2.5 stars rounded up to 3 for GoodReads.

I enjoyed another of Jennie Marts' books, Rescuing Harmony Ranch, last summer. The characters in this book just didn't capture my interest the same way. I found the plot to be very repetitive and slow. Maybe that's the appeal? But that 1 week trip to Montana felt like a whole summer to me.

I had trouble buying the whole premise of the book. If this big city editor grew up on a ranch in Montana, why did it take until cowboy book #17 to send the author to her brother's actual ranch to meet horses and such? Also, it was hard to believe a widower and a woman who got out of a relationship recently would act like 4th graders and be hearts a-flutter over hands brushing or eyes meeting. This made the characters very juvenile and their attraction seem more superficial than lasting.

I did like that the country singer from Harmony Ranch plays a concert in this book. That was a cute Easter egg from the author. (so glad the Kindle makes it easy to search a name!)

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.

Cowboy Ever After is just the type of Hallmark love story that I absolutely, positively adore. It had a perfect blend of small town charm, sweet romantic moments and scenes that literally had me laughing out loud. Were parts of it a slight bit predictable? Sure. Did I mind at all? Absolutely not.

It did take me just a bit to get into the story in the beginning, but once I was in, I was absolutely hooked. Personally, there is always something about a character who is a writer herself that always draws me in. I think because my mind works in similar ways, I definitely can put myself into the character's shoes much easier... and I did see a lot of myself in Kaylee's timid self.

Overall, I thought this was a wonderful romance, and one that I could most certainly see being a fantastic Hallmark movie as well...seriously, it needs to happen. If you enjoy a contemporary western romance, this is one not to be missed.

**I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

A very well written romance. The plot is well developed and there are great character dynamics. I received an advance ebook from Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

Will there be an "EverAfter?"
Award-winning USA TODAY bestselling author Jennie Marts presents her book "Cowboy Ever After", published by Hallmark Publishing. Kaylee Collins' editor, Faye Montgomery, insists that she spends some time on a working ranch in Montana because she is struggling with the details in her Western romance novel. They are just wrong. This is a challenge for her. She is not only shy, but a city-girl and she, and her slightly overweight corgi Glady, have never been west of the Mississippi river.
Luke Montgomery, Faye's brother, had decided that love hurts too much after he lost his wife a few years ago. He is not willing to consider romance and marriage again. He is amazed by Kaylee who bravely tries new things on the ranch although it seems that she does not fit in at all. How come Luke resembles the hero in the draft of Kaylee's book? Will there be common ground for them?
This was the second book by Jennie Marts which I read. I really liked the book for the great and believable characters and the good story line. It is a clean romance and a relaxing read that I recommend for lovers of such books and for readers of novels which are published by Hallmark Publishing. As a special treat this novel includes the recipe for Extra Delicious Carrot Cake, another of the special Hallmark recipes.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#CowboyEverAfter #Netgalley

I usually love this author, but this one was hard for me to get into. I knew it would be "cleaner" than most of the romances I read since it's a Hallmark book, but I just can't get excited about hand brushes and shoulder bumps. I found Kaylee to be annoying. While I get there are absolutely people that don't like to try new things, Kaylee was constantly freezing up over stuff and overthinking everything. The scene at the church where she gets jealous over Luke when they've spent like 2 days together was just too much for me. Luke was an okay guy, but you don't really learn a lot about him. I thought the town was a cute backdrop for the story, and I liked the townspeople. Like I said, I love this author, and if you like Hallmark channel types of romances, then this book is for you :)
I voluntarily reviewed an advacned readers copy of this book.

Cowboy Ever After by Jennie Marts
Publisher: Hallmark Publishing
Genre: Romance
Published: June 28, 2022

Cowboy Ever After by Jennie Marts is a standalone romance that meets all of the Hallmark romance criteria! Almost kisses, small town events, and a misunderstand that almost splits true love!

I truly enjoyed this book. It is a fast read with a great story. I loved the characters and felt their romance blossoming! This was a sweet book and I really loved it! I definitely recommend checking it out!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I thought it was funny that Kaylee was a western romance writer yet she had never been to a ranch before. It was interesting that her editor, Faye, sent her to Montana to her brother Luke's Dusty Acres Ranch. She was like a fish out of water when she first arrived and I enjoyed that she kept surprising Luke.
I like how this book had me smiling the whole time I was reading and it had me hoping Kaylee and Luke would fall in love. Some parts of the book had me laughing too. It was fun having Kaylee try to channel her character Sassy and what she would do. I enjoyed the many fun activities that Kaylee and Luke participated in because of the obvious chemistry between them. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

This is a Clean Cowboy Romance. I found the beginning of this book to be just ok, and it was a little hard to get into the story. Once, I got into the story I fell in love with the characters in this book, and did not want to stop reading. The chicken scene in this book had me laughing so hard, and it was so great. This book was cute and funny. The ending was the normal happy ever after romance ending, but the middle of this book made it well worth the read for me. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Hallmark Publishing) or author (Jennie Marts) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Cowboy Ever After by Jennie Marts is a truly delightful story. Kaylee Collins learning to channel her “Sassy” was so much fun to read. If only we all could embrace new challenges and experiences like Kaylee did! Then Luke Montgomery is fine just as he is. Well, maybe he does need to open up to a true opportunity to love again. Loved these two but will admit that Faye Montgomery may have been my favorite character. Running the whole meeting of Luke and Kaylee, taking care of them both in her own bossy way while still being in Chicago was a sight to behold. You go, big sister!

Also enjoyed experiencing Montana through Kaylee’s eyes the land, the ranch, the community and even the animals. Besides the usual reveals in these romances there is one unexpected surprise that I loved. Now I hope Ms. Marts will hear “his voice in her head” and give him a HEA next.

This is the upbeat story for a relaxing afternoon read or for waiting while kids are at practice or sitting by the pool. There are just enough characters without being too many that would make keeping track of them difficult. Nor is the story so complex, you could stop when necessary then pick right back up again later without missing a best.

I highly recommend it to all romance fans of sweet and clean contemporary fiction. I kept trying to picture who would be in the lead roles if this was made into a Hallmark movie which really should be done.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I know when I pick up a book by Jennie Marts that I am going to get a terrific story, endearing characters, whom I would love to be friends with, animals with quirky personalities, lively banter, rich descriptions and of course the HEA. Cowboy Ever After has all those.

Author Kaylee Collins is a very successful western romance writer, with 16 books under her belt, despite her research being mostly from youtube and never having experienced any romance. She lives a lonely, timid life in Chicago. Her editor, Faye Montgomery pushed her out of her comfort zone by tricking her into spending a week with her brother, Luke, at the family ranch in Montana. Luke has been a widower for 5 years, and never plans to ever fall in love again, because of the pain of losing his wife, Beth. So he is totally unprepared for the feelings that he feels for the shy writer that his sister sent him. She on the other hand, sees him exactly as she has always pictured her hero character, Duke and channels her heroine, Sassy to cope with all the new experiences she finds on the ranch and in the small town . What can these two learn about each other in just a week?

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

Kaylee Collins is a Western Romance author who has never experienced anything like Cowboys, a Montanna ranch, and animals - like horses, chickens, and cows. Her editor insists that she do some research! Cowboy Ever After is a great romance/western, and Jennie Marts is becoming one of my go-to authors for a good rom-com!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this great ARC!

This is a sweet small-town romance that was a joy to read. I loved everything about this book: the characters, the setting, and how the author brought the story to life with her words. This is the perfect book to escape with. Loved it and highly recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy from Hallmark Publishing via NetGalley and was not required to post a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Cowboy Ever After, by Jennie Marts, is a delightful story of the evolution of timid romance author Kaylee Collins when she is forced by her editor and friend, Faye Montgomery, to spend a week on a working ranch to help make her cowboy romances more true to life. And Faye, who grew up on the Montana ranch, Dusty Acres, will call upon her brother, Luke, to host her author.

Kaylee, reluctant to agree and insisting on driving from Chicago to Montana so she could bring along her Corgi companion, Gladys, makes the 10 hour drive and arrives early in the day. Upon arrival, the first one she encounters is a mother goose and her goslings. Kaylee makes the mistake of trying to approach the flock with the protective mama, bringing Luke to her rescue. Upon seeing Luke for the first time she immediately calls him Duke, one of her main characters, because the physical resemblance is uncanny.

Luke, a reclusive widower, is not too keen on hosting his sister’s friend. He likes his solitude, with just his dog, Cooper, although he has plenty of friends in the small, close knit community. In fact, it is his goal to chase Kaylee away and resume his quiet life. However, Kaylee is following Faye’s advice to channel her inner Sassy, her feisty heroine. In doing so, Kaylee meets every challenge and explores so much she had never done before, even meeting her fear of horses head on.

