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The Cowboys #12
Texas Tender
When a cowboy named Will arrives on her doorstep, looking for work, Idalou Ellsworth, a fiercely independent woman trying to rescue her family's failing ranch, discovers what it means to be loved in his strong arms. Original.
354 pages, Paperback
First published January 2, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 14, 2018
The sex happened way too late and about 100 pages of repeating things could be cut down toward the end. Also more description of why Will is so attractive rather than just saying he is. Idalou was kinda annoying as well. Just not a huge fan of this book.
September 25, 2021
I needed a glut read for happiness that would be quick, and interested in a male author writing romance novels to see a potentially different perspective, I picked this one up next out of my box of books to read. In a historical western setting, Will Haskins is the man that arrives to town to purchase a bull from Idalou Ellsworth and her brother Carl. Will wants the prized bull for his own ranch he is starting and the Ellsworths need the money to save their ranch. Sparks fly between Will and Idalou and through a lot of banter, distractions, and sinister neighbors plotting the downfall of the small, but strategically located ranch, the two eventually come together for romance, changing both of their future plans.
I actually enjoyed this one a lot more than some that I have recently read. I appreciated several things this author did, from an actual plot that took up a lot of the book time, better development of the primary romantic pairing and the secondary characters, even the pacing that while the majority of the storyline wasn’t over much time, it felt like it was a long time that would legitimately foster a romantic interest developing. All these things bolstered the depth of the story. I can’t tell you how refreshing this was for a romance novel...
There was one grating thing within though for me and that was the imbalance of called out “flaws” of Idalou compared to Will. I was tired of hearing how so many told her she was too bossy, too controlling, too smothering, etc, when males could act in similar ways and it was okay, accepted, and not emasculating to the other males. Making Idalou feel bad was also standardly acceptable. And it was all designed upon the gender stereotypes and rather than it being called out, it was fostered in the work. Maybe to reflect the time period? But I found a HUGE flaw with Will that was barely identified as a flaw or problem at all, but in the end, it really was a major problem and contributed to perpetuating the misunderstandings and the distrust Idalou felt toward Will, but rather than it being Will’s problem, it was made to be her problem. Just that vibe of “men need to live their way and women need to accept them and keep themselves to other women and feminine activities” too often in here in a way to make Idalou balk and let men take over in situations wasn’t appealing. Just no.
I also feel like the “I was scarred by a jilted love, but now I realize it wasn’t really love” and “I become friends with the woman that my man left me for because it was solely my fault he left me” concepts a bit old and part of the blame-only-the-woman filament, and not nearly enough devoted to understanding on Will’s part for Idalou’s feelings regarding her past compared the the overt concern he showed other women in the story for their emotional problems inconsistent. A wounded heart isn’t easy to get over and I would have liked to see this facet improved upon in the book rather than almost feeling like blame was on Idalou for her hang ups regarding love, especially when Will was constantly pulled away from her with problems, especially the women of the town all infatuated with him, yet he can’t understand why she shies back or snaps in response. She is culpable, particularly when snapping at him, but she shouldn’t have been made to shoulder all blame when she was withdrawing to protect her heart, given her past. It invalidates Will’s excuse of his present actions given his past, which are intended to be accepted without holding him accountable or to change. Again, I felt imbalance here and it was irksome. Better exploring this would have also avoided a lot of unnecessary repetition of Idalou’s thoughts and feelings that were confusing her. Proves that the power of conversation, a real and serious one, could do wonders for storybook characters and real humans alike when it comes to one’s feelings and the things that shaped them.
In spite of those two very grating filaments, I really am very interested in reading more by this author in hopes I enjoy other works even more and find more variety in his main female and male leads amidst decently developed plots. True, the villains were a little predictable and the climax of the conflict could have been enhanced a teeny bit, but a good development to the plot, a good pacing for the romance, and enough depth to a multitude of characters, had me invested in this easy read, whether laughing, crying, or yelling at the character decisions.
I actually enjoyed this one a lot more than some that I have recently read. I appreciated several things this author did, from an actual plot that took up a lot of the book time, better development of the primary romantic pairing and the secondary characters, even the pacing that while the majority of the storyline wasn’t over much time, it felt like it was a long time that would legitimately foster a romantic interest developing. All these things bolstered the depth of the story. I can’t tell you how refreshing this was for a romance novel...
