From a “fabulous new voice in romantic fiction” (NYT bestselling author Lael Miller): an arrogant cowboy meets a headstrong woman determined to take custody of his niece, only to realize that she may be the family he was always searching for. There’s not much that could rattle a cowboy like Reese St. James. But when his twin brother dies in a car accident, Reese is stunned to discover he has … twin brother dies in a car accident, Reese is stunned to discover he has a six-month old niece, Sawyer. Wanting to make up for lost time, Reese heads down to Unforgiven, New Mexico, to bring her home. He doesn’t plan on Sawyer’s guardian giving him any trouble, but the intriguing, independent woman is turning out to be more than he bargained for.
A Cowboy for Keeps
By lauradrake
ough of them — and she intends to stand her ground. Yet the more time Reese and Lorelei spend together, the harder it is to deny the attraction building between them. But opening their hearts to a baby is one thing — can they also open their hearts to the possibility of a happily-ever-after?ough of them — and she intends to stand her ground. Yet the more time Reese and Lorelei spend together, the harder it is to deny the attraction building between them. But opening their hearts to a baby is one thing — can they also open their hearts to the possibility of a happily-ever-after?ough of them — and she intends to stand her ground. Yet the more time Reese and Lorelei spend together, the harder it is to deny the attraction building between them. But opening their hearts to a baby is one thing — can they also open their hearts to the possibility of a happily-ever-after?more
I love finding new-to-me authors and it’s a bonus when I love the book. That’s the case with A Cowboy for Keeps. Lorelei West gets a call from the New Mexico State Police asking if she knows a Patsy Lynn West? He hates to tell her over the phone, but Patsy died in a car accident and he needs to know what to do about the baby, Sawyer West. Reese St. James also gets a call only the officer asks if has a brother, Carson St. James? Reese learns his twin brother is dead. Reese doesn’t learn about the baby until Shane Grayson, a guy Carson had showed the ropes to, at the rodeo, tells him about Patsy and her. There’s a baby with Carson’s blood. Reese can’t wait to meet her. I absolutely loved this emotional read and how the residents rallied around Lorelei, when she needed them. I’m not going to leave any spoilers, but I will say Reese sure puts his foot in his mouth a few times.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.
I love Sawyer!
Lorelei West had wanted more from life but after unknowingly dating a married man, she was happy managing the Chestnut Creek Café in Unforgiven NM and taking care of her mother. When her little sister and her boyfriend were killed in an accident leaving behind a daughter, Lorelei knew that would raise Sawyer with all the love she had.
Reese St. James didn’t know that his twin brother had a daughter until after the funeral, so he decided to take her back to his ranch. Reese starts to spend time with Lorelei and Sawyer realizing the possibility of a future.
A Cowboy for Keeps is so much more than a baby that nobody knew about when the story started and what makes a family!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It was a phone call that Lorelei West was no where near ready to hear, her sister had been killed in an automobile accident, and she left behind a six month old daughter. Her sister has always been a tad bit wild and carefree and let the unexpected things in life lead her. She never seemed like the type to settled down, so hearing that she had a child that Lorelei knew nothing about was quite alarming. You would have thought that would be something you would call home about. Now Lorelei is left to pick up the pieces of her lost life and care for a child she knows nothing about. She is excited about the prospect of becoming a mother to Sawyer, and giving her the life she deserves… but a few days after she brings her home she learns that she is not the only one who wants to raise the child.
Sawyer has an uncle who never knew about her as well, and he is determined to give that little girl the world. Now Lorelei finds herself struggling to keep her wits about her with a very sexy cowboy constantly hanging around, distracting her, and leaving her a little unsettled. He is so not her type and not the kind of man she ever saw herself with, but her head and heart are seem to be disagreeing about that little fact. Could he possibly be her one?
A Cowboy for Keeps is a captivating tale that unites two people who are about as opposite as they could be. Brought together by their six month old niece and the tragedy that stole the lives of their siblings was the only commonality these two had. Well maybe that, and their hang-ups about love, Lorelei has given up on finding the one to make her heart skip a beat, and Reese has known for a long time that he just isn’t cut out for love. Every time he finds someone, he manages to push them away at the first sign of feelings showing up. That is until he meets Lorelei, she is the only woman to come into his life that makes him want to stick around, but the mere thought of it still terrifies him a bit. These two were quite the endearing pair, they both wanted what was best for Sawyer and they may have disagreed a time or too about that fact, but it was easy to see, they were the perfect family. I loved watching them use their love for her as a reason to keep radiating around one another, they just couldn’t stay away from one another. This was quite the heart-string tugging tale, it’s pages held a tragic yet hopeful story line that brought many smiles and feels. Loved every moment of it! Highly recommend!!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.
