Blog Tour + Excerpt + Review: "Eternity Springs: The McBrides of Texas – Tucker" by Emily March

Today, I am thrilled to participate in the blog tour celebrating the release of the latest installment in Emily March's Eternity Springs series, "The McBrides of Texas – Tucker." I am a longtime fan of Ms. March's writing and always look forward to her new releases, but I have to admit that the Eternity Springs books hold a special place in my heart. Eternity Springs is one of the rare series that has maintained its quality even after more than 15 books, and I always look forward to catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. "Tucker" was every bit as good as its predecessors, and because it reads as a complete standalone, I highly recommend it for both new and existing readers of Ms. March's work.

About "Eternity Springs: The McBrides of Texas – Tucker"

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Emily March comes the second book in the Eternity Springs: The McBrides of Texas trilogy, TUCKER. Two business owners come head-to-head in a feud with tulle and grit in this passionate story. This tale shows that even when life changes from the stress of a military career to working next to a wedding planner, love always finds a way to begin, even if it was never thought possible.

Meet Gillian Thacker. Her business: Bliss Bridal Salon. Her passion: Weddings. Her own wedding: It’s complicated. Life isn’t turning out like she’d planned. The last thing she wants is for a real-life hero to ride to her rescue, but an unexpected event puts her entire future in Redemption, Texas, at risk. So what’s a broken-hearted bridal expert to do? Maybe a new set of survival skills is exactly what she needs…

Tucker McBride has been proud to call himself a U.S. Army Ranger. But now that his days of service are over, he’s decided to put his expertise to use by founding a wilderness skills training school. He sets up shop in Redemption, next to Bliss Bridal, and so begins life: Part Two. Marriage has been pretty low on his agenda, but as soon as he meets Gillian, Tucker can’t help but contemplate the ultimate challenge: Convincing the reluctant bride to take his hand and leap into the adventure of a lifetime . . . until death do them part.

Check out an excerpt from "Eternity Springs: The McBrides of Texas – Tucker" here!  

My Review

"Eternity Springs: The McBrides of Texas – Tucker" by Emily March was a sweet, enjoyable story that reads as a complete standalone despite being the seventeenth book in the Eternity Springs series, as well as the second book of a spinoff trilogy featuring the three McBride cousins of Texas, who are distant relations of the Callahan family featured in a number of Ms. March's previous novels. Longtime fans of the series will enjoy the opportunity to check in with a few of their favorite characters from past stories, but new readers will not feel lost at all by starting here.

I found the lead characters of this novel, Gillian Thacker and Tucker McBride, to be very likeable and relatable. At first, Tucker seemed a bit rough around the edges after so many years spent in the military, but he had a good heart and always tried to do the right thing. He was a good friend to Gillian when her engagement to Jeremy ended, and I appreciated how patient he was with her while she mourned the loss of the life she thought she'd have. Gillian was not at all an outdoorsy person, but it was fun to watch her step outside her comfort zone and learn survival skills in Tucker's class. I particularly enjoyed the way she applied those lessons to her daily life and used them to overcome her fear of starting a new romance with Tucker.

Overall, "Tucker" was excellent addition to the Eternity Springs series, and I look forward to the next book featuring Tucker's cousin Boone. I've liked Boone since he was first introduced several books ago, and the secrets he shared with Tucker in this story only made me more excited to get to know him better!

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.