Broken fences create sexy neighbors…Claire Moon moved to a small Montana ranch for peace and solitude after barely surviving a tragic fire. A jewelry maker, she used to travel extensively to sell her work, but now prefers only online sales. Her quiet existence is imperiled when escaped cattle tromp through her yard and garden. Claire is unable to avoid meeting her handsome rancher neighbor who … rancher neighbor who arrives to remove the cattle, and when he turns on the apologies and the charm, she’s not really sure she wants to.
Cowboy Wes McQueen feels guilty when his family’s cattle make a mess of his new neighbor’s property, especially when he finds out it’s his fault. But when he tries to make it up to Claire, she’s very shy and resistant. Still, he finds himself determined to make amends, and the two form a tentative friendship—a friendship that unexpectedly blossoms into more.
Despite Claire’s reluctance to rejoin society, Wes is determined to make their relationship work. He realizes that he’s like his father in more than one way—when he finally falls for a woman, he falls hard. And there’s no going back.
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Happily ever after love story. Story of two people who find love when they least expect it and when in their minds the timing is not good.
Sweet romance. Didn’t just jump into bed but developed a relationship.
Sometimes people who have a physical problem that’s on the outside they tend to withdraw from life. I love this book because there are people out there who see the inside and the outside doesn’t matter. That’s what you find in this book
Well written. Good character development.
A sweet story. Not hard to read.
A very touching read.
This was a sweet story about a woman wanting to hide away and a man who realizes when you find the one, life changes. Really enjoyed it.
fun read. enjoyable.
Claire Moon has moved to Montana to start her life over again. She just wants peace and quiet. To be left alone. She makes her own jewelry and is planting her own garden. The neighboring ranch belongs to the McQueens. After a morning of cows coming through the fence and trampling her garden, Wes McQueen comes by to offer to fix her garden. From the moment they meet, it is like oil and water. He senses something is going on with her but bides his time. He is known as a playboy and some people are warning him off. Enter some cute puppies. Claire is breaking out of her imposed shell. But some people are cruel and she retreats. Trust Wes to finally decide enough is enough. Ending is sigh worthy.
Claire Moon sustains burns to one side of her face from an apartment fire accident. Living in a big city she finds herself at the mercy of others cruelty due to her scars. She opts to up and move to the back country of Montana for some solitude and healing. As she’s adjusting to life in Montana her garden gets trampled by some wayward cattle from the McQueen ranch. Wes McQueen vows to make it right and finds himself intrigued by the new neighbor.
This is a beautifully written strangers to lovers romance set in beautiful Montana country.
One of those feel good stories! Need more of them
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tule Publishing via NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.
This book was so beautifully written. I just adored the characters and the appearance of prior characters from the series. My heart just broke for Claire and want she experienced. Fortunately moving to Montana and meeting Wes was the best thing to happen to her. Even though Wes is what some considered “a social butterfly” as he dates a lot, he saw Claire in all her beauty. I loved watching Wes make those final steps into maturity. His heart was tender and caring for Claire. He helped her to overcome her insecurities and grasp life all over again.
I loved the dual POV format, especially where Claire was concerned. I have never had the experience like the ones she had faced so I really appreciated the author doing a fantastic job in portraying her thoughts. It made understanding her actions so much easier.
The bedroom scene was written very nicely and there was nothing descriptive. I highly recommend this book to anyone. You also don’t have to read the prior books to read this one but I would so you can also fall in love with the brothers’ and their wives.
The Cowboy Next Door is book number three in the Once Upon a Western series by Trish Milburn. This Claire and Wes’ story.
I was hooked from the beginning the end. Claire and Wes were wonderful characters. An emotional story that will make you laugh and cry.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
The Cowboy Next Door is the third title in Trish Milburn’s Once Upon a Western series and it’s the second title in that series I’ve read, and my favorite thus far. Although it’s a one-sitting read, it is filled with warmth, kindness, an emotional understanding and sensitivity to the way people with disfiguring injuries (accept that it also relates to those born less than perfect) deal with the way people react to them, and how they come to learn to accept the hand they’ve been dealt and carry on with their lives. I give it 4.5 stars.
Claire Moon, the heroine, had one side of her face badly burned and disfigured while she was trying to flee her burning apartment building, a fire that killed two other tenants. Once she was able to leave the hospital and try to pick up the threads of her life, from the looks she got and the way people treated and reacted to her changed appearance, including the boyfriend who left her as soon as he saw her face, realized that her life was forever changed. With her insurance settlement, she left Houston and bought a small, run-down ranch in a small Montana town–a place where she could hide away from the stares and whispers, set up her on-line jewelry making business, and even have her groceries delivered by mail, and where she could avoid all personal human contact and interactions, or so she believed–she didn’t count on meeting the Wes McQueen, the handsome and flirtatious cowboy next door.
When Claire finds some of the McQueen cattle grazing on her first ever vegetable garden and tries unsuccessfully to shoo them away with her broom, Wes comes riding to the rescue, and finds it odd that his new neighbor won’t even meet him face-to-face. He can see the undamaged side of her face, and what he sees is a beautiful woman. Although she tries to talk him out of making reparations, Wes does what he thinks is right, and is back the next day, not with a check, but with new plants and seeds, and despite Claire’s objections, goes ahead and replants her garden. Wes is handsome, and a commitment-phobic serial dater, who isn’t used to women resisting his charming, sexy and fun-loving personality, and is intrigued by Claire, who seems quite able to resist his advances.
One thing Claire hadn’t counted on when she decided to hide away in Montana was the isolation and loneliness. Her inner struggles with her disfigurement, and her newly formed self-esteem issues are similar to what wounded war veterans have to come to terms with when they return home. Sadly, we are a society constantly obsessed with and bombarded by images of stunning actresses and models, and judging others by those standards. It’s part of the reason anorexia and bulimia have become as commonplace as the saying, “you can’t be too thin or too rich.” This novel clearly, and with warmth and understanding, depicts the feelings of a woman who has never known what it was like to be rejected because of her appearance, and sadly, it’s a rude awakening. She truly has lost her trust in others but when Wes keeps returning, unasked, to help her work on her renovations, Claire doesn’t understand why he’s bothering with her when there’s no shortage of other beautiful women he can date, but slowly, although she continues to hide the damaged side of her face from him with her long hair, a casual friendship begins to form.
While expecting to read about Claire’s issues, as Wes continues to help her, and when he learns the reasons why she’s hiding from the realtor who handled her purchase of the ranch, he researches what happened to her, and tries with great sensitivity to get her to realize that true beauty is so much more than just her physical appearance. His relationship with Claire also leads him to examine his own choices in the other women he’s dated, and when his family members point out what they see as his shallow standards and previous dating behavior, they warn him that Claire might become too attached to him, and the damage he could do to her fragile ego if he’s as casual and uncommitted with her as he has been with other women all along. So instead of one character trying to come to terms with her injuries, we have two characters who are slowly learning to accept each other and grow emotionally.
Eventually Claire accidentally shows her damaged face to Wes and is shocked that he’s still coming around. She soon admits to herself that she’s falling for the handsome and kind cowboy, and that his family members all treat her as they would anyone else. But when Wes talks Claire into letting him take her to the Founder’s Day celebration, she inadvertently overhears some unflattering remarks while in the ladies room, and realizes that although Wes already has her heart, he’s a been love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy, and rather than fall more in love with him, she decides to end their relationship before he dumps her the way her previous boyfriend did. But is that the right move for her? Even she has her doubts, and since I don’t do spoilers, I’ll leave you to discover for yourself what happens after Claire’s preemptive break-up with Wes.
Although rather short in length, the speed at which this novel and the relationship between its two main characters was paced was a little too fast for this reader. It’s a romance novel after all, so you already know that there will be an HEA ending, I just wish Ms. Milburn had expanded on the depth and development of their relationship and the time-frame of this book to make this engaging, heartfelt, and well written story seem a bit more realistic and the relationship more believable.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
This series of books by Author Trish Milburn is loosely based on our favorite fairy tales. This one is based around Beauty and the Beast. If you have read past books in this series you might recognize Wes McCall as one of the brothers mentioned in one of the two earlier books released. No worries of you have no read them, although they are were good books based on fairy tales as well… you will not need to have read them to get this book at all. In this book we get to see the workings of a the Ranch and oh my the cows do get to working on the McCall’s ranch and they come a ‘calling onto Claire’s land as well. Claire is the newest neighbor and she is a bit of a hermit for good reasons. It takes Wes a bit of time to worm the info out of her and build a friendship. This book is about human nature and how how we as people need to think before we speak and teach our children this as well. What a wonderful book deep in friendship and romance. And YES we get to catch up with our past friends we met in earlier books too. So win win.
