His Kind of Cowgirl
My Rating: five-stars
Published by: Harlequin on March 1st 2016
Genres: Romance, Adult, Contemporary, HEA
ISBN: 0373367791
Pages: 368
Also by this author: , His Hometown Girl, A League of Her Own
Disclosure: I was invited by the publisher to read this title in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. I received no monetary compensation, and all comments are subjective and mine alone.
Would he still love her…if he knew?
Tanner Hayes smashed Claire's life to pieces when he chose the rodeo over her ten years ago. And now he'd wrecked her truck! Fantastic. She'd lost her husband, the family ranch was mired in debt, her father was recuperating from a stroke and her son was being bullied. Why not throw a reckless bull rider into the mix?All she'd wanted was a safe, stable life. But with Tanner back in town—and staying on her ranch—nothing was safe, or under control. Not the feelings she'd fought so hard to forget. Not the son she was determined to protect. And certainly not her long-held secret…
I’ve read a lot of Karen’s books, and I’ve enjoyed them. But one thing stood out to me as I read His Kind of Cowgirl. Her writing skills have improved dramatically since her first book. This is not to say that her writing skills were poor, they weren’t. On the contrary, they were very good. Which is why the marked difference surprised me. I wouldn’t have thought she COULD improve. She was an excellent author to begin with; she’s a superb one now.
I enjoyed His Kind of Cowgirl. I’m not really big on the western romance genre, but the story was more character driven, in my opinion. So the setting, while it worked, wasn’t an issue for me. So if you aren’t a big lover of western romances or the cowgirl/boy themes, don’t let that keep you from reading His Kind of Cowgirl.
The plot was good, and Rock did a fine job presenting it. It’s been done before, but Karen was able to give it enough of her own unique spin to keep it fresh. And, as a former military wife of an airman who served during the Gulf War, I was sucked in, already swallowing back tears before I’d finished reading the prologue.
The characters were well done. Tanner was easy to love, but, like some other readers have mentioned, I had a little difficulty understanding Claire’s thought processes. There were times I wanted to smack her upside the head, but I didn’t dislike her. I think Rock did an excellent job of showing how taxing being a single mom can be, especially with the added responsibility of her father’s health and the family’s farm. Did she make some questionable decisions? Well, yes. But who of us hasn’t? Was she whiny at times? Again, yes. But who of us has never had a whiny moment? Overall, I think the characters were written well.
Bottom line: this was a quick, emotional, and ultimately satisfying read. As always, Karen can be counted on to write an emotion driven story that leaves the reader with feel-good-happy-thoughts. His Kind of Cowboy is perfect for anyone who is a sucker for second-chance-at-love stories. It didn’t disappoint and I highly recommend it.
Enjoy This Excerpt…
Everything happened at once and in slow motion.
A crushing jolt shuddered through the truck. Her wheels skidded sideways. She smacked against the window when her pickup rolled down an embankment, as if punched by something large and lethal. Glass rained deadly sharp. The earth tumbled around her, her truck in spin cycle. When a massive tree loomed, the Chevy slammed into it then stilled.
Winded and stunned, she hung upside-down in her lap belt, blood, metallic and warm, on her tongue, a rushing sound whistling in her ears. Her heartbeat changed and grew slow and rolling in darkness. Something hurt, a long way away. Then nothing.
“Ma’am. Ma’am. Are you all right?” A man’s voice shouted, rousing her. She tried turning her head but pain held it in place. When she opened her mouth, silent panic flew out.
“Hold on. I’m getting you out of there.”
Acrid smoke pierced her consciousness. She closed her eyes against the billowing grit.
This wasn’t happening. It was a dream. No. A nightmare.
A tugging motion jerked her right and left, followed by a ripping sound. Large hands halted her sudden fall.
“Got you.”
Her rescuer cradled her against his chest, his breaths heaving beneath her ear. After carrying her some distance, he lowered her slowly to the ground. Grass scraped against her stinging cheeks and she opened her eyes.
“What?” she croaked, then swiped at the trickle leaking from her mouth. A man wearing a cowboy hat hunched over her, his features blurred.
“You’ve been in an accident. We have. Our trucks collided in the intersection.”
“My truck!” She bolted upright and clutched the swirling ground.
An arm snaked around her back and eased her down. “I called the dispatcher. The fire department’s on the way.”
A wail sounded in the distance and Claire wanted to shriek with it.
Her special day. Her anniversary. Ruined. No. Demolished by this…this…
She squinted upward and focused. A dark swirl of hair brushed across the tall man’s forehead; a light scar zigzagged down his square jaw. Recognition zapped through her.
It couldn’t be…
“Tanner?”
“Hello, Claire.” His mouth went up, just a fraction—the same ready-for-anything smile that had once undone her.
She closed her eyes, heart thudding. Ten years since she’d vowed never to see him again…and now here he stood, two for two in wrecking her life.
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