When Two Strangers Become ‘Cowboy Bold,’ Anything Is Possible [REVIEW]

A big-hearted rancher opens his home to eight mischievous kids in Cowboy Bold. (Photo courtesy Canva)

He needs an employee. She needs a job. What she doesn’t need is a handsome cowboy to complicate her life, even if he does have the bluest eyes she’s ever seen. So what’s a girl to do when she just wants to get out of debt? Find out in Carolyn Brown’s Cowboy Bold, the fun first installment in her Longhorn Canyon series.

Forever

Cade Maguire is the kind of guy that makes a girl just go all mushy inside. It’s not because he’s gorgeous (although he is) and looks mighty fine in all that denim (which he does). But it’s because he has a soft spot for children, particularly underprivileged city kids who deserve some time in the great outdoors with lots of fresh air to breathe.

Each year, Cade throws the gates of Longhorn Canyon Ranch wide open and invites these children in for the summer. But he needs a little help wrangling all those kiddos on his own. So far, finding a suitable counselor for the job has been a lesson in futility.

Enter Retta Palmer. Without a cent to her name, she can use the job. After selling everything she owns to pay for her father’s medical bills, she needs a fresh start, no matter what form that comes in. Okay, well, maybe ranching isn’t exactly her forte. And when she was trying to think up a new employer, she never anticipated he would come as nicely packaged as her new boss does. After all, those blue eyes of his are pretty distracting, especially for a woman who isn’t entirely married to the idea of making this her forever job.

Still, sparks tend to fly when the two of them get together. Both Cade and Retta are hesitant to jump into a relationship with both feet, though. Cade resists because after being jilted at the altar two years ago, he’s not sure he can go through that kind of heartache again. And Retta doesn’t exactly see herself spending her life as a cowgirl. Still, between the kids and a meddling pair of old folks bent on matchmaking, chances are likely they could find a happily ever after where they least expected it.

In Cowboy Bold, Carolyn Brown teaches us that sometimes we need to look at life through a new lens to see the rainbows around us. She utilizes two characters who are polar opposites. Cade is altruistic and vulnerable. Retta is determined and driven. Both have obstacles to overcome, and yet when they open their eyes to all the little miracles happening around them, it becomes obvious that they may just make a better team than adversaries.

Brown writes a story that keeps us smiling, laughing, and cheering on her characters. The supporting cast is fun too, and the humor they bring to the tale is infectious. Combined, these elements deliver a compulsively readable novel that is filled with grace and packs an emotional wallop. It’s the perfect anecdote for a long week at work. So kick off your shoes, draw a bath, and settle in to a relaxing weekend with Carolyn Brown!

Carolyn Brown
(Photo by Charles C. Brown)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carolyn Brown is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author and RITA finalist who has sold more than 3 million books.

She presently writes both women’s fiction and cowboy romance. She has also written historical single title, historical series, contemporary single title, and contemporary series.

She lives in southern Oklahoma with her husband, a former English teacher, who is not allowed to read her books until they are published. They have three children and enough grandchildren to keep them young.

For a complete listing of her books, check out her website at CarolynBrownBooks.com. Readers may also like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

COWBOY BOLD
By Carolyn Brown
336 pp. Forever. $7.99

Purchase Cowboy Bold at one of these fine online retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, IndieBound, and Powell’s.