Remembering the Cowboy: a clean, Christian second chance romance

Remembering the Cowboy is the first book in the Blackwater Ranch series by Mandi Blake. Camille Vanderbilt is heading home to Blackwater, Wyoming. She is determined to find her old best friend, Noah Harding, who suddenly ghosted her after high school and has been able to avoid her since then, despite their small town. Unfortunately, on the road there, she gets into an accident and wakes up with memory loss. Noah lives a simple life as a firefighter and working on his family ranch until he arrives at the scene of an accident and realizes that Camille is the accident victim. When Camille runs into Noah in town, she knows he’s someone important to her but she doesn’t know why. As they spend time together, they find the old flame is still there and Noah is determined to do it right this time. 

Mandi Blake is a great author for clean, Christian romance with sweet moments and drama. From the opening chapter to the closing page, I could not put it down. I loved Camille and Noah throughout the story. I loved Camille’s determination to find her feet on her own and deal with her memory issues without using others’ help as a crutch. Noah is a great man who loves completely and is loyal to his family and their livelihood even at the cost of his own heart. Their moments together were sweet and filled with love and tenderness. I loved the secondary characters, especially Camille’s cousin, Jenny, who didn’t have much page time but was influential in the story. I look forward to reading the future stories in this series. If you enjoy clean, Christian romances with cowboys and a small town, you will enjoy Remembering the Cowboy. 

Remembering the Cowboy is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Seeking Mr Debonair: one pact, one dream to find her very own Mr Darcy

Seeking Mr. Debonair is the first book in The Jane Austen Pact series by Cami Checketts. At the age of twelve, Harley Redland vowed to marry a man as debonair as Mr Darcy, even though she is secretly in love with her older brother’s best friend. After graduating from Yale, Harley learns she has been accepted into Cambridge for her master’s program. However, she is called home to the family ranch in Wyoming as her father is very, very sick. Crew Harrison has known Harley all of her life and has harbored love for her for as long as he can remember. He wants to find a way to show her that he is as charming, educated and romantic as her precious Mr Darcy. A wrench in his plan is her dream Englishman who comes to town on business. Can Harley see what she is looking for is right at home?

Everyone who knows me knows I am not the biggest Jane Austen fan. Especially since everyone seems to fixate on Pride and Prejudice and love for Mr Darcy. That being said, I do not turn away books because the characters love Pride and Prejudice. When I read the blurb of Seeking Mr Debonair, I was intrigued and it sounded like a fun romance. However, right from the beginning, I did not care for Harley. I understand a dream which started as a young girl; however, as one grows and matures, the dream usually grows and matures with them. Not Harley, she would not budge. Her Mr Darcy can only be an Englishman otherwise he is not Mr Darcy. So narrow minded. I didn’t like the never travel, never leave home/your roots mentality from her brother. Really? Overall, I did not enjoy Seeking Mr Debonair and I will not be continuing the series. 

Seeking Mr. Debonair is available in paperback and eBook

Everly: a quick and enjoyable weekend read

Everly by Kay P. Dawson is the first book in the Wilder West series. Everly Marie Wilder is forced to marry by her 21^st birthday or she, along with her mother and two younger sisters, will lose support from her father’s estate. Everly has always stated that she never wanted to marry and being forced to marry to keep her family from poverty leaves her unsure how to proceed. Soon her sister, Beth, finds a magazine advertising for brides and the idea comes to her, Everly could be a mail order bride. Everly, desperate for a solution, reluctantly answers an ad that intrigues her. Ben Montgomery is a rancher in Wyoming and raising his two young nieces following the sudden death of his sister and brother in law. Under pressure from the town busybody to provide his nieces with feminine influence, Ben places an ad. Soon Everly and Ben correspond and agree to meet. Could this be a marriage of convenience? Or could love truly blossom for the reluctant Everly?

Everly was a fast-paced love story which helps set up future books in the story. While it was enjoyable, I loved the characters of Ben and Everly, the action seemed to happen way too fast with no real sense of the time which may or may not have passed. And the build up to and climax of the battle between Ben and the town busybody seemed to be over too quickly. However, I’m intrigued enough to follow the rest of the series and I do recommend Everly as a quick and enjoyable weekend read.

Everly

is available in paperback and eBook