It takes true grit to build a billion-dollar dynasty like the Ford family ranch. But when it comes to finding love, all it takes is one handsome cowboy to steal a woman’s heart in Cowboy Stole My Heart by Soraya Lane. SHE’S RIDING SOLO As one of the heirs to the River Ranch fortune, Mia Ford is practically Texas royalty. But that doesn’t mean she’s some pampered princess. She can saddle up and … pampered princess. She can saddle up and ride a horse as well as any man, even a hard-working cowboy like Sam Mendes. For years, she’s harbored a crush on the strong, silent horseman. But how can she make a move when she’s his boss?
HE’S TAKING THE REINS
Sam Mendes is through with love–or so he thought. Still recovering from a breakup, he’s doing everything in his power to resist Mia Ford. It’s bad enough she’s the kind of beauty who drives men wild with desire. It’s even worse she’s got him so worked up, aching to kiss her lips, when he’s supposed to be working her ranch. Is this lovestruck cowboy willing to risk losing his job–and breaking his heart–to win the girl of his dreams?
“Lane warms hearts of readers across the globe.”
—RT Book Reviews
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Sam Mendes, the famous Horse Whisperer, is hired by Walter Ford to take care of a wild stallion of his daughter, Mia.
Tex was a wonderful stallion, and champion. It belonged to Mia’s best friend, Kimberley. But after an accident at a performance that killed Kimberley, her family sold all her horses. Tex was never the same again.
When meeting the animal, Sam is not sure if he could save him. It was a challenge he was willing to accept.
Sam was very good at what he did. He was traveling around the country giving lectures on the subject, especially after he had released a book.
But apart from Tex, Sam is also impressed by its owner, Mia.
She was a show jumper and won several awards.
She wanted to save Tex, as a promise to her friend.
Her attraction to Sam is immediate. But she was Sam’s boss.
The two would have to know how to work together if they wanted to succeed with the stallion. As the feeling between them grew, certain past behaviors took hold, and perhaps even before their relationship grew, they were doomed to failure.
Mia would not have gotten anything less from Sam, especially when she knew how good together they could be…
First book in the River Ranch series, but with the presence of characters from the Texas Kings series.
5 stars
I have to admit that I started this series with another one. I was so intrigued with the characters that I had to read this one. The plot flowed beautifully and was wonderfully written. It is about a horse whisperer and a heiress with a horse that needs help.
These two come together to help a horse, Tex, that Mia Ford recently purchased. Tex belonged to one of her best friends. They were show jumpers and promised each other if anything happened to the other that they would take care of the other’s horse for life. Mia was unable to keep that promise for several years until finally the new owner accepted her offer. Unfortunately Tex has been to hell and back and isn’t the same horse. He is a mean one. Mia’s father contacts Sam Mendes and offers him the job. At first Sam and Mia couldn’t get along but sparks of attraction were apparent. As they move into a relationship, things heat up.
I loved the dual POV that the story was written in. It get a wonderful look into Sam’s inner thoughts and feeling to help me to fully understand his actions so much better. Mia on the other hand was a wonderful character that you wouldn’t mind meeting in person.
This is a sexy read with several scenes that may offend some and as such not to be read by anyone under the age of 18.
Mia Ford is one of the River Ranch fortune heir. But she
has proven herself as a champion horse jumper. Mia
has just returned to the ranch in Texas but needs help
with a stallion. The stallion is just untamable.
Sam Mendes is a cowboy who has become famous as
“the horse whisperer”. He travels the country giving
demonstrations but he would rather deal with horses
than with the traveling and dealing with all the people.
He is offered the job of taming the stallion.
Mia and Ford clash as both are head strong and
opinionated with pre-conceived views of each other.
Will they both be able to tame their natures while the
Sam works with the stallion?
The characters are well described and have great
dimension.
The book weaves together the past and present to
make the story easy for the reader to follow.
This is an exciting, heartwarming read!!!
I volunteered to read Cowboy Stole My Heart. Thanks
to St Martin’s Press via NetGalley for the opportunity.
My opinion is my own.
Mia Ford is practically Texas royalty being one of the heirs to the River Ranch fortune. She can saddle up and ride a horse as well as any man, even a hard-working cowboy like Sam Mendes. For years, she’s harboured a crush on the strong, silent horseman. Sam Mendes a horse whisperer is through with love however he’s doing everything in his power to resist Mia Ford. As she’s his boss but neither can deny the attraction between them.
I’m not a great lover of cowboy books but I really enjoyed this & as it’s the start of a new series I look forward to reading more. The characters are well portrayed & have plenty of depth, the pace of the book is very good & I found it hard to put down. The chemistry between Sam & Mia is so hot & I so wanted them to have their HEA.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I LOVED this book. This was a very quick read, honestly I had a hard time putting it down! This the story of Mia and Sam. The two of them have had bad relationships in the past that left them battered and bruised. Mia is a rich horsewoman who is a show jumper. Sam is a now rich horse whisperer. Sam is hired by Mia’s father to help with a stallion of hers that killed a friend of hers that she now owns. Sparks fly when they meet and they start a sex only relationship. Well……. that’s never works. This is a must read. Its a steamy read and one that I greatly enjoyed!
3.5 Stars
This is a new to me author and I really enjoyed her writing style and characters, but I did find that the plot dragged a bit and the hero was a just a little bit to angsty for my likes.
Mia and Sam are brought together when Mia’s father hires Sam to help with a stallion that Mia has bought. Tex, the stallion, needs Sam’s horse-whisperer skills since the trauma he has faced has left him dangerous to anyone who tries to get near him. There’s a bit of a back-story on the stallion and why he means so much to Mia, and I loved that she was so committed to doing whatever it took to help him – even if it meant allowing her father to go behind her back and hire Sam. Of course, things don’t start off well for these two and they find themselves at odds, mostly since Sam thinks Mia is just a rich princess with a horse hobby, which couldn’t be further from the truth since she is an accomplished show jumper who has made her horses her life.
I really enjoyed Mia’s character. Even though she is very successful on her own merits she is so often judged by her pedigree, which makes her a bit sensitive at times. I also love when there is a close relationship between siblings, and Mia definitely has this, especially with her brother Tanner, who also took a path different from what their father wanted. And even though she has issues with her father, you can tell that they are close. It was a lot of fun watching Mia call Sam out on his bs, even when sometimes it was a bit awkward.
Sam was definitely a sexy cowboy, but he’s been deeply hurt before and refuses to let himself ever get emotionally involved with anyone, ever again. I respected the fact that he laid out the ground rules to Mia and made sure that there was no misunderstanding about the “no strings” rule. He was just a bit too angsty for me at times though – I get that what happened to him was terrible and his own parents weren’t the role models for a happy relationship, but gah, man up already and deal with your sh!t! And then to pull what you did…got me a bit worked up!
I loved the scenes with the animals. Tex, the stallion, and Blue, Sam’s dog, were great. And I liked Sam’s unique job – made for a nice play on a cowboy character. The ending was a bit rushed for my liking, I think there could have been a bit more groveling and I never felt that he really let Mia know what issues he was working through, but there were parts that definitely made me smile.
Overall, I enjoyed this one (even with the extra helping of angst) and would definitely read more from Soraya Lane. Her writing was easy and her characters were real, so if you like your cowboys sexy and your heroines strong, this is one to grab.
3.75 stars–COWBOY STOLE MY HEART is the first instalment in Soraya Lane’s contemporary, adult RIVER RANCH cowboy, romance series. This is heiress and horse jumper Mia Ford, and horse whisperer/trainer Sam Mendes’ story line. The RIVER RANCH series is a spin off from the author’s TEXAS KINGS series. You do not have to have read the original series to understand or follow the current time line. Some of the characters cross over for cohesion and backstory.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Mia and Sam) COWBOY STOLE MY HEART follows the building relationship between horse trainer Sam Mendes, and show jumper Mia Ford. Mia Ford is an independent young woman whose recent acquisition of a troubled stallion finds our heroine in desperate need of a horse whisperer when her father calls in a favor from one of the most talented trainers on the horse riding circuit. Enter Sam Mendes, rancher and horse trainer, and the man with whom Mia will fall in love. What ensues is the building ‘friends with benefits’ relationship between Sam and Mia, and the fall out when Mia is hoping for something more.
Mia Ford knows loss including the death of her mother, and that of a friend on the horse jumping circuit. With the arrival of Tex, a beautiful but mean-spirited stallion, Mia struggles between her head and her heart knowing the horse may be too far gone for the likes of Sam Mendes. Sam, on the other hand, has never met a horse he couldn’t tame but there is something else about Tex that gives our hero pause. Four weeks to turn Tex’s life around is all that is takes but four weeks may be too long when the heart wants something it cannot allow. Sam doesn’t do relationships; there are personal demons in his past-demons he is unable to let go including a trouble childhood and a relationship that destroyed what was left of his heart.
The relationship between Sam and Mia is one of immediate attraction but Mia is technically Sam’s boss. The sexual energy is palpable between our leading couple but Sam has made it know that their relationship is only physical, with a four week expiry date. Their initial meeting is met with preconceived notions that do not bode well for their working relationship. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate and intense with the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
We are introduced to Sam’s best friend Nate and his wife Faith, Sam’s sister (Texas Kings #3); Mia’s brother Tanner, and their father Walter Ford, as well as Mia’s best friend and local veterinarian Kat.
COWBOY STOLE MY HEART is a sexy and passionate romantic story line. The premise is inspiring and emotional; the characters are determined, spirited and energetic; the romance is sensual and captivating. COWBOY STOLE MY HEART has a little bit of sexy fun and romance; conflict and angst; family and friendship, and just enough sassy cowboy to get the heart pumping and the blood heating.
Mia Ford loves horses she has since she was a kid. She is independent and doesn’t turn to her wealthy family for anything.
Sam Mendes also loves horses and he rather deal with animals then people. He is known as the horse whisper.
Mia’s father has hired Sam to help with a horse and when he meets Mia they sparks fly.
A great journey these two people take through out the story. A nice romantic read and you will love Mia and Sam.
I voluntarily read a copy of this book
If you love horses and all things horse whispery, then this is the book for you!
Mia has fought and struggled to remain independent from her father’s wealth. A horsewoman in her own right, she’s outraged to learn that he has hired one of the most talent horse whisperers in the country to help with a troubled stallion she owns. True, she is lost as to what to do to help this special animal, but her father really should’ve talked to her first.
Sam never sat out to make a name for himself teaching others how to train and handle horses, but it was a talent that came naturally and a position he fell into at a time in life when he needed something to help heal his mind. When he is confronted with Mia Ford, he’s expecting her to be a rich society lady who refuses to get her hands dirty but soon learns she is anything but.
When these two first come together sparks fly and emotions roil. Mia and Sam both have preconceived expectations but they are both quickly proven to be wrong and their relationship takes a sharp turn to the physical. However, Sam has a history that has left him hurt and bitter and he remains adamant that what they share can never be anything more than just sex.
The beginning felt a bit slow and I found myself skimming. Some of the disagreements between these two just didn’t seem to be justified. However, once they got past the “I hate you” stage I quickly became engaged in their story. I did get a bit tired of Sam keeping Mia at a distance. And when the end came I felt there needed be some real groveling take place of which there was not.
Overall, I actually enjoyed this book, a lot. It was a bit angsty in places, but not to the point of making me cringe and the steam factor was as high as the chili peppers Mia and Sam ate on their first date. I will definitely be watching for the next book in the series as well as checking out previous books from this author.
This is an honest review of an advanced copy provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.
Cowboy Stole My Heart was a very interesting read for me. Author Soraya Lane did a good job developing the two main characters, Mia Ford, horsewoman and competetive horse-jumper, and Sam Mendes, horse trainer described as an excellent horse whisperer. I found both of these characters to be quite fascinating. Mia grew up living the lifestyle of the wealthy and privledged but wasn’t spoiled by it. She is determined to pay her own way and demonstrate strong independence. Sam grew up with an alcoholic father after his mother abandoned him and his sister, He found his way and his passion around horses. At first I didn’t feel the chemistry between these two, mostly because Sam was so determined to never fall in love again following a disaster in his past.
The storyline here was a little slow at first but as I read further I became more and more involved in Mia and Sam. The author spelled out the conflict and resolution in this story quite well. She wrote a good story of two people overcoming things in their pasts to find love and a HEA.
I voluntarily read an ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review.
After a rather harsh break-up Sam Mendes is in need of a little distraction, something to take his mind off of his broken heart, and give him a chance to put all that lingering hurt into his work, and help him forget. So, when the opportunity to work with a troubled horse comes along he figures it is the perfect avenue for him, he can put his skills to work, and put his broken heart out of his mind. But then the horse’s feisty owner wanders into his world and starts turning it upside down…
From outward appearances it would seem that Mia Ford was just another spoiled little rich princess who has given everything she has… but that couldn’t be farther from the truth, she has worked for every little cent she has, and she isn’t about to let someone come onto her land and make her feel undeserving or entitled. So, when the knew horse whisperer Sam Mendes wanders onto her ranch and starts making assumptions, she makes sure it comes back to bite him in the butt! She can do the job just as easily as he can, and she isn’t about to let him think otherwise, nor is she going to let her guard down and fall victim to the unwanted advances from the Mr. Know it all either… good plan right???
Cowboy Stole My Heart is a profoundly sweet tale that is sure to have readers singing it’s praises and delighting over it’s wonderfully crafted characters!! Who knew one trouble making horse could bring so much joy to two people lives, what started as a mission to correct the horses errant behavior quickly became something all together unexpected and oh so pleasurable. These two were quite the pair, when they weren’t at each other’s throats, or trying to outdo each other, they were swooning over one another, and trying their damnedest not to fall for one another… their story was quite a little literary treat! Being my first novel from this author I wasn’t sure what to expect, but after a few chapters into I knew I had discovered something quite special, her wonderful story kept me captivated from start to finish and left me aching for more!! Highly recommend this one, these wonderful characters are sure to steal your heart and keep you quite entertained!!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.
Empathy. A trait everyone has, but so few use. Just look at the chaos the world is in today. Perhaps if more people listened with their hearts, instead of closing their minds the world might stand a chance. I believe that’s why Sam and Mia spoke to me as a reader. The horse whisper and the determined dreamer come together on a journey of hope and discover their own redemption. A lesson in love, taught by a courageous horse, a gifted author and a beautiful love story.
Cowboy Stole My Heart by Soraya Lane
River Ranch #1
Loved the premise for the story – horse whisperer helping a damaged horse that has been saved by the woman the horse whisperer will fall for. So, we should see what makes the H/h and the horse tick, learn a few things about horses and whisperers and perhaps show jumping riders of the professional sort and have a bit of romance, right? And that is what happened but I had trouble relating to the reasons that Sam the horse whisperer pulled out to avoid commitment. I also found that the way Mia fell for Sam and was so forthright and strong in some ways didn’t mesh with her times of not listening and then kind of making Sam “pay”…though he did deserve to suffer a bit for his dumb moves and statements. And…the preppy geek…not sure what purpose he really had in the story. I think maybe I felt this was a bit formulaic in format and predictable and I would have preferred the two to actually communicate and get to know one another on a deeper level than they actually did. All in all not a bad read and not a great one but an okay one…and I am curious about who will be starring in book two of the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press – This is my honest review.
3-4 Stars