Lady X's Cowboy

by Zoe Archer

London meets the Old West in this Regency romance that follows Lady Olivia Xavier, who finds an unexpected ally in American cowboy Will Coffin, a ruggedly handsome man who is not accustomed to polite society, when he offers to help her save her late husband's brewery from a dangerous rival. Original.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Fiction, Westerns, Historical Fiction, Jewish

325 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Zoë Archer is a RITA award-nominated romance author whose stories are about smart, capable heroines and the heroes who love them. She is the author of the acclaimed Blades of the Rose series, as well as the Hellraiser, and Nemesis Unlimited series, among others. She also writes Regency-set romances as Eva Leigh. Visit her on the Web at http://www.zoearcherbooks.com/

Reviews

[Christina ~ Brunette Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 Stars

A late Victorian romance with a nice twist on the "English lady meets American hunk" trope. This time is the cowboy taking a chance in London with a most unconventional woman.

Lady Olivia Xavier won't be intimidated into shutting down the brewery she's running since her husband's death. Will has crossed the ocean to find out the truth about his origins. She needs protection, he needs somebody to help him navigate the intricacies of the Ton and so a daring bargain is made. Keeping their hearts out of it is another matter altogether.

This Zoë Archer's debut novel, and a quite impressive one, already shows many of the traits then better developed in her decidedly more famous other non-paranormal Victorian books, the Nemesis Unlimited series. The same flowing prose and snappy dialogues, the same intense chemistry and sexual tension pulling the plot and the romance forward at an engaging pace. And the same talent for blending the high and the low, vividly portraying both the privileged society and the unfair misery crushing the seediest London's districts, creating a contrast rendering the historical setting all the more exciting.
The leads were very well-drawn too and like the ones I have now come to recognise as Archer's trademark couples, Will and Olivia easily team-up to face hurdles and foes, fighting side-by-side, respecting and bringing out the best in each other. Will is dashing as much as honourable, with the boyish charm of a careless adventurer and the heart of gold of a true gentleman. Olivia, while not as deliciously kickass as her later heroines, is nonetheless strong if in a more subdued way, dedicated to her inherited business and trying hard to preserve an independent life and a mind of her own in spite of hypocritical social conventions and petty finger-pointing gossipmongers.

Some sections seemed to drag a little and the villain's motivations, though providing the necessary catalyst to the conflict, were not entirely plausible on a more in-depth scrutiny, but as a whole the book was really enjoyable, original in its premises and it made for a few hours of pure fun.

[Mrs Wentworth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Found this to be poorly wriiten. I couldn't finish it. What a shame.

[Penny Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady X's Cowboy by Zoë Archer.

One of my all-time favorite books is Warrior by Zoë Archer. It is a fabulous mix of adventure, fantasy, and romance. Larger than life story. Larger than life characters. Lady X's Cowboy is an historical romance, and I wasn't sure what to expect. Well, Archer has put together a nice little story--with an interesting British widow heroine--caught between her life as a noble-by-marriage, and her position as the owner of a brewery. A lot of romance authors create weak heroines, but Archer isn't one of them. Her heroines are strong-willed, capable, and sensual at the same time.

Lady Olivia has a dilemma--a villain attempting to put her brewery out of business--and a delicious American cowboy shows up just in the nick of time to help save it. Will is scrumptious! Brazen, swaggering like a good cowboy should, a real gentleman, protective, and smarter than he lets on. He and Lady Olivia have some smoky hot chemistry, and a sweet romance develops between them.

This is quite different from Warrior. It's a more traditional historical romance. But I loved the fascinating bits about the brewery, I loved the determined heroine, and Will was the perfect American cowboy hero.

Julie Garwood has a book with a heroine raised by Native Americans and a British nobleman. It's one of her most underrated books, IMO. I love it--The Lion's Lady. There is something very appealing about mixing that rugged, rough and tumble American pioneer sensibility with the starchy upper crust British nobility. It provides great contrast and chemistry in the story. Garwood made it shine, and so does Archer. I would highly recommend Lady X's Cowboy to anyone looking for an American/British historical with some fascinating background about the brewing industry and a sexy H/h combination.

Grade: A

[Sabine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nach dem Tod ihres Mannes erbt Lady Olivia seine Brauerei. Sehr zum Entsetzen der feinen Gesellschaft beschließt sie, sich selbst darum zu kümmern. Der Ton ist entsetzt, denn eine Lady arbeitet nicht! Doch davon lässt sich die unkonventionelle junge Witwe nicht abbringen.

Seit einiger Zeit versucht ein arroganter und verwöhnter Lord der Oberschicht ihr die Brauerei abzukaufen. Nachdem sie sich nicht überzeugen ließ, versucht er es mittlerweile mit harten Bandagen und schickt Schläger vorbei. Nur das Auftauchen des amerikanischen Cowboys Will Coffin verhindert in letzter Sekunde Schlimmeres. Er ist fasziniert von der attraktiven Lady und bietet ihr seine Hilfe an. Bald schon fliegen die Funken zwischen den beiden doch wenn Oliva dieser Leidenschaft nachgibt, droht sie alles zu verlieren was ihr lieb und teuer ist. Und Will ist nicht gewillt ihren Ruf zu ruinieren, auch wenn das bedeutet auf die Frau zu verzichten, die er leidenschaftlich liebt. Kann es noch ein Happy End für die beiden geben?


Nun ja, amüsante Unterhaltung nach dem gewohnten Schema bietet Zoe Archer mit diesem Roman an. Nicht schlecht aber auch nicht herausragend gut. Die Handlung ist flüssig, die Helden sympathisch und man leidet mit Olivia und Will mit. Dennoch gibt es in diesem Genre doch auch weitaus bessere Bücher.

Fazit: Gute Unterhaltung in diesem Genre aber man verpasst auch nichts, wenn man es nicht liest.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. I tried to keep in mind factors like it being a debut novel and my personal tastes being less leaning towards m/f romance, but...it still just wasn't very good.
The romance itself was sweet if you look past the CONSTANT "oh we musn't" (which tbqh, not all that historically accurate. I mean yeah, you weren't supposed to, but she wouldn't have been the first and she was already courting scandal running a business so it would have been shrugged off as a peccadillo and then another scandal would have come along and bumped her off the front page.) and the smut was...okay. I kind of lost it when Will referred to her hair as silky while it was in his mouth. That's...that's not how it works. Then it's just damp hair.
I was also disappointed at the Jewish-factor because it felt like it was mentioned once, just enough to let the author get away with sprinkling random Yiddish words into the story. Even in the climax, the Yiddish isn't used to further the plot any.
And as for the climax, well. That entire angle of the story was so incredibly OTT and the villain's motives didn't really make sense. And then the added villain was even more OTT and pointless.
2.5*

