Love of a Cowboy

Love of a Cowboy by Jennifer Ryan<br />Contemporary romance with some suspense. 2nd good in the McGraths series. Can be read as a stand-alone. <br />Skye escapes from her home after witnessing a murder. She ends up on Declan’s ranch where he gives her a job and immediately falls for her. The danger is not over for Skye though. An anti-government extremist group has tracked her down. They want their money, guns and war supplies that Skye managed to hide before leaving. <br /><br />Declan is unhappy and unsatisfied with his life. His brother Tate calls him a perfectionist. Skye changes his attitude, his focus and his single status. <br />I admired the heroine for her intellectual strength and commitment to her community, knowing right and wrong, and doing what it takes to get to her goals. More than once I thought the hero should make a move instead of leaving it up to her. Why should she give up everything? On the other hand, his ranch is generational. I was conflicted. In the end, it’s their love for each other that helped make decisions. <br />The author handled the issues well and successfully achieving the emotional happy ever after. <br /><br />“Declan made her sigh with pure contentment. Just watching him walk down the sidewalk, his gaze locked on her, that sexy smile, telling her he was happy to see her, all of it just made her happy.”<br /><br />I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

Love of a Cowboy is the second book in the McGrath series and in this series we see some nitty and gritty in the emotion and what these characters are faced with. I was completely drawn into this story that we have here. I didn't want it to end and I was really pulled in with the "religious cult" that we have going on here and how that develops into the story. Now I read this book a couple of months ago and forgot to write the review so it won't be as lengthy as I normally give out but would love to share my impressions that I remember. <br /><br />Our heroine, Skye, can be a bit naive at times, but I think most of that is due to the community she grew up with. There is a lot of faith focus, helping and serving each other but beneath that is a villain in the community who uses their compassion and generosity to build control and power and manipulation over everyone but Skye is not so easily controlled. And when she witnesses something horrific, she is forced to go on the run and finds grace in the arms of a sexy cowboy. Declan is foremost a protector and when he sees Skye in trouble and obviously in need of help, he jumps right in. There is a level of trust that builds immediately between them and even though the circumstances aren't ideal for their relationship, Declan is willing to go to bat for her. <br /><br />Love of a Cowboy is a powerful romance that just curled my toes and kept me on edge. This is not a romance you can relax with LOL ....it will leave you on tenterhooks with suspense. You never know what Ryan will give you in her stories, but I just wanted to get more and more in this book, especially in seeing how this small town would be saved and how Declan and Skye would overcome the obstacles ahead of them. It's definitely not your normal story that this author will deliver on however, I found that I wanted to go on this adventure along with these characters and Jennifer Ryan makes it well worth the effort. <br /><br />Overall I found Love of a Cowboy to be a stunning read and while it had some flaws around it with moments of the slow pacing, I fell in deep with the story and if you are looking for a good mix of suspense and western loving, look no further than this one here.

ARC received for review<br /><br />Loved Declan and Skye. He fell quick and hard, and so did she. There was almost no angst in them getting together. I loved how Skye only had one previous partner, but not act in the least little bit like a shy retiring almost virgin. Declan was right by her side through every bit of the danger and drama (and there was lots of it). What I didn't like was how long it took for her to get Sunrise to survive without her and her to get her butt back to Declan. <br /><br />I can't wait to read his sister Trinity's HEA. <br /><br />And can we have a spin off series with Agent Gunn and his brother.

Cowboy time! Omg the crime, grrrrrrr, it makes me so made when someone is wrongfully accused. <br /><br />Skye watches a crime and flees for her life, and taking evidence with her to bring down this asshole leader. Yes yes Skye, it is not a cult (it so feels like a cult!) And the place is left just gets worse and worse, it used to be a commune where people farmed and were happy. Then it turned into parties, sex, alcohol and young girls and older men. And no one dares to say no. Ok so that place is horrid.<br /><br />She runs into Declan while fleeing, and Declan is this handsome kind cowboy and he is smitten at once, and wants to protect her. Awww Declan, you are so kind.<br /><br />But now she needs to take the asshole leader of her non-cult down, but he has framed her. Action, danger and romance. Sure they fall fast, but hey life is short. It works.<br /><br />Again, it a really long epilogue. Strange, but it ties things together.<br /><br />I enjoyed it, brings those assholes down! No mercy<br /><br />Great narrator, she does female and male narrators well. She keeps a steady pace and makes the story work

Cowboys and cults is a surprisingly effective mix! thoroughly entertained, just don't take it to seriously and its a fun read.

This was not what I was expecting and me tell you that I was pleasantly surprised.. We have some show stopping heart beating, arm chair gripping scenarious which will get you into the book from the very beginning. Again not what you thought you would get but must say glad I grabbed, and feel for Skye and the web of lies she discovers. But thru it all we have Declan, whooooeee. . Declan, is a hot cowboy who stops at nothing to protect Skye.<br /><br />rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions.

4.5 stars<br />Much to the amusement of my wife and adult children, I love contemporary romance. My addiction started with the discovery of the Hallmark channel and its Christmas love story movies, which then led me to reading romance books. I now find I’d rather read a romance story in my spare time than do much of anything else. I’ve found over the past few years having read hundreds of contemporary romances that those based in ranching, farming or close-knit small towns are my favorite. If they come with a big loving family, all the better. I’ve developed a preference for those that contain an aspect of danger and suspense along with the romance and sex. Because of this Jennifer Ryan checks all of my boxes as a romance writer. There’s always romance, a smart, determined and in danger heroine and a brave, strong hero to help her out of her trouble. And there’s enough sex to keep it spicy and danger to keep you on the edge of your seat.<br />Love the Cowboy is the second book in Ryan’s The McGrath series based around three of the four McGrath siblings, Tate, Declan and Trinity. Oldest brother Drake found true love in the last book in the Four Roses series when he met Adria, now youngest McGrath sibling Trinity’s business partner and sister-in-law. In the first book in this series Waiting for a Cowboy a friends to lovers trope, Tate and Liz find their happily ever after. Trinity gets the final book, True Love Cowboy due out at the end of this August. This book is about DeClan McGrath who with Tate runs the family’s cattle ranch and Skye Kennedy a young woman on the run from dangerous people.<br />DeClan McGrath is in charge of the family ranch even though his younger brother Tate is a full partner. DeClan really doesn’t know how to delegate and is a perfectionist. This has caused a strain between himself and Tate and prevented him from hiring a couple of ranch hands to help take the load off of him. His time is fully consumed with the responsibilities of running the ranch. Which had been fine with him until recently when both of his brothers found true love. Seeing them so happy makes DeClan feel more alone than he ever has and aware that there is something missing in his life that ranching can’t satisfy the need for. Enter Skye Kennedy.<br />Skye Kennedy is a lady in trouble. She grew up in Wyoming in a close knit community called Sunrise which is sort of a large commune where everyone works for the good and happiness of each other and eschews materialism or modern consumerism. They grow their own food on a large farm and what they don’t consume themselves they sell at farmer’s markets for money to pay for essentials like medical care. They’re not religious like the Amish or Mennonites. They enjoy modern conveniences like electricity, running water and automobiles. But most don’t have televisions or cellphones or other modern technology most of us have come to believe we can’t live without. Skye learned accounting and pretty much everything to do with the commune’s business at the knee of its founder. But when the founder died and his spoiled son Gabriel took over leadership things began to change for the worse. With the founder gone and Gabriel never having showed any interest in learning the day to day requirements of leading the community it feel to Skye to do so. And the people love her for both her intelligence, dedication and her drive to make everyone’s lives better. Because everyone adores and respects Skye and because she is beautiful, Gabriel wants her for a wife. Gabriel not content with the status quo has gotten involved in some shady business with an anti-government para-military group called Prosperity, violating all the principals the commune holds dear and threatening their safety. Having access to all the commune’s business ledgers Skye has quietly been collecting evidence of what Gabriel and Prosperity are planning while trying to slow his and his new business partners plans down. After she witnesses Gabriel commit the brutal murder of Lucy, a young woman pregnant with his child, and hears him declare he’s going to force Skye to marry him the next day in a group wedding, she knows she’s got to get out. She grabs the evidence a little cash and runs to find a safe place until she can find the right law enforcement to give her evidence to (since the locals are on Gabriel’s payroll). <br />After running out of gas and money, she wanders into DeClan’s barn so exhausted and hungry she passes out after asking him if she can work for food having not eaten in two days. DeClan is overwhelmed by a need to protect and take care of this beautiful young woman. He carries her into his house, feeds her and offers her a job and a place to live, no questions asked. Skye is overcome by this big, strong, handsome cowboy’s kindness, generosity and trust. DeClan is overcome by Skye’s worth ethic and honesty. Within days they are sleeping together and well on their way to falling in love. <br />After overhearing a phone call between Skye and her younger sister Meadow DeClan discovers a good part of the secret Skye has been keeping from him in a misguided attempt to protect him from the people looking for her. Skye finally reveals the dangerous situation she’s in. Gabriel has planted evidence and managed to pin Lucy's murder on her and he and Prosperity are searching for her to get the evidence against them she ran off with and silence her. Together she and DeClan agree to a plan to unravel Skye’s problems, keep her safe and protect Sunrise. But their plan doesn’t work out the way they’d hoped it would. <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="3dce7dbc-9c5a-423f-a6eb-cef02c24a36c" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="3dce7dbc-9c5a-423f-a6eb-cef02c24a36c"> Ryan never explains how Prosperity managed to find her first at DeClan’s ranch and then at the safe house. Which IMHO is two major plot holes.</label> Trouble ensnares both Skye and DeClan several times threatening their lives. Using their courage and wits with some help they manage to survive the danger and the bad guys are brought to justice. I thought at this point I’d be reading DeClan and Skye’s happily ever after until I looked to see I still have about a quarter of the book to go. Ryan spends the last quarter of the book detailing the struggles DeClan and Skye experience trying to maintain a long distance romance while DeClan works on his ranch in Montana and Skye tries to get the commune 5 hours away in Wyoming back in order and make the changes she feels necessary to allow them to avoid the problems they experienced in the past where they all leaned so heavily on one leader to make decisions. They had become completely dependent upon Skye to make all the important decisions for them. Days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months and Skye and DeClan are still not living together under one roof. DeClan is frustrated and worried Skye will never be able to extract herself from her obligations to the families of Sunrise she considers her responsibility. And deep down he knows its unfair of him to expect her to give up her life with them when he readily acknowledges he’s not willing to give up his life on his ranch to be with her. Skye Is frustrated that her plans to spread the responsibilities for running the commune’s businesses out among its residents while constantly having to pitch in to do lesser jobs is keeping her from being with DeClan. She’s exhausted from those efforts as well as trying to let DeClan know she still loves him and wants to be with him. Honestly this is really well written but IMHO goes on for too long. Perhaps that’s only because as a veteran contemporary romance reader I know that in the end DeClan and Skye will be together so none of this long drawn out angst, as well as it is written really matters in the end. <br />True to form this is another great Ryan book filled with romance, danger and sexy heat. <br />

I love a tightly-plotted, romantic suspense novel and that is exactly what Jennifer Ryan offers up in her newest McGrath novel: Love of a Cowboy. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, eagerly reading from the first page until the very end. <br /><br />At the center of the story are Declan McGrath, a hard-working, good-hearted rancher and Skye Kennedy, a smart and determined young woman who has been sheltered from the world at large. Considering Skye's upbringing, her lack of knowledge about the world outside Sunrise Fellowship, and the fact that Declan rescues her at the beginning of their story, one might expect a power imbalance between Skye and Declan but I never felt that. Ryan handles the dynamics of their relationship with a deft hand, displaying Skye's strength of will and leveling their romantic playing field nicely. Their feelings develop quickly and I enjoyed them together, believing in their happy ending. However, I wanted more exploration of them as a couple. I liked them as individuals and was happy for their HEA but didn't feel as invested in their relationship as I have with previous McGrath couples. <br /><br />The suspense, on the other hand, is spot on. Ryan has created a villain who is chilling in his authenticity and a situation that could easily be occurring in many pockets of the country today. The tension kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering which direction the author would take as that part of the story twisted here and there throughout the book, right up until the explosive conclusion. <br /><br />Love of a Cowboy can be enjoyed as a standalone though I do recommend getting to know the entire McGrath family through their individual stories. Next up is Declan's sister, Trinity. I'm eager to discover what Ryan has planned for her. That book, True Love Cowboy, is scheduled for release on August 24, 2021. <br /><br />*ARC received via NetGalley for fair and unbiased review

Love of a Cowboy caught me by surprise from the first page. I wish I had refreshed my memory of the synopsis before I started it. I think I would've enjoyed it more if I had realized or remembered that I was reading a thriller romance, not a typical contemporary romance. That being said, once I realized what I was reading, and got a few chapters in, I was able to enjoy it much more. <br /><br />Ryan's plotting is tight and it's a well-paced thriller. Skye was a heroine who was very easy to root for, and she and Declan have great chemistry. The relevance of the setting and deep sense of place throughout this book really impressed me. Now that I know what to expect from her books, I'm really excited to read more of her work. I definitely want to continue this series. I had the pleasure of meeting Jennifer Ryan at KissCon in 2019, and I've had her on my TBR shelf ever since. I'm so excited to be finally diving into her work. Thank you to KissCon and Avon Romance for providing me a copy of this e-ARC. <br /><br />TW: assault, sexual violence, rape, murder.

This was a great story and I have already pre ordered next book in the series. You all will enjoy it.