They say you never forget your first love…Jackson: It was always my destiny to stay in Sweetgrass Ridge, Montana. It was always hers to leave.I knew Hailey when she was just a proud, talented girl from the wrong side of the tracks and I was the scion of western Montana’s richest ranching family. That was before we grew up, before I knew what it was to hold her in my arms – and before she … hold her in my arms – and before she ghosted me so hard it damn near broke me.
Now I can’t forget her no matter how hard I try. And I’m starting to think destiny is what you make it.
Hailey: He was the king of our little town, even when we were kids. Cowboy, prom king, crush object of every girl within a hundred miles.
And I was his. No one ever made my heart beat as fast as Jackson Devlin did. But his family didn’t approve, and neither of us understood the lengths certain people would go to keep us apart.
Now it’s 5 years later and I’ve got a secret. An adorable secret with freckled cheeks and the same ice-blue eyes as his daddy.
A novel about small towns, first loves and second chances…
Author’s Note: ‘The Cowboy’s Baby’ is the first book in the Devlin Brothers Ranch series. It can be read as a standalone and is a full-length (100k) romance novel. This book contains adult themes and language and is intended for readers over 18.
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Who knew you could meet your soulmate over crushed cupcakes ???
Jackson Devlin, heir apparent to a ranching dynasty knew life had become interesting upon bumping into a young, cupcake laden Hailey in junior high. He didn’t however know that he’d just met his possible future. Possible. Two kids who enjoyed taunting one another in youth, then slowly gained friendship later that eventually became much more. He was adored by all in their small town. Not for anything he did, or for who he was at his core. Nope, they all revered him because of who his father and his money/influence. Little did they know he himself held no sway, and was little more than unpaid labor. To say his father was a jerk is indeed an understatement. Hailey was the ONLY person who truly knew him as a person and cared. What happened next was an utter tragedy….but to learn what happened, you’ll have to read this amazing book. I fell in love with this cast of characters, and definitely cheered on both Jackson and Hailey. I look forward to seeing what happens to each of them in future books. This is a book about childhood , young love, growing up and the MANY lessons that brings. Sometimes out of pain we’re blessed with clarity and the most beautiful gifts.
This is the first book I have read by Joanna Bell, and after reading it, I found out that she does not usually write modern westerns, but she did a fantastic job with this one. I am really hoping that she writes more books in this series. Jackson has lots of brothers that need a story. I loved this book. It has lots of emotion, that you can really feel when you read it. Then you have the lightness of a child that balances out that emotion, all in a well written story that I did not want to put down. Heres hoping that she continues this series! Whether she does or not though, I highly recommend this one.
This book had me on an emotional ride and I loved every second of it. They have an up and down relationship, starting with a rocky friendship as young kids. I loved getting to be with them every step of the way. I wiped tears, I flat out cried and raged and I kept reading, kept loving the story of Jackson and Hailey. It’s a great read, an amazing story and I am looking forward to more from the Devlin Brothers.
Growing up is hard to do and breaking up proves impossible
Jackson and Hailey, the oil and water couple from Montana ranch country, face a lot of challenges in this heartbreaking, life-and-love affirming romance. Jackson’s family’s wealth and privilege can’t compensate for his father’s cruelty, his stepmother’s avarice, and his younger brothers’ complicity. Hailey’s loving and supportive single mother can’t give her the confidence to believe in her considerable talent, or even her own self worth. Star-crossed as their love appears to be, it will not be denied – but HEA must be deferred until Haiey and Jackson can learn to truly love. The characters are superbly drawn, their emotions flow genuinely from their situation, and readers will feel all their joy and anger and loneliness right along with them. Grab your tissues and settle in for the hottest read of the winter.
This is book one in the Devlin Brothers Ranch series and it features Jackson Devlin and Hailey Nickerson. These two have one of those romances that start out as a strange kind of friendship when she was eight and he was 13. Jump ahead 10 years and the on-again, off-again friendship becomes a beautiful young love. Enviable even! I loved reading about it. That is until both of their obligations plus an unexpected one gets in the way. He is the heir to the wealthy, cattle ranch owning family and she is the grocery store check-out girl.
You can probably guess where this story goes but this author brilliantly builds several whole lives in different states around this thread. This story is beautifully written. The highs and lows feel almost personal because you’re so invested in these characters. The character growth was incredible and believable! I was so steeped in this story from beginning to end. BRAVO! Great first book in a series. I can’t wait for the next book!
I had complicated feelings about this book. There was a lot here that I liked. This slow-burn, friends to lovers romance had a rich, meaty story that offered a engaging blend of powerful emotions, drama, angst, sweetness, heat and heartbreak. I really liked Hailey, the female lead. She was a bit prickly and had her sensitivities but overall (except for one single instance) I thought that she came across as a very genuine, well grounded, strong, relatable character. My heart really hurt for her and I thought she deserved so much better than what she got. Now for what I didn’t like. Jackson. Yeah, I had big problems with the male lead. Which was really kind of sad because to start I liked him and actually felt bad for him. However, as the story progressed, my like, turned to dislike and then to outright hate. Now, I know that I’m probably going to be in the minority here and that in the end he does this heroic deed, makes his grand gesture, apologizes profusely and the author unfurls her important message of forgiveness, but for me it was simply just too late. In my opinion Jackson was a spoilt, self-centered jerk with anger management issues. The choices he made, the things he said and the way he treated Hailey were 100% inexcusable. I’m going to stop myself here though because I do not want to spoil the book for others and if I am truthful could go on a massive rant here. I also hated the fact that practically no one really answered for the wrongs and betrayals that were committed. Maybe, I am just cold, vengeful and bloodthirsty but I needed some sort of scale balancing, even if it was a solid confrontational argument. I will say that this book inspires strong emotions in the reader, but for me they were not all good ones. So, while this book was not huge win for me, I am intrigued enough by the author’s storytelling to want to give more of her work a try and I think that the next book in this series will feature Jackson’s duplicitous brother and I hope that whatever woman hooks up with him breaks him and brings him to his knees. He has earned it.
Hailey and Jackson met when she was eight and he was thirteen and the spark was ignited. He was the oldest Devlin the heir apparent to their ranching kingdom and she was the poor girl from the other side of town. He had everything he wanted through high being the rich football star and then daddy put him to work with no paycheck and living in a broken-down trailer. She loved art and dreamed of going to art school with Jackson’s encouragement. Their true love story began when she was eighteen, they became best friends and then lovers, with family interference they are torn apart each thinking they were abandoned by the other. Jackson leaves his family ranch to start over and Hailey is off to art school. The real story is how they reconnect, how they react to the lies that had been told, how they deal with the perceived betrayal, and the feelings they still have for each other. Great story and characters with lots of emotions and drama. Great start to a new series of brothers.
This is the first book written by Joanna Bell, that I have ever read. I couldn’t put it down. It completely held my interest! It was very well written. Jackson and Hailey’s relationship took you on a rollercoaster of emotions. But it ultimately ended with a happily ever after.
All the feels for young, Montana star-crossed lovers
4.5stars
I loved Joanna Bell’s Mists of Albion time travel romance series. I sort of missed the backward time travel but this totally contemporary story is good, has plenty of emotion, passion and angst, even including some heart-pounding action. I also love Western settings and a good, tearjerker break-up or separation. Both MCs made assumptions and mistakes that could be chalked up to their youth, but Jackson’s father, stepmother and brother had no such excuse (a nest of vipers in the family?!).
I thought the story was well-written and kept me involved but after the exciting climax I felt the end bits, and particularly the last three or four chapters, were drawn out and anticlimactic.
Jackson and Hailey have a heck of a time realizing their love. First is the age difference, then lack of maturity, naivete, familial interference, long distance, lack of communication, life and death peril to name a few issues. This is a riveting story. I wanted to shake them both at points in the book. Anxious for more in the series.