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Longhorn Canyon #7
Cowboy Strong
A rugged Texas cowboy and the girl next door find a fake engagement feeling all too real in this conclusion to the USA Today bestselling Longhorn Canyon series.
Alana Carey can out-rope, out-ride, and challenge even the best Texas cowboy. Working on her father's ranch for most of her life has made her tough as nails, but she does have one soft spot -- and his name is Paxton Callahan. And with Pax back in town, Alana's old feelings have returned with a vengeance. But she barely has time to process her attraction for the hunky cowboy before her father falls ill and presents her with an ultimatum. Alana's father wants her married and settled before he passes away, and she isn't about to break a dying man's heart.
Paxton Callahan has been in love with Alana since...forever, and he's finally ready to stop running from his feelings. It's been ten years since he's seen the sexy cowgirl, and now that he's living next door, the electricity between them is about to set the whole Texas panhandle on fire. When Alana presents him with a crazy proposal -- to pretend to be her fiance so her father can die in peace -- Paxton can't refuse. But as the faux-wedding day draws near, and her father's health improves, Alana and Paxton must decide whether to commit to the charade or finally admit their love is the real deal.
Includes a never-before-published bonus story from Carolyn!
Alana Carey can out-rope, out-ride, and challenge even the best Texas cowboy. Working on her father's ranch for most of her life has made her tough as nails, but she does have one soft spot -- and his name is Paxton Callahan. And with Pax back in town, Alana's old feelings have returned with a vengeance. But she barely has time to process her attraction for the hunky cowboy before her father falls ill and presents her with an ultimatum. Alana's father wants her married and settled before he passes away, and she isn't about to break a dying man's heart.
Paxton Callahan has been in love with Alana since...forever, and he's finally ready to stop running from his feelings. It's been ten years since he's seen the sexy cowgirl, and now that he's living next door, the electricity between them is about to set the whole Texas panhandle on fire. When Alana presents him with a crazy proposal -- to pretend to be her fiance so her father can die in peace -- Paxton can't refuse. But as the faux-wedding day draws near, and her father's health improves, Alana and Paxton must decide whether to commit to the charade or finally admit their love is the real deal.
Includes a never-before-published bonus story from Carolyn!
382 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 30, 2020
632 people are currently reading
381 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Brown
182 books4,130 followersHi! I'm twenty five years old and movie star gorgeous. The camera added thirty plus years and a few wrinkles. Can't trust those cameras or mirrors either. Along with bathroom scales they are notorious liars! Honestly, I am the mother of three fantastic grown children who've made me laugh and given me more story ideas than I could ever write. My husband, Charles, is my strongest supporter and my best friend. He's even willing to eat fast food and help with the laundry while I finish one more chapter! Life is good and I am blessed!
Reading has been a passion since I was five years old and figured out those were words on book pages. As soon as my chubby little fingers found they could put words on a Big Chief tablet with a fat pencil, I was on my way. Writing joined reading in my list of passions. I will read anything from the back of the Cheerio's box to Faulkner and love every bit of it. In addition to reading I enjoy cooking, my family and the ocean. I love the Florida beaches. Listening to the ocean waves puts my writing brain into high gear.
I love writing romance because it's about emotions and relationships. Human nature hasn't changed a bit since Eve coveted the fruit in the Garden of Eden. Settings change. Plots change. Names change. Times change. But love is love and men and women have been falling in and out of it forever. Romance is about emotions: love, hate, anger, laughter... all of it. If I can make you laugh until your sides ache or grab a tissue then I've touched your emotions and accomplished what every writer sets out to do.
I got serious about writing when my third child was born and had her days and nights mixed up. I had to stay up all night anyway and it was very quiet so I invested in a spiral back notebook and sharpened a few pencils. The story that emerged has never sold but it's brought in enough rejection slips to put the Redwood Forest on the endangered list. In 1997 Kensington bought two books for their Precious Gems line. Two years and six books later the line died with only four of those books seeing publication. But by then Avalon had bought a book and another, and another. Ten years later the list has grown to thirty nine. Last year Sourcebooks bought the Lucky Series which is in the bookstores now. They've also bought The Honky Tonk Series which will debut with I LOVE THIS BAR in June and will be followed by HELL, YEAH, MY GIVE A DAMN'S BUSTED, and HONKY TONK CHRISTMAS.
Folks ask me where I get my ideas. Three kids, fifteen grandchildren, two great grandchildren. Note: I was a very young grandmother! Life is a zoo around here when they all come home. In one Sunday afternoon there's enough ideas to keep me writing for years and years. Seriously, ideas pop up at the craziest times. When one sinks its roots into my mind, I have no choice but to write the story. And while I'm writing the characters peek over my shoulder and make sure I'm telling it right and not exaggerating too much. Pesky little devils, they are!
I have a wonderful agent, Erin Niumata, who continues to work magic and sell my work. I'm very lucky to have her and my editors who continue to believe in me.
Happy reading!
Reading has been a passion since I was five years old and figured out those were words on book pages. As soon as my chubby little fingers found they could put words on a Big Chief tablet with a fat pencil, I was on my way. Writing joined reading in my list of passions. I will read anything from the back of the Cheerio's box to Faulkner and love every bit of it. In addition to reading I enjoy cooking, my family and the ocean. I love the Florida beaches. Listening to the ocean waves puts my writing brain into high gear.
I love writing romance because it's about emotions and relationships. Human nature hasn't changed a bit since Eve coveted the fruit in the Garden of Eden. Settings change. Plots change. Names change. Times change. But love is love and men and women have been falling in and out of it forever. Romance is about emotions: love, hate, anger, laughter... all of it. If I can make you laugh until your sides ache or grab a tissue then I've touched your emotions and accomplished what every writer sets out to do.
I got serious about writing when my third child was born and had her days and nights mixed up. I had to stay up all night anyway and it was very quiet so I invested in a spiral back notebook and sharpened a few pencils. The story that emerged has never sold but it's brought in enough rejection slips to put the Redwood Forest on the endangered list. In 1997 Kensington bought two books for their Precious Gems line. Two years and six books later the line died with only four of those books seeing publication. But by then Avalon had bought a book and another, and another. Ten years later the list has grown to thirty nine. Last year Sourcebooks bought the Lucky Series which is in the bookstores now. They've also bought The Honky Tonk Series which will debut with I LOVE THIS BAR in June and will be followed by HELL, YEAH, MY GIVE A DAMN'S BUSTED, and HONKY TONK CHRISTMAS.
Folks ask me where I get my ideas. Three kids, fifteen grandchildren, two great grandchildren. Note: I was a very young grandmother! Life is a zoo around here when they all come home. In one Sunday afternoon there's enough ideas to keep me writing for years and years. Seriously, ideas pop up at the craziest times. When one sinks its roots into my mind, I have no choice but to write the story. And while I'm writing the characters peek over my shoulder and make sure I'm telling it right and not exaggerating too much. Pesky little devils, they are!
I have a wonderful agent, Erin Niumata, who continues to work magic and sell my work. I'm very lucky to have her and my editors who continue to believe in me.
Happy reading!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
May 18, 2024
This is a Cowboy Romance, and this is the 7th book in the Longhorn Canyon series. This is cowboy romance book. I love this book so much, and I fell in love with Alana and Pax from the very beginning of this story. I have not read the other six books in this series, and I think this story can be read as a stand alone book as well. I do want to go back and read the other six book. This book was mainly about Alana and Pax coming to the fact that they really love each. I love that Alana is a strong cowgirl, but she as needs someone strong to stand beside her. This book is so much more then the normal cowboy romance book. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.
