Counting on the Cowboy

Texas Cowboys #4

by Shannon Taylor Vannatter

Ranching is his whole life…until he meets one special city girlTexas Cowboy Brock McBride knows better than to fall for a city girl. She’ll leave and break his heart—just like his ex-fiancée did. But his job at Chasing Eden Dude Ranch requires working alongside Dallas wedding planner Devree Malone. And despite fierce resistance, he’s falling hard. Yet with Devree’s business back in the city, can he convince her she’s found her home…with him?

Genres: Love Inspired

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 20, 2018

About the author

Shannon Taylor Vannatter is a stay-at-home mom/pastor’s wife/award winning author. She lives in rural central Arkansas in a town with a population of around 100, if you count a few cows. Shannon writes inspirational contemporary romance and it took her nine years to get published in the traditional market.
Shannon hopes to entertain Christian women and plant seeds in the non-believer’s heart as her characters struggle with real-life issues. Their journeys, from ordinary lives to extraordinary romance through Christ-centered relationships, demonstrate that love doesn’t conquer all—Jesus does. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family and doing craft projects. Ask questions or discuss my books: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Facebook: http://facebook.com/shannontaylorvann...
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/stvannatter/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stvauthor

Reviews

[Kav · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Help! There's a goat on the roof!" Bwahahaha! Best opening line every! And really, you know you can't go wrong when a story features a goat, right? I was definitely hooked. And I'm still grinning over all the laugh-out-loud critter moments in this romance.

Devree is definitely a girly-girl way out of her element. But she's more adaptable than she thinks and she'll do anything to make her very pregnant sister's life easier even if that includes goat wrangling and rooster deflecting -- especially when it includes the company of one very intriguing cowboy with "enigmatic green eyes, cleft chin and dimples that came out of nowhere." (p 56) Makes her forget she's sour on love.

Brock tries to rein in the instant attraction that flares when he meets Devree but fate (and possibly some matchmaking minded adults) keep throwing them together. Not to mention the number of times he ends up rescuing her from one kind of varmint or another. So much laughter -- and the growing tenderness between them is palpable. Sweet and achy and filled me with yearning. There's nothing I wanted more than for these two to find their way towards each other.

Vannatter doesn't make it easy though. Brock, in particular, has a personal struggle that tied me up in knots! And, at one point, Devree disappointed me -- deeply! Phew, I'm happy to report we all made it through to the happily ever after side of the story!

[Jacinta Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not quite sure how to describe this book other than both slow and rushed. There were times when it felt like there was a lot of.. Description and background, but when it came to the bigger stuff, it seemed to be kind of like...not going to happen, not going to happen, not going to happen - quick happen! Okay, slow down, repeat everything previously thought about it not happening... Quick happen! I guess it kind of felt like, in both the romance and the mystery, there wasn't a lot of in between - just life and then sudden big moments to push it forward.

[Toth Jo-Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about an awesome end to a series. Thisis a great Christian series. The girl gets her cowboy. Sigh. I love Devree Malone and Brock MvBride's story. I love how Shannon brings this series to a close. She does a awesome job of weaving a story of taking a city girl and changing her to a country girl. It will touch many a girl's heart. That has freaked out over a mouse, snake and even spiders. I used to do that til I got used to it on my mom's friends farm. I love the humor she uses when Devree finds a mouse in a trap and sets it free. This book is a page turner with a little mystery in it. You will meet old friends and get to see how they are doing as well. Its well written and has a great ending to it.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Counting On The Cowboy by Shannon Taylor Vannatter is a Texas Cowboys series. Texas Cowboy Brock McBride builds cabins. Brock went to help his friend on his ranch while his friends wife is pregnant and has to stay off her feet. She already lost one baby. Brock will work there until after the baby is born so his friend can stay with his wife. His wives sister, wedding planner, Devree Malone is there to help also until the baby is born. Brock is a country guy and Devree is a city gal. Can the two work things out while working at the ranch and helping find out who is doing bad things to the ranch to cause problems. A very good read.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

City girl who is helping her pregnant sister as a wedding planner meets a country boy who is helping his friend who’s wife is pregnant around the ranch until they deliver a healthy baby since she is on complete bed rest.
The wedding planner is hoping to expand her busy to event planning and is relying on a successful day. Things are making that very difficult. Goats, skunks and mice are everywhere and she has to enlist the help of the cowboy handyman.
They both have past hurts and broken hearts. He also has family issues with his mother working at the ranch that he hasn’t seen since he was ten.
Faith in God, honest communication and love help heal them all.

[Mandy Reads Indie · Rating 5 out of 5]

He carried her out as if she weighed nothing. His strength had felt too comforting. Too safe.
And she knew from experience, the least safe place she could be was close to a man.
***

This is my second book by Vannatter and I absolutely loved it. I adored Devree and Brock together and just about everything else in the story. It was a wholesome read with an equally wholesome, sweet, slow burn kind of romance. The characters are amazing, the story line was captivating, and the words were well written. One of the things I love about these books is that each one can be read as a stand alone or in order. Nothing too spoilery is given away with the books which makes for wonderful reading. I quickly gobbled this story up and look forward to catching up on the others in the series and all her other books. 5 Stars!

[Joan Arning · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can a small town cowboy and a Dallas event planner find in common? Brock is an excellent main character like we would all like to meet but he has some hangups because of being abandoned by his mother when he was ten! Devree is a city career woman but goes to the country to help her pregnant sister. Brock and Devree work to get the dude ranch cabins ready for guests. You will enjoy this sweet story by Shannon Vannatter. I won my copy of Counting on the Cowboy in a Catherine Castle Blog giveaway. This is my honest opinion.

[Candace West · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very entertaining, heart-warming story of building trust and finding reconciliation between a son and long-lost mother.....and of course there's romance too! The other main character, Devree, also has trust issues that she must work through. Shannon Vannatter does a wonderful job detailing their personal struggles and how their relationship with the Lord gives them courage to take more than one leap of faith. A must read!

[June Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my opinion, the main themes in this story are forgiveness, trust, faith, and love.

The male lead, Brock McBride, is a stand-up guy with some heavy baggage from his childhood. The mystery in the story was interesting; the humor in the story was much appreciated.

This book is completely clean in language and content. :0}

I won a copy of this paperback from the author on a blog giveaway. My thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely my own.

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[Tonya B. Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been two weeks since I finished reading Counting on the Cowboy by Shannon Taylor Vannatter and I can’t stop thinking about Brock and Devree. Vannatter masterfully handles a budding romance mingled with a strained family reunion between mother and son. Authentic and endearing, I can’t get enough of the characters in this charming Texas town.

[Susan Snodgrass · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my very first Shannon Taylor Vannatter book. I do intend to read more. I really enjoyed this book. Believable characters, locales, scenarios, plot. All in all, a very good read.

[Veronica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t hate it but everything was pretty surface level and resolved so easily that it wasn’t much of a story.

[Caitlin Nikolai · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book felt real life - why they couldn't be together, the dreams they had, the reasons they couldn't be. I enjoyed it because it didn't feel fake, but it was still an escape from my reality.

[Lila Diller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and engaging, perfect for a light, quick, romantic read.

Opposites attract without any steam, happy ending, and even a little mystery without any violence. Just what I wanted and even better than expected.

Favorite quotes:
“Was the goat even missing? Or was she onto him and trying to spur things along between him and Devree? Was she trying to help him with his happily-ever-after? If so, she was on the wrong track.” (p.177)

“And his heart did a funny thing in his chest. This could easily get out of hand. Who was he trying to kid? It was already out of hand.” (p.131)

(I won this book in a giveaway from the author. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own, as was my decision to write a review.)

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Texas Cowboys

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Texas Cowboys