Review: "The Reluctant Cowboy" by Kate Pearce

After a turbulent childhood, the Morgan brothers went their separate ways, leaving the family cattle ranch and their cowboy days far behind. But now, one by one, they’re being called back home to California. Have they been summoned to save the land—or to start a new legacy?     Chase Morgan high-tailed it away from ranching life as soon as possible. But running a successful technology company can’t erase the memories, or secrets, of his youth. Coming home to help his Grandma Ruth may finally put some ghosts to rest—if he can just get a certain smart, beautiful houseguest out of his business. But getting her out of his head is proving even more difficult…   Determined to save the Morgan ranch, historian January Mitchell has pinned her hopes on the surprisingly rugged, surprisingly likable, and exasperatingly stubborn Chase. Surely his love of this breathtaking, mysterious land runs deep enough that he’ll once again embrace his inner cowboy. Or maybe, despite both of their skittish hearts, she’ll have to find a way to get him back in the saddle…any which way she can.         “If you love cowboys—and who doesn’t—you’ll love the Morgans!” --Cora Seton, New York Times bestselling author

Many thanks to Kensington Books via Netgalley for the free review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have a confession to make - I always wanted to be a cowgirl.  I asked Santa for a horse every Christmas. I watched "Little House on the Prairie" religiously. I read Westerns, big ones like "The North and the South". I was jealous of all my friends who had horses. I even went through a short-lived country music phase (hides head in shame!) complete with a Tim McGraw concert and line dancing lessons! And yes, I still have the boots to prove it. Anyway, over time, I came to the conclusion that I was born into the wrong family, but, that doesn't mean a girl can't live vicariously through fictional characters, right? Exactly why I thought it might be time to read about a former cowboy-turned-computer-geek going back home to his family ranch and falling in love.

There was a lot I really liked a lot about this book. Primarily, I loved the ranch setting and the common goal of keeping it up and running and turning it into a heritage site. I also found the main characters, Chase and January, to be likable and interesting. Their chemistry was great, and the fact that they had a strong friendship building between them only made the romance sweeter. The mystery of what happened with Chase's mom, dad, and baby sister kept me reading - I just had to find out what had happened all those years ago to make Chase's family fall apart! And then there was the introduction of Chase's brother, Blue - hmmm, I could definitely do with more of him!

There were a couple of things I thought could have been improved upon, but I think to impart those things here would be considered spoilery.  So yeah, this book was not perfect, but it was definitely enjoyable enough for me to want to pick up the next installment. And of course Chase's brother Blue is featured in that one, and he is super intriguing, so there is that, haha!

My rating: