ARC REVIEW Hot Cowboy Nights by Carolyn Brown

This is book two of the Lucky Penny Ranch series. I have read one other Carolyn Brown book and it was freakin' adorable. Unfortunately it wasn't the first book of this series and I kinda wish I had. Toby's reputation as a man whore is all in the first book, it is talked about, mentioned, and rubbed in his face in this book but I didn't read about it first hand so in this book I just see a very sweet, romantic, but commitment-phobic cowboy. Also I don't see Lizzy as anything but wild child at heart standing up for herself instead of the proper, shy, and pious woman they say she was in the first book. It's all the character development without any of the previous personality traits.The religious tones of the book got annoying but that is probably because all the characters spouting off the righteous hypocrisy are the protagonist of the story. ( I live in a Texas small town I know how important church is for everyone, it really can get that bad in certain cities) I use that term, protagonist, loosely because there is no real enemy here it's just a bunch of annoying busybodies. However the romance between Lizzy and Toby is sweet and that is what really had me enjoying the book. The stuff they go through really cements their steadfast relationship.

It wasn't insta-love between Lizzy and Toby. This book picks up a couple months after the first book and the entire time between books Lizzy and Toby have been having an affair, surprisingly they have managed to keep it a secret. Things have been fine and dandy between them so far just keeping things physical. That is until Lizzy's sister announces she is pregnant and suddenly Lizzy wants more. She knows Toby isn't the settle down type, he is not what she needs, so as a mutual agreement they end their affair. That's just the beginning. Word gets back to Lizzy that her former fiance who dumped her on Valentine's Day and at her sister's wedding is coming back into town with his new wife, the woman he dumped her for. Toby is trying to avoid the clutches of another woman, so it is agreed that Toby and Lizzy will fake a relationship until after her ex leaves and when the other woman loses interest in Toby.

The more time Toby and Lizzy spend together in their fake relationship the more they come to actually like each other. It doesn't take Toby long to realize this and now to convince Lizzy to really start dating. Toby is absolutely a romantic the things he does not just in public for show but especially just for Lizzy. It's inevitable Toby and Lizzy fall in love but Toby is worried that with Lizzy's ex coming back she may have second thought and want to go back to him. Lizzy is enjoying the new Lizzy she is finally finding herself and discovering what she wants and who she wants to be and not what everyone else says she needs to be.  

Overall, even thought the beginning of the book feels like only part of the story you soon forget about it and just enjoy the humor and romance of Lizzy and Toby's story.