This is book is technically book 1 in the Kittredge Ranch series but the Kittredge's were introduced in the last book in the Cold River Ranch series. In this one we get Riley Kittredge and Rae Trujillo's story. Riley and Rae married young, too young. And everything fell apart not long after taking their vows. Their chemistry never seemed to end but everything else just fell apart. Now Rae is back, but not for the reason's that Riley had hoped for. She wants a divorce. Rae knows she and Riley just don't work, and that she needs to finally move on. She wants to have children and the family she has always dreamed of. And she can't have that with Riley-or so she thinks. And when he offers to be the father for her baby, they will both have to put the demon's of the past away for good and actually fix the things wrong in their relationship.

I definitely enjoyed this installment! Riley and Rae have this chemistry that you can't help but notice right from the start. There is lots of drama and history between these two, and you can't help but hope they can actually work out the issues that they have. They are both stubborn and hard headed and just don't want to learn how to compromise. And that is half of what makes a marriage. Honestly, parts of them seemed childish but I still wanted to know more. Which just tells you how good this story really is!

This book is filled with passion, drama, secrets and second chance love. It’s not very often that I wish I could jump in and shake a character but these two need to be shaken. I really loved the oldest Kittredge Matias.

It took me a while to warm up to Rae and Riley, I liked the story but felt it dragged at a few parts and could have been shorter. That being said let me tell you what I did like about the story....

I love second chances, and this one had a unique twist because Rae and Riley were married but separated, one day Rae up and moved out and Riley didn't understand why. Their relationship never really ended because she would make late night visits to their home and spend a few hours in bed together, well that was until she showed up asking for a divorce.

Rae had a secret that no one knew about, I did figure it out early on because there were some clues but you have to be paying attention or you may miss them. Anyway, this secret is a big one and it's something that drove her to leaving her husband that she really did love. Riley and Rae still loved one another deeply but Rae didn't think they could be together.

I mentioned earlier that I felt the book dragged a bit and that could be because I wanted Rae to stop the internal fighting she had going on and just man up and tell Riley what was happening so I was getting frustrated but I'll leave that to you to decide for yourself, you may enjoy the inner turmoil she had going on.

This book also included a bonus novella, Sweet Nights with a Cowboy, where the youngest Kittredge brother, Connor, finds his HEA with ex-girlfriend Missy Minton.

If you enjoy spicy western romances with the Second Chance at Love trope then this one is for you!

Happy Reading!!!


**I have voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for my Blog, Nadine's Obsessed with Books** blog post will be live on 12/1/2020

Riley Kittredge and Rae Trujillo met and married too young. There love seemed to have dried up soon after they said “I do” but their passion is ongoing. Nobody knows the reason for their separation, including Riley. Rae keeps going back and leaving him again and again. Finally, Rae has decided that she wants a divorce so she can move on and have a baby. Riley still doesn’t understand why Rae left him in the first place. He offers to be a father so she can have the family she wants, and they must finally face their problems and choose either love or nothing at all.
The story and the characters are great but there is never any real reason given for Rae’s leaving Riley. It seems like an integral part of the story was left out.

Riley and Rae got married very young right out high school. Things seem fine and then Rae leaves him. Everyone assumed they are divorced and we soon find out they are not. Not only that but they keep hooking up and then ignoring each other afterwards. Rae works for her family and I must say that family drove me up the wall. One day Rae decides she can't go on like this and tells Riley she wants a divorce. What broke my heart is Riley still has no idea what went wrong. All he knows is he still loves her and he has to find a way to win her back. I found some cute moments along the way...although some parts dragged a bit. I also think the reason she left him felt a little off. We kind of get an idea into what it might be, but I was surprised by the reason. All in all I did enjoy the story.
I love a second chance romance. There were parts that made my heart break. And a few that gave me some giggles.

ARC for honest review with no compensation Received from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press 4.5 stars

Secret Nights with a Cowboy is book 4 in the Cold River Ranch series by Caitlin Crews and the first book in the new series Kittredge Ranch series.

Riley Kittredge and Rae Trujillo were high school sweethearts who married right after she graduated but were way to young to make it work. They may not live together but the chemistry remains. After years apart Rae believes if she lets go she will find what she needs...but fate has a way of showing these two that they do belong together. They just need to open up, spill the secrets and face all their demons...

After reading the Cold River Ranch series by Caitlin Crews, I knew this was an author I wanted to read more from. So when I was asked to read an ARC of ‘Secret Nights With a Cowboy’, the first book in a new series, I simple couldn’t resist.