July 24, 2020
Carolyn Brown's books are one of my guilty pleasure reads. I know I'm always in for some lovely romance and a good time when I sit down and enjoy her books with a cup of tea. When I saw a copy of this book pop up on NetGalley, I was so thrilled and applied for it instantly! And lucky me, it was the same old Carolyn Brown romance that gives me chills and makes me all warm and fuzzy inside!
Alana and Pax are adorable. They are old friends who may or may not have had crushes on each other since they were little. When Alana gets the bad news that her Father, Matt, has cancer and will die soon, she comes up with a pretty, little lie that her and Pax were engaged and going to be marrying ASAP. Only problem? They aren't. She breaks the news to Pax, and suddenly a giant wedding is being planned and gossip is spread throughout the time. Will this not-so-together couple have their happily ever after?
Seriously, these books make me feel so good. They're amazing contemporary romance with a splash of western, and always have that feel good, warm and fuzzy feeling. I absolutely love them! As sad as it is that Matt is dying, the rest of this book makes me feel so darn good! I'm so happy I picked this book up, because it was just what I needed.
Alana is a strong woman who just wants to make her Dad happy. Pax is a strong guy who wants to help Alana, because that's what friends do. Their blossoming romance is also utterly adorable and gives me the jitters. Seriously, Carolyn Brown writes one mean romance. I love it!
Five out of five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
Alana and Pax are adorable. They are old friends who may or may not have had crushes on each other since they were little. When Alana gets the bad news that her Father, Matt, has cancer and will die soon, she comes up with a pretty, little lie that her and Pax were engaged and going to be marrying ASAP. Only problem? They aren't. She breaks the news to Pax, and suddenly a giant wedding is being planned and gossip is spread throughout the time. Will this not-so-together couple have their happily ever after?
Seriously, these books make me feel so good. They're amazing contemporary romance with a splash of western, and always have that feel good, warm and fuzzy feeling. I absolutely love them! As sad as it is that Matt is dying, the rest of this book makes me feel so darn good! I'm so happy I picked this book up, because it was just what I needed.
Alana is a strong woman who just wants to make her Dad happy. Pax is a strong guy who wants to help Alana, because that's what friends do. Their blossoming romance is also utterly adorable and gives me the jitters. Seriously, Carolyn Brown writes one mean romance. I love it!
Five out of five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
July 16, 2020
I’ve been looking forward to Paxton and Alana’s as I could feel the attraction brewing between them in the previous books. Come to find out they’ve danced around their feelings for each other since they were teenagers. However, now that Alana finds out her father doesn’t have long to live and that his greatest wish is to walk her down the aisle, she goes to Pax to strike up a deal. Pretend they’ve been dating secretly and are coincidently engaged. They’ll move up the wedding date to fulfill her dad’s wishes. Yep, it’s the good ole fake relationship/marriage scenario and you just know what happens next!
My heart broke over the news of Alana’s father since she lost her mother early, too, and they basically only had each other as family since. Pax was the first one she thought of confiding in and the only one she’d trust to go along with her scheme of marrying and then divorcing later on. Alana figures that Pax would be eager to end things after her father passes, not wanting to settle down yet, and Pax figures Alana wouldn’t want a cowboy with little to his name. But as time goes on, they realize their feelings for each other are anything but fake, and they begin to wonder and long for a real future together.
Alana and Pax’s romance was sweet, spicy and fun! I enjoyed their journey toward a HEA. There were some sad bits because of the situation with Matt, but as usual Carolyn Brown manages to weave in humor and keep things uplifting even in the face of loss. I always enjoy her good old country wisdom interspersed throughout the pages, too.
Cowboy Strong may be the seventh book in the Longhorn Canyon series, but each book can be read as a standalone. However, if you start at the beginning you can enjoy the previous couples’ cameo appearances in the later books.
A copy was kindly provided by Forever via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
My heart broke over the news of Alana’s father since she lost her mother early, too, and they basically only had each other as family since. Pax was the first one she thought of confiding in and the only one she’d trust to go along with her scheme of marrying and then divorcing later on. Alana figures that Pax would be eager to end things after her father passes, not wanting to settle down yet, and Pax figures Alana wouldn’t want a cowboy with little to his name. But as time goes on, they realize their feelings for each other are anything but fake, and they begin to wonder and long for a real future together.
Alana and Pax’s romance was sweet, spicy and fun! I enjoyed their journey toward a HEA. There were some sad bits because of the situation with Matt, but as usual Carolyn Brown manages to weave in humor and keep things uplifting even in the face of loss. I always enjoy her good old country wisdom interspersed throughout the pages, too.
Cowboy Strong may be the seventh book in the Longhorn Canyon series, but each book can be read as a standalone. However, if you start at the beginning you can enjoy the previous couples’ cameo appearances in the later books.
A copy was kindly provided by Forever via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 13, 2020
We are back into the Longhorn Canyon series with book #7. I am so enjoying this series and always look forward to a new one.
Alana Carey can out-rope, out-ride, and challenge even the best Texas cowboy. But she does have one soft spot -- and his name is Paxton Callahan. With Pax back in town, Alana's old feelings have returned with a vengeance. But she barely has time to process her attraction for the hunky cowboy before her father falls ill. All he wants is for her to marry and settle down before he passes away, and Alana isn't about to break a dying man's heart.
Paxton Callahan has been in love with Alana since...forever. Now that he's living right next door, the electricity between them is about to set the whole Texas panhandle on fire.
So Alana comes up with a plan to fake being engaged to each other to give her dad peace when he dies. As the day comes nearer Alana doesn't think she can go through with it and thinks they should just come clean.
Cute second chance cowboy romance, what more do you need?
Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC to review.
Alana Carey can out-rope, out-ride, and challenge even the best Texas cowboy. But she does have one soft spot -- and his name is Paxton Callahan. With Pax back in town, Alana's old feelings have returned with a vengeance. But she barely has time to process her attraction for the hunky cowboy before her father falls ill. All he wants is for her to marry and settle down before he passes away, and Alana isn't about to break a dying man's heart.
Paxton Callahan has been in love with Alana since...forever. Now that he's living right next door, the electricity between them is about to set the whole Texas panhandle on fire.
So Alana comes up with a plan to fake being engaged to each other to give her dad peace when he dies. As the day comes nearer Alana doesn't think she can go through with it and thinks they should just come clean.
Cute second chance cowboy romance, what more do you need?
Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC to review.
May 18, 2020
5 Stars
I know that when I open the first page of a book by Carolyn Brown, that I am going to get a great story to read and Cowboy Strong is no exception.
I love all the characters in all her books, but I think that Alana and Paxton just might be my all-time favs. I liked that Paxton would do anything for Alana, even fake an engagement to her to please her father. These two lived next to each other on their family ranches' and had a kind of a love/hate relationship growing up, but became best friends in their adult hood when Paxton came back to Texas. Now they are taking the friendship to a level that neither of them could imagine. When the wedding plans get out of control and then they add in the growing affection and they take that affection to the next level, the flames the two have for one another nearly burns down the barn. The two had been leading up to this ever since they were in their teens. And there is one other little complication in this “fake” relationship they did not factor in....
This is one sweet and passionate story about what lengths a daughter would go to make her dying
father’s wish come true, and a cowboy who is strong enough to help fulfill that wish with the women he has always loved. And just like a lot of her books, we meet again all her wonderful characters as they gather for the wedding of the year in Daisy, Texas that are like old friends.
Thank you, Carolyn Brown, for giving me the opportunity to read and review this wonderful
heartwarming story. I can’t wait for and hope the next Longhorn Canyon book.
I know that when I open the first page of a book by Carolyn Brown, that I am going to get a great story to read and Cowboy Strong is no exception.
I love all the characters in all her books, but I think that Alana and Paxton just might be my all-time favs. I liked that Paxton would do anything for Alana, even fake an engagement to her to please her father. These two lived next to each other on their family ranches' and had a kind of a love/hate relationship growing up, but became best friends in their adult hood when Paxton came back to Texas. Now they are taking the friendship to a level that neither of them could imagine. When the wedding plans get out of control and then they add in the growing affection and they take that affection to the next level, the flames the two have for one another nearly burns down the barn. The two had been leading up to this ever since they were in their teens. And there is one other little complication in this “fake” relationship they did not factor in....
This is one sweet and passionate story about what lengths a daughter would go to make her dying
father’s wish come true, and a cowboy who is strong enough to help fulfill that wish with the women he has always loved. And just like a lot of her books, we meet again all her wonderful characters as they gather for the wedding of the year in Daisy, Texas that are like old friends.
Thank you, Carolyn Brown, for giving me the opportunity to read and review this wonderful
heartwarming story. I can’t wait for and hope the next Longhorn Canyon book.
June 29, 2020
The Delight:
They Knew Each Other From Childhood, But It Took a Dying Man's Wish to Give Them Their Chance. The Longhorn Canyon series has introduced some great ranching men and women. Pax and Alana are no exception in this touching, emotional country charmer.
Review:
Alana Carey learns the devastating news that her father only has about six weeks to live. Now, his frequent mentions of his dream that she find a good man and settle so he can walk her down the aisle holds an all new meaning. Matt Carey knows he's leaving his only child alone and wants her to have a helpmate like he had with her mother to help Alana run their large cattle ranch. Alana is heartbroken, but is determined that her dad will have his dying wish so she goes to the only man she can count on to go through an engagement and wedding just to make Matt Carey feel he can die without worry and regret. It doesn't hurt that she has crushed on Pax Callahan since they were kids and recently buried the hatchet on their teenage feud so they are dear friends. A lie for good intentions, but when the time comes, is it really a lie?
Pax once kissed tough and tall Alana Carey behind the barn and nearly got his teeth knocked in and told she wanted nothing to do with him. It hurt in more ways than one since he'd always had a thing for the golden-haired girl from the ranch next door. It is only years later that they get over that and now she needs him to stand by her as she must mourn her father's coming death, keep her promise to tell no one he's dying, and pretend she is all taken cared for in her future with Pax. He doesn't even hesitate to do this and soon finds that being engaged is not as terrifying as some might imagine for the good-timing cowboy who has dreams of settling down- and those dreams now include Alana.
As you might surmise from the blurb, this one had a bittersweet quality particularly once the reader gets to know the dying Matt Carey and the beautiful legacy he has in his daughter, his ranch, and his friends. It was obvious that Pax and Alana were it for each other and they were connected strongly even if it took the fake engagement to get them to see it. Pax feels he has nothing to offer Alana since he's got a half share in a much smaller ranch and no money. Alana doesn't worry about that because she knows Pax has a lot to offer as rancher and hard worker, but she does wonder if settling down particularly with her is something he's ready for. This could have gotten angsty especially with a few other interesting elements that come into the story, but it does not. The author wisely understood that what was there was plenty. It's a beautiful story and has a gentle pacing. Lots of heartwarming moments and a couple funny ones. The family and friends, small town, and ranch life backdrop is feathered in so well.
I got emotional and still feel it while I'm typing this. It was a beautiful story in the style at only Carolyn Brown can write. Though not one of the high humor ones, it's still got a good down home feel and I can strongly recommend it to cowboy-small town- contemporary romance fans.
My thanks to Forever for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
They Knew Each Other From Childhood, But It Took a Dying Man's Wish to Give Them Their Chance. The Longhorn Canyon series has introduced some great ranching men and women. Pax and Alana are no exception in this touching, emotional country charmer.
Review:
Alana Carey learns the devastating news that her father only has about six weeks to live. Now, his frequent mentions of his dream that she find a good man and settle so he can walk her down the aisle holds an all new meaning. Matt Carey knows he's leaving his only child alone and wants her to have a helpmate like he had with her mother to help Alana run their large cattle ranch. Alana is heartbroken, but is determined that her dad will have his dying wish so she goes to the only man she can count on to go through an engagement and wedding just to make Matt Carey feel he can die without worry and regret. It doesn't hurt that she has crushed on Pax Callahan since they were kids and recently buried the hatchet on their teenage feud so they are dear friends. A lie for good intentions, but when the time comes, is it really a lie?
Pax once kissed tough and tall Alana Carey behind the barn and nearly got his teeth knocked in and told she wanted nothing to do with him. It hurt in more ways than one since he'd always had a thing for the golden-haired girl from the ranch next door. It is only years later that they get over that and now she needs him to stand by her as she must mourn her father's coming death, keep her promise to tell no one he's dying, and pretend she is all taken cared for in her future with Pax. He doesn't even hesitate to do this and soon finds that being engaged is not as terrifying as some might imagine for the good-timing cowboy who has dreams of settling down- and those dreams now include Alana.
As you might surmise from the blurb, this one had a bittersweet quality particularly once the reader gets to know the dying Matt Carey and the beautiful legacy he has in his daughter, his ranch, and his friends. It was obvious that Pax and Alana were it for each other and they were connected strongly even if it took the fake engagement to get them to see it. Pax feels he has nothing to offer Alana since he's got a half share in a much smaller ranch and no money. Alana doesn't worry about that because she knows Pax has a lot to offer as rancher and hard worker, but she does wonder if settling down particularly with her is something he's ready for. This could have gotten angsty especially with a few other interesting elements that come into the story, but it does not. The author wisely understood that what was there was plenty. It's a beautiful story and has a gentle pacing. Lots of heartwarming moments and a couple funny ones. The family and friends, small town, and ranch life backdrop is feathered in so well.
I got emotional and still feel it while I'm typing this. It was a beautiful story in the style at only Carolyn Brown can write. Though not one of the high humor ones, it's still got a good down home feel and I can strongly recommend it to cowboy-small town- contemporary romance fans.
My thanks to Forever for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 22, 2020
Sometimes you just need to read a book that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside - maybe with a few tears shed along the way. This story has all of that. Pax and Alana were clearly meant-for-each-other in a written in the stars kind of way. The grew up as neighbors and along the way, they never connected for various reasons, but it seems like they have been in love with each other for most of their lives. They are the only ones who didn't realize it.
Alana's father is dying from a brain tumor and his last wish is that he could walk his daughter down the aisle and see her settled with a partner who loves her and supports her. When Alana finds out, she immediately tells her father that she has been seeing Pax secretly for the last few months and they are getting married. Her father is elated and immediately wants to start planning a wedding for before he dies. All Alana needs is for Pax to agree.
Pax agrees immediately, and off they go for a fake engagement heading for a real but temporary marriage. It doesn't take long for things to get complicated - emotionally and physically. But it is clear that, no matter the complications, the fake relationship turns to real very quickly.
I really enjoyed just about everything about this story. Alana and Pax are both good people and well developed as characters. The town and people from previous stories make up a sweet and fun hometown atmosphere. Overall the story arc is pretty predictable - but that is just fine because that was what I wanted in this book - no big surprises, not a lot of drama, and a satisfying happily-ever-after.
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.
Alana's father is dying from a brain tumor and his last wish is that he could walk his daughter down the aisle and see her settled with a partner who loves her and supports her. When Alana finds out, she immediately tells her father that she has been seeing Pax secretly for the last few months and they are getting married. Her father is elated and immediately wants to start planning a wedding for before he dies. All Alana needs is for Pax to agree.
Pax agrees immediately, and off they go for a fake engagement heading for a real but temporary marriage. It doesn't take long for things to get complicated - emotionally and physically. But it is clear that, no matter the complications, the fake relationship turns to real very quickly.
I really enjoyed just about everything about this story. Alana and Pax are both good people and well developed as characters. The town and people from previous stories make up a sweet and fun hometown atmosphere. Overall the story arc is pretty predictable - but that is just fine because that was what I wanted in this book - no big surprises, not a lot of drama, and a satisfying happily-ever-after.
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.
April 30, 2020
I can't go wrong with a Carolyn Brown book. Each time she produces a new one, I devour it. It's an age old plot: man and woman must marry for some reason. During the process they discover they really love each other. The uniqueness resides in the characters. Alana is feisty, strong, and desperate to please her father. Pax is the most amiable cowboy and eager to help Alana. I love the quirky sayings littered throughout the text. Brown brings The entire ensemble together For this wedding. Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 11, 2020
Alana Joy Carey remembers when, at the age of thirteen, she left the fall ranch sale and dinner to take a break behind the barn. She remembers all too well neighbor Paxton Callahan walking up to her behind the barn and kissing her. What a surprise! Then Pax was surprised when she slapped his face. He was lucky she hadn't punched him a good one. After she thought about what happened she felt bad and decided to apologize. The next day she saw Pax kissing another girl. What a jerk! Now she has added other memories of Pax to her thoughts. The Pax who took her home after Prom so she didn't have to go to the after-party with her date. The Pax who never hesitated to help her Daddy on the Bar C Ranch when he needed help. Now faced with her Daddy's devastating news that he has inoperable brain cancer and only has six weeks to live and his wish to see her married and settled, it's Pax Callahan who comes to mind and she tells her Daddy she has been secretly dating Pax and they are engaged. This makes her Daddy so very happy. He has long looked forward to walking Alana down the aisle on her wedding day. Now to tell Pax what she has done and hope he goes along with this fake engagement and wedding.
Paxton Callahan is the ultimate cowboy living the Cowboy Code of Ethics. When Alana Carey slapped him after he kissed her behind the barn when they were thirteen years old he was so disillusioned. He thought she liked him. Guess not. All these years later he and Alana realize they truly are friends. He has done kind things for her and he respects the heck out of her Daddy, Matt Carey. When Alana tells him she told her Daddy they were engaged and why Pax is determined to do all he could for Matt's sake. It sure was no hardship pretending to be Alana's fiance. As time went on Pax started to wish this fake engagement and wedding didn't have an end date. Spending so much time with Alana made him realize that his feelings for Alana were stronger than friendship. But have Alana's feelings toward him changed?
Cowboy Strong by Carolyn Brown is the seventh book in her Longhorn Canyon series. Carolyn Brown just can't write a bad cowboy story. Every time she puts pen to paper, or actually in this day and age fingers to her keyboard, the end result is a cowboy who epitomizes strength, honor, dedication and loyalty. Pax sure fits this description. He is the perfect example of a cowboy living the Cowboy Code of Ethics. He's not perfect but I greatly admire him and Alana both. Their determination to make Alana's Daddy's last days happy ones is admirable for sure. Ms. Brown's cast of characters in this story is a fun bunch to read about and they all, except Alana's nemesis Rachel Freeman, make me want to live among them. This story touches at your heartstrings and evokes smiles and tears at the couple's situation. I sure was rooting for them throughout the book. I liked the surprise appearance towards the end of the story. This book is heartwarming; sunshine for your heart.
Paxton Callahan is the ultimate cowboy living the Cowboy Code of Ethics. When Alana Carey slapped him after he kissed her behind the barn when they were thirteen years old he was so disillusioned. He thought she liked him. Guess not. All these years later he and Alana realize they truly are friends. He has done kind things for her and he respects the heck out of her Daddy, Matt Carey. When Alana tells him she told her Daddy they were engaged and why Pax is determined to do all he could for Matt's sake. It sure was no hardship pretending to be Alana's fiance. As time went on Pax started to wish this fake engagement and wedding didn't have an end date. Spending so much time with Alana made him realize that his feelings for Alana were stronger than friendship. But have Alana's feelings toward him changed?
Cowboy Strong by Carolyn Brown is the seventh book in her Longhorn Canyon series. Carolyn Brown just can't write a bad cowboy story. Every time she puts pen to paper, or actually in this day and age fingers to her keyboard, the end result is a cowboy who epitomizes strength, honor, dedication and loyalty. Pax sure fits this description. He is the perfect example of a cowboy living the Cowboy Code of Ethics. He's not perfect but I greatly admire him and Alana both. Their determination to make Alana's Daddy's last days happy ones is admirable for sure. Ms. Brown's cast of characters in this story is a fun bunch to read about and they all, except Alana's nemesis Rachel Freeman, make me want to live among them. This story touches at your heartstrings and evokes smiles and tears at the couple's situation. I sure was rooting for them throughout the book. I liked the surprise appearance towards the end of the story. This book is heartwarming; sunshine for your heart.
May 25, 2020
Cowboy Strong was delightful to read! You jump right into the story with our strong heroine, Alana. She is beautiful inside and out. Her love for her father is precious and he for her. Paxton is so strong yet would do anything for Alana as evidenced throughout the book. I love this story because friends fall in love with each other. It's so sweet because their families and friends know they love each other but they haven't figured that out yet. They have to pretend to love each other in order to realize and recognize friendship leads to a true, deep, lasting love. When you are friends, you don't just love the person but you like them too and that was very true for Paxton and Alana. It was a quick and enjoyable read. I don't know how Carolyn Brown does it but she does!!! Thank you again for a great story!!
February 18, 2024
Ok it’s bad. We knew that from the cover. But it was kind of sweet HAHA but I only spent $2 and I read it in like 5 hours so it feels like a win. I did not have to think a single thought while reading it either.
July 15, 2020
I loved this fake relationship story. I loved how much Alana and Paxton wanted to make her dad's last few weeks amazing and make him so happy and loved. This was a great story with characters that warmed your heart and even though this is the only book in the series that I have read, it worked as a stand alone, but the hints were enough to make me want to read the previous stories as well. However, I did not enjoy the way the dialogue was written. I know they are in Texas and I know that they are cowboys, but the way that the author made the dialogue try to sound cowboy was a little off putting to me.
