Casey by Kelly Hunter

Tomas James Casey is finding settling back into the bull riding circuit a little difficult. He left just before the finals, without explanation. He didn’t feel he should explain why, as he knew the American Extreme Bull Riders Association would exploit his father’s death and that is about family. He is on the outer but he doesn’t care.

As the fourth son of five, he needed to find his own way in life. He wants to make money and study to be a vet. He has issues with the way in which his older brothers forced their agenda when their father died, but as he has his bull riding, he is fine.

When he returns to the circuit, he has more contact with Rowan Harper, a bull breeder. And the attraction fires up.

Rowan has been around bull riding all her life. She struggles to have her father see she is just as good as any son, the son he wished for, or so she believed. When it all unfolds, her father is more upset that he lost the woman he loved.

Rowan and Casey try to see each other whenever they are on the road and in the same town. Even though they think they are sneaking around, everyone seems to know about their relationship. Even when Rowan falls pregnant. It is when she is pregnant, Rowan discovers what her father had been unable to discuss with her. Both families come together in the hope they will not have to deal with another loss.

I liked this story, which gave some insight into the bull-riding life. While Casey and Rowan can be hard edged people due to the nature of what they do, they do discover their hidden elements and join together. It was very sweet when Casey helped Rowan buy a dress. Her first one ever. The secondary characters in the story were all interesting and in some ways I wanted to know more about many of them. But it certainly shows how difficult this life can be. I look forward to others in the series.

Reviewed by Heather

What a fantastic series (this i can only base on the two i've read, but it's enough to hook me). Casey and TJ are the two characters who entertained me and held me hooked until the end of the story. I really enjoyed the ambiance and the placing of the characters and the flow of the story. Super duper loved the action!

Cowboys, bull riding, and the backgrounds of the sport set the stage for a good tale for T.J. and Rowan . Good addition to this series and enjoyed these characters journey to find love.

Ebook from Netgalley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.

I loved Rowan and Casey's story! The characters have depth and their HEA fantastic and satisfying. What a great glimpse into the world of extreme bull riding. I felt apart of Rowan and Casey's world and didn't want the story to end!
I enjoyed Hunter's usual sparkling dialogue. This book will not disappoint!

I enjoyed this book. Not only is this book a sweet romance, it is a great story of a young woman coming into her own. Rowan has grown up traveling the bull riding circuit and now she helps her father with the bull breeding. TJ Casey is a bull rider who walked away from the finals so he could bury his father. Casey has returned this year with plans to win the buckle and to win the girl. But, while Rowan is self-assured in her job, she lacks confidence with “girl” things like shopping and dating. Casey is wonderful and supportive as Rowan finds her voice and becomes a strong, independent woman.
In the end, these two lovers will still have to work out their differences to see if they are willing to take a chance on love.
I was provided a copy of this book by LibraryThing in exchange for my honest review.

Rating 4.5/5
I haven’t read all the books in this seven book series, nor have I read the ones I have in sequence - but they each work well as standalone, even though they have some of the same characters in them. I have to say that, to date, this one is my favourite. Kelly Hunter brings the characters to life with her skilful writing, making them connect with the reader so, as she develops the characters and plot further, I was urging them on, giving virtual hugs and cheers to encourage them.

Rowan has been brought up by her father, a tour stock contractor, travelling the tour with him since she was four years old. TJ is Tomas James Casey, a rider who chose to attend his father’s funeral when two of his brothers refused to arrange it so he could still compete in the bull riding finals. He plans to make this his final year on the tour, hoping to win enough prize money to enable him to pay to train as a vet. However, his father’s death has also reminded him that life can be cut short and he’s also hopes to win the girl of his dreams, Rowan, even though she never dates riders. . . .

The character development through this story is superb, the plot engaging with plenty of surprises as the two journey towards their HEA. There are obstacles in their way, including some bucking bulls! The story is packed with family drama, great characters and I particularly enjoyed reading about Rowan’s emerging from her shell of baggy clothes to become a more confident woman working in a male dominated world, with lots of support and encouragement from Casey, who also becomes more focussed on what he wants from life after this season. It is a heart warming romance, one I have no hesitation in highly recommending.

I requested and was given a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion after choosing to read it.

Casy is jet another great book from this series. It has a completely different plot with another two great characters. Rowan and T.J know each other for years and when all see Rowan like a tomboy T.J. see a woman. So, after all, they are starting to see each other but it is difficult because Rowan starts to searching who she truly is and they both don’t know what do they mean to each other. The future after Bullriding for T.J. is also unclear. In this one, all the hot scenes are left out but the story has it weight, good characters, and plot that when you come to the finish you are satisfied with what you have read.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly

4.5 Oh So Much More Than Bull Riding Stars
* * * *1/2 Spoiler Free
Every once in a while there will be an entry to a series which will just shock the hell out of you...You have a pretty solid idea of what to expect in the series. What it is going to give you and you are happy to just dig in, continue reading about the characters and atmosphere, and just want to follow all of the tales.

The American Extreme Bull Riders Tour Series is written by different authors, focusing in on individual Bull Riders and them finding their way to love. Each so far had an ease and solid story with the HEA at the end. We got to know or at least become familiar with many of the characters involved with the tour. With Tanner as Book One and Chase as Book Two, we got strong Alpha Riders and learned all about the Tour and how tough it actually can be... Physically and Emotionally...

But with this addition, Kelly Hunter took this series to a whole other level for me...She gave a deep, complex story with humor, tease, heart, pain and a developing relationship which was stunning to see...She gave us people to truly care for and each had their own "Stuff"... But both had a bond...a type of developing trust and to see where it was taking them was compelling.

The blurb lays all of this out...so we have this idea of what is going to transpire...

We have T.J. Casey, a rider who was on his way to a Championship Run. Unfortunately, his father unexpectedly died just before the final event. T.J. asked his brothers to move the funeral a few days...but 2 of his brothers wouldn't do it. Rather than telling the Tour of the death and them using the pain of his Mother, etc... as a PR stunt, T.J. left the tour without any explanation. He wanted to be there for his mom... and never let the family know what he had given up... His Status with the Tour, Sponsors, Fans, Other Riders and not to mention the 7 Figure Winnings he could have won.

Now T.J. is back, focused to climb back and be in the running for the win once again. The only way to make that happen is for him to be supportive of the other riders, make the grade with at least 8 second rides on the roughest bulls there are and not get caught up in anything distracting...

Rowan Harper may not be a Bull Rider but she is just as tough if not more... She is co owner of the ranch which breeds and raises the Best Bulls for the sport. Raised by her father after her mother died when she was 4...Rowan has worked since that moment to be everything her father wanted...only problem was, she wasn't the preferred gender to receive the love and care she so desired and needed.

Over the years Rowan learned everything there was to learn about the business... she had a way with the bulls... figured out how to breed the best... most mean and quick... and she had one of her "babies " on the tour this year. He was the type of ride champions dream of... and T.J. wanted on his back...

T.J. also wanted to get closer to Rowan...He had watched her hide herself behind baggy jeans and cowboy work boots...She knew more about bull riding and handling bulls then even her dad.
T.J. decided to try to start a more friendly relationship with Rowan... which was hard with the father always watching and scowling...all of the organization and vendors didn't trust T.J. so easily because he had up and left the tour with no notice. T.J. was starting from Scratch with all of them...

So here we have these two people...A man who sees more than what is presented in front of everyone...He sees a woman trying to emerge within a very difficult male dominated industry...He sees Rowan wanting to step out and see what she could be...maybe dressed in a skirt and learning to flirt...He sees her pain when her father becomes mentor to a young man and threatens everything Rowan has worked toward...And most importantly...he sees maybe if he is patient and goes slow, Rowan might let down all of her walls... and let him in...

Rowan sees so much in T.J., too...She sees how he fought to take care of his brothers and Mom... and how he cares for all the other riders on the tour...She sees how he never came on to her, scamming .... looking for the hook up and hoping to hit the financial jackpot...

Nope, these two have this bond and both work to make it special...
and I promise you...Special it is...

Because Author Kelly Hunter takes the moments, with just the right pace and feelings for this couple...

There is an innocence mixed with a sexuality which jumps off the page...You are in each person's head and feel the wonder and excitement of their coming together...I felt it while reading and it shocked me because I wasn't prepared for the depth of feelings I had...I actually stopped for a moment and thought how unexpected and good this was....

Both characters have a lot going for them and when they are together... it all falls into place.

