A Cowboy State of Mind is the first book of a brand new series by Jennie Marts. The town of Creedence, Colorado was the setting for her last series so this is a spin-off that takes place again in this wonderful small town. There is much to like in this story. I like the people in the town who help one another. I like the friendship that is built between Bryn and Zane that grows into love. Few of us find instant love that lasts so I like the attraction between the two but with the normal slow build up.

This new series shows how the Creedence Horse Rescue begins as well as giving Bryn Callahan and Zane Taylor a much needed love story. To say that I always love Ms. Marts characters is an understatement but these two now have a special place in my heart. Being a small town teacher for over 30 years I can think of more than one student who could have grown up to become either of these two. In Zane’s case that is sad but true. Still such hope for resiliency while overcoming an abusive childhood.

Highly recommend any of Jennie Marts books but A Cowboy State of Mind is one that will do your state of mind good. There are still good people in the world some wear waitress uniforms and cupcake aprons. It is a feel good, restore your faith in people kind of story.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A cowboy state of mind is the first book in the Creedence Horse Rescue series by Jennie Marts. It is Zane and Bryn’s story. Zane is a cowboy with a lot of scars...emotional and physical scars from an abusive father. Bryn is a big-hearted waitress. When one day at the diner Bryn rescues a horse from two very skeezy men... one with a very scary attitude towards women...Zane is there to protect her from the men and help her with the very skittish horse. Zane is after all thought of as the horse whisperer. Spending lots of time together caring for Beauty (the horse), and acquiring many more...these two learn that they can’t fight temptation forever...

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book!! I liked both Zane and Bryn...although there were points when I wanted to throttle Zane (oddly it did nothing to him when I gave my tablet a good shake). In the end his stubbornness led to some really great banter between the two of them. I loved all the animals that Bryn acquired (it was like animal farm...well without the scary talking animals...trying to overthrow the people...ok so it was nothing like animal farm)...it just kept snowballing (couldn’t resist). Before the end of the book she was even taking in pet birds. The author might have to change this series name to Creedence Animal Rescue. Now that I think about it….it was more like Dr.Dolittle...yeah. Well whatever it was like...this book is definitely worth checking out! I'm looking forward to more books in this series! I have high hopes and fingers crossed for who book two is going to be about!

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I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Netgalley, the author Jennie Marts, and the publisher for this opportunity.

A Cowboy State of Mind is the first book in Jennie Marts brand new series Creedence Horse Rescue, and picks up nicely after the previous series, Cowboys of Creedence. However, don’t be concerned if you haven’t read the previous books, as A Cowboy State of Mind can be read as a standalone, but for those readers who are familiar with the Cowboys of Credence, they will recognise Zane and Bryn’s characters from early books.

I really enjoyed this latest story by Ms Marts, as I always find her writing easy to follow and her storylines are packed with heartfelt topics, emotion, laughter, and engaging and interesting characters. All these elements ensure that the reader is totally committed to the story and eager for the eventual outcome. Romance is my great escape, and this book definitely fits the bill. I’m looking forward to the next in this series and more swoon-worthy Cowboys!

When a woman rescuing strays sets her cap on a lone wolf ...

The more I read Cowboys romance, the more I like them, they have certain appeal, a kind of exotic side for the French girl in me. Like the historical romance, they transport me in an unknown place, and while the time is same as mine, the way of life is completely new for me.
Zane and Bryn are very similar souls, they just faced the trauma of their past a different way. Bryn by rescuing those left behind when Zane pushes people away.
Life has not been very kind with Zane, bullied by an abusing father, even harshly beaten, he never had someone to stand for him. So it is understandable he came to believe everything that was engraved in him by lashes and ugly words. So much he didn’t need any more anyone to tell him how he is unworthy, he assumes it is the truth and acts the way, he readily need no one to walk on himself, he does it perfectly himself.
Bryn tried to right the wrong done with her meager means, she is a rescuer of the lost causes, from animals to men. But after one last too many betrayal, she decides to stick to animals. But when they come with a hard and secretive cowboy, difficult for her sweet heart to not see the damaged boy behind the strong man. Yet she also knows it is the right course for a broken heart but she can’t stop herself to care, even more when she knows there is a kind man hiding under all this gruffness.
Left behind by a dismissing mother, she longs for someone who will stick and stay with her. But she fears this one man might be the one who will hurt even more than her mother’s abandonment.

4.5 stars for this sweet and lovely tale of two lonely souls desperate for love but who lost themselves in the way.

I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Sourcebooks Casablanca

Horses, piggies and goats, oh my!! When Bryn and Zane accidentally start a horse rescue they begin a journey of self discovery and rescuing each other and themselves. Bryn has a huge heart which has lead to some heartbreak in her life but she is still willing to help those in need. Including a pig, an ornery goat and a wounded Zane. Zane had a rough childhood (to say the least) in Creedence and can't see that he is worthy of love. Some of the best scenes in this book are when both of them realize they are worthy of all the love.
Jennie Marts once again brings the town of Creedence, CO to life with her usual brilliance. The secondary characters make the story that much richer . As evidenced in a sleepover between Bryn and a sweet 10 year old Mandy. Bryn then invites Elle, a relatively new resident of Creedence, to join them. At the sleepover we get to know Elle (and everybody else) in a way that we couldn't have otherwise.
I can't wait to read more about Creedence, CO and it's wonderful residents.

A COWBOY STATE OF MIND is the first book in the CREEDENCE HORSE RESCUE series, and it pulled me in from the very first page. I was drawn to the rescues of not only animals but people too. This is a quick-paced read with a lot of interwoven story lines. It’s a steamy, heartfelt romance between two well-matched characters.

Bryn has such a big heart, even if she doesn’t always have the money to back up her plans. But the people in the small town of Creedence, Colorado like her and try to help her out whenever they can. Bryn’s friendship with Elle also ads another layer to the story, fleshing out Bryn’s character.

Zane had a difficult childhood, and the abuse continues thanks to his dad. Every now and then Zane’s father seems almost caring, but then alcohol ruins it. Zane has low self esteem. He doesn’t see a future with anyone since he feels broken and has the scars to prove it. Yet despite that, he always helps others, especially Bryn and his nameless dog. Bryn has a way of opening him to possibilities. She seems to have that effect on others.

The characters and plot work well. The author’s descriptions are vivid, including the animals and the farm, and especially the abuse the animals suffer, as well as the care to get them well. There are characters we’ve met before from the COWBOYS OF CREEDENCE series, which is connected to this new series.But again, the book reads just fine on its own.

I didn’t realize that Ms. Marts also writes a cozy mystery series along with her contemporary romances. I have added a few more of her books to my always growing TBR pile.

I love, love, loved this book, so much that I had a hard time putting it down. It helped that I had a soft spot for these two characters when I was introduced to them in Logan's book, Wish Upon a Cowboy. And maybe I love a grumpy cowboy too. This picks up months after that encounter. 

Zane Taylor is a scarred loner with a gift for helping horses. He's heading into town when he spots Bryn Callahan's car on the side of the road and no Bryn insight. When he spots her up ahead, gives her a lift to the diner.

They rescue a horse together and before she knows it Bryn is setting up an animal rescue on her farm, with a little help from Zane.

As they spend more time together, Zane' s insecurities start to creep in. She deserves a good man. And he's sure it not him.

There are moments that are sad and heartbreaking. Like learning about Zane's childhood and the guilt he carries over a girlfriend's death. Then there are those moments were Zane just let's go and enjoys the time he spends with Bryn that are heartwarming. 

ARC generously provided by Sourcebooks via NetGalley

#ACowboysStateOfMind#Net Galley
Bryn is a waitress at the local cafe. She is always taking in strays animals and men. Sand Taylor is back in town after leaving the years ago. He was verbally and physically abused by his father who made him believe he was worthless. The only close connection he has is with horses. Bryn finds a horse who needs help from being abused. The horse rescue ranch is started when Zane buys the horse and helps Bryn. Will Bryn help Sand heal ? Will Sand realize that Bryn sees him for the man he is not for his psst ? She can get past his outward scars, but will be slow her in ? Will this book have a happy ending ? My first read by Jennifer Matt's but it will not be my last. Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Loved this book. Jennie Marts is a new to me author but this won't be the last book I'll read. A great story with realistic situations that aren't easily solved. Endearing characters already knew each other with a relationship that grows into much more despite their past history. You root for them as they each have their own hurdles to jump both - alone and together. Throw in some endearing animals and championing townfolk/visitors as well as a funny surveillance camera situation and you have a book you'll thoroughly enjoy. Jennie has a knack for descriptions which you notice from the first chapter onward - you become part of the town and a cheerleader for Bryn and Zane to get their happily ever after!

I love that Jennie Marts took us back to Creedence for this spin-off series. She is so good at giving readers sweet feel-good romance with a story you can get emotionally invested with and wonderful characters. I love the journey Bryn and Zane take on the road to their HEA. It is a very slow journey but it is definitely worth the wait!! These two were meant to be! Despite the tons of chemistry that is right there on the surface, I think their pasts had a huge hand in keeping them from going all in. I'm so happy they found their way to each other finally. I love their interactions whether it be verbal banter, or finally, of the physical variety. Awesome couple and story! I look forward to more.

