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Coming Home #1
Lost Rider
Maverick Austin Davis is forced to return home after a ten-year career as a rodeo star. After one too many head injuries, he’s off the circuit and in the horse farming business, something he’s never taken much of a shine to, but now that it’s his late father’s legacy, familial duty calls. How will Maverick find his way after the only dream he ever had for himself is over?
Enter Leighton Elizabeth James, an ugly duckling turned beauty from Maverick’s childhood—his younger sister’s best friend, to be exact, and someone whose heart he stomped all over when she confessed her crush to him ten years back. Now Leighton is back in Maverick’s life, no longer the insecure, love-stricken teen—and Maverick can’t help but take notice. Sparks fly between them, but will Leighton be able to open her heart to the one man who broke it all those years ago?
Enter Leighton Elizabeth James, an ugly duckling turned beauty from Maverick’s childhood—his younger sister’s best friend, to be exact, and someone whose heart he stomped all over when she confessed her crush to him ten years back. Now Leighton is back in Maverick’s life, no longer the insecure, love-stricken teen—and Maverick can’t help but take notice. Sparks fly between them, but will Leighton be able to open her heart to the one man who broke it all those years ago?
374 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 25, 2017
About the author
Harper Sloan
30 books10k followersHarper Sloan is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today best selling author. She resides in north Georgia with her three daughters, four cats and one dog. While being independently published is a dream, she also has three traditionally published titles with Pocket Books. When she isn't working hard on her next novel, you can most definitely find her with a book in hand.
**To contact Harper, please email authorharpersloan@gmail.com
Facebook www.facebook.com/harpersloanbooks
Email authorharpersloan@gmail.com
Twitter @harpersloan
Instagram @harper_sloan
**To contact Harper, please email authorharpersloan@gmail.com
Facebook www.facebook.com/harpersloanbooks
Email authorharpersloan@gmail.com
Twitter @harpersloan
Instagram @harper_sloan
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 837 reviews
April 9, 2017
Who is this Harper Sloan and where the HELL has she been all my life?! The first book in her BRAND NEW SERIES, just BLEW. ME. AWAY. I've never went through so many emotions with an individual character, until...Maverick Austin Davis! I HAVE BEEN SLAYED!
"You better believe I'm ridin' this out with you until you buck me off. And darlin', there hasn't been a ride I've ever been more prepared for."
Ok, listen. I know I'm late to the game with this author, but better late than never, right? I'm just SO INCREDIBLY HAPPY I started with this one, because it was INCREDIBLE! I have emotional whiplash from these characters, especially our stubborn and gorgeous cowboy. I wanted to slap him upside the head on multiple occasions, but when he finally started getting his shit together, I fell hard, and I fell fast! And our heroine of this story, Leighton Elizabeth James, was just the woman to knock some sense into that man. These two were absolutely beautiful together. Their journey to find their way back to one another was hard-fought and emotionally draining, but it was incredibly beautiful all the same.
"This is my second chance at everything, and I'll be damned if I fuck it up."
LOST RIDER was one of the most passionate western romances I've ever read. It left me breathless and on the edge of my seat with enough angst to bring me to my knees. Superb writing, incredibly dynamic characters, and a love story that will fill your heart and soul with pure joy. This romance sizzles. This romance burns so bright, it will stay with you long after the last page is turned. This is just book one in the series, and yet, I'm incredibly addicted and I couldn't recommend it enough!
"You better believe I'm ridin' this out with you until you buck me off. And darlin', there hasn't been a ride I've ever been more prepared for."
Ok, listen. I know I'm late to the game with this author, but better late than never, right? I'm just SO INCREDIBLY HAPPY I started with this one, because it was INCREDIBLE! I have emotional whiplash from these characters, especially our stubborn and gorgeous cowboy. I wanted to slap him upside the head on multiple occasions, but when he finally started getting his shit together, I fell hard, and I fell fast! And our heroine of this story, Leighton Elizabeth James, was just the woman to knock some sense into that man. These two were absolutely beautiful together. Their journey to find their way back to one another was hard-fought and emotionally draining, but it was incredibly beautiful all the same.
"This is my second chance at everything, and I'll be damned if I fuck it up."
LOST RIDER was one of the most passionate western romances I've ever read. It left me breathless and on the edge of my seat with enough angst to bring me to my knees. Superb writing, incredibly dynamic characters, and a love story that will fill your heart and soul with pure joy. This romance sizzles. This romance burns so bright, it will stay with you long after the last page is turned. This is just book one in the series, and yet, I'm incredibly addicted and I couldn't recommend it enough!
April 9, 2017
4 stars!
I've read all of Harper Sloan's books, and while it's safe to say she can write a bad-ass alpha male, I wondered… can she write a cowboy? The answer... yes. Yes she can. Lost Rider is a book I would recommend to all fans of cowboys or alpha males. Maverick Davis starts out as a brooding cowboy, but he's got a heart of gold underneath it all. The best kind of alpha- a damaged hero!
Leighton James has loved the same man since she was a teen. That man has not been easy to love. He’s crushed her heart more than once. Even when Leighton hasn't wanted to love him, she couldn't help it. It’s just who she is. Maverick Davis is her best friend Quinn's brother. As soon as he could, he moved away from their small town in Texas to join the rodeo. He had good reasons for having to get away. But he couldn’t go before letting Leigh know exactly how he felt about her. And those feelings... well, they weren't quite the same feelings she had from him if you catch my drift. Or at least that’s what he wanted her to think.
Maverick and Leighton start out having a complicated relationship. When Mav comes back into town after 10 years, you can’t tell if these two want to throttle each other or jump each others bones. It’s really a combination of both. You can feel the chemistry and sexual tension brewing between them, but it’s more than that. There are feelings there as well.
I rooted for this couple to get it together. After learning more of Maverick’s history and Leighton’s loss of her parents, they both needed healing. They both needed each other. I loved Leighton’s feisty demeanor. She has changed from the shy younger girl she was. Maverick started out not being my favorite… he was kind of a jerk, especially in the past. The more I got to know him and really see what life was like for him, the more I felt for him.
Lost Rider is a beautiful story of a second chance for a first love that never got to be. Leighton and Maverick were perfect together and I can’t wait to read more about the Davis siblings! Bring on both Clay and Quinn’s stories! If you’re looking for something sweet, sassy, and steamy, pick this one up!
I've read all of Harper Sloan's books, and while it's safe to say she can write a bad-ass alpha male, I wondered… can she write a cowboy? The answer... yes. Yes she can. Lost Rider is a book I would recommend to all fans of cowboys or alpha males. Maverick Davis starts out as a brooding cowboy, but he's got a heart of gold underneath it all. The best kind of alpha- a damaged hero!
Leighton James has loved the same man since she was a teen. That man has not been easy to love. He’s crushed her heart more than once. Even when Leighton hasn't wanted to love him, she couldn't help it. It’s just who she is. Maverick Davis is her best friend Quinn's brother. As soon as he could, he moved away from their small town in Texas to join the rodeo. He had good reasons for having to get away. But he couldn’t go before letting Leigh know exactly how he felt about her. And those feelings... well, they weren't quite the same feelings she had from him if you catch my drift. Or at least that’s what he wanted her to think.
"I wish it could have been anyone but you," she continues, looking at the floor. "I wasn't even picky. I would have taken anything, anyone, to feel just a sliver of what I felt when you were around. But, no, just like back then... my stupid, stupid heart still beats wildly for the one person who never wanted it."
Maverick and Leighton start out having a complicated relationship. When Mav comes back into town after 10 years, you can’t tell if these two want to throttle each other or jump each others bones. It’s really a combination of both. You can feel the chemistry and sexual tension brewing between them, but it’s more than that. There are feelings there as well.
I rooted for this couple to get it together. After learning more of Maverick’s history and Leighton’s loss of her parents, they both needed healing. They both needed each other. I loved Leighton’s feisty demeanor. She has changed from the shy younger girl she was. Maverick started out not being my favorite… he was kind of a jerk, especially in the past. The more I got to know him and really see what life was like for him, the more I felt for him.
Lost Rider is a beautiful story of a second chance for a first love that never got to be. Leighton and Maverick were perfect together and I can’t wait to read more about the Davis siblings! Bring on both Clay and Quinn’s stories! If you’re looking for something sweet, sassy, and steamy, pick this one up!
"You think I saved you, but sweetheart, I think we saved each other.”
April 16, 2017
A heart-warming romance !
This was an utterly moving story of second chances in life, and I truly loved every minute of it. I don’t know why I am even surprised anymore when I fall in love with another book by this incredible author because it happens every single time.
This story is about retired rodeo star Maverick Davis and bakery owner Leighton James who happens to be Mav’s sister’s best friend too.
Ten years ago, Maverick left his little home town in Texas to pursue his dream of becoming a bull rider and to get far away from his abusive father, leaving behind his siblings and her, Leighton. Trapped in an impossible situation, eighteen-year-old Maverick had any other choice than to leave and for many reasons to intentionally break Leighton’s heart in the process. When forced to return home after one too many head injuries and his old man gone, all it took for Maverick was one glance in the direction of the woman he never forgot to realize he would do just about anything to turn back time.
« Staying here would have killed me, even though leaving her did the trick all the same. »
Done with the life he’s lived during all those years, being driven by anger and fueled with a whole lot of regrets, Maverick will have to fight with all his heart to convince Leighton to give him a chance and that the only thing he craves more than escaping, is her.
« She was my compass when I was lost without direction. She was the pull I always felt to come home but never had the balls to try, knowing that it might be too late. She was my biggest regret, but she will be my biggest accomplishment—God willing. »
There's just one small problem...Leighton is no longer the naive and insecure schoolgirl she used to be. She has loved Maverick since she was sixteen, the one man who shattered her heart and left her a changed woman. The one she thought she would never be good enough for. The one she spent the last ten years trying to forget. Ten long years which have not even dimmed the sting of the words he spoke that ill-fated night before he left town. But one day, there he is, ready to set everything ablaze once more…
Lost Rider holds all the elements I’ve come to love in my romance, an engaging storyline, a compelling backstory, a phenomenal writing, with just the right balance of sizzling sex, scorching passion and mounting emotional attachment between the characters. This story captured my heart from the very beginning and feed my senses page after page. I totally loved the entire environment Harper Sloan created in this one, how the story played out and every single character is spot on. I just loved it all so much! Maverick and Leighton were both amazing and the devastating intensity of their connection was undeniable. My heart was all over the place and I felt so many emotions throughout their story. This is ultimately a story about the value of family, emotional healing and most of all about true love. If like me you’re a fan, you’ll undoubtedly enjoy this beautiful story as well.
ARC kindly provided by publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
This was an utterly moving story of second chances in life, and I truly loved every minute of it. I don’t know why I am even surprised anymore when I fall in love with another book by this incredible author because it happens every single time.
This story is about retired rodeo star Maverick Davis and bakery owner Leighton James who happens to be Mav’s sister’s best friend too.
Ten years ago, Maverick left his little home town in Texas to pursue his dream of becoming a bull rider and to get far away from his abusive father, leaving behind his siblings and her, Leighton. Trapped in an impossible situation, eighteen-year-old Maverick had any other choice than to leave and for many reasons to intentionally break Leighton’s heart in the process. When forced to return home after one too many head injuries and his old man gone, all it took for Maverick was one glance in the direction of the woman he never forgot to realize he would do just about anything to turn back time.
« Staying here would have killed me, even though leaving her did the trick all the same. »
Done with the life he’s lived during all those years, being driven by anger and fueled with a whole lot of regrets, Maverick will have to fight with all his heart to convince Leighton to give him a chance and that the only thing he craves more than escaping, is her.
« She was my compass when I was lost without direction. She was the pull I always felt to come home but never had the balls to try, knowing that it might be too late. She was my biggest regret, but she will be my biggest accomplishment—God willing. »
There's just one small problem...Leighton is no longer the naive and insecure schoolgirl she used to be. She has loved Maverick since she was sixteen, the one man who shattered her heart and left her a changed woman. The one she thought she would never be good enough for. The one she spent the last ten years trying to forget. Ten long years which have not even dimmed the sting of the words he spoke that ill-fated night before he left town. But one day, there he is, ready to set everything ablaze once more…
Lost Rider holds all the elements I’ve come to love in my romance, an engaging storyline, a compelling backstory, a phenomenal writing, with just the right balance of sizzling sex, scorching passion and mounting emotional attachment between the characters. This story captured my heart from the very beginning and feed my senses page after page. I totally loved the entire environment Harper Sloan created in this one, how the story played out and every single character is spot on. I just loved it all so much! Maverick and Leighton were both amazing and the devastating intensity of their connection was undeniable. My heart was all over the place and I felt so many emotions throughout their story. This is ultimately a story about the value of family, emotional healing and most of all about true love. If like me you’re a fan, you’ll undoubtedly enjoy this beautiful story as well.
ARC kindly provided by publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
December 8, 2016
I more than LOVED IT.
This story is beautiful and mesmerizing, a story about second chances, family, and the place we call home. This story will just make its way into your heart and fill it with all the emotions available. Hope. Peace. Forgiveness. And the most sexy, realest love!
Can't wait for everyone to read. Add to your TBR piles for sure! Looking forward to more more MORE! :D
April 25, 2017
NOW LIVE!
Amazon * B&N
Lost Rider is the start to Harper Sloan's brand new series, Coming Home, and her first release in Western Romance. This book follows Maverick Davis as he returns home after too many concussions have taken him off the Rodeo circuit. When he left town ten years ago it was with plans to never come back, but now that his father has passed and he no longer has his career, he knows it's time. He never expected to return to Leighton James looking as gorgeous as a model and hating his guts though. She was once the only person he could confide in, and now she doesn't even want to speak to him. Now he just has to change her mind and make up for the past.
I really enjoyed getting to know these characters and I especially adored Maverick. This may be a new adventure for Ms. Sloan but this Hero kept true to what I've come to expect from her writing - true Alpha-ness. Even when he was working his hardest to get back into his family's life, his possessiveness over Leighton was clear as day and I loved seeing that. There were many scenes that had me swooning all over the place, and I will be re-reading this many times because of that.
There were a few scenes in the past, which usually I'm not a big fan of, but with this story it worked well being mixed in. It gave us more of a clear picture of how close Maverick and Leighton were at times in the past, and why him leaving hurt her so much. I really liked that we got that insight into their relationship and it made me connect with Leighton on a stronger level. She was a good heroine that kept things interesting since she didn't give into Maverick right away, which was fun to see.
This is one cowboy that everyone needs to meet. Even if you're not into the Western genre I would still highly recommend this book. It was sweet and sexy, with a hot Alpha Hero, and a romance that will have you swooning.
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon * B&N
Lost Rider is the start to Harper Sloan's brand new series, Coming Home, and her first release in Western Romance. This book follows Maverick Davis as he returns home after too many concussions have taken him off the Rodeo circuit. When he left town ten years ago it was with plans to never come back, but now that his father has passed and he no longer has his career, he knows it's time. He never expected to return to Leighton James looking as gorgeous as a model and hating his guts though. She was once the only person he could confide in, and now she doesn't even want to speak to him. Now he just has to change her mind and make up for the past.
I really enjoyed getting to know these characters and I especially adored Maverick. This may be a new adventure for Ms. Sloan but this Hero kept true to what I've come to expect from her writing - true Alpha-ness. Even when he was working his hardest to get back into his family's life, his possessiveness over Leighton was clear as day and I loved seeing that. There were many scenes that had me swooning all over the place, and I will be re-reading this many times because of that.
There were a few scenes in the past, which usually I'm not a big fan of, but with this story it worked well being mixed in. It gave us more of a clear picture of how close Maverick and Leighton were at times in the past, and why him leaving hurt her so much. I really liked that we got that insight into their relationship and it made me connect with Leighton on a stronger level. She was a good heroine that kept things interesting since she didn't give into Maverick right away, which was fun to see.
This is one cowboy that everyone needs to meet. Even if you're not into the Western genre I would still highly recommend this book. It was sweet and sexy, with a hot Alpha Hero, and a romance that will have you swooning.
Lost Rider Playlist:
Austin - Blake Shelton
Boys From The South - Pistol Annies
What Ifs - Kane Brown
This Is How We Roll - Florida Georgia Line
Strip It Down - Luke Bryan
Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) - Big & Rich
Rodeo - Garth Brooks
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
December 9, 2017
*****FOUR STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Simon and Schuster Publishing}
I'm going to keep my review brief.
LOST RIDER centers around Leighton James and Maverick Davis, who have known each other their whole lives. Maverick is Leigh's best friend's older brother and he's owned her heart for as long as she can remember. The thing is, she's owned his as well but he never let her see what was in his heart. He left town for nearly ten years because he needed to get away from his abusive father and he wanted to pursue a career as a professional rodeo rider. After finding out his father passed away and also being told by his doctor that he could never ride again due to the many head injuries he suffered from, Maverick decides to come back home. He's determined to win back his girl in the process.
The book started off slow for me. I'm not sure if I can blame the story or if it's because I have a tough time reading during the work week, to begin with. I got annoyed often with the main characters going back and forth with their apprehension to take a leap of faith where love was concerned. After a while, it became a bit much for me. BUT, towards the end when Leigh helps Maverick open up to his siblings, I felt myself connecting with the story more.
Overall this was a decent read and what can I say--I'm a sucker for a happy ending!
{ARC Generously Provided by Simon and Schuster Publishing}
I'm going to keep my review brief.
LOST RIDER centers around Leighton James and Maverick Davis, who have known each other their whole lives. Maverick is Leigh's best friend's older brother and he's owned her heart for as long as she can remember. The thing is, she's owned his as well but he never let her see what was in his heart. He left town for nearly ten years because he needed to get away from his abusive father and he wanted to pursue a career as a professional rodeo rider. After finding out his father passed away and also being told by his doctor that he could never ride again due to the many head injuries he suffered from, Maverick decides to come back home. He's determined to win back his girl in the process.
The book started off slow for me. I'm not sure if I can blame the story or if it's because I have a tough time reading during the work week, to begin with. I got annoyed often with the main characters going back and forth with their apprehension to take a leap of faith where love was concerned. After a while, it became a bit much for me. BUT, towards the end when Leigh helps Maverick open up to his siblings, I felt myself connecting with the story more.
Overall this was a decent read and what can I say--I'm a sucker for a happy ending!
June 1, 2017
I love cowboys so therefore this book brought me to my happy place! Plus I love Harper Sloan and second-chance romance stories, so ‘Lost Rider’ ticked all the boxes for me to want to dive straight in and devour this story. If you’re anything like me and love nothing more than a sexy as sin alpha cowboy then this is definitely the book for you.
Maverick and Leighton have grown up together in the small town of Pine Oaks, Texas. Leighton has had a crush on her best friend (Quinn’s) brother, Maverick, for years and ten years ago Maverick left the small town he grew up in to pursue his dream and to become a rodeo star. Maverick was able to accomplish everything he had set out to do and became a bull riding superstar.
Unfortunately the higher you rise, the further it is to fall. Everything Maverick had dreamed of and worked so hard to accomplish is now gone after suffering one too many injuries. A doctor told him the worst news he could imagine, his career was now over.
“…I used my words to cause enough damage to ensure that I would never have the one thing that would keep me in this town and away from my dreams. Her. Only now I know that those dreams mean nothing without her to share them with. I gave up one thing to chase the other, and right now I’m just praying I’m not too late to fix the mistakes of my past.”
So now that his career is over and he’s been drowning his sorrows in the bottom of a bottle, he has to return home, the place where he had run away from ten years ago. Maverick did not have one of the easiest of childhoods and never once wanted to return home, but now due to circumstances he has no choice.
When Maverick returns to Pine Oaks, the reunion between Leighton and himself does not go down too well and their relationship is quite strained. However, beyond all of that, it is clear there are some deep seeded feelings that have never had the opportunity to come to fruition. The sexual tension and chemistry literally jumped off the pages and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.
“Well, cowboy, you’ve got me. Now what are you gonna do with me?”
I would most definitely recommend this heart-warming beautiful read. If you’re a fan of second chance romances, brooding, sexy alpha cowboys and feisty, sassy heroines, then you should definitely give this one a go. This is the first book in the ‘Coming Home’ series by Harper Sloan and I can’t wait to read Quinn’s story next.
Read
April 2, 2018dnf 50%
le sad but I'm not feeling it. I'm being told repeatedly that these two have been in love with each other since youth but I guess I need to be shown... flashbacks, may be? or something. :/ I just am not connecting with the story, unfortunately.
le sad but I'm not feeling it. I'm being told repeatedly that these two have been in love with each other since youth but I guess I need to be shown... flashbacks, may be? or something. :/ I just am not connecting with the story, unfortunately.
