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His Reluctant Cowboy

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Out-and-proud volunteer dance instructor, Reid Alexander, is a California boy accustomed to living in flashy luxury. He is less than thrilled upon inheriting his late grandfather’s South Dakota horse ranch. Yet he must endure three months of cowboy hell before he can even consider selling the property.
As the ranch foreman, Walker Corrigan’s entire life is Pine Ridge. When Reid arrives with cold-hearted plans to sell, Walker endeavors to endear the place to the younger man.
Reid is unprepared for the sudden attachment to Walker, the land, and – unbelievably enough – the horses.
Walker’s long-suffering heart takes an unexpected gallop straight toward Reid. Both men are on-board with exploring their relationship, and Reid discovers ranch ownership is more gratifying than he’d once imagined.
But Reid is forced to reconsider his place on the ranch when threats put the property and employees in danger.
Menacing events call Reid’s integrity into question, and he considers saving everyone the hassle and throwing in the reins. But how can he leave when his heart now feels at home on Pine Ridge Ranch and in Walker’s arms?

286 pages, ebook

First published December 26, 2018

99 people are currently reading
153 people want to read

About the author

A.D. Ellis

92 books741 followers
Escape into addictive, sexy, emotional M/M romance.
A.D. Ellis is an Indiana girl, born and raised. She spends much of her time in central Indiana as an instructional coach/teacher in the inner city of Indianapolis, being a mom to two amazing teens, and wondering how she and her husband of over two decades haven't driven each other insane yet. A lot of her time is also devoted to phone call avoidance and her hatred of cooking.
She loves chocolate, hot tea, sweet wine with friends, pizza, and naps along with reading and writing romance. These loves don’t leave much time for housework. Who would pick cleaning the house over a nap or a good book? She uses any extra time to increase her fluency in sarcasm.
A.D. uses she/they pronouns.
Sign up at http://www.subscribepage.com/ADEllisN... for a FREE male/male romance book.

A.D. Ellis does not use generative AI to create books or covers.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
Profile Image for Erth.
4,608 reviews
September 30, 2019
There are writers that never disappoint. A.D. Ellis is one of them. Her stories have always the right ingredients - emotion, heat, balanced relationship, enough angst and/or conflict to keep the attention of the reader and a sure HEA. And this book was no disappointment. Enjoy!
Profile Image for Don Bradshaw.
2,427 reviews105 followers
January 21, 2019
While I did enjoy the story, it felt very superficial and shallow. It read very much like a semi-fleshed out outline for what could be a very good story. I almost stopped reading in the middle of the first chapter because Reid was such an ass. I'm glad that I persisted.
Profile Image for Joyfully Jay.
9,075 reviews517 followers
Read
January 14, 2019
A Joyfully Jay review.

3.25 stars


A.D. Ellis offers up pure romance mixed with just a bit of mystery with the release of His Reluctant Cowboy. I’m going to begin this review by stating that you are going to need to check any desire you might have for a dose of reality with your love story at the door for this one. This book is unadulterated romantic fiction—if you don’t like instalove, then move on. If you don’t like easy fixes and neatly wrapped up problems with little to no real explanation, then this one is not for you. But it is undeniable that this novel is well written and its characters are very likeable. There’s no real angst and there is a ton of sweet talking—and it is sometimes a bit over the top. While I wouldn’t enjoy a steady diet of this type of novel, it is the perfect book for those just wanting to escape into a love story with two guys who seem to be total opposites, but work well together despite that.

Read Sammy’s review in its entirety here.


Profile Image for Sadie Forsythe.
Author 1 book287 followers
August 13, 2019
I'm in an awkward position reviewing this book. I received an Audible credit for it in exchange for an honest review. However, the credit came from the narrator, Brad King, (not the author) and the narrator did an awesome job. But the story didn't work for me. What do you do in that case? I guess you say just that, huh? King's narration is very good. Ellis' story left me cold.

I disliked Reid in the beginning. But even after he gave up being a brat and became tolerable I was troubled. His growth came in jagged spurts, and nothing about it felt very natural. The romance was sudden and felt very much like the only two adult gay men on the ranch fell in love because they were the only gay men on the ranch. There was no gradual growth or anything like that. And as soon as the two men were together they were suddenly in love, declaring forever, and calling each other Baby. I thought the dirty talk during sex was super cheesy (King deserves some props for pulling that off with aplomb). And I almost went ragey with the way it had to be stressed (more than once) that the love between Walker and Reid was better than the love Walker had with his dead partner. That just was not necessary and was tacky to boot. The villain was practically a joke and the resolution came about because of a very convenient coincidence. Plus, I hate the cover. There I said it.

All in all, not a winner for me in the story department. But again, great narration. My rating is for the book.
Profile Image for Ed Davis.
2,891 reviews99 followers
October 31, 2022
I enjoyed this story, but I just didn’t get completely wrapped up in it. I kept thinking I should have liked it better than I did. It had everything I love in a story,a big butch cowboy and the sweet city boy who falls for him. I think one of my least favorite things was when Reid kept thinking he should just give in to his father. I found that irritating.
Profile Image for Paul.
314 reviews17 followers
September 8, 2019
So I think the reason why I didn't really enjoy this can be summed up by the following 'Out-and-proud volunteer dance instructor' yes they have one of the key characters job as a volunteer dance instructor - but it doesn't really come up in the book. Please don't bother reading this...
Profile Image for George.
627 reviews69 followers
March 11, 2020
In ‘His Reluctant Cowboy’, A.D. Ellis has written a totally predictable but still fun gay romance novel. Unfortunately, it's a novel that is better read than listened to.

On balance, Brad King’s narration is good, but from the first time he gave voice to Reid Alexander, I cringed. Yes, Reid is gay, yes Reid is out, yes Reid is flamboyant, but the high pitched vocal inflection Alexander chose to use is unnecessarily campy, bordering on nelly. Unfortunately it never got better and I cringed whenever Reid spoke - even though his words were often wise and pivotal to the story.

As the story begins, Reid has inherited his grandfather’s South Dakota horse ranch. According to his grandfather’s will, Reid is required to live on the ranch for three months before deciding what to do with it. Because he has absolutely no interest in country living, and is terrified of horses, Reid's plan is to suffer through those three months and then sell the ranch. But once he meets the ranch foreman, Walker Corrigan, those plans begin to change.

‘His Reluctant Cowboy’ is filled with wonderful characters including a surprising hero, a very smart ranch cook, and Reid’s evil, conniving, manipulative father. There are so many interesting characters that a second book in the series would be welcomed.
316 reviews1 follower
December 4, 2018
Reid has been left Pine Ridge horse ranch by the grandfather he never knew. He can do whatever he wants with it, after he spends 3 months minimum living on the ranch. Reid is determined to sell the up as soon as possible. Walker is the ranch foreman. He is determined to get Reid to change his mind. As time goes on Reid gets more used to and begins to enjoy Ranch life, the transition made much easier by the handsome foreman. Walker is not looking for love but finds it very hard to resist the sassy Reid.
I really enjoyed this book. Reid is such a fish out of water initially and Walker is instantly likeable. Well worth a read.
Profile Image for M..
476 reviews2 followers
June 5, 2019
This was such a wholesome romance novel!!! I just loved every page. There are enough steamy scenes to keep me interested throughout the whole book.
Profile Image for Fire65.
193 reviews4 followers
January 25, 2019
Just not for me

Just no. I made it to chapter 2, but can't go any further. I don't know how old Reid was but he acted like a 2 year old throwing a tantrum. I can't read about adult men or women who act like babies because things aren't going their way. Grow up!
Profile Image for Georgiana.
683 reviews12 followers
August 8, 2019
~AUDIO REVIEW~

Reid hates horses but inherits his grandfather's horse farm. While on a mission to get there, sell the place, and get back home he meets the foreman, Walker. Once the two get together strange things start happening to the farm animals. Though they suspect who it is they have no proof. I liked how all was revealed and the ending of the story.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the first… maybe 25% of the book. I didn’t feel the connection between Reid or Walker until they actually got together. It just felt like there wasn’t a connection and then BAM, they basically fell in love.

