New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant rounds up the hottest cowboys in Texas in her latest novel of no-holds-barred passion. Audrey Martinez is a veterinarian who has devoted her whole life to the care and protection of horses–even if doing so leaves her little time for meeting a man. Who would have thought that a strange case of criminal horseplay would lead her to falling deeply, … lead her to falling deeply, wildly in love? If only the man who makes her heart race faster than a wild mustang would let his guard down, that is. . .
Caleb Harper is no ordinary cowboy. Sure, he wears his hat, boots, and jeans like a second skin, and displays an easygoing charm that comes from years of working on the ranch. But with his military background, and Army buddies at his side, he is tried-and-true Texas tough. Audrey knows she can trust a man like Caleb to help her save horses. But can Caleb trust himself to resist his attraction to Audrey–or will the sparks of their desire end up getting them burned?
“A fantastic, first-class Lone Star romance.”
–RT Book Reviews (Top Pick!) on The Christmas Cowboy Hero
more
3.5 stars–MY FAVORITE COWBOY is the third instalment in Donna Grant’s contemporary, adult HEART OF TEXAS erotic, romance series. This is rancher and former Green Beret Caleb Harper and veterinarian Audrey Martinez’ story line. MY FAVORITE COWBOY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalments is revealed where necessary.
Told from several third person perspectives including Caleb and Audrey MY FAVORITE COWBOY follows the building relationship between rancher and former Green Beret Caleb Harper and veterinarian Audrey Martinez. Audrey Martinez struggles to identify the recent illness of several horses, unexplained and strange illnesses that point to a potential crime of poisoning. An attack against Audrey’s sister Maddy leaves our heroine vulnerable and alone forcing neighbour and rancher Caleb Harper, and his former army buddies to make it their responsibility to protect the woman with whom Caleb will fall in love. What ensues is the building relationship and romance between Caleb and Audrey, and the potential fall-out as Audrey is targeted by someone from her past, and Caleb is unable to accept the woman in his life.
Caleb Harper knows rejection first hand, and in this our hero is unable to let go of the past. Falling for Audrey Martinez meant falling for someone who could break his heart someone he was about to push out of his life. Audrey Martinez, along with her sister Audrey know love and loss first hand following the death of their mother, and the subsequent disappearance of their grieving father. Meeting Caleb Harper gave Audrey a chance at her own happily ever after, a happily ever after threatened by someone from her past.
The relationship between Audrey and Caleb is one of immediate attraction but Audrey is struggling to uncover the truth behind the recent series of equine illness, and the attack against her sister meant to send a message regarding Audrey’s investigation. Caleb refuses to leave Audrey to fend for herself but miscommunication and memories from the past begin to interfere in their growing love. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
There is a large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters including Audrey’s sister Maddy; Clayton and Abby Harper (The Christmas Cowboy Hero #1), Naomi and Brice Harper (Cowboy, Cross my Heart #2), Brice and Caleb’s friends Jace Wilder, and Cooper Owens; and local sheriff Danny Oldman. The requisite evil has many faces.
MY FAVORITE COWBOY is a story of family, friendship, vengeance, suspense and love. The premise is intriguing; the romance is seductive; the characters are energetic, strong-willed and dynamic but both struggle with issues from the past. I did have a couple of problems accepting the reasons behind the attacks against Audrey, her sister, and the horses-motivations that seemingly come out of nowhere; as well as both family histories resolving in the same story line, resolutions that are too quick and convenient.
Although this is the third book in the series, it can be read as a stand alone. Two amazing people who because of parental behavior are convinced that they will remain alone, find love nevertheless, while they battle with an unknown assailant. Terrific characters and an intriguing well written plot.
Audrey Martinez is an exceptional equine veterinarian. After her mother died following a carjacking, her father could not take the loss of the love of his life and walked away, leaving Audrey and her sister Maddy. They take care of each other and Audrey will not let a man into her life.
Caleb Harper and his two siblings were abandoned by their mother after their father had died. Caleb was only six and watched as his mother walked out the door. Older sister Abby took care of her two younger brothers and they both found a mate in the previous two books, but Caleb doesn’t think he will ever get over his abandonment issues. But former Green Beret and now half owner of a ranch with his brother,Brice, he has grown into a man that can be relied on.
Audrey is called to auction house of a friend of the family, where she finds 4 very sick horses. When she tries to diagnose their malady, her life is put in danger. While the Harpers and their friends will keep her and Maddy safe, is her heart safe with Caleb?
I’ve read the 5 books they have out. Now I’m waiting for #6, Jace’s story, coming out in April of 2021. I have really enjoyed this set of books.
