This my first book by Victoria James so I wasn't sure what to expect. I love trying new author's and this book didn't disappoint. I enjoyed it.
Cade and Sarah both have had troubled pasts and neither want to talk about it. They have pretty good chemistry. The story moves at a decent pace and held my attention to the end. The one thing that stuck out to me was how encouraging Cade was with Sarah.

Overall it was a good book that I'd recommend.

3.5 rounded to 4

I originally picked up this book because I love me a good cowboy romance. Cowboy for Hire was a good ol' cowboy romance at that. Sarah's parents pass away and leave her the family ranch, she posts an ad for a ranch manager to show her the ropes and teach her how to run her ranch. Cade answers the ad and comes with glowing recommendations and super good looks. He's looking for a place to settle down and make his own. Right off the bat, Sarah and Cade hit it off but their chemistry is met with each of their own hesitations. With each of them armed with an arsenal of personal issues (Sarah's stemming from the premature loss of her brother, Cade's stemming from a broken childhood) to work through, you can be assured that this read is an emotional roller coaster. This story is one of grieving loss, moving on and learning to live again.

Sarah has lived a very secluded life on a ranch outside Wishing River, Montana. With no family and needing immediate help, she places an ad for a new ranch foreman. As she and Cade work together, Sarah learning more about ranching that she was always kept from, and Cade proving his abilities to himself, they begin to develop feelings for each other. These are two very likable characters that have suffered deep hurts in the past. I loved how they interacted with each other. This book can be read as a standalone, but I appreciated some of the other characters more having already read the first book in the series.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of the sweetest romances that I have read in a long time. The heroine Sarah had been sheltered most of her life and had to deal with tragedy at different stages in her life. Sarah was determined to finally live her life on her terms and take control of her ranch. To do so would mean hiring a new foreman, Cade, which would change her life in many ways. He was looking for a place of his own in this world but felt he had nothing to offer Sarah. Boy was he wrong! The chemistry between these two was electric from the start. There were moments of passion but laughter too. You could not help but fall in love along with them. They were the perfect duo searching for second chances and genuine love.

This was a great get away with the openness when you are not allowed out. also it helped I had ventured into the first one and was satisfied especially with the place. Sarah will have a large challenge with her character being one you easily like. When she needs a hand with that coming in the form of Cade then they both will be doing the learning curve as they find their way. Delving into these two lives was a great way to see another picture of how love can mend.

Cowboy for Hire by Victoria James is a different kind of second chance romance. Not so much a second chance at romance though a true romance story but more of a second chance to be who you are meant to be. Life has dealt Sarah Turner a tragic blow but she is determined to rise above her loss retaining the family ranch. Cade Walker’s loss is more career oriented but no less severe for him. Together they find appreciation, acceptance, purpose and love but not without some fights along the way.

This is a heartwarming story of two characters that you hope will find a what it is that they need in life. Cade has plenty of independence but not so much roots. Sarah has roots that may have bound her too tight and now needs independence. Ms. James gives all the drama, emotional struggle that I expect from her stories while these two learn to help give what the other needs while falling in love in the process.

Well written story that is a bit different from the usual cowboy on a ranch story-line. I think I stated earlier that it was a different second chance story too. So that would make it a unique stand-alone story that was enjoyable to read.

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.

3.5/5 stars

Book 2 in the Wishing River series. Ok read. Had some good laughs. Sarah and Cade were a good couple. Two broken people brought together to make the other whole. Slow and sweet romance so if that is what you are looking for then this is for you.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving a honest review.

The storyline was well written and the characters were so well defined that I ended up reading this book in one sitting!

Cowboy for Hire is a sweet romance. I enjoyed every moment of this one. You feel for Sarah and how sheltered she has been most of her life. I love that she has her mind set out to prove that she is capable of running her ranch. Cade will make your heart swoon as he takes over the managing aspect of the ranch. I love the give and take between Cade and Sarah. They are sweet together. There love is a slow burn as Cade helps Sarah spread her wings. You feel for both Sarah and Cade as you learn their past. I loved watching the changes in both Sarah and Cade by the end of this book. I loved every moment of reading this one.

