As the only girl in her family, and with four older brothers, Ivy McQuaid can rope and ride with the roughest of ranchers. She's ready to have what she's always longed for--a home of her own. She's set her heart on a parcel of land south of Fairplay and is saving for it with her winnings from the cowhand competitions she sneaks into--but her dream is put in jeopardy when the man she once loved reappears in her life.
After two years away, Jericho Bliss is back in South Park as an undercover Pinkerton agent searching for a war criminal. He has no intention of involving a woman in the dangerous life he leads, but one look at Ivy is all it takes for him to question the path he's set out for himself.
Even though Jericho tries to resist his longtime attraction to the beautiful and vivacious Ivy, he finds himself falling hard and fast for her. In the process, his worst fear comes true--he puts her smack-dab in the middle of danger. With Ivy's life in the balance, will Jericho give her up once again, or will he find a way back to her, this time forever?
My Thoughts:
Falling for the Cowgirl by Jody Hedlund takes the enemies-to-lovers romance trope back to 1869 Colorado Territory. Cowgirl Ivy McQuaid and undercover agent Jericho Bliss have the hots for each other from the start. Their love/hate relationship comes with an overload of physical attraction, and I wished for a more nuanced approach to the sexual tension. Still, Hedlund keeps the narrative in the “closed door” category.
Falling for the Cowgirl reads quick and easy despite its substantial length. It held my attention from start to finish, even in the moments that I sighed and wished Ivy and Jericho would stop repeating the same thoughts and harmful actions. The novel focuses primarily on the romance, but contains a treasure hunt, a murderer-in-hiding, and themes about women’s equality. Quite an entertaining blend of elements.
Falling for the Cowgirl lands as the fourth installment
in Jody Hedlund’s Colorado Cowboys series. The story works as a standalone, but
the couples from previous novels make frequent appearances. With so many
characters and backstories, I think it’s best to read the novels in order.
Three stars.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of
this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
