Can we just stop for a moment and appreciate the swoon-worthy hero that is Beau? He's by far my favorite hero of this series after reading his story. Beau suffers from dyslexia and has kept it a secret from everyone but his family his whole life. To see how vulnerable he was about it was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. For a big tough cowboy to show that vulnerability was inspiring. And he blushes...gah, can I get a Beau (not that I don't love my husband, hehe)?

Alice is pretty much the exact opposite of Beau. She's the super smart town librarian that was also his babysitter (meaning she's older than him). Beau had the hots for her then and still does today, but she doesn't know that. Alice was not my favorite character, in fact, I disliked her more often than not, thus why I deducted a star (Beau saved the day). She would be the president of the female equivalent of the He-Man Woman-Haters Club if this were the Little Rascals. She was into self-love and all this other weird juju stuff that just made her seem like she was trying way too hard, especially when she didn't stick with any of it like someone who really believed in that stuff would. The women's group was about the only thing she was loyal to, although she does stop attending those man-hating meetings once she begins seeing Beau. I did like how Alice would ramble on when she was nervous, it was cute. And I loved that she lifted Beau up and encouraged him in a way that wasn't condescending or belittling.

The romance was pretty slow-burn, but the heat factor was certainly there. You never knew what was going to happen once things became heated - Alice certainly made sure to keep us guessing. I wish we had gotten more of them as a 'couple' since they were just in a fake relationship for most of the book. But it was at least believable and I loved seeing them go from fake to something real and meaningful.

Beau has had a crush on Alice since he was eight and she was twelve and babysat him and twin Bryce brother. Now twenty years later Beau has been made Foreman at the ranch he works at. Only one problem he has dyslexia. He turns to the one person who can help him. Alice. She will help him if he will help her. She needs a plus one for an upcoming wedding. This is a wonderful book filled with love, laughter, steamy romance and of course a HEA.

Don't you just love a cowboy romance? This was such a fun story! It is part of a series but can be read as a standalone.

Alice Martin, 32, is a librarian in Big Verde, Texas. She makes a deal with 28-year-old Beau Montgomery to tutor him for dyslexia in exchange for being her date at a wedding. Years before Allie had been the babysitter for young Beau and his twin brother Bryce.

This book had several great romance tropes including fake dating, small town romance and teen crush. It was a very steamy read and I loved the banter between Allie and Beau. He is such a charmer while she is a more literal thinker. Both characters have a hidden side and the reader is able to see them open up to each other. I also enjoyed the dual POV. One of my favorite scenes was the library's cowboy story time.

If you're in the mood for a sexy, fun, cowboy romance be sure to pick this one up. Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for my gifted e-copy of this book.

Beau Montgomery loves living in the small town of Big Verde. Beau and his twin brother Bryce have been living their best lives working on Rancho Canada Verde. But when Bryce gets offered a promotion to work at another ranch and Beau is left to be in charge of Rancho Canada Verde, he's not sure how he'll manage. Bryce has been covering for Beau and his dyslexia for as long as he can remember and he's not sure he's up to task. How will he manage?

Alice Martin, local librarian of Big Verde has always been a bit awkward and shy. She can sprout off facts about literally anything and often does when she's nervous. Beau Montgomery doesn't make her nervous - just irritated. He's always rubbed Alice the wrong way. Babysitting for him when she was younger (there's a 4 year age difference) showed her how unruly and rambunctious he was. But Alice is in a dilemma and needs a date to her friends wedding. How will she find someone willing on such short notice?

When Beau gets the courage to ask Alice to help him with his dyslexia, Alice agrees but only if Beau will be her plus one to the wedding. It's a dream come true for Beau as he's always had a crush on Alice. But will Alice still see him as a young and rowdy cowboy or see his vulnerabilities too?

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and I loved it in Must Love Cowboys. Alice and Beau were so cute together! I loved their shared history - she was his babysitter after all. And a bit of the age difference was perfect (I also love it when the female is older). Carly Bloom always knows how to bring the heat and she definitely brought it with Beau and Alice 🔥.

I loved how tender and sweet Alice was with Beau and vice versa. They both saw the vulnerabilities in each other and worked to show each other how those things don't define them.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series (hopefully Carmen and Bryce - I can already feel the chemistry brewing between them!)!

Beau freaking Mongtomery is one cowboy I would definitely save a horse for.
*****
Rating: 3 stars
Steam: 2 flames
Genre: Fake Relationship / Cowboy
*****
Must Love Cowboys is the third book in the Once Upon a Time in Texas series, and it stars Beau Montgomery, the consummate playboy cowboy that never has the same woman in his bed twice, and Alice Martin, the quirky, highly intelligent librarian, that goes through the motions of small town living but has never really lived or felt like she belonged anywhere except in a book.

Beau’s twin Bryce (did I mention there are two hot cowboys?) has been given the opportunity to spread his wings and become the foreman of a new venture in Austin, which would leave Beau to manage the ranch in Big Verde. There’s one problem, Beau is dyslexic and he has kept it hidden from everyone and he still has issues reading because. Oh, and he has had a crush on Alice since she was his babysitter years ago.

Alice’s formulative years were spent studying instead of living, partying, experiencing life. Now at 32, she has decided she is going to be her own self-partner and live happily on her own. One problem, she lives in Big Verde and folks like to meddle and meddle they will. You see, Brittney has a wedding coming up and Alice has been told unequivocally she will bring a date or she will go with Brittney’s sweaty handed uncle. Alice needs a date with no strings.

Beau needs to learn how to read better and the only person he can think of to help him is Alice. His former babysitter, and the girl he has had a crush on for years. Hmmm….Alice needs a date, Beau needs tutoring… I feel a plan coming together!

Yes folks, a fake relationship is hatched. Beau will be her date and she will tutor him and at midnight on the day of the wedding they will go their separate ways...nothing could go wrong with that kind of plan right? I mean they even have a written contract…

Must Love Cowboys is a slow burn, fake relationship romance with a hot cowboy that will make you grin with his shenanigans, he is just the best! The secondary characters were great to see again and to catch up. The romance was a little slow, but it was still a sweet story of overcoming obstacles, letting go and discovery, especially on Alice’s part. She seemed to have missed out on so much when her nose was in a book. I enoyed seeing the lighter side of Alice.

Must Love Cowboys was a great addition to the series and I can’t wait to see what happens between Carmen and Bryce!

My first thought after finishing Must Love Cowboys was that I really want to read all of Carly Bloom's books again ASAP. I binge read all three books and the novella and fell in love with Big Verde and these characters.

This time it's Beau and Alice's story and I absolutely loved them both. They were so sweet together and it was fun getting to see them open up and be supportive of each other. Even though it all started as a deal with no plans for a relationship, it was easy to see the spark between them.

I also liked getting to see what some of my other favorite Big Verde residents have been up to. I love how often they show up throughout the story, but if you haven't read the other books you won't be lost starting with this one.

Carly's writing is some of the best I've read. She does a wonderful job mixing humor, heart, and heat together to make a story you cannot put down. I highly recommend this book and the entire series!

Cowboy and a librarian what more could you want?! This is my favorite cowboy series and a great one to start into this area. Beau is now going to be more in change and won't have his twin brother to help him with his dyslexia so he knows he needs to ask Alice his old babysitter but she needs a date for a wedding, so they start a fake relationship. We get a slow burn with this one but some nice good old Texas steam at the end.

Carly brings in subjects like dyslexia and sex positivity ("virginity is a social construct") but with some great humor, flirty banter, swoony Beau, Alice's funny facts and self love, and the good old wonderful side characters. Carly is becoming one of my favorite authors, they are so funny, steamy, wonderful location, and just love all the characters!

I can't wait for more of this series and I'm excited for the other twin to get his chance.

4.5 stars
4 steam

Thank you to Forever Pub and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest reivew.

4/5 Stars

I had a great time reading this book. I loved being with these characters and this town again. I adored Beau, honestly he was my favorite character in this book. I will say that I wasn't the biggest fan of Alice. While I did enjoy parts of her, I found I would get annoyed with her easily and I didn't really enjoy some of the tropes that were used. This is completley personel preference. Overal it was a good book. I enjoyed myself, it was quick and easy to read.

Enchanting, amusing, and exceptionally swoony!

Must Love Cowboys is a sassy, passionate tale that takes us back to Big Verde, Texas, and into the life of the kindhearted, shy Alice, who knows she could use some help in the seduction department and may just have found the perfect man for the job, and the sexy, dyslexic Beau whose career-ending battle with reading may finally come to an end with just a little help from his intelligent, exceptionally pretty, former babysitter.

The writing is flirty and light. The characters are sweet, fun-loving, and supportive. And the plot is an irresistible tale filled with red-hot chemistry, shameless flirting, emotional moments, learning disabilities, family, friendship, light drama, sizzling romance, and the joys of reading.

Must Love Cowboys is the third title in the Once Upon a Time in Texas series, and not only does this series keep getting better and better, but it is hands down one of my favourite western romance series of all time. There is just something about the setting, the characters, and how Bloom writes that I absolutely love, and I can guarantee you I will be a fan for life.

I absolutely loved this book! This was an acquaintance to lovers, fake dating, and unrequited romance all in one. I really loved Alice's character as well as her developing relationship with Beau. I thought this was a very fun and light hearted read. I think Beau's journey with his dyslexia was just as important and interesting as the romantic relationship. I did have a couple issues with the inspiration for the town and how it related to any representation within the book (besides Beau's neurodivergence). Would honestly recommend this to anyone who loves a feel good romance and I will be buying myself a copy.

This is a great small-town, fake dating romance with some surprising twists to it. Beau and Bryce Montgomery are twins who work as foreman on the Rancho Canada Verde - a home they grew up in. The two are fairly inseparable, partly due to Beau's mostly-unadressed dyslexia. This works well for them until Bryce is offered the opportunity to move to another ranch leaving Beau wondering how he will be able to handle the paperwork that Bryce always handled with his reading challenges.

Alice may be the answer. She is the town librarian and willing to work with Beau to become a more successful reader in exchange for his being her plus one for an upcoming wedding. Alice is a loner and really not a huge fan of social events so having Beau agree to attend with her is the answer she has been looking for. As the two spend time together, things heat up as Beau helps Alice to let loose a bit and realize that fun is a good thing to have.

I liked these two a lot. Beau is super sweet and has always had a crush on Alice. A blushing cowboy really is tough to resist. I appreciated that he was vulnerable at times instead of just being what he allows to appear on the surface most days. Alice was great. I'm always going to be a fan of anyone who loves books and literacy but there's also this super feminist side to her that is pretty fantastic. I think there are times many of us have felt that we don't quite fit in and that aspect of Alice was super relatable. It was fun to see these two come together while they each gained their own sense of self-confidence. Plus, of course, the town and its residents are always fun to revisit. While this is the third in this series from Bloom, it can certainly be read as a standalone. I'm really liking her books and hope to see more from her in the future.

This is the first book that I've read by Carly Bloom and I loved it! Beau and Alice were such a sweet couple and the banter between them was entertaining. I loved the author's sense of humor, especially relating to Alice's hairless cat. I'll definitely be reading more books by Carly Bloom!

Beau Montgomery and his twin Bryce are the foreman at Rancho Canada Verde. With Bryce moving out to manage a new place, and not around to help, Beau needs help with his dyslexia d So that he can successfully manage his job as the foreman. Who better to help him than his childhood baby sitter, the town librarian and his childhood crush, Alice Martin.
Alice needs a date for his colleagues wedding and agrees to tutor Beau in exchange of him accompanying her to the wedding.
Spending time together and checking items off her bucket list, basically having fun together leads to the lines getting blurred. And they realize that they have a lot more in common than they thought and one of the common things is that they don’t want their relationship to end.
Must love cowboys was a hard to put down book. It is the third book in the series and though I have not read the previous two, I had no problem enjoying this book. It is a beautiful blend of some serious topics like dyslexia and lightheartedness. I loved the balance between Beau and Alice and their fun and hot chemistry. I also enjoyed the funny characters in this small town read, makes it so much easier to connect. Look forward to reading more in the series.

I loved this delightful cowboy rom-com!

With just a touch of "hot for teacher" sprinkled throughout this romance, Beau and Alice's story was filled with humor, passion, and a deep, shared history that gave these two a solid foundation upon which to build their joint future together.

Alice is the quintessential nerd, a bookworm with all the education and factual knowledge a librarian could dream of, but she's seriously lacking in the personal, social side of things. She needs a date for a wedding, and every one of her friends agree that there's no one more highly recommended for a casual date than Beau.

Beau has been managing his job with the support of his twin, but Bryce has a new opportunity and Beau is going to be on his own. No problem, since Beau is just as capable in every respect, except for his dyslexia. He needs to finally address his learning disorder so he can stop relying on Bryce, so he turns to the smartest person he knows for help - his former babysitter, Alice, who has always been just a little bit out of his league.

There's not much of an age gap here - just four years - significant when she was thirteen and the twins were nine, but not an issue nearly twenty years later. What we do have is a bit of opposites-attract coupled with Beau's long-standing crush and Alice's lifelong awkwardness around men.

The writing is absolutely sublime, soaking the reader in all the sights and sounds of the Texas landscape and the small town community that keeps no secrets. The humor is spot-on and had me laughing far more than I expected.

There's no skimping on intense emotional depth as we get right to the heart of matter for both Beau and Alice. His response when Claire confronted him towards the end was simply breathtaking and made me love him all the more. I loved Alice's inner battle between her very modern head and her very traditional heart, and how she could balance both to be her unique, authentic self in all situations. The HEA was exactly perfect for the two of them.

Carly Bloom has quickly become one of my all-time favorite contemporary cowboy author. I can't recommend her stories highly enough. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

In short: Librarian Alice helps tutor cowboy Beau with his dyslexia in exchange for being her date at an upcoming wedding.

My thoughts: Although I have never read a cowboy romance before I gave this one a chance and am so glad I did! While this is the 3rd book in the series it can easily be read as a stand alone, although I really want to read the 1st two now.

What I liked:
*Sense of place - the town of Big Verde, Texas was described so well. From the town gossip mill to the scenery it felt exactly like I was there and was so familiar.
*Beau - Hot cowboy with a very vulnerable side. Seeking help for his dyslexia could not have been easy, let alone from your longtime crush. I enjoyed his growth and progression with this but also how the relationship with “Allie Cat” progressed so naturally.

I really enjoyed this book; the story line of fitting in and finding your place, a new business venture for the ranch and romance. I will caution you that there are some very open door steamy scenes. They were done so well though and I only skipped a few of them.

DNF p. 217

Given how much I loved the first book in this series, I’m so disappointed to be setting this to the side. But the things I loved about Big Bad Wolf are missing here. There’s not much story left and yet I can see the predictable plot choices coming a mile away and they’re going to piss me off. I did skim ahead just to confirm that Beau’s dyslexia is used as a dark moment. I don’t have a learning disability so I can’t speak to the representation but I have issues with a disability being used as a source of conflict this way.

While I appreciated Alice educating people that virginity is a construct, I didn’t like how virginity was viewed as a bad thing or an indicator that something would be wrong with someone, including Beau’s incredulity that Alice would not have had sex because of how beautiful she is. I kept wondering how ace readers would react to the way virginity and sex are portrayed. I also hated that he told her she wouldn’t need a vibrator to orgasm when she’s with him. Normalized the use of vibrators in partnered sex!!! Related to this, there wasn’t much investigation into why Alice previously wanted to be self-partnered and didn’t intend to get married, as if she couldn’t have had well-thought reasons. It all went by the wayside once things start happening with Beau.


CW: hero has dyslexia, ableism, internalized ableism, codependent relationship with twin brother, virgin shaming, secondary character had throat cancer two years ago, past flood, alcohol, inebriation, ableist language, reference to past underage drinking

3.5 stars rounded up

Beau Montgomery is right where he wants to be, working with his twin brother as a foreman on the ranch they grew up on. But when his brother gets a new job opportunity, Beau is left as sole foreman of Rancho Cañada Verde. He loves the outdoor labor of the job, but his unaddressed dyslexia makes the paperwork nearly impossible. The best chance he has for true independence is to ask the town’s librarian to help him with tutoring, but his long-standing crush on her makes it hard for him to even form proper words around her.

Alice Martin prioritized her education and career over relationships and friendships, and she’s never regretted it, but as she genuinely enjoys spending time with Beau, she realizes she’s been missing out on more than she’d thought. She makes a deal to help Beau in exchange for his agreement to her plus one at a coworker’s wedding. The town gossips take immediate notice and jump to conclusions and the time Alice and Beau are spending together is explained as a fake relationship to protect Beau’s secret. As they delight in each other’s company more and more, Alice begins to see the real Beau beneath the playboy façade and wonders if their fake relationship could lead to a real happy ending.

I enjoyed so much about this story, especially Beau and the pairing of a tough but vulnerable cowboy with the relatably shy librarian. The premise was so good, and I enjoyed the supporting characters and the story overall, though it wasn’t without issue. Alice’s character as the stereotypical librarian but with very modern feminist views was a bit overdrawn and some of the things she said were a bit over the top (virginity as a social construct, for example, was weird for me especially given how hung up she was on something that’s mostly just biological). She was incredibly sheltered and a bit immature, likely due to not having allowed herself to have many experiences and the phrase ‘holy guacamole’ was so overused it could’ve been a drinking game. Alice’s character was at times too cutesy and at others incredibly judgmental, making sweeping and unsubstantiated generalizations about both men and women. Her profession to be self-partnered and not wanting to be with anyone just came off to me as a manifestation of her own fears and feelings of insecurity and inadequacy. There’s nothing wrong with that at all, but it was never addressed later, and this felt like a missed opportunity for her to further bond with Beau over feelings he also shared. As it stood, it seemed like Beau put himself out there and exposed his own insecurities much more than Alice did and I would’ve enjoyed more reciprocation.

Potential mild spoiler ahead. I loved how much open communication there was between Alice and Beau once she stopped being so judgmental of him, even when it made for awkward reading. I was disappointed to see this openness break down a bit later on, resulting in the dreaded third act separation. Yes, it heightened the tension, but it was frustrating to see all that lovely directness just fly out the window, though this was thankfully brief and resulted in an excellent grovel that would only have been made better if Alice had reciprocated that sentiment more by recognizing more of her role in the misunderstanding.

Mostly, it seemed like Alice just needed to get out of her own way and I loved that Beau brought her out of her shell and helped her realize that she did belong and had all along, she only had to open her eyes to see it. I thought these two were a cute opposites attract couple and Beau was an awesome hero. I loved how much depth this seemingly superficial character had and how much additional growth he showed and confidence he developed. He was a true man, strong yet sensitive, kind, respectful, and we need more heroes like him. I also loved the small-town setting, even if the gossip part was a bit over the top, and that the ultimate emphasis was placed on community and relationships with other people over money and career.

Overall, I loved the modern-day cowboy setting and I really felt like I was immersed in the community while I was reading. This was an excellent escape for me and my first from this author, but I’ll be reading the rest of the series and looking forward to Bryce’s story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am not sad about my recent run in with cowboy themed romance novels. This is my second book in the series and it was nice to be back in Big Verde.

Things I loved:
💕fake dating / fake romance
🏘 the setting and small town friendliness
👩🏻‍🏫 librarian who feels like she doesn’t fit in
🤠sexy “player” Cowboy who has been pining for his former babysitter
👯‍♀️female friendships coming together and playing such a big part of the story
📓the bucket list as a way for Alice to try to put herself out there and try new things

Thank you to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for the advanced copies for my review and feedback. All opinions are my own.

Although part of a series this story can be read as a standalone story. Beau has had a crush on Alice since she babysat he and his twin brother Bryce. With only a 4 year age difference, now they're adults the sparks are still there.

He's suffered from dyslexia his whole life and his twin has always covered for him. Now Bryce has been offered a job and will be leaving. Beau needs to learn how to compensate for his dyslexia. Alice , the town librarian, has been invited to a co-workers wedding and is expected to bring a plus one. With a background in learning disabilities, Beau approaches her for help. In lieu of payment, Alice requests he be her date for the wedding.

Bring a small town, the time Beau and Alice spend together for tutoring sessions is misconstrued, and suddenly they're in a "relationship '. You'll laugh and cry at all the antics in this cute romance, I did!

Disappointed the advertised bonus book not included! I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thank you Forever for my review copy.
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Alright let’s start with. I love Cowboy Romance. It is my comfort food. Carly Bloom is a favorite. This series. Favorite. Sincerely. When people ask where to start with Cowboy Romance, I’m like Big Bad Cowboy....you’ll thank me later.
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Must Love Cowboys is a readers dream. Sexy Cowboy and the town librarian....yes ma’am. I adored it. I’m not exaggerating. This was the perfect story. Very steamy. Very fun. Great chemistry. Sweet. I really, really loved it. I’m pretty sure this is my favorite in the series thus far. I mean. So. Stinkin. Cute.
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If you enjoy a fun story that brings the steam. Seriously. Start at book 1 and then binge read. Trust me. This town is an absolute favorite.