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The Cowboy's Pride and Joy
Jake heeft bewust gekozen voor de rust op zijn ranch…Zodra Cassidy, de sexy PA van zijn moeder, opduikt met papieren die hij moet tekenen voor het familiebedrijf, is het echter het gedaan met zijn rust. Als er dan ook nog een sneeuwstorm opsteekt, dreigt alles uit de hand te lopen…Dit verhaal is eerder verschenen.
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published November 4, 2014
About the author
Maureen Child
1,175 books549 followersUSA Today best selling author Maureen Child is the author of more than ninety romance novels and novellas. Maureen is a five time nominee for the prestigious Rita award from Romance Writers of America.
One of her novels, A Pocketful Of Paradise, was made into a CBS-TV movie called The Soul Collector, starring Melissa Gilbert, Bruce Greenwood and Ossie Davis.
Over the years, she’s written under lots of different names and she prefers the term ‘pseudonym’ to ‘alias’. As Ann Carberry, she wrote western historical romances. As Kathleen Kane, she wrote not only Americana romances, but western paranormal romances as well. As Sarah Hart, she wrote one really spectacular western paranormal that is still one of her favorites. And once, Ann Carberry even wrote a Victorian historical which she absolutely loved doing.
Under her own name, Maureen writes short contemporary novels for Silhouette Desire—books she loves to write because of their fast pace and condensed story telling. Maureen is also writing funny, contemporary paranormal romances for NAL and darker paranormal stories for Silhouette Nocturne.
Maureen writes paranormal romance novels under the pesudonym of Regan Hastings
One of her novels, A Pocketful Of Paradise, was made into a CBS-TV movie called The Soul Collector, starring Melissa Gilbert, Bruce Greenwood and Ossie Davis.
Over the years, she’s written under lots of different names and she prefers the term ‘pseudonym’ to ‘alias’. As Ann Carberry, she wrote western historical romances. As Kathleen Kane, she wrote not only Americana romances, but western paranormal romances as well. As Sarah Hart, she wrote one really spectacular western paranormal that is still one of her favorites. And once, Ann Carberry even wrote a Victorian historical which she absolutely loved doing.
Under her own name, Maureen writes short contemporary novels for Silhouette Desire—books she loves to write because of their fast pace and condensed story telling. Maureen is also writing funny, contemporary paranormal romances for NAL and darker paranormal stories for Silhouette Nocturne.
Maureen writes paranormal romance novels under the pesudonym of Regan Hastings
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 16, 2018
Hero never chased heroine. Didn’t even call her. Specifically told her he didn’t want her or a family around.
So his realisation and declarations of love not only didn’t ring true but sounded like a blatant lie he’s using to keep his baby and making the mother of his baby his wife.
Heroine’s ego was hurt because he never chose her, so she hid the pregnancy. She was right. He would and did see her and baby as an obligation and was prepared to do the right thing. That’s insulting to both heroine and the baby. He may have come to love the baby after seeing him, but how would she know? She was protecting both the men she loved. It still didn’t make it easy for me to support her decision to keep the pregnancy to herself. Even if she did the wrong thing for the right reasons.
Hero did NOT want heroine. But he wanted the baby and from never even making the effort to call her suddenly she’s the love of his life. Try harder Maureen Child.
So his realisation and declarations of love not only didn’t ring true but sounded like a blatant lie he’s using to keep his baby and making the mother of his baby his wife.
Heroine’s ego was hurt because he never chose her, so she hid the pregnancy. She was right. He would and did see her and baby as an obligation and was prepared to do the right thing. That’s insulting to both heroine and the baby. He may have come to love the baby after seeing him, but how would she know? She was protecting both the men she loved. It still didn’t make it easy for me to support her decision to keep the pregnancy to herself. Even if she did the wrong thing for the right reasons.
Hero did NOT want heroine. But he wanted the baby and from never even making the effort to call her suddenly she’s the love of his life. Try harder Maureen Child.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. I have read it several times and highly recommend it.
January 30, 2023
It’s been quite some time since I read a Maureen Child book but I’ve enjoyed them (I especially recommend SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL), so I looked forward to this one. And it did not disappoint.
Jake Hunter took over running the family ranch when he discharged from service. After having spent vacations at the ranch with his grandfather when he was a child, it and the mountain in Montana are the only home he ever loved, the only place he felt comfortable and at peace. His mother runs the other family business, a media empire started by his father’s family, and she has long been after him to take his rightful place there, but the last place Jake wants to live is Boston. His mother has finally agreed to let him completely off the hook for that business, and sends her assistant to Montana with paperwork for Jake to sign, which will absolve him of all dealings with the business.
This is a Harlequin (Desire), so of course Jake is wildly attracted to Cassie, said assistant, and of course a snowstorm rolls in, closing down roads so that Cassie cannot get back down the mountain to catch her flight back to Boston the next day. You can guess what happens between them, but once the weather clears up, it’s back to real life and they part company, because it was purely physical. No emotions involved. At least, none admitted to.
Fast forward fourteen months. Cassie is now a single mother to five month old Luke. Once she realized she was pregnant, she quit her job to keep Jake’s mother from finding out. Of course she didn’t notify Jake. He’d made it all too clear that he preferred to be alone on his mountain. But her sister has stepped in and taken the decision away from Cassie, going behind her back and telling Jake’s mother, and now Jake’s mother is threatening legal action. So off to Montana Cassie goes with Luke, to enlist Jake’s help in calling off his mother.
I’m always a little leery going into a secret baby story. I need there to be a compelling reason for the heroine to not let the hero know he’s a father. But again, Maureen Child, so I was curious to see how she would handle this. And I’ve gotta say, I totally understood where Cassie was coming from, and could sympathize with her reasoning for not telling Jake. Not saying it was right, but believable. But even more, after being lambasted by her sister and brother for keeping Jake in the dark, Cassie can admit she’s had some guilt over her decision. And after spending some time with Jake again, facing his anger but also seeing the hurt in his eyes, she’s finally able to admit she was wrong. And not admit it just to herself, but to Jake.
That doesn’t mean they’ll become a happy little family though. No, there’s still a lot to sort through and a lot of clashing with each other before they can finally get their HEA. I love a hero who is grouchy and angry and prickly, and the heroine has to get past his defenses, actually gets a little past them without even trying. I loved Jake and Cassie, plus Jake’s grandfather, loved their story, loved this book.
Jake Hunter took over running the family ranch when he discharged from service. After having spent vacations at the ranch with his grandfather when he was a child, it and the mountain in Montana are the only home he ever loved, the only place he felt comfortable and at peace. His mother runs the other family business, a media empire started by his father’s family, and she has long been after him to take his rightful place there, but the last place Jake wants to live is Boston. His mother has finally agreed to let him completely off the hook for that business, and sends her assistant to Montana with paperwork for Jake to sign, which will absolve him of all dealings with the business.
This is a Harlequin (Desire), so of course Jake is wildly attracted to Cassie, said assistant, and of course a snowstorm rolls in, closing down roads so that Cassie cannot get back down the mountain to catch her flight back to Boston the next day. You can guess what happens between them, but once the weather clears up, it’s back to real life and they part company, because it was purely physical. No emotions involved. At least, none admitted to.
Fast forward fourteen months. Cassie is now a single mother to five month old Luke. Once she realized she was pregnant, she quit her job to keep Jake’s mother from finding out. Of course she didn’t notify Jake. He’d made it all too clear that he preferred to be alone on his mountain. But her sister has stepped in and taken the decision away from Cassie, going behind her back and telling Jake’s mother, and now Jake’s mother is threatening legal action. So off to Montana Cassie goes with Luke, to enlist Jake’s help in calling off his mother.
I’m always a little leery going into a secret baby story. I need there to be a compelling reason for the heroine to not let the hero know he’s a father. But again, Maureen Child, so I was curious to see how she would handle this. And I’ve gotta say, I totally understood where Cassie was coming from, and could sympathize with her reasoning for not telling Jake. Not saying it was right, but believable. But even more, after being lambasted by her sister and brother for keeping Jake in the dark, Cassie can admit she’s had some guilt over her decision. And after spending some time with Jake again, facing his anger but also seeing the hurt in his eyes, she’s finally able to admit she was wrong. And not admit it just to herself, but to Jake.
That doesn’t mean they’ll become a happy little family though. No, there’s still a lot to sort through and a lot of clashing with each other before they can finally get their HEA. I love a hero who is grouchy and angry and prickly, and the heroine has to get past his defenses, actually gets a little past them without even trying. I loved Jake and Cassie, plus Jake’s grandfather, loved their story, loved this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2014
Very good book. Jake came back to the family ranch after his time in the Marines. After his experiences all he wants is peace, quiet and wide open spaces. His mother isn't happy that he has no interest in the family media empire back in Boston, but after several years of trying she has accepted his decision. All that remains is to sign off on the paperwork, so she sends her assistant Cassie to Montana with the paperwork. While she's there a blizzard strands her on the ranch and their attraction blazes hot. Fourteen months later a threat to her son sends Cassie to Jake for help. They have to find a way to deal with each other and do what's best for Luke. To top it all off, another blizzard has them trapped together again.
I really liked both Jake and Cassie. Both of them had things from their pasts that kept them from opening their hearts to the risks of love. Jake had come back from the war with memories that kept him from being able to celebrate the joys of the holidays. He also had locked away his heart from risking it on another woman. He had been married to a woman who hated his life on the ranch and had taken his love and destroyed it. He no longer trusted both his judgment about women, or that they are honest about their feelings. When Cassie shows up at the ranch the first time, he's attracted to her but wants her gone as soon as possible. From the beginning he senses that she's different, but can't bring himself to take a chance. When she comes back, this time with the son he didn't know about, he knows he's in trouble. He hadn't been able to forget her. Now it just takes one look at Luke for him to lose his heart to the boy. He's angry that he's missed out on so much and is determined to keep Cassie and Luke in Montana. He's still refusing to admit that he has feelings for Cassie because he expects her to be like his ex-wife. But as the blizzard hits and he sees Cassie doing things his ex never would have done, he wants to believe that she's different. And as the days go on, Cassie's actions start to tear down the walls that have kept him from believing he has a chance at happiness. I understood his anger at not knowing about Luke, and loved seeing him get all gooey over the boy. He may not have been expecting to be a father, but he was determined to be a real one, even if that meant marrying Cassie. His reasons for not celebrating Christmas were heartbreaking, but I really enjoyed seeing him get eased back into it by Cassie. When he finally realized what his feelings were and what he had to do, I loved what he did to show Cassie the truth.
Cassie has also been protecting her heart. As the oldest of three in her family, she remembers when her father abandoned the family and how hard her mom had to work to support them. Her mom died when Cassie was nineteen, leaving her to raise her younger brother and sister. Even though her brother is grown, with a family of his own and her sister is studying to be a doctor, she still avoids anything she considers irresponsible. Her attraction to Jake goes against everything she believes in, but she also decides that maybe she deserves a bit of fun. By the time she leaves after the blizzard, she realizes she's in love with him, but also that he has no interest in being loved by anyone. When she discovers she's pregnant, she doesn't tell Jake, convincing herself that she's protecting Luke from being abandoned by a man who can't or won't care about him. When her sister and brother conspire with Jake's mom to send Cassie running back to Jake, Cassie is left with no choice but to ask for his help. I liked the fact that Cassie admitted that she was wrong about keeping Luke a secret. She was surprised by Jake's determination to keep them on the ranch and stunned by his insistence that they marry. She refuses because she's in love with him but can't marry a man who refuses to allow himself to love her in return. While prevented from leaving by another blizzard, Cassie starts a campaign to change his mind about Christmas. I loved seeing all the little things she did to bring the holiday back into his life. I also loved seeing her throw herself into life on the ranch. Unlike Jake's ex, Cassie seemed to love everything to so with dealing with the blizzard. She also showed a great deal of interest in hearing about what Jake does with his days, which is more than his ex had ever done. In spite of her happiness on the ranch, and seeing how great Jake is with Luke, she is still planning to leave. It takes a stern talking to from her sister for her to realize that she's expecting Jake to do what her father did, and is planning to leave him before he can leave her, and that she's giving up without fighting for what she wants.
The epilogue was great. I loved seeing everyone a year later, after all their issues have been overcome. The Christmas setting was terrific with the focus on how important their families were to them.
I really liked both Jake and Cassie. Both of them had things from their pasts that kept them from opening their hearts to the risks of love. Jake had come back from the war with memories that kept him from being able to celebrate the joys of the holidays. He also had locked away his heart from risking it on another woman. He had been married to a woman who hated his life on the ranch and had taken his love and destroyed it. He no longer trusted both his judgment about women, or that they are honest about their feelings. When Cassie shows up at the ranch the first time, he's attracted to her but wants her gone as soon as possible. From the beginning he senses that she's different, but can't bring himself to take a chance. When she comes back, this time with the son he didn't know about, he knows he's in trouble. He hadn't been able to forget her. Now it just takes one look at Luke for him to lose his heart to the boy. He's angry that he's missed out on so much and is determined to keep Cassie and Luke in Montana. He's still refusing to admit that he has feelings for Cassie because he expects her to be like his ex-wife. But as the blizzard hits and he sees Cassie doing things his ex never would have done, he wants to believe that she's different. And as the days go on, Cassie's actions start to tear down the walls that have kept him from believing he has a chance at happiness. I understood his anger at not knowing about Luke, and loved seeing him get all gooey over the boy. He may not have been expecting to be a father, but he was determined to be a real one, even if that meant marrying Cassie. His reasons for not celebrating Christmas were heartbreaking, but I really enjoyed seeing him get eased back into it by Cassie. When he finally realized what his feelings were and what he had to do, I loved what he did to show Cassie the truth.
Cassie has also been protecting her heart. As the oldest of three in her family, she remembers when her father abandoned the family and how hard her mom had to work to support them. Her mom died when Cassie was nineteen, leaving her to raise her younger brother and sister. Even though her brother is grown, with a family of his own and her sister is studying to be a doctor, she still avoids anything she considers irresponsible. Her attraction to Jake goes against everything she believes in, but she also decides that maybe she deserves a bit of fun. By the time she leaves after the blizzard, she realizes she's in love with him, but also that he has no interest in being loved by anyone. When she discovers she's pregnant, she doesn't tell Jake, convincing herself that she's protecting Luke from being abandoned by a man who can't or won't care about him. When her sister and brother conspire with Jake's mom to send Cassie running back to Jake, Cassie is left with no choice but to ask for his help. I liked the fact that Cassie admitted that she was wrong about keeping Luke a secret. She was surprised by Jake's determination to keep them on the ranch and stunned by his insistence that they marry. She refuses because she's in love with him but can't marry a man who refuses to allow himself to love her in return. While prevented from leaving by another blizzard, Cassie starts a campaign to change his mind about Christmas. I loved seeing all the little things she did to bring the holiday back into his life. I also loved seeing her throw herself into life on the ranch. Unlike Jake's ex, Cassie seemed to love everything to so with dealing with the blizzard. She also showed a great deal of interest in hearing about what Jake does with his days, which is more than his ex had ever done. In spite of her happiness on the ranch, and seeing how great Jake is with Luke, she is still planning to leave. It takes a stern talking to from her sister for her to realize that she's expecting Jake to do what her father did, and is planning to leave him before he can leave her, and that she's giving up without fighting for what she wants.
The epilogue was great. I loved seeing everyone a year later, after all their issues have been overcome. The Christmas setting was terrific with the focus on how important their families were to them.
September 28, 2018
Is there anyone out there who doesn't love a story about two people being snowed in together? And a man struggling with his demons and finding out after the fact that he is a father? Those thoughts went through my mind while reading this story...which I loved.
July 14, 2017
4.5 stars
September 24, 2018
A nice book to read if you want a quick and simple romance book. The story was fast paced and kinda short but simple to me.
I rate it 4.0 out of stars
I rate it 4.0 out of stars
October 28, 2021
Brought tears to my eyes, fell in love with a cowboy over and over, took a few months to read because I had personal things going on but the ending was well worth the wait
March 4, 2017
Great
Maureen Child came through with a really really good read.Had me laughing and tearing up at the same time.Next book please.
Maureen Child came through with a really really good read.Had me laughing and tearing up at the same time.Next book please.
April 9, 2015
A very good read. Maureen Child never fails her fans. I loved the story because it brought two people together who would otherwise not have met. But fate and mother who love's her son, brings Jake and Cassidy together and the sparks are flying right from the start.
Jake lives on the family ranch in Montana and wants nothing to do with the business built by his mother and father a billion dollar media conglomerate. The city is not for him. He needs the wide open spaces of the vast lands and the wonderful mountains of Montana. He has lots of people around him. His grandfather, the housekeeper Anna and her husband Charlie, who is the ranch foreman, plus all his cowboys who help him run the property his grandfather built. And he has his horses. Which are the life blood of his work. And then she, Cassidy walks into his life and it is never the same again. Cassidy on the other hand arrives in Montana unprepared for a rugged handsome cowboy who changes every thing in her life, just moments upon meeting him. Going back to Boston was never in question, until it a snow storm keeps her there longer than she wanted it to. But that storm brought another in a storm of a different kind in the way of the storm of emotions that Cassidy and Jake felt with just a touch. At the then end of that snowstorm Cassidy took part of Jake home and left Jake with a whole in his life. He even got a dog and when Cassidy returns with Jake's son, the little boy and Christmas have away of putting everything in the right way to become a Family that both Jake and Cassidy always wanted...
Jake lives on the family ranch in Montana and wants nothing to do with the business built by his mother and father a billion dollar media conglomerate. The city is not for him. He needs the wide open spaces of the vast lands and the wonderful mountains of Montana. He has lots of people around him. His grandfather, the housekeeper Anna and her husband Charlie, who is the ranch foreman, plus all his cowboys who help him run the property his grandfather built. And he has his horses. Which are the life blood of his work. And then she, Cassidy walks into his life and it is never the same again. Cassidy on the other hand arrives in Montana unprepared for a rugged handsome cowboy who changes every thing in her life, just moments upon meeting him. Going back to Boston was never in question, until it a snow storm keeps her there longer than she wanted it to. But that storm brought another in a storm of a different kind in the way of the storm of emotions that Cassidy and Jake felt with just a touch. At the then end of that snowstorm Cassidy took part of Jake home and left Jake with a whole in his life. He even got a dog and when Cassidy returns with Jake's son, the little boy and Christmas have away of putting everything in the right way to become a Family that both Jake and Cassidy always wanted...
November 13, 2015
Another great Maureen Child book..
I just read a romance before this one and it was awfully boring. Only a 2 star for me, but this one I found myself enjoying it and laughing out loud throughout the book.
I really liked Jake and Cassidy. Their short affair was steamy and exciting then she left and she had Luke, and Jake was miserable without her. His mother cracked me up. As if she could take the baby away from Cass.
I liked Dave and Claudia, Cass’s brother and sister. As well as Ben, Jake’s grandfather, he was a wise old man. I liked Elise, Jake’s mother, too. I knew she was up to something.
Even though this was only a love story, no spies, no murders, no thieves, no OMG moments, I truly enjoyed it. It had a little bit of angst and a whole lot of love and some terrific sexual attraction and sex, everything I look for in a Maureen Child book. This is about the 28th book of hers I’ve read and I’ve enjoyed every one of them. So, I’m a fan. I’ve already chosen my next book by her, One Night, Two Heirs.
I would recommend this story to all romance lovers.
I just read a romance before this one and it was awfully boring. Only a 2 star for me, but this one I found myself enjoying it and laughing out loud throughout the book.
I really liked Jake and Cassidy. Their short affair was steamy and exciting then she left and she had Luke, and Jake was miserable without her. His mother cracked me up. As if she could take the baby away from Cass.
I liked Dave and Claudia, Cass’s brother and sister. As well as Ben, Jake’s grandfather, he was a wise old man. I liked Elise, Jake’s mother, too. I knew she was up to something.
Even though this was only a love story, no spies, no murders, no thieves, no OMG moments, I truly enjoyed it. It had a little bit of angst and a whole lot of love and some terrific sexual attraction and sex, everything I look for in a Maureen Child book. This is about the 28th book of hers I’ve read and I’ve enjoyed every one of them. So, I’m a fan. I’ve already chosen my next book by her, One Night, Two Heirs.
I would recommend this story to all romance lovers.
November 11, 2014
It was a nice read. There were parts where the author could have gone more and in depth to. I would have liked the H/h connect (at first) more than one a physical level. Since she was stranded there to begin with, she could always have used her "forthright" trait to knack conversation outta him or put them in a situation where they could have been exposed to their vulnerabilities or whatever. But as a christmas read, pretty solid :-)
Read
January 12, 2016"Child’s latest has passionate characters with equally passionate encounters. A dollop of steam, great character development and an adorable baby make it a top-notch read" (RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 stars).
Miniseries: Billionaires and Babies
Miniseries: Billionaires and Babies
November 6, 2014
4.5 stars. Really well paced and well written, a favourite for sure.
Want to Read
November 11, 2014Dec 2014 Desire
December 22, 2014
Love it!
September 23, 2015
Enjoyable read
August 15, 2015
Quick easy read. Thoroughly enjoyable.
January 12, 2017
Loved this book is very well written sweet without controlling hero or doormat heroine my favorite kind
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews