Here's the thing: I can have a dozen or more books on my tablet but
when I get a new one by Carolyn Brown it always jumps to the top of
the list. Simply put, Carolyn Brown is one of my go-to authors when I
want a feel-good story that will make me smile. And so I expected
nothing less from the latest in her Longhorn Canyon series, COWBOY BRAVE. My daughter and her friends ask if
I'm reading another "mom book" and I tell them - yes, I certainly am.
Carolyn Brown has brought me a lot of joy over the years. Welcome to
COWBOY BRAVE.
Learning to separate yourself from your past is a difficult part of
growth. Sometimes it's an event that triggers a feeling of inadequacy or
self-consciousness. Or a word or deed that leaves an indelible imprint
on who you are. Why is it so important what people think of you? When
is it okay to look at your own reflection with pride and confidence?
Does it take being loved?
Smart women know better than to judge themselves by other people's
standards. Emily Baker is smart with a warm inviting personality. She is
also gorgeous. But Emily is also tall and curvy, and her luck with dating
hasn't gone well, and that has filled her with self-doubt.
Justin Maguire has been a very busy single guy, keeping mostly to one
night stands and just looking for a good time. When he meets Emily,
Justin takes a long look at himself and his lifestyle.
Part of Emily's memories is a moment when all she wanted was that
special Valentine card. She is a true romantic at heart and it is so
important to be the love of someone's life, which she sees in her
parents' marriage, and she isn't willing to accept less. Nonetheless,
Emily is finished with cowboys. Her job has brought her to town
working in a senior center with some pretty terrific people, in particular,
a group she calls the Fab Five. Older than dirt but as spry as they
come. The Fab Five keep her on her toes and they have become her
extended family.
No one would guess that Emily is actually from a ranch. Her family has
a large spread in Texas. In fact larger than the Longhorn ranch. But she
is determined to make her life away from places like her family home
although it is very obvious there is a lot of cowgirl in Emily. It would
seem you can take the girl out of the ranch but you can't take the ranch
out of the girl.
Justin sees just how amazing Emily is in all so many ways. She is great
with the Fab Five, loves people and animals, and isn't afraid of hard
work. And let's not forget the fact that Justin thinks Emily is gorgeous.
Justin is going to have his work cut out for him if he is going to
persuade Emily that he is a very special cowboy. Justin already knows
that his Emily is special. Now he has to show her just how special she
is.
When you read how Justin decides how to show Emily how special she
is to him you will surely sigh. Vintage Carolyn Brown at work.
TWO BOOKS IN ONE! AN ALL-NEW CAROLYN BROWN BOOK, PLUS SECOND CHANCE COWBOY BY A.J. PINE.
This city girl's about to get a dose of cowboy charm
Emily Baker doesn't rough it - anymore. Born and raised on a farm, she's worked hard to distance herself from that life, thank you very much. But when the seniors at the nursing home where she works beg for a ranch retreat, she caves and heads up to the Longhorn Canyon spread. With one glance at the sexy cowboy who opens the door, she's suddenly thinking a week with him might not be so bad after all. Justin Maguire doesn't quite know what to do with the gorgeous woman who shows up on his doorstep. She's all curves and confidence-even after stepping in a cow pile. Too bad she's determined not to fall for a cowboy. But with the help of five nosy, matchmaking seniors, he might just convince her he's worth the risk.
SECOND CHANCE COWBOY
Once a cowboy, always a cowboy! Jack Everett can handle working on the ranch, but turning around the failing vineyard he's also inherited? That requires working with the woman he never expected to see again.
Excerpt
After a forty-minute drive, Emily found the ranch with no problem. She parked and checked her reflection in the rear view mirror. She fluffed up her dark brown shoulder-length hair, and reapplied her bright red lipstick. She took a deep breath and wished that she’d figured out a better plan than just flying by the seat of her pants. Trying to figure out what to say first, she wasn’t watching where she was going and her heel sunk into a gopher hole. She regained her footing just in time to avoid falling face first, but in doing so, she stepped in pile of fresh cow manure. “Shit!” she muttered. Amen, her grandmother’s voice popped into her head. And if that wasn’t embarrassing enough, just then a tall cowboy with steel blue eyes opened the door and stepped out on the porch. Lord, have mercy. “Can I help you?” he asked. She opened the gate into the yard and said, “I’m Emily Baker. We visited on the phone last evening.” She looked up into steely blue eyes. “My brother, Cade, is the one that you talked to. He forgot that he had another meeting this morning in Wichita Falls. I’m Justin Maguire. Please come right in.” He stood to one side and motioned her inside. She couldn’t track cow crap inside the house so she kicked off her shoes, leaving them on the porch. She glanced down at her chipped toe nail polish and wished that she’d taken time to redo them. But not even ugly toe nails would keep her from her mission—not after that send-off at the center. “Should’ve been a little more careful about where I was steppin’,” she said. Justin grinned. “That’s part of ranch life, darlin’. Evidently you haven’t lived on one.” Oh, honey, you are so wrong about that, she thought. She studied him from the corner of her eye as they crossed the foyer and entered a huge living room. Scruff covered his square jaw, but she could see a very slight cleft in his chin. He walked with the cowboy swagger and confidence that would have women falling all over him. And he’d called her darlin’—did he flirt with everyone? “We can talk in here, Emily. Have a seat anywhere. Sorry about the mess.” “Thanks. I work at the Oakview Retirement Center in Bowie. Cade and I were going to talk about renting your bunkhouses for a week. Did he let you know if y’all have made a decision?” She spit it all out at once without taking a breath as she sat on the edge of the sofa, legs crossed at the ankle and back straight. “He only told me that someone from the retirement center was coming by to visit about something as he was walking out the door fifteen minutes ago, but this is the first I’m hearing about it.” His forearms bulged beneath the rolled up sleeves of his black, pearl snap shirt and his hands were huge. She had to look at him to talk to him, but when she did she noticed that the top two snaps of his shirt were undone, giving her a peek at light brown chest hair. She couldn’t get her thoughts together looking right at him. She’d expected the Maguire brothers to be her dad’s age. “There are five elderly folks at the center. They have some problems but basically they’re pretty spry to be in their seventies.” She glanced down at the coffee table where papers were strewn about. “You’re building a house? Are you an architect? I thought the Maguires were ranchers.” “We are but I’m trying my hand at drawing up the plans for our foreman and his new wife,” he answered. Emily leaned forward. “Doesn’t look like it’s going to be very big.” “Not here at first but the design will make it easy to add on later.” He chose a chair close to the coffee table where the plans were laid out. “So tell me, Miz Barker, more about this idea you’ve got.” “Baker, not Barker,” she corrected him. “Sorry about that. I’m better with faces than names. Might not be real good with names, but I never forget a pretty face.” He raked his fingers through light brown hair that had definitely had a cowboy hat settled on it not long ago. Don’t flirt with me, cowboy, she thought.
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