Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a new contemporary cowboy romance from Sara Richardson. COMEBACK COWBOY is the second book in her Rocky Mountain Riders series, but is fine to read as a standalone. You can check out info on the first book, HOMETOWN COWBOY, too, but COMEBACK COWBOY features a reconnection romance between a sturdy single mom and her high-school sweetheart who left ten years before.
Don’t miss the big giveaway! Scroll down to enter.
About the book:
A WOMAN NEVER FORGETS HER FIRST COWBOY . . .
As a single mother, Naomi Sullivan is used to doing things on her own. She’s finally saved enough from working at the Cortez Ranch to buy a lovely home for her and her little girl. Life is going as planned. But when her high school sweetheart comes riding back to town, this self-sufficient woman feels something she hasn’t felt in years: red-hot, unbridled need for the handsome cowboy who left her behind.
Lucas Cortez doesn’t plan on being in town long. Yet when he sees Naomi again-the gorgeous girl he never stopped loving-he’s tempted to hang up his hat and stay awhile. He’s already charmed his way into her daughter’s heart, but he’ll need more than sweet talk and roses to convince Naomi to give them a second chance-especially when she’s hiding a secret that could change their lives forever . . .
A delicious taste…
“I’m so sorry, Naomi.” For whatever reason, her heart had opened to him. Maybe only a crack, but that was all he needed. He stepped closer to her, so that her body was pressed against his. Out in the parking lot, a line of headlights moseyed out to the road, but he didn’t care. He didn’t know when he’d have this chance again. So he took her into his arms because he couldn’t wait. Couldn’t analyze. He had to see. He had to feel her. Had to know she was as desperate as he was.
“Lucas…” she whispered, closing her eyes.
He rested his hands on her hips, urging her closer. “I need to know you don’t hate me,” he said, drowning in the feel of her. His hands slipped down low on her back, until he had her locked in his arms.
“I don’t hate you,” she squeaked. “God, I don’t hate you at all.”
That was all he needed. Holding her tightly in his arms, he lowered his mouth to hers, unable to stop himself, unable to hold back anything. Her lips tasted sweet, so warm and wet. He pressed into them, drinking in the scent of her, the feel of her curves fit so tightly against his throbbing body.
She kissed him back, sighing deeply into his mouth as though letting go of her protests and hesitations.
His tongue sought hers, rekindling that connection they’d always had, electrifying everything else until the sparks of desire flashed all through him.
Her soft moan purred into him as her lips clung to his, and those hands of hers, always delicate but strong, climbed their way down his chest. He’d never regretted walking away from her as much as he did now, gripped by this one small taste of how it could’ve been with her…
My Review:
Naomi Sullivan is a single mother who never got over her first love, Lucas Cortez. They had a high school romance that was severed when Lucas was incarcerated for arson, supposedly burning a rodeo stadium that devastated their small-town Colorado community. She never learned if the baby she carried was Lucas’ daughter, or that of her husband, Mark, who took off while Gracie was just an infant.
So, ten years pass and Naomi’s saved a lot of money working for and living on the Cortez Ranch, but she’s ready to spread her wings and build a Bed and Breakfast business in one of the Victorian houses that line the Main Street. Lucas returned to their town several months ago, and Naomi’s been careful to keep her distance. She still findd him attractive and doesn’t want her heart broken again whenever he decides to move one. Thing is, Lucas has been pining for Naomi many a long year. That she’s single is a boon, but he’s not sure he should remain in the town–he’s had a lot of shade thrown his way from residents still bitter over the fire. When Mark comes to town, claiming to want a relationship with Gracie, Naomi drops her paternity bomb, and it blows Lucas away. Could he have sacrificed all those years and missed his daughter growing up?
So, there’s a bit of drama here, and I felt the timelines were all a little sketchy. Goodness knows, if I’d loved Lucas as hard as Naomi claimed, I wouldn’t have been intimate with his friend Mark within enough days of Lucas’ arrest to make a possibility of pregnancy by Mark a remote possibility. For me that was baffling and added unnecessary melodrama. That said, all the other parts felt very real, and the connection that Naomi has with her daughter–us against the world–is sweet. Also, both Mark and Lucas are decent guys, for the most part, if you can forgive their horrible choices. Lucas is easier to forgive–his were self-less; Mark was a Grade-A horse pa-toot, but we forgive much based on age and maturity, and he lacked both when he coasted off.
Expect a lot of thwarted sexytimes, as Naomi juggles motherhood and romance when she and Lucas finally connect. Also, expect some heartfelt struggles for Naomi, who experiences the very real fear of loss as her daughter begins to build a relationship with her father. I thought that was handled realistically well, and I liked how those plotlines unfolded. I mention “redemption” in my blog title because both Lucas and Mark experience it in their dealings with Naomi, but Lucas’ experience is more global and has more impact on Naomi’s life. I liked the story, and connected with the characters, so I’d recommend it for readers who like a bit of a slow burn and cowboys who not only make good on long-made promises, but who also poke bulls for fun.
Interested? You can find COMEBACK COWBOY on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, iBooks, and Kobo.
****GIVEAWAY****
Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link and enter to win one of THREE prize packs from Sara Richardson, Debbie Mason, and RaeAnne Thayne!
Good luck and keep reading my friends!
About the Author:
Sara Richardson grew up chasing adventure in Colorado’s rugged mountains. She’s climbed to the top of a 14,000-foot peak at midnight, swam through Class IV rapids, completed her wilderness first-aid certification, and spent seven days at a time tromping through the wilderness with a thirty-pound backpack strapped to her shoulders.
Eventually, Sara did the responsible thing and got an education in writing and journalism. After five years in the corporate writing world, she stopped ignoring the voices in her head and started writing fiction. Now, she uses her experience as a mountain adventure guide to write stories that incorporate adventure with romance. Still indulging her adventurous spirit, Sara lives and plays in Colorado with her saint of a husband and two young sons. Her first contemporary romance, No Better Man, was released by Grand Central forever 2015.
Catch up with Sara online on her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.