USA Today bestseller Caitlin Crews returns to Cold River, CO, and cowboys, with an emotional second chance romance in Secret Nights with a Cowboy, the stunning first installment in her new Kittredge Ranch series. A man holding on… Riley Kittredge has always known exactly what he wanted. His land, his horses. His woman. He met and married Rae Trujillo far too young, and their young love … Trujillo far too young, and their young love combusted right after they said their vows. But their passion has never managed to burn itself out. Yet when Rae shows this time, it’s not a night of pleasure she demands, but a divorce.
A woman letting go…
Rae should have moved on a long time ago. She knows she and Riley just don’t work. They might make great lovers, but that doesn’t make a marriage. And now Rae wants a new life, complete with a baby. But when her husband offers to be a father, to give her the family she’s always secretly desired, she and Riley will both have to face demons from their past–and choose love over fear at last.
“Loaded with charming characters [and] wit….will win the heart of any romance fan.”–Publishers Weekly (starred review) on A True Cowboy Christmas
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Hot, hot, hot! Love this reunion romance. It smolders. I couldn’t put it down. This is a perfect book to warm up a cold night. 5 stars!
First of all, this is a first book in a spin-off series of the Cold River Ranch series. It is a stand alone with it’s own HEA and I adored this HEA so much, I bumped it up to four stars.
The mains in here are Riley Kittredge and Rae Trujillo, high school sweethearts, soul mates, pig-headed and believable. They married young and didn’t have a clue marriage doesn’t guarantee all will be comin’ up roses.
Riley knew exactly what he wanted and stayed that course, to the point he was unbendable. He knew he loved Rae and they should always be together–period. While he messed up in a lot of ways, I felt his love for Rae was true. He had the patience of a Saint, or a horse whisperer, to put up with Rae’s crap.
Rae, wow, she grew up in a family that was just royally screwed up and I think she wanted, no, needed out–period. Quietly rebelling because Trujillos never talked about real issues. She had this unrealistic idea of what she wanted her marriage to be, with no effort on her part, it seemed. And she changed her mind simply put.
This is where I wish I could’ve skipped pages but I had to see exactly where this went wrong, what secret(s) Rae was hiding, was she ever going to tell Riley what happened? Very frustrating for everybody, including me, and small towns, ya know? I don’t care what happened, you do not string your spouse along for eight freakin’ years while you grow up, hopefully. And I do not believe she was fair to Riley whatsoever. Rip the bandaid and move along. Who’s the fool here? I’m not sure on that, but love finally conquered on this journey. These two finally talked, amazing how that works out and it was emotionally charged, this time on Riley’s part. I finally felt they made love, not just had sex.
See, this read got me so emotional, going in any direction, I should say it’s a freakin’ awesome read. Except I read to escape that emotional, dragging, turmoil filled drama of secret keeping and immaturity. Volatile relationships are draining, but I was super happy they got this second chance, when they’d finally matured and/or opened up. Can’t help but think of all the time wasted by these two, and just maybe it wasn’t a waste for them after all, but needed, to get to their HEA.
I received an advance reader’s copy from the publisher through NetGalley. I am giving my own thoughts and opinions voluntarily.
Oh I love second chance stories and this one is a really great one! The characters are so real and so much fun. You will really enjoy this story!
High School sweethearts got married young, but one day Rae Trujillo left Riley Kittredge without giving a reason. The story begins four years after the breakup. The plot was well-written to feel the emotions that the couple goes through as secrets are revealed. The characters are flawed, making them believable.
Secret Nights With a Cowboy
Kittredge Ranch #1
Caitlin Crews
St. Martins Press, Dec 2020, 394 pages
Hometown Cowboy Romance
Provided by Pub via NetGalley
Whoever that cover model is, I hope they paid him VERY WELL, because he’s what’s going to sell this book. He’s steamy! And the photographer did a perfect job of catching that in this picture.
