Marissa and Jared or couple until they split ways where she kept her education and Jared ran off to the rodeo and she has built her life and works a successful job and has a boyfriend and it all up ends when he shows up could it be a coincidence?

I really enjoyed this book it I love the suspense of it all. Clearly something was amiss but Marissa had no clue who would have it out for her because it's clear that a stalker wants her to back down from something she's just unsure of what that is. So in this book you get to know the characters Marissa and Jared and it was interesting seeing how complicated things were for them they both clearly cared for each other but they have different priorities when it comes to their career and relationship. And Marissa isn't looking for a repeat at heartbreak. This whole stalker situation has kind of forced them together so it was interesting how much they were skirting around being together without really knowing how they could be. Overall this was an enjoyable read.

This is an entertaining read, suspenseful, mystery, romance, drama filled action packed, great characters with an awesome plot. Marissa and Jared were high school and college sweethearts. Then Jared up and left for the rodeo circuit. Marissa is now a physical therapist and is dating the local veterinarian David. Now he is back in his hometown after being injured while riding a bull. Jared is in need of physical therapy and he ends up at her office. When Jared and Marissa lay eyes on each other once again the two realize that both still have feelings for each other. Jared learns that his father’s J.J.’s ranch is in pretty bad shape and to top that his father is suffering from an early onset of dementia. With a series of events happening in Marissa life with a brick being thrown thru her window and someone t-bones her SUV and she lands herself in the hospital she finally sees the light that someone is stalking her.

What is going on, who is stalking Marissa, does she know the person, is Jared in town to stay, will he be there for his father and get the ranch back up to par, what happens with David and Marissa, is there an HEA and a second chance in store for romance for Marissa and Jared?

I received an ARC via NetGalley and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Well, this one started out just kind of meh--not horrible, but not terribly memorable either--but finished with a huge dose of WTF? as continuity went out the window (seriously, in one scene they were in the stable, mucking out a stall, when his dad left the "room" and she crossed to the "kitchen sink" and then they were doing it on the desk in the office back in the stable. His dad's early onset dementia was rearing its ugly head near constantly in the first half, but in the second half it was no problem, barely an inconvenience? That same dad mentioned wanting grandchildren to him twice, but the second time he was so shocked by the idea that he changed his life plans on a dime?), the villain displayed superhuman tracking abilities before conveniently dying, and the hero made THE WORST grand gesture ever...honestly, 2 stars is almost overly generous.

Rating: 2 stars / D

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Well, this one started out just kind of meh--not horrible, but not terribly memorable either--but finished with a huge dose of WTF? as continuity went out the window (seriously, in one scene they were in the stable, mucking out a stall, when his dad left the "room" and she crossed to the "kitchen sink" and then they were doing it on the desk in the office back in the stable. His dad's early onset dementia was rearing its ugly head near constantly in the first half, but in the second half it was no problem, barely an inconvenience? That same dad mentioned wanting grandchildren to him twice, but the second time he was so shocked by the idea that he changed his life plans on a dime?), the villain displayed superhuman tracking abilities before conveniently dying, and the hero made THE WORST grand gesture ever...honestly, 2 stars is almost overly generous.

Rating: 2 stars / D

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book

A second chance romance with a mystery? Yes, please! This was such an edge of your seat romance and a wild ride. Loved it!

This is my first book by this author. I picked it up because it was a romantic suspense from Harlequin. I love the Texan mindset. This book had a lot of facets: physical therapy, rodeo riding, a small town. This second chance romance had a psychic which was an unusual addition and not something I normally read. There was also a dementia thread that brought back some memories for me of my grandfather. There was an engaging storyline and enough danger to keep me turning the pages wondering what would happen next. This was not a clean romance, there was a single steamy scene.

I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This book was quiet and domestic but also action packed at times -- really enjoyed it. Because of the history between the two love interests, the romance was very interesting and compelling.

