ARC REVIEW Cowboy Courage by Carolyn Brown

Longhorn Canyon #6, Yay! It's Hud finally. A second chance romance. Rose, Hud's middle school crush, shows up in town to help her great aunt run her B&B and gift shop while she's on vacation with the Fab 5. Rose is at a crossroads in her life right now she can either re-up in the Army or do something else with her life as long as it's not going back to her family in the commune. One thing she knows for sure she's not going to make a decision based solely on a guy, not even a guy she's never stopped thinking about since she left without saying goodbye. Hud knows it's her choice whether to stay or not and seeing how there is not a opportunities for a multilingual language specialist he's worried he's going to lose her before they even get the chance.

In a funny Murphy's Law sort of way Rose and Hud are pushed to their limits. Both Rose and Hud have to face some truths before they can finally admit their feelings but when they do nothing will keep them apart not even a tornado in January. I really enjoyed this book. I loved Hud and Rose. I would love to see more of Great Aunt Luna she's my kind gal. Overall, this is a fun read Hud is a real sweetheart and Rose is a bright head strong woman  who picks her battles wisely. I am really looking forward to Pax's story next.

  

ARC REVIEW Hard Loving Cowboy by A.J. Pine

Crossroads Ranch #3, The last of the Everett brother's finally meets his match. This was such an enjoyable series to read. 

Walker Everett after being a drunk for the last ten years finally hits rock bottom. His brother, Jack, finally convinces him to go into rehab and now two months later he's back working the ranch and fixing up the tasting room in preparations of the vineyard opening up and Jack and Ava's wedding. He's determined to stay sober but everyone keeps treating him like he's going to fall back on old habits he needs some time away from his family and from the town who has seen him at his worst but he has to make it to the wedding first.

Violet Chastain really needs a job, she dropped out of college to help her mother when she was diagnosed with MS, she also helps her father in his restaurant as needed. She's a sommelier by trade she's gone to the Crossroads Vineyard to help set up the tasting room and help with the wedding what she finds is a sexy cowboy she knows she shouldn't want.   

Walker and Violet's story is emotional and heartfelt. Walker is struggling to find the new him, the new sober him and Violet dealing with her mother's failing health and having given up so much for her parents. Together they form a friendship, when he's with Violet Walker isn't constantly reminded of what a failure he's been. For Violet, Walker is someone she can talk to and together even though they are pretending for her parents to be boyfriend/girlfriend they form a deep connection and along the way it become real but Walker still hasn't confided to her that he's an alcoholic afraid that she'll look at him differently.

Overall, this was a great ending for the Everett brothers. I hope A.J. Pine does something with Sam and Ben Callahan. I enjoyed the story very much the narration, the flow, the diverse cast of characters it was all wonderful. 

ARC REVIEW Cowboy Brave by Carolyn Brown

Longhorn Canyon #3, Yay this isn't the last one! Longhorn Canyon Ranch is a working ranch that in the summer takes on some city kids on the verge of being troublemakers and teaches them about ranching and other stuff. We've already seen the oldest of the Maguire brother's find true love and their best friend/foreman find true love, Justin wasn't looking he didn't even think he was ready to settle down but the moment he set eyes on Emily Baker everything changed.

Emily is the events coordinator at a retirement community and one group she deals with heard about the Longhorn Canyon Ranch and their work with kids and asked Emily if she could arrange a special trip for them to the ranch. By all appearances Emily is a city girl but there is more to her than meets the eye. The attraction between them is instant but Emily is determined not to fall for a cowboy. Justin has never felt this way about anyone and he's determined to show Emily he means it. Aside from Emily's family that she hasn't told him about another obstacle is Justin's mother who took an instant dislike toward Emily automatically assuming she's a golddigger.

Overall, this was another really good read from Carolyn Brown. I loved Emily and Justin and all the hyjinks that the Fab Five get into are hysterical. Even though Justin's mom kind of plays the part of the bad guy in this book Emily really is her own worst enemy. The Bonus Book Second Chance Cowboy by A.J. Pine is a book I have previously read it's the first book of the of Crossroads Ranch series and is really good. So as a two for one deal this one is really good one both books are entertaining and fantastic reads.   

SEASON'S READINGS The Corner of Holly and Ivy by Debbie Mason

Harmony Harbour #8, Each book of the Harmony Harbour series is a standalone, each focus on a different family member of the Greystone legacy. The only continuing theme throughout the series is that someone is trying to get the Gallaghers to sell Greystone Manor by any means necessary and that the former matriarch of the family Colleen "GG" still haunts the Manor and that all the secrets she kept keep coming out and sometimes for the best.

Arianna and Connor were high school sweethearts but Connor hasn't quite let go even after all these years he still cares about her. Arianna lost everything in a fire it not only burned down her bridal boutique but also damaged her arm so she may never draw again and designing wedding dress is what she always dreamed of doing now that dream is gone. Arianna's self isolation comes to an end when her grandmother throws in her hat for the mayoral race against Connor's uncle.When it comes out that her grandma's health isn't well enough Arianna takes her place. Soon she finds herself not in the running with Connor's uncle but Connor himself and just when the romance between them was starting to rekindle.

  Connor's not going to let the election get in the way of his feelings for Arianna and as the elections spill over into the holidays everyone in town is willing to help the two love birds that they are a perfect match. But not everything is perfect as yet again someone is out to mess things up with the Gallaghers and Greystone Manor but now the fate of Main Street hangs in the balance too. It's quite the emotional journey for Arianna not only is she dealing with the lost of her dream and maybe the use of her arm but also the health of her Grandmother and the complications that go with that and the fact that Connor has come back into her life and wants to be apart of it confuses her she's happy and she loves him but she has a secret she's been hiding for so long and now it's about to come out.

Overall it was a good read. The election and everything else overshadows the holiday feel of the book, which only comes up toward the end of the book but otherwise I love the characters and I love the town. I can't wait for more.   

SEASON'S READINGS Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses by Jenny Hale

A captivating and delightful holiday romance. Jenny Hale hit the spot with this book the loving warmth of the holiday spirit, finding true love and finding out what's most important in life. It has the right amount of holiday cheese ( I love the cheesiness of Christmas movies) without it getting too cliched. Nick Sinclair was an obvious Scrooge but showed signs early on of being redeemable. Abby Fuller's pregnancy put her dreams of being an interior designer on hold but now her son is older and her grandfather's Parkinson's getting worse any extra money would be great, so when one of her in-home nursing patients recommends decorating her grandson's house Abby would be foolish to turn it down.

Nick's father died young and left the company to Nick. Nick feels a sense of obligation to make sure the company is successful, as a result Nick becomes an even worse workaholic than his father to the point it ruined his first marriage and his relationship with his mother. Nick has an instant attraction to Abby and he's patient and kind to Max, her son, he finds himself constantly distracted by them and spending as much time as he can just being with them. Nick feels like he's being pulled in two directions his want to be with Abby and his obligation to work. Nick needs to figure out what's more important to him before he loses his chance with Abby for good. Abby didn't intend to fall in love with Nick but when he makes time for her and Max in his busy day and takes time to text and call her it's hard not to see the wonderful man he is but he keeps running hot and cold with her pushing her away and than holding her close and to top it all off Nick is in the process of moving away and she doesn't think his feelings for her are strong enough to keep him in a house he hates.

Overall, it's a great story to get you in the Christmassy mood and appreciate your family and what you have. I loved the characters and the writing it's my first Jenny Hale book and it won't be my last.   

ARC REVIEW The Last True Cowboy by Laura Drake

Chestnut Creek #1, This is a new author for me and I am so glad I picked this one up. It amazed me how real this book seemed to me, how emotionally this book pulled me in and the citizens of Unforgiven are right Carly and Austin are better than T.V. I also loved that this book took place in New Mexico, as much as I love my home state of Texas it's nice to see NM get some attention. 

Carly and Austin have been together since Kindergarten and shared the same dreams through it all until Carly didn't any more. At twenty-nine Carly figured she'd be married already with babies already but Austin first love is the rodeo and his "one more year" got to be one year too many. Unfortunately for Carly no one believes that she's serious that she had it with Austin, so in a fit of rebelliousness she buys a motorcycle, and then she goes of to Albuquerque to let off some steam. Austin has a hard time reconciling the fact that Carly means business and after he realizes it he's left at a loss and this time there is no more "one more year" he leaves the rodeo and now he left floundering, wondering if he can achieve his dream without Carly.

Overall, this is probably one of the best second chance books I've read in awhile. The old adage, If you love something let it go, fits in nicely with this story. I love that Carly and Austin had to grow up apart from each other to find out who they really were as adults and not just love sick kidds. This is a sweet and sexy story that plays with your heartstrings. First person that switches between Carly and Austin mostly Carly at the beginning but as the book goes on you see more and more of Austin's POV. Carly's past of self discovery is quite amusing and I love Nevada, I'm glad she's getting her own book.