Cowboy Seeks Bride by Carolyn Brown

Cowboy Seeks Bride
Grade-B-
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Spikes & Spurs #7
Genre-Contemporary
384 pages
Reviewed by Kate

Haley McKay (whose professional name is HB McKay) thinks her dad is playing a practical joke on her when he sends her to meet Dewar O’Donnell and his buddies at the start of a cattle drive. She’s supposed to ride with the cowboys on the month-long round up as research for a reality show the family tv company is considering, but Haley is sure that when she gets there it will all be a joke.

Dewar is expecting HB McKay to be a middle-aged business man, not the feisty red-head that shows up. He’s been actively looking for a wife, but knows there’s no way Haley’s busy life as a career woman would mix with his life on the ranch. But despite the logic, the sparks between Haley and Dewar fly.

Carolyn Brown is one of my favorite authors of the modern cowboy, In Cowboy Seeks Bride she delivers a solid, low conflict romance. Haley’s city-girl ways clash with Dewar’s country life, but the attraction is instant. I enjoyed watching Dewar and Haley sneaking around and hiding their relationship from the other cowboys on the drive. The ending seemed a bit too easy, a little too perfect, but still believable. I can forgive the ending since I enjoyed the book as much as I did.

Are you a fan of the modern-day cowboy romance? If so, who are some of your favorite authors?

Redneck Romeo by Lorelei James

Redneck Romeo (Rough Riders, #15)
Grade-A
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-None
Series-Rough Riders #15
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
388 pages

Dalton McKay is the last single male in his generation. He also just moved back to his hometown after a three year absence. He had to leave his family to find out who he was, aside from a drinkin’, fightin’, ranchin’, whorin’ Mckay. Now that he knows who he is, he has to get the girl he’s always wanted.

Aurora “Rory” Wetzler has grown up in Sundance. She and Dalton McKay have been friends since childhood, until they weren’t. When they weren’t friends, they were kind of more. Being kind of more and it imploding has left her emotionally scarred. Now, she’s a more mature, confident woman. She is not gonna fall for the McKay charm again.

They are a lot of different plots going on this book. I won’t give any of them away but they are majors plots. I started this book with a lot of doubt. I mean, I wasn’t a huge Dalton fan, he seemed judgemental and kind of a beta male in the previous books. Also, this took place three years in the future from the last full length novel in the series. I don’t know why but that left me a little off kilter before I started reading. I’m so very glad I kept going. I ended up enjoying this book immensely. I also ended up liking Dalton and understanding him better.

Kudos to Lorelei James for keeping a very long series fresh and exciting. I hate that it seems to be winding down. According to her website there should be one more book, but who will it be about?
The only possible McKay of marrying age is Sierra at twenty-one. Hopefully, she will continue writing about the Wests. There are seven of them I think.

Marooned with the Maverick by Christine Rimmer


 Grade: B
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary
Reviewed by Kate
219 pages

When the flood waters rise in the small town of Rust Creek Falls, kindergarten teacher Willa is trapped in her car. Collin, a childhood neighbor and troublemaker, rescues her. The pair takes shelter in a barn for the night. Willa quickly comes to realize that everything she thought she knew about Collin was wrong. Collin has always believed that he was no better than his reputation, but Willa insists he’s so much more. He’s someone she wants.

I enjoyed Christine Rimmer’s pacing in this book. While mostly about Willa and Collin battling his opinions of himself, the backdrop if the flood clean-up keeps the story moving at a quick clip. This was the first book I’ve read by Christine Rimmer, but it definitely won’t be my last.