4 Stars!

Harper Kincaid gives us a highly emotional second chance romance!

This as a heart-breaking, emotional, rip your heart read!  Maverick is so broken, damaged.  He's a mess when he returns to town after so many years.  He's at odds with his family.  The one woman he wants is the woman he scorned ten years ago.  Now he will do whatever it takes to get her back.  There are secrets in his past that are so huge they threaten everything.  Then you have Leighton, the girl Maverick left broken-hearted and just broken.  She's changed over the years.  She's stronger, but yet still broken.  The road to their HEA is not an easy one.  I cried tears, big, fat ugly tears.  I couldn't put it down!

I love love Harper Sloan. 

I'll have to say, though, this one isn't my favorite. It's sweet, too sweet, honestly. The inner dialogue wasn't for me, so I struggled a good bit with continuing on through the story but I did. And I'm glad I did. I know there will be lots of readers that devour this book and just love it so much. So for that reason, I will definitely recommend it to my readers!  

It's heartwarming, moving, and sweet. Definitely pick this one up!

Thank you for allowing me to read this book for review. At this time I am not writing a review for it as I had a hard time staying connected to the characters and the storyline. I am more than happy to share the book and promote it on my blog though as I know that just because I didn't love it doesn't mean others won't.

Lost Rider is definitely very different than the previous books that I've read by Harper Sloan and this isn't a bad thing, not at all. For me, it was a breath of fresh air. What roped me in was that it involved a long lost cowboy named Maverick.

Maverick is known as the proverbial long-lost son of Pine Oak. When his career ends and his father passes away he has nowhere else to be but back home. You would think that Maverick would have a stellar homecoming considering he was gone for ten long years but it is anything but.

Feelings were hurt during his departure - sorrow,  pain, and heartbreak felt not only by his siblings Quinn and Clayton but the only woman that meant something to him, Leighton. It doesn't take long for to figure out what caused him to leave.

In fact, everything seemed a bit rushed and way too easy. Maverick and Leighton's reunion was terrific but I personally enjoy a little bit of angst in my romance which this story was lacking in. I did, however, appreciate witnessing how he was making things right for everyone.

Overall, I thought Lost Rider was a great introduction to this new series. I am hooked and am looking forward to seeing how Maverick and Leigh's relationship continue to evolve, how his plans come to fruition and especially how the siblings too find their HEA.

LOST RIDER centers around Leighton James and Maverick Davis, who have known each other their whole lives. Maverick is Leigh's best friend's older brother and he's owned her heart for as long as she can remember. The thing is, she's owned his as well but he never let her see what was in his heart. He left town for nearly ten years because he needed to get away from his abusive father and he wanted to pursue a career as a professional rodeo rider. After finding out his father passed away and also being told by his doctor that he could never ride again due to the many head injuries he suffered from, Maverick decides to come back home. He's determined to win back his girl in the process.


The book started off slow for me. I'm not sure if I can blame the story or if it's because I have a tough time reading during the work week, to begin with. I got annoyed often with the main characters going back and forth with their apprehension to take a leap of faith where love was concerned. After a while, it became a bit much for me. BUT, towards the end when Leigh helps Maverick open up to his siblings, I felt myself connecting with the story more. 


Overall this was a decent read and what can I say--I'm a sucker for a happy ending!

2 Stars

This book wasn't bad, but it just wasn't enough. there was no twists or turns, no angst, nothing really to keep me turning the pages other than my own stubbornness to finish the book.

Maverick had a rough childhood at the hands of an abusive father. He leaves town at the age of 18 to fulfill his dream of bull riding and also fulfilling the need to get away. 

He makes sure to burn all the bridges he can when leaving, to prevent anything from holding him back. The biggest bridge is Leighton. The girl next door who has always been his peace and the only thing that could truly make him stay. 

Maverick has been gone 10 years when it is time to return home. This time he knows it is for good and is going to get back everything he pushed away. He is going to put down steel roots in the place he thought he would never be able to call home. 

Leighton was always in love with Maverick. It has only ever been Maverick. She has a huge fear he will pick and leave town again at the first sign of trouble, and she isn't sure she is willing to forgive him for all the pain he caused so many years ago. 

Lost Rider was a sweet story. However, it just felt flat. The major issues were resolved within the first 20% of the book and I felt like the rest was fluff. I read a book of fluff. It felt like you got the ending right at the beginning and there wasn't really anything else to work/read toward, which made the rest of the book feel forced, flat, and lacking. 

The characters were sweet, but without depth. The love story was o.k., but shallow. 

This book has received lots of great reviews, so it may just have not been my cup of tea, but for me it was lacking.

It's been so long since I've read a fun cowboy romance.

And I have to say I've missed these kinds of books. They're so simple and fun. But complex at the same time.

And this book gave me all that.

The characters were fun and interesting. And even though Maverick was so obviously a sort of broken character. I loved watching him heal, and begin to really work through his problems. But also learn to let himself love. And be loved. Especially by his family.

I also really enjoyed Leigh. She was spunky and cute. And surprisingly reminded me some of my self even. She knew what she wanted. And took no crap. Even from the man she cared for so much.

This story was a great redemption story. And I truly enjoyed it.

My only complaint would be that about 3/4 through things slowed down a bit, before picking back up a few chapters from the end. But nothing too bad I couldn't push through and still enjoy the book.

I give LOST RIDER ****4 STARS****

This book was sitting on my shelf for 8 months when I got an email from the publisher asking if I would be interested in reviewing the rest of the series. I LOVE binge-reading a full series so I read a couple of chapters to make sure it was something I was still interested in and quickly agreed. The first couple of chapters are good, and I was expecting to enjoy it quite a bit. The problem I had with this book is that everything seems to happen in the first few chapters and then for the rest of the book nothing happens except lots of internal monologue and Maverick trying to convince everyone that he's not leaving again.

I don't mind internal monologues if they sound authentic but these were repetitive, saccharine sweet and sounded like they came off an extremely long winded greeting card. 

I'm going to take a break before reading the next one. I didn't hate the book, I was just disappointed with how it went after having such a strong start. I'm hoping the next one goes much better.

Interesting read. I was curious on the story and of course, I love cowboys. Anyway, the story is good and interesting, also there were parts that are funny. The characters are good and easy to like. Among the characters, I love Leigh more than Mav. There's a time I want to kick Maverick especially on the first chapter, but as the story goes it lessened. Overall, the story is good and there's no dull moments. Loved it.

Lost Rider was  such a fun book !!!  I love haper sloan !!

This was wonderful. I had no problem at all getting lost into Lost Rider and being unable to return. Sloan has an easy way with her writing that makes it feel as if you aren't reading at all. Maverick is a whole lot of sexy goodness all wrapped up into cowboy boots and a stetson. as a professional bull rider, you take a bunch of risks; and Maverick has taken one too many hits too his body that it's more than dangerous to continue. Leighton was the girl he left behind to follow his dreams and leave behind all the hurt and pain he had to endure growing up.

Leighton is the beautiful, strong, and loving best friend of Maverick's little sister. Ten years ago, she took a chance and told Mav how much she loved him and that she always had. Leighton is then left with a broken heart when Maverick leaves without a goodbye. When a family tragedy strikes the Davis family, Maverick has no choice to make it back home. Back home to where he left a lot of things unfinished...mainly the girl he truly cared for but had no room for in his lonely life. 

Love is powerful and will hit you hard when you aren't expecting it. I enjoyed watching Leighton and Maverick fight their way to the finish line. The pain that he had to go through in his childhood is heartbreaking and you're able to see why he keeps the world at arms length. Leighton to me is the perfect contrast to Maverick. She's the light and sun that he needs in is life. 

Second chance romance and cowboys are such a good mix. I think that this is a start to a truly great series. I can't wait to dive back into the world that Sloan has created. Overall, I totally and completely recommend this wonderful and beautiful book. It gives you such a nice feel and I think she got small town Texas down just right. I've lived in a small town in Texas, and I know how everyone and their momma knows everything about everyone. 

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm very sorry this one was a DNF for me. I found it kinda boring - compared to Harper's other series (which I love) but this one I just couldn't connect to. I'm opting not to leave a negative review on Amazon.

“I can’t fix the past, Leighton, I can’t erase it, no matter how hard I wish I could. Heck, I can’t even promise that I’ll ever be able to forget it. The only thing I can do is make sure that each day I live is worth somethin’, from this day forward. I could spend the rest of my life stuck livin’ for nothin’, or I could work my tail off to make sure that I make up for my past mistakes, so I can make sure they become mistakes I learn from and finally find a way to live for everythin’.”

Maverick has lived his life for the rodeo. He made quite a name for himself, leaving behind everyone, and everything, from his hometown. But when his rodeo dreams are cut short and he’s forced to come home, he’s also forced to face everything he had tried to run from, this includes Leighton.

Home is not what he left it, and the people in it have changed as well. When he decides he’s home to stay, his family is ecstatic, but Leighton is devastated. To have this man back in her space after fighting her heart against him for years is not something she wants. Fighting becomes passion, passion become regret, and finally things begin to change.

This is a wonderful second chance romance, filled with loads of ups & downs. Family plays a major role and there are also some secrets hidden away. If you’re a fan of Harper, you’ll enjoy this dive into the western side of romance.

Harper Sloan has once again written a hot and sexy story with characters that you can't help falling in love with. This book I absolutely loved from start to finish.

I knew Harper could write great alpha men, but she took it to a new delightful level with Maverick. This new world from Harper makes me want to go visit the characters. My heart hurt for everything they went through but they came out so much stronger on the other side.

Loved Maverick and Leighton. I loved Leigh and Maverick was an asshole at the beginning of the book, but he definitely made up for it later on. 

I loved that Leigh owned a bakery and she was independent and she took care of her self. 
Maverick I did feel sorry for just a little bit. 

Overall it was a really good book. I love Harper's writing and the characters she creates. Definitely be reading more of her books.

Lost Rider is the first book in a new series from Harper Sloan, whom I've come to love reading for her over-the-top Alpha males. She has given us something new and different though with the Coming Home series though, and Lost Rider is a great introduction into her cowboy world. I'm looking forward to where it goes with the next book, but first let's dive into Lost Rider...

Maverick Davis is back in Pine Oak, Texas after ten long years of being a successful bull rider out on the circuit. His injuries may have prevented him from continuing his rodeo fame, but his return home has only come after one of his demons no longer remains...it's also the real reason he left all those years ago. Unfortunately for him, picking up the pieces of his life might not be so easy after all with his friends and family, but especially where a certain blonde is concerned. And honestly who could blame her with the way this boy rolls back into town, right?

Little Leighton James is all grown up. And despite her still harboring unrequited feelings for Maverick, she has tried to make the best life possible for herself in their small hometown. His arrival home has stirred those feelings back up in a big way, but picking up the pieces of her heart after Mav smashed them to bits while leaving wasn't easy feat she's likely to forget so she's naturally leery about allowing that to happen again.

Overall, this book was well-paced and an enjoyable read. I liked the dynamics between all of the characters, especially Leighton and Mav's sister. The strong bond between the siblings was admirable given what they had been through growing up, and I loved that Leigh shared in that bond being the girl next door as well. You'll find plenty of emotion and conflict in Lost Rider, but not so much that it is overwhelming. And let's not forget about the heat between Leigh and Mav also being sizzling hot! I've always been a sucker for second chance romances, so if you are as well I promise you'll have fun with this one.

When Maverick returns home, he doesn't recognize Leighton who had a huge crush on him when he was younger. While he battled his attraction to her years ago, he has a difficult time holding back this time. Leighton doesn't make things easy for him, though. I liked their story and how they were finally able to reconcile their past with the present.

This is the first novel I've read by Harper Sloan, it was a voluntarily read advanced reader copy, and I found things I liked about it and things I disliked about it, so the best I can do is give it 3 stars. 

Among the things I liked about it was that it was a second chance at romance novel with two interesting main characters, Maverick Davis and Leighton James--and I love a good second chance romance. Maverick couldn't wait to leave town--after his mother left her husband and her three children, his father became an abusive drunk and was especially abusive to Maverick. When Maverick did leave town as soon as he graduated from high school, he left behind the 16-year-old girl who was his sister Quinn's best friend, and who had crushed on him for years. The way he did it was cold and cruel, designed to make her hate him, and in the process he broke her heart and stole her confidence. 

Fast forward ten years. Maverick is now famous as a professional bull-rider, and his career just ended because he'd taken far too many blows to his head and the doctor wouldn't clear him to climb onto another bull. Additionally, he is contacted by his older brother, Clay, who informs him that their father just died, and that their little sister, Quinn, wants him to come home for the funeral, something he's avoided for the past decade. He does return, but he does so with a chip on his shoulder the size of Texas, and of course, Leighton is there. She's sold the ranch she inherited upon the death of her parents to Clay, and she's made a success of her pie-baking business. While she's still bitter and angry about the way Maverick treated her ten years ago, she still loves him. So far, so good.

Now, the things I didn't like, which have a lot to do with my expectations as a reader. Granted, that I was reading an uncorrected proof, but the poor grammar and usage really got to me since I expect an author to understand the basic rules of grammar and sentence structure. Although this story started out like gangbusters and drew me right in, midway through the novel the forward momentum and relationship building between the two main characters just fizzled out. In a romance novel, especially a second-chance one, I expect the author to allow the characters time to rebuild their once broken relationship, but in this novel, it all happens way too fast; they're fighting one minute and having hot sex the next. Then there's no contact between them for weeks. There was plenty of time left for the drama between them to be resolved, yet it just wasn't there in the second half of the book. After Maverick and Leighton's first time together, the tension between them is pretty much lost, and so the last half of the novel grinds slowly to a HEA ending, but without much happening, just lots and lots of redundant internal dialogue, so much so, that I skimmed past entire pages of it. 

While I think this novel and its characters had great promise at the outset, in this reviewer's opinion, it simply didn't live up to that promise.

4 Cowboys and Stetsons Stars 

Harper Sloan is one of my all-time favourite authors. I’ve been with her since she started. When I saw Lost Rider I was very unsure. It’s not my usual read. Cowboys and Stetsons are not really my thing. So I waited awhile to purchase it, to be honest I’ve been up to my eyes with reviews and I had said to myself I was going to slow down and start reading more books for myself. This was the first read in my slowing down on blog work. I was thoroughly surprised. I may have been converted to Cowboys after all.

I really enjoyed getting to know Maverick and Leigh. My heart bleed for Maverick and the pain he had to go through. I didn’t agree with him running off so young but I understood. Yes this was a really enjoyable read and this is one hot Cowboy you need to read even if it’s not your usual thing give it a go you won’t regret it.