Take Your Time by VK PowellTake Your Time by VK Powell is the third book in the Pine Cone Romance Series. This delightful story emphasizes the point of following your heart and not financial gain, the beauty of friendship and how awesome it is to be a part of a loving community.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions and Grace Booker realizes this when her good deeds have caused her to be stuck with Dirty Harry, a boisterous African parrot who dislikes her. Grace enjoys her career as a police officer in the lovely Pine Cone community but she knows that her life is lacking the love and companionship she desires. When Dirty Harry’s health takes a turn for the worst, Grace finally admits that she is in way over her head and she takes him to the new local veterinarian, Dani Wingate.

Dani Wingate lost her job as a zoo veterinarian— a job that was dear to her heart. She is crushed but she accepts a temporary position as a vet in the Pine Cone community. Dani has no intentions of staying in Pine Cone because she is not fond of small towns at all and she is impatient to get back to the anonymity and the fast paced lifestyle that comes with living in the city.  Dani always strives to keep her life and her relationships uncomplicated because her life revolves around her career and it is a safe haven for her.

Will Grace ever have the love and companionship her heart truly desires? Will Dani allow her restlessness and disdain for small towns destroy her only chance at having the love she deserves?

The Characters

April: Grace Booker is a police officer with a heart of gold. She loves everything about the small town she lives in and she serves the community with pride. I have so much respect for Grace because she has no reservations about assisting anyone in need and she always tries to find a way to resolve any problem in a peaceful manner. Don’t mistake her kindhearted nature for weakness because Grace is a quick-witted, feisty and mischievous woman (especially when she teams up with her friends!)

Dani Wingate is the new veterinarian at a well-known animal clinic in Pine Cone. She never expected to end up working and living in a small town but she is determined to use her new job as a stepping stone until something better comes along. At first, I didn’t know what to think about Dani because she was a bit cold and standoffish to the people of the Pine Cone community but as the story progressed I began to understand her inner struggles and what drives her to do the things she does. Dani is really passionate about her job and I have a huge soft spot for women who love what they do.

Tara: Dani is great, but I’ve been waiting for Grace’s perspective since the beginning, so I was thrilled to learn VK Powell did NOT disappoint! Grace might be the lone femme in the friend trio with Clay and Trip, but she is strong as hell, both when she’s on the job and off. I loved seeing how she handles her growing relationship with Dani, and especially how she meets Dani where she’s at every step of the way.

Fans of the rest of the series won’t be surprised that Clay, River, Trip, and Jamie are pretty big players in Take Your Time, since the first two books followed them. And, because it ends a little later in the timeline than the others did, we get to see those couples a little more settled in their journeys.

The Writing Style

April: The author did a wonderful job of balancing the humour, romance and the angst within the story. I just love the way that VK Powell made all of the characters’ lives intersect because this helped me to form a vivid image of them in my mind and I got so attached to these awesome women.

Tara: I have to applaud the audacity of this project; three authors writing about three couples coming together over the same timeline, creating one coherent experience. And yet, each story truly stands alone. VK Powell, D. Jackson Leigh, and Missouri Vaun deserve a medal for blessing us with the Pine Cone Romance series because I cannot even imagine how difficult it would have been to keep everything just so. I seriously hope other writers in our community take note, because I’d love to see more series like this one.

The Narration

Tara: AJ Ferraro’s narration was great, consistent with the rest of the series.

The Pros

April: I really enjoyed getting to know the unique characters that reside in the Pine Cone community. There’s just something so endearing about a woman who loves and cares for animals on a daily basis and this story gave me an adorable butch veterinarian to swoon over!

Tara: Everything? It’s a lovely smalltown romance that hits all the right spots for me.

The Cons

April: I have absolutely no complaints!

