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Studs in Spurs #7
Champion
Sometimes you have to lose everything to make room for what really matters.
Ten years ago, Cooper Holbrook was a player when it came to women, and he knew it. Well enough that he took one look at the hero worship in Hannah Anderson's eyes, and nipped it in the bud. She was no buckle bunny, and he wasn't the man for her or her young son.
The years have caught up with the former champion bull rider. At forty, he's got nothing left but a broken-down ranch to go with the friendless, near penniless, broken man he's become.
Hannah has carried a flame for Cooper since the moment the stubborn cowboy took her son on as a bull riding student. Way back then, she saw the good man beneath the bad-boy exterior.
Now she's finally going to do something about her feelings. Cooper might think his life is over, but Hannah sees more for him-for them, together. And she's not giving up until he sees it too.
Warning: Contains a decade's worth of pent-up sexual tension that'll be smoking up when it comes charging out of the chute!
Ten years ago, Cooper Holbrook was a player when it came to women, and he knew it. Well enough that he took one look at the hero worship in Hannah Anderson's eyes, and nipped it in the bud. She was no buckle bunny, and he wasn't the man for her or her young son.
The years have caught up with the former champion bull rider. At forty, he's got nothing left but a broken-down ranch to go with the friendless, near penniless, broken man he's become.
Hannah has carried a flame for Cooper since the moment the stubborn cowboy took her son on as a bull riding student. Way back then, she saw the good man beneath the bad-boy exterior.
Now she's finally going to do something about her feelings. Cooper might think his life is over, but Hannah sees more for him-for them, together. And she's not giving up until he sees it too.
Warning: Contains a decade's worth of pent-up sexual tension that'll be smoking up when it comes charging out of the chute!
202 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2014
About the author
Cat Johnson
433 books1,772 followersFind Series Reading Order and Book Lists at Cat's site CatJohnson.net
For Film/TV Inquiries Email Cat@Catjohnson.net
It all started in first grade when Cat Johnson won the essay contest at Hawthorne Elementary School and got to ride in the Chief of Police's car in the Memorial Day Parade...and the rest, as they say, is history. As an adult, Cat generally tries to stay out of police cars and is thrilled to be writing for a living. She has been published under a different name in the Young Adult genre, but released her first romance in 2006.
Today, she is a NY Times & USA Today best-selling, award-winning author of contemporary romance. A promo ho, she's sponsored real live bull riding cowboys and promoted romance using bologna.
--from the author's website
For Film/TV Inquiries Email Cat@Catjohnson.net
It all started in first grade when Cat Johnson won the essay contest at Hawthorne Elementary School and got to ride in the Chief of Police's car in the Memorial Day Parade...and the rest, as they say, is history. As an adult, Cat generally tries to stay out of police cars and is thrilled to be writing for a living. She has been published under a different name in the Young Adult genre, but released her first romance in 2006.
Today, she is a NY Times & USA Today best-selling, award-winning author of contemporary romance. A promo ho, she's sponsored real live bull riding cowboys and promoted romance using bologna.
--from the author's website
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October 29, 2017
Champion is a standalone love story however, you first meet Cooper Holbrook and Hannah Anderson in THROWN, Skeeter's book.
Here is an excerpt from THROWN (Studs in Spurs).
THROWN (STUDS IN SPURS 6)
EXCERPT (rated G)
10 Years Ago
Glen walked over with the bull rope that had fallen off the bull right after Skeeter had. He looped it over the rail and shook his head. “Damned if he don’t remind me of you, Coop.”
“Oh, really?” Cooper cocked a brow.
“Yup. You get that same look in your eye after a ride.” The man grinned.
As Glen walked away in the direction of the barn, Cooper’s gaze shot to Skeeter. “If that’s true, then God help you, boy. You’re bound to have a tough life ahead of you.”
Skeeter could handle it. His life hadn’t been a piece of cake so far anyway. But the life of a professional bull rider like Cooper? He was ready for whatever that threw at him.
The sound of gravel crunching on the driveway caught Skeeter’s attention. He turned to see his mother’s car inch its way toward the ring. He hardly held himself in check so he didn’t go running toward her. The only thing preventing him was that he didn’t want to act like a little kid in front of Cooper.
She seemed to take an eternity to park and then walk toward him. She stepped carefully through the dust and the sparse grass. Her waitress uniform looked so out of place next to the practice pen it might have made Skeeter laugh if he hadn’t been so excited, but his mom didn’t seem to notice or care that she didn’t fit in here dressed like that.