This is a Cowboy Romantic Suspense. This book is filled with drama, action, suspense, and romance. The two characters have this pull to each other that is just so cute. I loved all the characters in this book. I did not want to put this book down. I feel some of the mystery/suspense parts I could see coming, but I still enjoyed this book a lot. Great Read. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Harlequin Romantic Suspense) or author (Karen Whiddon) 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.

Good second chance love story mixed with an engaging suspense plot. Marissa and Jared were a couple throughout high school and college until Jared decided to quit school and join the rodeo circuit. He was hurt and angry that she wouldn't drop everything and go with him. Marissa was heartbroken when he left despite their plans for the future. She pulled herself together, finished school, and started her physical therapy business in their hometown. Five years later, she has a successful business and is dating the local veterinarian. She's shocked when Jared shows up at her office, needing physical therapy for a bull-riding injury and expecting to be friends.

After five years on the circuit, Jared is ready to come home. He's shocked at the condition of his father's ranch and heartbroken at the changes he sees in his father, who has early-onset dementia. He looks forward to seeing Marissa again and is surprised at the cold reception he gets.

I enjoyed seeing the rekindling of the relationship between Marissa and Jared. Each believes they have moved past their broken relationship - until they see each other again. Both are surprised by the resurgence of their old attraction. It doesn't take long for Jared to realize that his feelings for Marissa have never disappeared, and he wants her back in his life. He also knows he has a long way to go to regain her trust. Marissa also realizes that she still loves Jared but is wary of risking her heart again on someone who could leave her behind again.

Complicating matters, Marissa has a boyfriend she has been dating for several months. David is a nice but very busy man, so they don't see as much of each other as they could. It doesn't take Marissa long to realize that what she feels for David is a pale imitation of her feelings for Jared, and she knows she must end things with him.

Adding to Marissa's troubles, she realizes she is being stalked. At first, it felt like being watched, but then matters escalated. She received a threatening note attached to a brick thrown through her window, a hit-and-run driver t-boned her car, and her home was torched. Jared's protective instincts are aroused despite Marissa's insistence that she can take care of herself. I loved that Jared was there to support her, even when she tried to resist him. As the attacks increased in intensity, I had a couple of suspects in mind, and I was happy to see that my top suspect was the guilty party. The final confrontation was a nail-biter with an unexpected resolution.

I enjoyed seeing Jared and Marissa grow closer and look at ways to make both of their dreams come true. Marissa is finally starting to trust Jared again when he receives an unexpected offer. Marissa immediately concludes that he will bail on her again without giving him a chance to talk it over with her. I wanted to shake her for her lack of confidence in him and his feelings for her. Jared knows he needs to do something to show her the truth and comes up with an over-the-top demonstration of his feelings and intentions.

The author, Karen Whiddon, is not an author I've been following, although I've read several of her novels in the past, most of which received 3 star reviews from this reader. I was hoping that she'd improved over time with constructive criticism, but once again, this second-chance, contemporary western romantic suspense novel was merely a passable read for me, and gets another 3-star rating.

I've always liked the second chance at romance trope, and the two main characters, Jared Miller and Marissa Noll were high school and college sweethearts, that is until Jared decided to quit college and join the rodeo circuit, leaving Marissa in the dust, brokenhearted. Committed to her dream of becoming a physical therapist, she continued her education and got her Masters degree and became a licensed PT.

Five years have passed since she graduated and got her license to practice, and although Marissa is now back in her hometown of Getaway, Texas, has opened her own physical therapy practice and is now dating David, the local veterinarian, there's no spark between them, and because he's so busy, they don't get together often.Why stay in a relationship in which you are basically ignored most of the time Imagine her shock when out of the blue, 5 years down the road, Jared returns to Getaway, having been injured while bullriding and needing physical therapy. What I found rather offensive was that Marissa is still carrying such a huge grudge against a man who merely followed his dream. These two weren't even engaged, and although they had big plans for their future, sometimes a person has to follow their heart, and hating someone for being true to himself, just struck a wrong note with this reader.