Sarah’s family endured a tragedy many years earlier which resulted in her being homeschooled and having little contact with anyone outside her family and their housekeeper who is like a second mother to her. She is now 26 and with the passing of both of her parents she finds herself trying to keep the family ranch viable so when the manager suddenly quits she finds herself trying to recruit someone who will not only handle the responsibilities but teach her as well.

Cade learnt from an early age that the best way to ensure that he had a roof over his head was to make himself invaluable to those around him. When he decides to apply for the job at Sarah’s ranch, he is hoping to find the security that he has always craved.

Sarah is naïve about life and love and want to start experiencing everything she has missed out on over the years while Cade is drawn to Sarah but he is worried that getting involved with her will jeopardize the job that he wants to keep. With a cast of great secondary characters, I enjoyed this heartwarming story.

sarah turner needs someone to teach her the ropes to owning her own ranch in cowboy for hire. as the only person left in her family, she wants to save her family legacy somehow. and the best solution she comes up with is finding a capable foreman willing to teach her how to run things.

cade walker can't resist the ad looking for a foreman on the turner ranch, the real ad, not the accidental mix-up with the one seeking a cowboy to escort a lady around town. but he is surprised by the sparks that flare up between him and his new boss. he recognizes they are dangerous, even more so when he realizes how sheltered sarah has been since her brother's death.

but they can't keep away from each other, and once both of them get over their hang-ups, of which they have a fair amount, we have a feel-good story that's just perfect to read in these strange times we're living.

**cowboy for hire will publish on march 31, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled (amara) in exchange for my honest review.

If you love cowboy romances with a bit of humor and some mild steamy times, this one could be for you!

The beginning really pulled me in with a rather funny, yet horrifying, mix-up causing our heroine to have a flock of cowboys waiting on her front porch. It was an intro I was totally here for!

I would have liked to see a bit more spice into the mix with their relationship. While there were some moments that had me yearning for more, there were a few bits in the book that were on the slower side. It did leave the floor open for the character development and really getting to hone in on their backstories, but I wish there was just a little more oomph to the story.

A solid read, giving it 3 out of 5 stars. I’d recommend this one to readers who want a western romance with a slower-paced plot so you can really dive into the characters’ lives.

This is a story of two people scarred by their different but dramatic childhoods who find healing and love together.

Sarah Turner is twenty-six but has spent most of her life since she was ten years old in comparative isolation, coddled, never mixing with her peers or the local community and homeschooled on her family ranch. Following the death of her parents she now owns the ranch and is determined to learn how to run it successfully, despite her foreman quitting. Cade Walker successfully applies for the job, though he's shocked she wants him to teach her how to run the ranch as part of the job. With dire warning from her housekeeper, Cade is wary of involving Sarah in all the ranching activities but she's feisty and determined to learn. Will they be able to help each other heal and find more than they bargained for in the process?

With a shy but determined heroine and a hero who always wants to prove his worth, this is a heartwarming romance. I was impressed by how Cade helps Sarah to find friends to support her and was such a gentleman despite temptations. This is an instant attraction from Sarah's point of view but she's been so sheltered she has no clue as to how to proceed. He's so used to being rejected if he can't prove he's useful, he feels unworthy of her love. Can the two overcome their pasts to build a future together?

This is a very different romance and an engaging read. I requested and was gifted a copy of it via NetGalley and this is my honest review after choosing to read it.

3.5 stars

Cade and Sarah have not had easy lives. He had parents and family who did not care or love him. She had overprotective parents and a dysfunctional family after her brother died.

Cade takes a job as Foreman at Sarah's ranch and resists his attraction to her as she's the boss. He can't seem to resist spending time with and helping Sarah, though.

