Kissed by a Cowboy by Debra Clopton

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the LitFuse Publications book blogger campaign. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Kissed by a Cowboy (Thomas Nelson, February 2016)

Cassidy was looking for a home and a place to belong . . . not for a cowboy to steal her heart.

Having lived through her parents’ endless string of “matrimonial bliss gone wrong,” Cassidy Starr knows when the odds are not in her favor. Divorced and humiliated, her faith on rocky ground, Cassidy is through with love. She’s been bucked off that horse far too many times. Instead, she returns to Wishing Springs, Texas, and the rundown farm she’s inherited from her great aunt Roxie. She’ll reopen the strawberry farm and a bed & breakfast and follow in her aunt’s footsteps, remaining forever-independent, happy . . . and single.

Rancher Jarrod Monahan’s hands are full running the ranch, looking after his ailing grandfather, and chasing down a group of rustlers on the loose. He’s pushed his longing for a family to the bottom of his list of priorities. Besides, he was in love once but ran scared and lost his shot at happiness. But suddenly, the biggest regret of his life has moved in next door with a wounded heart, determined to become a spinster . . . and that’s a challenge that Jarrod can’t pass up.

Jarrod sets his mind to breaking down the walls around Cassidy’s stubborn heart. How can he show her that a cowboy’s kiss lasts forever? For the good folks of Wishing Springs, falling in love has never been so much fun to witness.

Purchase a copy here.

About the author:

Debra Clopton is a multi-award winning novelist and has written more than 22 novels. Along with writing, Debra helps her husband teach the youth at their local Cowboy Church. Debra's goal is to shine a light toward God while she entertains readers with her words.

Connect with Debra: website, Twitter, Facebook

Dynamic Uno here: 

Maybe it's the Texas girl in me, but I've always been in love with the idea of dating a cowboy and the three Monahan brothers just made my heart swoon.

Kissed by a Cowboy focuses on Jarrod, the oldest of the three brothers and his new/old neighbor Cassidy.  There are many bruises and bumps in their relationship, but their long-standing friendship forces them to work together.  The matchmakers from their town of Wishing Springs also throw in their two-cents and the typical mayhem occurs.

I'm sad that our time in Wishing Springs has come to an end because Debra Clopton's characters are so relatable and realistic that I feel like I've known them my entire life.  If you enjoy cowboys and romance, then this is the author for you!  

Betting on Hope and Counting on a Cowboy are books one and two respectively, so you may want to start with them before reading Kissed by a Cowboy, so you can meet the rest of the characters, but this novel will also stand on its own.

Let me know what you think and Happy Reading!

Counting on a Cowboy (A Four of Hearts Ranch Romance) by Debra Clopton

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Litfuse Publicity Group book blogger campaign. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”  

About the Book:

Counting on a Cowboy (Thomas Nelson, August 2015)

After losing everything she held dear, Abby never wants to love again. But a certain cowboy may just spur her to wonder if love might be worth the risk.

Running from a past that haunts her, Abby Knightly is drawn to the cozy town of Wishing Springs, Texas. Maybe this small town could offer hope and healing and a future for Abby . . . if she’s brave enough to reach out and take it by the reins.

Bo Monahan isn’t interested in the new romantic destination his little town has become—or the women who might be looking at him like he’s their next Mr. Right. Between taking care of his Pops and his growing stirrup business, he isn’t looking for serious romantic commitments. But when the infant son he never knew about shows up at his doorstep, his world is turned upside down.

This confirmed bachelor might not think he needs a wife, but he sure needs help. Even Abby can see that, and despite her best efforts to keep her distance, she can’t help but be drawn to this new father-son duo. As Abby throws herself into helping Bo navigate fatherhood, hope sparks between them, revealing that maybe, just maybe, they can navigate their dark pasts and emerge together into a future as bright as the Texas sun itself.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

About the Author:

Debra Clopton is a multi-award winning novelist and has written more than 22 novels. Along with writing, Debra helps her husband teach the youth at their local Cowboy Church. Debra's goal is to shine a light toward God while she entertains readers with her words.

Find Debra online: website, Facebook, Twitter

To learn more about Counting on a Cowboy by Debra Clopton, visit the LitFuse Publicity Group's page here.





Dynamic Uno here: I absolutely adore Debra Clopton's writing style.  It's like she crawls inside my inner-most parts and seeks out what secret desires I have hiding in my heart and uses those emotions in writing her characters.  The realistic emotions and reactions of those characters make me feel like I'm right beside them as they journey through their lives, which makes me root for them even more.  I don't think I've read another author who has made me feel this large of an emotional connection in awhile.  (Of course, it could just be that I really, really am enamored with cowboys and small towns, so I live vicariously through the characters, but that's a story for my therapist. LOL!)