My Favorite Cowboy is a wonderful contemporary romance featuring an intriguing plot.
Audrey Martinez has devoted her life to horses, so when a friend comes to her when four of his horses turn up with a mysterious illness, Audrey doesn’t hesitate to try and find the cause. When it becomes clear foul play is involved, the horses and Audrey need protection until she can get to the bottom of the situation. Caleb Harper is just the man for the job, a former military man with connections that can help keep Audrey safe. But as Caleb and Audrey spend time together, their instant attraction threatens to consume them both.
The romance in the book takes a bit of time to get going, but when it does it is fantastic. Audrey and Caleb are attracted to each other from the minute they set eyes on each other, however the situation they’re in doesn’t allow them to act on that immediately. Instead there’s a nice buildup of that attraction and the two form a nice little friendship while working together. I loved how the two were able to open up to each other, particularly about things they’ve never talked to anyone else about. When there’s a lull in the horse situation, the two take a break at Caleb’s ranch and from there the heat between them goes up exponentially. Their chemistry is amazing and when they finally give in to their attraction, the scenes are steamy and incredibly well done. I will say the obstacles to their starting a real relationship were good ones and it actually made sense why neither of them would want to start something. I liked the way the author dealt with those issues and overall I was happy with the romance.
The plot in this book centers around Audrey trying to uncover why several of her friend’s horses have gotten sick. The reasoning behind it becomes clear pretty quickly although it does take a fair amount of time to discover the exact cause of the illness. I haven’t read many books that feature a vet as the main character and I found it quite interesting. Audrey is clearly good at what she does and I liked watching her work. When we find out who is behind everything, the situation made a lot of sense. Although I will say I didn’t understand why it took so long for the characters to figure things out as it seemed a bit obvious to me.
Overall I really enjoyed My Favorite Cowboy and I will definitely be picking the rest of the series in the future.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
Caleb and Audrey are both like minded when it comes to relationships and pretty much don’t do them. I loved that they both were on the same page. They are working together to find out who is hurting the horses. Audrey is a well sought after equine vet and I loved how passionate she was about the animals. Caleb is a cowboy and ranch owner who could be intense and closed off at times but he meant well. When you find out his backstory it all makes sense.
There are two other books in the series and even though I didn’t read them I didn’t feel lost. So in my opinion this is a true stand alone. I love the relationship the brothers and sister have with each other. I love how the in-laws get along. I felt like I was apart of the gang and I will definitely have to read the first two books.
This was my first time reading this author and it wasn’t a bad read. The last few chapters held my attention and I enjoyed how everything unfolded. When the villain and motive are revealed it was something I didn’t see coming. So that was another plus in my book. I really don’t read contemporary cowboy romance books but this was a good read with likable characters.
Another wonderful book in the Heart of Texas series that has the perfect blend of romance and suspense (and cowboys!) to lead to a very satisfying happy ever after.
Just like his siblings, Caleb Harper has some serious abandonment issues that run deep and have him convinced that anything other than one-night stands and superficial relationships just aren’t in his future – anything more would be too risky and he’s convinced he could never trust anyone with his heart. What he fails to see is that the way he lives his life ensures that none of that is true – his love for his family, and the friends that have become part of his extended family, show just how deep he’s willing to forge a bond…but not until Audrey Martinez comes into his life does he even think love would be possible for him.
Audrey was such a great character. She is an awesome big sister to Maddy, dedicated to her career as a vet, and would do anything to save or help any horse who needed her expertise or attention. That leaves little time for romance, and knowing how devastated her father was when her mother passed, she always finds an excuse to end a relationship before it can actually get started. But when she meets Caleb there is an instant attraction that has her start thinking that maybe there could be more.
I fell in love with the East family in the previous book (book 2, but the first in the series I read), so it was no surprise that they got involved when their friend needed their help to figure out what was happening to his horses. It also was no surprise that once they got know Audrey and Maddy that they quickly added them to their family and committed to whatever it took to keep them safe as well.
Caleb and Audrey didn’t have an easy time finding their happy ever after and at times I just wanted to sit them both down and give them a good talking to and make them communicate with each other. There was also some family meddling – for the good and the bad – that impacted these two, but in the end, despite it all, I loved watching these two come together and figure out that love made them stronger and not weaker or more vulnerable.
This was another great read in this series and I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for the rest of the East clan. This one is a must read for anyone!
Wow! This is the first book by Ms. Grant that I have read but it will not be the last. I was drawn in and hooked almost from the very beginning. There is not a slow part in it. Caleb and Audrey both have issues in their past that keep them from having a serious relationship. Can they help each other to heal? To see that love is worth taking a chance? Someone has poisoned horses and Audrey must find out what it is and save them. What will it take for her to realize she is not alone and can depend on others to help. Sooooooo… in addition to the scorching heat that is Caleb an Audrey, there is a mystery to be solved, an attack, and oh so much more.
