How sweet! I thoroughly enjoyed this little romance. I was a little worried Taggart might be a little too much but I ended up really loving his character and his growth. I look forward to reading the next book

Live like you're dying. that's the phrase Tag Baker lives by. it's a song and a life motto, but will that motto come back and bite him in the butt. Nikki Grady lives a quiet life as a nurse, trying to hold her life together with a hypochondriac mother and an absent father. when these two meet at a wedding the sparks may fly, or they may Fizzle Tag is a Cowboy rebel after all and Nikki refuses to be another notch on his bed post.

I adored this book. it's the fourth in the series but the first I have read and I for sure want to read the other books in the series, it gives a good dose, of love, laughter, drama, family and friendship. you won't regret picking up this book.

tw kidnapping and talk of childhood death.

I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one that this author writes. The storyline was simple, enjoyable, and entertaining.

I found this story about a rebel rodeo cowboy and the woman who tamed him to be delightful and fun to read. I enjoyed the slow build of their relationship and the changes it brought about in both of them. There was a nice mix of secondary characters, both likable and the kind you loved to hate. Ms. Brown is an excellent storyteller, and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, and am posting my voluntary review

I was so excited to read Tag and Nikki's story. I love this series and I can't wait to visit Longhorn Canyon, every time a new book comes out. Tag and Nikki have great chemistry in this book and the storyline kept me reading way past my bedtime. I highly recommend this book and series.

Ever since losing his best friend in a motorcycle accident, Taggart Baker wants to make every moment count. No dare is too dangerous, no adventure too crazy for this cowboy. But after one bad brush with the law, he realizes it's time to ditch his hooligan friends and grow up. Now he's running his own ranch next to the Longhorn Canyon spread in Texas. Still, no one would ever call him tame.
As with all of this author’s books, I really enjoyed this one. She has a talent for writing fully fleshed out characters and a full, emotional story. I loved both Taggart and Nikki as well as their journey together. I highly recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Book was good. I enjoyed the story and was pulled into the story quickly and stayed interested throughout.

I think this is my favorite Longhorn Canyon novel to date! The chemistry between these two is electric, and they are amazing. There were some really smooth pick up lines in this novel, and she didn't fall for ANY of them for quite a long time. She stuck to her guns and her ideals. They both had things that they were running from. The suspense factor of this novel was fantastic, and added something we hadn't seen in this ranch life yet.
Kudos to Carolyn Brown for keeping it fresh, and giving us another amazing novel with the Longhorn Canyon crew!

I had trouble getting into this book. I was confused by some of their actions and there were parts were the writing seemed very clunky, it seemed the wrong parts were shown instead of told, where a quick mention would have worked better. The pacing of the story was on the slow side, and the suspense aspect of the book just didn't seem realistic for me and I had a hard time believing it. Overall, an OK story. * I received an ARC of this book and this is my voluntary and honest review.

I really couldn't get into this book. I found Tag to be immature and blah, making him difficult to relate to.

DNF 10%

** ARC received from Netgalley **

Three stars: A book that lacked a little something, and the danger part felt a little too contrived for my taste.

Nikki can’t deny that she is feels some sparks whenever Taggert Baker is around, but she has worked long and hard to get where she is, and she isn’t willing to throw it away on a reckless cowboy. Not to mention, Tag is the brother of her best friend, Emily. Besides, Emily has a lot of baggage in her past, and Nikki is uncertain that she is capable of a relationship. Things take a turn when the two begin to spend time together, but then someone from Tag’s past returns, and things take a dangerous turn. Will Tag and Nikki get it right?
What I Liked:
*This is the fourth book in Carolyn Brown’s Longhorn Canyon Series, and while it may not have been my favorite in the series there was still plenty to like. I enjoyed catching up with the couples from the previous books, and seeing the romance unfold in this one.
*Nikki is a character whom I admired for her tenacity and her courage. Life dealt her a tough hand of cards, but she managed to fight and overcome the adversities thrown in her path. She is strong and determined, and she works hard to get her nursing degree despite the difficulties that her mother tosses her way. She is a sweetheart, and I loved seeing her find a slice of happiness.
*If you have read the previous books in the series, you will enjoy catching up with all the characters from the other three books. A new baby arrives, friendships are strengthened, and new ones formed. Plus, there is even more of the Fab Five from the last book. I love the fun characters in this series.
*I liked that Nikki had a complicated past, and a difficult mother. It made her seem more realistic. I appreciated that Nikki reached a point where she knew that she had done what she could, so she gave herself permission to walk away.
*The romance is nice. It starts out as a friendship, and it takes it slow time to develop. It doesn’t move too quickly.
And The Not So Much:
*The book ended abruptly. I was reading on my Kindle and was at the 83% mark, so I was expecting more, but the book ended, and a preview for another book followed. I thought the ending was rushed and too open. I wanted more closure.
*There is a big conflict that occurs midway in the book. I wasn’t a fan of this storyline. It too contrived and a little unrealistic for my taste. The whole bad guy showing up and doing what he did. I didn’t like it.
*I don’t know, this one lacked a little something for a Carolyn Brown book. I was missing the down home charm, and the feel good parts. There was a more somber tone in this one.
*Even though I liked the conflict Nikki faced with her mother, I felt that part of the story was too open ended as well. I wanted more movement one way or another.

Cowboy Rebel is the fourth book in a favorite series of mine. Unfortunately, this book lacked a little something for me. I didn’t like the bad guy conflict and was surprised by the abrupt ending. I wanted more closure. Still it was fun to catch up with the gang from the three previous books. I am hoping the next book will bring back all I love in this feel good series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

Highly entertaining, heartwarming, emotionally thrilling and engaging romantic journey. Was a excellent reading experience filled with small town goodness, witty banter, great charters and exciting passion. Loved this Longhorn Canyon visit.

Cowboy Rebel is a very well written romance. I enjoyed the plot and the setting. I look forward to reading more books in this series. I highly recommend this book. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my digital arc. This is my unbiased review.

Another winner by Carolyn Brown. Can be read as a stand alone, but after reading you will love going back to previous books. Of course having lived in Sunset Texas, does bring back memories of small close knit community and the towns nearby. I can see the similarity of real life of northwest Texas life. So, if you want to read a heart warming story of the struggles of overcoming past haunts and struggles with romance entwined, this book is for you. Remember this is a continuation of Longhorn Canyon series which is a wonderful western theme series. Can’t wait to read the next book.

In this book, we are back in Longhorn Canyon and I liked the two lead characters. Taggart Baker is living his life like the Tim McGraw song “Live like you are dying” This mostly because he lost his best friend to a motorcycle accident when they were younger. He has not skydived or rode a bull name Fu man Chu for 2.5 seconds. He has been a bull rider. After a fight in the bar where he is cut open under his chin the nurse, Nikki Grady is getting him ready to be seen by the doctor and they both have an instant attraction to one another. Taggart problem is he is fighting himself on wanting to settle down or not. Nikki wants to be with him but is scared with all he gets himself into. After they finally agree his past comes back and makes for a scare and then a bull named Fu Man Chu comes through town and he needs to ride it. Maybe she will have a chance with him if he can stay alive. See what happens in this good story.

Cowboy Rebel was sweet, but a bit slow. It's about Nikki, a nurse who's long held a torch for Tag, the bad boy brother of her best friend. She's denied her feelings for years in order to focus on her career and on caring for her difficult mother, but an emergency room visit deepens her friendship with Tag, and makes her realize that he may be serious about leaving his bad boy behaviour behind.  

I liked Nikki from Cowboy Brave and am glad to get her story. Her relationship with her mother added some interesting depth to her character, but I kinda wished I understood the mother's condition a bit more. She was super bitchy and demanding, which was explained as a psychological condition, but I'm not sure what.

Tag's rebel status seemed more due to his past than anything truly rebellious in his present. So even though it's called 'Cowboy Rebel', this is not at all a bad boy hero. Rather, Tag is a super sweet and caring man, easy to fall in love with and in line with the story's overall heartwarming vibe, but given the title, I was hoping for a tad more heat. 

Also, on a personal note, I'm not keen on guns and it kinda turned me off to see Nikki and other characters talking so casually about how if only Nikki had had her pistol with her, a bad guy would already be dead. 

