Tag Archives: Cowboys

The Forbidden Brother (The McNeill Magnates #7)

By Joanne Rock

Synopsis

One night of passion, mistaken identity… and unmistakable consequences! Jillian Ross craves adventure. And she gets it when her new career as a film scout leads her to the ranch owned by the wealthy Wyoming McNeills. Giving in to temptation with the playboy McNeill causes havoc–since it’s actually his reclusive twin, Cody, she’s fallen for! Now she’s pregnant–and still can’t get enough of her reluctant rancher. Is this adventure just beginning?

Review

The Forbidden Brother has the main storyline and then another two running around the center.  This annoyed me as I found myself getting into the romance between Cody and Jillian and then we were taken to another character and their issues, especially Scarlet.

It was unresolved at the end with Cody and Jillian and considering her miracle I really wanted to see an ending for them.  I have not read any of the other books in the series and do not feel like I was missing anything.  There are great characters in this family and I am intrigued by the girl’s mother’s secrets.

Jillian held such interest to me, I immediately connected to her and so when she and Cody began talking about their future I was disappointed I found myself at the end of the story.  I could read so much more of this couple.

An easy and light read with Cody and Jillian having lovely emotion and passion with each other.

The Forbidden Brother (The McNeill Magnates #7)

My Rating:  

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Siren in the City (Texas Siren Series #2)

By Lexi Blake

Synopsis

Re-released in a second edition with new scenes.

Jack and Sam married Abby. It was supposed to be for forever, but lately Abby wonders where her alpha male has gone. Jack has retreated and life has become decidedly vanilla. It isn’t the true marriage she and Sam wanted. Sam and Abby know the time has come to fight for what they need.
A call from his mentor forces Jack to revisit the club where he discovered his sexuality. Jack’s half-brother is in the city and interested in a little blackmail. Can Jack handle two defiant subs and a brother in need of some tough love?
Sometimes all it takes to find the way home is a little love and a lot of mischief.

Come back to the beginning and revisit some of your favorite old characters or find new ones to love. Siren in the City has been revised and new scenes added. And if you look closely, you’ll find not only the beginnings of the Sophie Oak world, but also the seeds of how McKay-Taggart began….

Review

First of all, I love the new covers of this re-released series, they are very attractive and fresh.

Siren in the City continues on from Small Town Siren and the relationship between Jack, Sam, and Abby that has hit a rocky patch.  Jack is definitely a different man to the one we left in book one.

I loved how Sam and Abby playfully get Jack to return to the dominant man they want back.  Sexual scenes in this book definitely felt more demanding and sensual with Jack returning as a Dom.   As Jack wheeled in a case for Sam it was so hilarious and it made me laugh out loud.

Julian is a wonderful character and to see Jack returning to the inner world of Domination helped to understand his fears for his relationship.

Siren in the City flows fast and introduces new characters that are going to help continue this series with decadent menage stories.

Concluding with a lovely surprise, Siren in the City was very satisfying.  I am sure we will see more of these three in the next Texas Sirens installment which just happens to be Julian’s story.

Siren in the City (Texas Siren Series #2)

My Rating:  

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Long, Tall Cowboy Christmas

By Carolyn Brown

Synopsis

A heartwarming holiday read from USA Today bestselling author Carolyn Brown

Nash Lamont is a man about as solitary as they come. That’s exactly why ranch life in middle-of-nowhere Happy, Texas suits him. So what the heck is he doing letting a beautiful widow and her three rambunctious children temporarily move in? Before he knows it, they’re stringing Christmas lights and decorating the tree… and he’s having the time of his life. But after everything he’s been through, Nash knows this kind of happiness doesn’t last.
Kasey Dawson thought she’d never get over the death of her husband. Nash, with his strong hands and infinite patience, is stirring something she hasn’t felt in a long time. Kasey knows the sexy cowboy isn’t telling her everything about this past, though. And she refuses to risk heartbreak all over again. But her kids have a plan of their own: Nothing will keep them from having a real family again-even if it takes a little help from Santa himself.

The Happy, Texas series: Toughest Cowboy in TexasLong, Tall Cowboy ChristmasThe Luckiest Cowboy of AlL

Review

Long, Tall Cowboy Christmas is a sweet romance however for me was really slow at the beginning.  I probably enjoyed the last 30% of the book more and at times found myself pushing through the filler stories in the middle.

Kasey was a great mother character and her interactions with her children helped develop the story.   I do admit I found it hard to connect Nash and her romantically as he was so closed off.  As their relationship was progressing both emotionally and physically the story would all of a sudden stop and turn elsewhere.  I did become frustrated at times with their about-face with each other and it wore me down in the end.

Nash was wonderful and nurturing with Kasey’s children and I suppose I needed him to be that for her.  The children were my favourite part of this whole story and kept me reading till the end.