Cooper must have noticed her uniform though. He was staring at her as she made her way from the parked car to the ring.
Skeeter jumped to explain. “My mom works at the diner weeknights after her shift at the hospital is over. She works there on Saturdays too. That’s why she’s wearing that uniform.”
“That’s a lot of work for one lady.” Cooper shot Skeeter a sideways look. “What’s your daddy do for a living?”
“I don’t know. He doesn’t live around here.”
After a second, Cooper nodded. His gaze shifted, moving to Skeeter’s mom and then back to Skeeter. “There ain’t nothing wrong with having two jobs and working hard, son. Except I suppose it doesn’t leave her much time for herself, now does it?”
“Sure, it does. She has Sunday mornings off. We go to church and then she and the ladies there have coffee and cookies together while the kids go play outside.”
Cooper nodded again, but by then Skeeter’s mother was close enough he could tell her about his ride. “Mom! Cooper said I did great and I can ride again tomorrow.”
She raised one brow. “Is that so? And it’s proper to call him Mr. Holbrook.”
Cooper grinned. “That’s fine,. Cooper works for me.”
“As long as it’s all right with you.” His mother didn’t smile even though Cooper was smiling at her. In fact, she looked a little sad as she looked at Skeeter. “But I’m not sure about another lesson so soon.”
No! She couldn’t say that.
“I need to keep practicing if I’m gonna get good.” When she pressed her lips together in a move Skeeter had seen many times, his heart sank. She was going to say no. It was no use, but he had to try anyway. “Please.”
She drew in a slow breath.
“Ma’am. If I might step in here for a second?”
Finally letting out that big breath, she glanced at Cooper. “Sure.”
“I could use someone to help me out here. If you dropped him off for a few hours a couple of days a week, he could do a little work around the place and then I could get him on a few bulls. It would only be when I’m around, of course. I do a lot of traveling, but if I’m here, he’s welcome.”
She bit her lower lip before she nodded. “That would be real nice of you, Mr. Holbrook.”
“Nah, he’d be doing me the favor helping out. And it’s Cooper, remember?”
October 1, 2014
Slick‘s review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
4.5 STARS
Review copy provided for an honest review
I’m a sucker for a great romance, I’m a sucker for an anti-hero, I’m a sucker for a strong heroine,and I’m a sucker for Cat Johnson’s Studs in Spurs so the fact that Champion fits all those categories it is no wonder that I flat out loved this book. I appreciate authors who realize that life, love, and sex don’t end after you reach 40 and that sometimes it can be even better once you grow up and realize what you truly want; Cat has done that numerous times and that’s what makes her a “must buy” author for me. Time and time again she has proven that she can write a fantastic love story between two people no matter what their age and I applaud her and Samhain Publishing for not shying away from an age group some publishers would prefer to pretend doesn’t exist.
We met Cooper Holbrook and Hannah Anderson in Thrown the last book in this series. Cooper was Skeeter’s bull riding coach during his early years and Hannah is Skeeter’s mom and while there was always a simmering attraction between them, it was never really acted on because Cooper believe he wasn’t a good enough man for either Hannah or Skeeter. In Champion, we get to see some of those early years and then we move a decade forward and see Cooper as the broken down man he’s become.
This book was interesting in the fact that it spans a great deal of time and I guess you could say it has flashbacks but really it reads more like two books a then and now type of story. We start out at the beginning and wind up in the here and now and I was so thankful to see the whole story warts and all. From early on there was an attraction between Cooper and Hannah and even a little encounter but Cooper refused to let things go as far as Hannah would have liked and I have to admit I kind of admired him for that even when I wanted to hate him for some of the crappy things he did to try and prove to her he wasn’t a good man (hence my anti-hero comment). There is respect and an admiration between the two of them that has always been there.
Hannah has had to be a strong woman her whole life and worked hard at two jobs to give Skeeter the best life she could, something that Cooper admired about her from the start. Hannah always thought Cooper was a much better man than he thought especially giving her son riding lessons when she didn’t have the money to pay for them.
Hannah reaches out to Cooper after Skeeter lets on that something isn’t right with him and they embark on a friendship that Cooper claim he doesn’t want and Hannah secretly hopes will turn into more. Over time it does become more but Cooper’s past haunts him and he has to settle that before he can move on with his own life.