Other issues with this novel bothered me as well. The scene jumps, from one place to another, were abrupt and lacked continuity. Additionally, Jared's 62-year-old father, J.J., was diagnosed with early onset dementia, and seems lost and confused for the first half of the novel, yet he's spot-on, alert and aware of everything going on during the latter half of this novel. J.J. also takes a fall and while picked up and placed in a chair, is found staring at nothing, is totally unresponsive and practically comatose, but when he eventually snaps out of it, do they take him to the hospital for an MRI? Nope. That was a huge "Duh" moment for this reader.

And then there's Marissa, who's sensed that someone is stalking her for quite some time, but does she do anything about it? Nope. Does she report it, also nope. Next, someone tosses a brick through her front window and wrapped around it is a threatening note. Again, Marissa shrugs it off as a prank. She doesn't seem too threatened by that either, and it's even after a driver T-bones her SUV, and she ends up in the hospital, does she begin to take this seriously. Even then, she's reluctant to believe that someone is trying to kill her. But who could it be? Which is another problem with this novel--there simply aren't enough suspects with enough of a motive who want to see Marissa dead. Finding out who has it in for Marissa was another letdown, since it's a character who was never really introduced, leaving us with no clue as to the stalker's bizarre motive and mental state.

While I love a good mystery/romantic suspense novel, this novel wasn't it, and I felt cheated by the denouement of this novel, the odd timing, the on-and-off condition of J.J's dementia, as well as the on-and-off relationship between Marissa and Jared, and the other issues I've mentioned. This was just a barely okay read for me, and I wish the author had spent more time on her timeline, on character development, and giving us more than a passing glance at the stalker's motive.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions stated are my own. It is scheduled for release on 4/25/23.

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

Jared returns home from rodeo life and once he sees Marissa he can’t get her out of his mind. These two have a history and Marissa is not too quick to trust Jared and his feelings.

This was a great read and I enjoyed the suspense behind Marissa’s not so great events. It was not someone I was expecting it to be either.

Nice and easy read!

Saved by the Texas Cowboy by Karen Whiddon
This is a second chance romance between Jared and Marissa with some mystery and suspense mixed in. They were high school and college sweethearts until he left her for the rodeo. After a bad ride sent him home to recoup, they both realize they still have feelings for each other. There is angst, baggage, a current boyfriend, a stalker, accidents, wonderful family and friends, some laughs, tears, and steam to get us to a HEA.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Steamy Great world building Easy-to-read Happily Ever After Wonderful Characters Witty Action-packed Tear-jerker Tragic Entertaining Unpredictable Scary Romantic Page-turner Informative.

There are many reasons why I don't hesitate to grab a Karen Whiddon book. And this book was a perfect example of all of them! It had everything you want in a book and then some. There was plenty of action to keep you hooked, suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat, and romance to have you swooning! The chemistry between Jared and Marissa was off the charts and I loved the dynamic between them along with the progression of their relationship.

I love when the two main characters have a past from before the beginning of the book. While Jared and Marissa haven't seen each other in five years, when Jared returns to town, the chemistry between the two of them is as hot as ever. But there was also some hurt between the two of them that they needed to deal with before they could even think about anything happening between them. Plus, Marissa is in a relationship with someone else at the beginning of the novel. But she is kind of just going through the motions of her life until Jared makes a reappearance back in town,

Jared's been hurt in a rodeo accident and needs Marissa's expertise as a physical therapist to get better. But Jared blowing back into town isn't the only thing on Marissa's mind as she discovers shortly after that she has a dangerous stalker after her. Things continue to escalate and leave Marissa reeling and wondering who she can really trust. There was consistent action throughout the book along with the perfect amount of romance and spice. I also found myself continuously guessing as to who was stalking Marissa for a better part of the novel. I strongly recommend this book for romantic suspense lovers and lovers of Karen Whiddon as well.

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.