One More Round by Amber Palmer is the first in the Pinecrest Ridge series, a spin-off of the Black Springs Ranch series. This spin-off series is thus far less of a cowboy romance series and more of a contemporary small-town vibe. It starts with Duke and Olivia in a brother’s best friend, single-parent romance.
Olivia Hart’s career as the CEO of her family’s billion-dollar record label, Hartstrings, has consumed her life for years, but the more she misses of her daughter’s life, the more it’s losing its appeal. She wants to spend more time at home, and she’s tired of working twice as hard to prove herself.
When she finds out the uncle who raised her is terminally ill, she flies home to her family ranch in Pinecrest, Tennessee, to take care of him and say goodbye. In this small town, she quite literally runs into her brother’s best friend, Duke Bennett, at the grocery store.
Their lives are complicated, far too complicated for anything to happen between them, and Olivia is only in Pinecrest for a limited time. But neither of them can deny the feelings growing between them.
Olivia’s meddling uncle, on his deathbed, changes everything with a simple request: he wants Dule to show Olivia how to enjoy life again.
The premise of One More Round is a little Hallmark movie-esque. The high-powered career girl finds love in a small town. It’s undeniably cliché, and while it’s not my favorite trope, it’s done fairly well here.
It was hard to connect to these characters because of their familiarity, but the plot moves quickly, and the author layers the themes of shifting priorities and parental guilt to give it an extra nuance.
The teasing, innuendo-laden dialogue is far and away the high point of One More Round. The sexual tension between Duke and Olivia is delightful, and their dynamic is hot, even if the characters aren’t for everyone.
Overall, One More Round is a fun read, but not quite up my alley. Some readers will adore these two, but even with tropes I don’t love, it was well done enough to be enjoyable.
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