I flat out LOVED these two together because in a way they both had given up; Cooper had given up basically on life and Hannah had given up on ever finding love. Hannah pushed Cooper at first, but then he began to understand that his life was worth something and that someone actually cared about him and he began to make changes to be a better man. While they did share some sexy times this book is a little tamer than most of Ms. Johnson’s books but that doesn’t make it any less special. In fact because of their history and the nature of this story I think the way their relationship progressed and the depth of emotion they both felt and the fact that their intimate times were in fact intimate worked well and made this story even more special.
Cat Johnson has once again written a beautiful love story for two people who up to this point haven’t had a wonderful life but finding each other again, learning to trust, realizing someone else cares, and giving in to the decade of want gave them both exactly what they needed, each other. Well done Ms. Johnson, well done!
4.5 STARS
Review copy provided for an honest review
I’m a sucker for a great romance, I’m a sucker for an anti-hero, I’m a sucker for a strong heroine,and I’m a sucker for Cat Johnson’s Studs in Spurs so the fact that Champion fits all those categories it is no wonder that I flat out loved this book. I appreciate authors who realize that life, love, and sex don’t end after you reach 40 and that sometimes it can be even better once you grow up and realize what you truly want; Cat has done that numerous times and that’s what makes her a “must buy” author for me. Time and time again she has proven that she can write a fantastic love story between two people no matter what their age and I applaud her and Samhain Publishing for not shying away from an age group some publishers would prefer to pretend doesn’t exist.
We met Cooper Holbrook and Hannah Anderson in Thrown the last book in this series. Cooper was Skeeter’s bull riding coach during his early years and Hannah is Skeeter’s mom and while there was always a simmering attraction between them, it was never really acted on because Cooper believe he wasn’t a good enough man for either Hannah or Skeeter. In Champion, we get to see some of those early years and then we move a decade forward and see Cooper as the broken down man he’s become.
This book was interesting in the fact that it spans a great deal of time and I guess you could say it has flashbacks but really it reads more like two books a then and now type of story. We start out at the beginning and wind up in the here and now and I was so thankful to see the whole story warts and all. From early on there was an attraction between Cooper and Hannah and even a little encounter but Cooper refused to let things go as far as Hannah would have liked and I have to admit I kind of admired him for that even when I wanted to hate him for some of the crappy things he did to try and prove to her he wasn’t a good man (hence my anti-hero comment). There is respect and an admiration between the two of them that has always been there.
Hannah has had to be a strong woman her whole life and worked hard at two jobs to give Skeeter the best life she could, something that Cooper admired about her from the start. Hannah always thought Cooper was a much better man than he thought especially giving her son riding lessons when she didn’t have the money to pay for them.
Hannah reaches out to Cooper after Skeeter lets on that something isn’t right with him and they embark on a friendship that Cooper claim he doesn’t want and Hannah secretly hopes will turn into more. Over time it does become more but Cooper’s past haunts him and he has to settle that before he can move on with his own life.
I flat out LOVED these two together because in a way they both had given up; Cooper had given up basically on life and Hannah had given up on ever finding love. Hannah pushed Cooper at first, but then he began to understand that his life was worth something and that someone actually cared about him and he began to make changes to be a better man. While they did share some sexy times this book is a little tamer than most of Ms. Johnson’s books but that doesn’t make it any less special. In fact because of their history and the nature of this story I think the way their relationship progressed and the depth of emotion they both felt and the fact that their intimate times were in fact intimate worked well and made this story even more special.
Cat Johnson has once again written a beautiful love story for two people who up to this point haven’t had a wonderful life but finding each other again, learning to trust, realizing someone else cares, and giving in to the decade of want gave them both exactly what they needed, each other. Well done Ms. Johnson, well done!
January 8, 2015
Review by Karia
Okay, are you looking for a hot second chance with a gentle single mom and a broken down cowboy? Well I was, and boy did this one deliver. Cat Johnson writes steamy cowboy books, but this one also had something more. The feelings between these two was palpable and Hannah was one driven woman. She knew what she wanted and was finally in a place to take it by the reins!
Everyone who reads my reviews knows that I have a soft spot for cowboys…and especially recovered bad boy cowboys who see the error of their manwhoring days. Cooper is one such cowboy. He is quite down on himself and wallows in self-pity, but still manages to pull of the sexy beaten down cowboy. Hannah swoops in like a fresh breeze and a strong wind. I loved when she cleaned his kitchen (could so see me doing that one).
Redemptions comes in all different ways. For some it’s forgiveness. For others, it’s in forgiving. This sexy little book had it all. Enjoy!
December 5, 2024
What a great story. Kind of a second chance
Love Cooper and Hannah. It took them ten years to finally get together but they made it. Hannah kind of bulldozed her way into his life after Skeeter told her the condition of everything when e stopped by unexpectedly. It didn't take Cooper long to realize the feelings he has for Hannah but will he treat her like a buckle bunny? What happened to his partner Glen and the business they had?
Love Cooper and Hannah. It took them ten years to finally get together but they made it. Hannah kind of bulldozed her way into his life after Skeeter told her the condition of everything when e stopped by unexpectedly. It didn't take Cooper long to realize the feelings he has for Hannah but will he treat her like a buckle bunny? What happened to his partner Glen and the business they had?
December 22, 2021
Cooper knows he isn’t good enough for someone as nice as Hannah. And after he proves it to her she stays away. But he has been teaching her son how to ride a bull. So they still have a connection. It takes some years before Hannah finally says enough is enough and goes after what she wants. And Cooper is what she wants.
June 10, 2021
So good
Awwww I’m loving this series. Skeeters mom needed a story and boy did she get one. I loved every minute of it.
Awwww I’m loving this series. Skeeters mom needed a story and boy did she get one. I loved every minute of it.
November 6, 2014
A really sweet story, but man, did I dislike Cooper for most of it. Glad he redeemed himself at the eleventh hour!
The story starts 10 years ago, when Cooper meets Hannah while he teaches her son bull riding. Cooper considers himself quite the babe magnet, but honestly, he is quite a douche - rude, vulgar and egotistical to the point you almost can't read about him. I really didn't like him as a person, but he was good to Skeeter, so I wanted to see where it was going
Hannah had been left as a single mom when her drunken, abusive husband left her a few years ago. She stays same to type and is attracted to Cooper. He figures he doesn't want a woman or a son, so he discourages her by flaunting buckle-bunnies in front of her and Skeeter??? That was gross really, but she still doesn't learn her lesson
We go ahead 5 years, and we don't really see Hannah but Cooper is an even bigger jerk now that he is losing at events. He alienates his best friend and business partner and we fast forward another 5 years to the present day
Now if the story started here, it would have been much better. Broken Cooper is visited by grown-up Skeeter, who lets his mom know how bad of shape he is in now. She decides to fix him up, and lo and behold, Cooper has actually matured now that he is in his 40's. He is a much nicer and better man now, and makes amends for all his wrong-doings.
Trouble with the story is that Cooper has much to apologize for, but he glosses everything over with Hannah with the promise of being good going forward. I never actually felt he was truly sorry for what he had done, with Hannah or Glen, his former business partner. He wanted to move ahead, and knew he needed them both, so he does what he needs to get them. I didn't feel the a-ha moment
Considering the caliber of book I am used to by the authour, I was rather disappointed in this offering. It was okay, but I expected more
The story starts 10 years ago, when Cooper meets Hannah while he teaches her son bull riding. Cooper considers himself quite the babe magnet, but honestly, he is quite a douche - rude, vulgar and egotistical to the point you almost can't read about him. I really didn't like him as a person, but he was good to Skeeter, so I wanted to see where it was going
Hannah had been left as a single mom when her drunken, abusive husband left her a few years ago. She stays same to type and is attracted to Cooper. He figures he doesn't want a woman or a son, so he discourages her by flaunting buckle-bunnies in front of her and Skeeter??? That was gross really, but she still doesn't learn her lesson
We go ahead 5 years, and we don't really see Hannah but Cooper is an even bigger jerk now that he is losing at events. He alienates his best friend and business partner and we fast forward another 5 years to the present day
Now if the story started here, it would have been much better. Broken Cooper is visited by grown-up Skeeter, who lets his mom know how bad of shape he is in now. She decides to fix him up, and lo and behold, Cooper has actually matured now that he is in his 40's. He is a much nicer and better man now, and makes amends for all his wrong-doings.
