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

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 and their three children. 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. As the mom of an autistic son, Mackenzie is a fierce advocate for special education rights and for creating inclusive environments for all children.

Reviews

[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!

[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!

[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!!

[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

[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 Glynn · 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

[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

[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!

[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!

[Mackenna Rigsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this as an ARC read and I thought it was amazing. Without giving too much away it brought up the struggles of life and addiction many go through as well as some of the hardships of being on the internet. It focused on trying to be true to yourself while healing and trying to navigate through the ups and downs of a relationship. Over all I thought it was a really great book. It had a bit of spice, a bit of struggle and a lot of love. I would absolutely read it again and I 100% recommend it to others.

[Wendy Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super cute book. I loved the relationship between colt and Ellie from the moment Ellie came back into town. Colt and Ellie really loved each other from the time they were kids, but I think they were both torn and didn’t say anything because they were worried about their friendship. Colt let her leave after her parents died because he didn’t wanna hold her back, but it crushed him. Luckily, when she came back, he had people who convinced him that he needed to tell her how he felt. I just thought they were so sweet together.

[Heather B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh, I absolutely loved this book! Cowboy romance at its finest. El and Colt had such a powerful connection—one that was undeniable, even through El’s heartbreaking past. They loved each other fully before they were even ready to admit it.

I especially loved getting both of their POVs—it made the story that much more emotional and real. This book will make you laugh, cry, and feel all the feels.

I’m so ready for Jace and Cassie’s story next—I already know it’s going to be amazing!

[Payton Sheffield · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little cheesy here and there, but a really cute story of a girl named Ellie finding her way back to her home, Colt. They both were down bad for each other and it was cute getting to read about them falling for each other. I loved the country backdrop along with the small town cowboy thing. Good book and something sweet to read. There is mentions of domestic violence (not between the main characters) so always check your triggers.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I have been wanting to read this book since I saw the tik tok videos from the author. I loved the story of Ellie and Colt. They were perfect for each other. I knew Jason wasn't going to leave her alone. I'm so glad she was back in silver springs and had colt. I love the chemistry between them. The people of silver springs are such wonderful people. I can't wait to read mt.

[Danielle Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cowgirls Don't Cry was a good read. Ellie Brooks left her small hometown of Silver Creek after a family tragedy. Two years later, she ends up coming back after a dangerous situation and stays with her second family - The McKinley's. Colt McKinley is the one who she left behind and secretly loved. Colt has been trying to forget Ellie but when she comes back, everything changes. Colt and Ellie had great chemistry and were cute together. Loved them.

[Katie Vitale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has all the makings of being a good book and series but there were just a few inconsistencies within the story and timeline that bothered me and didn't let me fully connect or get lost in the story.

It's a quick read and I did enjoy it overall. I wish there had been a little bit more fleshing out of the timeline and characters because some of the situations and how the character carry themselves that didn't match their ages for me.

[Stefani · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun short read. However, with some of the heavier topics in this book - I didn’t feel any of those crushing emotions you’d expect to feel. I enjoyed the characters although I felt Colt’s avoidance was a bit immature. Based on my math - they were a bit young so I suppose that makes sense.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

umm I just binge this book in less than 24hrs.. but with that being said "cowgirl dont cry" i cried pretty much the last 6 chapter but in my defense I know the feeling of losing a parent so reading about just has tearing running down my face.. but still I cried from chapter 29 to the end. now on to books 2!

[Lyla Nadeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS IT! This was the book I needed to get my out of my slump. Talk about emotional rollercoaster! Ellie and colt were just to die for! Friends to lovers, she’s got a lot from her past that she needs to heal from and face and he’s just the cowboy who couldn’t ruin the friendship. I LOVED THEM and I need to dive into the next book IMMEDIATELY!

[Amber Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. There were a few small things here and there that took me out of the book for a second, but all in all I really enjoyed everything. I will definitely be reading the rest of them!
Ellie was super sweet and I loved the friendship she made quickly with Cassie (her new boss).
Colt was absolutely the sweetest!
2🌶
4⭐️