A Cowboy's Heart - Rebecca Winters (HAR #1511 - Aug 2014)

Series: Hitting Rocks Cowboys (Book 2)

King and Queen of the Rodeo

Driving to Vegas with the Sexiest Cowboy of the Year is a dream come true for barrel racing finalist Liz Henson. Now's her chance to get up close and personal with Connor Bannock, her secret girlhood crush -- even if their families are on the wrong side of a long-standing feud. It's also her shot at rodeo fame before she returns to working as a veterinarian, taking care of the horses she loves.

A five-time champion steer wrestler, Connor's going for the gold -- then he's off the circuit for good. But the divorced rancher doesn't want to return home solo. Dr. Elizabeth Henson was always out of bounds. But this road trip could change everything for the Montana cowboy…if they both return as champions!

Very good book. Connor and Liz's families have been neighbors for years, but an ongoing feud kept them from spending much time together. It was a surprise to Liz when Connor asked her to drive with him from Montana to Las Vegas for the rodeo finals. She was thrilled for the chance to get to know him better.

Liz had had a crush on Connor for years, ever since he gave her some encouraging words after her first rodeo competition. It has never gone away, even though she has dated other men. She looks at the trip as the chance to see if "the inside of the book is as good as the cover". She also expects that the trip will enable her to get over her crush and finally move on.

Connor has been drawn to Liz for a long time, but because of the feud had to stay away. He even married someone else, but it hadn't worked out. With the feud no longer an issue, Connor sees the chance to finally get to know Liz better.

I loved seeing Liz and Connor together. The two of them have a lot in common. It's pretty obvious from the beginning that Connor already has feelings for her. They really connect well during the drive, and find a lot to talk about. I loved seeing the way that Connor knows just what to say to her to boost her confidence for the competition ahead. Connor plans for this to be his last rodeo, then he will quit the rodeo and stick to ranching. Liz also plans for this to be her last rodeo, as she has a veterinarian practice that she needs to concentrate on.

In spite of being a five time champion, Connor seems to have some serious issues with his own confidence. There is one member of his family who has mental issues and who has excelled in making others' lives miserable. I loved the way that Liz was able to see some of the things that were bothering Connor and help him through them. I especially loved the late night conversation, when she gave him an idea for what to do next, while at the same time showing him how much she admires him. Connor has another problem too. His ex-wife has reappeared and is trying to convince him that they should get back together. But Connor is well aware that she is not what he wants. 

Liz falls deeper for Connor as they spend time together preparing for their rodeo events. But she is convinced that Connor is still in love with his ex and that they will be back together by the end of the rodeo. There's a great scene with Connor exhibiting some jealousy, but Liz is still doubtful that it means anything. When disaster strikes during one of Connor's events, Liz is consumed with worry about him. I loved seeing how she was there for him.

I loved the ending, with Connor stretching the truth a little in order to get Liz to make the trip back with him instead of someone else. The end was really sweet as Connor was finally able to convince Liz that what he really wanted was her.

Besides the terrific romance, I also really liked the closeness of the families. The love and support was obvious, and never more so than at the end, during the last of the rodeo competitions. I also thoroughly enjoyed the rodeo setting and getting a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes. The story of the "romance" between the two horses was a lot of fun.

A Montana Cowboy - Rebecca Winters (HAR #1542 - Apr 2015)

Series: Hitting Rocks Cowboys (Book 4)

A Cowboy's Legacy

Ten years ago, Trace Rafferty left Montana to serve his country. Now the wounded Navy flier is coming back to sell the only home he's ever known. But someone else is living on his hundred-year-old family ranch -- a woman Trace hasn't seen since she was a teenager. How can he turn attractive, widowed -- and pregnant -- Cassie Bannock out of her home?

Cassie knows her housekeeping days on the Rafferty spread are numbered. Yet she can't believe Trace would turn his back on his heritage. In or out of uniform, the former F-16 pilot is still the handsomest man she's ever seen. Without a true home, in addition to a real and looming threat to her and her unborn baby, can Cassie protect her legacy and help a homecoming cowboy claim his?

Good story. Trace is coming home for a while as he recuperates from a career ending injury. His father has been keeping the family ranch for Trace, but Trace isn't interested in running it. He wants to sell the land, giving his father the money to purchase a home in town, while Trace moves on to a different career. He doesn't expect to find someone living in the house when he gets there.

