I love Carly Bloom! Must Love Cowboys was such an enjoyable read. I loved it so much. The characters and the story and the series were all wonderful.

I love Carly Bloom and I love a cowboy romance. These books won't change your whole life, but they do make me really happy.

MUST LOVE COWBOYS is the third book in Carly Bloom’s “Once Upon a Time in Texas” series. Years ago, Alice Martin used to babysit Beau Montgomery and his twin Bryce. The Montgomery boys were adorable little hellions. What Alice didn’t know is that, as he got older, Beau had an evolving crush on her. What Beau didn’t know is that Alice was insecure and assumed his flirting attempts were cruel teasing. Fast forward years later and they’re both living in the same town and they never really talked and worked out their misunderstanding. Fate throws them together and fireworks happen.

I totally get Alice. There’s something suspicious about a guy who seems to try too hard to work his charm. Beau is actually a nice guy, but he plays up his flirtatious rogue persona. Because he’s always working it, it can be hard to take him too seriously. Thankfully this story is told from alternating perspectives so that readers get everything the main characters are slow to reveal. Beau projects such confidence but having to keep his dyslexia secret from everybody but his twin is something that wears on him and makes him doubt himself at times. Big Verde is a small town and Carly Bloom does a good job of showing the good and the bad that comes with small town life. A bargain is struck where Alice helps Beau with his dyslexia, and he acts as her date to a wedding. Fun! When nosy neighbors draw conclusions about why Alice and Beau are spending so much time together, Alice keeps Beau’s secret, and they play like they’re a real couple. I love the pretend relationship trope. This contrived situation gives these characters an opportunity to get to know each other and expand their horizons as well. They are surprised to find how much chemistry they have. Carly Bloom draws the sexual tension out before the characters finally give in to their growing feelings for each other.

MUST LOVE COWBOYS is a fun story with multifaceted characters and a sweet yet sexy unlikely romance. You can’t help but root for these characters throughout this story. The supporting characters in MUST LOVE COWBOYS add texture to the story. I’m happy that the expected blowup at the end of the book didn’t separate the main characters for too long. Although this is the first book I’ve read by Carly Bloom, I look forward to reading her next book.

What will you find in this book:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* a librarian⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* a rancher⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* a learning disability (dyslexia)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* "virginity is a social construct"⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* childhood crush⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* fake relationship⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* Miss Mills, Bubba & the rest of the fabulous characters in the town of Big Verde.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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How this author wrote about the main character's first sexual experiences was *chefs kiss* PERFECTION. 😘👌 So well done. I loved Carly's writing, the humour, the townspeople and the love story of Alice & Beau.⠀

I've just recently discovered Carly Bloom and have binge-read her books for the last month. I love that she uses a popular trope and makes it her own. And Alice and Beau's story is no different. It had everything I've come to expect from this trope with added elements that made it that much more enjoyable to me. Which is why a week after reading this title, I'm still catching myself thinking about it--the laugh out loud moments that had me snorting my Coke Zero and those tender, vulnerable moments where they let their guard down all the way through that impromptu dance. I loved it all!

I knew a little about Beau and Alice from reading the previous books, so I was glad that I got to know each of them better. I thought they were a good match. Beau with his endless charm and wicked-grin and Alice with her facts and figures. They complemented each other well and each gave as good as they got when they disagreed on something. This led to some great moments where their connection shined through. But most of all, I enjoyed how their chemistry slow-burned with their every interaction making my anticipation grow. Which was worth it because their journey to get THERE was definitely unforgettable. 😉

Of course, visiting with the residents of Big Verde was fun and utterly entertaining this time around too. Although this is the third book in the series, it can be read as a stand alone since the author gives plenty of backstory and the story's focus is solely on Alice and Beau’s story. But trust me, you won't regret one-clicking the complete series.

All in all, an amazing story and a must read!

Finally a librarian gets a happy ending with a cowboy! Must Love Cowboys is such a heartfelt and endearing romance that also amps up the steam level. This play on the Beauty and the Beast fairytale is so well-done. Carly Bloom is a master of writing tension between characters and I really was starting to worry they wouldn't end up together. I also loved that Bloom included an exploration of dyslexia. Our hero is trying to learn strategies for coping with his learning disorder. The heroine, Alice, is determined to help him see that even though he learns a little differently, he can still be just as successful as other people in his field.

No one does cowboys like Carly Bloom! I loved Alice and Beau so much. This book was sweet and emotional all at once. I will definitely be reading more from Carly.

Sexy, sassy and scintillating, romantic comedy fans will not be able to resist Carly Bloom’s heartfelt and hilarious new novel, Must Love Cowboys.

Beau Montgomery and Alice Martin are like chalk and cheese – they couldn’t be more different if they tried! Librarian Alice is very happily single and is at her most content when she has her nose in a book. Smooth-talking Beau, on the other hand, has women regularly throwing themselves at him on a regular basis and the handsome cowboy would opt for getting on the saddle and riding under the wide open skies over picking up a book any day of the week. Beau might not have much in common with Alice, but she’s been taking center stage in his fantasies ever since he was a teenager. Whenever the two clap eyes on one another, sparks always fly, but when Beau and Alice find themselves turning to one another for help, simmering tension and red-hot attraction might just end up giving way to something far deeper than either one of them had ever imagined…

When Beau is left in charge of the ranch, the dyslexic cowboy realizes he needs tutoring and he realizes that he knows the perfect candidate for the job: Alice. The town librarian will help him out, but she has a favor to ask him in return: she will tutor him if he accompanies her to an upcoming wedding and teaches her how to flirt. Beau agrees to help Alice master the art of flirting, but as the two of them find themselves thrust in close proximity together, he quickly realizes that his student might just end up becoming the master!

The entire town of Big Verde seems to think that Beau and Alice are involved, but will their fake relationship lead to everlasting love? Or will Beau and Alice let their insecurities cost them their happy ending?

Heart-melting romantic comedy does not get any better than Carly Bloom’s Must Love Cowboys! A first class romance that will have readers roaring with laughter from the very first page, Must Love Cowboys is a stellar read written with flair and charm that I couldn’t bear to put down.

Beau and Alice are delightful characters I fell in love with from the moment they appeared on the page. Their chemistry is off the charts, their banter absolutely delicious, their dialogue sharp and zingy and their love story a joy to read from start to finish.

A fantastic romantic comedy that lifts the spirit and touches the soul, Carly Bloom’s Must Love Cowboys is a delightful romp readers are going to adore!

This was a fun one! Cowboy romances always seem to have so many characters, and this one is no exception. It was fun to get to know these characters and the people and area who surround them. It's also just a plain fun book right from the start!

Beau and Alice are great characters. They both have a lot on their minds and it's great to see them open up to each other. Alice's proposition is such a fun one and really sets everything up to be a great book.

Alice is the town librarian who needs a date to a wedding and never really learned how to flirt. Beau is a ranch hand who has dyslexia and never really learned to read. The two decide to fake date to help the other out and keep their arrangement a secret - only problem is, Beau has had a crush on Alice since he was a young teen.

I love the fake dating trope and Carly Bloom didn’t let me down. This book has humor and funny conversations with Alice spouting facts and Beau getting a little tongue tied around her. The friend group in this series is one of my favorite parts with how they support one another. This book is sexy, sweet, and funny all at the same time. Add in the sensitivity with which Beau’s dyslexia was handled, and Alice’s sex positive outlook on life and I was hooked on this book. This is book 3 in the series but could easily be read as a stand-alone. I urge any romance lovers out there to read this.

I always love a great cowboy romance and I can always count on author Carly Bloom to give me one!

Must Love Cowboys was a wonderful fake relationship and “you help me & I’ll help you” romance!

I loved the base storyline in this third book of the Once Upon a Time in Texas series. Beau and Alice will have you laughing, loving, and it may even teach you a thing or two. I am really enjoying the Big Verde, Texas happenings in this! The fake date to the wedding and what spirals from there (gossip mongers + small town…what did you expect??? HAHA) is chemistry in the making! This is a slight age gap…her 32 years to his 28…I mean…he did have a crush on her when he was in junior high and she was in high school.

In difference to the title…it is not a MUST that you “LOVE” cowboys to read this one…but it definitely adds another level if you do! There are so many parts of this book that I fell in absolute love with and it is one of those books that I would love to give more than 5 stars!

I received this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, I did also purchase it. Alice is the town librarian and a bit of a nerd who felt like she never quite fit in. Beau is the life of the party guy who has loved Alice ever since she was his babysitter. Beau is dyslexic so he makes a contract with Alice to help him learn to read and he will be her date for a wedding. Let the fun and games begin. A very good read

When it comes to Beau Montgomery, and the men of Big Verde, Texas, I guarantee you will love cowboys. Beau’s crushed on Alice Martin, the town librarian and his former babysitter for years. When the town’s rumor mill turns their deal — one that involves her tutoring him and him accompanying her to a dreaded wedding — into a fake relationship, Beau finally gets the chance to show her the man he is . . . and it’s HOT.

I really cannot overstate this. Carly Bloom has become one of my favorite authors for cowboy romance (and I love me some cowboy romance), and this is my favorite of her books thus far. I desperately hope for more in this series — Beau has an identical twin, after all — and if not more in Big Verde, Texas, then anywhere. Please!

A sweet small-town romance full of wonderful people and all the good vibes you want from a cowboy love story.

Alice is the local librarian in Big Verde, Texas and she’s been completely focused on herself and her career up until now. However, she needs a date for an upcoming wedding. Beau, a foreman at a ranch on the outskirts of town, comes to her needing tutoring to help him manage his dyslexia. It seems like a perfect chance for them to both get what they want, so they strike a deal. Then the neighborhood rumor mill gets going and they have to pretend to date to keep from having to reveal any secrets about why they’re really spending time together…

The biggest thing to draw me into this story was the found-family aspect of the friend group and how they were really there for each other. Like any good small-town romance, there was a cast of quirky characters and we got tastes of their benevolent meddling throughout the novel. I haven’t read the other books in this series, but seeing the happy couples in this book makes me want to go back and read their stories as well. Plus, the angst of the (hopefully) next couple in the series!

For a lot of the book, Alice and Beau were definitely skirting around each other as they each tried to protect themselves from emotional harm. This got frustrating at times, since better communication could have helped them both so much, but I could understand why they made the choices they made. It was very satisfying to see them grow as individuals and as a couple as the story progressed.

This was my first experience reading something by Carly Bloom, and I really enjoyed her writing style. It was fast paced and I just kept right on reading every time I reached the end of a chapter. There was a trope in here that I really don’t like (I won’t say what it is, because I don’t want to spoil anything), but that brought it down for me a bit. I think there’s definitely a chance that other books in this series could be 5-star reads for me though!

If you enjoy small-town romances, cowboy romances, or both, you should definitely pick this one up. I know I’m adding the other books in the Once Upon a Time in Texas series to my TBR. I’m also curious about the bonus novel that will be included in the final bind-up of this book, so I’ll have to check that out too!

I thoroughly enjoyed Must Love Cowboys by Carly Bloom. The author has created a small town romance filled with charming characters, witty dialogue and a story that will grab at your heartstrings.
Must Love Cowboys features an unlikely pair: smooth talking rancher Beau Montgomery and Alice Martin the shy, fact spouting librarian. The Montgomery brothers Beau and Bryce, are the foremen of Rancho Canada Verde. Beau is enjoying his job and social life until Bryce accepts a new job; leaving Beau in charge of the ranch. Beau cannot make sense of the words, facts and figures that need to be inputted daily into the ranch’s excel program because he has dyslexia. I loved that Beau stepped up and asked Alice for help.
Loved Carly Bloom’s voice! Beau takes his reading lessons seriously and the author is able to add just the right amount of banter between the couple to keep the reader engaged. I loved that Alice tried different concepts to see what learning tools would work best for Beau. I could imagine hearing the excitement in Beau’s voice when he asked Alice to show him how to download a book on his phone—he wasn’t reading but, he had made huge progress! Loved the outdoor reading lessons and that Beau was able to introduce Alice to nature and help her come out of her shell. Beau’s reaction to Alice chattering about drought as they rode horses was perfect. He was attracted to Alice and saw the beauty within her. Swoon!
Carly Bloom is an amazing storyteller. Alice and Beau believed that they didn’t fit in. Alice because she was shy and intellectual and Beau because of his reading disability. The feeling of being an outsider looking in tugged at my heart. Adored that the author included subtle references to my favorite Disney movie Beauty and the Beast—Gaston the dog was perfectly named! Loved how Beau and Alice’s fun, flirty friendship lead to romance.
Must Love Cowboys has all of the story elements that I adore; well-crafted dialogue, fabulous characters and an engaging, relatable storyline. Looking forward to the next book in this series!

This book was the perfect mix of cute first times and steamy interludes!

Cowboy Beau has had a crush on his old babysitter, Alice forever and she’s never seen him as anything other than the troublesome half of the Montgomery twins. Now with his brother taking a new job, Beau has to face his crush, admit his biggest shame and ask for help.

Town librarian, Alice has been self-partnered for a long time, and she is fine being a party of one. But when Beau asks for help tackling his dyslexia, she decides to make a deal with him to turn her party of one to a party of two for an upcoming wedding.

Soon tutoring session end up including lessons on fun, ticking off bucket list items together and lessons in partnered sensuality!

I adored this pairing and really liked how Alice taught Beau that his dyslexia just made him learn differently and that he has always been intelligent. They both boosted up each other’s self esteem which was totally sexy and I loved it!

I was also super excited that this was a double book release, including the first book in Once Upon a Time in Texas series, Bid Bad Cowboy. I have heard so many great things about that book and after reading Muct Love Cowboys, I am eager to dive in!

Must Love Cowboys by Carly Bloom released April 27th, 2021.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Forever Grand Central Publishing) through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#MustLoveCowboys #CarlyBloom #Netgalley #pinkcowlandreads

Librarian Alice needs a plus one for a wedding. Rancher Josh needs someone to help him with his dyslexia because he is taking over as foreman for the ranch. The two pretend to be a couple with the deal they will 'break up' after the wedding. Alice and Josh know each other well; she used to babysit him when they were younger. So what could go wrong with friends helping out friends?

"Beau swallowed. Apparently, he was still having conflicting and inappropriate thoughts about the babysitter."

I need books to come with a POV tag because I obviously need to stop reading 3rd POV books. They rarely work for me. However, there were moments of promise hidden in the book where I was blind to the POV, and the dialogue was great!

"And where's Ford?" Beau asked Clare. "Babysitting?" "Not that I know of," Claire said. "He's supposed to be at home with Rosa." "So…he's babysitting." "No. Babysitting is something people do for other people's kids, and they get paid for it. Ford is at home being a parent."

As for the characters, I liked Bryce's character more than Alice's. Her character seemed stilted, where his flowed. CARMEN was the bomb. She was awesome, and her friendship with Alice was smile-inducing. I would love to read her book!

Overall, I enjoyed the story, characters, and dialogue!

This was just okay for me. The writing flowed well, but I wasn't a fan of Alice. She was constantly talking about how everything was a "social construct", she came off as rude to Beau several times, and the whole stomping her foot thing drove me nuts. She was a 32 year old woman stomping her foot like a toddler. I've never heard of self-partnering, but Alice seemed to abandon that real quick once she started hanging out with Beau. I liked Beau, and I thought he was a good guy. And while I completely understand that consent needs to be given before anything happens between 2 people, if I'm sitting on someone's lap with crotchless panties on, consent is given. Maybe it was just me, but this one just wasn't my cup of tea.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.

Alice Martin has always put her professional life above her personal life. So, when she needs a date for a wedding, her choices are slim. Beau Montgomery has had a crush on Alice since she babysat him while he was in junior high. With Beau’s brother moving away and no one being around to help him with paperwork, he realizes that he has to get help for his dyslexia. Alice and Beau make a deal where she helps him improve his reading skills, and he acts as her date for the wedding. But, the more time they spend together and the more rumors build up in their small town, the closer they become.
This romance is super cute. It was very well developed and feels like it progresses naturally. The frustration, build, and commentary all add to the plot rather than distracting from it. I really enjoyed the found family aspect of the book and the wide variety of side characters. It was nice to see characters progress both individually and together, leading to a very satisfying ending. I do wish that Alice’s character was less contradictory. But, ultimately, the book is enjoyable and fast-paced!

YES!! I was so glad to be back in good ole Rancho Canada Verde! I'm here for all of it.
Was there steam.. oh yes there was. My oh my would I love to get my hands on Beau Montgomery ... and I absolutely loved Alice. She is my hero! Even tho this is part of a series you can totally read this one as a standalone and fall in love with the whole town. Belive me you will not be disappointed .. pick this up and give it a good read.