Tall, Dark and Cowboy

by Joanne Kennedy

[Stephanie]

Really a 3.5.

Lacey Bradford has no one to turn to. Her husband has just been busted in a highly publicized real estate scandal. He’s been weaseling out the properties of her home town from their owners. Lacey had no knowledge of the scam but lived on the spoils and the people she has known all her life blame her equally. Lacey can’t get a job and it’s only a matter of time before things get desperate for her. After a bad night at home Lacey decides she must leave town. The only place that she can think of is a small town in Wyoming. Her good friend from high school Chase lives there. He was always there to help her when she needed him.

Chase Caldwell had to move to Wyoming to forget everything that happened in his old hometown in Tennessee. He moved out to Grady where his sister has lived for several years. Just when he thought he and Lacey would move their friendship to relationship her engagement announcement is printed. The farm he dreamed of owning all his life was shattered and he is trying to get a good ranch going. He has to run a used car business to make ends meet but overall life is good. Until Lacey sashays back into his life.

Tall, Dark and Cowboy was an entertaining read. I really enjoyed the small town setting. Chase was a great character. I’d describe him as a trusty dog. Always there when you need him. Dependable. Now Lacey on the other hand. She was fresh out of a bad relationship and ran to a trusted friend. I’ve got no fight with that. What I didn’t like is that she would flip flop from “using” men to provide for herself and striking it out on her own to prove worth as a woman. As a romance reader I just wanted to scream at her that Chase was “the one.” So many times I got frustrated with Lacey and I can only think that his is why. I honestly think it was more to do with the conflict being almost solely in the heroine and no conflict with the hero or their relationship.

Either way, I enjoyed Tall, Dark and Cowboy. I even picked up her back list when Amazon had an awesome deal on them! If you enjoy contemporary cowboy romances, I would not miss this one.