That didn’t stop me from listening and I’m glad I didn’t.

Once the two of them were together I thought they were a sweet and cute couple. They worked well together. I also liked all the secondary characters as well.

This is my first book by Brad King, and I think he did a great job. I did chuckle at first for his voices of all the ladies, but I ended up really liking them.

I was given this free audiobook review copy at my request and have voluntarily left my review without bias or persuasion.
Profile Image for ricardo.
269 reviews2 followers
November 15, 2019
Probably not the best book and definitely easier to listen than to read it. It’s a short book so I wasn’t expecting a whole lot. I tend to prefer when the romance is dragged out a bit and everything just seems to go by so quick. Initially, Reid’s stay was supposed to be about 3 months but it almost feels as if everything went down just short of two months with them already declaring their love for each other. Aside from that, I wish the characters emotions fell flat. It definitely gets steamy if you’re into that.

Overall, I enjoyed the story but it could have been so much better.
Profile Image for SJ.
2,020 reviews32 followers
Read
September 8, 2023
Read this awhile back and enjoyed it a lot.
Profile Image for Thais.
Author 2 books12 followers
October 9, 2019
This one started really great for me. I remember thinking "huh, I'm on chapter 8 already and there is no insta-lust, that's rare". And yeah, that what kept me going.

I have to disagree when my fellow reviewers when they say Reid is a annoying spoiled brat with no heart. Yes, he is a little selfish at the beginning, but soon you see he is reasonable and want to make things work. At least, that's my perception of him. But that maybe because I read some really annoying brats right before this one ఠ_ఠ'

But when Walker finally discovers Reed is gay, things gt sideways. There is instant lust, they kiss and start dating. No build-up whatsoever. What's most frustrating was when they said they were attracted do each other since day one, but there is ZERO indication of that, it was just so confused (¬_¬) And they, a few days later they confessed day love each other.

The story after that isn't bad, but it didn't have the sparkle I got from the beginning. Actually, the story was really really cute, nothing new, but nice to read/listen and got me glued to the book. Another think I like was the fast change in POV. I know many here disliked but I'm from a decade where my books used to have a POV per paragraph. Ex: MC 1 speaks, than he thinks and then he act. Next paragraph MC 2 speaks, then he thinks and then he act. I actually like when I don't need to wait a full chapter to know what the other is thinking, it's like waiting for the MC turn to play in a RPG game Lol But that's something really really personal.

First time hearing this narrator and I can't say I hate it. I actually love it, he knows how to change the voices, the narration was flawless and he speaks in a way I can understand (I'm not a native speaker). Also, I think it's because of him I didn't think Read was a selfish brat Lol.

I receive a audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Twinsie Talk Angie J.
1,809 reviews
December 20, 2018
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His Reluctant Cowboy by AD Ellis
I received this book from the author for an honest review.
Reid and Walker…so night and day yet so perfect for one another. Reid and Walker….so afraid yet so hopeful about the other.
I am not going to lie when I said Reid is a major turn off initially. He is spoiled and privileged but once you start to get to know him….you get him. The opening scenes with Reid, I was seriously about to punch him. I was telling Norma Not to be nice to him…LOL
Walker is a seasoned rancher and closed off to love. His heart is now all about the ranch and he hopes and prays that Reid will SEE the ranch for how wonderful it is. He hopes and dreams of continuing life on the ranch and then his dreams turn to sharing that with Reid…..Wink Wink.
Reid is so out and loud and accepting of his sexuality that I did laugh at this “rancher serious clothing shopping trip” and following fashion show. Walker is so serious, but Reid is the breath of fresh air he needs. Walker is also what Reid needs. Walker helps him find a purpose and ranching is that purpose.
The story was a great read. My favorite scene is when Reid discovers Walker is gay thanks to his rock hard erection…LOL I totally laughed at the fact Reid bragged about his gay-dar and yet he missed Walker.
The plot with the person casing issues on the ranch was a great read and I think this story is a great read for anyone who has not read AD before. You get an awesome story and a great look into her beautiful love story writing style.
Profile Image for ButtonsMom2003.
3,772 reviews41 followers
December 27, 2018
Good story, good suspense, great HEA.