July 6, 2020
Alana Carey is one of the strongest western heroines I have had the pleasure of reading. With her father being terminally ill, Alana's ranch responsibilities increase exponentially. There is a distraction, however. A huge one. Cowboy Paxton Callahan is back in town and Alana is all but overwhelmed with feelings for him she thought long buried. While talking to her father, with her love and respect for him shining through, she tell him something that will make him happy and the rest of his time peaceful. She tells him she is engaged to Pax, long-time family friend, and someone Alana knows her father would approve of.
There is one problem, however, the two are not engaged. As a matter of fact, they are not even a couple! Yet, Alana knows her father wants her to be happy and so she tells him this untruth. Here is the rub, Pax has been in love with Alana since they were kids. With their attraction sizzling to a boiling point, he has no problem going along with Alana's lie. He loves her father, and when he finds out that it is his dying wish to see Alana married, what else could Pax do?
The pair have to appear convincingly. Well, with the arc of attraction that flows freely between them, that certainly won't be a problem. So, a fake romance, engagement and soon-to-be wedding is all ahead of the couple.
While I loved watching Alana and Pax dance around their feelings for one another, I was so very moved by the fact that I knew Alana's father Matt would die at some point in this story. For that to happen Ms. Brown had to delicately balance both romance and tragedy. As much as I have enjoyed this series over the past couple of years, that made this book hold so much more for me. How I loved Matt, and of course, Alana and Pax. Along with Alana knowing she would lose her dad, there were other sensitive things about her, really making her a wonderful character.
While I am not certain as if there will be more stories in this Longhorn Canyon series, I will certainly grab as many of Ms. Brown's novels I can as I truly enjoy her writing style as well as the way she portrays her characters.
Many thanks to Forever and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
There is one problem, however, the two are not engaged. As a matter of fact, they are not even a couple! Yet, Alana knows her father wants her to be happy and so she tells him this untruth. Here is the rub, Pax has been in love with Alana since they were kids. With their attraction sizzling to a boiling point, he has no problem going along with Alana's lie. He loves her father, and when he finds out that it is his dying wish to see Alana married, what else could Pax do?
The pair have to appear convincingly. Well, with the arc of attraction that flows freely between them, that certainly won't be a problem. So, a fake romance, engagement and soon-to-be wedding is all ahead of the couple.
While I loved watching Alana and Pax dance around their feelings for one another, I was so very moved by the fact that I knew Alana's father Matt would die at some point in this story. For that to happen Ms. Brown had to delicately balance both romance and tragedy. As much as I have enjoyed this series over the past couple of years, that made this book hold so much more for me. How I loved Matt, and of course, Alana and Pax. Along with Alana knowing she would lose her dad, there were other sensitive things about her, really making her a wonderful character.
While I am not certain as if there will be more stories in this Longhorn Canyon series, I will certainly grab as many of Ms. Brown's novels I can as I truly enjoy her writing style as well as the way she portrays her characters.
Many thanks to Forever and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
July 2, 2020
Sweet, sentimental, and romantic!
Cowboy Strong takes us to the Texas Panhandle and into the life of the hardworking, competent Alana Carey as she relies on the cowboy next door, the rugged Paxton Callaghan to help her fake an engagement in order to make her father’s final wishes, to see his daughter married, come true.
The writing is smooth and light. The characters are supportive, fun-loving, and endearing. And the plot is a charming mix of family, friendship, nostalgia, tender moments, palpable attraction, undeniable chemistry, wedding planning, and ranch life.
Cowboy Strong is the seventh and final title in the Longhorn Canyon series, and once again Brown has written an engaging, heartwarming, fulfilling tale with just the right amount of heart, humour, and heat to be a truly satisfying western treat.
Thank you to Forever & Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Cowboy Strong takes us to the Texas Panhandle and into the life of the hardworking, competent Alana Carey as she relies on the cowboy next door, the rugged Paxton Callaghan to help her fake an engagement in order to make her father’s final wishes, to see his daughter married, come true.
The writing is smooth and light. The characters are supportive, fun-loving, and endearing. And the plot is a charming mix of family, friendship, nostalgia, tender moments, palpable attraction, undeniable chemistry, wedding planning, and ranch life.
Cowboy Strong is the seventh and final title in the Longhorn Canyon series, and once again Brown has written an engaging, heartwarming, fulfilling tale with just the right amount of heart, humour, and heat to be a truly satisfying western treat.
Thank you to Forever & Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 30, 2020
Cowboy Strong (Longhorn Canyon #7) by Carolyn Brown
2.5 stars
M/F Romance
Triggers: Terminal illness
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
This story had a lot of potential. Alana and Pax had a history and while you don't really know what happened when they were younger, you can see that they have a genuine friendship that could be a lot more.
It was frustrating to watch them fight their attraction for most of the book. Then, when you incorporated the cancer, unknown relative and unplanned life circumstances, you were just kind of given a miss-mash of things. I really wanted to like this story, because I love a good friends to lovers story. Probably if they had not fought their feelings for 80% of the book, it would have been more successful.
2.5 stars
M/F Romance
Triggers: Terminal illness
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
This story had a lot of potential. Alana and Pax had a history and while you don't really know what happened when they were younger, you can see that they have a genuine friendship that could be a lot more.
It was frustrating to watch them fight their attraction for most of the book. Then, when you incorporated the cancer, unknown relative and unplanned life circumstances, you were just kind of given a miss-mash of things. I really wanted to like this story, because I love a good friends to lovers story. Probably if they had not fought their feelings for 80% of the book, it would have been more successful.
July 1, 2020
4.5 stars!
Man, I am so glad that we finally got Pax and Alana's story! I've been waiting for this one for quite a while!
This fake engagement/friends to lovers romance fed my soul in the best way! When Alana finds out that her dad has a terminal illness, she recruits Pax to be engaged to her, so that her father has a chance to see her walk down the isle before he dies. What she didn't count on, was the fact that she and Pax had been running from their feelings since they were kids.
The way these two came together made so much sense to me, and it was just such a treat to read. This book is very much about the journey, and I truly adored it!
I love these Longhorn Canyon people so much! Can't wait for the next one!
Man, I am so glad that we finally got Pax and Alana's story! I've been waiting for this one for quite a while!
This fake engagement/friends to lovers romance fed my soul in the best way! When Alana finds out that her dad has a terminal illness, she recruits Pax to be engaged to her, so that her father has a chance to see her walk down the isle before he dies. What she didn't count on, was the fact that she and Pax had been running from their feelings since they were kids.
The way these two came together made so much sense to me, and it was just such a treat to read. This book is very much about the journey, and I truly adored it!
I love these Longhorn Canyon people so much! Can't wait for the next one!
July 20, 2020
Cowboy Strong by Carolyn Brown is another novel of the Longhorn Canyon series. One fake engagement brings a real second chance at love between Alana Carey and Paxton Callahan. She can out-rope and out-ride the best of them. When Paxton arrives back in town, her old feelings for him reruns with a vengeance. Paxton has been in love with Alana, well, like forever. They agree to a fake engagement when her father falls ill. Carolyn Brown reawakens the love between Alana and Paxton with a flair of a small-town romance. Cowboy Strong is all about family and a desire to fulfill a dying man’s wish as Alana and Paxton discover love is the real deal.
Carolyn Brown’s Sunrise Ranch, The Canyon novella is included in her Cowboy Strong as a bonus story. It has started out with a will stipulating that Ezra’s three daughters must live on the ranch to inherit. Bonnie Malloy is the last one with six months to go, but then there is Rusty Dawson, who thinks the property is rightfully his based on a promise made by her father. Each becomes determined to drive the other out . . . until they realize just how much they enjoy being together. Sunrise Ranch is a lovable romance about two people finally admitting they are in love.