This was one surprise after surprise after surprise. Of course, some of them you could see coming, but some of them were clear out of nowhere. The characters are carryovers from another of Ms. Crews’ series and she fleshed them out very well as so many of them are already established in the area of Cold River, CO. The plot was good, but the writing made things drag out a bit at times so that I almost found myself setting it down. But I stuck with it and it was worthwhile. One thing I really liked was all the family relationships. The way all those siblings really looked out for one another, even when it didn’t appear that way. They, of course, get their HEA. This is one I can’t tell you much about without revealing too much. Recommended.
This is the story of Rae and Riley and their train wreck of a marriage. Separated for 8 years, they each carry a world of hurt and anger. Riley never understood why Rae left, and Rae was afraid to tell Riley the truth. As the years dragged by, the hurt and anger deepen. When the truth emerges, both Rae and Riley must face their choices of the past before they can move forward.
This novel is written well with a lot of emotion. The characters are flawed, but I felt that made them more relatable. I loved the way the author ended the book, with an epilogue and a satisfying HEA ending. Kudos to the author for navigating through a marriage mired in serious issues with compassion and empathy. This book will leave you with a lighter heart and hope for new beginnings.
This was a tough read for me and I LOVE second chances – just too much angst and unknown between the main characters to just keep on reading – this caused me to put this book down several times and read others instead. I usually love Cailtin’s books – sorry! I read a net galley version and freely leave my review!
Such an emotional book, with characters that make you giggle on one page and maybe want to smack sense into them on the next page. Caitlin Crews doesn’t disappoint.
Rae and Riley haven’t been “officially together” for years but in the they seek comfort in one another. Their mountains and communication may to much to overcome to make this a real relationship again.
Happy reading!!!
This is the first book in this spinoff series from the Cold River Ranch series. Now that the Everett boys are all married and Brady Everett married Amanda Kittredge, Kittredge Ranch becomes the focus. Second chances are my favorites, but this one was tough. Not really sure why so many of these families in these small town cowboy/rancher series (not just from this author but from many others) are so dysfunctional. While the characters from the previous series are all here too, the author provides enough backstory that this book can be read as a stand alone.
Riley Kittredge and Rae Trujillo had been friends since they were little, then became high school sweethearts and married right after Rae graduated high school. But four years into the marriage, something happened and Rae moved out of the house that they had built together and back with her parents. But Rae would not tell Riley what happened and why she left him. I think that most readers like me, figured out her secret right away, but she never told anyone. Eight years later, they are still not divorce, and she comes to their house most night for a bootie call. She finally realizes that she needs to make changes, but doesn’t know how. Riley encourages her, because he still loves her and hopes that she will realize that she still loves him and will come home.
This book was quite sad and at times tedious. But the characters are interesting and they do get their HEA once they start listening to the advise from family members and each other. Marriages do not work with secrets.
I read an ARC from NetGalley and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.
I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance readers copy of this story.
Secret Nights With A Cowboy, by Caitlin Crews, is available at booksellers on 12-1-2020. With this, book 4, we’ve come to the end of the Kittredge Ranch series. I’ve not been happy with the series and book 4 was also not to my liking. In the case of Secret Nights I didn’t care for the characters, The female lead is not likeable and the male lead needs a backbone. The plot is supposed to be emotional but the heart of it doesn’t appear until too late in the story. As with the other books in this series I found the inner dialog to be long, too much, and covering the same ground over and over. It took me quite a while to finish the story, I kept putting it down. I wish I could give a better review but I just can’t.
#CaitlinCrewes #KittredgerRanch #SecretNightsWithACowboy #Netgalley #StMartin’sPaperbacks
Secret Nights with a Cowboy begins the Kittredge Ranch series which is set in the same world as the Cold River Ranch series – in fact, we’ll likely see some familiar faces (if you’ve read the previous series).
Rae and Riley are true soulmates, they’ve been friends forever, married young yet both are stubborn, their physical relationship volatile, and the secrets they’re keeping (or simply things they didn’t know about each other’s dreams, wants, desires for the future) were enough to break them. But not the love, or the physical need for each other. So while their families and the townsfolk tiptoe around their relationship (or lack of one) Riley and Rae would often meet at their ranch, an argument would begin that always lead to explosive sexual encounters.