Was given this ARC in exchange for honest review
This a wonderful and exciting suspense adventure from page 1 my eyes were glued to my Kindle. It has all the elements you expect from Donna Grant action great characters and If course lots of chemistry between the H/h, that leads to very steamy scenes.
There was great character development and a few mind blown.
Definitely recommend
I thought this was good. The writing flowed well for the most part, but there wasn’t really a lead up to what was going on, the reader is put right in the middle of sick horses from the start. It felt like there was part of the story I was missing. Also, I wasn’t a fan of all the different POVs in this story. The bad guy gets a couple of spots, and so do a few more secondary characters. I would rather just read from the main characters POV. I did like Audrey and Caleb together, I thought they made a good couple. The had both been through things, and could help each other come to terms with them. The thing with her dad seemed to be resolved way too easily in my opinion. The ending for them was super sweet, and I liked seeing them get their HEA.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.
I really enjoyed the book! Caleb and Audrey are so much alike it’s scary. Both swearing off serious commitments but are secretly wanting that fairytale love story. And they are equally too stubborn and prideful for their own good!
I enjoyed the storyline and the mystery was interesting and engaging. I did experience a few hiccups in the story where I felt a few scenes could have been fleshed out more instead of resolving too quickly but that didn’t affect me too much. I’m excited to find out who’s book is next!
***I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of the book provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects or influences my thoughts and feelings about the story***
This was a great read. It was emotional, and suspenseful. I definitely recommend this book, this series and this author.
My Favorite Cowboy is the third book in Donna Grant’s Heart of Texas series, and it’s the second title in that series I’ve read, although I felt that it would worked just fine as a standalone. The series centers around the Harper siblings, and this novel is about the youngest son, Caleb, and it gets 3.5 stars from this reader.
Caleb Harper is a former Green Beret, a handsome hunk of a cowboy, whose mother abandoned her three children after the death of their father, and six-year-old Caleb took it hard. As a result, he has serious abandonment and commitment issues, and unlike his two siblings, has decided to remain single for life, and has become a one-night stand kind of guy, at least that’s his life plan until he meets Audrey Martinez, an equine veterinarian, whom he meets while she’s trying to figure out what’s wrong with 4 horses who’ve all fallen mysteriously ill at a good friend’s auction house.
I love animals and horses are among my favorites, and I will admit to having a hard time dealing with the poor, sick and suffering equines. While Audrey does her best to help them, she comes into contact with Caleb and his brother, Brice, and Caleb is just as taken with Audrey as she is with the handsome cowboy, but Audrey too has commitment issues, but for reasons that are the antithesis of Caleb’s. She had a wonderful childhood and her parents adored each other, and having seen and grown up watching that type of deep, committed love, she’ll accept nothing less than that from a partner, and she has yet to meet the man who’ll fit the bill. When Audrey’s mother died, her father went off the deep end, walking away from Audrey and her younger sister, Maddy, and neither has heard from him in over two years. Also, while Audrey and Caleb come from opposite ends of the family and relationship spectrum, they soon realize that they are more alike than not, although both try to fight the growing attraction because of their issues.
The backdrop of the novel is a mystery–when the blood test results comes in for the ailing horses, we learn that the horses have been poisoned, but who would do such a thing and why? There are two criminals who are responsible for carrying out these crimes, but the first attempt to capture them fails, and we learn that they’re just the hired evildoers, there’s no hint of who’s behind the poisoning, or the explosion that destroys the evidence of Audrey’s necroscopy on the one horse that died before she could discover what was making them all ill, and then her lab is the next thing targeted for destruction. Who’s behind all this chaos, and why? Since there’s really only one person mentioned that we don’t actually meet until well into this mystery, I didn’t have a very difficult time figuring out who was behind these incidents, and when we learn that the culprit is nearly broke, I couldn’t help but wonder how the person behind all this was paying the henchman for their services.
While I liked both the hero and heroine, I found their issues and angst about commitment somewhat overwrought and overstated. These two are not teenagers but adults, and the manner in which they seemed unable to communicate their thoughts and feelings beyond their sexual attraction to one another just struck a wrong chord with this reader. They have one wild night together and then spend a lot of time wondering why their bed partner doesn’t call, rather than making a phone call and discussing it–it was all just too high school romance for this reader.
While Ms. Grant writes well, and this was a fairly entertaining read, with the expected HEA ending, again, it seemed that both main characters were a tad too juvenile to truly be believable as adults, and the wrap-up at the end seemed rather rushed, tying up all the loose ends at the last minute. It wasn’t a bad read, but it wasn’t a great one either.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
My Favorite Cowboy, indeed!
Two wounded hearts are brought together by jealously that leads to deadly results. Caleb Harper is all charm and sexy smiles on the surface but deep down he carries scars from his mom’s abandonment. Audrey Martinez witnessed her parents’ true love story and the devastation that comes when one partner dies. Thrown together by a dangerous plot to seek revenge against Audrey, they find that they are fighting to not only save Audrey’s beloved horses and her reputation but also to save their one chance a true love.
Grant once again creates an insta love story that has time to develop against the backdrop of danger and intrigue without feeling rushed. She’s also not afraid to tackle deep emotional issues while turning up the suspense.
My Favorite Cowboy is the the third book in Donna Grant’s Heart of Texas series and picks up three years after book tow and fifteen years after book one, so you can easily read it as a stand-alone but I’d recommend reading the series in order as you get to see the Harper family survive and thrive and see Caleb grow up.
Grab you by the seat of your pants suspense…along with the discovery of healing love. The story of Aubrey Martinez and Caleb Harper is just what the Doctor ordered you won’t want to put the book down as you find out who is wanting to harm beautiful horses and the good Doctor.
I have to be honest. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read the ARC of this title. Donna Grant has a wonderful reputation, so I was actually beyond thrilled. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed by the version I read. The beginning seemed to drag, and I found it hard to really get into the characters and into the world of the story. And maybe it’s because I haven’t read any of the other books in this series. I’m really hoping that’s part of the issue. It also felt disjointed and like the conflict was thrown in as an afterthought. Plus, the ending felt rushed. I truly hope that some of this was addressed in edits after the ARC was sent. When I have some time, I’d like to start the series from the beginning and see if that helps me to love this book like I had hoped I would. For now, I give My Favorite Cowboy by Donna Grant 3.5 stars.
This one is my favorite for this series so far. The characters were believable and I enjoyed the mystery plot running in the background.
This story stands alone, the previous books are about other characters so you’ll soon catch up.
Horses are sick and Audrey who is a vet is trying to get to the bottom of it. Little does she know it’s about her. Jealousy drives this story and the author wrapped it up well. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Horses Rule
I just jumped in with book three in the series and, having been introduced to the family members, can see that each couple would have had its own story. But any pertinent information is included within this tale which stands well alone. Separation anxiety and abandonment issues loom large for a number of the characters whose childhoods were less than stellar, and those backgrounds now inform the actions of the adults. A solid (equine) murder mystery lies at the center of the action and the novel moves forward rapidly keeping dual focus on the building romance as well as the investigation progress.
My Favorite Cowboy by Donna Grant is a mystery/romance that revolves around Caleb and Audrey. Audrey is an equine vet and Caleb is a veteran, running a ranch with his brother. His goal is to sell the best-trained horses around. The issue becomes apparent when all of a sudden horses are being poisoned, and they are all under the care of Audrey, pointing to her as the poisoner. There is no real reason show would do this to the horses she loved, but there are no clues pointing to anyone else. Additionally, it is a slow acting poison so it is hard to pinpoint when it is taking place. There are all kinds of additional cast members: Caleb’s extended family; Audrey’s sister, Maddy; stable owners and other vets, all complicating the situation. Was it the stables the criminals were after? Or was it Audrey?
To complicate matters, Cab and Audrey hook up one night, but both are convinced that they are unable to connect with another person, so that is an intriguing part of the story to be explored.
This is a good story: more than a romance; more than a mystery. The characters are multi-dimensional and there are more than enough subplots to involve everyone in a tale that emulates real life: complicated and messy. The poisoner is found; many, if not all, of the problems are solved. It is an enjoyable journey. One I recommend you take.
I received a free ARC of My Favorite Cowboy in exchange for a fair and honest review. @netgalley #myfavoritecowboy
Fantastic contemporary western style romance between a rancher and a equine veterinarian. Caleb is former military who came home to work with his family. He never gets attached to the women he’s with. Audrey is an outstanding get who specializes working with horses. Both characters are scarred by things in their past but when danger occurs they pull together. I received a complementary copy of this book via Net Galley and chose to write a review. I look forward to reading future books by Ms. Grant.
5 Stars
If you want a story with a sweet, sexy and complicated cowboy, as well as a strong, smart, independent and beautiful woman, then this is a book you need to pick up! This story has a mystery to solve, and everyone gets involved to help. You will not want to put this book down until you know what will happen, who did what and whether our hero and heroine can get past their issues to be together forever!
Cara – Alphas Do It Better Book Blog