Carolyn Brown’s Sunrise Ranch, The Canyon novella is included in her Cowboy Strong as a bonus story. It has started out with a will stipulating that Ezra’s three daughters must live on the ranch to inherit. Bonnie Malloy is the last one with six months to go, but then there is Rusty Dawson, who thinks the property is rightfully his based on a promise made by her father. Each becomes determined to drive the other out . . . until they realize just how much they enjoy being together. Sunrise Ranch is a lovable romance about two people finally admitting they are in love.
July 2, 2020
Some books take a bit of time to decide how you feel about them. This was one of those books. I truly enjoyed reading the story. The characters are very strong and fight what everyone else already knows is love even as they pretend to be in love. It's a trope that I like. But something about this story kept me thinking and wondering just what to say in a review. The story is well written and keeps you turning pages eager to see what happens next. The characters are believable and fun. The story at times is heart-breaking and sweet and full of romance. The situation with Alana and her father is heart wrenching but also uplifting. The whole story at turns will have you wanting to cry, laugh, sign, rant and then it leaves you feeling like you've been through an emotional wringer but so glad to have been along for the ride. This is not an easy read as far as your emotions go. It is easy to read as in it's easy to get lost in the story. Just be prepared to have some tissues handy because at times you'll need them. There is an included story with this edition, Sunrise Ranch, and I'll leave a separate review on that story. But it's great to have it included. This is part of a series, but I have not read the previous titles and did not feel lost. I do plan to go back and read the previous titles now. I have to wonder if those who have read the previous titles will feel their heart even more torn reading this one. Great job, Carolyn Brown! I do recommend COWBOY STRONG to all readers who love romances with strong characters and touching stories. Well worth and time and money and emotional wringing!
July 7, 2020
Cowboy Strong
Very enjoyable book. It has some sad moments but it also had some good humor in there. Alana and Pax are both very likable characters.
The bonus book was great too.
Very enjoyable book. It has some sad moments but it also had some good humor in there. Alana and Pax are both very likable characters.
The bonus book was great too.
July 7, 2020
3.5 Stars
Fathers love their daughters and sometimes life isn’t long enough to protect them. For Texas cowgirl, Alana Carey, life has always been about the Ranch and her daddy. But when her father’s health is compromised, she’s forced to make some tough decisions to make her daddy’s dream come true.
Tough decisions sometimes come in strong, tall, sexy packages. Enter Paxton Callahan, handsome, rugged and a dangerous kisser. For Alana, growing up has always included Paxton. From a stolen kiss to longing looks, Paxton has always been the sexy Cowboy next door and someone she could always count on. When life is short, you’ve got to make every memory count and for Alana, Paxton will do whatever it takes.
“Not if you live by the Cowboy Code,” Pax said. “I know that code as well as you do,” she asked.
“Then you know should never let anyone take your courage, your strength, or your dignity.”
“I guess it would take a strong cowboy to follow his heart and not let other people say influence his decision to fall in love with a woman because she owns more dirt than he does, Alana said.”
“Had it been anyone other than Pax sitting at her table that evening she might have snarled at the dirt on his shirt. But she saw right past the grime and even his bulging biceps and looked right at the heart of the man. He’d dropped what he was doing to go with her, had taken over the wheel to calm her down, and then hustled up a meal. Now that was a man that any woman should be proud to call her husband.”
Life and the memories we make along the way, the joys and sorrows it brings, make these characters, Cowboy Strong. Set on the ranch lands of Daisy, Texas, this romance will take you through some scorching Texas heat and fiery neighborly attraction. So, get ready to get lost in this shot gun romance! With a plan set in place, a mutual goal to make someone’s dream come true and a chemistry that is off the chart’s tangible, this author will take you along, to discover that sometimes love was always next door.
My thoughts 🤔 💭
It was a bit of a challenge to read through the story. I kept having issues with the dialect, even though I’m from Texas. The story itself is good. I kept rooting for the characters and felt invested in their outcome, meaning l was committed to the end of the book. The main characters and the supportive characters were well written. I felt like everyone was comfortable and I believed that they knew and cared for each other.
There was lots of chemistry between the main characters but was a bit disappointed the sex scenes were really toned down; not necessarily a bad thing, but I just wasn’t expecting it and it took me by surprise.
I would recommend this book to a friend with some caution. These characters are religious. Again, not a bad thing, I certainly didn’t mind it, but it might be off-putting to some. I would caution you, that these characters are cattle ranchers and there is mention of cattle buying and breeding. Texas born and raised, that is just the way of life here for most. I would just caution because there are a lot of people that don’t support that industry.
Overall, I enjoyed it. This story evokes emotion. Reading through it, feeling their love and their loss, I couldn’t help but feel along with them. I absolutely got lost in this story and it was entertaining to read and to see the characters fall in love.
~ Patricia
Fathers love their daughters and sometimes life isn’t long enough to protect them. For Texas cowgirl, Alana Carey, life has always been about the Ranch and her daddy. But when her father’s health is compromised, she’s forced to make some tough decisions to make her daddy’s dream come true.
Tough decisions sometimes come in strong, tall, sexy packages. Enter Paxton Callahan, handsome, rugged and a dangerous kisser. For Alana, growing up has always included Paxton. From a stolen kiss to longing looks, Paxton has always been the sexy Cowboy next door and someone she could always count on. When life is short, you’ve got to make every memory count and for Alana, Paxton will do whatever it takes.
“Not if you live by the Cowboy Code,” Pax said. “I know that code as well as you do,” she asked.
“Then you know should never let anyone take your courage, your strength, or your dignity.”
“I guess it would take a strong cowboy to follow his heart and not let other people say influence his decision to fall in love with a woman because she owns more dirt than he does, Alana said.”
“Had it been anyone other than Pax sitting at her table that evening she might have snarled at the dirt on his shirt. But she saw right past the grime and even his bulging biceps and looked right at the heart of the man. He’d dropped what he was doing to go with her, had taken over the wheel to calm her down, and then hustled up a meal. Now that was a man that any woman should be proud to call her husband.”
Life and the memories we make along the way, the joys and sorrows it brings, make these characters, Cowboy Strong. Set on the ranch lands of Daisy, Texas, this romance will take you through some scorching Texas heat and fiery neighborly attraction. So, get ready to get lost in this shot gun romance! With a plan set in place, a mutual goal to make someone’s dream come true and a chemistry that is off the chart’s tangible, this author will take you along, to discover that sometimes love was always next door.
My thoughts 🤔 💭
It was a bit of a challenge to read through the story. I kept having issues with the dialect, even though I’m from Texas. The story itself is good. I kept rooting for the characters and felt invested in their outcome, meaning l was committed to the end of the book. The main characters and the supportive characters were well written. I felt like everyone was comfortable and I believed that they knew and cared for each other.
There was lots of chemistry between the main characters but was a bit disappointed the sex scenes were really toned down; not necessarily a bad thing, but I just wasn’t expecting it and it took me by surprise.
I would recommend this book to a friend with some caution. These characters are religious. Again, not a bad thing, I certainly didn’t mind it, but it might be off-putting to some. I would caution you, that these characters are cattle ranchers and there is mention of cattle buying and breeding. Texas born and raised, that is just the way of life here for most. I would just caution because there are a lot of people that don’t support that industry.
Overall, I enjoyed it. This story evokes emotion. Reading through it, feeling their love and their loss, I couldn’t help but feel along with them. I absolutely got lost in this story and it was entertaining to read and to see the characters fall in love.
~ Patricia
July 1, 2020
ARC for honest review with no compensation Received from NetGalley and Forever
Cowboy Strong is book 7 in the Longhorn Canyon series by Carolyn Brown, this is my first book in this series and while a stand-alone I want to read the others books to see how all the couples got together!
Alana and Pax have know each other since they were kids but never really connect as teens though they each had crushes on the other. Now years later, when Alana gets some devastating news about her father she turns to Pax and what happens next is frustrating, tears, chuckles, friends to lovers, and a fake marriage...or is it fake?
Cowboy Strong is book 7 in the Longhorn Canyon series by Carolyn Brown, this is my first book in this series and while a stand-alone I want to read the others books to see how all the couples got together!
Alana and Pax have know each other since they were kids but never really connect as teens though they each had crushes on the other. Now years later, when Alana gets some devastating news about her father she turns to Pax and what happens next is frustrating, tears, chuckles, friends to lovers, and a fake marriage...or is it fake?
June 8, 2020
Cowboy Strong
Series: Book 7 in the Longhorn Canyon series
Rating: 3
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.
This is the first book I read by this author and I was unaware that it was book 7 in a series, though you can read it as a stand alone.
Pax and Alana have been friends since they were very young. Her father has been recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. His final wish is to see her married and happy. Caught up in the moment of hearing this tragic news she tells her father that she's engaged to Pax, their next door neighbor rancher. This is what you might consider a white lie. She decides to create this fictional romance to make her father's last days happy. I liked that Pax is such a great guy that he immediately agrees to the lie. Not knowing that Matt, Alana's father, was going to get so involved that they plan a wedding and honeymoon!
Pax and Alana embark in a fake relationship that day by day the lines of it being and fake and real begin to blur. She does feel guilty about lying to her father and the whole town of Daisy, it's a very small town, so everybody knows everybody and their business. She then sees how happy her father is and how easy Pax makes it for her to create this fictional relationship that she's constantly asking God for forgiveness.
This was a very sweet romance. There's so much love and acceptance between them. Pax is my favorite of the two. He's just a great guy who is willing to do anything for Alana and her father. In regard to Alana she was a very strong and hard working woman. It was just there were a couple of comments that Alana made that made me think I was reading an old school romance. It made her seem a little immature for her to say those things.
Overall it was a sweet romance with not too detailed sexy times ( if you know what I mean ).
Series: Book 7 in the Longhorn Canyon series
Rating: 3
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.
This is the first book I read by this author and I was unaware that it was book 7 in a series, though you can read it as a stand alone.
Pax and Alana have been friends since they were very young. Her father has been recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. His final wish is to see her married and happy. Caught up in the moment of hearing this tragic news she tells her father that she's engaged to Pax, their next door neighbor rancher. This is what you might consider a white lie. She decides to create this fictional romance to make her father's last days happy. I liked that Pax is such a great guy that he immediately agrees to the lie. Not knowing that Matt, Alana's father, was going to get so involved that they plan a wedding and honeymoon!
Pax and Alana embark in a fake relationship that day by day the lines of it being and fake and real begin to blur. She does feel guilty about lying to her father and the whole town of Daisy, it's a very small town, so everybody knows everybody and their business. She then sees how happy her father is and how easy Pax makes it for her to create this fictional relationship that she's constantly asking God for forgiveness.
This was a very sweet romance. There's so much love and acceptance between them. Pax is my favorite of the two. He's just a great guy who is willing to do anything for Alana and her father. In regard to Alana she was a very strong and hard working woman. It was just there were a couple of comments that Alana made that made me think I was reading an old school romance. It made her seem a little immature for her to say those things.
Overall it was a sweet romance with not too detailed sexy times ( if you know what I mean ).
June 8, 2020
3.5 stars
I have not read the other books in this series (I know I have missed 6 books), but this one intrigued me from the description. This is the cute story of two people who fake an engagement / wedding for honorable reasons. It could have been really good, but I feel other authors have pulled it off better.
I did like the characters in this story - they were likable. But in my opinion, there just wasn't much chemistry. They TALKED about having chemistry with each other, but I just didn't feel it while I was reading.
The main character is a very talented cowgirl and everyone has always said it will take a strong cowboy to match her (hence the name of the book). She can outride, out-rope, out ranch every cowboy out there. But she is 6' tall and model gorgeous as well. Yeah, right.
The main male character has been her friend since they were three years old. And they've sort of had this crush on each other, but neither of them ever knew? It was only visible to those around them. Well, he's basically a male whore, but he instantly agrees to go along with her fake engagement / wedding like it's no big deal. I felt he was too agreeable and it didn't add to the authenticity of the story.
It's a cute story and an easy read.
I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.
I have not read the other books in this series (I know I have missed 6 books), but this one intrigued me from the description. This is the cute story of two people who fake an engagement / wedding for honorable reasons. It could have been really good, but I feel other authors have pulled it off better.
I did like the characters in this story - they were likable. But in my opinion, there just wasn't much chemistry. They TALKED about having chemistry with each other, but I just didn't feel it while I was reading.
The main character is a very talented cowgirl and everyone has always said it will take a strong cowboy to match her (hence the name of the book). She can outride, out-rope, out ranch every cowboy out there. But she is 6' tall and model gorgeous as well. Yeah, right.
The main male character has been her friend since they were three years old. And they've sort of had this crush on each other, but neither of them ever knew? It was only visible to those around them. Well, he's basically a male whore, but he instantly agrees to go along with her fake engagement / wedding like it's no big deal. I felt he was too agreeable and it didn't add to the authenticity of the story.
It's a cute story and an easy read.
I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.
August 18, 2020
Would you lie to fulfill a dying man's last wish?
That's what Alana Carey did to answer her father's wish to see her settle down. She already lost her mother when she was younger so when her father announces her he's got an inoperable cancer and just a few weeks to live, her world turn upside-down. Now she just have to convince her friend/neighbor/long time crush to play the part of doting fiancé.
For me, Carolyn Brown's novels are the definition of comfort read. It's like a warm blanket on a cold night or a sweet tea with just the right amount of sugar. Her cowboys are always so romantic and it doesn't get more sweet than Paxton always been there for the heroine when she needs a hand on the ranch or a shoulder to cry on, and how he value her spirit, her independence and her competence.
What happens when Carolyn Brown try the pretend relationship trope? Another damn good story!
That's what Alana Carey did to answer her father's wish to see her settle down. She already lost her mother when she was younger so when her father announces her he's got an inoperable cancer and just a few weeks to live, her world turn upside-down. Now she just have to convince her friend/neighbor/long time crush to play the part of doting fiancé.
For me, Carolyn Brown's novels are the definition of comfort read. It's like a warm blanket on a cold night or a sweet tea with just the right amount of sugar. Her cowboys are always so romantic and it doesn't get more sweet than Paxton always been there for the heroine when she needs a hand on the ranch or a shoulder to cry on, and how he value her spirit, her independence and her competence.
What happens when Carolyn Brown try the pretend relationship trope? Another damn good story!
