Cover Image: A Cowboy for Keeps

A Cowboy for Keeps

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Member Reviews

Apologies for the late response on this title, and apologies for clogging up an inbox on old titles.

While I am aware it's obvious, I have chosen not to read/review this title.

As always, I appreciate access to titles and look forward to the next one...which I have likely already read based on how long ago this title was published.

Thanks, again.

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You can’t go wrong with a Laura Drake cowboy and this is no exception. Peopled with fun characters you want to spend time with, this lands on the want to reread shelf.

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A Cowboy for Keeps is the third book in the Chestnut Creek series. This book can be read as a standalone as I didn't read the first two. A Cowboy for keeps is told from dual points of view by Lorelei and Reese.

Lorelei and Reese meet when they both lose someone in a car crash and realize they have a niece named Sawyer. Lorelei gets custody of her. Reese shows up and wants to get to know his niece, but Lorelei doesn’t want him there as she feels he's going to take her away from him.

When Reese buys the property next door Lorelei isn't sure how she feels. However, when things happen he is there for her. She starts to have feelings for him but doesn't know if he feels the same.

When something happens that tears them apart can they salvage what they went through? Can they both be there for Sawyer? Will they get their happily ever after? I really enjoyed this book and getting to know these characters.

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Cute romance! Great setting! Looking forward to the rest of the series. Love Laura Drake and this whole series.

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Anything Laura Drake writes is amazing! Her books always make you wanting more. Her stories are so engaging and her characters are so in depth. Just love her books!

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I knew when I read the summary I was going to love this story. I was absolutely right! Laura did a fantastic job writing the characters. It was so hard to put this book down, I read it in 2 days. The ups and downs, the laughs, the tears (yes, there were tears), I enjoyed it all! When I finished the book, I was so sad it was over. LOL. I can't say it enough, this was a good read. Loved it!

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I've tried one other Laura Drake in the past and it didn't work for me as well as I hoped. I was really hoping to love this one since the storyline reminded me of the movie Life as We Know It, but I didn't click with the characters. I may try to read this series from the beginning and see if that works better for me. DNF

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Surprise! You have a niece! This surprise sets the stage for sparks to fly between our lead characters, Lorelei and Reese. To further complicate things, Reese has the money, Lorelei has the heart. Lorelei is a strong-willed (read: stubborn) and independent woman who wants to earn her own way through life. Reece is headstrong and stubborn. But they both adore their niece. Thus sets the stage for sparks to fly and in the process us to enjoy a story encompassing the making of a new family – grief, loss, compromise, friendship and love all come together.

I received an ARC for free from NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

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Lorelei is stunned to find out that her sister died in a car accident and even more shocking that she had a baby. Now she's become care taker to the kid, little did she expect for the child's uncle Reese to show wanting to care for the child as well. Thinks are a bit shaky about how things are going to be handled with the child. Reese is well off and with enough money would try to take things into his hands, while Lorelei is doing okay in her situation but isn't one to back down.

So while the story has been wrote before this author still manages to make it her own with an interesting set of characters. I pretty much assumed Lorelei and Reese was going to get together but with the power shifts that were going on when it came to money things were obviously going to get complicated. Reese really could throw money at situations he wants fixed and while he was trying to do what he felt was right Lorelei wasn't feeling right about it. She was an strong willed independent women who wanted to make her own way towards things and earn them. I loved seeing Reese try when it came to the baby when it came to taking care of the child. I loved seeing the small town life and how everyone was there for eachother in time of need and supported one another. I loved seeing that romance between the two. Overall this was as a pretty enjoyable book.

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Patsy was Loralei's outgoing sister who didn't visit home often so when she dies in a car crash with her boyfriend and leaves behind a baby, it's a big shock. Loralei didn't even know about her niece but she plans to be the best mother she can be to her. Then Uncle Reese shows up and wants to have a relationship with his late brother's daughter. That's when things get even more complicated. Enjoyable enemies to lovers romance.

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I really enjoy cowboy romances though some are misses for me. This one was not. This was my first book by this author and it will not be my last. I immediately added the rest of the series to my TBR list.

The situation that brought the main characters together was heartbreaking. Both fighting for their niece, wanting what they think is the best thing for her. They were both head strong and I like that in books.

This story shows love, compromise, grief, friendship, loss and what can make a family.

Looking forward to reading more from Laura Drake.

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When reading a new author, one never knows what they will find. With this book, I found a well written story about two flawed people who on paper appear like opposites, but inside they have much in common. Amusing banter, quirky townsfolk and the love shared in the town make this a heartwarming read. In this Cinderella and the Prince story, Cinderella keeps pushing away the prince out of pride and the Prince keeps putting his foot in his mouth.

