A Son for the Cowboy - Sasha Summers (HWR #1650 - July 2017)

Series: Boones of Texas (Book 5)

IT'S TIME TO DADDY UP!

For retired rodeo queen Poppy White, settling down in the picturesque little town of Stonewall Crossing, Texas, had seemed ideal. Until Toben Boone showed up on her doorstep. It had been a lifetime since their explosive one-night encounter in Cheyenne. Her son Rowdy's lifetime. And she hadn't heard a word since.

Toben was still easy on the eyes, still able to set her pulse racing -- and still breaking the hearts of buckle bunnies all over the circuit, she had no doubt. But if he thought his boyish cowboy charm, dangerous dimples and baby blues were going to sweep her off her feet again, he was in for a big surprise. A big six-year-old surprise!

Good book. After years of traveling on the rodeo circuit, Poppy is looking forward to settling down with her son and her new business. She had fallen in love with Stonewall Crossing during one of her rodeo trips and can't wait to settle in. That is, until she recognizes the cowboy peering in her shop window. She hasn't seen Toben Boone in almost seven years - since the night he snuck out of their hotel room, and ignored every attempt she made to contact him.

Toben left the rodeo circuit several years earlier and now works on the family ranch. He's never forgotten Poppy, though he certainly tried. He's surprised to see her in Stonewall Crossing, but stunned at the news that he's a father. At first he's angry that she hadn't told him, until he realizes that it's his own fault that he didn't know. Now he's determined to be a good father to Rowdy.

There is a whole bunch of emotion flying around during this book. Anger, hurt, fear, and ultimately, love. Poppy is justifiably angry at Toben for not being there for her when she discovered she was pregnant. She was also hurt by what she saw as his rejection, causing her to build up walls around her heart so she wouldn't suffer like that again. She is also very protective of Rowdy, and lets Toben know in no uncertain terms that if he can't commit to being the father Rowdy deserves he'd best just stay away. She will not let Toben hurt Rowdy the way he hurt her.

Toben knows he screwed up big time. That night he spent with Poppy had affected him deeply and that scared him to pieces, so he ran. Then he missed her so much, and felt so guilty, that he ignored all her attempts to contact him. He tried to forget her using drink and women, but that didn't work either. So now he works, doesn't allow himself to get close to any woman, and tries to deal with the hole in his heart.

I loved the development of their relationship. Toben is determined to show Poppy that he can be trusted with Rowdy. I loved the immediate bond between father and son. They were so awesome together. There is also no denying that the chemistry between Toben and Poppy is as strong as ever. Poppy is determined that she will not fall for him again, not trusting that he won't leave again. Toben is equally determined to show her that he has changed and that he wants them to be a family. It isn't easy, and he stumbles a couple times, but he's hopeful that love will conquer all.

Toben had some really sweet scenes as he gets to know Rowdy. There are also some pretty steamy ones as his feelings for Poppy keep growing. I was really impressed with everything he did to show Poppy how much he wanted to be with them. I understood Poppy's fear of being hurt again, but there were times that I wanted to shake her and tell her to give the man a chance. I did like seeing her relax around the Boone family and realize that they wanted to be her family too. I was happy to see her finally realize that she loved him and could trust him. The epilogue was really sweet, and I loved how Rowdy was keeping them in line right before the wedding.

A Cowboy to Call Daddy - Sasha Summers (HWR #1635 - Mar 2017)

Series: Boones of Texas (Book 4)

A DISTRACTION HE DOESN'T NEED!

Archer Boone's whole life revolves around his work at his family's ranch and horse refuge. Animals are just so much less complicated than people. But he needs to get the refuge's financial paperwork in order so he can secure his funding. When Eden Caraway arrives to work on his books, Archer can't afford to be distracted by the beautiful single mom and her two adorable daughters.

Eden Caraway is really Eden Monroe, and she is determined to earn her father's respect. So if he wants to pull funding from Archer Boone's horse refuge, she'll make it happen. But Eden is falling for Archer, and she dreams of staying at Boone Ranch. How can she reveal her real reason for being there and risk losing her heart?

Good book. Archer runs the horse refuge on his family's ranch. He much prefers dealing with the animals rather than people. He is in the middle of trying to get the refuge's financial paperwork in order before one of their donor's board meetings so that he can secure more funding. It isn't going so well, as his surly attitude has driven away every temp accountant who has tried.

Eden is on her way to the ranch to check the paperwork. Her father is one of the board members and is determined to pull the funding from the refuge. She's been trying to earn his respect for years, and maybe finding the information he wants will do it. But when she arrives at the ranch, Archer mistakes her for the next temp and puts her to work right away, and she doesn't enlighten him.

I liked the development of their relationship. There are sparks between them from the start, but both try to resist. Archer because she's an employee and because he just doesn't do relationships. Eden because she is lying to him about who she is and has no intention of staying around. But Eden finds herself admiring the work that Archer is doing and more and more reluctant to go along with her father's plans. Add in the softer side of him that she sees when he is around her daughters and she knows that she is in trouble. Archer discovers that Eden and her girls have worked their way past the walls he has around his heart. He doesn't quite know what to do with the feelings he has for them. It was sweet to see him with little Ivy. I especially enjoyed the scene at the vet hospital with the kitten. I liked the way that Archer's appreciation of Eden's abilities with the paperwork and her girls gives her a boost of confidence she never gets from her hypercritical father and ex-husband. The more they are together, the more Archer wants Eden to stay around. Eden wants to stay also, but her guilt over her deception is tearing her up. She knows she has to come clean before they can move forward, but she's afraid of his reaction. I ached for her when she did and it was as bad as she expected. Luckily for Archer, his dad had some very good advice for him. I liked his big moment at the end, as a bit of his vulnerability showed through the gruff exterior.

As for the funding of the refuge, Eden discovered that there was much more going on there than she had expected. She didn't understand her father's attitude, especially considering her late mother's support of the refuge. Some conversations with Archer's father, and the chance to read her mom's letters to Archer's mom, brought about some new insight. There was an unexpected appearance by Eden's ex, who tried to apply his own pressure. There was a surprising twist at the end, which answered many of Eden's questions. It also gave her the ammunition she needed to present to the board in Archer's favor. I loved seeing her stand up to her father, and disliked him even more by the end of the book.

I also enjoyed the secondary story involving Eden's nanny and Archer's father. Teddy is a great guy and I loved his support of Eden, as well as the close relationship he has with his family. It was sweet to see him with the little girls, and finding a second chance at love.