I liked Trace and Cassie. Both of them have some trouble going on in their lives. Trace is facing the end of his career as a pilot, and his Italian girlfriend isn't too keen on the idea of moving to America. He wants to sell the family ranch, which doesn't make his father too happy. And selling the ranch would make Cassie jobless and homeless at the same time, which makes him feel guilty about his plans. Cassie and her husband were hired to take care of the ranch by Trace's father after her father kicked her out for marrying Logan. A few months earlier, her husband had been found dead of a bullet wound, but no one knows how it happened. Cassie also has a brother who hates her and her late husband and is known to be violent. She discovered she was pregnant after her husband's death.

I enjoyed the developing romance between Trace and Cassie, though it didn't start out that way. Trace was still attached to his girlfriend and trying to get her to come to America, and Cassie was still mourning her husband. From the time they met there were sparks between them, but they tried to ignore them. They did become friends as Cassie continued her work by taking care of the house and Trace. I liked the way they were able to talk to each other from the beginning about what was going on in their lives. I really liked the way that Cassie had of listening to Trace talk about his plans without judging him, but also encourages him to think about not giving up the ranch. As he spends more time with Cassie, Trace begins to admit to himself that things are not going to work out with his girlfriend. Trace gets very protective of Cassie as he learns more about her brother, and finds a way to keep her at the ranch where he can watch out for her. Living together as they are, they continue to get closer and their attraction increases. Their friendship grows into love, though it takes a while for either to admit it to themselves. Things got pretty scary at the end with her brother, but once again Trace was there when she needed him. The ending was really sweet, especially with Trace and the baby.

The New Cowboy - Rebecca Winters (HAR #1530 - Jan 2015)

Series: Hitting Rocks Cowboys (Book 3)

Homecoming Cowboy

Living on her grandfather's ranch, surrounded by her loving brothers and their families, is helping Avery Bannock put her painful past behind her. But ever since Zane Lawson came home, she's been fighting her feelings for the rugged former Navy SEAL who's sworn to keep her safe -- in his arms.

After a decade undercover, Zane's ready to settle in Montana horse country. Buying the ranch next to the Bannock spread was the first step. Now he's got to convince the gun-shy archaeologist that he's the only cowboy for her. As they work together to find out who's stealing tribal artifacts from a nearby reservation, Zane will do everything in his power to win Avery's trust…and turn their budding romance into a mission possible!

Good story between two wounded souls. Avery is an archaeologist working on a local dig and living on her grandfather's ranch. Being close to family and friends has been good for her, as she recovers from her painful past. A year earlier she had met Zane Lawson, a former SEAL who is now working for the BLM. She's attracted to him, but is having trouble overcoming her past. 

After ten years as a SEAL, Zane is happy to be working law enforcement for the BLM. After a year working across the state from his ranch, he's been transferred nearby and will be able to work from his own home. This will finally give him a chance to get to know Avery better. As he is assigned to investigate the thefts of artifacts from the reservation where she works, he looks at it as a perfect opportunity.

Zane soon discovers that what he thought was simple shyness is something much more. He suffers from symptoms of PTSD himself, and recognizes them in Avery. I loved the way he talked to his own doctor and got information on how to help her. His sensitivity to her fears was wonderful, and I loved how he handled them even before she told him what had happened to her. Avery had been in love with Zane for months, but because of what happened feels that a future with him is not possible. When he tells her of his feelings, she knows she has to tell him what happened to her. She worries that it will make him look at her differently, and draw away from her. She's stunned to discover that he had already suspected and that it made no difference to his feelings.

The care with which Zane treats Avery is wonderful. He's sweet and patient and loving, which is exactly what she needs. I loved seeing how it helped Avery. It didn't suddenly make everything go away, but she does feel stronger and more in control. I also loved seeing her be able to turn around and offer the same kind of care to him.

The artifact stealing storyline was very good. I enjoyed the background information on the Crow people that was part of it. I liked the way that Zane made Avery part of the investigation, and how much he came to respect her knowledge. It was pretty obvious from the beginning who the ringleader of the bad guys was, but the investigation itself was interesting. The ending was pretty intense, especially when it was combined with Avery's fears.