Lorelei West is a hard working woman who was deeply hurt by a man who deceived her, and assuming all men are the same have pushed them away, believing herself undesirable, comparing herself to her beautiful and charming sister Patsy. Giving up her dream to be a competitive ballroom dancer, she now faces her future, struggling as the manager for the local cafe in the small town of Unforgiven, New Mexico, barely supporting herself and her mother who has dementia with no hope of having the children that she had once dreamed off. Reese St James is the wealthy heir of Katy Cattle Co. Wealthy on paper, but very lonely otherwise, because after his mother died, he never felt any love from his father or even identical twin brother. And like Lorelei, he was also hurt and deceived by a woman. But then they get the phone call that changes their lives: unknown to their families, their siblings had been together, were killed in an auto accident and left behind a baby. Lorelei is told about the baby, Sawyer, and goes to claim her, while Reese doesn't find out about her until a week later. He was left sterile from a bull ride, so had been looking into a future of no heirs, but now he has a niece. But when he tracks her down, Lorelei is anything but welcoming. He wants to forge a relationship with his niece, but with Lorelei being so selfish, he also investigates suing for custody. I spend the rest of the book, waiting for that act, even though he told his lawyer to rip it up, to come back and bite him, which it does. Lorelei's pride is her flaw and I found it annoying after a while, as it affected her mother as well as Sawyer. Nevertheless, after much drama and soul searching they do find their HEA.

I read an ARC provided by NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

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Received in exchange for a honest review. Reese when this begins seems very stiff and closed off. He never really experienced unconditional love from his family. He only saw money and working for something. Him and his twin brother were not close. I think this is due to the competition his father put him and his brother in. Reese tried to do the rodeo scene and it cost him dearly as a teen. So he went the route of education and where he took the ranch was amazing. When his brother dies, he is heartbroken and when he learns he had a little girl he was bound and determined to bring her home. Only this little girl was already being taken care of by Lorelei. Lorelei didn’t have money but she had love. So much love and family support that money didn’t matter. This little girl was feeling love and safe.

When Reese comes to Unforgiven, Lorelei and her family’s world is turned upside down as is his. He cannot just get what he wanted. He didn’t try either. He wasn’t his father. Instead he spent time with his niece and her other family. He learned how to care for her and just love her. In the process, he fell in love as well but not just with his niece but with Lorelei and her family.

Lorelei was stubborn and strong willed but a good person. Reese is the same. They both protect their hearts and those around them. Reese didn’t grow up in a loving environment like Lorelei. His home wasn’t really one he called home. It was a vast sea of loneliness so when Lorelei and Sawyer visit him he feels a ray of sunshine in there. He learns so much from her and her family. Only his father’s lawyer (who he kept on out of loyalty and how well he handled business issues) tried to muck it up and Reese takes this mucking to prove to himself and others the man he is and that he isn’t his father.

the story was sweet and romantic. I love how this little girl changed so many lives and brought so many together. How she taught one unconditional love and how to truly show love to others. How another she showed how to let go and forgive. And how she brought people together. A story of family, love and hope. Of finding the one you are meant to be with and fighting for them and for finding a family and not letting it go. A great book from beginning to end.

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I have never read this author so I was looking forward to reading this book. This book did not disappoint. I have never read anything like this. A women losing a sister, a man losing a brother, a baby losing parents and needing a future home. This book is amazing, moving and extraordinary. It is a 5 star read.

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Another winner by Laura Drake. You will fall in love with Loralei and Reese. Their story with many twists and turns will make you laugh at times or may bring some tears to your eyes. I felt as though I could be real life friends with these two. Probably the best book (3rd one) in the series. I highly recommend this one and would love to see a 4th in the series.

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This was a fun one to read. Each character was well developed and the storyline was one that kept you turning the pages into the early morning hours (maybe that was just me).

Loralei was fun, but still held a realistic attitude surrounding the issues within the storyline. I appreciate how Sarah finessed her character regarding all the trials that Loralei faced through- and believe there were plenty! Reese, was a bit swoon-worthy, but I did find myself checking out on his character a few times. There were some moments he seemed a little off. Nothing that would wreck my heart eyes for his overall role in the story though.

Thank you, Laura Drake and Forever Pub for sharing this read with me!

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Reese and Lorelei are thrown together when their siblings die, Reese’s twin brother and Lorelei’s younger sister, and leave a baby behind.

Lorelei grabs up baby Sawyer and finds comfort in having a baby to love while grieving the loss of her sister. Lorelei has always wanted a family but had pretty much given up being thirty-seven with no romantic prospects. However, her happy future with the baby is threatened when Reese shows up wanting Sawyer, too. He’s rich and has the means to make things difficult, but they get to know each other while getting to know Sawyer.