If you would like a more detailed review, please read Marsha Spohn's review. It is so articulate and explains all of the things I tried to...https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

It turns out Tule Publishing has scheduled this series for 7 books...I will be reading every single one.

I'm getting to love extreme bull riders! Casey, like the other two I have read about in this series, is not just tall and lean and muscled and sexy. He's a thoughtful, caring and thoroughly decent man. I liked his interaction with Rowan, daughter and partner of bucking bull breeder Joe Harper.
Characters I can identify with are a big drawcard for me and one of the main factors in determining whether or not I enjoy the read. Kelly Hunter always creates well-rounded characters who are so real they could walk off the page at any moment, and it's not just the key characters in the story. I loved Casey's mother and Rowan's father just as much.
This story is not just about how real the characters are, however. The plot is just as good, and it seems right until the end that no matter how strongly Casey and Rowan might feel for each other, the paths they have chosen will mean they can't be together forever. Thankfully, as with all good stories this one does have its happy ever after and has left me with a big smile on my face.

Kelly Hunter is one of my favorite short form contemporary romance authors, so when I saw Casey at Netgalley, I let out a little squeal of delight. I loved the colorful cover, too, and hey, it’s about bull riders, so, yes, please!

Casey is back on the bull riding tour after his father’s death derailed his chances of winning the championship and a million dollar check. His brothers refused to wait the weekend for him to compete, so Casey quietly left the tour right before the Vegas championship. While I appreciated that family came first, I still don’t understand why he didn’t let the tour organizers know what was going on. Instead, they believe he’s a flake and he’s not dedicated to the sport after his no-show. His sponsors dropped him, and the fans haven’t forgiven him, either. I don’t think it would have been so bad to have the PR department release a brief statement that he had to leave the tour because of a death in the family, but nope.

Rowan and her father own a bull breeding business, and they are stock contractors for the bull riding circuit. Rowan has had to fight for her place in a traditionally male world. She also has to fight for her father’s respect and affection. After the death of her mother, father and daughter hit the road, hauling cattle from one end of the country to the other. Rowan and her father have a difficult relationship, and a strange one, too. They live in separate areas of the ranch house, and have for years. Her father doesn’t give her much affection, and he is very demanding. When he agrees to take on the son of another contractor to show him the ropes, Rowan is jealous. Here is the son that her father always wanted, now her presence is even less tolerated.

Casey has had his eye on Rowan for a while, and when he bets that he can ride her bull for the full 8 seconds, she reluctantly takes him up on it. A steak dinner is on the line. Rowan gives him some riding tips for Eggs, and watches as he crashes and burns. That just makes Casey more determined to stick Eggs and win the girl. What follows is a slow, hesitant courtship, where neither participant really knows what they want from each other.

I really enjoyed this book. There’s a lot of rodeo, but there’s also a lot of family. Both Casey and Rowan have an uneasy relationship with their families. Casey is at odds with his older brothers, and Rowan is ever longing for some kind of emotional connection with her father. If it wasn’t for the bulls, they would have nothing to hold them together, but even that is threatened when her father offers to buy out her share of the business. When Mab is added to their dysfunctional family, Rowan finds it hard to dislike him, even when she feels threatened by his presence. I liked Mab; besides Casey, he was the only male in Rowan’s life who set her needs first and tried to take care of her.

If you’re planning any beach time, Casey is a good book to lounge in the sun with. It’s a fast, satisfying read, with a convincing HEA.

Tomas James Casey always puts family first. When his father died, he left the bull-riding competition. It cost him his place in the finals and the respect of the other cowboys. I liked that T.J. put his mother and brothers ahead of his dreams. It showed what a good man he is. Rowan is a woman working in a male dominated world. She is tolerated even though she's very good with her bulls. Her father has always kept his distance. After his wife died he couldn't cope. Her sadness touched me. Tomas is drawn to her. Their relationship is special. I loved seeing them together. It made me feel good. Kelly Hunter has written a romantic and moving story. The characters are compelling and compassionate. The bull riding competition makes an exciting setting. Casey has a hero and heroine that I can root for. I'm enjoying the American Extreme Bull Riders Tour series.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.

A nice read set in the background of bull riders and breeders life. Finding love and hanging on to it.

The woman or the championship? What’s a bull rider to do?