In ‘Secret Nights With A Cowboy’ we meet Riley Kittredge and Rae Trujillo. Riley and Rae got married right out of High School, and they got separated not long after. The reason for their separation is something that’s been speculated about in their little town for years. And not even Riley knows the reason. One day Rae just grabbed her bags and left him. Everyone thinks she never came back, but Rae has been coming back day after day for years.. and leaving him again so no one would know. Although this is definitely not the marriage Riley wanted, he will take Rae any way she offers. But one day Rae tells him it’s time to get a divorce, and Riley is determined to finally find out what really made her leave him.

This book left me with mixed feelings. From the moment I started reading I definitely wanted to keep on reading so I could figure out what was going on. Riley and Rae seem to have it all.. Great chemistry, they both haven’t loved anyone else since they met when they where just kids and still there is something that made Rae leave. And she doesn’t talk about it with anyone. Not with Riley, and not with her best friends. So we, as readers, also don’t have the slightest idea why Rae left Riley. And this really irritated me to be honest. Not that I mind a little bit of mystery.. But what could have made Rae leave her husband while he doesn’t have a clue why?!

I enjoyed the fact that this book is a spin off of the Cold River Ranch series. So we already know a little bit about these characters. I remember wondering about Rae’s character, and now I finally got to read her story.

The chemistry between Riley and Rae is also fun to read. But Rae’s whole reason for leaving Riley without him or anyone else knowing why still leaves me feeling confused. I just don’t get it. And although I loved the end of this book, I think I would have enjoyed this book more if could have understood Rae’s reason for leaving a lot earlier. There just seems to be to much anger between these characters. And then in the end they lost their anger way to fast if you ask me.

This book definitely made me curious about the other Kittredge brothers though. And about Rae’s brother the marine. I sure do have a lot more I’d like to read from Caitlin Crews.

The Kittredges: A New Cold River Family!

Rae and Riley married right out high school but then an unexpected turn puts them on a path of separation that isn’t all the separate.

I really liked finding out the backstory of Rae and Riley and enjoyed a story based on a married couple who haven’t quite found their HEA. But Rae and Riley were both a little too stubborn and non communicative for me to really love this one.

However, the bonus novella featuring the youngest male Kittredge, Connor, was amazing! I’m a sucker for a second chance love story at Christmas times and this novella was perfect!

I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.

When an Ex is Not an Ex.
Whilst the angst in this romance was due to the H and h’s communication problems, their love for one another was never in doubt and though as a reader you want to give Rae a good shake for not giving her husband a reason when she first left him, there is no denying that when the truth finally comes out, the author makes a beautiful job of it. The author made me cry (which is always the sign of a good book) but ends on a HEA. As a bonus there is a separate novella included
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Secret Nights with a Cowboy is a fabulous emotional second chance. There is a lot of growth when it comes to Rae. She is a little bit closed off and is still very in love with her husband. Riley you feel for him and the limbo Rae leaves him in for years. There is such love between them that you feel all the way through the read. I love how Riley never gave up on Rae. He has this way of pulling you in as he tries to restart getting to know Rae. Rae is lost and you just want her to find the strength and open up about everything. I really love Rae and Riley together. The emotions that Rae goes through will hit you in the right places. This is a second chance worth taking.

Riley Kittredge has always known exactly what he wanted. His land, his horses. His woman. He met and married Rae Trujillo far too young, and their young love combusted right after they said their vows. But their passion has never managed to burn itself out. Yet when Rae shows this time, it's not a night of pleasure she demands, but a divorce. Rae should have moved on a long time ago. She knows she and Riley just don't work. They might make great lovers, but that doesn't make a marriage. And now Rae wants a new life, complete with a baby. But when her husband offers to be a father, to give her the family she's always secretly desired, she and Riley will both have to face demons from their past—and choose love over fear at last.
Whilst this is the start of a new series it is connected to the River Ranch series. A well written book that I’m sure many married people can relate to. I loved both Riley & Rae who’s attraction still sizzled but they were both stubborn so it took them time realise what they really wanted was what they'd had all the time. I did want to shake the pair of them several times. I thoroughly enjoyed their road to a HEA & all the emotions I was taken through
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

WOW!!! I LOVED reading about Rae and Riley in Secret Nights with a Cowboy by Caitlin Crew, book four in her Cold River Ranch series. I could not put down this emotionally charged love story of love, misunderstanding, and secrets. Ms. Crews has woven a story of two unhappy people, unwilling, or unable, to change the status quo because of the love they share until they learn to open their hearts to each other; and when they decide to shake things up, a new, more mature love blossoms between them.

Riley Kittredge has always known exactly what he wanted. His land, his horses and his woman, Rae Trujillo. Rae and Riley married to young, right out of high school, far too young. Having only their parents as role models for a successful marriage, fighting and arguing seemed to be the norm these two expected for their marriage. Fight, make-up, fight, make-up, until Rae moves out of her home with Riley and returns to live with her parents. They are still passionate about each other, with Rae usually visiting Riley during the middle of the night. Until one night, Rae’s visit is not for a night of pleasure but to ask for a divorce. In order to get the new life she wants, including a baby, Rae must move on and let go of her past. Riley tried to be supportive and be Rae’s friend as she tried to date, but it’s not until she breaks down, sharing her demons of the past with Riley will she be able to come to terms with her destiny. A destiny where her husband, Riley, offers to be a father, giving her the family she always secretly desired, and finding that love can grow in happiness.

Ms. Crew wrote a wonderfully emotional story that is not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with sizzling chemistry, strong friends, and charming characters that allow Rae and Riley to heal their wounds as they rediscover the love they once had. I highly recommend Secret Nights with a Cowboy to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

This story was just okay for me. Rae and Riley are a married couple but haven't lived together for years. I thought Rae was unfair to Riley in that she still went to him to fulfill her physical needs but yet ignored him publicly. It isn't until she asks for a divorce that Riley realizes he needs to make her see that he still loves her. I felt that fact that they could go YEARS in this type of relationship was a big negative for the story. Then, to find out the reason Rae was running away from the relationship was a negative for me. Rae blamed Riley for something he wasn't even aware of. I think the story would have been more believable if the number of years they carried on their physical relationship but didn't live together as a married couple had not been so long.

Agonizing. Rae and Riley fell in love as kids then got married and seemed to have it all until one day, everything changed. The problem, Riley doesn’t understand why Rae left. Rae is carrying a secret that tears her apart. As she tries to move on without Riley, she finds she can’t. She is drawn back to him again and again. When she does announce that she wants a divorce, well, Riley agrees but then tries a new plan. He doesn’t want to lose Rae so maybe being her friend is what she needs. This couple had me on an emotional rollercoaster. They are destined to be together but they married young and both come from fiercely loyal families that are a bit broken emotionally. How do they find a way through this mess? Is there any chance that they love they share can survive? I had my moments where I wanted to yell at both of them but I enjoyed how this journey unfolded. It wasn’t an easy road, there are issues that they both have to face before they can truly embrace the love they have and a future together. I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.

Secret Nights with a Cowboy is Book 1 of Caitlin Crews Kittredge Ranch series which is a spin-off of her Cold River Ranch series. While I enjoyed revisiting characters from the past, this story would stand perfectly fine on its own.

This story was filled to the brim with drama, angst and brought out a ton of feels. I wanted nothing more than to shake Rae throughout most of the story. While her connection with Riley tended to be a bit explosive at times, I really thought he showed a ton of patience, perhaps more than she deserved.

Overall this was a very enjoyable start to a new series and I can't wait to read more about the Kittredge family.

3.5 stars

In Secret Nights, Ms Crews returns us to Cold River, but this time the focus is on the Kittridge brothers introduced previously as secondary characters. We start with middle brother, Riley, and his estranged wife, Rae.

This was a book that I enjoyed - as we got to see Riley and Rae address issues and come to terms with a long term relationship/non relationship. But, it’s a book I was also frustrated by.

I liked the premise- the idea that one partner deciding to finally end the cycle they were in sparked change and set key events in motion. But, I struggled it’s how much back and forth there was to get to resolution.

I had a hard time connecting to Rae and Riley in parts of the book and was surprised at how easily they got past the big “fight” scene when so much was revealed. In most of the book, the town of Cold River and various siblings were very involved in the Riley/Rae drama. I found it a bit of a let down that the resolution didn’t address more of those conflicts, it seemed like a big miss to assume that everyone would just be “okay” with how things played out. I would have liked to have seen less of the back and forth early on and more of how did the resolution work.

All of that said, I am very curious to see more of Cold River and if Riley’s brothers can solve their own romantic dilemmas.

This was my first Caitlin Crews book and I'm honestly not sure how I felt about it. I found this story to be very dark. This is the story of Rae and Riley - both in their 30s now and have been married since a month after she graduated high school. But they haven't lived together for nearly a decade and now suddenly Rae is asking for a divorce - and Riley doesn't know why. She has been coming to his place in the middle of the night most nights for them to be intimate, but that's the gist of their relationship. They fight hard and then they make up hard. And then ignore each other in public. So strange.

This storyline just didn't do it for me. It wasn't a "feel good" story for me because there was so much darkness - who stays apart for 8 years without addressing the real issues? And his family (not to mention the entire town) has passed judgement on who was at fault for this marriage disaster so there are lots of name calling, name shaming, etc.

While this book may have fallen flat for me, perhaps another of the author's books would be a better fit. I may look for another book of hers to try soon instead.

I was provided this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.

Rae Trujillo was raised in the shadow of the constant bickering of her mother and her grandmother, and overwhelming criticism from her grandmother of just about everything in her life. Riley Kitteridge was raised with his brothers and his much younger sister who was often left in his care, in a home dominated by the stern silence of a father who had little time or care for his childrenand an eye his work and the plans he's had for himself since childhood.

From the time they met as children, Rae and Riley knew they were meant to be together. They married right out of high school and moved into the hiuse Riley built for them. Both products of their upbringing, though their love was strong, they simply didn't know how to be together. Rae didn't know how to communicate her feelings; Riley had his eyes on the goals he'd set for himself. After eight years, their on again, off again marriage was taking its toll - on them, on their families, on their friends in the small town they called home. Now, when old secrets threaten to tear them apart Rae and Riley need to decide if they are ready to go it alone or can they find the strength to forge a new path together.

This second chance romance is meant to be a slow build, but comes across extremely frustrating and repetitive. Ms. Crews spends too much time and space working through Rae's inability to communicate and teasing her secret, while not spending nearly enough time on Riley's issues. I will say that Ms. Crews did an excellent job of expressing the heart and depth of feeling of the characters at the conclusion of the book mostly, I think, by letting the characters share with each other through their dialogue, rather than through her explanation of theur thoughts. I really loved Rae and Riley, but I don't think the book ever reached its full potential.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book from an author I have come to love. This is the story of Riley and Rae, estranged marriage partners who have been in love for as long as they can remember. Rae has carried a secret that she has allowed to fester inside of herself and create a rift in the marriage. Riley, having no clue what caused the rift, is determined to wait her out, to wait until she comes back. Meanwhile, they can't keep their hands off of one another. Rae announces she wants a divorce and Riley explains that since they live in a small town, it's best they remain friends. He convinced her she needs his help in order to hit the dating scene because otherwise people will think they're still together. Of course, it's just his underhanded way of helping her to see they belong together. I love this description of an encounter in which he helps her move a few boxes, allowing her to think he was just on a date with someone else:
"See?" he drawled, making a meal it of it. "Isn't being friends great?" Of course, he knows how uncomfortable she is with the whole thing. "And Riley left her there, her cheeks red and flustered, and her mouth full of lies, and found himself smiling all the way home."

Later, Riley experiences his own discomfort, trying to keep up the pretense of friendship when he feels so much more for her: "... he waited, trying to exude friendliness without any strings attached. Not an easy thing to do when he thought sometimes that he was made of strings. Woven together, gnarled and matted, and her name imprinted on each and every one."

I think what I particularly like about this story is the storytelling. Caitlin Crews uses short sentences that compel you to read the next one. She creates a rhythm that keeps the reader moving forward, in almost the same way that our internal thoughts propel us from one thought to the next. There always seems to be an extra little fragment of a thought tagged onto the end of a sentence. Like we do in our thoughts. Much like I’m attempting to do.

There were a few descriptions that I loved for their originality, like this one:
"Rae couldn't control her face. She could feel the shapes it was making, but she couldn't seem to do anything about it."

The passion between Rae and Riley is inescapable and undeniable, but it is understated, allowing the reader to fill in the blanks. The author's skill with understatement is on full display here, when Riley let's his friend know, in no uncertain terms, that he is not interested in discussing his relationship with Rae: "Riley invited his best friend to perform an unlikely anatomical feat. Brady declined."

I liked this observation, which combined not only the author's penchant for understatement, but also her ability to state something profound in simple words: "She shook and shook. And was sure one human body couldn't contain such joy. Which was probably why it was so much better shared between two."

It's an emotional read, one which had me feeling the pain of both Riley and Rae, and I was so relieved when they finally figured things out. I loved these characters, their story, and the storytelling of Caitlin Crews.

This is a second chance romance and the first book in a new series featuring the Kittredge family and their ranch.

High school sweethearts Riley Kittredge and Rae Trujillo married just days after graduating. They'd always had a hot and volatile romance and soon split up. However, he never knew why she left - or why, years later, she keeps coming back for fiery, steamy secret encounters. When she informs him it has to stop and that she's decided it is time for them to divorce . . . so he decides he has to win her over by being her friend - with benefits preferably.

Talk about stubborn, sulky and silent, these two could win an award for it. They've never talked through what happened to split them up or about their dreams for the future. Both are immature when they initially marry and don't seem to have done a lot of real growing up in the meantime. Fortunately the threat of getting divorced seems the trigger to them changing for the better and there are some fun encounters after that. The secret she kept for so long drove them apart and it is only when they start to get to know each other out of the bedroom that they stand any chance of healing the past to move on to a better future. I found them quite frustrating for much of the story, making it somewhat tedious reading at times, but the ending redeemed much of it. I have to say the bonus story about Riley's youngest brother is much more entertaining and I did enjoy reading that one - that one is easily a 4" read for me!

My thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.