From this “fabulous storyteller” (Carolyn Brown, New York Times bestselling author) comes the next Meadow Valley western romance series.
Dr. Charlotte North has no time for a player, not even one as tempting as Ben Callahan. Besides, Charlotte is only in Meadow Valley for a few months to help her grandmother. After that, it’s back to New York and the career she loves. But when her gran starts … the career she loves. But when her gran starts to meddle in her personal life, Charlotte knows just the man to help her out. Ben’s the perfect no-strings boyfriend, until Charlotte discovers that beneath that rugged, charming exterior lies a sweet and bighearted cowboy.
Ben Callahan is tired of people assuming he’s an immature playboy, so when the smart and sexy Charlotte asks him to be her pretend boyfriend, he jumps at the chance to show everyone that he’s changed his ways. Though he and Charlotte are calling their relationship fake, Ben’s heart says otherwise. Two months with Charlotte isn’t nearly enough. Will Ben be able to prove he’s worthy of her for real before their time together is up, or will she leave Meadow Valley — and him — forever?
Includes the bonus novel Hometown Cowboy by Sara Richardson!
Make Mine A Cowboy is the third book in author A. J. Pine’s Meadow Valley Ranch series. Dr. Charlotte North receives a call that her grandmother has taken a fall breaking both her wrist and ankle. She quickly arranges for a two month leave of absence to return home to Meadow Valley, CA from her New York City practice. She knows her grandmother will need her help not only to recuperate but also to run her inn. With her jet lagged arrival at the hospital she encounters Ben Callahan snoozing in a waiting room chair. What is her one week fling doing here?
When a bleary eyed Ben awakens, they have a few words and then Charlotte is taken to recovery to see her grandmother, inadvertently leaving her suitcase with Ben. The following day, Ben takes Charlotte’s suitcase to her, but she has already decided she has no time for distractions, she is there simply to help her grandmother.
Charlotte and Ben decide to be friends only, surely they can do that. But when her recovering grandmother begins playing matchmaker with all the eligible men in town, Charlotte cooks up a plan of her own and knows just who to enlist as her fake boyfriend, her new best friend Ben.
This is a sweet story of second chances and finding one’s true place to belong. These varied characters are well drawn and the plot has enough twists to keep the readers on their toes. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it!
Dr. Charlotte North had a week-long fling with Ben Callahan when Charlotte visited her grandmother in Meadow Valley. She is a member of a pediatric practice in New York City and has a very busy life there. Shortly after returning to New York from her week’s vacation in Meadow Valley Charlotte got the call that her grandmother fell off a ladder and broke her ankle and her wrist so she is out of commission for two months so needed Charlotte to help run her grandmother’s inn. What would happen when she spent two months with Ben?
Make Mine a Cowboy by A.J. Pine is the second book in her Meadow Valley series. This was a very fun, yet also emotional read. Charlotte and Ben live on opposite sides of the country. Reading about how they figure out how to be together was very entertaining. I enjoyed reading about the characters from the first book in the series as well as getting to know Ben and Charlotte.
What a lovely, realistic and entertaining read.
I fell in love with these two. Both, of course had issues, whether it was from long ago or recently, when life deals the cards you bluff your way through or fold. Neither one liked the second option and both winged it really well as was necessary, now if they could figure out what’s faked, what’s real, and what’s really faked too well.
There were so many facets to this, giving an understated depth to a somewhat supposedly lighter read. Smalltowns are so unique; close knit, aggravating, compassionate, and always in the business of knowing it all.
Ben and Charlotte were adorable. The intelligence written into their characters was awesome.
I got all the feels out of this journey, with some heat and more than a few LoLs which I always love.
HEAs are always the best and this does not disappoint.
I requested an early copy through Netgalley and was so excited to read this. Leaving my own thoughts and opinions because I want to
Make Mine A Cowboy is a heart- warming novel of second chances. I loved the characters and their second chance romance.
I adored the charming, handsome Ben Callahan from the first page of the novel. Six months ago, he was misdiagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. Ben kept the devastating news to himself and decided to enjoy life, beer and woman.