Here’s what’s going on. Last year, Casey walked away from the bull riding finals to bury his father. His fans have deserted him, his sponsors left, and people are calling him a part-time cowboy so he knows he needs to keep his head on straight and cover his bulls if he wants to claim the championship. He doesn’t need a distraction but he can’t get Rowan off his mind. Rowan’s a woman in a man’s world, so she keeps her head down, focuses on her work, and leaves the cowboys alone. But Casey’s proven he’s more than just a bull rider and when he listens to her advice about how to ride one of her bulls, she knows she wants to get know him a bit better.

I’ve been having so much fun with this series. Each one focuses on a bull rider in the American Extreme Bull Riders circuit and, like most series book from this publisher each book in by a different author, so they all have a different flavor to them.

Casey could make a girl swoon. He’s independent, handsome, puts family first, and earning money to put him through veterinary school. He’s also determined and headstrong. Rowan doesn’t really know where she belongs. Her mother passed away when she was young so she raised by a father who would have preferred her to be a boy. She’s trying to figure out who is she.

The romance was a bit slow burn and Rowan didn’t really make it easy for Casey but he was persistent. I liked that the relationship developed as she became more comfortable in her own skin and that Casey was there for her no matter what she decided to do.

What I really liked about this one was how much of the bull riding aspect the book contained. I mean, it wasn’t over the top but there was enough to sink my teeth into and make things interesting.

Overall, I really had a fun time with this one. The writing flowed and I was hooked from the start.

Love the girl making her way in a mans world and doing it well theme to this story. This story was cute and had a pretty woman/ my fair lady feel to it I really enjoyed and keeping me hooked to the very end. Casey was a total guy next door, he was clueless at times but he knew what he wanted and set about getting it!

4.5 stars. I have read a few books in this series now (all different authors) and this one was definitely my favorite. This was my first time reading this author and I thought her writing and character development was great. The story was very very good. A really great read. I enjoyed the aspect of seeing the woman find herself and her way, after growing up and living and working in a man dominated world. I felt a couple of things were left unresolved from the tour and his family stuff that had been major parts of the book, so I didn't round up to 5 stars.

It looks like this author has already written a book about one of the Casey brothers, and I will be checking that out, and I'm definitely interested in the other brothers as well.

I'm loving the American Extreme Bull riders series!

I recently read and reviewed Tanner by Sarah Mayberry and was looking forward to more from these taller-than-life heroes and the women who show them there's more to life than bulls :)
This book gives readers an up close and personal view from the back of the bull through our hero, T. J. Casey's perspective. While a large part of the draw is the adrenaline rush, we also learn about the impetus that keeps this cowboy going after the glory- a dream of becoming a vet one day, independence, and maybe a reason for his four brothers to be proud of him.

Rowan has grown up in the industry. She's rodeo royalty, and as such, fiercely protected by everyone she works with. Which makes showing an interest in a stubborn, handsome, funny cowboy difficult to say the least.

I loved Rowan with her insecurities and Casey for his support and kindness while watching the woman he cared for emerge into the world like a butterfly.

Sweet and sexy!

I give Casey 5 lovely kisses!

Another great addition to the American Extreme Bull Riders Tour. I fell in love with Casey and Rowan. Casey is nearing the end of his career as a bull rider, and not looking for love. Rowan is in the business of raising the bulls. Her father is very protective of her. They try to keep their relationship a secret, but soon things change.

A great read of family relationships and loyalty. Loved the relationship of Casey and Rowan. Looking forward to next book in the series. They are all stand alone books.

A great addition to the American Extreme Bull Riders Tour series of book. Just loved this book two people so different yet so much alike. They both were loners. Rowan grew up without a mom and missed out on so many things and TJ Casey grew up with 4 other brothers but not feeling apart of their dynasty. I loved how they finally get together but hated that Rowan wanted to keep their relationship a secret.

Definitely a good story of young love. Very heartwarming and enjoyable. I definitely recommend this series if you like cowboys and romance.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Net Galley and Tule Publishing.

Another cute, romantic story of bull riders and their many loves... competitions, the bulls, and the ladies. Really enjoyed how the author developed not only Casey and Rowan, but also the minor characters as well.

Casey is book three in the American Extreme Bull Riders Tour. I really loved this story, Rowan Harper is a strong woman who knows who she is and doesn’t take crap. Then you have T.J. Casey a bull rider set on full filling his dreams. These two are strong characters and the storyline is well written. I would definitely recommend this book to readers.