Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
One Hot Cowboy Wedding by Carolyn Brown Series: Spikes & Spurs #4
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on April 11, 2023 (original April 1, 2012)
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 382
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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A marriage made in Vegas...
Hunky cowboy Ace Riley wasn't planning on settling down, but his family had other plans for him...The only way to save his hide, and his playboy lifestyle, is to discreetly marry his best friend, Jasmine King.Can't possibily last...
Fiesty city girl Jasmine was just helping out her friend - that is, until their first kiss stirs up a whole mess of trouble, and suddenly discretion is thrown to the wind.
One hot cowboy, one riled up woman... And they'll be married for a year, like it or not!
Best friends to lovers and Vegas pretend marriage together in a down home cowboy romance is a potent combo which this dear reader found irresistible. An auto-buy author’s older edition gets a re-furbishing from the publisher and reminded me I still hadn’t finished pursuing all the books in this sassy fun cowboy romance series.
One Hot Cowboy Wedding is the fourth in the Spikes and Spurs series of loosely connected standalone romances. The previous romance pairs do have recurring secondary roles and ongoing plot threads so I would recommend getting this series in order if possible.
Jasmine’s best friend is flirty and hot bull-riding and ranch owning Ace Riley. They’ve been friends since she bought the local small town diner and began cooking to her heart’s desire after shucking the dreary city accounting firm job. Ace is in a jam. His grandfather put a clause in his will that Ace never noticed when he inherited the ranch. Now, if he doesn’t have himself hitched with a wife in a week, he’ll not only loose the ranch to his ratfink cousin, but he’ll lose all the capital-improvements he sunk into it. Jazzy can’t let that happen so she and Ace decide to do a secret, temporary marriage that will end in a year. The secret part would keep their lives going along business as usual since neither want anything to do with a long-term hitch up.
But, that scorching hot kiss Ace laid on Jazzy outside the wedding chapel in Vegas and, well, the whole wedding gets air time on National TV and the great state of Texas felt something like an F-5 tornado rumble through when their families and friends got a good look at the TV set.
I had a good time with this light and easy cowboy romance. This pair were goners as soon as they locked lips after spending almost two years quietly getting to know each other and liking the person they saw. Forced to smile and pretend before others and forced to share close proximity was all it took to have them secretly longing that the other was not so opposed to making it permanent. They really just needed to own up in a serious conversation, but I did like the way the author slowly brought them along to full realization between the fun times with friends and the antics of their sets of parents. Jazzy’s mama was in full bridezilla mode and it was something to behold.
I loved how their relationship happened while living and working in their small town and the daily happenings surrounded by other down to earth types. It was sexy and country charming. Light and flirty, but laced with deeper connection. I relaxed and felt uplifted while being entertained and swooning over their romance. Cowboy Romance fans need to tag this one for the reading pile.
About Carolyn Brown
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Carolyn Brown was born in Texas and raised in southern Oklahoma. These days she and her husband make their home in Davis, Oklahoma, a small town of less than three thousand people where everyone knows everyone, knows what they are doing and with whom, and read the weekly newspaper to see who got caught.
A plaque hangs on her office wall that says I know the voices are not real but they have such great ideas. That is her motto and muse as she goes through the days with quirky characters in her head, telling their stories, one by one, and loving her job.
She has been married almost half a century to a retired English teacher that she calls Mr. B and he does not read her books before they are published because she cannot afford a divorce. They have three grown children.—and enough grandchildren to keep them busy and young.
When Carolyn is not writing she likes to sit in the back yard and watch the two tom cats protect the yard from all kinds of wicked varmints like crickets, other cats, spiders and blue jays.
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
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I enjoy Carolyn Brown. She is pretty prolific though so I have only read a couple of her books.
You said it! I’ve read a couple dozen of her books and still have a huge backlist to choose from. This was a fun one.
I like a good cowboy romance. I’ve read this author in the past and liked her books.
I like her light, no-nonsense romances, but the cowboy ranching element is a great part, too.
I do enjoy this type of best friends to lovers, marriage of convenience story! I’ll have to look into this series. Great review!
Glad to put it on your radar, Lisa!
Maybe I should try this series!
Its a really good time, Carole. 🙂
I somehow still have not read any of Carolyn Brown’s books! This sounds like another great one. I will get around to her books sometime soon.
Haha, yes, I’ve got several authors that fall into that category for me, too. 🙂
Every time I read one of your reviews for a Carolyn Brown book, I say to myself I need to read her work. Hopefully one day it will become a reality.😊 Wonderful review, Sophia.
Hehe! I’ll just keep chipping away at you. 🙂
This sounds good. I really need to read more of this author. Every time I do, I love the story and characters.
I always seem to have a good time with her books, too. Hope you can pick one up soon. 🙂
I need more Carolyn Brown!
I second that motion!
Carolyn Brown’s cowboy romances are like comfort reads for me! Always a laugh or two, some sage country wisdom, and a sweet romance. I’ll have to add this one to the list.
I love the way you put it. Exactly how I feel. 🙂
Cowboy romance sure does have a charm of its own! I’m glad to see that this worked out quite wonderfully. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Sophia! 🙂
It sure does, Lashaan! It’s not for everyone, but I get a kick out of it now and then. 🙂