March 17, 2017
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Got to luv a hot Cowboy
I was really looking forward to this book. The author is quite new to my but I have to say she is becoming one of my favourites. Her stories just seem to suck me in from the very start. This was one of them books Maverick and Leighton were so good together. But God did Maverick make things hard on her. They had known each other for forever they grow up together Leighton is his sisters best friend and they are so close so she was always around. Maverick liked her and they were close in there own way but he couldnt let her get to close cause he had plans and they were goin to happen no matter what. His life goin up wasn't great his father was just a mean man. It wasnt to bad for his brother and sister but still not great. The only thing that made him happy was his brother sister Leighton and his dream of being a rider which is dad hated so he had to get away from the small town of Pine Oaks and him doing that he had to push Leighton away but God he do it in the worst way.
Leighton is a great girl I really liked her. She as had a crush on Maverick forever she can remember a time when she hasn't had a crush on him. They had got close but she knew his dreams and they were what we're going to take him away from her but if he asked her to go she's would even at a young age she knew he was the man she wanted. But one night the man of her dream tore her heart in two and she didn't think she could get that back. Then after 10 years of him being gone he's back and the feels she had buried came back even though she didn't think she could let him back into life again.
There was so much drama in this book and i have to say there was time when i didnt like Maverick at al he has a mean streak and he really knows how to hurt someone but then when you get to see him being al nice you cant help but fall for him. There was so much heart break in both there's lives but they were so meant to be together even with everything that had happened between them. They were so hot together the sexual tension was crazy hot and once they started getting close it was hard to stay away.
I would highly recommend this book. It's really good the story had great flow and the characters were just brilliant. I m dying to know more about Clay and Quinn Mavericks brother and sister there is still loads to know so really excited about that.
Got to luv a hot Cowboy
I was really looking forward to this book. The author is quite new to my but I have to say she is becoming one of my favourites. Her stories just seem to suck me in from the very start. This was one of them books Maverick and Leighton were so good together. But God did Maverick make things hard on her. They had known each other for forever they grow up together Leighton is his sisters best friend and they are so close so she was always around. Maverick liked her and they were close in there own way but he couldnt let her get to close cause he had plans and they were goin to happen no matter what. His life goin up wasn't great his father was just a mean man. It wasnt to bad for his brother and sister but still not great. The only thing that made him happy was his brother sister Leighton and his dream of being a rider which is dad hated so he had to get away from the small town of Pine Oaks and him doing that he had to push Leighton away but God he do it in the worst way.
Leighton is a great girl I really liked her. She as had a crush on Maverick forever she can remember a time when she hasn't had a crush on him. They had got close but she knew his dreams and they were what we're going to take him away from her but if he asked her to go she's would even at a young age she knew he was the man she wanted. But one night the man of her dream tore her heart in two and she didn't think she could get that back. Then after 10 years of him being gone he's back and the feels she had buried came back even though she didn't think she could let him back into life again.
There was so much drama in this book and i have to say there was time when i didnt like Maverick at al he has a mean streak and he really knows how to hurt someone but then when you get to see him being al nice you cant help but fall for him. There was so much heart break in both there's lives but they were so meant to be together even with everything that had happened between them. They were so hot together the sexual tension was crazy hot and once they started getting close it was hard to stay away.
I would highly recommend this book. It's really good the story had great flow and the characters were just brilliant. I m dying to know more about Clay and Quinn Mavericks brother and sister there is still loads to know so really excited about that.
April 25, 2017
IT'S LIVE!
** ARC RECEIVED IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW **
** 5 I loved you then. I love you now. I'll love you always stars **
If you think this is just your typical run of the mill, "cowboy chases his dreams and hurts the girl" story, you'd be sadly mistaken. This was so very much more.
Maverick was a complicated guy. He was bound and determined to leave town, chase his dream and not look back. I won't lie, at first he was hard to love. I bounced between wanting to shake him and wanting to hug him. The pain he inflicted on those he loved was hard to see, as well as the stuff her endured. However, once he is back and information comes to light, you see that he was a man trying to survive. He was a man that was living with so much regret. He was chasing what he already had and was afraid to see. I can say that he, without a doubt, won me over as time passed.
I liked Leighton a lot. She had loved her best friend's brother Maverick for as long as she could remember. She put on a brave front but Maverick leaving really set the course for her life. You could feel how much she longed for him. You could feel your heart break with hers. I wanted to hug her.
Neither were virgins. I was glad to see that he was not a manwhore while he was away, didn't bounce from one woman to another. In fact he hadn't been with anyone in years. Also, there was one short conversation about it and that was it. That was huge for me. Also, Leighton dated from time to time so she wasn't the virgin pining away for 10 years. Like Maverick, her heart belonged to someone else.
-no cheating
-no ow/om drama
-pushing away by both at different times in the story
-no violence
-great secondary characters that I hope get great stories as well
-It was a HFN ending which was disappointing, I need an epilogue. It was the start of the series so I hope we see some more of this couple
** ARC RECEIVED IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW **
** 5 I loved you then. I love you now. I'll love you always stars **
If you think this is just your typical run of the mill, "cowboy chases his dreams and hurts the girl" story, you'd be sadly mistaken. This was so very much more.
Maverick was a complicated guy. He was bound and determined to leave town, chase his dream and not look back. I won't lie, at first he was hard to love. I bounced between wanting to shake him and wanting to hug him. The pain he inflicted on those he loved was hard to see, as well as the stuff her endured. However, once he is back and information comes to light, you see that he was a man trying to survive. He was a man that was living with so much regret. He was chasing what he already had and was afraid to see. I can say that he, without a doubt, won me over as time passed.
I liked Leighton a lot. She had loved her best friend's brother Maverick for as long as she could remember. She put on a brave front but Maverick leaving really set the course for her life. You could feel how much she longed for him. You could feel your heart break with hers. I wanted to hug her.
Neither were virgins. I was glad to see that he was not a manwhore while he was away, didn't bounce from one woman to another. In fact he hadn't been with anyone in years. Also, there was one short conversation about it and that was it. That was huge for me. Also, Leighton dated from time to time so she wasn't the virgin pining away for 10 years. Like Maverick, her heart belonged to someone else.
-no cheating
-no ow/om drama
-pushing away by both at different times in the story
-no violence
-great secondary characters that I hope get great stories as well
-It was a HFN ending which was disappointing, I need an epilogue. It was the start of the series so I hope we see some more of this couple
April 19, 2017
⭐⭐⭐3 COWBOY Stars ⭐⭐⭐
“Head over boots cowboy.
Head.
Over.
Boots.
A Second chance romance book is a HUGE weakness for me. Whether it was bad timing, human manipulation, or just plain old stupidity, reading stories like these gives us hope. That feeling of knowing that you’re going to get a second chance of a love you thought was gone forever, is what grabs us from the very first page. Then you have that moment when everything around you suddenly falls into place and your staring at the one person who took your heart all those years ago and never returned it. Clarity right? Well having clarity a little too late is a bitch, but the groveling? Now that’s the icing on the cake.
The only thing Maverick Davis has ever wanted to do more than get out of his small town, was to be a professional Bull Rider. Leaving the town behind was the easy part, but walking away from the beautiful blonde who meant more to him than even he knew at the time was soul crushing. For ten years he stayed away and now that he’s back home, he has a lot of making up to do with his family and the one girl who’s heart he destroyed in the process.
Leighton Davis has had a very successful career herself owning her own bakery. For ten years she’s worked hard to become a stronger person and undo some of the damage that Maverick left in his wake. But all of that hard work goes to s**t when the Heartbreaker himself finally comes back home. Can these two be in the same town without killing each other? Or will old habits die hard?
“I can’t fix the past… I can’t erase it no matter how hard I wish I could. Hell I can’t even promise that I’ll be able to forget it… .the only thing I can do is to make sure that each day I live is worth somethin, from this day forward.”
I loved the flashbacks of Maverick and Leighton’s past when they were teenagers and I secretly wished that we could’ve gotten more of that. I wanted more of them in that element and to experience the bond that they had with each other because I wanted to see that defining moment of when they fell in love. I will say that once these two got together, a fire extinguisher was required because their scenes were freakin hot! Maverick definitely knew how to take care of all of Leighton’s needs and once he figured out what he wanted, he went after it.
But…. This is where I had a tough time. I NEEDED him to grovel a hell of a lot more than what he did!! I understood that he had a difficult past and certain things were messy but I think Leighton should’ve made him work a little bit more harder IMO. I also wasn’t a fan of the inner monologue and that took away some of the enjoyment of me. If you love a good cowboy and second chance romance, then this one is most definitely for you .
“Head over boots cowboy.
Head.
Over.
Boots.
A Second chance romance book is a HUGE weakness for me. Whether it was bad timing, human manipulation, or just plain old stupidity, reading stories like these gives us hope. That feeling of knowing that you’re going to get a second chance of a love you thought was gone forever, is what grabs us from the very first page. Then you have that moment when everything around you suddenly falls into place and your staring at the one person who took your heart all those years ago and never returned it. Clarity right? Well having clarity a little too late is a bitch, but the groveling? Now that’s the icing on the cake.
The only thing Maverick Davis has ever wanted to do more than get out of his small town, was to be a professional Bull Rider. Leaving the town behind was the easy part, but walking away from the beautiful blonde who meant more to him than even he knew at the time was soul crushing. For ten years he stayed away and now that he’s back home, he has a lot of making up to do with his family and the one girl who’s heart he destroyed in the process.
Leighton Davis has had a very successful career herself owning her own bakery. For ten years she’s worked hard to become a stronger person and undo some of the damage that Maverick left in his wake. But all of that hard work goes to s**t when the Heartbreaker himself finally comes back home. Can these two be in the same town without killing each other? Or will old habits die hard?
“I can’t fix the past… I can’t erase it no matter how hard I wish I could. Hell I can’t even promise that I’ll be able to forget it… .the only thing I can do is to make sure that each day I live is worth somethin, from this day forward.”
I loved the flashbacks of Maverick and Leighton’s past when they were teenagers and I secretly wished that we could’ve gotten more of that. I wanted more of them in that element and to experience the bond that they had with each other because I wanted to see that defining moment of when they fell in love. I will say that once these two got together, a fire extinguisher was required because their scenes were freakin hot! Maverick definitely knew how to take care of all of Leighton’s needs and once he figured out what he wanted, he went after it.
But…. This is where I had a tough time. I NEEDED him to grovel a hell of a lot more than what he did!! I understood that he had a difficult past and certain things were messy but I think Leighton should’ve made him work a little bit more harder IMO. I also wasn’t a fan of the inner monologue and that took away some of the enjoyment of me. If you love a good cowboy and second chance romance, then this one is most definitely for you .
December 12, 2017
Let me tell you the wonderful tale of Queen-of-the-Pies Leighton and Dark-Angry-Broody Maverick.
It will only cover one third of the book but it'll suffice to express the utter pleasure I had reading about this charming couple.
The Ugly-Duckling (or otherwise also called flat-chested) Leighton and Dark-Angry-Broody Maverick have known each other all their lives. Now, Ugly-Duckling Leighton developed a crush on Dark-Angry-Broody Maverick very early into her life.
When I was four, Maverick six, I thought he was the most beautiful boy, wishing he’d chase after me and pull on my long, swinging braid like all the boys who liked the other girls at school did. When I was ten, even his awkward preteen stage couldn’t disguise his rugged good looks. When I turned fourteen, he started filling out his shirts, and my dreams changed into fantasies.But Dark-Angry-Broody Maverick has a Bad Daddy and he leaves town as soon as he finishes High School, never looks back, becomes a Rodeo star, leaving a heartbroken, 16-year-old Ugly-Duckling Leighton behind.
Now that the Bad Daddy is dead, Dark-Angry-Broody Maverick returns home for good. To his (and hers) shock and horror - and the delight of his ever hardening cock - he doesn't recognise Ugly-Duckling Leighton. By the way, for the sake of fairness, Dark-Angry-Broody Maverick has never thought of Ugly-Duckling Leighton as an ugly duckling, but she's flat chested and that's all that matters.
She's gone from Ugly-Duckling Leighton to Queen-of-the-Pies (not so flat-chested anymore) Leighton, and has her name from all the pies she so successfully bakes and sells that she has customers, who come to eat her pies in a small town in Texas, from as far as Canada! I may have lost my appetite for pies for the next few months or so, I think. Shame, really.
Queen-of-the-Pies Leighton is very, very angry with Dark-Angry-Broody Maverick, because Dark-Angry-Broody Maverick was/is a bad boy. Not only is this his first return to his hometown in 10 years, but there was also teenage drama right before he left. (And some of you know, how much I love those!)
They meet again at Bad Daddy's funeral, and a few hours later again at her place, and again a few hours later (sigh!) at her pie shop, and Queen-of-the-Pies Leighton is all fury and hate...and....LUST!
“That’s what I said, darlin’,” he responds, crossing his arms over his chest and squaring his stance. I look down, seeing the fabric of his shirt stretch against his thick biceps. The long sleeves are folded and pushed up to his elbows, making the veins in his forearms stand out as they pulse thickly. It takes one hell of an effort on my part not to lick my lips at that sight.So screwed, in fact, that Queen-of-the-Pies Leighton is smart enough to decide it'd be best for both of them to stay away from each other. And what better way to tell Dark-Angry-Broody Maverick this, than to go to his home in the middle of the night while his siblings are away? And - oops! - how convenient that Dark-Angry-Broody Maverick should be clad in nothing but a towel as he has just taken a shower (and wanked over Queen-of-the-Pies Leighton) and didn't expect anyone else to be in his home other than one of his siblings. After a punch delivered by Queen-of-the-Pies Leighton for the kiss he gave her earlier in her pie shop, a 'I hate you', again delivered by Queen-of-the-Pies Leighton, a few tears (you know who!), Dark-Angry-Broody Maverick kisses a by now whimpering Queen-of-the-Pies Leighton, and - surprise, surprise! - they end up shagging against the wall! A few hours later, Queen-of-the-Pies Leighton wakes up in Dark-Angry-Broody Maverick's arms and does a runner, but not before remarking:
*****
“You ain’t over shit, darlin’,” he says, laughing. “Leighton. You don’t know me well enough to be dropping those ‘darlin’s!’” I yell, fighting the urge to stomp my foot and have a conniption fit, ignoring the way my body is burning with arousal. He has got to stop calling me that; just hearing that word spoken in his deep velvet voice is enough to make me want to start dry humping the air.
*****
Who the hell does he think he is? And what in the hell was that back there about? And more important, how do I convince my body that it’s a bad idea to lust over Maverick Davis again? Shit, I’m screwed.
In all my determination to get out unnoticed, I failed to see the porch light flicker on and the tall, very naked man that filled the open doorway. Which really is a shame, because had I been paying attention, I would have seen the look of promise-filled determination that took over his features. I had unknowingly awoken the sleeping dragon, and there wasn’t anything that would be powerful enough to stand in the way of the hungry beast that had been hiding for so many years.And thus concludes Queen-of-the-Pies Leighton's and Dark-Angry-Broody Maverick's first day after 10 years, my summary of their wonderful tale, and my will to carry on. To be fair, I was afraid of losing my brain cells which are precious to me as I'm not getting any younger!
What a long, long, long summary of a book I DNF'ed after 30%. This must be a first, surely. But there's a reason for it. To say I was slightly irritated when I DNF'ed the book wouldn't be quite right. I was fucking furious!
I do read NA every now and then, but - after getting burned once too often - I make a conscious choice to read NA when I feel like it. Or when one of the few good NA authors publish a new book. But there was no indication that this book was NA and Harper Sloan is a new-to-me author.
Now, let me have a look:
- First person dual PoV - check
- Present tense - check
- Separate timelines (teenage/adult) - check
- Slut shaming - check
- Sexism (may as well include this one separately when I think of some passages) - check
- High drama queen/king-like behaviour - check
- OTT stereotyping (see gif! I expect all Texans - without exception - to constantly say 'Howdy' and 'Y'all' from now on) - check
- Awful writing/characterisation and overused plot (not limited to NA, I know) - check
To read something that wasn't expected isn't necessarily a reason to DNF a book. On the contrary, I have had the most delightful surprises (see Unmasking Miss Appleby) when a book turned out to be completely different from what I had expected. But if the book turns out to be of a sub genre I am generally wary of, and if the book then even includes all the reasons why I am so wary of that sub genre, I get furious! This book - well, the 30% I managed to read - was awful. Not one likeable character; even those that were obviously meant to be likeable morphed into cliché-ridden morons. And don't get me started on Queen-of-the-Pies Leighton and Dark-Angry-Broody Maverick.
What an utter dreck!
February 21, 2017
3 Second Chances and Cowboy Stars
Lost Rider is a standalone and is part of the Coming Home Series. I haven’t read a Harper Sloan book in a while. In fact I haven’t read a book by her since her debut book. She has a mega fan base and I was curious to see how much her writing has changed.
I love a Southern cowboy book. I’m from Texas and my husband owns acers of land with a family that has a Southern accent and all. Suffice it to the say, the accent, the jeans and cowboy hat does it for me.
Leighton and Maverick had feelings for each other, but Maverick needed to pursue his dreams and go ride the bulls. The book starts with a few flashbacks and the chapters go from present to past. Normally I don’t like flashbacks, but in this case, I really wanted it. I wanted to see the love Leighton and Maverick had for each other (if they had it at all). I kind of wish the entire book alternated between present and past (crazy I know!).
Its ten years later and Maverick is back and you know how it goes. Lots of pain, anger and drama from Maverick’s siblings and of course Leighton.
Lost Rider has mild angst. A lot of people are angry with Maverick and he kind of has to make amends with everyone. He isn’t your sweet hero though. If you want the strong alpha lead, holds-no-hands kind of man, then he is it.
There is some nice dialogue in the book, but the inner monologues / narratives were long. I’ve never been fond of these, but I know a lot of readers like it because it really tells you how the characters feel.
Leighton and Maverick work on the issue of Maverick leaving throughout the book. I’m not sure if I cared too much to why he left or how he felt in the situation. I guess I wouldn’t have mind if there was another obstacle to overcome.
I did like the side characters. Maverick’s siblings are adorable and they have a strong relationship with Leighton which kept the angst level mild in the book (like I mentioned before). The next book will be about Quinn, Maverick’s sister.
Overall, Lost Rider was a pleasant read. There are some things I didn’t care for due to my particular reading style, but I can see why a lot of people love Harper Sloan so much.
A paperback arc was provided as an Xoxpert review
Lost Rider #1 AMAZON
Kiss my Boots #2 AMAZON
Reviewed as an ...
March 21, 2017
4.5 love me a cowboy Stars
Harper Sloan has always been a go to author for me she's my guilty pleasure fav, her heroes are mostly Ass-hole Alpha's that turn protective in the sweetest loving way. This one though has a slightly different feel, I'd say it's under the contemporary Romance genre but it still it was equally as fun with the chemistry, sexy moments and a bigger plot to keep you turning the pages.
Maverick is the middle brother of the Davies family, after a hurtful and painful up bringing being the one his father used as a punchbag, Mav ran to work the rodeo circuit leaving behind the one person he truly loved. In that he left Leighton to continue her life as she knows it but with a void that only truthfully Mav can fill. Then years later when Mav needs to come home to be there for his family, he's back to see where life brings him on a new chapter.
This book was delightful, it's full of second chances, about a man who is full of pain and doesn't feel he deserves the one person he pines for. Yet he's made to heal with Leighton to open his eyes and his heart. He gets his head out of his Ass and learns to breathe again. It is sexy but it will swell your heart, make you feel, it's about family above all and then it's about forgiveness.
Then there's Leighton, a girl who loved the simple things, but a girl who was imbedded into the Davies family as if she was born to be there. She's tough, takes no shit but her love for Maverick never left her heart really, even if she learnt to live without him. She bakes, owns a bakery and is the best friend of Mavs younger sister. She is the kind of heroine you kind of just love for being HER. No other answer I didn't find anything to not like... which says a lot about a heroine.
Above all this read will open your heart, I love cowboy reads they really are about family, friendships, fun, SEX, raw emotion and are always enjoyable reads for me.
Enjoy Xo
ARC generously gifted in exchange for a honest review
For more reviews and blog posts
Harper Sloan has always been a go to author for me she's my guilty pleasure fav, her heroes are mostly Ass-hole Alpha's that turn protective in the sweetest loving way. This one though has a slightly different feel, I'd say it's under the contemporary Romance genre but it still it was equally as fun with the chemistry, sexy moments and a bigger plot to keep you turning the pages.
Maverick is the middle brother of the Davies family, after a hurtful and painful up bringing being the one his father used as a punchbag, Mav ran to work the rodeo circuit leaving behind the one person he truly loved. In that he left Leighton to continue her life as she knows it but with a void that only truthfully Mav can fill. Then years later when Mav needs to come home to be there for his family, he's back to see where life brings him on a new chapter.
This book was delightful, it's full of second chances, about a man who is full of pain and doesn't feel he deserves the one person he pines for. Yet he's made to heal with Leighton to open his eyes and his heart. He gets his head out of his Ass and learns to breathe again. It is sexy but it will swell your heart, make you feel, it's about family above all and then it's about forgiveness.
