Ex-high school sweethearts should never get back together. Especially after 17 years! Or should they?
Dana owns a successful physical therapy practice in Huckleberry Springs, Washington. She’s happy with her life. The only thing missing? A family. Unfortunately, Dana’s doctor warns time is running out for her to have children of her own. The news sends her for a loop, and she begins questioning her decision to wait. All of this, and she has to deal with her grumpy ex, Kent. The man who just so happens to be the guardian of one of Dana’s youngest patients.
Kent has a lot on his plate. Between working as a ranch hand at Moose N’ Spruce Ranch Bed & Breakfast and raising his disabled niece, he doesn’t have time to think about romantic entanglements. Then, in walks Dana, the ex who wronged him and his family all those years ago. Kent knows she can’t be trusted, yet something makes her so hard not to trust. His entire family falls head over heels for the physical therapist, especially his niece, who gets stronger every day she’s under Dana’s care. It all makes old mistakes even more tempting to repeat.
Will these two discover what everyone else has? Or will they be unable to work past the hurt they’ve caused each other?
Mora Ash Wildes is a romance author based in the rural part of Washington State. Her books can be described as heartwarming with a sense of humor. When not writing or reading in her hammock, you can find Mora Ash with her family: hiking, kayaking, or wrangling their numerous pets.
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Bringing Back the Cowboy is the second book in the Moose and Spruce Ranch series and looks at the relationship of Dana and Kent, two former high school sweethearts who are thrown together 17 years later when Dana is brought in as a physical therapist for Kent’s niece Summer. Kent has taken over the care of Summer from his drug-addicted sister who has clearly abandoned her. It is apparent from the beginning that something terrible happened between Kent and Dana years ago to drive them apart but Kent soon sees that Dana seems to have a special bond with Summer as she encourages the little girl in her recovery.
The story unfolds sweetly but fairly predictably as Dana proves herself to Kent by her work with Summer. Kent’s brother and his wife also encourage the relationship by setting them up on a horseback riding date.
The story is an easy read and builds well to the big reveal of what happened 17 years ago. I sort of wished that we could have understood sooner what had caused the division and maybe spent more time resolving the very serious situation that existed. Issues of child abuse, abandonment, etc. are important to look at and it would have been nice to see Dana and Kent dig more deeply into the past. It is also never really explained what exactly is wrong with Summer and why she has such severe physical limitations.
On the other hand, Dana also has been told by her doctor that her ovaries are withering and she will soon not be able to have children. Dana’s circumstance becomes almost unimportant by the time she and Kent begin to come back together. It would have been nice to have seen the characters take a deeper look at this situation as well.
All in all, it is a sweet, clean romance with a fairly simple plot but an enjoyable read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is a fun small-town second chance romance. Kent and Dana were high school sweethearts, but after an argument, he's been mad at her for close to 20 years. She comes back into his life, and his resolve to remain mad at her is tested.
I found the characters to be relatable. I love that Kent is so determined to protect his family that he doesn't realize that sometimes he really just needs to back away and allow them to live their lives. He was portrayed perfectly and realistically.
While this was a cute book, I wouldn't consider it lighthearted. It does hit on some potentially sensitive subjects, including child abuse, alcoholism, drug abuse, raising a child with a disability, and infertility issues. I felt like all of these were handled in a sensitive way, but they might be difficult for someone who has experienced any of these issues.
This is a clean novel. You won't find any sexual content or graphic violence. While you do hear about characters who have been abused, that is behind-the-scenes violence. There are some "replacement swear words," and at least one time where the "d" word is used in the sense of "d-med if you do," which some people may consider swearing.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read, and I look forward to the next book in the series. I received a free ARC through BookSirens, and I am leaving a review voluntarily.
Enduring past trauma and difficult times isn't easy.
Having people who care about your safety and well-being, leading them to act to protect you sometimes is difficult, and seeing reasons that they care, love you, and want the best for you even gets you mad😠.
This is the story of Kent and Donna. A friendship beyond words, a love that can endure the worst-case, but something difficult times need difficult decisions… and trusts can be tested… 17 years later, Kent can't understand Why.
Donna 'destroyed' his family. Now she is back in his niece's life as her physical therapist. Who can he keep her away?… Away for him and his niece, and his heart ❤️
Emotional, sweet, and clean romance with clean language, and occurs a HEA. Find out the true reason for Kent's distrust and what had happened. A good read indeed. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Clean romance with some angst. TW - Deals with both substance abuse and physical abuse. Part of a series but can be read as a standalone. I have not read the first book, but didn't feel like I needed to.
Meghan and Kent were high school sweethearts but had a following out. Now quite a few years later Meghan is a physical therapist and has come to help Kent's niece. He is not happy about it and is still angry with her. But his love for his niece outweighs his anger. Can they get over what separated them in the first place? Can she help his niece?
This is a good story with some unpredictable situations. It can be a little heavy at time but is a really good read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Best friends and playmates as children with shared forever dreams. The dreams shattered along the way and Kent blames Dana. Years later, they face each other again. How do you deal with the situation? Forgiveness? Rebuild a relationship? Is it possible? This book is a fun, family oriented storyline, with some side issues the main characters need to deal with. Had a bit of a slow beginning, but then I really got "pulled" into the story and then....... no spoilers, sorry. It is really worth the time to read the book. I was provided with an ARC of the book via BookSirens; this is my honest opinion
I'm enjoying this series, and especially this latest book. Dana and Kent have a past, and he's still holding a grudge. She's his niece's new physical therapist, and he's not dealing well with that. But his niece is responding nicely to Dana. Huckelberry Springs, like most other small towns, has a fully functioning rumor mill. I loved Dana and Kent's story - it deals with some serious subjects, but it's heartwarming with a touch of humor. I received an advance copy of the book, and this is my honest review.
Dana and Kent were childhood sweethearts. But, Kent feels Dana split his family apart. Now a physical therapist Dana is hired to work with Kent’s niece Summer. It’s rocky from day one as Kent doesn’t hold back his distance for Dana. I am really enjoying this series of heartwarming, clean books. Very good storyline with the most likable characters, especially Summer and Paprika. Highly recommend this book.
This was a very quick, easy, clean romance read. One that can be finished in a day or over the weekend, maybe on a train ride. It's got a lot of chemistry, it's emotional and our characters are dealing with some serious situations. I gave this a 4 star because I noticed a few typos (I don't like that in a finished product) and because I didn't get closure with what happened with Jill. Otherwise it was a pleasant read and I will definitely be reading more from this author.
Bringing Back the Cowboy Moose N' Soruce #2 by Mora Ash Wildes.
The storyline was great, the character work was fantastic and the book had a smooth flow to it. This was another great addition to the series and kept me entertained from beginning to end. Mora, has given us characters that we can care about. The story pulls you in and never let's go.
Kent has very mixed feelings about Dana doing physical therapy with his niece, Summer. He is also puzzled about how his whole family has welcomed her back. While working with Dana he has a chance to forgive her and they have a chance to renew their old feelings. I liked how his family was so good to Dana and how Dana and Kent are able to start planning their future.
A heartwarming story with genuine characters and a clean, fun storyline with plenty of laughs. I swooned and giggled and completely enjoyed this book. Looking forward to the next book in this series. I received an advance review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I enjoyed reading this sweet, clean romance but felt that it would have been more enjoyable if it had been longer. There were portions that felt rushed, like how Kent went from despising Dana and then falling for her again. Overall, it was a good story that brings out all the emotions. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. I received an advance review copy for free, courtesy of Booksirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.