They sound something in common and forged a relationship that would heal the tattered scars of his past. Jennie Marts seamlessly intertwines her series together that makes her readers desperate for the next book!

This is a sweet story full of ups and downs. I loved the animals. They were my favorite parts of the story. I was glad that Bryn finally managed to stand up for herself.

This one has ALL the feels. If you don't shed a tear or more as you read you must be missing something.
A broken hero you will cheer for, and occasionally want to slap, (then kiss and make feel better.)
A big hearted heroine who is sweeter than any treat from her diner.
And oh the animals will steal your heart!

Your emotions will foll up and down and they rescue animals, chase a bad guy, and everyone has emotional growth. What a begging to a series you can't put down!

Great series opener. I love the creation of the animal rescue, makes me wish I could do one too. I love the characters and the funny situations they get themselves into. Martes is a great author.

This is a book that I had a hard time putting down. On appearances, Zane looks like a rugged cowboy but his scars run more more than skin deep. Bren, has such a big heart that get her into trouble at times. But when they team up together to rescue horses and more, they open their hearts to more than just the animal rescues. Zane feels that he is broken and does not deserve to have a HEA but will Bren get through those scars?

Loved this book!! The chemistry that Bryn and Zane is hot off the charts. So many laugh out moments. Plenty of emotions that will tug your heart. Add in the secondary characters, yes I'm talking about the four legged ones, it makes for the perfect read.

This is the first book in the series and I highly recommend it!!

Another Great book by Jennie Marts! I love how she makes you part of the book by getting me emotionally involved with her characters. Reason why she is one of my favorite authors! This series rocks!!

I loved this book! I mean cowboys and horses who wouldn't? I could not put the book down read it in one day. try this you won't regret it. Bren and Zane were dynamic together.

It seems a sweet story BUT not a story I can get into at this time. The animals being maltreated hurt too much to read their story and I couldn't really relate to the main characters. I did skim and believe that this book will appeal to those who enjoy cowboy stories similar to this one but it is not for me - at least not at this time. Than you for the opportunity to read this book but I will not be reviewing it as I did not finish enough to leave a comprehensive review. (DNF)

The blurb describes perfectly what the book and our characters are about. Or almost perfectly when it comes to Zane and Bryn. Zane had a Beast from “Beauty and the beast” vibe and I did think that he needed a good therapist. That would have solved many issues that were brought up in the book. Bryn can be called naive, but she was also a hopeful and positive person who took on more she could chew. I really liked her, unlike Zane who ended up a little bit unlikable from all the pushing he did. I liked him a lot at first, but later he made me feel tired from all the pushing and self-hate which seemed excessive.

I ended up enjoying the book a lot though. It’s a small-town kind of romance and as usual, I liked that aspect. I also liked Bryn and Zane together because they brought out the best in each other.

My first Jennie Marts but not my last! A feel-good cowboy romance that is so swoon worthy & I want more of these characters!

With small town charm, characters that were easy to love and a story line that melted my heart, A Cowboy State of Mind had it all! I laughed, cried and swooned hard. So if you love cowboys and romance, then you definitely need to look at adding this one to your tbr!

“It was nothing.”
It hadn’t been nothing to her. It had been everything.


I had already fallen hard for Zane Taylor in Wish Upon a Cowboy. He was quiet and loyal. And I loved that he stepped up and helped when needed. He was such a good person. Plus I adored his border collie, that he claimed wasn’t his, but he still let her sleep in his bed at night ha! But my heart bled for Zane. Other judged him by his scar. And his upbringing and current situation with his dad made my heart hurt for him. Thankfully, there was lots of brightness in his life. Especially anytime he was around Bryn.

She was done saving others. She wanted security and stability. Safety. And when it came to being around Zane Taylor, her heart was anything but safe.


Zane was already head over heels in lust with Bryn, and I couldn’t blame him. I adored her too! Bryn Callahan was a kind hearted, quirky, lovable woman who I instantly connected with. She truly had the biggest heart ever and took in strays without a second thought. When she saved a horse’s life, that brought Zane back into her life. And while you could tell that they both liked each other, Bryn tried her best not to get attached. Zane was supposed to leave the state for work. But the heart wants what the heart wants.

He didn’t know what to say, how to put into words what her words meant to him. All he could do was show her. He pressed his lips to hers and kissed her with everything in him.


Their love of animals brought Zane and Bryn together again and again. And I loved that we got to hear both of their thoughts! Their romance was sweet and slow, but the sexier moments were oh so hot! But they had a lot of obstacles in their way, besides Zane leaving town. Like Bryn’s past, her family to Zane not having the best faith in himself. I just wanted to take all of the distractions away and push them together. Because anytime they were around the other, it was fabulous!

“That’s the thing about love. We don’t ask for it, but sometimes we get it anyway.”


A Cowboy State of Mind should have easily been a 4.5/5 Star rating for me. But I struggled with this book. I’m overly sensitive to animals being in dangerous situations or hurt. And don't worry, spoiler alert, all the animals ended up perfectly fine. But my little girl dog had been sick for months. So I struggled greatly reading about hurt animals while she was snuggled up next to me extremely sick. I truly couldn’t handle the animal parts at all, and would put this book down for days to even weeks at a time. Many, many times. I’m sure I’m an anomaly, but I wanted to explain why my heart couldn’t fully be in this story.

He brushed her hair back from her forehead, his gaze intense and deep as he stared into her eyes. “The fallin’ is easy, darlin ’. It’s the jumpin’ that takes the strength of will.”
She swallowed, emotion suddenly thickening her throat, as if her body knew that he wasn’t just talking about the ledge. She was already falling, and falling hard, for Zane Taylor, but was she really ready to jump headlong into this thing with him?
He dipped his head and kissed the side of her neck, the scruff of his whiskered chin scraping the delicate skin. She tipped her head back and sighed as she fell.


A Cowboy State of Mind had a happy ending for all, four and three legged animals included. And I adored Zane and Bryn. If you love romances that have sexy cowboys in them, heartwarming characters and animals and a story line that will make you root for HEAs, then definitely check this one out. Jennie Marts is always a huge hit for me, I was just too sensitive with the topic of this book, to make this one a favorite.

Nice story. Well meaning. Not one of my favorite Jennie Marts books, but will keep her on my favorite list. A bit sappy. Oh, well. Some will enjoy more than I did, so do check it out.

This was a good read for me. The writing flowed well, as it always does with this author. I liked Zane and Bryn together, and thought they had great chemistry. I had my problems with both though. Bryn was a pushover for most of the story. I don't mean with taking in the animals, but especially with her brother. I just wanted to shake her and tell her he was a grown man who should have to take care of himself. She finally stands up for herself, but only after finding him stealing from her. Zane needed some therapy, or at least to talk to someone. His dad was a horrible person, and he was actually taking care of him. I'm all for helping family, but sometimes you just need to get people out of your life. I was happy to see Zane find out that the guilt he'd been carrying for years was misplaced, and for him to realize that he did deserve love. The ending was great and perfect for these 2. The only thing I would have liked would have been an epilogue. I love seeing how the couples end up.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.

This was a wonderful cowboy romance! I would highly recommend reading this book if you are like me and love cowboys!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and I also purchased a copy as I LOVED it!

I would love to give this more than 5 stars if I could. What a great way to start off a new series (and also be a spin off of Cowboys of Creedence!) Characters of the Cowboy of Creedence made appearances especially Logan but you don't have to read that series to enjoy this book. I adored Zane Taylor. What can I say he's a cowboy and a hot one at that. The character has a scar from his eye to this cheek (the model on the cover doesn't but his is oh so drool-worthy!) I kept going to stare at the cover while reading this. I LOVE COWBOYS!

Zane has had a rough life. He is the son of the town's drunk. His mother died giving birth to him and it is something that his father won't let him forget either. Instead of going to college, he joined the military and spent time in Afghanistan before getting shot and sent back to the states. When his father has a heart-attack, Zane leaves his job in Montana and comes home to Creedence. There is Bryn Callahan. She is the town's sweetheart. She is a waitress at the local diner and a rescuer of all things broken. Her story is heart-wrenching but she has picked herself up by the boot strap and made things worked.

These two characters are falling in love and striking sparks off of each other. Add in the miscommunication, several horses, dogs, a hog (erm pig....), a goat and you have the makings of the beginning of a rescue ranch. The author did a fabulous job of keeping the story going and keeping me glued to my e-reader. I never knew what was coming around the corner (okay, okay the next page) for these two.

There is a "bedroom" scene but it was written in such a way that it was HIGHLY glossed over and more of a fade to black than descriptive details of the act. If you love an angsty cowboy romance like I do, than I would highly recommend this to you (IF YOU ARE OVER 18 - AS I DON'T WANT TO OFFEND ANY PARENTS OF CHILDREN.)

A heart-warming tale full of hope and heart, Jennie Marts hits it out of the park with her charming, funny and irresistible new small-town cowboy romance, A Cowboy State of Mind.

Zane Taylor is used to keeping people at arms length. An accident some years back had left him with a scar on his face and a determination to give people a wide berth and not allow anyone to get too close to him. The real world makes Zane edgy, but when he is on horseback or spending time with a horse, Zane feels peaceful, tranquil and like he can conquer the world. Zane is not the kind of man who is interested in putting down roots and in fact, he is itching to pack his things and move on to the next town and the next job, but could pretty waitress Bryn Callahan convince him to stick around and to stop hiding in the shadows?

Kind-hearted Bryn does not have a mean bone in her body. Everybody is drawn to her good nature and generous spirit from three-legged dogs to sick horses and rugged cowboys. Having had her heart broken a couple of times, Bryn vows to give relationships a wide berth and instead focus all of her energies and efforts into helping stray animals find a forever home. Romance might be off the agenda, but Bryn cannot help but be drawn to brooding cowboy Zane Taylor. When Bryn inadvertently ends up the owner of a sickly horse heading for slaughter, she realizes that she is in need of professional help. Bryn needs somebody to help the horse to settle and who better to help her than the best horse whisperer in the state: Zane Taylor…

Brought together by fate and united by a passion that cannot be denied, Zane and Bryn begin to get closer and closer. As their feelings for one another intensify, will they find the strength and courage to admit the truth about the depth of their feelings for one another? Or will they continue to allow their feelings and insecurities to hold them back from embracing this unexpected chance at happiness?

An irresistible cowboy romance written with plenty of warmth and flair, A Cowboy State of Mind is a spellbinding tale of healing, renewal and falling in love sprinkled with emotion, drama, wit and sensuality. Jennie Marts will make readers fall in love with brooding Zane and Bryn is a terrific heroine they would love to have as a best friend.

A first class cowboy romance, A Cowboy State of Mind is a fantastic tale by a writer who should be on everyone’s must-buy list: Jennie Marts.

Such a good book! The scarred hero and the woman who sees past the surface who also rescues horses and animals? Didn't want to put it down. Zane was wonderful but didn't believe he deserved to be loved. Bryn was wonderful and finally made the decision to stop being walked on. Great story and wonderful characters.

While I did enjoy this book and I appreciated the character's backstories, the ending felt super rushed and out of left field. I know there's going to be more books in this series so the character's story lines can still a better "finish" but it still felt so rushed at the end.

A Cowboy State of Mind was an amazing start to a new contemporary romance series featuring a wonderful group of characters.

Bryn Callahan had no intention of starting a horse rescue, but then she unexpectedly finds herself the owner of several abandoned horses. Knowing she needs help, she turns to Zane Taylor who has a gift when it comes to horses. Zane may have the knowledge Bryn needs to care for her new animals, but he has spent months avoiding Bryn and the growing attraction he feels for her. As Bryn and Zane work together on the ranch they realize they may be able to save more than just the horses, they can rescue each other.

Zane's life growing up was far from a good one, with an abusive father for his only family. Learning Zane's backstory was heartbreaking and helped show why he distances himself from love. His work with horses is the one thing Zane feels is good in his life and his connection to them is truly amazing to see. Bryn has always been the girl who helps those in need and as a result she has found herself taken advantage of multiple times. It was frustrating watching Bryn let her brother walk all over her, so I was incredibly happy when she finally stood up for herself and laid down new ground rules. Plus the scene where she gives her ex his comeuppance was fantastic to watch.

Zane and Bryn's relationship is a bit slow to start but builds into a wonderful romance. Bryn has been hurt before and wants to finally date a nice, easy man which Zane is not. Zane's past trauma prevents him from jumping into a relationship with Bryn despite his obvious attraction to her. Through the pair's work with the rescued animals, they develop a great friendship which slowly becomes more. The chemistry between the two is simply fantastic and I loved the scene where they finally advance their relationship. When their relationship does run into problems, I liked that it wasn't dragged out over an extended period and I thought Zane's grand gesture at the end was well done.

A Cowboy State of Mind is the start of a spin-off series from the Cowboys of Creedence series, but it works well as a standalone series. A number of the side characters in this series are from the original series and fans of that series would likely enjoy the appearance of past couples.

Overall I really enjoyed A Cowboy State of Mind and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, When a Cowboy Loves a Woman, when it releases next year.

Jennie does it again! Funny, witty, and the chemistry is off the charts. You'll laugh and swoon with A Cowboy State of Mind!! This book was great, awesome writing, great flow and pacing, and definitely a fun and funny read. I found myself laughing out loud at some parts! Love this book. Such a fun way to spend a quiet evening. If you're looking for a great chick-lit romance with strong characters, roller coaster drama, and sexy moments...this is a fantastic choice!