Elle E. Kay has a festive hit on her hands that includes a splash of intrigue with Clearing the Cowboy’s Name! As part of the Christmas in Redemption Ridge series, readers travel once more to the town of Redemption Ridge where they get acquainted with Bethany’s Book Barn employee Penelope and newcomer-to-town Rowan. When Rowan enters Bethany’s Book Barn and meets Penelope, sparks fly instantly. Being set up immediately by their respective bosses, Ethan and Bethany, Penelope and Rowan instantly click despite being complete opposites. Penelope is the quintessential Jane Austen lover book worm and loves her life in Redemption Ridge working at Bethany’s Book Barn. Rowan on the other hand is your stereotypical cowboy who used to run the rodeo circuit until false accusations ruined his career, making him travel from ranch to ranch training horses to earn a living. While Penelope’s life is an open book, Rowan’s book into his life remains firmly closed. Penelope is so open in fact that she blurts to Rowan about her prized possession: a set of first edition books by Jane Austen worth thousands. Shortly thereafter, Penelope’s prized Jane Austen books go missing and the town quickly points fingers at Rowan—even Penelope for a bit. Rowan and Penelope work together to not only clear Rowan’s name, but to find Penelope’s Jane Austens. As uncovering each clue brings them closer to the truth, Rowan and Penelope find out that things go deeper than just face value, learning that the accusations flying around town are distracting from the real crime at hand.
Traveling to Redemption Ridge again in Elle E. Kay’s Clearing the Cowboy’s Name was a treat and escape with a powerful lesson! I loved meeting Penelope and really related to the bookworm she is! I loved Rowan as well and thought he added a great edge with the mystery surrounding his storyline. I loved Penelope’s personality—especially with her matching glasses to go with every outfit and the way she related to her books as priceless possessions to be cherished and loved. The way Ms. Kay wrote Rowan’s storyline and intermingled it with the mystery of Penelope’s stolen books was a great illustration of how accusations and gossip, especially when they’re false, can ruin someone’s life. I love how, as polar opposites, Rowan and Penelope came together to find Penelope’s stolen items and to clear Rowan’s name. I love how the book progressed, showing how Penelope and Rowan grew and respected each other, becoming fiercely protective of each other in the process. I also loved the lesson that Penelope learned regarding rest, because I needed that lesson as much as I needed the lesson I got from Clearing the Cowboy’s Name regarding false accusations and gossip. My favorite thing that I loved about Rowan was that when Penelope told him about a book that she loved—Rowan actually read it himself! Clearing the Cowboy’s Name by Elle E. Kay is the perfect blend of festiveness, mystery, finding your person, and learning an important Godly Truth! I highly recommend it!
Have you read Clearing the Cowboy’s Name? What did you think of the book?
I would like to thank Elle E. Kay for giving me a copy of Clearing the Cowboy’s Name to review and for giving me the information I needed for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
My review is also on my blog, Leslie’s Library Escape.