Tara: There are no more Pine Cone Romances for me to read 😭

aprils favourite booksThe Conclusion

April: I couldn’t stop laughing at Dirty Harry’s antics and Grace’s reaction to him. The witty banter between Grace and her friends was priceless and I felt as though I was overhearing everything first hand. If you enjoy stories with quirky animals, meddling friends, close-knit communities with lovable and realistic characters, then this story is definitely for you!

Tara: If you like smalltown romances, you absolutely must get this series. I recommend Take Your Time as a standalone novel, because Dani and Grace’s story is just lovely. But if you can, please do yourself the favour of reading all three books. Each book is great, but the magic really happens when you read them together. I won’t forget my time in Pine Cone anytime soon.

Excerpt from Take Your Time by VK Powell

“What have you done to that poor bird?” A tall androgynous woman stood in the doorway leading into the examining rooms and inclined her head toward Harry’s cage. Her eyes sparked with flecks of gold as she glared at Grace with a chastising look that made her cringe.

“I… nothing.”

The woman casually raked her hand through short ebony hair, a gesture that relayed confidence in her appearance and in her assessment of Grace. “Looks like something.” She tugged at the collar of a flannel shirt that peeked from under the Beaumont Vet Clinic smock and continued to stare. Heat and curiosity leapt from the depths of her eyes, and Grace’s gaydar pinged all over the place. She opened her mouth but nothing came out.

“Jail bait,” Harry called. “Jail bait.”

“Quiet, Harry.” She tried to think of something clever and charming to say.

“Is that your parrot?”

Grace nodded. “I mean no.”

“Then I repeat, what have you done to him?”

The implication registered, and Grace slipped into cop mode. “What have I done to him? I’d like to see Trip. She told me to come by. Without an appointment. We’re friends. And you are?” The woman walked toward Grace but stopped within touching distance, towering over her by at least three inches, which both intimidated and tantalized. Her stomach did a tumble.

“Dani Wingate, the new vet.”

Grace breathed a long sigh, releasing some of her annoyance and a bit of sexual tension as well. “I’m sorry. I just assumed—”

“Figures.”

“I beg your pardon?” Dani Wingate seemed determined to insult her.

“Where I come from law enforcement types make a lot of wrong assumptions.” Dani stepped to Harry’s cage and cooed at him in a soft melodious tone, totally different from the strident one she used with Grace.

She considered firing off an equally snarky remark but chose the high road. “I hate to shatter your image of brutal police officers, but in this case, I’m the victim.” She removed her right arm from beneath Harry’s towel and offered it for Dani’s inspection. “He doesn’t like me very much either and he’s known me longer, but please don’t take that as a character reference. His owner abandoned him, and he’s taking it out on me. I’m Grace Booker by the way.” Dani stared at the scratches and bites on Grace’s arm until she could’ve sworn they started to tingle and burn under the scrutiny.

“Keep antibiotic ointment on those until they start to heal. Bird bites can become infected if not properly treated. Sorry I jumped to the wrong conclusion.”

Dani’s voice had softened and settled into a sultry calming timbre that Grace enjoyed. She shook herself, realizing she’d been staring, and that Dani’s apology required a response. “No problem. It’s easy to get the wrong impression. Look at us.” She motioned between her arm and Harry. “So, you’re the newest guest at the B and B. Sorry I haven’t met you before, but the last few days have been crazy at work with new officers, training…” She trailed off, realizing she was rambling and that Dani probably had no interest in anything she was saying.

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Series

A Pine Cone Romance Series

(all stand alone books that happen in the same world)

Take My Hand by Missouri Vaun 

Take A Chance by D Jackson Leigh 

Take Your Time by VK Powell

Bits and Bobs

  • ISBN number: 9781635551310
  • Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
  • Audiobook Publisher: Bold Strokes Books Inc
  • Narrator: AJ Ferraro

VK Powell Online

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Note: I received a free review copy of Take Your Time by VK Powell. No money was exchanged for this review. When you use our links to buy we get a small commission which supports the running of this site.