ARC REVIEW Sharp Shootin' Cowboy by Victoria Vane

Part of Victoria Vane's Hot Cowboy Nights series, but you would never know, it works good as a stand alone. This is one of those like/hate books. The first half was utterly a pain, it read like a poor New Adult novel. The blurb lead me wrong, it makes you think to strangers meet and fall in love despite opposite points of view. Well no, it's not that cut and dry.

It starts off in San Diego, Haley Cooper is a college student working on her degree and wants nothing to get in the way with it. She is annoyingly hard headed, opinionated, and naive. I did not like her, at all. Reid Everett is a Marine, cowboy and comes from a long line of hunters. He is strong, sexy, smart and when he finds something he wants he doesn't give up easily. I loved him, he was the only reason I finished the book.

Haley and Reid meet in a bar and start butting heads after she finds out he is a marine. She thinks all marines are man whores. Reid is immediately taken with Haley for some reason he doesn't understand but despite their obvious differences he wants Haley. Brushing Reid off wasn't as easy as she hopped he kept texting her and emailing her her over the next two years. When he comes back he finds her gone to Alaska to save the wolves, but he has an enlightening conversation with her Grandparents. He comes back at Christmas and makes sure they cross paths. After one hot night of sex, and one embarrassing day Haley calls it quits stating that it would never work and their is no hope for a relationship. Reid knows she is wrong but still lets her walk away.

Five years later, second half of the book gets better, Reid has finally left the marines and is back home working as a guide for his family's hunting outpost. Haley has had enough of politics raising money that was going to lawyers rather than the wolves they were suppose to be saving so she took a job that would but her back in the field. Little did she know it would put her right in the path of Reid again. With the fight going on over the wolf population in Wyoming Haley and Reid are on opposite sides. But Reid is more open to her side and listens to her than she is his side until she almost gets killed by a bear and Reid has to save her. Things come into perspective for Haley after that. They find common ground but not before Haley evil ex tries to ruin Reid's career.

Overall I dislike Haley, I love Reid, and the second half of the book was the best part.