I could hardly wait to read this new book by A.D. Ellis and then stuff happened so I only just finished reading it this afternoon even though I got an advanced copy.

I've loved A.D.'s MM books since I read my very first one, Brody & Nick, back in 2016. His Reluctant Cowboy is a good story. It has a little bit of everything in it. It's humorous (Reid is a hoot at times), it's suspenseful in places, and it has a great cast of characters. It also has puppies and horses; who could ask for any more? 😊

Reid is an out-and-proud gay man who hates horses; he's forced to go live on a ranch for 3 months to fulfill the terms of his grandfather's will. Walker is the foreman of the ranch and he has no interest in babysitting Reid let alone falling for him.

There is a slow build up to their relationship until Walker and Reid admit their attraction to each other; but then WOW, sexy time ensues. These two go through some tough times together trying to get the goods on the person who wants to force Reid to sell the ranch. Even though the suspect is pretty much revealed early on there was still a lot of suspense as shenanigans continued to go on and they try to prove who is responsible.

His Reluctant Cowboy was a very enjoyable story to read. I'm not sure if this is going to turn into a series or not but there was one young character in the story that I'd definitely like to learn more about and see him get an HEA.

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***
524 reviews
May 31, 2022
Performance: 4 Stars
Story: 3 Stars

This was my first time hearing narrator Brad King, and his performance grew on me the longer I listened. I appreciated his range of distinct voices, including for the female characters (Norma especially), and his Southern twang was believable enough for my untrained ears. I also thought he captured Reid's youthful exuberance especially well.

Reid fully expects to sell his grandfather's horse ranch upon inheriting it, until he meets head ranch hand Walker. It's not long before insta-love sparks fly between the city boy and the older cowboy, and Reid has an easy change of heart about selling just as Walker captures his.

Being totally honest, I thought much of what's supposed to be playful flirting and dirty talk came off as cringy. Reid also comes across as over-the-top ridiculous at times, which I don't think was intentional, and I found him on the annoying side overall. Ultimately, though, he and Walker make a clearly smitten couple, brought together by close proximity and a common enemy if nothing else.

The main (and easily resolved) conflict at play was Reid's villainous POS father causing trouble and trying to force Reid's hand in selling the ranch to him. The raging parental homophobia in this story, including repeated f-bomb dropping, came as an unwelcome surprise. I strongly believe in content warnings in both audio and print, which was lacking here, and led me to downgrade my star rating. I received this free review copy audio book by request and have left this honest review voluntarily.
498 reviews10 followers
December 31, 2018
No misunderstandings here

I received this book in a giveaway and I was so excited because I am a die hard fan of cowboy's and haven't read a good cowboy book in a long time. Now that the PBR is on break till January this book is just what I needed to hold me over. I'm also so happy that Reid and Walker never had the typical misunderstandings you find in so many books that you want to bang the mc's heads together. This story just flowed so smoothly. No miscommunication, just tell it like it is. So refreshing. It felt like there was maybe some male input that A.D. received which made the book so much more than a m/m book written by a woman and male reviewers always complaining that women can't write gay books cuz women make the characters too fluffy and men say a gay man would never talk like that. Well A.D. did this book perfect that nobody can complain. There was heat, action, love, humor, and so much more that I'm sad that it's over already. I will never look at sugar cubes the same again. Thank you A.D. for writing an amazing book and I hope there is more to come. Get this book you will not be disappointed.
Profile Image for Xanthe.
2,530 reviews46 followers
December 16, 2018
Fantastic story! I was drawn in straight away with Reid's snark and sass but his adorable cuteness shines through as soon as he drops to cuddle with the puppies. Walker is a stoic, lonely cowboy running the Pine Ridge Ranch that Reid has come to stay at for three months before he can inherit it. It provides just enough time for a connection to grow between the two men and there are several scenes where the two grow closer and your heart is right there with them. Though things seems to happen quickly for the two, the way it's written flows well so it doesn't feel staged or too put upon to make the story plausible.
I highly enjoyed the story overall with the romance of Reid and Walker along with the drama of someone attacking the ranch, as well as the uncertainty of Reid's future at Pine Ridge Ranch.
It's written and described as such a beautiful setting, so easy to imagine as you read through the book. There are also several great characters that bring life and friendship to the men and Ranch.
Definitely recommend!
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review
Profile Image for Amy Dufera - Amy's MM Romance Reviews.
2,698 reviews138 followers
December 22, 2018
His Reluctant Cowboy is a great romance by AD Ellis.

Reid inherits his grandfather's ranch despite having no interest in it. When he visits the ranch, he meets Walker, the ranch foreman.

Reid and Walker are sweet, as they're romantic and tender with each other. They are a wonderful couple who you just can't help but to route for to find happiness. Neither realized that they were just existing before. But once they find each other, they both find a real purpose in their lives, and Reid finds his real home, as well as love and happiness.

Reid's retelling of his falling out with his dad is so well written, carrying us through sadness and laughter. It's rare to find such a tragic scene written with humor infused throughout. Loved it!

I love Reid and his relationship with the horses. The development is perfectly done and is just so beautiful.

Warning though - If animal cruelty is a trigger for you, stay clear.


Overall, I really enjoyed His Reluctant Cowboy and highly recommend it!
Profile Image for Carrie.
1,013 reviews25 followers
February 28, 2019
2.5/5
I thought it was pretty good after I finished it, but taking a step back it was just okay. I wouldn't call it Insta-Love per se, but it seemed like as soon as Reid knew Walker was gay they were instantly planning their future. I picked this up because it was 99 cents and I'm a sucker for fish-out-of-water Westerns (preferably in Australia but I'll take what I can get). There's a "mystery" side plot that isn't much of a mystery as it just sort of fizzles when I ended up liking the animals better than the humans: the "duck" dogs (5 Schipperkes named after Donald Duck and his kin), Cinnamon the filly, Beauty the big black mare Walker rode (creative naming there), and Buttercup the placid mare (why are they always named Buttercup?)

Was it just me or did the location switch from South to North Dakota a few times?
240 reviews
August 2, 2019
Reid Alexander is so adorable. Lol he starts his adventure as he lives his life- brash, brave and totally put together with cute outfits. Hehe I was laughing out loud with his antics - designed to try a saint- and Walker’s responses are amazing. Sigh.

There is a lot of push and pull and some nerve wracking parts that keep things interesting. I did find there are some parts that didn’t quite ring true. As in the dialogue was more of a textbook response on coming out than a real world response. However, Walker and Reid are a great couple. I so totally adore how Walker is strong enough to handle all of the precociousness that gets thrown his way.

The audiobook performance is really good. I got a good sense of who is who and just had plain old fun! I will confess to putting this book on repeat 4 times in a row. Kinda embarrassing, I know. I just really enjoyed listening to the story while working. So much sass!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Profile Image for Aethena Drake.
1,182 reviews3 followers
August 10, 2024
I grew up in South Dakota near farms and ranches, so this book caught my attention. The book held my attention most of the time. The steamy scenes were a bit cheesy for me. The plot had some interesting moments, but I didn't find any surprises. Everything played out the way I expected. I also had a few moments of thinking, "That's not how that works." I am a bit detail oriented though. The charming nature of the characters made up for the plot flaws. I really enjoyed getting to know the side characters.

The one thing that bothered me about this story is the weather. South Dakota is famous for unbelievable weather. The state still holds the world record for the fastest temperature change. The weather is the reason I left. I sincerely doubt that a California boy like Reid is going to stay past the first winter where temperatures drop down to 30 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit). Maybe that is in the next book.

The narration by Brad King was decent. His voice was pleasant, and his character voices were interesting. If you are looking for a sappy m/m romance story set on a ranch with horses this is a good read.
Profile Image for Gustaf.
1,444 reviews193 followers
October 8, 2019
I loved this story. It’s sweet, funny and intense, all at the same time.

I love the settings, the big family of ranch hands and special people. This book just made me so happy. Reid and Walkers connection was instant and powerful. I’ll remember these two characters for a long, long time.

As a dog nerd, I have to give the author Kudos for describing the dogs in a perfect way. Not all authors do that.

The only negative thing I have to say about this book, and what made me give it a four star rating instead of a full five star was the jumps of perspectives. First you had Reid’s point of view and then suddenly Walkers. At one point we randomly had Ezekiel’s point of view ( I totally want his book btw), it was kind of hard to understand who was doing the telling sometimes.

This author is new to me and I’ll definitely check out more of her work.

I got this as an audiobook from the author as part of a huge giveaway and giving my honest review as a thank you.
Profile Image for Fay MMBookworm.
3,075 reviews66 followers
December 28, 2018
The book has a great start with a bit of humour between the characters. Reid is out and proud but he's totally clueless about Walker...(but, Walker had me guessing too). Walker had a sad experience which he'd swarm off ever finding love again. Three months was all they had and Walker had a challenge set for Reid. Jumping in with both feet whether is to dance or to jump on a horse. The romance and drama that happens kept me reading. I loved the ending of this justice was served well. Hot sexy scenes is also included in a well written story.
When Walker 32 yr picks up a hitchhiker on the way to the ranch he doesn't know that he was in for, definitely wont be boring lol. He was the foreman with the owner deceased when his grandson turns up.
From the city, Reid 27 yr was on his way to the ranch to do his time and return the city, his dislike of horses didn't help.
Profile Image for Kim Krogh.
89 reviews2 followers
December 31, 2018
Reid arrives on Pine Ridge Horse Ranch with one thing on his mind. Selling the ranch he inherited from his late grandfather. However he did not count on meeting ranch foreman Walker or fall in love with him - Walker is straight, right?

I loved the story and all the characters. But I ended with the the feeling that the story stared out 110 mph and the slowed down to 10 mph. The falling in love happened a bit too fast and without any drama at all after Reid learns that Walker is gay.

I don’t really understand the Zeek character, he kind of didn’t fit in to the story other than, let’s throw in more gays. I would have been nicer if he played a more major part in the story if he should be there at all. As I said I didn’t really get why he’s there.

I liked the story, the drama (maybe a bit more mum involve the), the plot. So overall an ok read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Adrianna Budek.
110 reviews
August 15, 2021
Uplifting story

Well written story of how mega opposites find their way to a wonderful HEA. LA born and raised Reid... Cowboy thru and thru Walker. Reid inherits a horse ranch from a grandfather he never met but b4 he can do anything with it, he must spend 3mos there. Think Walker and the other folks who live and work on the ranch can persuade horse-adverse Reid to keep the ranch? Reid is out n proud, of course. Ah, but he has no idea Walker is gay... Without giving too much away, the situation is further complicated by Reid's dad who is angry that Grandpa Jack left the ranch to Reid, angry that he can't benefit from the sale of such a valuable asset, etc, so angry that he hires thugs to do some horrible things, endangering not only animals but humans. I loved the ending. So will you.
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