Jennie Marts has a super start to her latest series Creedence Horse Rescue here in A Cowboy State of Mind. It's got a little bit of everything from the wonderful main characters like waitress Bryn Callahan and cowboy Zane Taylor who have some growing to do and accomplish much as they travel on the road to the HEA, steamy loves scenes, big-hearted acts and heartwarming results. I loved being able to smile and laugh at the fun parts of the story and fight to hold back tears at the rough parts. Bryn Callahan's horse rescue starts with one horse and I'm sure readers will delight at the collection of rescues that follow from there. It's great to see all kinds of needy animals find such a perfect place to be.

There is nothing new or special about this book. It's the same story, with the same tropes, and the same lines, and the same scenes, and the same characters, we've all read before. I just longed for it to be so much more.

It was also pretty unrealistic. A female, with a full-time job waitressing, rescues a horse on a whim. She then rescues a handful of other animals in danger through stumbling onto them and later by word of mouth. She has zero experience with caring for these animals. She has no money. And she just keeps taking in these animals without any knowledge of how to properly care for them. It drove me crazy. Having a good heart is nice. Caring for a host of barn animals you have no clue how to care for is a bad idea. Agreeing to rescue animals when you have no way to purchase food for them is not really rescuing them at all.

There's also a very religiously manipulative scene in which some strangers drive all night in a church van and show up AT HER HOUSE and essentially say, "We've been praying for days on where to drop of this full-size hog we bought as a PET and can't care for anymore. We saw you on Facebook and God pointed us to you." To which the Lead basically replies, "I have no clue how to properly care for a hog and I have $6 in the bank, but sure, I love animals!"

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review of this book.

This story follows Bryn and Zane and from the very first few chapters I felt like I was missing some back story between the two.. I believe this is a spin off from another series so that could be why. It can be read as a stand-alone but be ready for some random character appearances and for the two leads to already have an established friendship.

Although I really liked Bryn and her happy upbeat attitude, I struggled with Zane. Why was he still living with his father? He wasn’t a quiet brooding time at all? He talked and flirted with the heroine just fine. I definitely felt like he needed therapy and I wish that was perhaps addressed in the book. I hate the “have to protect you from me... you deserve better” trope and this book has it all over the place. That could be why I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did. Overall it was a good book, easy to read, but not something I will remember.

**ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW**

Zane helps Bryn who buys a horse from men who plan to destroy it. Bryn has no idea the hose was pregnant and ready to foal soon. She is struggling financially already. The community works together to help Bryn and the horse. Soon, she finds herself the owner of a rescue farm. Zane has a gift with working for horses but has very poor self esteem caused by an abusive, alcoholic father. Bryn and Zane are a good team but work on their own personal issues to enjoy the love they have but are too afraid to admit.

This one is such a heartwarming story. A story about the broken soul and how with gentle touch and love it could be healed. Bryn is such a wonderful character and I love how she transforms and becomes even stronger. Zane is also such a great person and his story broke my heart and it was so sad to watch how little he thought about himself. I loved how he couldn't fight the attraction toward Bryn and came over and over again on her doorstep. A story about healing, compassion, acceptance love, and don't forget the animals. A highly recommended read.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley

This first book in the Creedence Horse Rescue series, is a spin-off to the very touching and wonderful series, Cowboys of Creedence. This introduction to the new series, did not disappoint this reader.
The story centers around Bryn Callahan and Zane Taylor.
Bryn is a waitress at the local cafe. She cares for everyone, will do anything for those in need, wears her heart on her sleeve and yes, she has a secret crush on Zane.
Zane left town 10 years ago, joined the Army and is only back temporarily when his father has a heart attack. A father that was verbally and physically abusive , and made Zane believe he was worthless. Reminding us that our experiences as a child will mold the adult we become. Zane carries his scars internally and externally and keeps everyone at arms length. Except this horse whisperer has a thing for the cute waitress. When she sees an abused horse in need, Zane comes in to the rescue and buys the horse for her. Thus the start of a rescue ranch and a friendship.
But will the past, fears and lack of self-esteem keep them apart, or will they be able to overcome all obstacles to find their HEA?
Another well written story by this talented author leaving the reader wanting to know whose story is next.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

This is the third novel I've read by Jennie Marts, the first two were in her Cowboys of Creedence series, and this is also the first title in her spinoff series, Creedence Horse Rescue. As anyone who follows my reviews already knows, I have a deep affection for cowboys and wounded warriors, but I also love animals, so this novel, which features all three, had me from the get-go, and I found it to be an excellent and enjoyable read and it gets 5 stars from this reader.

