Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Review: Cowboy For Keeps by Laura Drake


Cowboy For Keeps (Chestnut Creek #3) by Laura Drake
Publication Date: July 28th 2020 by Forever
Pages: 353
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

About the book:

There's not much that could rattle a cowboy like Reese St. James. But when his twin brother dies in a car accident, Reese is stunned to discover he has a six-month old niece, Sawyer. Wanting to make up for lost time, Reese heads down to Unforgiven, New Mexico, to bring her home. He doesn't plan on Sawyer's guardian giving him any trouble, but the intriguing, independent woman is turning out to be more than he bargained for.


Lorelei West had given up hope of having a family of her own until her sister's tragic death brought little Sawyer into her life. And now there's no way she's going to let Reese take her away. Lorelei knows hotshot, good-looking cowboys like him -- she's dated enough of them -- and she intends to stand her ground. Yet the more time Reese and Lorelei spend together, the harder it is to deny the attraction building between them. But opening their hearts to a baby is one thing -- can they also open their hearts to the possibility of a happily-ever-after?

My Thoughts:
Reese and Lorelei are thrown together when their siblings die, Reese’s twin brother and Lorelei’s younger sister, and leave a baby behind.

Lorelei grabs up baby Sawyer and finds comfort in having a baby to love while grieving the loss of her sister. Lorelei has always wanted a family but had pretty much given up being thirty-seven with no romantic prospects.  However, her happy future with the baby is threatened when Reese shows up wanting Sawyer, too. He’s rich and has the means to make things difficult, but they get to know each other while getting to know Sawyer. 

Even though Reese and Lorelei don’t seem to have much in common, underneath it all they share similar feelings of being second best in comparison to their sibling.  While Lorelei always felt loved, she felt like the lesser of the sisters. Patsy was charming, shiny, and magnetic, Lorelei’s always been the steady and unremarkable one. Reese and his twin were very different, and their father saw Reese’s difference as weakness. Carson was always the courageous, take the bull-by-the-horns kind of cowboy, whereas Reese was always more careful and excelled in the business side of their ranch. Sharing some of their vulnerabilities created a deeper bond between them. There’s an immediate physical attraction between the two, but they resist the pull because of the complications being Sawyer’s only family left. Lorelei doesn’t know if Reese is just interested in her or the idea of a ready-made family and Reese is initially afraid to screw things up and forever damage his future with Sawyer.

This is the first time I’ve read Laura Drake and I really enjoyed the new experience. Perfectly imperfect characters, likeable and relatable with their flaws and insecurities. I rooted for both Reese and Lorelei in the journey towards a HEA!  The town of Unforgiven might’ve been a little shabby at first glance, but it was full of character and love at the heart. I think any fan of Carolyn Brown or Carly Bloom will love Ms. Drake’s brand of cowboy romance. Cowboy For Keeps is the third in the series, but I didn’t read the previous two and had no trouble diving in here. I think each can be read as a standalone.

 4 Suns


9 comments:

  1. I love when there are kids involved in the story/romance. Makes the guys even cuter somehow. :)

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  2. Excellent review! I never realized how many cowboy stories there are until I did until I featured them on my Series on Saturday. But now I see them everywhere (reticular activation)

    Anne - Books of My Heart

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  3. I read the second book in the series and meant to grab this one. Got distracted. I do love her style of writing characters and their situations and yes, that town makes you look at it differently after a bit. :)

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  4. I am so thrilled that you got such a kick out of this author, I discovered her last year and really have loved her work.

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  5. I love that their connection came from their place in their respective families. Also, you can't beat a cowboy story haha.

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  6. great review. sounds like a very nice love story
    sherry @ fundinmental

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  7. I think I'll never be able to hear the name 'Lorelei' and never think of the character from Gilmore girls. funny how names stick @theglobaldig.blogspot.com

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