Trouble with the story is that Cooper has much to apologize for, but he glosses everything over with Hannah with the promise of being good going forward. I never actually felt he was truly sorry for what he had done, with Hannah or Glen, his former business partner. He wanted to move ahead, and knew he needed them both, so he does what he needs to get them. I didn't feel the a-ha moment
Considering the caliber of book I am used to by the authour, I was rather disappointed in this offering. It was okay, but I expected more
January 2, 2016
Studs and Spurs # 7 is Champion. Cooper Holbrook is a hard drinking, hard living, Champion bull rider. He's plowing through buckle bunnies like he's a John Deere. Self Absorbed and selfish, his only soft spot is for a boy named Skeeter...and the boy's mother. He gives the boy riding lessons for free and tries to keep his dirty hands off Hannah.
Hannah Anderson worked hard to raise her son right. Skeeter's grown up, but he is worried about his mentor. It's been 10 years since Cooper kissed her silly then warned her off him as a bad bet. She knocks on his door to find he's retired, broken, and given up. Hannah's ignores his protests, and gets to work helping him rehab his life. She is not going to give up on him, so he starts to believe his life is not over. He repairs his home, his life, his friendships, and gives in to his passion for Hannah.
Heartwarming romance. I wanted to smack Cooper, but enjoyed that Hannah made him be a better man. Enjoyed it and love the series. I did get from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.
Hannah Anderson worked hard to raise her son right. Skeeter's grown up, but he is worried about his mentor. It's been 10 years since Cooper kissed her silly then warned her off him as a bad bet. She knocks on his door to find he's retired, broken, and given up. Hannah's ignores his protests, and gets to work helping him rehab his life. She is not going to give up on him, so he starts to believe his life is not over. He repairs his home, his life, his friendships, and gives in to his passion for Hannah.
Heartwarming romance. I wanted to smack Cooper, but enjoyed that Hannah made him be a better man. Enjoyed it and love the series. I did get from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.
October 3, 2014
What a disappointment. Cat Johnson knows how to write a book and she knows how to write hot sex so I don't know why this one went so terribly wrong. Too much time was spent in the past wallowing over the can't have each other portion of the story, then when we FINALLY get to the present and them getting past the decade of longing we get a whopping two of the tamest sex scenes I've read from Cat. So tame they could've been lifted from any Harlequin romance. Where was the heat? The eroticism? Does she not think two characters in their 40's can have smoking hot sex? It's a bad sign when the hottest scene in the book was a m/m scene that goes horribly wrong. May have to be more careful in the future if she writes any more for this series.
October 20, 2015
Hannah is Skeeter's mom and she has had it bad for his old riding coach for 10 long years, when her son happens to gives her the perfect opportunity to do exactly what she's been wanting to for some time......Cooper maybe many things, but stupid ain't one of them, so when Hannah shows up on his door he knows what she's after....Making himself into a decent man is slow going and hard tiring work, but for this old Champion it might be his last chance to get out from the storm and finally stand in the sun
September 12, 2014
Received an ARC from NetGalley.
Not impressed with this one. I didn't get enough about Cooper to actually feel bad for him and the fact that we got nothing about Glen was frustrating. I didn't like how Hannah went over and forced herself on him and even less that we didn't get to see Skeeter and Cooper's reunion. All in all, not for me. And way not enough sexual tension for the warning label.
Not impressed with this one. I didn't get enough about Cooper to actually feel bad for him and the fact that we got nothing about Glen was frustrating. I didn't like how Hannah went over and forced herself on him and even less that we didn't get to see Skeeter and Cooper's reunion. All in all, not for me. And way not enough sexual tension for the warning label.
November 18, 2014
Lovely to read a book where the Hero and Heroine are around 40 - Loved it!
September 10, 2014
*4.5 stars*
*ARC courtesy of Netgalley and Samhain Publishing*
*ARC courtesy of Netgalley and Samhain Publishing*
November 1, 2014
Loved this book. So glad to see these two finally get a book. Loved it and I can't wait for more.
October 22, 2014
Good story, but too short.
November 29, 2014
I'm not big on M/M but the rest is great!
January 31, 2017
I just re-read this book - love the story! Great to see the heroine saving a lost case. Hot story.
October 2, 2016
Questions
Did anyone get married..... mother or son?
Are there any more books about this group in the work and did Silver ever have her baby??
Did anyone get married..... mother or son?
Are there any more books about this group in the work and did Silver ever have her baby??
February 1, 2019
Great book
Loved this because it shows it is never too late to find love. This is such a great series. The hot sexy bull riders fall hard when they let themself fall.
Loved this because it shows it is never too late to find love. This is such a great series. The hot sexy bull riders fall hard when they let themself fall.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews