I absolutely LOVED this book! Casey and Boone's story had me hooked from the first page and I could barely put it down for some sleep. This small town, cowboy, second chance romance is everything...horses, cowboys, love...A.J. Pine defiantly didn't leave me wanting anything more. Don't skip this one, it's a winner!

A steamy, hot read! This book has it all! Loved the main character and how the story unfolded. A fun read for anyone who enjoys hot cowboys!

I received this ARC from Netgalley and it has been an absolute pleasure reading this. It is my first Cowboy romance novel. I was sceptic at first, but I really enjoyed it.

Boone Murphy is about to get married! But he still has feelings for his old flame Casey Walsh. They both grew up in Meadow Valley and were high school sweethearts. They were madly in love, but tragedy made them separate from another.

Now that he is about to get married, he realizes that he can not get her out of his head. It seems that his fiancée also feels he is not the one. So, they both make the decision to end it.

When Boone goes back to Meadow Valley, he notices a damsel in distress on the side of the road. But this damsel is Casey Walsh. Casey was on her way to have her interview, but her car broke down. She is happy when someone is there to help her, but she can’t believe it is Boone.

Boone returns to the ranch of his brother, as he lost his old car repair shop which is legally under his ex-fiancées name. Casey has no intention to get familiar again with Boone. But fate has other plans for them. They bump into each other more than they expect to. And it seems that the flame between them is still burning. But are they able to leave their past behind and give it a second chance?

It was a beautiful story. There were moments where I really got emotional. I love that the author used topics that are nowadays taboo. Such as learning disorders, mental health, miscarriages, etc. I was really impressed by this. It just made the story more real instead of a fairytale. And Boone made me swoon for him a thousand times. Here is a man who made mistakes in the past but owns those mistakes and worked on them. The only thing I thought a bit of a bummer, was that there were no intimate scenes. The author does write about the moment when they are getting into it but then the chapter ends suddenly. It was a bit disappointing as those scenes would show us the connection between the two characters.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

A.J Pine has a new fan! I thoroughly enjoyed the love story of Boone and Casey. I felt that the plot flowed and held my attention as “Walsh” and “Murph” rekindled their love for each other…and life. The character development could have been stronger as I struggled to visualize Boone. But, overall, I loved the book!

Casey and Boone's story starts at a young age leading up to when they are 18 years old, both trying to start a life together. Fast forward to over 10 years later and the two avoid each other and barely speak despite living in a small town. Boone is getting married and Casey is preparing to finish her degree so that she can open her own business. If they can get things to finally work out the way they are hoping.

Holding Out for a Cowboy is a fun, romantic story set between 2 frames of time for this young couple. Healing from their past & trying to make a go at their new future makes this story a good one. This is my first A.J. Pine that I've read & it won't be the last. She is an excellent story teller & I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

olding Out for a Cowboy by A.J. Pine is the first book in the Murphys of Meadow Valley series. Casey Walsh and Boone Murphy were high school sweethearts. But an unexpected pregnancy led to a breakup. It's years later and they decide to try dating again because they never stopped loving each other. Their road to a Happily Ever After is filled with bumps and some very sharp bends but I got to enjoy the happy ending along with Casey and Boone. This is a lovely second chance romance story. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Casey and Boone have issues, and the past keeps getting mixed up with the present. A good second chance romance, although did tend to drag a bit for me at times. Still though, enjoyed it and would recommend the book.

This is my second AJ Pine book, and I look forward to reading more!

I'm a sucker for cowboys, small town romances, and second chances. This book had all three!

I loved Casey and Boone's story - getting to know them and their history, what brought them together, what tore them apart, and then brought them together again. It wasn't easy but they learned from their mistakes and worked to overcome them. It was a sweet romance story with all the feels.

Kudo's to the author on her handling of Boone's struggle with mental health issues - very well done!

I received an arc of this book through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

A pleasant read, “Holding Out for a Cowboy”, by A.J. Pine (Sourcebooks Casablanca), centers around a couple reuniting after 12 years apart and features a different kind of hero, really struggling with some issues.
I liked the second-chance trope and how the leads still had trust and hope after all the years apart and misunderstandings.
Boone was hurting so much sometimes, I ached for him.
I was really curious about his issues and guessed what they were from the hints the character kept delivering. I liked the author’s strategy of gradually revealing the problems, showing them, before identifying the diagnosis.
I appreciated the role those same issues played in the story and how the wounded hero went through therapy (is still attending, as a matter of fact) and got his HEA despite all the problems and obstacles.
There are a lot of side characters and I had a bit of trouble keeping up with them all.
I struggled with the dialogue and how the characters tended to talk extensively about everything, their feelings and experiences, mostly, even the most puerile things. I felt it was too much.
I also was not a fan of Casey, an example of the mentioned above. Perhaps it’s a sign of youth but her reactions were too irrational and emotional sometimes for me to connect with. So when she and her friend Ivy were talking I had a hard time staying interested in what they were saying. But other readers might enjoy it.

Really good emotional but fun read. I enjoyed how author A. J. Pine developed Boone’s character, with all the flaws that stem from learning disabilities. I loved how much he still loved Casey & how hard he tried to do right by everyone. I loved how caring & gentle he was Cirrus the rescue horse, even after being thrown & injured twice. At first I felt sorry for Casey because I thought she’d been wronged by Boone, bu then suddenly I wasn’t a fan of Casey because she was a large part of their problem jumping to conclusions & not wanting to deal with the past as they attempted to start over. It wasn’t until she started to remember how things had actually happened that she’d blocked that I changed my mind about her. Definitely recommend to read. I voluntarily read this book for an honest review.

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

This was a book about second chances and also brought up topics of ADHD and anxiety.

The two main characters are endearing and easily relatable and although they had unresolved issues from years ago the author keeps you intrigued throughout the book.

Boone and Casey had a high school romance but a tragedy splits them apart. A decade later their paths cross again. Can they get a second chance to make things right?

This is a second-chance romance featuring Boone and Casey who were in love in high school and just after. After a tragedy struck them and several things happened to break their trust they ended up avoiding each other for 12 years.

Boone is about to get married and Casey is finally going to realize her dreams when they start running in to each other all the time. Boone does not get married and Casey must again put her dreams on hold. Once they start building a friendship again Casey wants to keep the past in the past and not talk about what happened. It was not talking that kept them apart for 12 years.

I am not a huge fan of second chance and hate even more when a simple conversation where each person listens would clear everything up. I really liked Boone and felt he had the most growth throughout the story. I didn't like that it was mainly Casey who wouldn't listen and believed things that weren't true in the past. She also didn't try to work on herself much or change in any way as Boone did over time.

I love how A.J. Pine creates quirky, funny, vulnerable, and loveable characters. They feel like family and make reading about them personal. Casey and Boone were high school sweethearts and thought they'd be together forever until the day they weren't. Twelve years later, they've come together again but have a lot of hurt to work through and trust to build. I enjoyed this story and highly recommend it.

Casey and Boone were high school sweethearts but that was years ago and they have both moved on with their lives. But when Boone picks up Casey on the side of the road when her car breaks down on what was supposed to be his wedding day they both have to wonder just how far they truly have move on from what they once shared. Their dreams may been paused, Casey does not have her own salon and Boone's mechanic shop is no longer his, but that doesn't meant that they have lost sight of what they want. Getting it, despite past mistakes, is the challenge.

I have a tendency to grab anything Pine writes. Her books may be hit or miss for me but her writing always goes down so easily, I loved that Boone was so open about being in therapy and his struggles with anxiety, dyslexia, and ADHD. He prioritizes his mental health and does what he needs to do, from setting alarms for himself to taking up knitting. His work with Cirrus was another highlight of the book for me, A hot man earning the trust of a hurting animal will make me swoon any time.

I found Casey and Boone's history confusing at times. The full story of their past relationship and its demise is told in pieces throughout the story. When they start seeing each other again Casey nonsensically insists that they do not discuss their past. Things get brought up, like Casey assuming that Boone cheated that never get death with, They were kids who went through something hard but by the time we get what is apparently the whole story, it felt off. The current day tension also didn't feel well fleshed out. Over reacting and a lack of communication does not create compelling tension. I love the characters and so many element of this book but the story never came together for me. I am ready for Eli's book though. A tortured veterinarian? Sign me up.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Holding Out for a Cowboy is a sweet, mature (and I mean emotionally mature!) romance with the best small-town vibes. This was a very different read for me as I tend not to gravitate toward romances that don't have those colourful contemporary-type covers (you know... Emily Henry style). Needless to say, I was previously unfamiliar with A.J. Pine and her works. But I am a sucker for a rugged lead... and a Hallmark movie-type setting.

THE GOOD
- Lovely, efficient, and healthy communication between our two leads. Exes-to-lovers is a tough trope to handle with maturity because there is often loads of past trauma to deal with. It did take them a while to re-hash their past, but it was not glossed over (as some romances do...).
- A man in cowboy boots. What else do I really have to say about that?
- Turns out, I do have more to say about that -- adding on to my last point, a man in cowboy boots with mental health issues that are explored, who is actively bettering himself and going to therapy. Therapy = a very very attractive trait. Also, he's a biker. And is completely head-over-heels for Casey.
- Casey's dad. What a lovely character. His jokes were some of the only ones that made me smile. The relationship between Casey's parents was so sweet and I'm glad it was explored.

THE NOT-SO-GOOD
- Some comments made me physically cringe -- notably Casey's victory dance (was dabbing/flossing really necessary in 2022? haha), the Netflix and chill line, and Ivy using the "sister from another mister" line. Not my favourite and honestly a big reason I didn't rate this higher.
- The sexual jokes (not even romantic, just inappropriate given the situations? in public and around friends?) between some of the couples, like Carter and Ivy in the shop, and Delaney and Sam at the ranch. We didn't know those characters very well either, which made the comments uncomfortable.
- The book overall felt a bit longer than it needed to be. Dragged at parts.
- This is described as a "steamy" romance and I will say... it didn't deliver on that claim.

OVERALL
3.5 stars! Sweet and charming. Nothing that would place it above and beyond other romances, but enjoyable and mature nonetheless!

Thank you SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

CAN I JUST SAY ALL THE SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE ARCS I’VE BEEN GETTING THIS TIME ARE AMAZING AND EVERYTHING I NEEDED?!

Wow, this book. First, I love small town romances. Second, cowboys, ranchers, yum. Third, former HS sweethearts angst and everything. Fourth. Second chance romance. Yes.

It was such a rollercoaster reading about Casey and Boone’s healing process, their reconciliation. They were both GOOD adults who had learned from the past. Their relationships with their families and friends, with each other.

Boone and his struggle of ADHD, dyslexia and anxiety. I loved him so much.

Casey and her own struggle, how she owned up to her mistakes.

This book, ah!!! All the feels!

Cryfest: 9/10

Holding Out For A Cowboy comes out on 29 November 2022, DON’T MISS IT!

I thought that this book had a great storyline and some really well developed and personable characters, I loved getting to know them as the book progressed.

I thought that the book was well written and it had a really nice flow to the story in the main but it was a little slower in places that I would have liked as it affected the wonderful flow but it was still a really enjoyable story and one I would definitely recommend.

The book was a lovely story about two people finding love the hard way and it was a pleasure to read.

It is 4 stars from me for this one, highly recommended!

Teenage sweethearts turn into enemies and fight their back to becoming friends and then lovers.

Boone and Casey have a good relationship as teenagers. Then tragedy strikes and doubt sets in leading Casey to sever the link. Ten years later, fate intervenes and they briefly cross path. Boone being the gentleman helps Casey in her moment of need. They keep crossing paths and she is trying to avoid another heartbreak, although she doesn't know the full side of his story. Does she know him at all?

It's an emotive story, but there are some light and fun moments in their interactions. The end is very romantic and everything falls into place. A very enjoyable read.

This checked off everything I look for in a book. Was not disappointed. Really enjoyed this book. I will read more from this author. Must read. GIVE ME COWBOY ANYDAY!!