Even though Reese and Lorelei don’t seem to have much in common, underneath it all they share similar feelings of being second best in comparison to their sibling. While Lorelei always felt loved, she felt like the lesser of the sisters. Patsy was charming, shiny, and magnetic, Lorelei’s always been the steady and unremarkable one. Reese and his twin were very different, and their father saw Reese’s difference as weakness. Carson was always the courageous, take the bull-by-the-horns kind of cowboy, whereas Reese was always more careful and excelled in the business side of their ranch. Sharing some of their vulnerabilities created a deeper bond between them. There’s an immediate physical attraction between the two, but they resist the pull because of the complications being Sawyer’s only family left. Lorelei doesn’t know if Reese is just interested in her or the idea of a ready-made family and Reese is initially afraid to screw things up and forever damage his future with Sawyer.

This is the first time I’ve read Laura Drake and I really enjoyed the new experience. Perfectly imperfect characters, likeable and relatable with their flaws and insecurities. I rooted for both Reese and Lorelei in the journey towards a HEA! The town of Unforgiven might’ve been a little shabby at first glance, but it was full of character and love at the heart. I think any fan of Carolyn Brown or Carly Bloom will love Ms. Drake’s brand of cowboy romance. Cowboy For Keeps is the third in the series, but I didn’t read the previous two and had no trouble diving in here. I think each can be read as a standalone.

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A COWBOY FOR KEEPS is the third book in the CHESTNUT CREEK series, and it was nice to be reunited with characters we’ve met before in the small town of Unforgiven in New Mexico. Lorelei is the manager of the small cafe in town and has her hands full with her aging mom, who needs a lot of care due to her forgetfulness, and the rundown home they live in.

When they get bad news about her sister, things start to look up in unexpected ways with the addition of six-month-old Sawyer. When the brother of Sawyer’s dad enters the picture, things heat up fast. Reese is too good-looking and rich in Lorelei’s eyes, but when she realizes he’s hurting too, they try to make a truce. Lorelei and Reese have an attraction and a lot of townspeople rooting for them! The story is told from their point of view in alternating chapters or sub-chapters.

The story has a lot of heart along with some heat. Sawyer is a cutie, and I love how she takes to both Lorelei and Reese. There’s some underhandedness that Reese gets blamed for, and it’s interesting to watch the fireworks. The story is filled with friends and family, community, and a heartfelt romance.

I’ve read the second book in the series, HOME IN CHESTNUT CREEK, and plan to read the first book, THE LAST TRUE COWBOY, which started the series and will help me fill in some of the blanks. A fun read by Laura Drake!

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Really enjoyed this action packed, fun and emotional adventure filled with engaging charters, witty dialog, heart racing twists and undeniable passion. Highly entertaining and hard to put down journey.

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‘A Cowboy for Keeps‘ is the third title in the ‘Chestnut Creek‘ series, and proves that something amazing can come out of tragic events… if hearts are open and risks are willing to be taken.

When a tragic car accident steals little Sawyer’s mom and dad away this adorable little one still has an aunt and uncle who adore her and want the best for their niece. Trouble is, they can’t seem to decide exactly what that is since Lorelei isn’t willing to give over custody of Sawyer, and Reese isn’t willing to walk away from his niece. Even though the sparks fly fast and furiously between them Reese can’t seem to say a thing he means right or in a way that’s acceptable to Lorelei – and she has titanium enforced walls around herself so thick that nothing and no one is getting through to her heart easily. Two unlikely people to fall for each other, one adorable, much loved baby who could unite them all as a loving family… if the grown-ups would co-operate!

I enjoyed returning to the ‘Chesnut Creek‘ world and fell in love with Reese who always seems to suffer from foot-in-mouth disease and adored little Sawyer. I’ll admit that it took longer to warm up to Lorelei. The chemistry was strong between them yet… I grew tired of the constant fault finding, the almost on purpose misunderstanding of what Reese was saying, the denial of the attraction between them. The fact is that I don’t have to love every character to completely love a story and ‘A Cowboy for Keeps‘ is proof of that. I believe it’s going to be each individual reader’s reaction to Lorelei that will tip this story one way or the other for them. She’s strong, independent, and always right… even when she’s wrong. Or at least, that’s my opinion but you should make up your own mind about this couple.

If you enjoy a good romance with unlikely people about to have their worlds turned upside down, and will always fall hard for a sweet baby, along with some quirky, enjoyable secondary characters then ‘A Cowboy for Keeps‘ would be perfect for you.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

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