Dr. Charlotte North works in an extremely busy pediatrician’s office in New York City. She is consumed by her job and responsibilities and has no social life. I could relate to Charlotte and understood her work ethic and work pressures. Charlotte’s return to Meadow Valley to help her injured Grandmother run the inn provides Ben with a second chance with Charlotte.
I loved how the author blended light hearted dialogue and emotional drama in this story. Loved that Gram Pearl played the role of matchmaker for her granddaughter. Gram wanted Charlotte to have a home, friends and family. Ben endeared himself to me when he took Charlotte out on their first date – a picnic under the stars— so very romantic. Loved the chemistry between this couple and their romance and that Ben put himself out there made his feelings about Charlotte clear!
Make Mine A Cowboy is a perfect winter read! Ben-the swoony hero will capture your heart as he tries to win over the determined Dr. North. Grab a mug of tea and enjoy this story!
This was a DNF for me. I felt like I was dropped into the middle of the story instead of the beginning right from the start. I’m not sure if Ben’s story was mentioned in a previous book or something, but it was off putting, and made it impossible to get into the flow of the story. Also I’m used to text messages being made to stand out, not being written as part of a paragraph. Another thing that took me out of the story, and that was just in chapter 1. There is a lot of stuff too this story as well. A lot of different story lines, and I didn’t feel like trying to make my way through all the clutter. This was a first for me from this author, but I would be willing to read her again.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.
MAKE MINE A COWBOY is A.J. Pine’s second book of the Meadow Valley series with Dr. Charlotte North needing a fake boyfriend to keep her grandmother from meddling. Her plan is to stay just long enough until her grandmother is back on her feet. However, Ben wants their fake relationship to be the real deal and prove others that he’s no longer an immature playboy. Will Ben be able to prove he’s worthy of her for real before their time together is up, or will Charlotte leave Meadow Valley—and him forever? A.J. Pine is an amazing storyteller, filling her stories with strong family ties, witty banter, and wonderful characters. MAKE MINE A COWBOY is a heartwarming must read. Included is a bonus story HOMETOWN COWBOY by Sara Richardson, another delightful cowboy romance! I received this complimentary copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Heartwarming, sexy, fun and emotionally thrilling journey filled with engaging charters, witty and fun dialog, heart racing twists, sweet moments and thrilling passion. This is a great read that is so hard to put down.
Second chances are my favorite trop and this book is full of them. The characters are endearing and the story line engaging. It is the second book in the series. I did not read the first book and unfortunately, the author failed to provide a paragraph or two toward the beginning of the book to give enough backstory to the situation. I still don’t know how and why Ben, Sam and Colt came to buy the Meadow Valley Ranch, how old they were when Ben and Sam’s mother left them, anything about Oak Bluff and how their parents got back together. That is the only con that I have about the book and why I only gave it 4 stars.
The book starts off in a doctor’s office as they wait the results of Sam’s blood test to determine whether he is likely to have early-onset Alzheimer’s like their father has. Ben had secretly taken the test 6 months ago and with the positive results had been acting like his life was over and became detached from everyone. But the doctor also informs him that his results were negative and the lab gave him another patient’s results. So now he has a second chance with life and his family and friends. A few weeks ago he had had a vacation fling with the granddaughter, Charlotte North of Pearl Sweenry owner of the Meadow Valley Inn. Because of her wanderlust parents, Charlotte craved structure and turned to science for stability. After the loss of her grandfather, she decided to become a doctor and she is now a workaholic, pediatrician in NYC, with no close friends. But when Pearl falls, Charlotte takes a leave of absence to come care for her grandmother and help run the Inn. Now Charlotte and Ben have a second chance with each other, first as friends and then more- if they will open up their hearts and be honest with their feelings.
I read an ARC that I received from NetGalley.com. this is my voluntary and unbiased review.
Dr. Charlotte North is on an extended stay in Meadow Valley, California, to help her grandmother run her inn. At the end of these two months she’s going back home to NYC and the medical career she’s established there. She has no intention of renewing her vacation fling with rancher Ben Callahan, but when her grandmother starts trying to set her up with every eligible man in town, Charlotte knows Ben is the perfect one to help her out. Charlotte is content to show her grandmother a fake relationship, no strings attached, with Ben, but she’s disconcerted to find the big heart hidden beneath his carefree exterior.