May 23, 2020
I didn’t mean to jump into a series on the seventh book but this works really well as a stand-alone. Bursting with sweetness but still feeling a bit overly long, I could have dealt with less in the middle and a tiny bit more in the end when things wrap up quickly after the repetitive uncertainty by the main characters long after they have already already given in to the connection every one else has seen them share their entire lives. Still it was a well written connection, as the affection they feel for each other is apparent from the get go and demonstrated over and over again with them way they look after each other with care.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 16, 2020
Check out our COWBOY STRONG post on Wicked Reads.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
2.5 stars
M/F Romance
This story had a lot of potential. Alana and Pax had a history and while you don't really know what happened when they were younger, you can see that they have a genuine friendship that could be a lot more.
It was frustrating to watch them fight their attraction for most of the book. Then, when you incorporated the cancer, unknown relative, and unplanned life circumstances, you were just kind of given a miss-mash of things. I really wanted to like this story, because I love a good friends-to-lovers story. Probably if they had not fought their feelings for 80% of the book, it would have been more successful.
Triggers: Terminal illness
Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
November 24, 2020
2.5 of 5 stars.
The storyline and concept are cute. Writing is rough, and the cowboy feel is pushed too hard to seem natural. The story reads like a C level Hallmark movie. Predictable and okay, but not one you'll watch over and over.
Bonus story was random. Completely different ranch and characters. Almost a commercial for a different series? Again, cute concept, but meh writing and forced country sayings. Good enough to finish, but I'm glad to be moving on to something else.
The storyline and concept are cute. Writing is rough, and the cowboy feel is pushed too hard to seem natural. The story reads like a C level Hallmark movie. Predictable and okay, but not one you'll watch over and over.
Bonus story was random. Completely different ranch and characters. Almost a commercial for a different series? Again, cute concept, but meh writing and forced country sayings. Good enough to finish, but I'm glad to be moving on to something else.
August 22, 2022
This is another fun cowboy romance by Carolyn Brown! These books are humorous, sexy and onclude a cast of fascinating characters. I understood the hero and heroine's motivations in doing a fake engagement, and the trials they went through were amusing and hot! Another winner by Ms. Brown!
January 16, 2025
good book good series!
June 19, 2020
Cowboy Strong is the seventh title in Carolyn Brown's Longhorn Canyon series, and the sixth novel in the series I've read. While I'm a fan of Ms. Brown's, and love a friends-to-lovers romance, it's the fake marriage aspect of this novel that I wasn't thrilled with, although there was certainly a good reason given for it. That, and a couple of other slight missteps are the reason for my 4-star, rather than 5-star rating.
As far as main characters go, I really liked Paxton and Alana. They've known each other forever, living on neighboring ranches. Faced with her father's imminent death from an aggressive brain cancer (her mother died when Alana was a mere child), she wanted to fulfill her father, Matt's, dream of walking her down the aisle. Matt was given only 6 weeks to live, but Alana hasn't been seriously dating anyone, and so she convinces her long-time frenemy, Paxton, to help her convince her father that they've been secretly dating, and are secretly engaged. Once Matt passes, they've agreed to have their fake marriage annulled, but will they?
Matt is thrilled to hear the news of their engagement and immediately takes over the small, intimate wedding Pax and Alana wanted, and turns it into a mega-wedding. The wedding planning and details made Matt happy, and that's what Alana wanted for him, but her feelings of guilt about lying to her dying father, which ran throughout this novel, became a bit overdone and her doubts about the entire scheme became somewhat irritating after a time. Thankfully, it was overshadowed by Pax and Alana's growing attraction to one another, and their reluctance to admit it to each other. As expected, sex enters into the picture between these two likable characters, but it was fairly tame and mostly glossed over, something I've also come to expect in Ms. Brown's novels.
I love the sense of small-town life Ms. Brown always infuses in her novels, and the willingness of the many secondary characters to participate in the wedding, most of whom know nothing of Matt's diagnosis or the fake engagement and marriage. Of course, characters from previous novels appear, but as the wedding draws near and the bridesmaids and groomsmen all arrive (12 of them), trying to keep straight who was whom was a bit daunting for me, and I can't imagine how difficult it might be if you were reading this novel without having read the previous ones in this series. Cowboy Strong can be read as a standalone, but I don't recommend doing so.
Thankfully there was an epilogue 18 months after the HEA wedding, but I felt that Matt's eventual death was given short shrift--pretty much ignored, as was letter Matt gave to Alana, that had been written by her mother prior to her mother's death and was to be given to Alana on her wedding day--the contents were ignored. Personally, I would have loved to learned the contents of that letter and Alana's reaction to reading it become part of this story--I felt somewhat let-down that Ms. Brown simply dropped the ball by not including either Matt's death or the contents of that letter. As someone who unexpectedly lost her own mother at age 15, such a letter from my mother would have been a treasure.
I still enjoyed this novel, despite its few missteps. It was a good read, and I'm recommend it because Ms. Brown is an excellent writer, but I strongly suggest reading this series in the order it was written.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions stated are my own.
As far as main characters go, I really liked Paxton and Alana. They've known each other forever, living on neighboring ranches. Faced with her father's imminent death from an aggressive brain cancer (her mother died when Alana was a mere child), she wanted to fulfill her father, Matt's, dream of walking her down the aisle. Matt was given only 6 weeks to live, but Alana hasn't been seriously dating anyone, and so she convinces her long-time frenemy, Paxton, to help her convince her father that they've been secretly dating, and are secretly engaged. Once Matt passes, they've agreed to have their fake marriage annulled, but will they?
Matt is thrilled to hear the news of their engagement and immediately takes over the small, intimate wedding Pax and Alana wanted, and turns it into a mega-wedding. The wedding planning and details made Matt happy, and that's what Alana wanted for him, but her feelings of guilt about lying to her dying father, which ran throughout this novel, became a bit overdone and her doubts about the entire scheme became somewhat irritating after a time. Thankfully, it was overshadowed by Pax and Alana's growing attraction to one another, and their reluctance to admit it to each other. As expected, sex enters into the picture between these two likable characters, but it was fairly tame and mostly glossed over, something I've also come to expect in Ms. Brown's novels.
I love the sense of small-town life Ms. Brown always infuses in her novels, and the willingness of the many secondary characters to participate in the wedding, most of whom know nothing of Matt's diagnosis or the fake engagement and marriage. Of course, characters from previous novels appear, but as the wedding draws near and the bridesmaids and groomsmen all arrive (12 of them), trying to keep straight who was whom was a bit daunting for me, and I can't imagine how difficult it might be if you were reading this novel without having read the previous ones in this series. Cowboy Strong can be read as a standalone, but I don't recommend doing so.
Thankfully there was an epilogue 18 months after the HEA wedding, but I felt that Matt's eventual death was given short shrift--pretty much ignored, as was letter Matt gave to Alana, that had been written by her mother prior to her mother's death and was to be given to Alana on her wedding day--the contents were ignored. Personally, I would have loved to learned the contents of that letter and Alana's reaction to reading it become part of this story--I felt somewhat let-down that Ms. Brown simply dropped the ball by not including either Matt's death or the contents of that letter. As someone who unexpectedly lost her own mother at age 15, such a letter from my mother would have been a treasure.
I still enjoyed this novel, despite its few missteps. It was a good read, and I'm recommend it because Ms. Brown is an excellent writer, but I strongly suggest reading this series in the order it was written.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions stated are my own.
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