I liked Rae and Riley but they both had some major growing up to do. Secrets will destroy any relationship and when Rae would not tell Riley why she left him (like he’s a mind reader or something and should have just known) that was the point when Rae lost my empathy. I enjoyed watching them try to work out their differences, but it was a rocky road full of potholes to finally get to their happy ever after.
As always in this world, it is the secondary characters, the known returning characters that bring Cold River/Kittredge Ranch alive for me. Family is often a blessing and a curse, which is obvious for Riley and Rae as they get unwanted opinions about every aspect of their lives – together or apart. I need more from these unique, lively families so I’ll be watching for the next story in this series like a hawk.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
Riley and Rae are the perfect second chance couple that have to find their way back to each other after they’ve left themselves in their rut for too long. Their journey is heart-wrenching, but worth it at the end. Perfect for fans of romance that isn’t clear cut from page one.
This is a unique second-chance love story unlike any I have ever read. It is a poignant example of the importance of communication. Secrets can destroy relationships as well as lives. Rae and Riley have loved each other forever but their communication skills are in need of serious help. They have a magnetic pull toward each other that no one, even themselves, can understand. Try as they might, they cannot stay away from each other. I truly enjoyed this different perspective on western romance.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing for this advanced review copy. In return, I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Secret Nights with a Cowboy is the second installment in her new Kittredge Ranch series, the first one having been The Last Real Cowboy which featured an Everett and a Kittredge, founding ranching members of Cold River, Colorado. The Kitredges are a large ranching family that works primarily with horses. This book involves second to the youngest brother, Riley and his estranged wife Rae Trujillo, of the flower and foliage Trujillo family.
Riley and Rae were married mere weeks after Rae, two years Riley’s junior, graduated from high school. The young couple was like fire to flame and burned bright until something happened that not even Riley knows that drove her from the house they shared and back to her family home. However, throughout the years of their separation, the fire that drove them flared once again when Rae would go back to the cabin for a night of passion before returning to her single bed at her parent’s home. That is, until the night Rae appeared to tell Riley they couldn’t continue in this manner and that she wanted a divorce and a clean start.
Taken aback, Riley soul searches to see how he may affect the outcome in a different way. After all, doing the same things over and over again had resulted in the prospect of a future without her. Waiting for him to tell her what he’d done wrong just wouldn’t make it anymore.
This is outwardly a steamy book about the desires of a disharmonious couple. But inwardly, it is a study the the psyches two people who came from backgrounds where both had seen arguing, even anger, as a strange love language. As the story unfolds, Riley takes the tact of friend to Rae, their dealings become less fraught with anger, and the benefits are wonderful until the night when Rae finally breaks down and tells him all.
This is a well written second chance story that delves much more deeply into the emotional workings of a trouble couple. I have read each of the Cold River Ranch and Kittredge Ranch novels, including the novella that comes with this book, and have enjoyed the depth of character Ms. Crews develops. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it!
Secret Nights With a Cowboy is the first book in the new Kittredge Ranch series by Caitlin Crews. If you’ve read books in her Cold River Ranch series, you will recognize some friendly faces here. If you haven’t read any of that series, fear not, as this story stands alone. I’ve recently become a big fan of Ms. Crews and was excited to get into a new series from the beginning.
Riley Kittredge and Rae Trujillo were young sweethearts who wed right after high school. Perhaps they married too young, as all they knew how to do is fight and passionately make up. Shortly after marriage Rae left Riley, but never did tell him why. However, for years afterward Rae would show up at their former home at night, fight with Riley, make fiery love and leave again. One night it’s different, though – she wants a divorce. Riley isn’t ready to let go of the love of his life, however. Will they be able to overcome their past and Rae’s secret that she’s never shared and actually have a true marriage?
This is one of those stories where you love the hero and heroine but want to slap them both silly for not communicating. Seriously, people, just talk to each other! Of course, there wouldn’t be much of a book if they did that right off the bat now, would there? Yet it was impossible to dislike either one, stubborn as they were. A blind person could see how much they loved each other. When they weren’t having steamy times with each other, they dealt with relationships in their own families. I loved Riley’s interactions with his brothers and baby sister. They were afraid of Riley getting hurt again and just couldn’t help but interfere. Rae struggled with her own family and worked to become a really independent adult for the first time. The family dynamics of each were both very entertaining and frustrating at the same time. Even though I knew there must be a HEA, Riley and Rae still had me on the edge of my seat crying and wondering if true love would prevail!
As an added bonus, there was a lovely Christmas novella about Connor Kittredge, the youngest of the bunch, and his former high school sweetheart, Missy Minton. It was a great way to end the book. I eagerly await the next Kittredge Ranch story!
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Riley Kittredge is a horse whisperer. He felt that he could always make things calm and right. When he was young he met Rae Trujillo and that was it. They were the two people that were always arguing and then making up. Neither one of them had an example of what a good relationship should look like. His parent fought like crazy. Her parents were indifferent. He mother and grandmother fought from the time they woke up till the time they went to sleep. Married young they had no idea how to navigate the tough times. Secrets have a way of tearing you apart. When all the secrets are revealed, can you find your way to forgiveness? Rae’s aha moment happened at Thanksgiving with her family. Riley’s didn’t come that easily. Love was the driving factor. to their HEA.
A perfect read to hunker down with when needing something to fall into this one will do. Riley and Rae give us their story with the passion that was and still is. She has in mind what she wants and he says he does too. As this unfolds we see things become obstacles but as a reader you stick with them seeing if they can survive it all.
How to repair a broken marriage
Rae and Riley have been — mostly — separated for more years than they were together. They still find plenty to fight (and make up) about, even though most of their friends and family think their marriage was ended years ago.
These two have a truckload of passion combined with a lifetime of history, yet their struggles are directly related to the patterns of communication they grew up with. This is a beautiful, tender, heart-wrenching story about how they work through breaking down their barriers without breaking each other again.
The secrets abound in this romance, but the one that ultimately drove them apart is truly heartbreaking and seemingly insurmountable. It is a testament to this author’s skill at fully developing her characters that we feel every emotion as they work their way through all the anger, fear, and habit-driven trust issues until they finally find their way back to each other.
Grab your tissues and settle in for a truly romantic read. Riley and Rae were just so vividly depicted it was a real joy to experience their love for each other and their oh-so-satisfying HEA. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Second chance romance isn’t always my cup of tea. I kinda feel been there done that. But I still read them. I know, I can’t help myself. If it sounds good I have to give it a try.
I have to start off with the fact that both Riley and Rae need a swift kick in the butt. They both have tunnel vision in their hurt and anger so they can’t see beyond it. You just want to yell at them to step back and see the big picture.
They’ve let their pasts eclipse the here and now.
I understand they both have past issues, but the one thing for me that means so much is the fact that they both stayed married. Something has to be there for that to happen. They are both young and could have started over so something stopped them.
I will say at times this isn’t an easy book to read. I often got frustrated by it. I liked them both but at times when they are together, it was hard to like them. I will have to say this is a very emotional book to read. With all that you still couldn’t put it down because you needed to know if they worked it all out. Yes, I know because it’s a romance they would, but you still wondered with these two.
So this is one of those books that I didn’t love but still enjoyed it. It’s not the first book in the series but I don’t think it made much of a difference with this book. I do usually like to read them in order but sometimes that doesn’t happen.
I wasn’t too sold on the premise for this book, but I enjoyed the previous book, so I wanted to give this a try. Good writing and Riley and Rae do have some chemistry. I just don’t think this type of premise is what I like; I just didn’t connect with Rae at all. Her reasons for leaving Riley were stupid; that twist wasn’t for me. Riley and Rae are a married couple that don’t agree on much, but the passion is there between them. Rae is off doing her own thing, while Riley is just at home doing his own thing; it all just seems very bratty and immature. It’s been years too; she goes off and comes back occasionally, they get hot and heavy, then she leaves again. Not cool! Rae’s back again to ask for a divorce instead of having an actual conversation likes mature people would. Riley and Rae fall right back into their back and forth junk. I like the setting for the story and the side characters, so that adds some fun to the story. Some entertaining scenes and steam, so the story is okay. Since I enjoyed the previous book and the writing is good, I’ll stick with this series and read the next book, but this book just wasn’t for me.