Chloe has no confidence in relationships, she does in teaching and her home but herself no way. When Chloe leaves her driveway to go to her job she hits a plow and dents her door so badly she can’t open it.
The plow she hit was Coles he is the cowboy she has been fantasizing about for months and she is so embarrassed.
Cole can’t believe his luck that Chloe needs a ride to school along with one of her students who lives next door. Cole is hoping maybe he can spend some time with her maybe get her on a date when one of her students mentions why can’t she be on the hockey team, but in order for her to do that they need a female coach and Cole elects Chloe.
Cole is convinced he is cursed and that no woman would want him and Chloe has so much baggage you aren’t sure if she will ever get out from under it. I loved how naive Chloe was and her curse words were adorable this is a sweet story with a little heat and a lot of feels.

Jennie Marts once again pens an extremely entertaining installment of her Cowboys of Creedence series. It stands alone perfectly well, but you'll want to meet the other residents of this friendly Colorado town. I thoroughly enjoyed the previous book, and I must say I liked this one even more.

Colt James, cowboy and all around do-gooder, lost his dream of being a professional hockey player after being severely injured in a car accident when he was young. He now works at his family's ranch and helps the residents of Creedence in all manner of ways. He believes he is cursed, and is afraid to take a chance on losing anyone or anything again. But then he meets Chloe.... Chloe is an endearing nerd of an elementary school teacher. Though she is well liked, she has severe self-esteem issues as a result of dealing with an abusive alcoholic father and being abandoned by her mother. Colt convinces Chloe to help him coach a kids' hockey team, never mind that she doesn't even know how to skate!

I loved the fun, flirty relationship between Colt and Chloe. Even more, I enjoyed the relationship among all the members of Colt's family. Though I adored both our leads, there were times I wanted to scream at both of them for their insecurities, especially Chloe. Though she frustrated me occasionally, I did understand her body image issues, having dealt with that myself. I could see why both of them had their respective problems. However, my issues with them in no way impeded my enjoyment of their romance. I really enjoyed the humor Ms. Marts included in her story. (Wait until you read the section about the Liberty Bells!) I found myself smiling throughout much of the book. There was a bit of suspense in the story, but it was the charming characters who brought it to life. Here's hoping Logan will appear in a future book!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Okay, I'll admit I requested this book for the cover. Found out it was part of a series and went out to get book 1 and 2. Got lost in their world. This one didn't disappoint . Can be read alone, but recommend reading the others first. Great characters and chemistry

It Started with a Cowboy by Jennie Marts is the third book in her Creedence, Colorado, series about hockey playing cowboys. Colt, the third James brother, falls hard for Chloe Bishop, third grade teacher and huge heart. Colt and Chloe’s road is awfully rocky, but it is worth it to stick it out. I did occasionally want to slap them both and tell them to just go have a conversation. Marts brings it back around and provides a satisfying HEA where they both move past their demons. There are a couple minor characters that standout, so hopefully we will see more of this series going forward.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.

It Started with a Cowboy is wonderful romance story. It has a great storyline and flowed smoothly. I loved the characters and the plot. This book is part of the Cowboys of Creedence series and it sure did not disappoint me. Colt and Chloe are the main characters, and their love story is terrific and beautiful, as they go from friends to lovers. They have some bumps in the road along the way, to overcome their issues. I also enjoyed all the side characters. I look forward to reading more books in this series. Good work Jennie Marts!

I loved the storyline. The romance with heat was awesome and I still wanna know what that little something was that Colt could do to Chloe. They had no trouble in the chemistry dept. and the bits of wit and humor made me lol.
They were both a bit shy to admit to the feelings for each other and each had their own reasons for doing so. It was here that I got just a bit bogged down with all these internal feelings and mind talking.
Personally, I dislike mind talking because it tends to get repetitive and I got it the 1st few times that the mind talking occurred with how and why they are at this point with just mind talking and not saying it out loud. Y'all see where I went with this?
They each had issues and I'm not sure truthfully, that it all just works out as easily as was indicated, but it did and I sighed happily.
Now the drama that was Rank, was intense and had me edgy because it was when and not if he came back. Good intro to more characters with more future romance hopefully.
The kids, oh those wonderfully innocent little beings. That was bonus to read about the little league hockey and how that works, the thrill of a game and having a little gogetter girl on the team.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and am giving my honest opinions voluntarily

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

Cute romance filled with misunderstandings and insecurities for both colt and Chloe. They each feel that they are not worthy of the other and Chloe especially has lots of baggage from her childhood with an alcoholic abusive father.

They struggle with their feelings and they struggle with not talking things out with each other! Along with the struggle to figure out their relationship, they are trying to coach a kids hockey team as well as helping Tina and her family stay safe from her dangerous ex-husband.

It was great when they finally admitted their feelings and talked about their insecurities and finally got their HEA!

Home Run!! This was a great story! Two people who really lacked confidence in themselves finding their way to each other with loads of misunderstandings and mishaps. This story was sweet, sexy, romantic and funny at times. I fell in love with Colt and Chloe’s story!

The third book in Jennie Mart’s Cowboys of Creedence is heartfelt and emotional moving. A story of two wonderful characters that develop a genuine friendship that leads to heart-warming romance. But Chloe and Colt don’t have an easy go of it; they each have real deep-seated insecurities and must determine whether their love is strong enough to stay the test of time. No relationship is without hurdles, but Ms Marts has written and beautiful account of the trials that this exceptional couple face and their sincerity and willingness to give it everything they’ve got. This is definitely a great addition to this much loved series.

This was a really good read from a new author to me. The characters were fun, and there was some real drama. I loved the colourful way our heroine substituted swear words...as a mother of two, I might use some of them. I would definitely go back and read the other books in the series

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Oh how I wish these stories were true! Colt is a perfect gentleman that would do anything for anyone, but Chloe doesn’t know if he is just being nice or if he could actually like her. Of course this book has two “head-over-boot heals” characters who don’t know when to quit assuming they know what the other person is thinking and actually use their words to communicate with each other.

There are a few side stories that make the story especially interesting- I’d love to know more about what finally happened to Rank!

This is the first full-length book I have read by Jenni Marts. I love her writing style blending a funny entertaining story with a very serious side. Although this book is the 3rd in the Cowboys of Creedence series, I was able to follow the story completely, not feeling like I missed anything. I am sure that reading the entire series would bring more depth to the characters and the plot.
Jennie created great chemistry between the two main characters, Colt and Chloe. I love the dialog between them. I especially enjoyed reading their “thoughts” going on in their minds as they talked to one another or just when they were alone. It was such a natural thing that I think everyone does. By having this as part of the story, the reader sees what is truly felt, even if it is not spoken out loud.
I enjoyed so much seeing both Colt and Chloe develop into more secure, strong people independently of each other, but by this happening, their relationship became stronger.
Colt thinks we wants a life with no great risks. He believes if he desires something too much, it will be taken away by “the curse” that follows him. His past has indeed been filled with much disappointment.
Chloe thinks she wants an orderly, structured life, unlike her childhood with an alcoholic, verbally abusive father and no mother around.
The find each other and both are afraid of the strong feelings they have, but in time, as the flow of wonderful romance stories go, they become brave enough to admit their love and build a basis for a happily ever after.
Lastly, I will add that I loved Chloe’s colorful “non-cursing”. It was a hoot to read every one!


I will wait to post my review to Goodreads.com, Bookbub.com, Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com until the release date of the book, as requested by SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca.

Colt James, the youngest of the James brothers , is the guy who is always helping the community and its inhabitants. A community that helped him many years ago.
Colt has had his eyes on shy third grade teacher Chloe Bishop but he believes she’s out of her league. While Chloe, a woman with a childhood no child should live, feels he is out of her league. But fate puts them together and thus starts a “friendship”.
It’s a story that reminds us that what happens in our youth , does in fact affect us as adults. The scars and feelings are hard to overcome. But paraphrasing the author, it will destroy us or make us stronger.
Both Colt and Chloe will have to decide whether they want to give love a try knowing that life is messy but also rewarding, or play it safe and lose the chance of having someone to love and have their back.
This is another engaging story with complex characters by this talented author.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Eh...I think this book had so much potential but unfortunately it fell short.

I found Chloe to be incredibly annoying. First off, her refusal to curse and the stupid phrases she made to avoid cursing just got old...FAST! I get that as a teacher she can't curse, but it was way over board. Second her incredibly low self esteem felt like it was the entire plot of the book. It felt like every other pages was focused on her negativity because she was chubby as a kid, has curves now or because her father was mean. I get that she thought poorly of herself, but this was just too much.

Colt was the only thing that kept me pushing to the end of the book and prevented me from giving it less than three stars. His brothers added to it as well.

** ARC received from Netgalley **

I am late to the party with this fun cowboy/hockey romance. I missed the first two books(Caught Up In a Cowboy and You Had Me At Cowboy) but I’ll be going back to catch up on the other James brothers. In the meantime, let me tell you about this one...

Colt James is part of a large ranching family that seems to have an endless supply of handsome sons. And not just handsome, but good guys, in their ways. Though they’re cowboys they also love hockey, and Colt’s older brother is a professional hockey player. Colt had his own hockey dreams but an accident put an end to that and, even worse, an end to his confidence. In his mind, he’s cursed and no success can come his way in life or love.

Enter Chloe Bishop, an adorable, caring school teacher with a wicked case of ‘neat freak’. She likes a place for everything and everything in its place. Chloe came by this obsession after surviving an abusive father and now she’s taking so much control over her life that she doesn’t have much of a life beyond her classroom, her cat and her knitting.

Colt and Chloe had met before this story began, but just met, nothing more. Still, they made powerful impressions on each other and they haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. Not that they’ve done anything about it. But their ‘good guy’ and ‘caring teacher’ sides meet up to help out some kids who want to play hockey. Now Colt and Chloe are growing closer and starting to turn what had been daydreams and fantasies in some very steamy encounters.

The question is, will their own insecurities get in the way of their happiness? And what about the neighbor’s ex-husband who just got out of prison...Chloe is all about protecting them from the same sort of abuse she suffered as a child, while Colt is all about protecting Chloe. You know their lives will get complicated before this story ends.

Jennie Mart’s is the author of many delightfully humorous romances and now that she’s turned her eye on the western version with this cowboy series she’s writing a whole new world of compelling and steamy romances with just the right touch of humor. That makes for a fun read and, if that’s your cup of tea, you need to check this one out!

I really love this series and Colt James is now my favorite cowboy! He's so dreamy! I absolutely love Colt & Chloe's story and the way their relationship develops so beautifully from friends to lovers but really to so much more than that. He treats her the way every woman wants to be treated; he is so protective and so genuine. He is also one of the hardest working all around good guys helping out wherever he can. Chloe is awesome! Because she is an elementary school teacher, she has some of the funniest non swear words I've ever heard! I love her! From the story line to the characters, Ms. Marts has truly given us a heartwarming and sweet story about two people who have hearts of gold who will do anything to protect the people in their lives. They aren't perfect but they sure are perfect for each other. I honestly just adore this couple and their whole story!

"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough sweet, sexy romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

Chloe and Colt managed to fumble their way through friendship & find themselves in a relationship. Chloe has low self esteem & has trouble believing Colt is actually attracted to her. Colt is trying to find ways to make sure they spend time together without being obvious about it. Chloe is a typical young teacher totally concerned with anything related to her students. Colt could tell that was a way to keep her involved.

Jennie Marts has a talent for giving her readers ordinary characters that they can identify with & relate to. Chloe is the personable teacher who cares for her students but is introverted & awkward socially. Colt is the uncle who loves his nephew & is attracted to his teacher but doesn’t know how to approach her. I really enjoyed reading the dance these two engaged in. They were both oblivious to how the other felt. Chloe’s students & Colt’s family added extra depth to the story & their feelings. I was pulled into the story from the first & was kept entertained.

I'm torn over It Started With a Cowboy, Jennie Marts' new book. This was a beautiful and deceptively simple story about 30 yr old elementary school teacher Chloe Bishop and local cowboy Colt James. He is younger than her, I think, but I don't recall his age getting defined. Kudos to Ms Marts for tackling the challenge of a love story involving two shell shocked characters with severe self esteem issues.

Which gets to my trouble with this story. Reading about Colt & Chloe's journey to their HEA was physically painful & bittersweet at times. You've got 2 shy & introverted characters continually second guessing what the other meant or seeking hidden meanings in actions. Because of some previous poor choices that altered the course of his life, Colt believes he is "cursed" and undeserving of good things or of happiness. He's definitely a glass half empty kind of guy. As for Chloe, she grew up with an alcoholic and abusive father, so she is extremely timid and unsure of herself. They're both very sweet characters. Chloe is sweet & kind. Colt is a real honey. (However, I prefer my heroes a bit more alpha.)

There were real heartbreaking moments between these two people who couldn't believe they were so right for each other. Their love scenes were tender and romantic. 3 out of 5 for spice. Each showed some real growth that I can't talk about for fear of spoiling the story. Ultimate, though, I felt most of the conflict  between Colt & Chloe could be resolved by simple communication. This is why I'm giving 4 stars.

It Started With a Cowboy is well worth a read.

Arc provided by Net Galley

4.5 stars
Review by Leah
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog

Hot for Teacher! It Started with a Cowboy by Jennie Marts is a small town love story.

Chloe’s life is teaching at the local elementary school and then home to her cat Agatha. Growing up was a little tough with a single dad that was an addict. She tried to be everything and above to get approval from her father but growing up that way has beaten down her own self-image. Almost to a point where the roller coaster of her emotions through this book drags on a bit too much. Don’t get me wrong I love Chloe and her huge heart for children. Even her creative crazy PG curse words that come out of her mouth in this book will have you giggling. I don’t think I could take someone serious with some of the sayings she comes up with.

When she meets Colton James or rather crashes into him, her life as she knows it is thrown in the air. For someone that needs control of every single second, it causes some ruckus. Colton James is hot for teacher but the way he describes her "skittish as a colt", is spot on. He is afraid he will run her off if he pursues her the way he would like to.

Colton and Chloe’s relationship is one of those where you stand back and just smile and watch the magic happen. Colton’s heart is freaking huge! Come on, he is a country boy, respects his momma, helps out his neighbors, volunteers at the PD and FD and loves kids…. What else would he need to do to get the good guy status? Maybe protect Chloe from the neighbors crazy ex-hub? Oh yeah, he does that too.

I freaking love Aunt Sassy, what a pistol! And all the little extras that sneak in. I think my favorite is Maddie playing hockey and, of course, Max who has already laid claim that he will be marrying Chloe when he grows up. If you have not watched a little league hockey game, find one now and go watch. They are so much fun. This is really a fun, loving and heartfelt story. I definitely recommend.

*** ARC received in exchange for an honest review***