Lorelei West had contented herself with her work and caring for her aging mother, giving up on her dreams of a family of her own. But when her sister dies in a tragic car accident, Lorelei learns she has a niece, Sawyer, and is instantly a protective mother to the baby girl. She’s not about to let some wealthy hotshot cowboy take her away, even if she is his niece too.
Reese St. James was devastated to learn of his twin brother’s death, even if they weren’t all that close. He’s just as shocked to learn he has a six month old niece. He immediately travels to Unforgiven, New Mexico, with the intention of bringing the baby home to his Texas ranch. He doesn’t expect a fight from her guardian, but when he meets independent and fierce Lorelei West, he realizes he’s in for much more than he prepared for.
Lorelei is willing to let Reese spend time with Sawyer, but that’s all. However, that means Reese and Lorelei must spend time together as well and the more they come to know each other, the more obvious the attraction between them becomes. They’ve had no problems loving the baby, but opening up to each other is a different story.
This book is very far out of the realm of what I typically read, so I was looking forward to a refreshing bit of something different. This was an enjoyable read that pulled me in after a bit of a rocky start, but it did lose steam toward the middle. It picked back up at the end and I was pleased with the ending, but I would’ve enjoyed it much more if the heroine had been more likable. Lorelai was presented as fiercely independent and strong, about to do everything on her own, eschewing help of any kind, which just came off as prideful arrogance much of the time for me. With her general distrust/borderline hatred of men, I expected a more checkered dating history, but somehow all her issues and bitterness stemmed from an experience that happened when she was just out of high school. Yes, it was terrible and the guy was scum, but I expected more maturity from a 37 year old. Instead, Lorelei wound up sounding like any whiny teenager much of the time. Reese was charming and well-meaning, if clueless, but even that was rather adorable. Thankfully, Lorelei did eventually recognize her prideful, bitter behavior and its consequences in the end, but she didn’t quite do enough to make me satisfied in her making it up to Reese and he seemed to give up a lot more of himself to be with her. I think he was painted as the bad guy a bit too much by all her overreactions and jumps to wrong conclusions, even if he didn’t exactly help himself out either.
This is a bit of a sidenote, but I was also jarred by the way intimacy was handled here. There was this great, if rather drawn out, slow burn between Reese and Lorelei, with a damaged hero and a huge opportunity for a really tender and memorable scene, but just as things were getting started, the author seemed to get cold feet and backed out to have everything fade to black. For me, this just didn’t really jive with the build-up of the rest of the book and was a glaring missed opportunity.
Despite my issues, I did enjoy this book overall as a nice change up from my norm and I will read more of this genre in future.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Brilliant writing elevates this heartbreaking romance!
Reese and Lorelei both are the responsible ones in their families, in contrast to their wild-child siblings. Reese’s brother, Carson, and Lorelei’s sister, Patsy, were a perfect match and were wildly in love with each other and with their six-month-old daughter, without anyone in either family knowing anything about the baby, Sawyer. Until a tragedy leaves Sawyer an orphan and both Lorelei and Reese are struggling to hang on to what is left of their family.
This is one of the best-written books I’ve read in a very long time, and I highly recommend it to all romance readers. You’ve got your unbelievably rich, handsome, alpha cowboy with a heart of gold (even if he consistently says the wrong thing), a spunky, determined young woman who stands up for herself no matter the cost, a community filled with love and support and lots of humor, and a darling baby tying them all together.
I cannot express enough how the exquisite writing brings this story to life. The breathtaking descriptions, the truly insightful inner realizations, the deliciously snarky turn of phrase, all work together to make this a unique reading experience. The author has mastered southern idioms and rural ethics, and it shows on every page. These are not included just to instill a respect for the setting and its people, but they add substantially to the characters’ development and growth throughout the story.
This story could’ve gone down the traditional routes of a custody battle or arranged (rescue) marriage, but the author chose neither, giving us instead a vividly complex emotional dance between two people who appear to have everything the other has always wanted. Reese had his daddy’s money, but never knew the true love of a family. Lorelei’s life is held together by copious amounts of love while squeezing every dime just to get by. Yet even with these disparities, the story rises above expected stereotypes to give us a character study that transcends the trope’s usual handling.
Everything that makes up a beautiful, memorable love story is stitched together perfectly in this amazing story. It’s got a permanent place on my Re-Read shelf and Laura Drake is definitely An Author for Keeps. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
I had not read the first two books in this series of three (thusfar). So I can tell you with confidence that it can be read as a standalone. This one follows Lorelei West from the little town of Unforgiven who finds herself in the unexpected role of guardian. Of a tiny baby no less. As you can tell from the title, there’s a handsome cowboy in the mix. And a car named Einstein. There is dancing, both literally and figuratively. And carved horses. This book is a very fun and very romantic. I enjoyed the banter between characters. It’s a story about family and responsibility, pride and communication, and learning to give and take. I liked the characters, flaws and all, and would recommend this for just about anyone. Thank you to the author, Laura Drake, and NetGalley for the advance reader’s copy. Release date 7/28/20.
A Cowboy For Keeps by Laura Drake is the third book in her Chestnut Creeks series. The first two books are, The Last True Cowboy and Home at Chestnut Creek. This book is Lorelei West’s story. I have been looking forward to her story. She manages the Chestnut Creek Cafe and is its owner Carly Beauchamp Davis’ good friend. Lorelei has a heart of gold and getting to raise her deceased sister’s precious six-month-old little girl, Sawyer is a blessing. Then Sawyer’s uncle, Reese St. James comes to town. Sawyer’s father, who is also deceased, was Reese’s twin brother. Reese wants to raise Sawyer too. This makes for an interesting conflict for this book. I enjoyed reading about the resolution to this conflict.
Irresistible Force, Meet Immovable Object. This is a fun story of a rich-yet-still-driven cowboy meeting up with a barely-keeping-things-together woman in the midst of a massive tragedy… and each finding out that they really don’t understand the other’s motivations. Like, at all. So sparks fly. Repeatedly. And then things get a bit more… intimate. If you like the romance genre at all, you’re going to like this book. It hits all the points you’re expecting and does so with excellent flair. If you’re not quite as sold on the genre, give this one a chance. Drake does an excellent job of keeping things much more real than others of this type. Overall, a very fun read and very much recommended.
Wow I have not yet read the first 2 books in this series, but reading Ms Laura’s books I am never disappointed!! Reese and Lorelei meet in one of the worst ways ever and yet after a bumpy ride finally find their HEA!! I received a copy from NetGalley and freely leave my review!
Lorelei West has her hands full with managing the Chestnut Creek Cafe and looking after her mother who has dementia. She also wishes that her sister Patsy, who is out chasing cowboys, would come home, but she’s come to realize that is probably not in the cards. Lorelei is happy with her life, however there are times she wishes things could be different. She wants her own family, but she’s at an age that that may be out of the question. When she receives news that her sister has been killed in a car crash her whole world comes to a stop. Then she learns that her sister left behind a six-month old little girl that she had no idea existed.
Reese St. James is the co-owner of a huge ranch in Texas. He always means well, but he has a tendency to come across as arrogant, pushy and he often says things in a way that can be misconstrued. He’s always lived in the shadow of his twin brother, who was much more like their father, therefore, Reese was always the one on the outside looking in. When Reese learns of his brother’s death and that there is a niece he didn’t know about, his first order of business is to make sure the little girl is taken care of.
When Lorelei and Reese meet, they realize they both want to parent little Sawyer, but it’s going to be complicated, especially with Lorelei living in New Mexico and Reese in Texas. Lorelei makes it clear that money isn’t the most important thing and so she and Reese butt heads a bit over that. As these two figure out how to co-parent the little girl, they also learn to trust one another and eventually they realize that being a family might be the best course of action. But can they make it work?
This was a sweet, small-town romance that showcased both love and loss. I enjoyed the journey that Laura Drake took us on to get to this couples HEA.
**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
I loved this story. Lorelei got everything, including the kitchen sink, thrown at her in this installment. Such a strong woman.
Laura has set up the characters in a way that makes them so likable. I would live in this small town in a heartbeat. I want to retire there…..
I hope this is not the end of the Chestnut Creek series. I want to see how things work out for everyone.
This book was gifted to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Loved it! A really good love story with plenty of twists and turns . Fast paced story Reese and Lorelei have to come to some sort of compromise with the care of their niece life throws a lot at them and add in a crooked lawyer and you have a good storyline look forward to reading more from this new writer
A Cowboy for Keeps by Laura Drake This is the third book and I really enjoyed it. It is sad, happy, funny, touching, has misunderstandings, some drama and steamy stuff. Not to give anything away …but what Nana does with a cigarette reminds of a high school friend of mines mother…loved it.
This read sort of like The Last Chance Cafe by Linda Lael Miller. Lorelei is stuck in a rut. She likes her life but always had a secret wish for more. Then her sister dies and leaves behind a six month old daughter and Lorelei suddenly has more than she’d ever imagined, including the broody brother of the baby’s father to contend with. Reese and Lorelei have a slowish burn, lots of misunderstandings, love that they’re afraid to accept from each other, and pride getting in their way. Of course, once they think they’ve got it all together, an angry man bent on revenge tries to tear them apart with a cruel act. Reese and Lorelei both have to set their pride aside to make things right after that, and Reese especially works hard to show that he’s more than just a shadow of his past.
This story was an enjoyable read about stubbornness and how it can make, break, and heal relationships. I didn’t read the book (or books?) before it in the series, but I didn’t feel lost among the side characters at all.