Then there's Leighton, a girl who loved the simple things, but a girl who was imbedded into the Davies family as if she was born to be there. She's tough, takes no shit but her love for Maverick never left her heart really, even if she learnt to live without him. She bakes, owns a bakery and is the best friend of Mavs younger sister. She is the kind of heroine you kind of just love for being HER. No other answer I didn't find anything to not like... which says a lot about a heroine.
Above all this read will open your heart, I love cowboy reads they really are about family, friendships, fun, SEX, raw emotion and are always enjoyable reads for me.
Enjoy Xo
ARC generously gifted in exchange for a honest review
For more reviews and blog posts
April 19, 2017
3 -
I was lost once...
Stars.
Lost Rider, introduces the reader to the Davis family of Pine Oak, Texas. Town royalty if you will, and the first book gives us retired bull-rider, Maverick Austin Davis’ story.
"I’m not sure if everything I’ve been chasing-everything I’ve lost-is worth knowing what I’ve been missing…"
This is the first book I have read by Harper Sloan, I have however seen a lot of positive reviews for her other books on my Goodreads feed, so I started Lost Rider, with high hopes. And I would say that in part some of those hopes were met, the first 30% of the book started with a bang, was well written and with plenty of relevant conflict. Ten years away from town, has rung an awful lot of changes for Maverick Austin Davis, as well as those he left behind, so his return is met with mixed emotions, especially those of the girl he left behind, and not in the most auspicious of ways.
"I can’t fix the past… I can’t erase it, no matter how hard I wish I could. Hell, I can’t even promise that I’ll ever be able to forget it… The only thing I can do is to make sure that each day I live is worth somethin’, from this day forward."
Leighton Elizabeth James is not only Mav’s little sister’s best friend she is the woman that has loved him since they were both kids, to say she goes through the emotional wringer in this one would be an understatement, Mav’s return to town opens up old wounds, and as he starts to explain his past and reasons for leaving to her in more depth, even adds to them as well.
I think the main problem I had with Lost Rider, is the fact that the bulk of the story played out in the first third of the book, the rest of it basically comprised of Mav telling various people about what he went through as a child and the full story as to why he left. This is something that he went over and over again with Leigh and then his siblings Clay and Quinn. There were lengthy speeches, long paragraphs of inner monologue that were quite repetitive and didn’t really offer up much more than had already been covered. It reminded me a bit of an old episode of Dallas lots of high drama, over-the-top characterisation, but very little depth or development, the author pretty much took one trope and wrung every last drop of writing from it. Once the big reveal had happened early on very little else happened, it was broken up by the odd sexy time between the main couple, and a lot of irrelevant rambling monologues.
I knew she was it for me… if I admitted that, I wouldn’t be able to get out…
The writing was pretty decent (even if there was too much of it), but for me there were large chunks of this book that could have been cut out or pared down, I get that the story’s focus was on Mav’s return to town, and the reasons he left in the first place, but it just didn’t feel like enough once Leigh and Mav decided they were going to be together, everything was pretty pedestrian after that, and that’s an awful lot of pedestrian.
Would I read more from this author… Yes, I think her story telling is sound and her characters although a little on the overly dramatic side were easy to get along with, I’m not sure I’ll continue with this series, because if I am honest nothing really pulled me to want to find out more about Clay and Quinn Davis, also if their books are of a similar length to this one, I don’t honestly know if I have the will to pull myself through another 350+ page book with what amounts to a 200 page story in it.
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.
Lost Rider, introduces the reader to the Davis family of Pine Oak, Texas. Town royalty if you will, and the first book gives us retired bull-rider, Maverick Austin Davis’ story.
"I’m not sure if everything I’ve been chasing-everything I’ve lost-is worth knowing what I’ve been missing…"
This is the first book I have read by Harper Sloan, I have however seen a lot of positive reviews for her other books on my Goodreads feed, so I started Lost Rider, with high hopes. And I would say that in part some of those hopes were met, the first 30% of the book started with a bang, was well written and with plenty of relevant conflict. Ten years away from town, has rung an awful lot of changes for Maverick Austin Davis, as well as those he left behind, so his return is met with mixed emotions, especially those of the girl he left behind, and not in the most auspicious of ways.
"I can’t fix the past… I can’t erase it, no matter how hard I wish I could. Hell, I can’t even promise that I’ll ever be able to forget it… The only thing I can do is to make sure that each day I live is worth somethin’, from this day forward."
Leighton Elizabeth James is not only Mav’s little sister’s best friend she is the woman that has loved him since they were both kids, to say she goes through the emotional wringer in this one would be an understatement, Mav’s return to town opens up old wounds, and as he starts to explain his past and reasons for leaving to her in more depth, even adds to them as well.
I think the main problem I had with Lost Rider, is the fact that the bulk of the story played out in the first third of the book, the rest of it basically comprised of Mav telling various people about what he went through as a child and the full story as to why he left. This is something that he went over and over again with Leigh and then his siblings Clay and Quinn. There were lengthy speeches, long paragraphs of inner monologue that were quite repetitive and didn’t really offer up much more than had already been covered. It reminded me a bit of an old episode of Dallas lots of high drama, over-the-top characterisation, but very little depth or development, the author pretty much took one trope and wrung every last drop of writing from it. Once the big reveal had happened early on very little else happened, it was broken up by the odd sexy time between the main couple, and a lot of irrelevant rambling monologues.
I knew she was it for me… if I admitted that, I wouldn’t be able to get out…
The writing was pretty decent (even if there was too much of it), but for me there were large chunks of this book that could have been cut out or pared down, I get that the story’s focus was on Mav’s return to town, and the reasons he left in the first place, but it just didn’t feel like enough once Leigh and Mav decided they were going to be together, everything was pretty pedestrian after that, and that’s an awful lot of pedestrian.
Would I read more from this author… Yes, I think her story telling is sound and her characters although a little on the overly dramatic side were easy to get along with, I’m not sure I’ll continue with this series, because if I am honest nothing really pulled me to want to find out more about Clay and Quinn Davis, also if their books are of a similar length to this one, I don’t honestly know if I have the will to pull myself through another 350+ page book with what amounts to a 200 page story in it.
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.
April 28, 2017
4 'Head. Over. Boots.' Stars!
ARC provided by the author via Ink Slinger PR in exchange for an honest review.
Harper Sloan is one of my favorite authors ever. So you can imagine this girl's excitement levels when she got an advanced copy of the first book in Harper's newest series! I am sure many of you know how good this woman is with military man, musicians and now.. heck yes, cowboys!
Lost Rider is the first installment of Harper's Coming Home series which will focus on the love stories about the Davis siblings. This one is about Maverick (a rodeo star who has been forced to stop riding and now is coming back to the place he escaped from ten years ago) and Leighton (the woman who got her heart broken by said cowboy and now does not know how to trust him again).
Leighton James isn’t a woman that you can have and let go.
I might be off the circuit, but I’m gearing up for the ride of my life.
I adore second chance romances and Lost Rider was no exception! Harper wrote a fantastic western love story full of banter, sentiments and lots of sexy times! I do have to say, I had a hard time connecting with the characters at first (I don't know exactly why lol) but now all of them have definitely stolen my heart! I loved how the story developed and also how the sparks between the MCs flew everywhere!
He’s stronger.
I’m stronger.
Together I just know we’ll be unbreakable.
This, right here and now, is our time.
“Get up here and fuckin’ show your cowboy how you ride.”
I mean.. if you have read anything by Harper Sloan you know she does write some of the best alphas out there and she did not fail with Maverick! This cowboy is (obviously) SO hot and swoony! The chemistry between the couple is scorching and who complains when you get all the feels from the very beginning? Not this lady! I really enjoyed this love story and I can't wait to read Quinn and Clay's books!
“Honey, all I did was love you.”
“And that love saved me.”
Therefore, I am rating Lost Rider with 4 STARS because it was such a funny, emotional and entertaining read that I practically devoured it. Maverick and Leighton were a great couple and I really enjoyed their interactions with all the other characters. I am so excited to know more about them. Definitely check this one out if you love Harper and you want a new hot cowboy in your life!
CHECK OUT MY BLOG HERE:
ARC provided by the author via Ink Slinger PR in exchange for an honest review.
Harper Sloan is one of my favorite authors ever. So you can imagine this girl's excitement levels when she got an advanced copy of the first book in Harper's newest series! I am sure many of you know how good this woman is with military man, musicians and now.. heck yes, cowboys!
Lost Rider is the first installment of Harper's Coming Home series which will focus on the love stories about the Davis siblings. This one is about Maverick (a rodeo star who has been forced to stop riding and now is coming back to the place he escaped from ten years ago) and Leighton (the woman who got her heart broken by said cowboy and now does not know how to trust him again).
Leighton James isn’t a woman that you can have and let go.
I might be off the circuit, but I’m gearing up for the ride of my life.
I adore second chance romances and Lost Rider was no exception! Harper wrote a fantastic western love story full of banter, sentiments and lots of sexy times! I do have to say, I had a hard time connecting with the characters at first (I don't know exactly why lol) but now all of them have definitely stolen my heart! I loved how the story developed and also how the sparks between the MCs flew everywhere!
He’s stronger.
I’m stronger.
Together I just know we’ll be unbreakable.
This, right here and now, is our time.
“Get up here and fuckin’ show your cowboy how you ride.”
I mean.. if you have read anything by Harper Sloan you know she does write some of the best alphas out there and she did not fail with Maverick! This cowboy is (obviously) SO hot and swoony! The chemistry between the couple is scorching and who complains when you get all the feels from the very beginning? Not this lady! I really enjoyed this love story and I can't wait to read Quinn and Clay's books!
“Honey, all I did was love you.”
“And that love saved me.”
Therefore, I am rating Lost Rider with 4 STARS because it was such a funny, emotional and entertaining read that I practically devoured it. Maverick and Leighton were a great couple and I really enjoyed their interactions with all the other characters. I am so excited to know more about them. Definitely check this one out if you love Harper and you want a new hot cowboy in your life!
CHECK OUT MY BLOG HERE:
April 17, 2017
OMG! My heart is so full! Now that is how you write a romance!!!!!!
Copy received for review consideration
~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s always hard to describe your feelings when you complete a fabulous book. Your emotions are running high, and if it’s anything like this book by Harper Sloan, you probably have a few tears going on as well.
Lost Rider gave me the major feels from start to finish. The deep emotional writing and the attention to in-depth detailed description created a masterpiece in contemporary romance. And I don’t say that flippantly.
I read a lot of Romance novels and you can tell when an author has crafted something so special that you want to immediately read it again. And again. With the highs and the lows, the smiles and the tears, you never want to see it end.
