for Emma’s story and had to fight sobbing loudly since I was at work. My heart physically hurt for her – and she’s a character in a book! That’s some intense and exceptional writing right there!

This is a beautiful, second-chance romance that is full of laughter and playfulness, letting go and opening up, pain and healing, and most of all – a true and unconditional, forever kind of love.

**I requested and received an advanced copy, provided by NetGalley and the publisher, and I am voluntarily providing an honest review**

This book was the first that I have read from Maggie McGinnis and it was such a delightful and entertaining read with the well written storyline and the well defined characters that I was totally captivated until the very end! I definitely look forward to reading more from this author!

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.