[Frances Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly enjoyable

The awful title nearly put me off but this was a surprisingly engaging read. It was a well written story in which the heroine ,a Lady,is left a brewery by her late husband in late nineteenth century London. Unusually she decides to be a hands on owner and proves a success until a baddie decides he wants it as an easy source of funds for his feckless lifestyle and she refuses to sell. Enter our hero a cowboy looking for his lost family in London and he comes to her aid. Their slowly developing romance is beautifully written against a background of their differing social classes but with a very interesting Jewish 'link'.Throw in women's rights,the rise of the middle classes and you have a winner. Unlike another reviewer I thought the era was captured rather well given that this is a romantic novel not a history. But then what do I know I'm only an English reader with a degree in history from a Russell group university.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging, entertaining read - I enjoyed the heck out of this book. Such a fun fish out of water tale, with a genuine Texas Colorado cowboy making his way to England to uncover his origins, who helps a damsel in distress lady entrepreneur whose business is under attack. Though mutual need brings them together, mutual attraction keeps them together, and brews something deep and meaningful despite the reality that their stations set them worlds apart. I always enjoy Zoë Archer's books - I really need to read her more often.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this at one of favorite used bookstores, one of Ms. Archer's first. Even 13 years ago her story was not about dukes, etc. Her heroine was a purchased title who was a business woman and proud of it. And when she decided she wanted something (or someone!) she went after it! And I loved her cowboy! And loved the fact Ms. Archer did not write the easy way out for the ending. It lost a star because the story got a bit too slow in some parts for me. And dear goodness, what's with the cover!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably more of a 2.5 star, but I’m feeling generous. My biggest complaint is with the abrupt pov shifts. We didn’t even get a blank line to indicate when the pov changed, so every time it happened my mind took a second to catch up. A tiny bit of proper formatting would have had a big impact on reader experience. I also wish the author had done a bit more with the Jewish aspect. It could have been an integral part of the MCs characters, but all we got were a few Yiddish phrases thrown in sporadically. It was a missed opportunity.

[Marina P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unusual historical romance set in Victorian England.

The heroine is a very strong and smart widow who manages her late husband’s brewery successfully.

The hero is a stereotypical American cowboy, who likes fisticuffs and whiskey, and came to England in search of his roots.

What I liked most in this book was that it wasn’t about balls and ball gowns, nor was is about husband hunting debutants and their woes….

The end was credibly happy ( no fairy tale ending !) refreshingly unusual.

[Penelope Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable and enjoyable fish-out-of-water love story between an American cowboy and a London aristocrat. I honestly wasn't sure how this would end - happily, I assumed, but no idea if they'd end up happy in London or happy in Colorado. The story kept me guessing all the way through, and I liked how we learned a little bit about beer production to boot.

[scarr · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5ish stars

I enjoyed the dueling brewery plot lol. I haven't read any of Zoe Archer's books but I've read several under her penname, Eva Leigh. The vibe is distinct from those books - more western? even though this book took place in England (one MC is American). I was disappointed in the epilogue Lady Olivia and Will leave England for America and she has a miracle baby even though she was previously told she's never have children.

I have a few more books of Zoe's that I look forward to reading!

[E_bookpushers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2012/10/08/...


Publisher: Dorchester; Re-released by Zoe Archer
Publish Date: Out now
How I got this book: From the Author

Constrained by her life as a Society widow, Lady Olivia Xavier finds escape in two unusual ways: as the owner of a successful brewery, and as a secret reader of penny dreadful Western novels. But Olivia’s beloved brewery is being threatened, and she has no ally in her fight. Until a mysterious cowboy steps out from the London fog, saving her from a terrifying brawl. Suddenly, Olivia isn’t just reading about the Wild West, she’s living it.

Colorado cowboy Will Coffin has made the long journey from his Rocky Mountain home to discover his birthright. While searching for his family, he encounters the beguiling Olivia. Will’s never met a real English lady before—certainly not one as lovely and courageous as Olivia—and he can’t resist coming to her rescue.
Olivia is powerfully drawn to the rough but honorable cowboy. She proposes a most scandalous arrangement: in exchange for helping protect her brewery, she’ll help Will find his family. Even more scandalous is that he’ll be sleeping under her roof. The entire arrangement sets Society’s tongues wagging. Meanwhile, the danger to the brewery, and Olivia herself, keeps escalating. But nothing’s as dangerous, or seductive, as the growing desire between the lady and the cowboy…

This blurb came from the author’s website here.