The author did a nice job with coming up with true emotional hurdles for the characters to get over to both find themselves and to build a relationship. The inner monologues did get a bit repetitive, but there is obvious growth in both Sarah and Cade. I really liked Sarah's determination to step outside her box and learn the ranch too.

Cade and Sarah are both dealing with complex pasts. Sarah has lost all her family and is now the owner of the ranch. She is working very hard to break out of her past, the shelter her parents placed around her after her brother died when she was 10. She hires Cade as the ranch foreman with the stipulation he has to teach her how to run the ranch. Cade works to keep a place for himself after growing up in a world where no one wanted him, which built the foundation of how he views himself and his place in life. The one thing neither expects is the spark between them. To me it spoke to a kindred spirit even though their childhoods were very different, deep down there are similarities with feeling abandoned or lost. Sarah is bold in her fears as she works to rebuild a life for herself, making friends and embracing things she loved that she stopped doing after Josh died. Her courage really is the catalyst for Cade to conquer his fears and acknowledge that love is possible for him to have. I love the town of Wishing River which provides a safe place to land for both Sarah and Cade. I was treated to a beautiful journey for Sarah and Cade. I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.

A cowboy read with a different twist. This started out funny and I really thought there would be more humor throughout. Felt rather sad for Sarah and thankful it was Cade who came into her life. He also had problems, but between the two, they worked out the kinks, not without mishaps and misunderstandings, they did make it work. A happy ending for two rather lost souls who found their other half!

3 Stars
I have read Victoria James and looked forward to this additional book. It has the premise, the idea of a good story and parts are more than fine but I found it sometimes hard to connect with our gal. Over all ok.

Sarah Turner has led a sheltered life since her brother's death when they were kids. Her parent's took her out of school and homeschooled her. She didn't have any friends and lived on her family ranch. Now as an adult and after her parents' deaths she now has to figure out how to keep the ranch going. So she needs to hire a manager. She posts it online but the paper says she wants to hire a cowboy for herself lol. For years she has also had her families cook/housekeeper take care of her.
Cade Walker shows up for the position on Ranch Manager as he is looking for a new job. He comes from a dysfunctional family and never talks about them. He has been taking care of himself since he was a teenager.
Both Sarah and Cade need each other to find what they are looking for
Getting to know Cade's "family", which are all of his friends and how they pulled Sarah into their group made me smile. She had no idea how to be around others but 2 women pull them right in.
I received this ARC from Entangled and NetGalley

Note: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions shared are my own.

With everything going on in the world, I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. Personally, I find myself gravitating towards feel-good reads, and Cowboy for Hire by Victoria James is a great contender if you’re also in the market for just that. Cowboy for Hire is a sweet, small-town romance. Sarah Turner finds herself needing help to run her family’s ranch, and Cade Walker steps in hoping to prove himself.

I enjoyed Sarah and Cade’s chemistry together and their determination to prove themselves. Sarah wants to prove that she can run the ranch despite the fact that she’s female, lived a sheltered life, and has some medical issues. Cade is desperately trying to prove his worth to everyone despite his past. The push and pull between the two of them as their relationship grew was fun to read. Victoria James did a great job creating these two characters. As a reader, I felt like I understood both of them and connected with them. So when they made their mistakes, I understood where their hearts were when the mistakes were made and just wanted them to forgive each other and themselves.

The story did feel a tad slow in the middle, but overall, Cowboy for Hire was a really good small-town romance. If you’re in the mood for a feel-good read and enjoy these sorts of romances, I’d highly recommend Cowboy for Hire by Victoria James.

Sarah had perfect family and in one moment that chanced, she grew up sheltered from life. Now she has to take care of the ranch her parents left her and she needs foreman to run that ranch and teach her.
Cade got a job as foreman at Sarah's ranch, he is attracted to her, but he knows he is not worthy of her.
Wonderful sweet story.