Since learning that he received the wrong test results and doesn’t actually have his dad’s gene for early-onset Alzheimer’s, Ben Callahan has set about changing his selfish playboy reputation and becoming a man who can commit. When Charlotte asks for a pretend relationship, he sees it as an opportunity to demonstrate the changes he’s made. Despite calling the relationship fake, both Ben and Charlotte develop very real feelings, but she’s still leaving town all too soon and with not nearly enough time for Ben to prove himself to be worth staying for.
I have some mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, I loved the small town, everyone is family feeling here and Ben was a lovely hero. I really appreciated how much he was trying to work on himself and be a better man, but that’s also where my hang-up with this book comes in: Charlotte should’ve been there for him, should’ve given him that sense of being better and she didn’t. Charlotte was just so clinical and heartless and even she admitted that it was largely her own stubbornness keeping them apart. I hated that Ben was willing to give up so much for Charlotte and she wasn’t really willing to reciprocate, even if that would’ve been better for them both. For all that Ben beat himself up about being selfish, Charlotte was the one who exhibited the most selfish behavior. I can understand not wanting to get hurt, no one does, and I’m a highly logical person as well, but Charlotte took her logical thinking to such an extreme that she just sounded stupid. I thought Ben deserved better, but I enjoyed him and his friends and family. The side characters were charming enough to make me want to read more from Meadow Valley.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This story is a heartwarming, feel good romance! Make Mine A Cowboy will take your emotions through all the ranges and leave you wanting more. A beautiful tale that you won’t soon forget. A witty story filled with laughter, romance and a swift punch to your gut. This was my first book by the author and I won’t hesitate to buy anything she releases in the future.
Dr. Charlotte North has a good life in New York. She’s a physician with a good practice and loves the city life. But when her grandmother injures herself, Charlotte is on the first plane back to California to help her recover.
Ben Callahan has been a bit reckless in the past few months. He had a health scare a few months ago and has been living reckless and free. He decides it’s time to make a change with his life and that change just happens to coincide right when his ex-fling is back in town – Charlotte North or Doc as he affectionately calls her.
What starts off as Ben and Charlotte becoming friends, turns into a fake relationship with real feelings involved. With the two of them destined to be on opposite sides of the country – how will they make this “fake” relationship work if it ever turned real?
I enjoyed the second chance love story between Ben and Charlotte. I do wish I would have felt more of a connection between these two and maybe I’m missing out on a bit, because I jumped into Make Mine a Cowboy without having read the previous book first.
I always love a fake relationship and loved how Charlotte and Ben just kept on having to make excuses to lock lips with one another ;). The inner monologue for both did get to be a bit repetitive at times and there was no real angst or conflict to get over.
Overall, I enjoyed Make Mine a Cowboy and wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another book by A.J. Pine. I would give Make Mine a Cowboy 3.5 stars.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
A fun fake romance turned more storyline about Ben a rancher and Charlotte – a big city doctor.
Ben and Charlotte had a nice little fling over her vacation to visit her grandmother in Meadow Valley. She never expected to be back in town so soon and now she finds herself in a friendship with her fling. But when her grandmother decides to start butting into her relationship status, she recruits Ben to help her. She thought she could resist the sexy cowboy, but when her feelings and his start to turn into more, she doesn’t know what to do.
This was super cute and I LOVED the witty dialogue between the two of them. I love AJ Pine’s cowboy tales and this is yet another one I will place in the WIN category.
3.5 Stars!
The book blurb is what drew me into Make Mine A Cowboy by A.J. Pine. The first chapter is quite exciting and caught my immediate attention. This is the second book from the author’s series, Meadow Valley, and it can be read as a standalone.