I have read and enjoyed several of Archer’s books in the past so when she mentioned this one to me I was intrigued. I looked at the blurb and thought that Lady X’s Cowboy would hit several of the tropes that I tend to enjoy. According to the blurb, which didn’t lie, it has a cowboy, England, a very determined widow and physical danger so I eagerly accepted the review request. Archer provided me with an entertaining story in a completely different package then I expected.
Starting off with Olivia reading her penny dreadful Westerns and hoping to avoid the very sanctimonious and proper leader of a charity mission was just perfect. I absolutely loved the dichotomy of having a brewery, run by a woman, directly across the street from a women’s charity mission. It was like having your complete opposite rubbed in your face each time you looked outside. When Olivia was accosted by some thugs-for-hire while waiting for her coach to arrive, her hero arrived. When Olivia realized that he was a real cowboy she thought that all of the stereotypes she had read about cowboys were real. It was very entertaining to watch as she was forced to discard most of them as she grew to know Will.

Will was a lot of fun too. He had his fair share of stereotypes, which were a bit more accurate then Olivia’s. He also felt that he shouldn’t have anything to do with her because of his place in society compared to Olivia’s. He didn’t want to do anything that would harm her reputation or embarrass her in public. The actions he took to avoid her embarrassment were very sweet and just melted my heart along with how he demanded that other men treat her with respect. He was certainly willing to back up those demands with his fists, knife or pistol depending on the situation.

While Olivia and Will were getting to know each other they also had to deal with the threats to her brewery which then escalated to include threats to Olivia’s life. I liked how different tactics were used to try to convince Olivia to sell. There were a couple of villains in Lady X’s Cowboy. The first was the person who really wanted Olivia’s brewery. He pretty much believed that because of his family’s position he could do no wrong while suffering from Narcissism. He really didn’t change much but it was great to see him get his towards the end. The hired assassin was a piece of work. Not stupid but certainly had a few screws loose. He obsession with cowboys was a lovely counterpoint with Olivia’s interest in cowboys.

Without giving away a major spoiler I just loved how Archer didn’t take the easy way for Olivia and Will’s HEA. I was slightly concerned for a little but she didn’t let me down. In fact Archer actually increased the stakes which made the ending that much more satisfying for me. I was thoroughly engrossed in Will and Olivia’s story. I enjoyed the lack of a Season, Almacks, and the reversal of a cowboy in England instead of the English lady dealing with the American west.

I give Lady X’s Cowboy a B+

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published at Book Lovers Inc

Lady X's Cowboy begins with the lady in question reading a dime novel about the wild American west. Those novels are Olivia Xavier's means of escape, not so much from the running of her late husband's brewery, but from the supposedly high-minded, and certainly high-handed, opinions of the so-called right-thinking people who are just certain that they know what's best for her.

After all, women aren't intended to be managing businesses in 19th century London. Her late husband may have left her the business, but she's supposed to have found someone else to run it for her, or sold it. Olivia should not be running it herself. Ladies don't run businesses. Not even ladies whose husband's titles are only a couple of generations old.

But Olivia not only runs Greywell's, she's damned good at it. And she enjoys the responsibility. She can't go back to being just an ornament at society parties, or just a do-gooder at charities. She knows those things are empty.

So when George Pryce starts threatening her business, she tries to get the law to help her. But George's family is old money, and no one will help her.

Until one night she steps out of Greywell's, and into one of her dime novels. There, on the London streets, the hard men who threaten her get beaten down by a real, honest-to-goodness, Western cowboy. Complete with Stetson.

Will Coffin, born and raised in the West, simply couldn't let a bunch of scoundrels rough up a woman. Any woman. Let alone a lady. And Olivia Xavier is a lady to Will, whether she has a title or not.

They need each other. Olivia needs Will, not just to keep Pryce's men at bay, but to organize her own workers against the men of privilege. Will needs Olivia to help him on his quest. He came to London in search of his roots, and she can help him find them.

But the more time they spend together, the more they realize that they just need each other, as partners. As someone who sees them as they really are, and not as what society preconceives them to be.

But when Will finds out who his parents came from, it seems that society's dictates just might rule the day after all.