As the days dwindle, and returning to Chicago looms on the horizon, Kaylee is thinking about how much she will miss the ranch, the town, and perhaps, even a certain rancher. This is a lovely story of a young woman coming into her own and a young man finding his way from behind the veil of grief. These characters are so lovely, the setting so well described, and the plot so well developed. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

Marts has fast become another one of the authors I can rely upon for a good tale. Write what you know. Perfect advice for a novice city slicker like Kaylee who writes western romance but has never been out west. Dispatched by her editor to a Montana ranch to gain experience, Kaylee gains so much more.
I loved Luke and the town and the community closeness. I love how Marts describes the fabulous Montana scenery, Some of the best scenes involve critters, both tame and wild.
If you’re looking for a quick cowboy romance, saddle up for Cowboy Ever After.

If you are looking for sweet, heartwarming romance then this book is perfect for you. Kaylee, a romance author, is sent by her editor to Montana to experience life on the ranch, something she has been trying to portray in her books, but has failed to do. In her personal life, Kaylee is a city girl, through and through. She is also very much an introvert, happy with routine and uncomfortable with change. Yet, in her books, Kaylee’s heroines are bold, confident extroverts not afraid to try new things or meet new people. Her editor has told her that she needs to experience life on a ranch in order to write about it successfully. Knowing her well, she also told Kaylee to think and do as her character, Sassy, would do.

Luke is the brother of Kaylee’s editor and a widowed rancher. He agrees to his sister’s idea of hosting her author for a week rather reluctantly. Their first meeting is rather awkward (though hilarious), but surprisingly they find that they seem to have an undeniable connection. Luke finds the city girl to be more than willing to pitch in with the chores and he enjoys her company. Luke is Kaylee’s fictional hero come to life and no matter what he throws at her, or which chores there are to do, she is determined to remember her mantra “ what would Sassy do”. Neither Kaylee or Luke expected a few days together to lead to love and their very own happily ever after, with a few bumps and mishaps along the way.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Kaylee Collins writes Western Romance books and is quite successful. She is a city girl through and through, lives in Chicago, so she tends to get some things about farming and western life a bit wrong even though Google is her best friend. Kaylee's editor, Faye Montgomery, thinks Kaylee needs to actually experience farming/ranching to make her stories more authentic. Faye gets Kaylee to agree to spend a week on a farm and sends her to her brother's farm in Wyoming. Instant attraction! The two find themselves having fun getting to know each other. I really enjoyed this storyline and all the fun following Kaylee and Luke to their Happily Ever After. This is a super, sweet Western Romance!

Stepping out of our element to try something new can be scary. Kaylee’s agent told her to experience the cowboy lifestyle she writes about by staying a week at a ranch in Montana. She really put herself out there to get the full small town community and ranching life experience. I really enjoyed her zest for learning and laughing. Luke is just a dream, his initial desire to get rid of this stranger turned into a true friendship and I could not get enough of his kind words. All around just a very heartwarming tender book for all ages, just feelings of love and kindness. It’s always a pleasure to receive early copies of books but I especially look forward to Ms. Mart’s books.

For a clean romance, the story was Hallmark perfect. Kaylee and Luke were great, but I’m more used to a little more grit from Ms. Marts. The issues they dealt with seemed a little surface level, but I did love these characters and the town.

A Happy Read...

This is the first book by this author am reading. I like it a lot!

Kaylee and Luke - lovable characters. The story is cute and heartwarming.

Typical 'Curl up on a beautiful afternoon' read!

I found this to be a very delightful book. Take a city gal and put her on a ranch to experience all the dirty, smelly jobs and come in close contact with large and small animals you do not see in the big city. I can identify with Kaylee, the main female character, since I would be exactly like her.

Add a handsome, rugged, kind-hearted cowboy, Luke, and the plot becomes very interesting. Art becomes life, as Kaylee, who is a romance author, that writes stories about ranch life in her books, and has never been on a ranch, definitely is falling for the cowboy, just like the heroine does in her books!

I enjoyed this story so much! It is well written, with great human characters and two precious dogs that add laughs and cuddles to this story. This is a clean, sweet romance, and I think all Hallmark movie fans will definitely love this story. I hope Hallmark makes it into a TV movie! I also want to add that I adore this beautiful book cover.

A huge thank you Hallmark Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the immense pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.