Monday Book Review: Nobody Else But You, by Claire Marti

Nobody Else But You, by Claire Marti
Pacific Vista Ranch, Book 1
Published September 2019

About the Book:

A smoking hot stuntman. A fiery horse breeder. And a 220-acre ranch too small for both of them.

She’s avoided Hollywood for years…

When an arrogant Hollywood stuntman struts into Samantha McNeill’s breeding barn, sparks fly. She doesn’t care how mouthwateringly gorgeous he is, not when he assumes Pacific Vista Ranch’s resident horse breeding manager must be a man. Not to mention his job threatens to pull her family back into the paparazzi filled world they escaped from over a decade ago.

Now it’s at her door––wearing faded jeans and a wicked grin.

Holt Ericsson can tell the beautiful redhead hates him on sight and the feeling is becoming mutual. But he will call in a favor and convince Sam’s legendary director father that Pacific Vista Ranch is the only suitable place left in California to film an epic Western. Holt’s invested all his savings in the movie and his entire career is riding on it. No way will he allow one irritating, sexy woman to stand in his way.

Sam intends to fight him at every turn…if only her heart didn’t race when they’re together. Holt does his best to steer clear of her…except all he wants to do is hold her close. The sizzling attraction between them is either going to burn up the sheets or burn down the ranch…

My Take:

Claire Marti writes with heart and humor, creating characters who pull at your heartstrings and make you root for their happily ever afters. Her heroes and heroines come to life as real people, with issues to face and hangups to overcome before they can find their happy endings. I loved her previous series, Finding Forever in Laguna, and her new series is off to a wonderful start with the release of the first book, Nobody Else But You.

The story is told in alternating he said/she said third person viewpoints from two main characters, Sam McNeill and Holt Ericsson. It's a classic enemies-to-lovers contemporary story: when the pair first meet, the fiery-tempered redhead wants nothing to do with the golden-haired L.A. hottie or his movie, and they become instant enemies for the first third of the book. Their initial enmity gradually turns into grudging respect and then friendship, before exploding into steamy passion.

But each of them has their inner demons to contend with.

A decade before, Sam's parents were part of the Hollywood elite but her actress mother had a tragic on-set accident and the media feeding frenzy that followed gouged deep scars into Sam and her two sisters. Their father gave up directing to move the family out of L.A. to Southern California where they live on a 220-acre horse breeding ranch. About as far from Hollywood glitz and glam as you can get and still be in California. Until one of the father's former director friends calls in old favors and sets up to film a Western on part of the ranch, stirring all kinds of old memories, feelings, and fears.

Holt may look like a spoiled Hollywood golden boy, but the former Colorado cowboy is a movie stuntman, and with this particular movie he's got a lot at stake. In addition to being in charge of the horses and stunts, he's invested his entire savings into the picture, hoping his investment will pay off and allow him to retire from his current job to open an agency of his own. But there's something about Sam that draws him in and makes him lose sight of his priorities.

The tension between the main couple is palpable as Sam and Holt ride an emotional rollercoaster, neither one totally sure where things are going or where they may end. Marti delivers a strong storyline and believeable characters, while the ups and downs of their journey keep the pages turning and keep the reader rooting for a happily ever after.

5 out of 5 stars -- Grab your copy on AMAZON