Onto the other family, I am sorry but some of them just rubbed me the wrong way with their small town gossip and judgment.  There are a number of religious references in this story so if that is not your thing you probably will not enjoy this.

I had not read book 1 of this series and could easily follow the characters referencing past memories and moments that happened in the first book.

Long, Tall Cowboy Christmas

My Rating:  

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Mustang Daddy

By Sienna Parks

Synopsis

A.B.

I thought moving back to Kingsbury Falls would be good for me… until I saw him.

Maddox Hale was my high school sweetheart, and the best friend I ever had.
We shared all the important firsts together, but when faced with making him choose between me and the life he wanted, I made the decision for him. I left without a word, or an explanation.

Now I’m back, and so is he… with his daughter.

Maddox

A.B. Clark broke my heart and made me swear I would never return to my hometown. I left to become a champion bronc rider. Eleven years later, I moved back, with a wife and a baby on the way. Now I’m a single daddy, running the family ranch. My daughter is the only woman in my life… until A.B. shows up, throwing my world into disarray. I don’t know if trust can ever be earned after it’s been broken, but she makes me want to believe in the possibility.

With nothing to lose and everything to gain, Dr. A.B. Clark sets out to win back not just the trust, but the heart of her first and only love, single daddy Maddox Hale. With the best intentions, not to break his heart a second time, A.B. is faced with a decision that could risk losing everything she’s ever wanted.

Can Maddox risk not only his, but his daughter’s heart being broken by the one woman that sets his world on fire?

Review

The first thing I want to point out is that, at the time of this review, MUSTANG DADDY finishes at the 19% mark of the digital version, after which there are another three full-length novels to read if you choose to do so.

For most of the story, MUSTANG DADDY was a 3❤️ read for me.  I found it a little slow and repetitive at times, and while I could understand Maddox’s anger at Annabeth (and others), I thought he was a bit too bitter and mean throughout most of the story.  But what ultimately affected my overall enjoyment of the story, and what dropped it down to a 2❤️ read, was when—*spoiler alert*—Annabeth left without telling Maddox she was leaving…again.  Especially when the reason for leaving just didn’t make sense.  I get that she wanted to help, but I guess I just don’t understand why she had to leave town in order to provide that help, other than to form the basis of the conflict.  MUSTANG DADDY is told in dual POVs and comes with a nice HEA for Maddox and Annabeth.

Mustang Daddy

My Rating:  

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Catching The Cowgirl (Cotton Creek # 3)

By Jennie Marts

Synopsis

California video game designer Adam Clark knows that, in his business, authenticity is the key. So, for their newest Western adventure game, he and his partners decide to try out Cowboy Camp. Only Adam’s friends never arrive, leaving him a bit—okay, a lot—preoccupied, trying to resist the gorgeous cowgirl who owns the ranch.

Single mom Skye Hawkins is too busy trying to keep her family’s dude ranch out of the red to even think about romance. But she’s having trouble avoiding Adam. He’s smart, he’s sweet, he’s funny…and he’s hot! Maybe it’s the mountain air, but she finds herself letting down her guard. And the fireworks are definitely worth it. 

The only problem—they live in totally different worlds. Still, Adam is nothing if not resourceful. Sure, he wants to catch the cowgirl. But more importantly, he needs to find a way to keep her.

Review

CATCHING THE COWGIRL was a sweet and funny romantic read, and I loved Adam and Skye.  Skye is hardworking, strong and independent, but that also means she can be very stubborn at times.  Adam is so easy to like because he’s sweet, geeky and a little bit awkward, but in an endearing way.  He always knows exactly what to say to Skye to make her heart melt, because everything he says comes from the heart.

CATCHING THE COWGIRL is the third book in the Cotton Creek series and, while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone.  It is told in dual POVs and comes with a lovely HEA for Adam and Skye.  If you’re after a steamy romance with lots of hot sex, you won’t find it here, because other than some foreplay, everything happens behind closed doors.  But even without the sex, I really enjoyed this story.

Catching The Cowgirl (Cotton Creek # 3)

My Rating:  

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Cotton Creek Series

Craving (Steel Brothers Saga #1)

By Helen Hardt

Synopsis

After being left at the altar, Jade Roberts seeks solace at her best friend’s ranch on the Colorado western slope. Her humiliation still ripe, she doesn’t expect to be attracted to her friend’s reticent brother, but when the gorgeous cowboy kisses her, all bets are off.

Talon Steel is broken. Having never fully healed from a horrific childhood trauma, he simply exists, taking from women what is offered and giving nothing in return…until Jade Roberts catapults into his life. She is beautiful, sweet, and giving, and his desire for her becomes a craving he fears he’ll never be able to satisfy.

Passion sizzles between the two lovers…but long-buried secrets haunt them both and may eventually tear them apart.

Review

Craving has left me unsatisfied and frustrated as once I realised there was a cliffhanger and that I really felt we got very little answers to so many secrets that I went and checked out Book 2 and Book 3 reviews before I was going to oneclick and continue with the Steel Brothers.  I was unsure how long we were going to be dragging this whole traumatic event out to get answers and retribution.

Well to answer your question I am not continuing with this series and yes I am disappointed as I think the family story is going to be explosive and really exciting but I couldn’t connect to these two main characters.  They had moments for me where I felt they were getting somewhere and then boom we were back to meaningless sex scenes and there were so many of them, towards the end of I was like, here we go again and I even started skimming!!

One positive thing for me is that the scenes about Talon and his trauma are really intense and well written for the fact they deal with abuse.  I also really loved their sister Marj and I would love to know more of her story as she is an interesting addition to the family dynamic.

Now under further investigation I see that Talon’s story is over the first three books then apparently not all of the mystery is concluded and it continues onto the fourth book so yeah I am getting off this gravy train now.  I think this should have been fully concluded in a trilogy and the we could have had standalone on the two brothers and sister who I must say I really liked in this story.

As at my review the Steel Saga is sitting at 8 books and it seems that each brother will have three books for their story so you need to take that into consideration and it is not finished yet.

Craving (Steel Brothers Saga #1)

My Rating:  

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Fire on the Farm (Second Chance Cowboy Romance)

By Betty Shreffler

Synopsis

Losing the man she loved to a terrible accident, pushes Amy Flanders into a life of independence. Her only source of comfort is her work—a business dedicated to the care and training of horses. Until one lonely night leads her into the arms of Brock Baisdin. A man who fulfills her deepest desires and reignites a flame long forgotten.

Between his picky tastes and running his own business, Brock Baisdin has little time for women, but that doesn’t stop him from looking for love. After saving Amy from a cancelled date, Brock is instantly drawn to the shy and beautiful woman hiding secrets beneath her lust-filled baby blues—secrets he finds himself eager to discover.

Undeniable attraction pulls them into each other’s arms. Hope draws them into each other’s lives. For Amy Flanders, Brock Baisdin may be the man to bring love back into her lonely life, if only she can overcome the wounds of her past and face her biggest fear—risking the pain of another shattered heart.

Review

Fire on the Farm is a gut-wrenching story of loss and finding your way back to love again.  I have to say that you need box of tissues for this one.  Betty Shreffler did an amazing job of making emotional highs and lows.

I loved Amy’s character.  She had a lot of love in her heart and it was just a matter of unlocking it.  I could also understand how she thought that she would that she had her one love.  She closed herself off and it took a long time before she was able to let even the ones she cared about back into her life completely.  She went through a lot of pain and it would be hard for anyone to carry on.

Brock was a character that I liked but I had issues with him, especially near the end of the book. He was always quick to say that she could have as much time as she needed but then he wanted to keep the relationship moving and he was very quick to jump to conclusions.

They both had very involved families.   Brock’s mother was very overly protective. She was definitely a character that I could not understand.  Amy’s family was also very protective but let her follow the path she was supposed to be on.

Fire on the Farm is a beautiful story of a second chance at love.  Life doesn’t always follow the road you start on but eventually people find their way back in.

Fire on the Farm

My Rating:  1/2

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Southern Desire: Southern Heart #2

By Kaylee Ryan

Synopsis

After experiencing heartache and loss, Whitney decides it’s time to move on and leave the past behind, while keeping the pain with her. Finding her way to Kentucky to be with family, she’s finally settling and feeling some happiness. She meets Aaron and he’s slowly showing her how to live again. But, what Aaron doesn’t know, is the deep secret she’s keeping from him.

Aaron doesn’t believe in spending time with women he doesn’t see a future with. Love, to him was black and white, until Whitney found her way into his life.

She’s his one and he’s her strength.

The overshadowing secret plaguing Whitney’s mind drivers her away, leaving Aaron and everyone she met behind.

Will Aaron find his way to Whitney again?

Or was their love something that most people desired and never found?

Review

Southern Desire starts with a bond between mother and daughter that reminds me of my own bond with my mother.  Then heartache happens because her mother has cancer and is taken from her.  Whitney’s mother’s dying wish was for her to find love.  Now Whitney has to learn how to love and live again.

Whitney who has poured everything she was into spending every last moment with her mother and then having to find out who she is now.  She moves to the only family she has left and finds her heart there.  She is learning to grieve and to bond with others.

