I received this book for free from Forever in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Last True Cowboy by Laura Drake Also in this series: Home at Chestnut Creek
Series: Chestnut Creek #1
Published by Forever on December 4 2018
Genres: Contemporary Romance, American West, Small Town
Pages: 336
Format: eARC
Source: Forever
This cowboy's got one last chance to prove himself . . .Carly Beauchamp has loved cowboy Austin Davis since the first grade. Ask anyone in their dusty, backwater New Mexico town of Unforgiven, and they'll say "Carly and Austin" the way some say "big trucks and country boys." But after years of waiting for a wedding ring, Carly's done with being a rodeo widow . . . Austin never meant to put his career on the circuit before Carly. She's always been his future, his one and only. But now that she's moved on, he's beginning to see where he went wrong, and he'll do anything to win her back. The only thing is, Carly's suddenly acting differently, and she's definitely hiding a secret-one that will test the depth of their love and open up a whole new world of possibilities.
The Last True Cowboy is the first book in her newest series and this is my first try out with Laura Drake and I enjoyed this book. But it did have some issues that I had problems with, not to detract too much of my enjoyment of the story but what keeps this story from a higher rating. I did like the way that this story was written in many ways though and Forever did a great job with the cover art for this one because its delicious.
Carly Beauchamp and Austin Davis have been together for many years since they were children really. Its always been Austin and Carly. They had made plans for marriage and kids and a home together one day. But Austin’s dreams of being on the rodeo circuit has been most challenging and after years of telling Carly “one more year” then we can get married has put Carly’s wall up. She loves Austin but she has been waiting years for their relationship to be the priority but its always his career that is more important than her. And she is tired and frustrated. So she breaks it off with him, and even though no one believes that the relationship is over, Carly doesn’t know how it could ever work because Austin isn’t ever willing to put her first in the relationship. So on a whim she drives down to the nearest big city and goes to a bar for a distraction from the pain she is feeling. And before she knows it she is drinking with a stranger and wakes up after having sex with him that she doesn’t remember. She goes home and hopes that there are no consequences including diseases. But some weeks pass and she finds out that she is pregnant with a stranger as the father and she has no clue what her future will be like now or how angry Austin will be or if they could ever have a future together.
The Last True Cowboy is a story about making mistakes and learning from them. The first half of the book I really struggled with the story. I am not sure if it was the plot line, or the mistakes that Austin or Carly make or if it was the actual engagement of the story but I had a hard time getting into this one until we hit the 50% mark and then things really get going and I was so into it. I am glad that I stuck with this one because the second half was fantastic and I would have missed out on a wonderful love story here. I did find seeing Austin and Carly reconnect so great and seeing them work through their mistakes and problems together and be a family together. Seeing them learning the ability to forgive was very rewarding because we see how much they learn as partners the power to let go of mistakes and focus on the future together.
Overall I found The Last True Cowboy to be a heartwarming and flavorful western romance that you will get some great kicks out of!!
About Laura Drake
Laura Drake is a city girl who never grew out of her tomboy ways or a serious cowboy crush. She writes Women’s Fiction and Romance.
Her pro bull riding series, Sweet on a Cowboy is published by Grand Central. The Sweet Spot ), Nothing Sweeter, and Sweet on You. The Sweet Spot won the 2014 RITA award for Best First Book.
Her Widow's Grove small town series is published by Harlequin's Superromance line. Her Road Home, Reasons to Stay, Twice in a Blue Moon, and Against the Odds.
She published her first women's fiction, Days Made of Glass, December, 2015
NEW SERIES! Coming from Grand Central, July 2018, The Last True Cowboy, first in the Chestnut Creek series.
Laura finally realized a long time dream of moving to Texas, and is currently working on her accent. She gave up a Corporate CFO gig to write full time. She's wife, grandmother and motorcycle chick in the remaining waking hours.
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