Cowgirls Don't Cry

Silver Creek #1

by Mackenzie Hart

Ellie Brooks swore she’d never return to Silver Creek. She left the small town with big dreams, certain she was destined for more than its quiet streets and familiar faces. But dreams have a way of turning into nightmares, and when Ellie finally finds the courage to escape, there’s only one place left to go—home.

Back in Silver Creek, she’s welcomed with open arms, but some wounds are harder to hide. The McKinleys—her second family—offer her a place to stay at their ranch, but staying means facing their son, Colt—the man she left behind. A man who once held her heart.

Colt has spent two years trying to forget Ellie, but the moment she walks back into his life, he knows forgetting was never an option. He can see the shadows in her eyes and the bruises she’s trying to hide.

As old sparks reignite and long-buried feelings resurface, Ellie must decide if she’s willing to trust again. But danger isn’t as far behind as she thinks, and the past she ran from may be closer than she ever imagined.

Genres: Cowboy Romance, Westerns, Romance, Second Chance

262 pages, Paperback

Published July 15, 2025

About the author

Mackenzie Hart is an American contemporary romance author known for writing strong heroines who overcome life’s biggest obstacles. She lives in Arkansas with her high-school sweetheart. When she isn’t spending time with her family, you can find her scrolling through Pinterest for her next book idea or reading on her Kindle.

Reviews

[Danielle Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I finish this book in 24 hours!? Yes I did. Did I love it? Yes I did.

There’s a lot of heart and humor on each page. I found myself rooting for the main characters but also living for the angst moments and quick banter. It’s not just a quick love story, but there are larger themes of forgiveness and grief. All the feels.

I’m so glad I came across the author on TikTok.

[Tiffany Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mackenzie Hart knew what she was doing with this book! I didn’t plan to binge this book but did I? Absolutely. Colt and Jace are major swoon-factors in this book and I LOVE that Ellie was able to have support system the way she did

[Casey DeMoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cowgirls Don’t Cry follows Ellie and Colt. I loved these characters. It grabbed my attention from the first page and kept it until the last. I honestly wanted more. This will definitely tug at your heart strings in so many different ways. This touches on domestic abuse, domestic survivor, and death of parents. If you love small town romances, cowboys, second chance romance, then make sure you pick this up and read it! I cannot wait for the second one to come out! I would definitely recommend!

[lauren ! · Rating 1 out of 5]

it was a book and i read it

[Breanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

hold on to your horses! this one’s quicker than an 8 second ride… in all the best ways.

that’s right - this is one short, sweet, and satisfying read wrapped in a pair of pink cowboy boots. our main character, ellie, is as sweet as she is strong. after all she’s been through (and it’s a lot), you can’t help but want good things for her and luckily, with the mckinley family and silver creek on her side, she gets just that.

many of us can relate to the “anywhere but here” mentality when we graduate, and many of us relate to the “welp, that didn’t work” that can follow. when ellie’s one way ticket outta town leads straight to trouble, she returns home licking her wounds.

luckily, there’s a fine cowboy right next door who makes the process a whole lot… well, not *easier* but definitely more bearable. the strong and steady support that comes in the form of colt is exactly what we all dream of when we think of a cowboy romance. his care and thought for ellie is prominent and beautiful. it makes for the kind of love story you root for from page one.

all in all, it’s a quick read that covers the bases. you’ve got a good story, great characters, and a town you can’t help but want to revisit. thanks so much to mackenzie hart for the arc. can’t wait to read what happens next in silver creek!

[Karacin Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book to start a series! You met the side characters, got to know the group dynamic, and there was character growth. The letter Colt wrote was so sweet and I’m glad she wasn’t upset when she found it. They were able to communicate and talk through things. It made the friends to lovers trope not frustrating!

I figured Jason would come back but not at the 90% mark! I thought, wow he just took the restraining order and left, and then boom he came back.

I’m excited for Jace and Cassie next!

[Alyssa Wilken · Rating 5 out of 5]

great plot

I liked this country setting it had. There were a few cringe moments but it lead up to the plot and that was a great story. Can’t wait to read about Jace and Cassie’s next

[Brandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cheesy in the best way! Such a quick fun read.

[Ash Dawson · Rating 2 out of 5]

If this wasn’t narrated by a virtual voice it would have had potential.

[Haley Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I FLEW through this book. Simply could not put it down!!! I fell in love with Colt and Ellie’s beautiful love story!! Amazing!!!! Can’t wait for book #2!

[Whitney Hargrove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! I started it and finished it in a day! I couldn’t put it down!!

[Madison (madsbookgarden) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really cute! A much shorter read than what I’m used to so I flew through it but I absolutely loved the characters. I actually teared up a bit towards the end too lol.

[Heather Hook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really short and cute read! Loved the characters, the author painted the scene with her words! Mackenzie wrote this book with such nostalgic vibes it made me smile!

[Cassie Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second chance

One of the best second chance romances ever. I always love a good second chance but just the fact that he was amazing from the minute she showed up and didn’t really hold anything against her. Love it and can’t wait for Jace and Cassie’s book

[Alex Daugherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW!! I don’t even know where to start. I read this book in the span of about 5 hours. It was really good! A bit fast-paced, but still a really compelling story, with serious plot twists. I was in tears at one point during the story. Ellie and Colt’s story was so beautiful, and gave the reader everything they wanted. It really drew me in, which honestly hasn’t happened in a while. Spice level I’d say is only like a 2/5. I am so glad I was able to get an ARC copy of this. Highly recommend if you’re into cowboy, small town romances. Genres also include 2nd chance romance, also DV victim.

Please read! Please support Mackenzie Hart, she’s a new author!!

[Gracie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story moved very quickly. Characters were supposedly 2 years post high school but idk they acted like they were older, but also immature idk how to explain it. Their ages bothered me. Also she said Colt had a southern drawl…but they’re in Montana and he was born and raised there…they aren’t southern. lol t
Everything felt rushed and just like very corny and immature. It was an easy read and I like the cover art, it helps me picture the characters better. Coming from Jessica Peterson and Elsie Silver…this just wasn’t as good. If you want a quick read, this is good, but not great by any means.
Spice was just enough. Not too much, not too terribly detailed.

[Brianna Nycole · Rating 5 out of 5]

** ARC REVIEW **

Rating 5/5

This is for you if you like a good story about a girl who comes back to her hometown and falls back in love with her, should have been, childhood sweetheart whose family took her in on their ranch after a family tragedy.

🚨 Spoilers ahead, jump to tropes and themes if you don’t want the story spoiled for ya!

This story was so good! I can’t remember the last time I read a cowboy/girl book and this really drew me in!! I could connect with Ellie on losing a parent in a tragic way which really helped resonate to her and understand on a deeper level. With that aside, I was NOT prepared for the last few chapters though! The perfect HEA that makes me so excited for book 2 in this series! Now let’s meet our FMC & MMC!!

Ellie is such a sweetheart, but unfortunately has had too many tragic things happen to her at such a young age. Losing not just one, but both parents while still in high school at the same time through a holiday is such a terrible thing to have to deal with. Luckily she had some amazing support from Colt, her childhood crush, and his family and took her in on their ranch. After school she decided to head off on her own to spread her wings and unfortunately ran into some trouble with a man she got involved with making her come back home.

Colt is every southern girls’ dream cowboy, but he has only ever had his eyes on one lucky lady.. Ellie. He is a true gentleman who opens your door for you, carries in your groceries, and takes care of you. Even beats the hell out of guys who do ya wrong😌. The man KNOOWWSSS what he’s doing, but I’ll keep it to that for you ladies to read yourselves😉. All in all, we all need a Colt in our life. 🚨🚨

Thank you so much to our amazing author and letting me have the chance to be an ARC for your AMAZING book! I’m excited to read more from you.😊

Tropes/Themes:
🤠 Cowboys
💖 Small Town
🤠 Second Chance
💖 Friends to Lovers
🤠 Physical Abuse/Scars
💖 Death of Parents
🤠 Stalking
💖 Car Accident

[Alexandra Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cowgirls Don’t Cry by Mackenzie Hart
✨Summary✨
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
HEA: Yes, no 3rd act breakup
POV: dual
Tropes: Cowboy, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, DV Survivor, “It’s Always Been You”, Small Town, Found Family, Pregnancy

Ellie left her hometown and her best friend Colt 2 years ago after her parents passed away, believing there was nothing left for her there. Now she’s back after fleeing an abusive relationship. Colt let Ellie go when she needed space after her loss, even though it was the hardest thing he had ever done. He was in love with her. What he never realized was that she had always loved him too. Now that she’s back, he’s determined not to lose her again.

Colt and Ellie were really sweet together. Their banter was easy and their shared history made their moments feel warm and familiar. There were some tension filled scenes, but once they finally confronted their feelings the relationship moved forward naturally in the comfortable way only a friends to lovers story really can.

I did struggle a bit with some timeline and continuity issues. There were a few moments where I found myself confused trying to figure out when certain events had happened. Once I stopped focusing on the details so much I was able to settle in and enjoy the story more. I think this night’s be the author’s debut, so I know there can often be some kinks to work out in the early books.

Overall this was a cute, easy read with fun characters and a lower spice level that still delivered on the romance.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the plot of the story, the characters, and the tropes.

There were a few inconsistencies here and there that bugged me, one being their ages. It’s never confirmed, but Ellie left after high school and was gone for two years, so she would have been 19/20 when she came back, not 21+ like she had to have been because she went out to bars and drank, not only in Silver Creek but while she was gone. Now that could have been some misunderstanding in when she left (maybe it was a year or two after high school), but it sounded like she left shortly after graduating. And that made confusion as to the other’s ages as well.

I did have a “what?” moment when Ellie said something about Colt having a “Southern drawl” even though he’s from Montana and lived there his whole life, now I’ve never lived in Montana but I’ve never heard a Montana native with a southern drawl. I could see a drawl, but not a southern one. I ignored that to continue on but it was one thing that stuck with me 🤣

Overall, it was a decent book. I’m going to try the second book because I’m pretty sure this is the author’s first book and I don’t like to base too much on first books for indie authors.

If you’re a laid back reader who wants a friends to lovers, second chance small town book, this book could be for you.

[Monica Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok LOVED! Well for the most part. Found this book off tiktok and it was free to listen to on Audible and it took me a day to listen too. And man Ellie and Colt! Ellie comes back to her small town but with a little secret and she ends up staying at Colts house (well family owned house and ranch) and we find out that Colt and Ellie were a couple in high school. Ellie takes a horse out for a ride and gets injured due to a rattlesnake incident but Colt sees her and saves her ofc. They get back to the house and here comes Ellies little secret coming out. She is marked up with multiple bruises and a concussion but the bruises weren’t new. Can you guess it? Yes she ran back to her home town to escape her abusive ex. Anyway the ex is trying to find her and eventually she gets a restraining order but the fun doesn’t stop there. At the end abusive ex runs Ellie off the road and she gets badly injured and taken to the hospital where the doctors do an US to rule out any internal bleeding but we find out Ellies pregnant!! Yayy!! LOVED all the hot steamy romance between Ellie and Colt though. Ofc high school exs living together there will be steam and old feelings rising!

[Jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️3.5 | 🌶️2

A solid, short book that’s perfect when you want something quick but still satisfying. There are some heavier topics in this story though, so definitely check the trigger warnings before going in.

I did really appreciate the depth the book tried to bring with Elle’s backstory and her experience wit death and the abuse she suffered from her previous partner. It added an emotional layer to the story. I do think this storyline could have been explored a bit more if the book had been longer, because there was definitely room to dig deeper there.

The side characters and their interactions with Elle and Colt added some really nice moments of fun and levity, which helped balance out the heavier parts of the story.

I did notice a few inconsistencies with the timeline and the characters perceived ages that kept niggling at me while reading. Nothing that completely took away from the story, but it did make things a little confusing here and there.

Overall, for a debut novel, this was a really enjoyable read that balances heavier themes with heart and lighter moments. Definitely one I’d still recommend if you’re in the mood for a quick cowboy romance.

[Jacklyn Amato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cowgirls Don’t Cry by Mackenzie Hart is a beautifully written, emotional small-town romance that completely pulled me in and has me hooked to read the rest of the series. It’s a story about second chances, heartbreak, and healing with all the cowboy charm you could ask for. Ellie returns to Silver Creek after realizing she can’t stay in her current relationship, but running into Colt, the one man she’s never truly gotten over, changes everything. What follows is a raw, heartfelt journey of love, forgiveness, and finding peace in the aftermath of trauma. This book balances heavy themes like domestic abuse, grief, and recovery with the kind of tender, slow-burn romance that feels both real and earned. The chemistry between Ellie and Colt was steady and believable. It was never rushed, just two people learning how to trust again after years apart. The small-town setting added warmth and nostalgia, while the cowboy elements gave it that rugged, protective edge that makes small town cowboy romances some of my favorite tropes to read. What stood out most to me was how vulnerable both characters were allowed to be. This is. This is the kind of romance that lingers, its both equal parts heartbreak and healing, and it’s perfect for readers who love emotional, character-driven stories with a second-chance twist. I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to get into the rest of the series following the characters we got a little bit of sneak peak from in this book!

[Maegan Britain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Cowgirls Don't Cry
Author: Mackenzie Hart
Format: eBook (narrated with virtual voice - which I would not recommend)
Rating: 2.5 stars

Recap: Ellie makes her way back to Silver Creek after escaping an abusive boyfriend. With no living arrangements she finds herself in the guest house on the ranch of her high school crush. Colt regrets letting Ellie leave their small town after high school, but now that she's back, he's not letting her go.

Thoughts: Overall, this is a cute story. However, the writing could use some polishing. A lot of the time it felt like I was reading an amateur short story that I could find on Wattpad. What really caused the rating to nosedive was how cringey the ending was. Ellie describing death coming for her and then her baby being there was just awkward to me.

[Julia Marshall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry but this was simply not good. I know it was meant to be a short and quick read, but this was just too quick. Either the author needed to make this story way longer, or keep it more simple with WAY fewer plot points. This was just way too simple, way too quick, and lacked detail.

This review is going to be short because there’s truly not much else to say other than this was so rushed. One minute we were meeting the FMC and MMC and the next, they were together and happy. It was chaotic. Then we got to the “suspenseful” portion at the end and we literally didn’t see a single moment of it – we jumped over the traumatic part and skipped right to post-chaos.

I will say, I am interested in the characters for the rest of the series but I just don’t know if I can bring myself to keep reading these. They’re corny, too fast and just not alluring. Sorry.

[Karissa Kauflin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d rate this about 3 stars. It was a quick and easy read, and I did enjoy parts of it, but overall it just felt a little flat for me.

The story mostly focused on the two main characters, and while they were fine, it felt like there wasn’t enough going on outside of them. Side characters were barely there, so the world felt kind of small and didn’t add much depth or excitement.

I also wish there had been more banter and buildup in their relationship. Everything stayed at the same level emotionally, so it never really pulled me in or gave me those moments where I couldn’t put it down.

There was some drama with the ex that had potential to add tension, but it felt rushed and was resolved really quickly, which made it less impactful than it could’ve been.

Overall, it wasn’t bad at all—just missing that extra spark to make it really memorable.

[Bentley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was going to give this 2.5 and round up to 3 but then I wrote this review so it’s going down to 2
The premise of the book seemed good, but it was so rushed and the writing wasn’t good. We get constant confusion on the timeline - one second it’s “x happened 2 days ago” and then it’s “x happened a week ago” or “y was days away” and then “a couple of weeks later y happened” without time passing by?? like what??
Also the dialogue just genuinely seemed so fake and unrealistic

OH ALSO - as someone who has a dead parent - please let me tell you that there is no sexual tension no matter what after visiting their grave no matter what??? This right here made me want to DNF but I had like 10% left and I just needed to finish it

[Brooklynn Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

the chemistry. the banter. the depth. ELLIE AND COLT. absolute perfection. I could go on and on about this book and how Ellie is a strong and inspiring fmc and how Colt is the perfect gentlemanly mmc and everything Ellie needed and wanted but I will spare you the rambling and just tell you all to READ THIS BOOK ASAP it’s so dang good!!! this will be in my top reads of the year. I NEED more immediately. I’m so excited for the rest of the books in this series 😍

and to the author mackenzie hart keep writing this is definitely your calling girl you came out the gates swinging this was perfect in every single way 10/10 would recommend 🫶🏼

[Kylee Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story that I related too in all the best and worst ways. If you like cowboys, small towns, second chance romances, found family, and some girl besties that spill all the tea… this is the book for you. Ellie’s story is one about loss, resilience, lessons on what love isn’t, and the journey on finding yourself again. This book had me kicking my feet and giggling and on the verge of tears multiple times. It takes a lot for a book to do that for me. This one is for all the domestic abuse survivors who find true, real, raw love again. The way it’s supposed to be. Can’t wait for the next silver creek story.

[Raelynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

2.5 🌶

The way I flew through this book… I swear I didn’t come up for air. Colt & Ellie had me HOOKED from page one.

Colt — a cowboy down bad for his childhood crush. Ellie — finally coming home after two years and moving onto his family’s ranch. I meannnnn… what could possibly go wrong? 😜
Literally nothing. Not a single thing. I loved every second.

If you’re in the mood for a cowboy romance that’s short, sweet, and has the perfect spice-to-plot ratio, you need to grab this one ASAP. 🤠🔥 check trigger warnings first!

Tropes:
🩷 Second Chance
🤠 Cowboy Romance
🩷 Small Town
🤠 Friends To Lovers

[Nikki Boyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story but holes…

The storyline was definitely intriguing and believable. However, there were some holes and possible mistakes with some of the timing, which honestly distracts the reader just enough to pull you out of the story. Example, Ellie’s parents pass away her Senior year of high school and she leaves Montana. The book says she is gone for 2 years, which only puts her at 19 or 20. She refers to drinking and visiting bars, so it seems she is older but leaves one questioning a lot. Lots of potential, but I think a little more character development would make this an amazing read!