Cowboy romance is one trope that I rarely would reach for, but the blurb just captivated me. I loved the combination of tropes and the author really written an amazing and heartfelt story. And this is the first time I've read a book by the author too.

After 15 years, Aiden just came to know he was actually a father. Janie had no choice but to find Will's father for help. For years he was abused by his father and all those doubts are still embedded in him. How can he be a good father if the only example he had is his abusive father? But Janie's presence and continuous support had made it somewhat easy. However, it's also making it easy for him to fall for Janie, his son's aunt...

I wouldn't say this is an overly emotional book, but still, it would tug on your heartstring. I loved the relationship that Janie had with Will. It can be really felt how much she loved and protect him like her own son. They are amazing and definitely worth the read.

Wishing for a Cowboy is the third book in her Wishing River series, although you don't need to have read the previous stories, still you might want to if you enjoy Victoria's writing.

This story was a pleasant surprise, the blurb had intrigued me and I know the author is really good coming up with relatable characters and emotional and sweet stories and this was definitely it, in fact I liked it even more than I had hoped to.
Here we have Janie and her teenage nephew Will that she has practically raised and given her sister stories's Will's father pretty much abandoned them. Now that Janie is in a hard situation and needs support they go and try to find the father, Aiden. Only the moment they meet him everyone will find out things weren't as they thought, Aiden had no idea Janie's sister was pregnant when she left and he isn't the bad guy she told them; still despite the truth revealed, it's hard to undo 15 years of distrust and also for Aiden to connect with the son he just discovered; adding to that the attraction and feelings growing between him and Janie.

I liked both of the main characters, Janie was strong and caring and Aiden is total book boyfriend material as well, they both have lead hard lives and face challenges through the story but you find yourself rooting for them; it's an emotional journey but a beautiful one too. It's truly worth the read.

I loved the book, and this is my first time reading Ms. James. In a sweet story of love and sacrifice. Janie will do everything for her nephew will, who she has raised since he was four. Fifteen years later, she sets out to find his father for financial support in a desperate move. Aiden is surprised to meet his son but happy to learn he is a father. Both Janie and Aiden have had loss and insecurities in their childhoods. They both have overcome these obstacles to be the best adults they know-how. What we get is a touching story of a family forming.

In a low drama, great angst, beautifully written story love story, will Janie and Aiden get their happily ever after?

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC.

Wishing for a Cowboy by Victoria James, book three in her Wishing River series, is a sweet contemporary romance. Janie Adams has been the only parent her nephew, Will, has known since he was a baby; her sister being unable or unwilling to be a mom. Now fifteen years later and willing to do anything for Will, she has found the man who might be his father. Traveling across the country to find him, they arrive in the small town of Wishing River; finding the handsome cowboy she was told had abandoned his son and uncaring, sending her sister away. Upon meeting Aiden Rivers, his shocked response tells Janie that her sister just might have lied; that was definitely her MO. Seeing this boy, Aiden can’t dispute that he is his son; it was like looking in the mirror. He had no idea Janie’s sister was pregnant when she left him, let alone that she had a sister. Aiden has missed out on fifteen years of fatherhood which he intends to make up. He is fearful about being a dad, having no role model since his was abusive, crushing his life goals. Being the ever helpful, hard-working, people pleaser, Janie sticks around to help Aiden ease into parenting. She shared the tricks she learned to lure a sulky teen out of his bedroom and how to keep up with the latest teen-speak. Together, this city girl and country boy team up to make the transition to fatherhood easier for Aiden, as well as sparking a connection between them. When the past, aka Janie’s sister, catches up to them, Aiden and Janie must decide what and who is best for Will; not how it might affect their budding romance. Although, Will just might have a thing or two to say about what he wants.

Ms. James wrote an enjoyable, sweet romance that should not be missed. She provided a story with off the hard-working people, magnetism, chemistry, a caring community, and charming secondary characters helping Janie, Aiden and Will find their happily ever after. I enjoyed and highly recommend Wishing for a Cowboy to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

It's been a long time since I last read a novel by Victoria James, and considering what an excellent read Wishing for a Cowboy was, that won't happen again. Wishing for a Cowboy is the third novel in her Wishing River series, and frankly, I can't wait to backtrack and read the previous two novels because this one grabbed me from the first page and never let go, and it gets 5 stars from this reader.

We meet the heroine, Janie, on the very first page, as she and her 15-year-old nephew, Will, and her Maine coon cat, Morris, are on a snowy Montana road, approaching Wishing River, in search of Will's deadbeat dad, Aidan. Sixteen years earlier, Janie's wild, gorgeous and spoiled beauty queen sister, Maxi, had a fling with equally wild playboy, Aidan, and left Wishing River not knowing she was pregnant with his child, but that wasn't quite the way it happened, or the way Maxi told her story to Janie. According to Maxi, when she told Aiden she was pregnant, he kicked her to the curb, and after she gave birth to his son, Will, Maxi, who just wasn't cut out for motherhood, turned her young son over to her 18-year-old sister, Janie, 6 years her junior, to support and raise, all while Janie had to juggle two jobs and attend first college and then veterinary school. But now, Janie is broke, her sister won't respond to her phone messages and texts, and Janie has no recourse but to find Will's father and ask him for financial help, and is she ever in for a shock.

When Janie shows up at the bar Aidan owns, they're both in for a big surprise because that's when Janie discovers that her sister lied, Aidan had no idea Maxi was pregnant when she left town after her fiancé broke into her motel room wielding a large knife, sliced Aidan's face, and dragged her out of there. Another lie of omission on her part--Maxi also never mentioned her engagement to Aiden while she was cheating on her fiancé, nor did she ever contact him about her pregnancy or the birth of their son.

Imagine Aidan's surprise to discover that he's the father of a 15-year-old son he knew nothing about--and when Will comes inside the bar to find our why Janie's request for financial help is taking so long, one look at Will, and Aidan is floored, since Will looks just like Aidan, but Aidan still demands a paternity test, and tries to let Janie and Will know that he never would have ignored his own child, nor would he have let Maxi leave town if he'd known she was pregnant, but it's going to take a lot of convincing on his part to get Janie and Will to believe he's not the cold-hearted playboy they'd been told he was, and the fact that he was instantly attracted to Janie as soon as he set eyes on her adds another complication to an already complicated situation. He's going to have a tough time earning their trust, especially when the paternity test is positive, and Aidan realizes that Maxi stole the first 15 years of his son's life from him. Since Janie is broke, he invites the pair to live in his home so they can figure out the ramifications of his sudden parenthood and what it will mean to all of them.

It was heart-wrenching to see how badly Aidan wanted to be a good father to the son he barely knew, how hurt he was by learning of his existence so late, his anger at Maxi for lying not only to him, but to Janie and Will, and how hard he worked to not only get Janie and Will to trust him, but also how hard he and Janie fought their attraction to one another, knowing that Will wouldn't approve, and always putting Will first in all their decision making.

This novel was surprising on many levels, and definitely in a class of its own when in came to the all too common surprise baby trope that is a plot device I've read in so many other novels. What this novel had was heart--real depth, real reactions from its characters, real character development, and great big helpings of angst, courage, heartbreak, touching backstories, and the meaning of just what family is all about. These characters were so expertly drawn that you couldn't help but feel their fears, their anger, their mistrust and their pain. Janie lives in Chicago and fears that now that his fatherhood of Will has been established, that Aidan will want to keep his son in Wishing River. Because she had been was so busy trying to keep a roof over their heads, be a mother to Will, and get her license to practice veterinary medicine, Janie really had no friends, no boyfriends, no family other than Maxi, and no resources. Her fear of losing custody of Will to his father is something she struggles with daily.

Aidan is also a character drawn with real depth and real emotions, and it was impossible not to feel his shock at discovering his fatherhood, his hurt at missing all of Will's childhood firsts, his anger and frustration with Maxi, and his fear that Will will never trust him, and that he might want to go back to Chicago with Janie.

As for teenaged Will, can he ever learn to trust his father? Aidan is a man who was no part of his upbringing beyond the simmering anger he felt towards Aidan, that Maxi had instilled in him with her lies. He had 15 years of mistrust to get past, but can he ever? He even warns Aidan to stay away from his Aunt Janie, still mistrusting Aidan's love and honesty, trying to protect his aunt, and all while he's quick to spot the attraction between these two adults.

Quite simply, this novel touched me on so many levels that I could hardly put it down, and I didn't, reading it from start to finish in one night, finally to its HEA conclusion early the next morning. This novel, although part of a series, worked brilliantly as a standalone, it was beautifully written, beautifully paced, a tad steamy, and certainly pulled at my heartstrings, and had me in tears more than once. I simply cannot recommend it highly enough.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. A big thank you to Netgalley, for the privilege. The opinions stated are my own.

Wishing for a Cowboy by Victoria James a five-star read that will surprise you. This is number three in the Wishing River series and they are delightful, but you don’t have to read them in order as they are stand-alone stories with some of the characters that do pop up in each other’s stories, but each main couple have their own story, and each story will surprise you. This time its Aiden Rivers, and he is in for the surprise of his life, in so many ways. This is a warm and cherishing story, it will warm your heart and toes as well. Its just sublime, I like how we have caught up with the other characters as well, I had read number two but not number one, but I didn’t feel lost. Victoria James is a great writer and I can only hope we get more from these characters.

A sweet and emotional small town story. Aiden is a cowboy who gets a huge shock in the form of a fifteen year old son. He has demons he is fighting left over from a less than desirable childhood. Janie is sweet and unassuming but has a backbone of steel. Her one goal is to protect her nephew Will. This is an easy book to read, but your emotions will be invested in the characters as you experience the highs and lows of their lives. Watching Aiden and Janie navigate coparenting and falling in love will warm your heart and leave you positively delighted.

4-5 Stars of greatness!
I really enjoyed this one!
Kinda like an accidental baby and secret baby but with a twist - ‘the baby’ is 15 and being raised by his aunt. Janie, his aunt, decides to track down his absentee father only to find out Aiden never knew he had a son.
Yikes!
This story was well written and held my interest the whole story.

Such a beautiful family love story!

Janie is the only mom her nephew, Will, can rely on, and with no where else to turn she shows up to let his father know that it's time for him to shoulder some of the parenting responsibilities. Only the dad, Aiden, has no idea he ever fathered a child and is understandably furious that he's been denied fifteen years of his son's life. A simple-to-explain set up leads into an emotionally complex story that shines a light on what really constitutes a parent and, by extension, a family.

I was completely swept away by this charming romance. Aiden is very obviously falling for Janie almost as fast as he came to love Will, yet the need to respect each other's roles in Will's life as well as their complicated history keeps both of them from wanting to risk it all to pursue something more. I love the secondary characters, the best friends and new friends and all the familiar Wishing River citizens, and how they support and encourage our main characters.

The HEA is heartwarming and the future looks bright for this new family. I'm looking forward to reading more in this lovely series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Wishing for a Cowboy is the third installment in Victoria James' Wishing River series. It is wonderful love story about two people who have struggled there whole lives and deserve a happy ending.

Janie has raised her nephew, Will, since he was a baby and she was only eighteen. For the majority of her life Will has been her sole focus. She and Will head for Montana to find Will's father Aiden. Aiden River is tending his bar and minding his own business when Janie Adams walks in and turns his world upside down. He was unaware that he even had a son. Even though he never thought he would be a father, he now wants to make up for lost time. Can Janie and Aiden get over their painful pasts and make co-parenting work?

Victoria James always writes the sweetest stories with characters you can't help but to root for. You do not need to read the first two books in the series to understand the storyline but there are characters from the first two books who appear in this story. I always look to a James release day, and this story did not disappoint. I am excited for the next installment.

Another good cowboy story in the Wishing River series. Janie and Aiden have chemistry right from the start, but they try to deny it and tamp it down because of Will, her nephew/his son. They figure out her sister lied to them all, and they both have baggage from how they grew up. Janie needs someone to care about her, and Aiden is a kind cowboy who somehow also has an immaculate house and his own past troubles. I found this book focused more on friendship and family than significant romance. There were lots of feelings but not a lot of opportunity to act on them. It was nice to see appearances from the couples and some other characters from the first two books.

I have never read a cowboy romance, but after reading Wishing For a Cowboy, I am absolutely hooked.

Janie shows up in Wishing River, Montana with her nephew Will, and her cat. After taking caring for her nephew his whole life, it's time to face Will's deadbeat father that could be the answer to their financial woes. But Aidan is not what Janie was expecting to find. Turns out Aidan had no clue he was a father, despite the claims of Janie's sister.

After a paternity test proves Aidan's fatherhood, he is bound and determined to make up for the lost time that was stolen from him. While figuring out how to co-exist as an unconventional, somewhat fractured family, Janie is deathly afraid Aidan will see her financial trouble and take Will away from her for forever. The pair fight their attraction for each other at every turn, standing firm in the decision that they can never be more than "just friends."

This was an absolutely beautiful story. Both Janie and Aidan are deeply hurt by the challenging relationships they had in their childhood with their parents. While grappling with their trust issues, what emerges is an unforgettable love story that had me dying to know what was going to happen next. Nothing about this story is predictable.

I loved Aidan. He's so put together, despite his rough past and it was endearing to see how badly he wanted to fight to keep Will in his life, but not step on Janie's toes in the process. The way he thanks Janie and makes her feel comfortable tugged at my heart strings.

When I started reading this book, I had no idea this was the third in a series. I definitely want to check the other two books out, because now I'm hooked. Don't let a cowboy romance scare you. They are amazing and this one is definitely worth the read.

I was drawn in from the start. Each character was so believable I felt like I was a part of the story with a front row view. I could not have been more drawn to Aiden. My heart went out to him on a high level. It also went out to Janie, but differently because she exuded strength for herself and for Will. A fantastic cowboy romance! Provided by NetGalley.

Be ready for some tears. I haven't read any books in this series - but I may go back.

Both Aiden and Janie had to grow a lot. I kind of figured the plot twist was coming.

Enjoyable.

Wow. I just loved the relationship that Janie had with her nephew Will. She sacrificed so much for his happiness and for him to grow up feeling loved. You also have Aiden how had no idea he had a son for 15 year and is, of course, completely shocked he is a father. They together Janie and Aiden strive to do what right for Will as the attraction between the two of them grow. I was a little skeptical about reading this one simple because of the dynamic of the Janie being interested in her sister baby father and of course Aiden being attracted to Janie. But, I can say I really enjoyed this book.
“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
I just reviewed Wishing for a Cowboy by Victoria James. #WishingforaCowboy #NetGalley

I always look forward to a new Victoria James release, she writes such charming small town cowboy romances that I always enjoy.

Wishing for a Cowboy is the story of Janie who has been raising her 15-year-old nephew Will since she was 18 and he was 4. They've hit on some hard times and have decided to turn to his birth father for help, even though they were told he wanted nothing to do with being a dad. Turns out he never knew he even had a son, and he automatically steps up to the plate. He has to work hard to earn their trust and make up for lost time and the last thing he plans to do is fall for the woman who's raised his son. Their whole situation is complicated and when Janie's sister shows back up will it destroy the delicate relationship they've been building.

As usual, I loved the characters Victoria James created. Janie was so strong and selfless, loving and protective of her nephew Will. Will himself was mature for a 15-year-old and protective of his aunt but given their circumstances it's not surprising, but he still felt realistic with his attitude and typical grumpy teen behavior. Aiden is a dream book boyfriend, rough childhood, hardworking, caring, a bit gruff, but he automatically steps up to be Will's dad and be the kind of father he wishes he had growing up. Both Janie and Aiden had not so pleasant childhood upbringings that broke them down and damaged their self-esteem, but they haven't let that stop them from being strong adults.

This is a low steam romance with a good amount of angst, and you could feel the connection between Janie and Aiden. They go from strangers to a friendship of sorts and even though they have romantic feelings for each other they always put Will's well-being first and foremost.

Overall I really enjoyed Wishing for a Cowboy by Victoria James. It was sweet and full of love and I look forward to what we book Victoria James writes up next !


::My review will be posted on my blog on March 10th::

Janie found her cowboy with a little help from Will!

Wishing for a Cowboy happens when Janie Adam decides to find out if the father of her nephew will help her out with a little money so she can afford to go back to vet school and finish her degree. Only problem is that Maxi Adams never told bar owner Aiden Rivers that she was pregnant. But after seeing the resemblance to Will Adams made Aiden realize that he was really a father.

I liked Wishing for a Cowboy because it wasn’t a simple cowboy meets a city girl and falls in love but two very complicated character that first decide to put Will first in their lives and then slowly fall in love and create a family!

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

Once again, this author delivers another wonderful story in the Wishing River series.
Aiden Rivers has lived all his life in this town. His childhood and youth was one no child should ever live. One that even though he is well respected and owns the local bar and a ranch, still leaves him feeling that he is not good enough.
Janie Adams is only 28 years old, but for most of her nephew’s 15 years, has been the only person that has truly loved and cared for him. She even becoming his guardian at a young age while her sister was more concerned about herself and hardly contacted her son.
When debts keep on rising, Janie decides that she and Will should travel to Wishing River and meet the deadbeat father. Or so she thought until she realizes that Aiden never knew of his son.
As these three begin a fragile relationship, both Aiden and Janie know that Will is their priority . But what happens when feelings develop? Will Aiden and Janie finally realize they both deserve to love and be loved?
What happens when someone from their past creates havoc?
This engaging story was at times heartbreaking as well as heartwarming . A reminder that our experiences as a child and those that are suppose to care for us, will influence the individuals once they become adults.
This was another winner in this series. I hope Dean and Hope get their story in the near future.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Entangled Amara and Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Catching up with Aiden in the third installment, Wishing for a Cowboy, of Victoria James’ Wishing River series, was truly heartwarming...up until now he’s always been in the background, the good guy and friend...taking this journey with him, along with Janie and Will, towards a HEA was much anticipated and enjoyed. With the revisit of the characters from the first two books of the series, interwoven into Aiden and Janie’s journey, this served to keep the whole series front and center...I liked that the author was inspired to do this.

As had been alluded to in the first two books, there is a gentle awareness to Aiden that shows just how caring he is...regardless of the difficulties he lived through during his childhood. His ready acceptance of both Janie and Will into his life made Aiden that much more of an every day hero in my eyes.

I’m hoping that Hope and Dean’s story will be told next...the ground work was laid in this third story of the series...making me even more intrigued about what is store for them.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Janie is struggling so turns to the one person she hopes can help - the father of the the nephew she has bought up. Turns out Aiden never knew he had child and is only too willing to help, but where does that leave the attraction between Aiden and Janie, complicated when her sister turns up in their lives.

A great read - looking forward to more Wishing River books