Claire Moon has moved to Montana searching for solitude & privacy. Too bad the neighbors cows didn’t agree. Wes retrieved the cattle from her garden & was instantly interested. Of course, Wes is a player- goes after anything in skirts. Claire is very self conscious of the scars on her face & feels it will turn Wes off. Wes is determined to show her that it doesn’t matter. Can he get past her shields?
This was a good story about appearances not mattering & growing as a person. Claire & Wes both had to learn to grow & trust each other. Claire had to realize she wouldn’t be happy in solitude & that you could trust others. This was a sweet moving romantic story with a hit of mystery.
The story of Claire Moon and We McQueen is a very touching story.
Claire has moved and bought a small ranch in Montana seeking a quiet life. After suffering a devastating injury , she left Houston in hopes of not having to face people and their cruel remarks.
She meets Wes, the son of the successful neighboring ranch , when the cows trample over Claire’s garden. Wes is both curious and drawn to his new neighbor, one who seems fearful and hides her face. Thus starts a fragile friendship between them and a glimpse of hope for Claire.
But when her secret is revealed and she is ready to face the world, an incident throws her off and she cuts her ties to Wes.
Will they each have to live with not finding their HEA, or will another danger bring them together?
A story worth your time. As well as one that reminds us that we should always be mindful of what we say . Hurtful comments can destroy an already fragile spirit.
I was entrusted a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
Clare has endured hell, and only wants to fade into the background and live a peaceful and inconspicuous life, after the brutality she suffered at the hands of the man who vowed to love and protect her. Wes is a carefree, live life in the moment, sexy as all get out Cowboy. He doesn’t want for women, but his love em` and leave em` reputation isn’t really who he is.
The Cowboy Next Door is a beautifully written account of the preconceptions and cruelty imposed by small-minded people, and the devastating impact these thoughtless actions have on an already fragile heart.
Ms Milburn has shown in this book, why we love a Cowboy. Wes has a depth that people fail to see past his smooth good looks, and his passion to see the physically and emotionally wounded Clare shed her cocoon and emerge a confident, kick-arse woman is enchanting. The Cowboy Next Door has a laugh out loud banter and a deeply emotional storyline that tears at the heart and brings tears to the readers eyes; but through it all is a wonderful telling of a strong friendship, that becomes a controlled burn, and eventually a passionate love.
I thoroughly recommend this book and turned the last page smiling.
“Because physical perfection isn’t what makes a person beautiful.”
There was so much I liked about The Cowboy Next Door. The slow friendship turn romance, the fun banter, the emotional and sensitive storyline, the characters, and the writing. This is truly a character and dialogue driven story. Wes is a sexy, fun cowboy who has never lacked for female attention and has a reputation as a love and leave ‘em whether it was deserved or not. Claire, once a vibrate free spirit, has become a loner and hides from the world. She’s starting over and determined to do it herself. Wes encourages her to emerge and not let her scars define her. His character is one of my favorites because he never shows pity, he sees her beyond the physical appearance, encourages but knows when to back off, and pursues her with kindness and honesty. Descriptive writing so that you feel the shaky friendship blossom and their feelings for each other deepen. A story that left me a smile and I was happy to have read it. The Once Upon a Western Series is a must read for fans of cowboy brothers who know how to treat their women. I know this series will be re-read by me more than once.
Reviewed by Comfy Chair Books/Lisa Reigel (January 31, 2019)
ARC provided by Tule Publishing via Negalley
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the second book that I have read by this author from this same series and I must admit that I liked this book so much better! Claire and Wes are wonderful characters and you can feel the attraction building between them throughout the story. Claire has to get past her physical appearance and let Wes love her like she deserves to be loved. Wes has to realize that his past may come back to haunt him in the end.
My only wish is that the author would’ve developed the storyline of the conversation Claire overheard so that Wes truly understood what was going on in Claire’s mind and heart.