The kidnapping subplot left me meh -- though I like that Nikki wasn't a helpless victim at all, I mostly just wanted to get back to the romance. It possibly fell flat because it was introduced so early on in the story, and seemed a bit too dramatic a development for that part of the story.

The bonus novella at the end was sweet and cute. 

+

Thank you to Forever Romance for an egalley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[This review will go live on my blog on June 17, 8 am ET.

Life is complicated…

I really enjoyed Tag and Nikki’s journey as they wrestled with issues that could have easily derailed them. Bad decisions, family we have no control over – all things that anyone can relate to and empathize with. I know I wouldn’t mind the odd do over. Or wish that things could just be… different.

A family wedding brought them together and that attraction sparked feelings that surprised them both. Tag was the bad boy with a rocky past he was still trying to overcome and, sometimes, just resist… Nikki was forging ahead with her career but never losing sight of those she’d lost and a frustrating relationship with her mother. Neither was looking for a long-term relationship yet old-fashioned dates and sharing their pasts were only a few things they didn’t expect. A slow-paced courtship was new to them both but whether they felt they deserved it or not, love was theirs for the taking…

There was baggage galore, all handled with humour and family – a trademark of this author and definitely of this series. Sweet heat with a dash of spice thrown in, Tag and Nikki delivered with a heartwarming, HEA romance…

This story had it all...handsome cowboy player, sister's best friend nurse, great music, which I could actually hear when it came on their radio. There were laugh out loud moments, sad memories and scary times with a crazy ex-friend. It's always wonderful to visit with old friends who've not been forgotten. Best of all is the HEA ending. Now I just have to wait for the next installment.

Longhorn Canyon #4, I am so glad the series has extended beyond the initial characters, the introduction to Emily's brothers in the last book and cousins in this book has the hopes of at least three more books after this one. This does well as a stand alone Nikki and Tag's relationship between the wedding where they met and the start of this book was basically Tag flirting and Nikki turning him down. The beginning of this book Tag shows Nikki how serious he is about starting a relationship with her and as usual the more time they spend together the more they like each other. Pretty early in the relationship Tag is exposed the Nikki's crazy mama and Nikki is faced with just how wild Tag's past was when an old friend of his tries to hold her for ransom. Thankfully the guy's an idiot. That all happens in the first half of the book the second half is more of their internal struggle dealing with their personal demons and facing a committed relationship.

Overall, it was a good read. If you are not familiar with Carolyn Brown she leans more to the explicit free, leave it up to the reader's imagination sex. The one thing that kind of bugged me, and she's been doing this quite a bit, all the country songs mentioned most of the time I don't mind because so many people can relate to music especially Tag's fascination with the song 'Live Like You Were Dying' however it seemed that every song on the radio was pertinent to that exact situation at that exact moment. Otherwise this was a really good book I love reading Carolyn Brown and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
I enjoyed this book, the characters are well written and there was a lot to like about each one.

Tag is used to living his life to the fullest and when we find out why, my heart broke for him. His sense of right and wrong is sometimes skewed but he's a bad boy with a good heart.

Nikki is an RN who's worked hard for everything she has. She's crushing hard on Tag but is afraid that he's not as serious as she is.

Watching Tag come to terms with his past and find a way to keep Nikki by his side is what makes me keep this series on my to-be-read pile.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Mental Health issues, Death

Taggart is a twin. His brother, Hud, knows that Tag has a wild heart. But when Tag finds himself in the ER again, despite trying to do the right thing, he can't help but hit on the nice nurse. After all, he's known her a while. Tag's flirtatious nature is something he wears as armor. He's trying to fight past his demons and find his own way.

Nikki is working hard to maintain her friendship with Taggart and his family. She is worried about her best friend's thoughts on her crush on Taggart. However, Nikki has survived a lot in her young life and fighting off her attraction is just something else she'll have to endure.

This was a sweet story because you got to see friends and family all trying to help the two main characters. I'll admit that I really had a hard time with Nikki's mom. I can understand wanting to stay with family out of guilt, but Nikki's mom was just awful.

Watching Taggart and Nikki mature throughout the story – finding themselves, as well as developing a friendship that would become the basis of their romance – was a great way to develop the characters and the storyline. I really enjoyed this storyline and can't wait for the other people to get their own books.