There was one grating thing within though for me and that was the imbalance of called out “flaws” of Idalou compared to Will. I was tired of hearing how so many told her she was too bossy, too controlling, too smothering, etc, when males could act in similar ways and it was okay, accepted, and not emasculating to the other males. Making Idalou feel bad was also standardly acceptable. And it was all designed upon the gender stereotypes and rather than it being called out, it was fostered in the work. Maybe to reflect the time period? But I found a HUGE flaw with Will that was barely identified as a flaw or problem at all, but in the end, it really was a major problem and contributed to perpetuating the misunderstandings and the distrust Idalou felt toward Will, but rather than it being Will’s problem, it was made to be her problem. Just that vibe of “men need to live their way and women need to accept them and keep themselves to other women and feminine activities” too often in here in a way to make Idalou balk and let men take over in situations wasn’t appealing. Just no.
I also feel like the “I was scarred by a jilted love, but now I realize it wasn’t really love” and “I become friends with the woman that my man left me for because it was solely my fault he left me” concepts a bit old and part of the blame-only-the-woman filament, and not nearly enough devoted to understanding on Will’s part for Idalou’s feelings regarding her past compared the the overt concern he showed other women in the story for their emotional problems inconsistent. A wounded heart isn’t easy to get over and I would have liked to see this facet improved upon in the book rather than almost feeling like blame was on Idalou for her hang ups regarding love, especially when Will was constantly pulled away from her with problems, especially the women of the town all infatuated with him, yet he can’t understand why she shies back or snaps in response. She is culpable, particularly when snapping at him, but she shouldn’t have been made to shoulder all blame when she was withdrawing to protect her heart, given her past. It invalidates Will’s excuse of his present actions given his past, which are intended to be accepted without holding him accountable or to change. Again, I felt imbalance here and it was irksome. Better exploring this would have also avoided a lot of unnecessary repetition of Idalou’s thoughts and feelings that were confusing her. Proves that the power of conversation, a real and serious one, could do wonders for storybook characters and real humans alike when it comes to one’s feelings and the things that shaped them.
In spite of those two very grating filaments, I really am very interested in reading more by this author in hopes I enjoy other works even more and find more variety in his main female and male leads amidst decently developed plots. True, the villains were a little predictable and the climax of the conflict could have been enhanced a teeny bit, but a good development to the plot, a good pacing for the romance, and enough depth to a multitude of characters, had me invested in this easy read, whether laughing, crying, or yelling at the character decisions.
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October 9, 2024It will be hard to rank this one because I love Will. He's funny and he says what he means. I even liked some side characters (Carl, the lil pregnant girl can't remember her name...). The true hangup in this book is Idalou. She was annoying. What did Will love about her? If she didn't have all that weighing her down and she were a carefree 20-year-old like Mara would he still love her? I didn't buy it. Also, if you don't love a man after he saved you from dying and paid off your debt are you dead? Especially back then. Also, Will is 28. I'm not looking forward to Eden. I'm sure she will be like 19, married off to an almost 30-year-old man. Not to mention, we haven't gotten to know her much through this series.
As of now, my rankings are:
1. Matt
2. Pete
3. Sean
4. Buck
5. Jake
6. Bret
7. Will
8. Chet
9. Ward
10. Drew
11. Zeke / Hawk
12. Luke
As of now, my rankings are:
1. Matt
2. Pete
3. Sean
4. Buck
5. Jake
6. Bret
7. Will
8. Chet
9. Ward
10. Drew
11. Zeke / Hawk
12. Luke
August 30, 2020
I was going to give it only two stars until I got to the part where the cowboy who had only been in town for less than a month was suspected by some people as having gotten a girl pregnant who was already having morning sickness and beginning to show. Obviously, only someone who had never been pregnant could have come up with this kind of a plot device.
Also, there was so much repetition in this book they they could probably have easily cut out another 50 or more pages, which would have given the reader a chance to finish this lame stack of words even quicker so they could move on to something more interesting and better written.
Also, there was so much repetition in this book they they could probably have easily cut out another 50 or more pages, which would have given the reader a chance to finish this lame stack of words even quicker so they could move on to something more interesting and better written.
January 18, 2019
I wanted to like this book but I spent the majority of my time reading it with rolled eyes. Will had no connection to idalou. Wills beauty was very annoying to keep hearing about. No mention of his past but a couple sentences that was the only shock of the book. No mention of frank at the end of the book or van or Mara or caryl. One love scene at the very end. It was not a very good book. I’ve read much better.
October 2, 2011
Free Kindle download. After reading Cowboy Trouble by Joanne Kennedy, I found this to be another instance where I could tell early on who the bad guy was, but the saving factor in this book is that at least the characters aren't clueless to it. Will, the hero, does have his suspicions but needs evidence to back up his theory, and naturally, he doesn't lay out his theory to the reader so that the mystery isn't spoiled for those who haven't guessed yet.
The book all in all was a joy to read — it started off like a classic western, so it felt more authentic on the western end than most other western romances I've read; i.e., it felt more like a western than a historical romance set in the American west. It's like what Zane Grey would have written if he had written romance. I'm not sure if that's because the author is male or if it's just something unique to Leigh Greenwood; perhaps he read a lot of Zane Grey growing up, I don't know. In any case, I really liked the writing, the treatment of the characters, and just how the genre was embodied in this book.
Interesting that for a romance written by a man, though, there is so much relationship talk. There is less emphasis on the hero and heroine's physical chemistry than there is emphasis on how they actually get along, how their character personalities match and what their everyday conversation is like. I actually found it to be a nice break from the norm, and for me, it makes sense that a couple would discuss their compatibilities in areas other than the physical realm because in real life, physical attraction in a long-term relationship can be fleeting for a lot of people; there has to be more than that to really cement a couple through all the years of marriage, after the hormones have settled down and bodies have aged a little.
Anyway, I was intrigued and hooked enough by the writing to want to try other books by this author. Fortunately, when this book was made free, at least a couple of his other books were made free as well, and I have them downloaded. After I finished this book, I started another one of his books — I like his writing that much.
The book all in all was a joy to read — it started off like a classic western, so it felt more authentic on the western end than most other western romances I've read; i.e., it felt more like a western than a historical romance set in the American west. It's like what Zane Grey would have written if he had written romance. I'm not sure if that's because the author is male or if it's just something unique to Leigh Greenwood; perhaps he read a lot of Zane Grey growing up, I don't know. In any case, I really liked the writing, the treatment of the characters, and just how the genre was embodied in this book.
Interesting that for a romance written by a man, though, there is so much relationship talk. There is less emphasis on the hero and heroine's physical chemistry than there is emphasis on how they actually get along, how their character personalities match and what their everyday conversation is like. I actually found it to be a nice break from the norm, and for me, it makes sense that a couple would discuss their compatibilities in areas other than the physical realm because in real life, physical attraction in a long-term relationship can be fleeting for a lot of people; there has to be more than that to really cement a couple through all the years of marriage, after the hormones have settled down and bodies have aged a little.
Anyway, I was intrigued and hooked enough by the writing to want to try other books by this author. Fortunately, when this book was made free, at least a couple of his other books were made free as well, and I have them downloaded. After I finished this book, I started another one of his books — I like his writing that much.
July 31, 2011
First time with this author. Romance novel from a male author, hhhhmmmm interesting.
But, there was a little mystery, with the love. Good book. I liked it.
But, there was a little mystery, with the love. Good book. I liked it.
August 10, 2011
this book was just what a wetern romance should be. Spunky heroine, heroic hero, humor and drama, and the best part is that there are more in the suthor's Cowboy series!
October 6, 2011
I liked this book, until the last part and they had to include a sex scene, I wish they would leave me at the door. Spoiled the whole book for me.
August 9, 2017
Leigh Greenwood hardly ever disappoints. This is a great read. Never a dull moment! He knows his cowboys and his heriones are always spunky.
November 29, 2011
This was a good book considering it was written by a guy. I really enjoyed it
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews