Publication Date: 1/3/2017
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Imprint: Casablanca
Genre: Western Romance
Pages: 384
ISBN-10: 1492621501
ISBN-13: 978-1492621508
(Received for an honest review from Sourcebooks Casablanca)
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, itunes
Kim Redford on the WEB: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads
Books in the series:
Smokin' Hot Cowboys
1. A Cowboy Firefighter for Christmas
2. Blazing Hot Cowboy
Coverart: Click the image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.
Excerpt from Blazing Hot Cowboy, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature
Synopsis:
"This tale will melt even the iciest heart." -Publishers Weekly, STARRED review for A Cowboy Firefighter for Christmas
He's all the heat she'll ever need.
Lauren Sheridan's return to Wildcat Bluff after the death of her husband is bittersweet. Thirteen years have passed since she set foot in the place that's always held her heart...and the sizzling memories of her high school sweetheart.
Kent Duval has it all. A proud rancher and volunteer firefighter in the small town of Wildcat Bluff, he's missing only one thing from his life: passion. Kent last saw Lauren Sheridan when she was sweet sixteen and they were head-over-heels in love. Now she's back, spunky daughter in tow, and he no longer knows which way is up. As the heat between them builds, Kent can't help but wonder if past flames can be rekindled and second chances really do exist.
Thoughts:
Smoking hot cowboys and firefighters to boot! What more could a reader ask for? Kim Redford's latest book, Blazing Hot Cowboy certainly hits the spot for readers looking for some heat and a great second chance love story. Redford's North Texas setting is vivid and detailed. She know's her cowboys and they way they interact with the world. This one has a little something for everyone from the firebugs to the cat lovers.
What I liked:
It is easy to tell that this author has some experience with Texas. Redford's use of setting shows her careful attention to detail. Readers will easily be able to feel the authenticity of this author's connection to the land and those who live there. The town of Wildcat Bluff comes to life with a vividly drawn past and a cast of characters that make the reader believe in community and unity. This is the kind of place I always dreamed existed in the West and Redford does a wonderful job of making readers want to come back for more.
I'll have to say that the idea of a cowboy firefighter really drew me to this one. I liked the idea of that for some reason. It was intriguing to see another aspect of the lives of these ranchers. It wasn't all about ranch and home. It was about community and being a part of something bigger. I thought the author did a great job of making the fire fighting scenes believable and essential to the plot of the book. It didn't have that secondary feel or something that was just thrown in to draw a bigger audience. It was realistic and thoughtfully handled.
Lauren is a spunky lady. She's been through a lot in the 13 years she spent away from Wildcat Bluff. With her return she brings her daughter and a different perspective on love and family. I liked the fact that Lauren was a physical therapist. The use of horses in therapy for disabled patients has always been an interest of mine and I enjoyed the way the author used this in her writing. It gave Lauren a more layered personality and worked with within the confines of the story.
Kent was exactly what I expected in a rancher/firefighter hero. He was strong and courageous and was a deeply caring man. He had some issues when it came to his love life, but don't we all? lol I thought he complimented Lauren well and he certainly pulled off the second chance romance vibe I think the author was going for. His interactions with Hannah, Lauren's daughter were believable and heartfelt. A very nice hero!
What I didn't like:
Everybody knows your first love never really dies. You always have this place in your heart reserved for that person, that idea of what love was in the beginning. The author relies pretty heavily on the idea that, that feeling never really goes away. When Lauren and Kent meet again their past becomes the catalyst to their future. I'm not against that idea at all, but it was one of those stories that maybe needed a little something more. Insta-love isn't really my thing in romances. Even with a shared past they needed to get to know each other again and build on that. But these two just kind of pick up where they left off and the reader is denied that process of falling in love which often makes the book. I wanted a little more for these two. Both had, had some bad experiences you don't often jump back into the fray without being a bit gun shy.
My other issue is probably a little petty. They didn't use condom's in this story. The author gave them reasons to not use them but I wasn't quite buying that. In this day and age, even in the west, and even with someone you knew for years gone by, a little bit of safety wouldn't hurt. She just lost her husband and even though she might have wanted to have a child with Kent in the past, maybe a little time should have passed before they went that route. Just saying.
Bottom Line:
This was a good book. I learned a new word: covergasm! Yeah this book definitely had a good cover. Loved the setting and the characters. Lauren was spunky and liked what she liked and Kent came across as a very good man with morals and a code. I loved little Hannah and Lauren's aunt adds some color and comedy to the story. I enjoyed the banter between the hero and the heroine but I had to suspend a lot of believablity when it came to them falling back in love in an instant. Don't get me wrong love at first sight does exist. I've seen it but it's rare and often not quite as instant as you'd think.
Blazing Hot Cowboy is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
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