The female heroine, Dr. Charlotte North, is an interesting character. I liked her determination, and her ability to stand firm when it comes to her job as a pediatrician for a well-respected medical practice in New York City. She has a good heart, and drops everything to care for her spunky grandmother when she gets injured from a fall. Luckily, her employer grants her a leave of absence so that she can spend the next eight weeks running her grandmother’s inn, while also looking after her. Charlotte falls into lust and love with Ben Callahan, a local rancher. Ben and Charlotte had an amazing fling the last time Charlotte was in town visiting.
The male lead is Ben Callahan, a local rancher. For the past six months he has been living life on the edge and shirking his ranching responsibilities. Now Charlotte is back and she needs him to pretend to be her boyfriend so that her grandmother will stop trying to fix her up. Within eight weeks, they become more than just friends.
I liked this story, however, the plot dragged at times.
Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
This is a sweet story. Wonderful characters and well written. Ben and “Doc” have had a sexual relationship in the past. But now Doc asks Ben to pretend to be her boyfriend to stop her Grandmother from interfering in her love life. Doc will only be in town for a couple of months can they keep it friends only?
Excellent combination second chance and fake romance story. As always AJ Pine brings the cowboy to life. The issues and baggage between the two main characters will keep you turning the pages to the HEA.
Amusing, lighthearted, and sexy!
Make Mine a Cowboy is a heartwarming, fun-loving tale that takes you to Meadow Valley, CA and into the life of the compassionate, hardworking Charlotte North as she juggles a grandmother in need of assistance, a rewarding career back in New York, and a cowboy who’s slowly stealing her heart.
The writing is playful and tender. The characters are helpful, supportive, and loveable. And the plot is a delightful blend of heart, humour, family, friendship, introspection, attraction, community spirit, shameless flirting, romantic moments, and steamy chemistry.
Overall, Make Mine a Cowboy is a sweet, entertaining, effortless tale by Pine that’s the second novel in the Meadow Valley series but can certainly be read and enjoyed as a standalone novel.
After Ben receives a crushing medical diagnosis, he continues his playboy ways. While Dr. Charlotte North is visiting her grandmother in Meadow Valley, Ben and her have a no-strings attached affair and then she returns to New York. Meanwhile, Ben finds out he received the wrong diagnosis. Will he change now or will he continue being a playboy? Charlotte returns to town, when her grandmother takes a fall off a ladder, so she can help run the Inn. Gran waits to fix Charlotte up with some single men, so she gets Ben to agree to be her fake boyfriend while she’s in town. Grab your copy and see if Charlotte stays or returns to New York, after Gran recuperates.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.
Meadow Valley is a nice place to visit for a few days.
This fake relationship had a second chance aspect to it that I really enjoyed. I loved how Ben did a complete 180 from how he had been living before. Charlotte’s craving for stability kept her from committing to stay in Meadow Valley but she dropped everything to come help when it was needed.
These two had some great banter and watching the growth was fun. I can’t wait to see which resident of Meadow Valley gets their HEA next!
3.5 stars
Make Mine a Cowboy was an entertaining fake dating and second chance-ish cowboy romance. I really enjoyed how Ben and Charlotte helped each other become/want to be better versions of themselves. They were so sweet together and I loved their ribbing and banter. I do wish they would have been more open and honest with each other about their feelings, but it made sense given their fears and history. The hot and cold back and forth did make things feel a bit too drawn out, but I really loved the ending and epilogue and how they worked to get there.
I always love small town romances because of the meddling townspeople and families and Meadow Valley was no different. There are lots of great characters in this one and I especially loved no nonsense Pearl. She added some wonderful comic relief, but also the kick in the pants our characters sometimes needed. If you’ve never read a cowboy romance before, I definitely recommend AJ Pine’s books. She brings lots of fun contemporary/pop culture references into her stories that make the characters and books feel more approachable. I’m really intrigued by Colt and his backstory and am excited for his book next!
CW: Alzheimer’s and death of a parent
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*
An enjoyable visit to Meadow Valley. I loved Ben from the start. Took me a little longer to connect with Charlotte. Once she started opening up, she totally had me on her side. Ben and his Doc (no matter how they tried to fight it) had oodles of chemistry. The ending left my smiling. Looking forward to another visit soon.