The Cowboy's Forever Family

A sweet & clean romance.

THE COWBOY'S FOREVER FAMILY (Cowboy Country)
by Deb Kastner
February 17, 2015

224 pages, approximately
Romance: Western, Inspirational, Best Friend's Guy/Girl

-- SYNOPSIS --
His Best Friend's Baby
Widowed and pregnant, Laney Beckett wants nothing to do with stubborn rodeo cowboy, Slade McKenna. But avoiding her late husband's best friend is nearly impossible now that Slade thinks Laney and her baby need his protection. Though Slade figures he's too rough a man to settle down, his thrill-seeking ways have already cost him his childhood pal. Looking out for the man's wife and child is the least he can do, especially when headstrong Laney doesn't know the first thing about running the family's ranch. For the sake of baby Beckett, Laney and Slade give friendship a chance...but could they become a true family?
Cowboy Country: Surprise babies lead to unexpected love in Texas.

-- MY THOUGHTS --
Laney returns to town, months after her estranged husband, Brody's, funeral and she is very pregnant. Slade, Brody's best friend, has been helping out on the Beckett family ranch in place of their lost son. Emotions are still raw and he can't help but be suspicious and accusatory towards her, but he's also determined to do all he can for the baby, taking it upon himself almost like his sworn duty. More like, he feels he owes it to baby Beckett out of guilt. She's fiercely independent and headstrong, she initially sees Slade as an adversary or enemy. It takes quite a while for them to see each other for who and what they really are. The characters are likeable. The interaction and dialogue is believable. The plot is good, having enough dynamics to not feel flat. The writing flow is smooth and pleasant. Predictability is where you'd expect it to be, given the feel-good genre. There were a few fun quirks and perks hidden throughout. The conflicts were resolved in a very human manner, meaning it was not perfect, but mature and accepted as is. The conclusion was solid. Overall, it was a nice, quick and clean read.

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Heat Level: 1
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Score: 3.9
Stars: 4
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Tina J / Unbound Passion
Reviewing for: Tangled Hearts and Boxer Briefs