#Review #Interview ~ Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Ryan ~ @JenRyan_author @avonbooks

Interview with Jennifer Ryan:

Crystal: Today I have the pleasure of hosting Jennifer Ryan! Welcome, Jennifer! I am so excited to have you here today. Would you share a little bit about yourself with us today?

Jennifer: I’ve been writing suspenseful contemporary romances for more than a decade. I started writing when I was a stay-at-home mom – and even when I went back to work. I love writing more than anything, which is why when I started publishing, I eventually quit my job to write full time. In the last 5 years, I’ve published over 20 books and have five series out – The Hunted, McBrides, Montana Men, Montana Heat, and my newest series Wild Rose Ranch.

Crystal: Do you have a favorite scene you would like to share with us?

Jennifer: I love a first kiss. Here’s a snippet of Roxy and Noah’s first kiss.

Excerpt:

“Noah...”
God, the way she said his name.
“It’s late and I’m exhausted. Can this wait?”
“Uh, thank you. For my room. I, uh, really appreciate it.” He ran a hand through his hair, uncomfortable under her penetrating gaze.
“How’d that taste coming out of your mouth. You thanking me for anything after John left me half of your ranch and home.”
“Like horse shit.” Not really because the thing was, she got it.
Despite the fact she had to be jealous as hell that he’d grown up here with John, she understood his anger and resentment. She had a side. He had a side. And she was willing to concede that his feelings mattered just as much as hers.
She laughed and the sound went right to his belly and tied it in knots.
Unable to fight it any longer, he closed the distance between them and with one hand sliding to the back of her neck, his fingers buried in the thick mass of silky hair, he pulled her lips to his. She smelled of paint with a hint of flowers, like the ones she’d left by his bed. Their smell teased him all night and made him think of her.
His instinct was to devour, but he felt her tense and her eyes went wide. Watching her, he brushed his lips against hers. Once. Twice. With barely a touch, he tasted a hint of the sweet grapes she’d eaten.
She stood perfectly still, her breath washed over his mouth from her slightly parted lips. “I thought we agreed this wasn’t a good idea.”
“We both lied about that.”
Crystal: Where did you come up with the idea for your latest release?

Jennifer: The idea for Wild Rose Ranch came from a day channel surfing on the couch when I landed on an HBO documentary. Not about climate change or Mr. Rogers. Nope. I stopped on the one about legal prostitution in Nevada called CATHOUSE.

One of the women being interviewed about her job at the notorious Moonlight Bunny Ranch talked about what it was like to work there. She mentioned that she was a single mother and worked at the ranch to support her children, who stayed with grandma while she worked at the ranch for a short period of time each month and spent the rest of the time with her kids.
No one in her hometown knew she worked there. Her children didn’t know. All she wanted to do was make enough money to take care of them and give them a good life. She made more at the ranch in the short time she worked there each month than she would at a minimum wage job, so for her it made sense.

It made me wonder what it would be like to be the child of a prostitute who worked at a legal brothel. She wasn’t doing anything illegal, but still the stigma of that vocation still exists even in this get-famous-for-your-sex-tape world.

And so from that little snippet from the documentary, I created the Wild Rose Ranch where Roxy and her “sisters” Sonya, Adria, and Juliana grew up and their mother’s worked. The girls raised each other, fighting against those who mistakenly thought they grow up to be just like their mothers. But they were strong girls, who turned into amazingly resilient women, who found their own path and the love and family they always wanted.
Crystal: What are you currently working on?

Jennifer: I’ve actually finished all 3 books in the Wild Rose Series – DIRTY LITTLE SECRET, RESTLESS RANCHER, and TOUGH TALKING COWBOY. I am super excited about a brand new project – a women’s fiction book! THE ME I USED TO BE is a big family drama just like I love in my romance books with a little suspense mixed in. But in this book I’ve been able to expand the point of view to include everyone in the family, because let’s face it, everyone has an opinion. But what I really wanted to show was that while a group of people may experience an event, they don’t always see it the same way. Their feelings about it vary based on their experience and emotions.

It’s a rich story about a woman holding on to a secret to spare her family. When the secret comes out – because they always do – her family is shocked to discover what they thought they knew, how they felt, and how they treated Evangeline is all wrong. And where do they go from there?

Crystal: Do you have any special routine that you follow when you are writing?

Jennifer: Yes. I’m a creature of habit. Routine makes my life easier. So I turn on the country music, drink my coffee or tea, munch on my oatmeal, cinnamon, almond cookies, and write every morning after I take my daughter to school. Writing is a solitary job. It’s just you and your imagination. Some days it’s on. Other days, you really have to work for it.

Crystal: Did you have to do a lot of research for this book or any other? If so do you have a fascinating fact that you have learned you would like to share with us?

Jennifer: I did a lot of research for the Wild Rose series about legal brothels in Nevada. I needed to know how they are run and regulated. You might be surprised to know that prostitution is only legal in counties where the population is less than 700,000. In Clark County – where Las Vegas is located – and Washoe County – where Reno is located - prostitution is illegal. Prostitutes and brothels pay taxes and adhere to strict regulations for advertising and health check-ups for the workers. The prostitutes who work there do so of their own free will. For them, it’s a job – one they chose.

It’s a fascinating world to write.

Crystal: Who are some of your favorite authors that you like to read?

Jennifer: For a thrilling suspense, I love Sandra Brown, Karen Robards, and Karin Slaughter.

Historical romance is one of my fav genres to read. Hannah Howell, Stephanie Laurens, Judith McNaught, Cathy Maxwell, Sophie Jordan, Laura Lee Guhrke are a few of the authors I love.

My fav contemporary and western romance authors are Lori Wilde, Lia Riley, AJ Pine, Sara Richardson, Linda Lael Miller, Diana Palmer, Maisey Yates, Jill Shalvis, HelenKay Dimon, and of course Nora Roberts.


Crystal: Is there a genre you haven't written that you would like to try?

Jennifer: I love writing suspense into my romances, but the romance always take center stage. I’d love to write a suspense novel and really go all the way with the danger and action. I have a few ideas I can’t wait to write.

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My Review of Dirty Little Secret:

I love a good cowboy book and Dirty Little Secret is a REALLY good cowboy book. Jennifer Ryan has quickly made herself to the to top of my must read list. I was really excited to see that she had a new series coming out and I could not wait to read Dirty Little Secret. This is one of those books that grabbed my attention on the first page and held it all the way through. 

Roxy Cordero did not have an easy life. She basically raised herself and her "sisters" at the Wild Rose Ranch.  She is a smart, independent, strong-willed, lady with just the right amount of sass to get her point across. I quickly bonded with Roxy and cheered this lady on. She's been thrown into a situation that she certainly never planned and she's ready and willing to step up to plate for a young girl she has never met before. 

Noah Cordero is a hard-working, loyal man that will do anything to keep his ranch and most of all his sister safe. Noah is one of those guys you can't help but love. He's kind and caring and loves his little sister, Annabelle. They may not be blood but that girl is his sister and he will do whatever it takes to make sure she is safe and not in the hands of her wicked mother. 

I loved watching Noah and Roxy get to know each other. They didn't start off on the best of terms but it doesn't take long for them to realize they have the same goals in mind and that is to raise Annabelle and keep her safe on the family ranch. The attraction between these two is intense. I enjoyed watching Roxy form relationships with both Noah and Annabelle. I love how they really do come together to form a family. 

Roxy didn't know that her Father had found a way to watch out for her as she was growing up. He was the owner of the ranch where Roxy's mother worked and where they lived. Not only did John Cordero leave Roxy part of the Family Ranch he also left her the Wild Rose Ranch and brothel.  Roxy hasn't ever wanted anything to do with her mother's way of life but now she is the owner and she's not entirely sure what she is going to do about that. 

Dirty Little Secret is the first book in Ms. Ryan's newWild Rose Ranch series. She has mixed the perfect amount of family, friendships, romance, drama, a few hot scenes, and suspense together to make a fabulous story and set the base for a very promising new series. I can't wait to see what she has in store for the ladies at the Wild Rose Ranch next. I know I will certainly be on the lookout for the next book. 

If you are already a fan of Ms. Ryan's work then you need to grab your copy of Dirty Little Secret right now, I know you are going to love it as much as I did. If you haven't had a chance to read a Jennifer Ryan book yet but love a good cowboy romance story with some suspense, grab this one. I know you will not be disappointed. 

I was given the opportunity to read this fantabulous story and it has been my great pleasure to share my thoughts with you. 

You may find more of my reviews on Jennifer Ryan's work here, https://goo.gl/kLDtv9

Amazon Buy Link:https://amzn.to/2R7Jwbz

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Blurb for Dirty Little Secret:

Meet the women from Wild Rose Ranch—and the men who want them—in New York TimesBestselling Author Jennifer Ryan’s breathtaking series of romance and scandal . . .

Noah Cordero is a modern-day cowboy who loves three things: ranching, his younger sister, and his step-father. John Cordero groomed Noah to take over the Montana spread where he learned to ride and work the land. But when John unexpectedly dies, he leaves half the ranch to a woman Noah doesn’t even know.

Roxy shares Noah’s last name, but not his blood. Estranged from her father, haunted by regrets, and eager to escape her notorious mother’s past, she is forced to fulfill her father’s last wishes. Inheriting means sharing a home with infuriating, challenging, and oh-so-tempting Noah. But John didn’t just make her owner of his ranch and guardian to her sister, his hidden sideline is her worst nightmare—she’s the new owner of the notorious Nevada brothel called Wild Rose Ranch where she grew up.

As their strictly business relationship starts to turn to true love, Roxy begins to wonder, what will happen when Noah discovers her dirty little secret?

Amazon Buy Link:https://amzn.to/2R7Jwbz