Tragedy tore them apart and hate got in the way of love. Is a second chance even possible?
Micah Lennox left Whisper Ridge after promising the man he loved that he would never return. But the only way he knows to keep his pregnant sister and nephew safe is to go home. Spending winter in Wyoming opens too many old wounds, but he’s on the run from justice which can’t be far behind, and this is his … behind, and this is his last chance at redemption.
After a hostage situation leaves Doctor Daniel Sheridan struggling with PTSD, he returns to Whisper Ridge. Joining his dad in family practice is a balm to soothe his exhausted soul, and somehow, he finds a peace he can live with. That is until he meets Micah in a frozen graveyard, and the years of anger and feelings of betrayal boiling inside him, erupt.
Micah and Daniel have a past that was destroyed by lies and tragedy, and even if hate could turn to love, will Micah stay at Whisper Ridge?
Word Count: 70,000
more
Winter Cowboy by author RJ Scott is the first book in the Whisper Ridge Wyoming series. I cannot tell you how much I loved this story. It is a fairly heavy read, there a ton of emotional baggage in this book, but it is so well done. This book is written in Dual POV and handles some very tricky subject matter with amazing tact and grace.
Daniel and Micah has always had a relationship. They became more than friends in their late teens. One night though changed everything for them both. Daniel lost a brother, had one injured and lost his love forever. All in one fell swoop.
Daniel we will meet again about nine years later, he has had more scary things happen to him, and some PSTD from it. He is a doctor and a good soul who has been through a ton and really needs some help to deal with it.
Micah if he didn’t have bad luck, he would have no luck at all in this book. He has no choice but to go back to the town where everyone hates him. He will do what it takes to protect those he loves. He is a deep feeler and a kind soul. He has a ton to deal with in this book. He is stronger for it.
I loved the flow of this story. It is a tad heavy not one I could finish in one night. But overall, I would consider this a must-read for the truly romantic like myself. I will be looking for more from this series in the future, I would like to see where it goes, and who falls in love next.
Five Shooting Stars
I’m already a huge fan of this author. I love Daniel and Micah’s story, and their world of Whisper Ridge, and I’m looking forward to reading more of this series. I enjoy romances with a good dollop of angst, and this delivers that wonderfully as well as a compelling second chance romance.
Daniel and Micah’s relationship is complicated to say the least. Tragedy mars both their pasts, and recent events aren’t doing much better. Both men aren’t the only ones damaged in this story, and I thought the author did a great job in showing PTSD in different forms. I liked how protective they both are towards their siblings, almost to the point of making decisions they shouldn’t. I loved how family and friends help them to move forward and put perspective on what happened rather than them continuing to drown in the bad memories and emotions of that time.
I loved the supporting cast, and the strong family theme with both Daniel and Micah’s families playing a good sized role. I particularly liked Chris and Neil and hope to see more of them in future books. Daniel’s family are good people, and I liked how they made him face his memories, and wouldn’t let him get away with anything. I really felt for Micah’s sister and nephew, and how their experiences were still affecting them.
The setting also pulled me into the story. I thought the descriptions were vivid and atmospheric and added to the plot. The cult and what happens to the people there was chilling and realistic.
The ending was perfect. More please.
daniel and micah broke my heart. micah made a mistake and daniel made sure he paid for it. it was tragic for everyone involved. i understood what daniel went thru, but he still pissed me off. micah was a kid, he paid his dues and now he’s back in town after all these years. micah is an amazing big brother and uncle, and eventually daniel realizes his part in the whole situation. they eventually forgive and move on, and build their own happy ever after. a very deserved happy ever after. this was an amazing story and it really hit me in the feels. like always RJ Scott tells a beautiful story. would def recommend.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Ruthie –
Oh how happy am I that this is the beginning of a new series? Yep, five stars worth of happy!
Ms. Scott does a wonderful line in cowboys who have brains, ethics, and deep desires, that make for really meaningful stories. Here we have a tale which begins with such a dramatic ending, that it is really difficult to believe that there will be a change in the feelings between Micah and Daniel. And yet, I knew that she would pull it off and make me believe the transition from hatred to love.
Rachel’s story is also very important to this book, and it is wonderful to watch her and her children as they re-establish themselves in Whisper Ridge and return to some form of stable life. I am hoping that more good things are going to happen to them in future installments. They certainly deserve a happily ever after too.
There are probably many people who could benefit from thinking about Chris’s take on things, and Micah does at least listen and consider just what did happen and who was to blame. I am keen to read more about his future.
The passion in this book is deeply felt, yet slow to be released. It makes for an amazing buildup of confused desires and memories of easier times. It makes the ending all the richer. Read it and see what I mean!
Angie –
I think I will probably be in the minority with this one, but this book missed the mark for me. While it dealt with some heavy subjects and the author handled them well, I just didn’t connect with the main characters. I felt the emotions from the accident that happened 9 years ago, that they constantly talked about, over and over again, but I didn’t feel connection with any of the characters. There was so much inner monologue too, which drives me nuts, I need dialogue. I am curious about Chris and to see if he gets his own book. I just wish I would have felt the connection between Micah and Daniel, even a little spark, but I didn’t feel it, so it made me less into the story.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Winter Cowboy (Whisper Ridge, Wyoming #1) by RJ Scott to read and review for this tour.
Faced with a decision to honor his promise to stay away or help remove his sister from a bad situation, Micah finds himself back home in the one place he never thought he would be. As with any small town, his return does not go unnoticed by the only man he has ever loved, Dr. Daniel. But hate has a way of bringing people together and between the tragedy that tore them apart and the PTSD the young doctor now deals with something has to give. Can hope and forgiveness prevail? Or will Micah once again be a disappointment and hurt the ones he loves? With a storyline that had me wiping tears from my cheeks and characters that I really needed to give a hug to, this was a great beginning to a new series. I cannot wait to see where R.J. Scott takes the rest of the characters.
If you have read any RJ Scott’s other material you know what to expect. A well written story realistic enough to be about people you know. Had to turn out the light when you are reading one of his books. If you haven’t read any of his work, why not??? Get started now.
Winter Cowboy (Whisper Ridge, Wyoming Book 1) by RJ Scott is a MM, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense. A well-written, heartwarming, second chance romance. A good story with plenty of .angst and great characters. A great start to a new series. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wow. This was a rollercoaster ride of emotion. Daniel and Micah went through so much growing up but they loved their family dearly.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I just loved this book. It was so well-written that it captured my mind and I was dragged along for the ride. Once I started reading I couldn’t put it down until I read the last page.
This is the first book in a new series. It is the story of Michah and Daniel . The story shows how two people deal with falling in love as the deal with family issues.
I received this book with the understanding that I could leave a voluntary and honest review.
In this book we meet Micah Lennox and Daniel Sheridan. Daniel and Micah know each other they spent one night together then before the morning light Micah had stolen Daniel’s car and hit another. That other car he hit took his brothers friend, he brother lost part of one leg and has burns all over his body. He made him leave town that night and vow to never return. However 9 years later everything has changed for both men and they are now both back in town. Can these two find a way to mend what is broken or will they miss out on their own HEA?
This is an amazing story. It does have its ups and downs I really want to tell you about. However I don’t want to ruin it for any other readers. This story will grab you emotionally and not let you go even when the story ends. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
An intriguing second chance romance story, it is captivating, intensely emotional. Strong interesting engaging characters. Well-written book. The pleasure to read this book.
Micah and Daniel struggle with personal issues, family issues and insecurities, but can they both get thru and over the obstacles to be together?
He left him behind but now he needs to help his sister who is expecting and his nephew. So he goes home. Meanwhile they were also back home after war and now suffering PTSD and helps their father which helps. They bump into each other and a fight starts as they are so mad at each other. Follow their journey and see if it will end with a happy ending
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This story is an intense, emotional read, with lots of angst, anger, tragedy, and betrayal. There is also devotion to family, love, healing, and redemption, as two boyhood friends separated by a tragic accident meet again. Can they get beyond past hurts and learn to love and trust again? This book has some dark times when you think the sun could never possibly shine again, but it is well worth it. P.S.: You might want to have tissues nearby. P.P.S: When you are finished having your heart wrung out by Winter Cowboy, I recommend reading R.J.’s lighter tale Love Happens Anyway.^^
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Another great book by a terrific author. There’s so much packed into this one tale, a hot cowboy, smoldering bedroom scenes, and a wonderful flowing storyline to match. I love this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I liked this story a lot because the characters had passion for each other. The narration was decent and the scenes were well written. Sad at times but good ending.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This story grabbed me from the first page and kept me glued through it to the end. The story was written well, but made me cry and feel bad for the characters many times in this book. Daniel and Micah have a very sad life and have trouble living with some things that happened. Once they are reconnected years later and they learn to overcome previous life tragedies, they open up their hearts to each other for a beautiful romance.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is dramatic, intense, heartbreaking and suspenseful. Micah is strong, brave, protective and determined. Daniel is stubborn, unforgiving, judgmental and has PTSD. Lovers as young men, their world was torn apart by a night of stupidity. Friend turned against friend, lovers lied and someone died. After the accident Daniel was so upset with Micah that he told him to leave town and never come back, so Micah did. Until he had to bring his sister back to town. He was only going to stay long enough to insure his sister’s safety, then decided to stay until his ranch could support her. While he is there he is confronted by the people he injured, both directly and indirectly, and they both finally confront the past. I really had a hard time with the way his aunt and uncle treated him, and the fact that Daniel had no clue what really happened the night of the accident and had no interest in knowing. The hero of the story is Chris, his willingness to see the event for what it was, forgive and move on is ultimately the key to everyone’s healing.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
My heart hurt for Micah and Daniel. The love and hurt between these two clung tight for years but finally once together the love/passion was explosive. It could not be denied these two definitely moved up my favorite character list. This is a must must read
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.