Verdict: What made Lady X's Cowboy so much fun was that the story worked on two levels. First, it is a terrific historic romance. Olivia and Will make a great couple, partly because they are so unexpected. They shouldn't work, even before Will finds out where his parents' came from. But they do. They grow towards a partnership. Some of that is because Olivia is unconventional; her widowhood allows her to break free of many of the strictures usually placed around women. And Will expects a woman to be more than London society allows because of his background. There are no parlors on the frontier. Everyone has to pull their own weight.

But their relationship develops gradually, out of their friendship and business partnership. It's fun to watch and based on mutual respect and admiration and very, very hot.

The other aspect was that every assumption that everyone has about everything turns out to be wrong. From the very beginning, Olivia thinks certain things about Will because of the dime-novels she reads, and they're all wrong. Society thinks certain things about her that are all wrong. Everyone's expectations of everybody get stood on their head, over and over.

I am very happy to give Lady X's Cowboy 5 bright shiny stars!

[Lisa Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

She was an independent widow frustrated by the rules of London society. He was a cowboy from Colorado seeking his past and contemplating his future. The differences between them were limitless, but their passion was undeniable.

Lady Olivia Xavier has been a widow for over two years when this story begins and she is successfully running the brewery her husband left her after his death. One night on the streets of London, Olivia is attacked and then rescued by none other than American cowboy Will Coffin. Will is basically a drifter in London, looking for any clues about his past. He is desperately seeking the identity of his birth parents, who died when he was younger. But seeing the beautiful Lady X has distracted him from his original quest.

Olivia is fascinated by Will from the first moment she meets him. The man is a real-life cowboy - straight out of the pages of the dime novels she loves to read about cowboys and Indians. She knows society would never accept any association between the two of them, but Olivia can't help the attraction she feels towards this stranger in a Stetson.

Olivia also realizes Will is a man with nothing to lose. So she asks if he would help protect her brewery from the mischievous Lord Percy. Percy wishes to buy her brewery, but Olivia has refused every attempt. Olivia is worried Percy's attempts to scare her into selling are becoming more serious and dangerous with each passing day. Will, never one to abandon a woman in distress, quickly rushes to her side as her protector.

Lady X's Cowboy is nothing but surprises. It is a fun ride from the first page to the last. If I'm going to pick a historical romance to read, Regency and Westerns are probably two of my favorites, but put the two together? Well, that sounds like an interesting challenge for any author...one that Archer is more than capable of pulling off.

From chapter one, Archer had created a world that I knew I would enjoy immensely. It was charming, funny and just beautiful storytelling. I was completely blow away by the quality of her writing. She would have a strong western accent from one character and quickly switch to the heroine's dialogue of formal English. Let's just say I was impressed. The characters were so strongly different right from the start I found it hard to believe that one person wrote them. And they were absolutely delightful to read about. Lady X was a truly fierce, independent woman way ahead of her time. The way she would 'spit' in the face of society was fascinating. She walked a fine line...keeping herself in good graces with those around her, but never too careful as to follow society's rule to the point where it made her unhappy.

Will was even more charming. Everyone tried to perceive him as the dumb American cowboy, but he was anything but. His dialogue was colorful and his manners were adorable. You could not have asked for a better hero. He was the muscle to protect her during the day...and he was the intellectual and sensual individual to keep her company at night. The only question was: Could they overcome their differences and society's disapproval to live happily ever after?

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's nothing like kicking back and reading a good romance while on vacation, and this one fills the bill nicely. I like Zoe Archer because she endows her heroines with dreams beyond finding a man, and she endows her heroes with . . . well, let's just say they are well-endowed. (-:

In this book, Lady Olivia Xavier takes up the reins of her late husband's struggling business, a small brewery, and turns it into a thriving competitor in the London marketplace, while Colorado cowboy, Will Coffin, hangs up his reins to search the big city for his long-lost relatives. Soon, boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl cannot possibly sustain a relationship across an ocean and an equally wide social gulf, boy and girl tearfully part. Oh, no! Can true love prevail? You're damn straight it can, or I would not be reading this book! (Because let's face it, no one, including me, picks up a romance novel hoping for a genuinely realistic outcome.) So fellow romance readers, saddle up and enjoy this ride. (And you will soon see that I am not talking about the horse!)

[chanceofbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Archer's "Warrior" so much that I immediately went for her backlist. Lady X's cowboy isn't the Tour de Force that "Warrior" is and Archer's writing chops are way stronger in her latest works, but this a cute, unusual romance with an Old West-meets-Regency theme that I wish we would see more of in Historicals. If you enjoy Stella Cameron's historicals, I think you would really enjoy this one a lot. I think this would have been even more enjoyable had I not just finished Warrior--I was spoiled and had really high expectations. I loved the opposites attract trope in all its many forms, and I particularly love it when the characters don't start from a place of hate/dislike.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a delightful story of a Colorado cowboy in London to find his relations who comes upon a damsel in distress and rescues her, which becomes the start of an exciting relationship. Will Coffin vows to protect Lady Olivia Xavier from the ruffians the nobleman who wants to buy her brewery has hired to scare her into selling to him. There are many attempts to coerce her by various violent means, and Will is there to lend a hand at every turn, as they try to find a way to make a relationship between a wealthy widow and a cowboy work in the world of London society. I enjoyed the story, especially the very satisfying conclusion.

[Linda C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of this story takes place in England in 1883. Will Coffin, cowboy from Colorado, comes to England to find his family and ends up rescuing Lady Olivia Xavier from 3 ruffians. The Lady needs help saving her brewery from a rival. Lots of action and great dialog. The humor and miscommunication comes from misunderstood expressions and the English assumptions about the Wild West from dime novels. Very good.

[Rachel-RN · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*
What I liked about this one was Olivia had a job and it was an interesting one: running a brewery (and doing a damn good job at it too!). I liked Will too, a cowboy from Texas (oops, I mean Colorado!). I was glad when Will was successful at locating a family member and liked that outcome. It did have the standard, "we can't be together because...," and that got old real quick. This being a romance, everything works out in the end (screw Society!).

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read Nov 2015.

Fun and kind of fluffy - you can tell it's an earlier book from this author in that the plot isn't quite as developed and the characters don't have as much dimension, but a good story overall. I like the novelty of a woman running a brewery! I was glad when the hero shaved off his mustache - all I could picture was an overgrown Tom Selleck-style lip rug and that was just not sexy.

[Linda Banche · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victorian novel of a cowboy in London to find his family and the widowed brewery owner who is the target of an evil aristocrat who wants her business. A story filled with love between a strong, unconventional heroine and a hero exactly the way I like him, a decent man who's been kicked around and it's made him an even better man.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is basically a Western set in Victorian London The evil Lord is trying to oust the lovely Lady Xavier from her brewery through means foul and fouler; it takes winsome cowboy Will Coffin--in London to find his long-lost grandparents--to assist her in protecting what is hers. I think the most unexpected thing in this book was the Yiddish.

[Susan Scribner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than average historical romance. Zoe Archer does a great job of showing two people actually falling in love without any misunderstandings or hate-sex, just external factors that keep them from admitting their feelings. And who wouldn't love a brave, honorable cowboy who speaks Yiddish?

[Tanya Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good one. A cowboy in London. Can't beat the combination! Here's a guy traveling across the sea bringing only his saddle!

[Ladyvixen · Rating 3 out of 5]

léger voir très léger mais ça se lit facile

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet romance, with a couple of chuckles along the way.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first Cowboy meets England book and I really enjoyed it. The wit is what makes this book stand out. I had many laugh out loud moments. I look forward to reading my books by Zoe Archer.

[Dpic]

nice fluff

[Phylisha Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

liked it!