About the Book
Can a cranky cowboy...
Order dictates Tucker Carmichael’s life--his orders. On a cattle drive, a moment’s hesitation can mean the difference between life and death. The Chisholm Trail is dirty, dangerous, and no place for dainty ladies. That's just part of why he loves it.
...and a clever cook...
Jessalyn Culpepper's life is perfectly ordered--by men. By her father's mandate, she was booted from their beloved ranch for lady lessons abraod. Now Jessalyn has returned home, determined to show them all that a woman can manage everything from cooking to cattle--whether they like it or not!
...stir up more than trouble?
Tucker does his level best to keep his partner’s headstrong sister out of trouble--and he's horrified when she wants to join the cattle drive. But when they lose their chuck wagon cook, the last thing Tucker wants might be the only solution....
Will God lead two stubborn souls to love along a trail filled with their Plots and Pans?
Order dictates Tucker Carmichael’s life--his orders. On a cattle drive, a moment’s hesitation can mean the difference between life and death. The Chisholm Trail is dirty, dangerous, and no place for dainty ladies. That's just part of why he loves it.
...and a clever cook...
Jessalyn Culpepper's life is perfectly ordered--by men. By her father's mandate, she was booted from their beloved ranch for lady lessons abraod. Now Jessalyn has returned home, determined to show them all that a woman can manage everything from cooking to cattle--whether they like it or not!
...stir up more than trouble?
Tucker does his level best to keep his partner’s headstrong sister out of trouble--and he's horrified when she wants to join the cattle drive. But when they lose their chuck wagon cook, the last thing Tucker wants might be the only solution....
Will God lead two stubborn souls to love along a trail filled with their Plots and Pans?
Please visit Kelly Eileen Hake's website
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This book was release in April 2014
This is a Kindle book that I own in my collection
My Review
“Plots and Pans” by Kelly
Eileen Hake is a book that was an emotional roller coaster for too many
times I cried broken up with laughing out loud. Because I always rate
higher when I believe that a book rate a half star, which is why this
book rated 5 stars. I would give this book a solid 4.5 stars if I could
for there were a few things that weren't addressed and I will explain
that later though.
I really did enjoy the book without a doubt, for it touched on issues that would be complex for the time, and I enjoyed the way it was handled. Racial issues at the times where a tricky thing, and frankly I loved how it was handled.
There is actually two romances going on in the story that we thankfully get to see through for the most part. There is one romance where the reader must use their imagination to think about what happens from the end of the book. The other romance between Jessalyn and Tucker is full antagonism, eating of shoe leather (at times I could almost taste the dusty leather myself) and humor. At one point I was surprised that Jessalyn didn't do something physical to Tucker when he stuck his foot so far in his mouth that it was nearly touching his stomach. This romance was different than a lot of romances for there was no acknowledging of an attraction even to themselves, though others, such as the reader, could see sparks flying at times.
Tucker is a man who is working hard to make sure that everything around him is as safe as possible for all those around him. He tries to control everything he can and really hates when things go outside of his comfort level of uncontrollable. He knows that there are always things that are out of his control on the ranch and he has learn to live with those but anything else, he then tries even harder to fight for control. He is a kind hearted man that is for sure, who is willing to allow drifters who are willing to do work in exchange for room and board in the bunkhouse. Also he has a flaw that I could see some of my friends relating to since he didn't seem to function without his coffee, and everyone around him knew it too.
Jessalyn is a woman who only wants to be home and to feel useful and wanted. She doesn't always think things through, but at the same time she knows when to back down and when to push forward. Her heart is soft and tender, who is willing to put up with things if there was something good that would come out of it for someone else that she cares about. She is a hard worker, has a quick wit, and comfortable with who she is.
Pretty much this story deals with just a very basic human need, and that is to belong somewhere and to be wanted. This is something that a couple of the characters are feeling, for completely different reasons that is for sure. The whole story moved at a pretty quick pace that is for sure, with the different feelings that the three main characters have, the struggles of trying to feel as if they belong, and wanted.
There is no villain, and this is where I have an issue with the book. The conflict is that a character or two have feelings of guilt, that is deep seeded, that is never resolved. The readers are not shown if they ever accepted what happened to cause the guilt. And if they did, the readers never saw how that changed their views about different things. It is this guilt that has made the character or characters the way he/she is and why he/she acts that way. I thought that this guilt was something that should have been resolved by the end of the story.
I was slightly disappointed by the end of the story for it seemed so rushed almost as if either Ms. Hake or her editor thought that they hit the word limit, so they had to rush the end. I so completely enjoyed this story and was disappointed with that ending.
The two issues are easy to overlook for me, since the rest of the book was really good. I hope all who read this book enjoy it as much as I did.
I really did enjoy the book without a doubt, for it touched on issues that would be complex for the time, and I enjoyed the way it was handled. Racial issues at the times where a tricky thing, and frankly I loved how it was handled.
There is actually two romances going on in the story that we thankfully get to see through for the most part. There is one romance where the reader must use their imagination to think about what happens from the end of the book. The other romance between Jessalyn and Tucker is full antagonism, eating of shoe leather (at times I could almost taste the dusty leather myself) and humor. At one point I was surprised that Jessalyn didn't do something physical to Tucker when he stuck his foot so far in his mouth that it was nearly touching his stomach. This romance was different than a lot of romances for there was no acknowledging of an attraction even to themselves, though others, such as the reader, could see sparks flying at times.
Tucker is a man who is working hard to make sure that everything around him is as safe as possible for all those around him. He tries to control everything he can and really hates when things go outside of his comfort level of uncontrollable. He knows that there are always things that are out of his control on the ranch and he has learn to live with those but anything else, he then tries even harder to fight for control. He is a kind hearted man that is for sure, who is willing to allow drifters who are willing to do work in exchange for room and board in the bunkhouse. Also he has a flaw that I could see some of my friends relating to since he didn't seem to function without his coffee, and everyone around him knew it too.
Jessalyn is a woman who only wants to be home and to feel useful and wanted. She doesn't always think things through, but at the same time she knows when to back down and when to push forward. Her heart is soft and tender, who is willing to put up with things if there was something good that would come out of it for someone else that she cares about. She is a hard worker, has a quick wit, and comfortable with who she is.
Pretty much this story deals with just a very basic human need, and that is to belong somewhere and to be wanted. This is something that a couple of the characters are feeling, for completely different reasons that is for sure. The whole story moved at a pretty quick pace that is for sure, with the different feelings that the three main characters have, the struggles of trying to feel as if they belong, and wanted.
There is no villain, and this is where I have an issue with the book. The conflict is that a character or two have feelings of guilt, that is deep seeded, that is never resolved. The readers are not shown if they ever accepted what happened to cause the guilt. And if they did, the readers never saw how that changed their views about different things. It is this guilt that has made the character or characters the way he/she is and why he/she acts that way. I thought that this guilt was something that should have been resolved by the end of the story.
I was slightly disappointed by the end of the story for it seemed so rushed almost as if either Ms. Hake or her editor thought that they hit the word limit, so they had to rush the end. I so completely enjoyed this story and was disappointed with that ending.
The two issues are easy to overlook for me, since the rest of the book was really good. I hope all who read this book enjoy it as much as I did.
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