Creedence native, Brynn, works as a waitress at the local diner. She's sweet, kind, bubbly, and charming, but she doesn't have the best taste in men. Her last boyfriend, a bull rider, stole her late grandfather's truck, emptied her savings account, and even stole her grandfather's and Brynn's most prized possession, his rodeo belt buckle.

Zane Taylor, is somewhat of a horse whisperer. His mother died giving birth to him, something for which his father has always blamed him. His father is a physically and emotionally abusive drunk--who tore up one side of his Zane's face with a broken beer bottle, whipped him with whatever was handy, and, as soon as Zane turned 18, his girlfriend, Sarah, committed suicide, something for which Zane also blames himself. So Zane wanted to get out of town and did so when he enlisted, served in Afghanistan, was wounded there, and sent back to the U.S. To avoid his home town, he took a job working on a ranch in Montana. It was his father's heart attack that brought him back to Creedence, where he's been working with horses on his friend Logan's ranch (we met Logan in the previous series), and he's still putting up with his fathers' verbal abuse.

Zane is a regular at the diner where Brynn works, and she's been attracted to him from the start. She doesn't see him as scarred, she sees him as handsome. One day, he notices her car sitting abandoned at the roadside, sees her walking to work, offers her a lift, and shortly thereafter helps her buy a badly abused and neglected horse from two slimy characters at the diner, who tell her they are transporting it to the glue factory. Brynn has no money, but Zane helps her buy and rescue the poor animal, and so begins her animal rescue center and her involvement with Zane, who has more than a few issues, as does one of Brynn's female diner regulars, a widowed woman named Elle, who Brynn also tries to rescue. Brynn is one of sweetest, kindest heroines I've read in recent memory, but she's no pushover either.

What follows is a slowly building, sexy, sweet, sad, funny and romantic novel, about two kind, good-hearted, animal lovers, who really learn to see in each other something precious and worth saving, especially in the case of Brynn and her attraction to deeply scarred, brooding, and emotionally broken, Zane. My only regret is that although there is the expected HEA ending, I would have loved an epilogue set a year or two in their future, to see how both the animal rescue business and this special bond between Zane and Brynn works out. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I am happy to recommend it.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

Have some tissues ready when you read this one. This story showcases how UNtrue the old adage “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never break me” is. As proven with Zane’s situation, words can have a long term traumatizing effect. Add in the realistic situations of the animals Bryn saves, I had to wipe my leaking eyes a couple of times. Being my pragmatic self, I wasn’t sure how Bryn was able to keep and maintain her farm and farm animals (before even getting the rescues) given that she is a waitress working (presumably) minimum wage. This was a small detail that did not affect my enjoyment of this low heat, heart warming romance.

This book will tug on your heartstrings from the very beginning. Bryn Callahna has a heart made of gold. She hasn't met anything that she wouldn't help, including people. Zane Taylor is a broken man but he is a horse whisperer. From the moment they see the horse in that trailer, they were going to do whatever they could to rescue it. Together they start on this journey of saving animals. Zane starts to feel like he is able to move beyond his past. A reckless driver changes everything. He is ready to walk away from all the people he loves and cares about. But the good doc gives him some words of wisdom. With Hope's help, he is ready to claim his future.

This book was without a doubt, wonderful and beautifully emotional! It tugged at my heart strings from the first chapter! I loved every page & couldn’t put it down! I actually have read the other 4 in the previous series from this author and adored them all, so I know I was gonna read this one! Bryn & Zane are the perfect match. Bryn is kind hearted, curvy girl. She’s a waitress but is always wanted to help animals(and humans) when they need it. Zane is a grumpy cowboy horse whisperer. He was in the military and is home to care for his father. He has a big crush on Bryn. These two are pulled together when Bryn can’t not save a horse that’s been neglected and possibly going to die. Zane ends ups helping Bryn as she takes on this horse plus several other animals. They town also helps by donating money for her cause. The heat between these two is undeniable!! I was just dying for them to get together! It was kind of a slow burn and loved it so! It was such a pleasure reading these two story & the obstacles they went through, physically & emotionally, to get to their HEA! I highly recommend reading this book! And the previous series of you have time! Zane is so swoon worthy but he also go through abuse. *wanted to say incase this is something someone needs to know first* I can’t wait for the next book in the series! Enjoy reading this!