It seems that the Monahan brothers and their small town of Wishing Springs are still a destination spot for female tourists trying to find themselves a "real" cowboy due to Maggie Hope's TV interview.  (Counting on a Cowboy is book #2 in the Four of Hearts Ranch series.  Book #1 is Betting on Hope.  You can read my review here.)  Book #2 focuses on Bo and Abby, a new resident of Wishing Springs who is trying to escape her painful past.  

Forgiveness is a huge factor, and being able to forgive yourself for past mistakes is a major theme throughout this story.  Bo and Abby get off on the wrong foot and the hits keep coming as even more complications arise in their lives. The crazy residents of Wishing Springs will have you laughing and crying as they try to "help" the two realize their feelings for each other.

Heartfelt, realistic, and a good, clean romance is what is offered in Ms. Clopton's second book of her Four of Hearts Ranch series.  If you enjoy reading about cowboys and romance, then this is the book for you!

Let me know what you think and Happy Reading!

Betting on Hope (A Four of Hearts Ranch Romance) by Debra Clopton

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Litfuse Publicity Group book blogger campaign. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”  

About the book: 

Betting on Hope (Thomas Nelson, February 2015)

 A bet gone wrong. A small town's meddling. And a cowboy intent on saving his ranch. 

 Maggie Hope is an advice columnist whose background leaves her with little advice to give . . . and it's beginning to show. When Maggie fills in at an interview with champion horse trainer Tru Monahan, the on-camera chemistry between them is undeniable. Maggie's bosses know this is the opportunity she's been looking for to launch her career---and their bank accounts. In order to save her column, Maggie takes Tru up on the bet that he can teach her to ride a quick-stepping cutting horse like any cowgirl, despite the fact that she has never been on a horse. And in the meantime, she can get the scoop on the man under the cowboy hat. 

 Tru has been on the competition circuit for longer than he'd like, but he knows it's the only way he can afford to keep the Four of Hearts Ranch that means so much to his ailing grandfather. So when his sponsors see the opportunity for Tru's fans to get to know the star on a more intimate level, he knows he must oblige. To his dismay, Maggie not only invades his small town of Wishing Springs, but she also invades his heart, and that is something he cannot let any woman do-for her own good. 

 In Wishing Springs, Maggie finds what she has always been looking for: a community and a home. But when her past catches up to her, it threatens everything, even the tender hope that this town holds all of her heart's desires. 

 Purchase a copy: Betting on Hope by Debra Clopton

About the author: 

Debra Clopton is a multi-award winning novelist and has written more than 22 novels. Along with writing, Debra helps her husband teach the youth at their local Cowboy Church. Debra's goal is to shine a light toward God while she entertains readers with her words.

Find Debra online: website, Facebook, Twitter

To learn more about Betting on Hope by Debra Clopton, visit the LitFuse Publicity Group's page here.

Dynamic Uno here: If you're just joining us, welcome to my blog!  For those of you that have been here since the beginning, thank you for sticking with me--even with my crazy absences here and there.

It should come as no surprise as to why I requested this book.  After all, cowboys and romance are right up my alley--combine the two and I'm hooked.

I must admit, when I first met the character of Maggie Hope, I didn't think I'd like her much.  She was complaining about having to do an interview for her friend who was unable to make it, and it just happened to be with a handsome cowboy. (Is she crazy?!  I'd love to interview a handsome cowboy!) 

Thankfully, as I read more about her and watched her character grow throughout the story, I actually found myself wanting to sit down and have a cup of tea, while she had some coffee, and discuss our lives.  Her childhood was fraught with ridiculous parenting and she had to learn to survive on the streets with her own wit.  I like to hear and read these "overcoming obstacles against all odds" type of stories, so I'm quite sure her telling of events would be quite fascinating.

Tru Monahan is the main cowboy bachelor in this story, although he has several brothers who are single as well.  After he bets Maggie that he can teach her to ride and cut for competition (this will be explained in the book), he ends up finding out that he may have taken on more than he can handle when he meets her fierce determination and attitude, as well as her penchant for being a klutz. (Thank goodness I'm not the only one who can trip over air.)

The community of Wishing Springs reminds me of the small town of Abilene, Texas. The people are friendly and helpful to a fault, which sometimes causes the rumor mill to spin out of control. When Maggie and Tru's friendship begins, half of the townspeople (mainly Clara Lyn and Reba at the Cut 'n Curl) have them married off in gossip only.  Thankfully, Tru and Maggie are more concerned about the deadline of the cutting contest and the bet than to worry about what the townspeople are saying about their relationship.

Add to that mix, Pops--who has Alzheimer's, Jenna--the pregnant teenager Maggie found walking alongside the road, and a handful of zany mishaps and you have the story of Betting on Hope.

I enjoyed reading this novel, not only because of the cowboy and romance factors, but because it made me laugh and swoon in all of the right parts.  Ms. Clopton has a quick sense of humor and a writing style that brings her characters to life--so much so that you feel like you're part of their community.

I look forward to reading more by Ms. Clopton and I can't wait to find out if Tru's other brothers get bitten by the love-bug.

Let me know what you think!  Happy Reading!