Aaron is the brother of Witney’s boss.  He is a man who is trying to find the one girl who he would build a house for.  So far he hasn’t found a girl that he would spend more than one or two nights with.  He wants to find what his parents and sister have.  Once he met Whitney he found the first person he really wanted to get to know.

Southern Desire is a story of love, loss and the courage to live again.  For Whitney it’s about healing and staying true to who she is and allowing herself to grieve.  For Aaron, it’s about not letting his one get away even when she can’t tell him all her fears.  Whitney needs time to find herself again but there is a dark cloud that hangs over her that she has trouble telling Aaron. She’s afraid of ruining his life.  Instead of trusting the love that they have she gives into fear.

This story is beautiful in its relationships, between brother and sister, children and parents, and between friends.  It is also beautiful in how much heart is shown in each of these relationships. They may sometimes be messy but they always shine through in the end.

Southern Desire

My Rating:  

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Healing a Heart

By Amy Lillard

Synopsis

The author of Loving a Lawman invites you back to the ranch…
 
As cowboys, the Langston brothers of Cattle Creek, Texas, know it’s easy to mend a fence. Mending a broken heart, however, takes time…
 
Rancher Jake Langston prides himself on being the sensible type. But five years after the loss of his wife left him to raise their daughter alone, he indulges in a one-night stand with a sexy stranger. He thought he’d never see the woman again. Four months later, though, she’s standing in his drive with a big surprise.

Bryn Talbot wants nothing from the hunky cowboy who got her pregnant, but her Southern nature demands she at least tell him about it. When Jake’s family persuades her to stay for a while, she’s soon won over by their charms—and by Jake. But with the losses the two of them have suffered in the past, neither is sure if they’re ready to take the leap to forever…

Review

Firstly I love the cover of this book, I just want to sit in that chair on that Texas ranch.

My favourite character of this whole book was Wesley, that girl captured my heart and to me was the intricate character to bring Jake and Bryn together.

This story flowed beautifully and jumped ahead at parts and I did not feel as if I missed out on where their relationship strengthened.

Jake’s mother’s story must continue into the next book as it was not resolved by the end.  I also have not read the first book of this series but we meet his brother and Jessie.

Now onto Jake, my only complaint is that we did not see him open up to Bryn about his hang ups until the 95% mark after she gives birth.  I really wanted him to open up to Bryn and I felt a bit deflated after the custody chapter with the lawyer, it did not feel resolved to me.

Overall a lovely romantic story that kept me turning the pages and gave me wonderful moments of love, family and new beginnings. 

Healing A Heart

My Rating: 

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Branded

By Candace Havens

branded

Synopsis

I have my hands full taking care of my little sister and covering for my uncle as ranch foreman. The last thing I need is a Texas princess like Callie Llewellyn getting up in my business and messing with my head.

All I can think of is getting up close and personal with those curves of hers. And being on the edge of discovery makes our quick-and-dirty encounters twice as hot. And that’s all they are—quick and dirty—there’s nothing deeper going on here.

There’s only one rule to keeping my job and a roof over my sister’s head: stay away from the boss’s granddaughter. But I’m not always great at following the rules.

Review

Branded is a sweet story of two people who want to do the best for everyone around them.  It doesn’t take long for the reader to fall in love with Cole.  He has the right amount of wit to match his bad boy edge without actually being a bad boy. On the other side you have Callie,  she also has a good amount of wit to go with her good girl demeanor.

The prologue starts with Callie being found in county lockup.  Branded tells the story of the events that led her to that place.  We learn that there is a lot expected of Callie.  She is conflicted by the path that she is expected to follow and the path she wishes she could try. She finds out while she’s at school that she doesn’t have business mind but can’t bring herself to tell her loving grandparents that she isn’t perfect.  She can’t stand the thought of disappointing them.

Cole does have the weight of the world on his shoulders.  He takes care of his sister because their mother has passed away and their father is not in the picture.  He is also stepping in for his uncle at the ranch while he recuperates from an accident.  Cole needs this job.  It becomes very apparent from the beginning that he has a keen business mind and makes changes to the ranch so that it will run smoother.

Cole knows that if he tries to pursue the bosses granddaughter he would be thrown off the ranch.  So he tries to distance himself as much as he can from her.  Callie knows that she could be risking Cole’s future if she tries to start a relationship.

Callie isn’t what he expected her to be. Cole was expecting a princess with an attitude but what he got was a very passionate and compassionate young women who was trying to be what everyone expected her to be.  They decided that their affair was going to be short lived and a secrete. But secretes never stay that way.  And as much as we don’t want to be hurt the other person, someone always gets hurt.

I did find these characters enjoyable to get to know.  I felt that they had many layers.  We found out a lot about Callie but I think we were missing some details about Cole.  There was a side to his story that was missing for me that would have completed the novel.

Branded

My Rating:  4 Hearts

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