This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Western Romance
Published by Forever
Released on September 15, 2918
Pages: 400
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
The Delight
Not everything has to be overly difficult and loaded with angst. Every day life for this latest down home country cowboy romance pair delivers enough conflict and fun over the holidays to keep me happy to be curled up under my blanket with cocoa and a fictional trip back to Longhorn Canyon ranch.
Review
Cowboy Honor is book two in the Longhorn Canyon series. Levi and the surrounding cast of characters were introduced in book one and it builds nicely on Cowboy Bold, but, in a pinch, I think a reader can do fine with Cowboy Honor as a standalone (but don’t, you’ll miss out).
The story opens with Levi running out of gas out near the cabin on the ranch’s property and needing a place to shelter since there is a blizzard on in that part of northern Texas. He encounters a small pistol packing Claire and her sassy four year old niece Zaylie. His gentle and kind help have Claire packing away her pistol and suddenly experiencing life like she has never known. For once, she doesn’t have to be responsible for everything and she’s surrounded by folk her treat her like a friend and part of the family. Levi has never felt this way about a woman and isn’t sure he has enough to offer to make her stay. Holidays on the ranch have a way of bringing a cowboy and lady together.
At this point in my long-time love affair with this author’s books, I have no idea what more I can say. I’ve adored, swooned, laughed, and gushed about nearly every book I read. She writes more than one style story, but at the heart of her cowboy romance is country charm, daily life, family, neighbors, togetherness, laughter, sass and sizzle. There are troubles, but they are organic to the people and their situation.
Levi already charmed me when I encountered him in Cowboy Bold. He’s the best friend of the two men, Cade and Justin, who own the ranch and he’s the foreman in his adoptive dad’s footsteps. Levi knows he belongs and he’s right where he wants to be. He was content until he meets Claire. Suddenly he starts wondering if he’s enough. She intimidates him because she has a successful business and has her life under tight control as a woman who grew up as a military brat and with moving about and never dropping roots, control of what she can is all she’s had. Everyone treated her like the old reliable and she is, but for the first time, she’s experiencing the opportunity to be one of a team and have a support group so she doesn’t have to go it alone.
It wouldn’t be any fun at all without little sassy kids, college football rivalries, and cute animals along with hilarious ‘tell em like they see it’ older ladies like Claire’s neighbor and friend, Franny, and Levi’s mom, Mavis. Oh, and loved the ongoing story of Cade and Retta and wonder about Justin’s story next.
There is a Katie Lane novella attached to this story, but I chose not to read it for now. I love her books so its a when and not if and I have no doubt I’ll have a really good time.
I had all my usual fond reactions and envy Claire having Levi, but I think that about most of the author’s cowboys. If you want some down-home country sass and fun with a whole lot of family and cowboy romancing, give this book/series a go.
My thanks to Forever for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Recommendations
Preview
About Carolyn Brown
Hi! I’m twenty five years old and movie star gorgeous. The camera added thirty plus years and a few wrinkles. Can’t trust those cameras or mirrors either. Along with bathroom scales they are notorious liars! Honestly, I am the mother of three fantastic grown children who’ve made me laugh and given me more story ideas than I could ever write. My husband, Charles, is my strongest supporter and my best friend. He’s even willing to eat fast food and help with the laundry while I finish one more chapter! Life is good and I am blessed!
Reading has been a passion since I was five years old and figured out those were words on book pages. As soon as my chubby little fingers found they could put words on a Big Chief tablet with a fat pencil, I was on my way. Writing joined reading in my list of passions. I will read anything from the back of the Cheerio’s box to Faulkner and love every bit of it. In addition to reading I enjoy cooking, my family and the ocean. I love the Florida beaches. Listening to the ocean waves puts my writing brain into high gear.
I love writing romance because it’s about emotions and relationships. Human nature hasn’t changed a bit since Eve coveted the fruit in the Garden of Eden. Settings change. Plots change. Names change. Times change. But love is love and men and women have been falling in and out of it forever. Romance is about emotions: love, hate, anger, laughter… all of it. If I can make you laugh until your sides ache or grab a tissue then I’ve touched your emotions and accomplished what every writer sets out to do.
I got serious about writing when my third child was born and had her days and nights mixed up. I had to stay up all night anyway and it was very quiet so I invested in a spiral back notebook and sharpened a few pencils. The story that emerged has never sold but it’s brought in enough rejection slips to put the Redwood Forest on the endangered list. In 1997 Kensington bought two books for their Precious Gems line. Two years and six books later the line died with only four of those books seeing publication. But by then Avalon had bought a book and another, and another. Ten years later the list has grown to thirty nine. Last year Sourcebooks bought the Lucky Series which is in the bookstores now. They’ve also bought The Honky Tonk Series which will debut with I LOVE THIS BAR in June and will be followed by HELL, YEAH, MY GIVE A DAMN’S BUSTED, and HONKY TONK CHRISTMAS.
Folks ask me where I get my ideas. Three kids, fifteen grandchildren, two great grandchildren. Note: I was a very young grandmother! Life is a zoo around here when they all come home. In one Sunday afternoon there’s enough ideas to keep me writing for years and years. Seriously, ideas pop up at the craziest times. When one sinks its roots into my mind, I have no choice but to write the story. And while I’m writing the characters peek over my shoulder and make sure I’m telling it right and not exaggerating too much. Pesky little devils, they are!
I have a wonderful agent, Erin Niumata, who continues to work magic and sell my work. I’m very lucky to have her and my editors who continue to believe in me.
Happy reading!
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Lovely Review you have here darling. I do love the way that this author writes her cowboys though…of course it helps she lives the life so she can write it so authentically. Need to get back to read her though.
Definitely helps that she’s lived it. Oh, you really need to Renee. 🙂
This sounds like a heartwarming story for the cold winter months 🙂
I think my favourite characters would be the honestly-speaking older women. There’s something very appealing about getting to the age when I can say what I want without having to worry about how it will be taken 😉
You are so right. She does a fantastic job writing these old gals who are full of sass and wisdom. I want to be one when I grow up, too, Stephanie.
Great review! It’s another series I have on my TBR. 🙂 Really like the sound of this one and the cover, too!
Yay, a fellow fan! These are so heartwarming. Hope you like it, Liina!
Carolyn Brown always rocks! Hugs..RO
You said it, Ro!
I have quite a few of Carolyn Brown’s books but I have yet to actually read one. I have no idea why since I think I would really enjoy them. This sounds like a great story and I do love a good cowboy story.
I do the same thing with some authors/series. I know I’ll like them, but I never actually reach out and start the first one. 🙂
It was a cutie story.
I liked book 1. I should read this one too.
It’s a must. Levi’s a charmer. 🙂
There used to be a time in my mid-twenties (oh god I am aging myself here), that I would read nothing BUT western romances. Great review and I have added this one to my TBR list!
Mary
Oh yes, the reading phases. I’ve gone through a few myself. 🙂 Hope you like this one, Mary. 🙂
I loved this book; it has to be my favorite Christmas book of 2018.
I can definitely see why. I was in love with Levi and the family even before I read it, but this was great.
This I think is becoming my favorite series of hers. It really was good. I think the only thing I wanted to change was I would have loved if the guys had made a grand gesture to Levi. Made him a partner or something. Looking forward to the next one, too 🙂
It really is a wonderful feel good romance series. I’m looking forward to the next book. Yes, that would be cool if he could be made a partner.