The Cowboy's Mail Order Bride by Carolyn Brown

Reviewed by Desere

I have heard many, many stories about men and woman writing each other whilst the wars of our world were happening and then suddenly the letters stop only to years later be delivered. Of course this has caused relationships to suddenly end with no reason and irreparable heartache, woman have even go through the agony of thinking the man was killed in action but never found, the list goes on and on.

But every once in a while a letter gets delivered, some over a sixty years late, and the couple with the help of the world wide web gets reconnected and a beautiful love story lives on.

But because it does not always work out that way there is always a reason to feel sad as you cannot help but think about the what if's had those letters made it in time, but what author Carolyn Brown has done is taken the focus away from a sad story and turned it into a beautiful discovery of new romance that had me addicted from the first page!

The read is about Emily, she has the task of delivering a box of old letters sent to Clarice many years ago by Emily's grandfather, all were delivered except for one. She promised him on his deathbed it would get delivered to Clarice, but when she delivers the letters she not only discovers I 'll-never-get-enough-of-you Greg Adams but also lands herself a job as Clarice's assistant making it really hard to avoid Greg and his "I know you're hiding something " attitude. Greg however has no intention of letter her avoid him at all, he will be relentless in his pursuit of the truth.

The main characters were beautifully created by the author and I simply fell head over heals in love with them both. The secondary characters were all so magical and delightful that I found myself wishing someone like these woman would be around in my life and share some of the funky fun and laughter they get up to.

Clarice also very much reminded me of my own late grandmother, she was always there for everyone and always just wanted to see us all happy and she would meddle away all day long it it meant we would be smiling in the long run. It had me in tears missing my grandma very much but in a total good way, and this to me showed just how much emotion this author packs into her characters , it has never happened that I have found myself linking a character back to someone that has been in my own life, so truly excellent job Carolyn!

Emily was a really neat character as she had the shroud of mystery about her, with showing up with a box of letters and some mail order bride story but of course anyone could make up one of those if they found the letters, people are not always who they say they are. But this little mystery gave this character that perfect "I know something or I might not know and I might tell you or I might not it all depends " feeling and in turn created some truly awesome private moments between her and Greg.

Greg, darling,darling Greg was all kinds of yummylicous, lip smacking goodness! I adored his approach towards his suspicions and it showed that in real life it is sometimes necessary to think about it maybe being a life challenging set up and to then keep your enemies very close in order to find out if they are indeed enemies or possibly the one that will change it all.

The author made sure to incorporate that perfect Texan speech that simply makes for brilliant reading and no surprise I once again found myself rolling around on the floor with laughter! The author has a unique writing style that combines everyday situations with just a touch of fantasy, rolling out the perfect realistic 'this can really happen' read with just a glimmer of the 'stuff dreams are made of', all combined with laughter, romance and beautiful emotion.

I am taking away a message of life has it's reason's for the brining of sadness, but your sadness may just be the key needed to bring happiness to someone else.

I highly recommend this read to all fans of Carolyn Brown reads, she has once again given us a fun filled, kick ass, rocking, boots stomping, heart-stopping, dreams come true romance, that shows a powerful message of dreams can still come true , sometimes it is just not meant to be for us but for those closest to us.

5/5 star review
"She might have the mail but all he wants is her heart" 

Cowboy Seeks Bride by Carolyn Brown - Spikes and Spurs #7

Reviewed by Desere


For some people the big city has everything they want. Cars and flashing lights in the fast lane, every single piece of modern day living to make your life comfortable and just seem like pure bliss.

For others it is the way they feel about the wild, they would rather suffer through hours of riding in the red hot searing heat on the back of a horse then drive around on the highway in a fancy sports car.

Whatever your preference, everyone is entitled to their own choice of bliss. But when taken out of your comfort zone and thrown into the dark side it can mean you will either adapt and get through it or fall and be ready to beg anyone to bring you back to civilization, especially if the dark side is hotter, wetter and more of a snore fest than the worst of reality shows.

In the new Carolyn Brown read she tells the story of Haley, she is sent on a mission to tag along with some mighty fine cowboys as they embark on a re-enactment of  the historic Chisholm Trail ride. Of course she has no idea what she is actually in for until she falls fancy suit first into a pile of , well let's just say it ain't mud ladies.

But Haley is not the kind to back down she is there to get the information needed to make the best reality show ever and she intends to do just that. What she does not see coming is the fierce attraction she feels for trail leader I'll-make-you-fell-so-good-you-will-never-want-to-leave Dewar.

Very soon they find themselves knee deep in nights of endless passion, but Haley misses her comfort zone and plans on getting back to the big city as soon as the thirty day trail ride is over, after all she has always wanted a man in a pinstripe suit ready to fight it out with the biggest of corporate companies, not some smoking hot cowboy, just ain't her style.

The character of Haley was so much fun! I laughed so hard at her wit and feisty-ness actual tears were streaming down my face!  She gives as good as she gets and does not back down in the face of danger or any knee weakening eye winking cowboy. She falls, she simply gets back up on the horse and tries again. A real fighting spirit. Loved her to bits!

But I will admit the part about her having her heart set on the "perfect pin striped suit wearing man" made me dislike her just a smidgen  I kept thinking that this woman has got some truly terrible ideas about the perfect man, for we all know that we cannot control who we fall in love with and making sure you marry the "perfect man " just as you imagined him will never bring you happiness, you might as well then just marry for the money and not the love.

The character of Dewar was a totally awesome one! I loved that the more Haley shows she is ready and more than able to handle anything the cowboy life brings her way the more he likes to get her rattled up. He is like a joker, always out to get her to loose her cool of course this is before she gets him all hot and bothered and he no longer wants anything to do with cool unless it involves cooling his passion for wanting her in his arms all night long.

I like that he is not only a leader but ready to face danger and best of all he does this while still staying as smooth as any charmer you might have met, this man simply just does not loose it, keeps it all together like a neatly wrapped bedroll.

Dewar and Haley were, although miles apart back in the real world the perfect match on so many levels. They are both the kind to stand up and fight for what they want and they both have a passion for life, never letting the elements of the situation get them down.

The backdrop was mostly on the trail but it involved rain and when I say rain I mean the truly horrific pouring kind that feels like it will never end, blazing hot sun, wind and dust. This all blended in with the wildness of the characters, and brought out the sense of reality is just a few more desert elements away, perfectly.

But there was also moon lit nights by the river side and heart stopping dances by the fireside that gave the read the stunning romance is in the air feeling, bringing forth the love of two hearts beating as one when brought together by the land.

The dialogue was all spikes and spurs the author gave moments of conflict, emotional moments of reality setting in and earth shattering moments of  danger and despair.

The message I am taking away from this read is that what you dream up in your mind to be the perfect life you always wanted never comes close to the reality of true happiness when you are finally offered up the chance to find who you really are deep inside. Your mind tells you what you want but only when listening to your heart will you find what it is you have really been looking for.

I recommend this read for all fans of Carolyn Brown books, lovers of romances that are much better than the best looking chocolate bar when you have been craving it for days. And for anyone looking to read about to people who are more alike then they think, and when brought together sparks of the truly sky falling kind come crashing down to earth and will leave you never wanting to get back up!

A head butting, heart stopping, mouthwatering, sassy and very sexy romance read!

5 star review
" He romances the city right out of her" 

Cowboy Tough by Joanne Kennedy

Reviewed by Desere


I have always had a strong fascination with cowboys, there is this certain something about the way they will always fight for what is theirs and for which ever lady is fortunate enough to make them feel like their being thrown from a bull ride from hell.

In Cowboy Tough I got a sexy as sin cowboy who not only is strong, sexy and fights for what he wants but also a sassy and fun heroine, that indeed brings the sizzling hot cowboy Mack to his knees and knocks his chaps right off! Leaving him not so tough any more.

The book centred around Mack who has to leave the best bronco riding season of his life to go and help out on the ranch after his mother asks he needs to go and help with a artist who is at the ranch for a retreat.

But once Cat arrives at the ranch she does not find what she was expecting and nor is she up to dealing with it, but when she sees Mack in tight as can be jeans with a bottle of Windex in one hand and a dirty rag in the other, her mouth not only goes all dry but she looses the ability to think straight. So she decides to stay and see what the handsome cowboy and his chaps can deliver.

Then the ranch gets into some financial trouble and the two need to pull together to make it or break it.
The book was one of real honest to goodness red hot passion between two opposites, intrigue and some marvellous twists and turns that created that down to earth, home town , and love found at the foot of your bed story.

I loved the whole opposites attract and get to kind of go at each other's throat in a western setting. The author really did a amazing job at brining a city girl up close and personal with a hotter than the Texas sun cowboy.

For me as reader this book was very well written and took on a life of it's own as the author drew me into the western setting and her characters bit by bit, page by page.

I not only recommend this for lovers of romance but for the ladies out there that like a sexy, viral I'll lay my life down for you cowboy.

5/5 star review

" Getting down and dirty with the cow folk gets sexy"