But then again you do want to reach the ending because you know there are others in the series that are waiting to be written. You can only hope they will be as good as this one was for me.
Harper Sloan has brought us a deeply touching heart-wrenching book that will be one you will pick up time and again. This story will never get old!
Full review - http://amidlifewife.com/lost-rider-by...
Copy received for review consideration
~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s always hard to describe your feelings when you complete a fabulous book. Your emotions are running high, and if it’s anything like this book by Harper Sloan, you probably have a few tears going on as well.
Lost Rider gave me the major feels from start to finish. The deep emotional writing and the attention to in-depth detailed description created a masterpiece in contemporary romance. And I don’t say that flippantly.
I read a lot of Romance novels and you can tell when an author has crafted something so special that you want to immediately read it again. And again. With the highs and the lows, the smiles and the tears, you never want to see it end.
But then again you do want to reach the ending because you know there are others in the series that are waiting to be written. You can only hope they will be as good as this one was for me.
Harper Sloan has brought us a deeply touching heart-wrenching book that will be one you will pick up time and again. This story will never get old!
Full review - http://amidlifewife.com/lost-rider-by...
March 7, 2017
I have a very deep love for cowboys, so when I was given the chance of reviewing a "cowboy" book, by one of my favorite authors...I jumped on it !! You know what they say....and I totally agree !!
"Lost Rider" is the first book in this new series by Haper Sloan. It was very different, from all the other books I have read by her (which are a lot), though one thing has not changed.... the delicious alpha hero ;)
The beginning of this books has some flashbacks to the past, when Maverick and Leighton were much younger. Leighton has always had a huge crush on her best friends older brother.
Maverick had a really hard time growing up. His father was an absolute asshole and the only thing that kept Maverick going, were his dreams of bull riding...and Leighton. He knows he can't stay...he is slowly dying inside. He knows she has a big crush on him and he knows that she would follow him to the end of the world if need be...So he does the only thing he can think of. He breaks her 16 year old heart into little pieces and goes of to chase his dreams.
Fast forward 10 years and Maverick is forced to come home again. His bull riding career has come to an screeching halt and his siblings need him, because their father has died. Coming home also means, coming face to face with the one girl he never wanted to leave...
Leighton was crushed when Maverick broke her heart and left, but she has since grown up and made a life for herself. Maverick still owns a piece of her heart though and she doesn't know if that will ever change. Now Maverick has come back and he has made it very clear he wants her and he intends to never let her go. But how will she ever trust him again...
This was a very low on angst, second chance story. Not only a second chance on love, but a second chance on family and life. I enjoyed reading it, though I would have enjoyed it more if there would have been a bit more angst. I also would have preferred a bit more dialogue. The MC's spend a lot of time in their heads...
I liked Maverick and Leighton, though Leighton did annoy me at times. I know what Maverick did to her when she was 16, was extremely shitty, but in my opinion, him leaving was a necessity. Not everything was about her, though for some reason, she made it out to be. Thankfully she was also funny as hell, so that made up for her annoying parts.
As for Maverick...yeah he was a major asshole in the beginning. But what can I say...I like assholes and he did try very hard to redeem himself. He was also a major dirty talker, which get's me all the time ;) The steam in this book was delicious...
I do have to say that "Corps Security" and especially "Hope Town" are still my favorite series by this author though. I don't think anything will change that. Still this was a very sweet, low on angst and high on love "second chance" story. I am definitely reading the next book !!
"I was lost once. A Rider without the ability to do what he loved. I came home even though it was the last place I thought I wanted te be, and in the process not only did I find myself again, but I also found that my reason for livin' didn't have shit to do with ridin'. "
This review has been posted on Dirty Books Obsession
"Lost Rider" is the first book in this new series by Haper Sloan. It was very different, from all the other books I have read by her (which are a lot), though one thing has not changed.... the delicious alpha hero ;)
The beginning of this books has some flashbacks to the past, when Maverick and Leighton were much younger. Leighton has always had a huge crush on her best friends older brother.
Maverick had a really hard time growing up. His father was an absolute asshole and the only thing that kept Maverick going, were his dreams of bull riding...and Leighton. He knows he can't stay...he is slowly dying inside. He knows she has a big crush on him and he knows that she would follow him to the end of the world if need be...So he does the only thing he can think of. He breaks her 16 year old heart into little pieces and goes of to chase his dreams.
Fast forward 10 years and Maverick is forced to come home again. His bull riding career has come to an screeching halt and his siblings need him, because their father has died. Coming home also means, coming face to face with the one girl he never wanted to leave...
Leighton was crushed when Maverick broke her heart and left, but she has since grown up and made a life for herself. Maverick still owns a piece of her heart though and she doesn't know if that will ever change. Now Maverick has come back and he has made it very clear he wants her and he intends to never let her go. But how will she ever trust him again...
This was a very low on angst, second chance story. Not only a second chance on love, but a second chance on family and life. I enjoyed reading it, though I would have enjoyed it more if there would have been a bit more angst. I also would have preferred a bit more dialogue. The MC's spend a lot of time in their heads...
I liked Maverick and Leighton, though Leighton did annoy me at times. I know what Maverick did to her when she was 16, was extremely shitty, but in my opinion, him leaving was a necessity. Not everything was about her, though for some reason, she made it out to be. Thankfully she was also funny as hell, so that made up for her annoying parts.
As for Maverick...yeah he was a major asshole in the beginning. But what can I say...I like assholes and he did try very hard to redeem himself. He was also a major dirty talker, which get's me all the time ;) The steam in this book was delicious...
I do have to say that "Corps Security" and especially "Hope Town" are still my favorite series by this author though. I don't think anything will change that. Still this was a very sweet, low on angst and high on love "second chance" story. I am definitely reading the next book !!
"I was lost once. A Rider without the ability to do what he loved. I came home even though it was the last place I thought I wanted te be, and in the process not only did I find myself again, but I also found that my reason for livin' didn't have shit to do with ridin'. "
This review has been posted on Dirty Books Obsession
March 14, 2017
ARC provided by NetGalley and Publisher for an honest review.
Maverick was Leighton's best friends older brother and she only had eyes for him. Maverick was aware of Leighton crush but knew he needed to ignore it. Second chance love is where this book takes us.
The book starts with flashbacks of when Maverick and Leighton are young and lays the foundation of their history. Maverick has a tragic and sad family life with some major father issues added on. He was determined to purse his dream of the rodeo and that was what kept him going plus his siblings . Leighton deals with her crush and unrequited love. At eighteen years of age Maverick leaves town to join the rodeo.He leaves behind a broken hearted Leighton's, as well as leaving hurt/bad feelings with his siblings and towns people. During these flashbacks I have to say I could not stand Maverick, the monologue and history these two share just didn't gel for me.
Fast forward ten years later, Maverick's left the rodeo after suffering some serious injuries, his father is now dead and he's back in town. He's still has a chip on his should and has to now navigate some hurt/damaged relationships.
Leighton was heartbroken but moved on and made a life for herself. When Maverick walks back into town she's determined to protect her heart after all the hurt he and life has thrown at her.
Both had a lot of healing to do in their relationship. And I found at times that Leighton character was irritating and somewhat over the top with her feelings. And Maverick, as I stated earlier, was a real jerk in the beginning and somewhat redeemed himself later in the story. In my opinion it was almost too late as his jerky character overshadowed the story too much for most of the book. Another issue I have was the monologue seemed to drag on too much as well as the narrative. And in the end I found I just didn't really connect or care about these characters to be totally invested into their HEA.
Maverick was Leighton's best friends older brother and she only had eyes for him. Maverick was aware of Leighton crush but knew he needed to ignore it. Second chance love is where this book takes us.
The book starts with flashbacks of when Maverick and Leighton are young and lays the foundation of their history. Maverick has a tragic and sad family life with some major father issues added on. He was determined to purse his dream of the rodeo and that was what kept him going plus his siblings . Leighton deals with her crush and unrequited love. At eighteen years of age Maverick leaves town to join the rodeo.He leaves behind a broken hearted Leighton's, as well as leaving hurt/bad feelings with his siblings and towns people. During these flashbacks I have to say I could not stand Maverick, the monologue and history these two share just didn't gel for me.
Fast forward ten years later, Maverick's left the rodeo after suffering some serious injuries, his father is now dead and he's back in town. He's still has a chip on his should and has to now navigate some hurt/damaged relationships.
Leighton was heartbroken but moved on and made a life for herself. When Maverick walks back into town she's determined to protect her heart after all the hurt he and life has thrown at her.
Both had a lot of healing to do in their relationship. And I found at times that Leighton character was irritating and somewhat over the top with her feelings. And Maverick, as I stated earlier, was a real jerk in the beginning and somewhat redeemed himself later in the story. In my opinion it was almost too late as his jerky character overshadowed the story too much for most of the book. Another issue I have was the monologue seemed to drag on too much as well as the narrative. And in the end I found I just didn't really connect or care about these characters to be totally invested into their HEA.
April 8, 2017
3.5 Stars
A story of coming home again when coming home is so very painful and yet holds the one thing you need more than air.
Maverick left home to follow a dream but more importantly to escape a harsh reality. In doing so he had to hurt the one person that gave him calm in the midst of all the turmoil he had grown up with. Leigh had her own dreams but they included Maverick and her young heart is broken when he takes steps to make sure that he can’t use her to stay away from following the rodeo trail and his escape from home. When Mav and Leigh reunite they work together to face their past issues and discover that healing can be found with the person who loves you.
This is a sweet story and I was happy to learn that Maverick was not the typical rodeo man whore the author could have easily made him. There is actually not a lot about this book that is cliché or typical; a second chance romance that focuses on the healing required to come home again. Yes, Mav had hurt Leigh ten years ago but I was content with the way it was dealt with and allowed this couple to move forward in their relationship.
The lack of four full stars is due to a lot of internal dialogue especially on Leigh’s part. I felt several times that I was just ready for the story to start moving forward. It is a slow read in that regard. Although the theme of the book would seem to be high angst, I actually felt like it was very low.
I enjoy this author’s work and was happy to get to read this ARC in return for an honest review through NetGalley.
Dual POV
Safety Gang Safe
Abuse – not described in detail
A story of coming home again when coming home is so very painful and yet holds the one thing you need more than air.
Maverick left home to follow a dream but more importantly to escape a harsh reality. In doing so he had to hurt the one person that gave him calm in the midst of all the turmoil he had grown up with. Leigh had her own dreams but they included Maverick and her young heart is broken when he takes steps to make sure that he can’t use her to stay away from following the rodeo trail and his escape from home. When Mav and Leigh reunite they work together to face their past issues and discover that healing can be found with the person who loves you.
This is a sweet story and I was happy to learn that Maverick was not the typical rodeo man whore the author could have easily made him. There is actually not a lot about this book that is cliché or typical; a second chance romance that focuses on the healing required to come home again. Yes, Mav had hurt Leigh ten years ago but I was content with the way it was dealt with and allowed this couple to move forward in their relationship.
The lack of four full stars is due to a lot of internal dialogue especially on Leigh’s part. I felt several times that I was just ready for the story to start moving forward. It is a slow read in that regard. Although the theme of the book would seem to be high angst, I actually felt like it was very low.
I enjoy this author’s work and was happy to get to read this ARC in return for an honest review through NetGalley.
Dual POV
Safety Gang Safe
Abuse – not described in detail
Shelved as 'arc-up-next'
March 8, 2017ARC kindly provided by Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books, via NetGalley, for an honest review.
April 26, 2017
4 stars <33
I was so excited to read this new series from Harper Sloan!I really enjoyed meeting these new characters and especially Maverick and Leighton.
This was a second chance romance and also a second chance on family, and if you read this book you'll understand what I mean.
Lost Rider is a sweet romance but also a little bit slow for my taste but overall I find it lovely and refreshing!!
I was so excited to read this new series from Harper Sloan!I really enjoyed meeting these new characters and especially Maverick and Leighton.
This was a second chance romance and also a second chance on family, and if you read this book you'll understand what I mean.
Lost Rider is a sweet romance but also a little bit slow for my taste but overall I find it lovely and refreshing!!
April 27, 2017
4.25 'Steel Roots' Stars
Awww… Harper Sloan really gave us all the feels in this western inspired second chance romance!
I completely fell in love not only with the main characters, but all the story setting and the secondary characters, and that is saying a lot because second chance romance, as most of you know is normally not my thing, but the way Harper wrote it really captivated me and touched my heart.
Maverick and Leighton have known each other since she came into this world, and always shared a unexplainable connection, that was evident for everyone surrounding them, and even themselves, though they didn’t fully acknowledge it. But life is a bumpy road, as they, even at very young age find out, because not all the love and care can sometimes erase a life of pain, and that was what Maverick had been suffering all this childhood, which made in see no solution but to try to escape – I will not reveal all his motives, because that would ruin your ride, of course -, and for that he had to hurt the one good thing in his life, Leighton.
Young girl that she was, she never saw that her feeling were indeed reciprocated, so when Maverick decide to leave and cut all roots, she naturally couldn’t see beyond her own pain, and never again let herself get close enough to risk her heart again.
Fast forward ten years (the very start of the book) and Maverick, being somewhat forced to come back home, let’s just say he really arrived like a enraged bull in a china shop! Oh boy, was he an a major @sshole!!! But fear not, because the cowboy more than redeems himself, and it only that a very, very short time for his attitudes to awake Leigh’s feistiness and she more than is up to task to kick his butt into gear, maybe with a ‘pie-cide’ or two to the mix! LOL
This explosive clash was sure turn in a blink of an eye into sexual charged explosion, and lordy, were they hot for one another!
He needs to stop calling me that or I’ll be putty in his hands. Is there anything sexier than a deep southern drawl uttering the word “darlin’ ”? Nope—there isn’t, which is why he needs to stop that immediately.
So very true, no woman can really resist to a good southern darlin’, specially when that comes from you soulmate cowboy, which was Leighton’s case, but old wounds and a ten years of hurt don’t just blow up in the air, and her mind starts to war with her body.
I forget about everything that has ever happened between us.
My anger. His anger. It all just vanishes and it’s as if he never left.
And here is where Maverick really stood out as a amazing romantic hero, because he really opened his heart and his life to her, revealing every single thing about his past that made him leave, and he proved that he really had no choice, because staying would be dying.
No matter how much I truly did want her back then, I knew I had to cut the ties that connected our hearts.
Maverick really was a dreamy male MC, we could feel in his every thought how much Leigh meant for him, how much he loved her and thought he was doing what was best for her by leaving, even if it killed him to stay away. Since forever he craved her more than anything.
All she had to do was walk into a room and I forgot it all.
I forgot because she became the only thing I wanted more than my need to chase my dreams. The only thing I craved more than escaping.
(…)
Only now I know that those dreams meant nothing without her to share them with. I gave up one thing to chase the other, and right now I’m just praying I’m not too late to fix the mistakes of my past.
For me, he more than redeemed himself, and he fought like hell to have his girl’s love back, the thing that he wanted and craved more than anything to survive.
I didn’t know what I would be comin’ home to, but I knew that I damn sure wouldn’t spend another day regrettin’ the mistakes of my actions. Not when I have the power to do somethin’ about it now. A chance.”
Yes, I’m sorry but I have to say it, because he really took the bull by the horns and did everything in his power to win Leigh. He knew it was the fight of a lifetime.
Settled in for the long run, and it’s gonna last a lot longer than eight seconds. You better believe I’m ridin’ this out with you until you buck me off. And darlin’, there hasn’t been a ride I’ve ever been more prepared for.”
I want you, Leigh. I want what’s inside of you that has always pulled me in and made me feel like I was the only man in the world.
And he sure made her feel like she was the only woman he the world. She was all he could see, the center of his universe.
She was my compass when I was lost without direction.
She was the pull I always felt to come home but never had the balls to try, knowing that it might be too late.
She was my biggest regret, but she will be my biggest accomplishment—God willing.
Once she truly let go, and embraced everything he had to offer it was just as beautiful to see/read as it was his battle. Their mutual love and devotion shone through for anyone to see. A true companionship and love beyond measure!
He’s stronger.
I’m stronger.
Together I just know we’ll be unbreakable.
It really was an amazing love story and Maverick and Leighton stole my heart. This Coming Home series, with this incredible first installment, went straight to my favorite series, and after the glimpse we had of the rest of the Davis siblings, and fantastic setting, and story development, I can’t wait to see what Harper gives us next with Kiss My Boots, Quinn’s story! <3 <3 <3 <3
“I love you, Maverick Austin Davis. I loved you then. I love you now. I’ll love you always.”
There it is. All of her. And finally, with that, I’ve found all of me.
“I, God,” I breathe, closing my eyes while her words wash over me before opening them again. “I love you right back, Leighton. Loved you then. Love you always.”
No . . . ridin’ doesn’t define me anymore. Not when I’ve got the love of the woman made for me. She gave me me back, and in the process, I gained everything.
ARC kindly provided by the author via InkSlinger PR for an honest review
For full review with Review & Excerpt Tour, check out my blog post,
http://gisspotreviews.com/index.php/2...
Awww… Harper Sloan really gave us all the feels in this western inspired second chance romance!
I completely fell in love not only with the main characters, but all the story setting and the secondary characters, and that is saying a lot because second chance romance, as most of you know is normally not my thing, but the way Harper wrote it really captivated me and touched my heart.
Maverick and Leighton have known each other since she came into this world, and always shared a unexplainable connection, that was evident for everyone surrounding them, and even themselves, though they didn’t fully acknowledge it. But life is a bumpy road, as they, even at very young age find out, because not all the love and care can sometimes erase a life of pain, and that was what Maverick had been suffering all this childhood, which made in see no solution but to try to escape – I will not reveal all his motives, because that would ruin your ride, of course -, and for that he had to hurt the one good thing in his life, Leighton.
Young girl that she was, she never saw that her feeling were indeed reciprocated, so when Maverick decide to leave and cut all roots, she naturally couldn’t see beyond her own pain, and never again let herself get close enough to risk her heart again.
Fast forward ten years (the very start of the book) and Maverick, being somewhat forced to come back home, let’s just say he really arrived like a enraged bull in a china shop! Oh boy, was he an a major @sshole!!! But fear not, because the cowboy more than redeems himself, and it only that a very, very short time for his attitudes to awake Leigh’s feistiness and she more than is up to task to kick his butt into gear, maybe with a ‘pie-cide’ or two to the mix! LOL
This explosive clash was sure turn in a blink of an eye into sexual charged explosion, and lordy, were they hot for one another!
He needs to stop calling me that or I’ll be putty in his hands. Is there anything sexier than a deep southern drawl uttering the word “darlin’ ”? Nope—there isn’t, which is why he needs to stop that immediately.
So very true, no woman can really resist to a good southern darlin’, specially when that comes from you soulmate cowboy, which was Leighton’s case, but old wounds and a ten years of hurt don’t just blow up in the air, and her mind starts to war with her body.
I forget about everything that has ever happened between us.
My anger. His anger. It all just vanishes and it’s as if he never left.
And here is where Maverick really stood out as a amazing romantic hero, because he really opened his heart and his life to her, revealing every single thing about his past that made him leave, and he proved that he really had no choice, because staying would be dying.
No matter how much I truly did want her back then, I knew I had to cut the ties that connected our hearts.
Maverick really was a dreamy male MC, we could feel in his every thought how much Leigh meant for him, how much he loved her and thought he was doing what was best for her by leaving, even if it killed him to stay away. Since forever he craved her more than anything.
All she had to do was walk into a room and I forgot it all.
I forgot because she became the only thing I wanted more than my need to chase my dreams. The only thing I craved more than escaping.
(…)
Only now I know that those dreams meant nothing without her to share them with. I gave up one thing to chase the other, and right now I’m just praying I’m not too late to fix the mistakes of my past.
For me, he more than redeemed himself, and he fought like hell to have his girl’s love back, the thing that he wanted and craved more than anything to survive.
I didn’t know what I would be comin’ home to, but I knew that I damn sure wouldn’t spend another day regrettin’ the mistakes of my actions. Not when I have the power to do somethin’ about it now. A chance.”
Yes, I’m sorry but I have to say it, because he really took the bull by the horns and did everything in his power to win Leigh. He knew it was the fight of a lifetime.
Settled in for the long run, and it’s gonna last a lot longer than eight seconds. You better believe I’m ridin’ this out with you until you buck me off. And darlin’, there hasn’t been a ride I’ve ever been more prepared for.”
I want you, Leigh. I want what’s inside of you that has always pulled me in and made me feel like I was the only man in the world.
And he sure made her feel like she was the only woman he the world. She was all he could see, the center of his universe.
She was my compass when I was lost without direction.
She was the pull I always felt to come home but never had the balls to try, knowing that it might be too late.
She was my biggest regret, but she will be my biggest accomplishment—God willing.
Once she truly let go, and embraced everything he had to offer it was just as beautiful to see/read as it was his battle. Their mutual love and devotion shone through for anyone to see. A true companionship and love beyond measure!
He’s stronger.
I’m stronger.
Together I just know we’ll be unbreakable.
It really was an amazing love story and Maverick and Leighton stole my heart. This Coming Home series, with this incredible first installment, went straight to my favorite series, and after the glimpse we had of the rest of the Davis siblings, and fantastic setting, and story development, I can’t wait to see what Harper gives us next with Kiss My Boots, Quinn’s story! <3 <3 <3 <3
“I love you, Maverick Austin Davis. I loved you then. I love you now. I’ll love you always.”
There it is. All of her. And finally, with that, I’ve found all of me.
“I, God,” I breathe, closing my eyes while her words wash over me before opening them again. “I love you right back, Leighton. Loved you then. Love you always.”
No . . . ridin’ doesn’t define me anymore. Not when I’ve got the love of the woman made for me. She gave me me back, and in the process, I gained everything.
ARC kindly provided by the author via InkSlinger PR for an honest review
For full review with Review & Excerpt Tour, check out my blog post,
http://gisspotreviews.com/index.php/2...
November 13, 2017
Maverick left his hometown in Texas ten years ago to follow his dreams. He wanted to be the biggest rodeo star ever. And he achieved all that and more. But now an injury sends him back home for good. Also, his dad died and he has to help with the family's horse farm business. Which he hates! He and his dad had a horrible and abusive relationship. His dad didn't believe he would ever make something of the rodeo thing. But he did.
And now he's back home .... But his family was not the only thing he left back then. There was also the girl who could've been his forever girl. But he just couldn't stay and live with his dad for even one more day. So he left. And poor Leighton got hurt pretty badly by all that. And now that he's back.... will she give him another chance? And what will he do with his life now that he's retired at 28?
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO LEIGH & MAV???
WILL THERE BE A HAPPY END?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT ☺
══════════════════════════
COWBOY-ISH ADORABLE!
I loved this book!
Mav and Leigh are so adorable! The way they fight and flirt and bake cake and clean horse stalls and love each other, it's too cute and funny. But it's kind of sad too. They could've had all those years together, but Mav left and broke her heart. Ugh! I shed a few tears here and there.
But now he's back and he wants - needs - his girl back.
Time to fight the most important fight of his life. It'll probably be harder than fighting against the baddest bull he ever came across!
But for us readers it's so absolutely fun to watch!
I really loved the story and the characters, but I think it should've been edited a bit better. 50 pages less wouldn't have hurt. It's just too long somehow. It goes around in circles too much. They get together for the first time at the 26% mark and then it all could've been long over with by 50% - but we still have half a book left - which to me translates to way too much unnecessary drama - which I hate :/
And again - a tiny spoiler - at 80% it's all good and could be over, but we still have 20% to go ... it was way too long. Also the conversations of everyone are waaay too long. Almost half a page many times. Too long. But I think that's a Harper Sloan thing. This is only my second book of hers and I just went back to look at my review for Perfectly Imperfect, and I said the exact same thing about it: too long and complicated sentences et cetera. :(
It just should've been a bit shorter! It would've made it much more interesting. Readers are bored easily and I'm afraid that this will happen in this case :/
Another thing that turned me off a little bit - Mav saying DARLIN' ALL the time - and Leigh saying HONEY. It's not sexy in my opinion. A cowboy can be a bit cowboyish, but that was way too much old texas grandpa in such a hot guy!
But I still loved the book and the people in it - and I want pie now!!!! ☺
If an editor should go over the book again and make it perfect - I will up my 4.25 stars to at least 4.5 - which in math is 5 ☺
Now I can't wait for Quinn's book to be released in July - and then of course Clay!!!!!!
LOST RIDER was an adorable & sexy & moving second-chance Cowboy Romance! Hurry to your nearest amazon asap for your own Maverick - this one is MINE!!!!
April 9, 2017
4 swoon-tastic stars
Hot hunky damaged man, with rippled abs cowboy, who dumps his life breaks a few hearts and searches for redemption in the heart of his childhood friend, that he nearly destroyed. Their bond to each other is strong but the damage is deep and dense with scar tissue that may not ever be softened. There is hot cowboy riding, smoking hot kisses, and swoon worthy moments galore is this first book in a series I am looking forward to continuing.
The female main character. Leighton, owns and operates a bakery called The Pie Hole. She makes delicious pies for work and fun. Who wouldn't love her and want her every happiness ? She is the girl you want you want at your back, trust worthy loyal and steadfast. She loves pure and hard, but her trust is not so easy to earn back once it's been shredded and broken. I just loved her.
Maverick, this boy can pull his inner jerk out. He may be a uber hot cowboy but he acted like a massive donkey. He had good reason, he just never told anybody about the reasons. He preferred to carry that chip on his shoulder and darken his life even more. He was down and digging a deeper hole. Till life kicked him one time too many and he was forced to return to his center and realign everything in his life.
Very enjoyable read. I liked the characters, felt for them, could relate to them, would like any of them as friends, that is a winner.
Hot hunky damaged man, with rippled abs cowboy, who dumps his life breaks a few hearts and searches for redemption in the heart of his childhood friend, that he nearly destroyed. Their bond to each other is strong but the damage is deep and dense with scar tissue that may not ever be softened. There is hot cowboy riding, smoking hot kisses, and swoon worthy moments galore is this first book in a series I am looking forward to continuing.
The female main character. Leighton, owns and operates a bakery called The Pie Hole. She makes delicious pies for work and fun. Who wouldn't love her and want her every happiness ? She is the girl you want you want at your back, trust worthy loyal and steadfast. She loves pure and hard, but her trust is not so easy to earn back once it's been shredded and broken. I just loved her.
Maverick, this boy can pull his inner jerk out. He may be a uber hot cowboy but he acted like a massive donkey. He had good reason, he just never told anybody about the reasons. He preferred to carry that chip on his shoulder and darken his life even more. He was down and digging a deeper hole. Till life kicked him one time too many and he was forced to return to his center and realign everything in his life.
Very enjoyable read. I liked the characters, felt for them, could relate to them, would like any of them as friends, that is a winner.
April 25, 2017
I've never read Harper Sloan (I plan to hit her back list hard after this one) and when I saw in the blurb the hero is a retired rodeo star, I decided to try it. I'm so, so glad I did because I really enjoyed this book and this author's voice. The way she writes her hero (and maybe even her heroine) reminds me a bit of Kristen Ashley, which is a good thing.
Maverick is an asshole to start - and I have to say, an asshole hero done right is my catnip. Two things happen that make him a successful asshole: one, he is redeemed by the end of the book (dare I say, he turns quite mushy after starting off VERY intense) and two, Leighton, our heroine, stands up to him and gives it back just as good as he dishes it out. I adored her.
Maverick and Leighton grew up together in Pine Oaks, Texas, and Leighton crushed hard on Maverick who is a few years older than her. When he is eighteen, Maverick decides he needs to leave this town and explore his dreams of being a rodeo star. In a desperate attempt to gain his attention, Leighton goes to a bonfire shortly before he leaves, dressed in a more...mature fashion..and overhears Maverick saying how she is trying too hard and she has the body of a boy. Devastated, Leighton flees, and Maverick leaves for rodeo stardom, not to be seen again for years.
But Maverick won't be gone forever. Ten years later, he has had one too many concussions and can't ride anymore. At the same time, he learns his father has died, so he grudgingly goes back home for the funeral, and to see his brother Clay, his sister Quinn and back to the family ranch. He doesn't like ranching, but he also feels like with his rodeo career over, it's time settle down and help out his brother and sister. Maverick had an abusive father and a mother who abandoned the family - so there is no love lost over the death of his father. His father never once supported his rodeo career:
Instead, all I can focus on is the fact that, even at my peak, I wasn’t good enough for him to be proud of me.
No matter what, the silence from him over the years said it all. He couldn’t give two fucks what I accomplished out there on the circuit.
It took me a long time to realize that I had been pushing myself for so long to prove to him I was worthy, but even when I fucking knew it wasn’t worth it, something inside me still wanted to matter to Buford Davis.
When Maverick arrives back in Pine Oak he is bitter, pissed off, and in no mood for friends or family. And then he sees Leighton at the funeral.
Leighton has spent the years with Maverick gone, well, thinking about him. She has opened a very successful pie shop in town, and is happy - but her love for Maverick has never wavered. She is extremely close with both Quinn and Clay - they have become her family and she knows the tension with Maverick being gone so long and not really part of the ranch or family is pretty intense. She knows Maverick will be back for the funeral and her tension is ramped up too. Their reunion at the funeral however, doesn't go so well. Maverick doesn't even recognize her at first, thinking she is a random girlfriend of Clay's:
“How well do you even know her? You haven’t said one word about have a new piece of ass so she must not have been in the picture long. Best I can tell, I’m not too far off the mark.”
“How well do I know her?” He laughs bitterly. “I’d say pretty well, considering she’s been Quinn’s best friend for twenty-six fuckin’ years. Why don’t you let that sink in, you fuckin’ asshole?”
My eyes leave his instantly and I look over to his truck, trying to see past the black tint that hides her from my view. No fucking way. It couldn't be.
But even when he realizes this random woman is Leighton, he still can't be nice. He is such a jerk - because he obviously secretly loves her, but he is so bitter over his past with his dad, and feels guilty over how he treated Leighton all those years ago - it's easier to be a big jerk than to apologize
“Yeah. Like I said, you ain’t over shit. I was out of line. We need to put it behind us so I can go back to the ranch.”
His words hit me, the meaning clear, and I’m suddenly even more pissed than I was just a second before.
“So you can go back to the ranch?”
“That’s what I said.”
“Why, you good-for-nothing jerk. You didn’t come over here to apologize for showing your ass, but to what? You get put in time-out by Clay? Or Quinn? You could have saved us both the trouble and just driven around in that flashy little truck of yours for a red-hot minute before heading back and reporting to them like a good little boy that you had done as ordered.”
“Now, you listen here—” he starts, stepping forward, our chests just a foot apart.
“Oh, I don’t think so, mister. You might think the sun came up just to hear you crow, but I assure you that I don’t need your cocky ass lighting my doorstep."
I love Leighton SO much. She can take his surly attitude and throw it right back in his face. She never gets whiny or acts immature - her feisty attitude made me smile over and over again. She fully admits to herself that he is still so damn sexy, even when he is scowling and shooting off his mouth. She doesn't deny their attraction, but doesn't let him get away with anything either. Heck - she even throws a pie in his face!
“You want your pie?!” I yell, my voice coming out more like a high-pitched screech. My ears roar as my heart picks up speed with my anger and I feel like I can actually hear the blood rushing through my veins. “You want your blasted pie?” I knock him in the gut with my shoulder hard enough to make him shuffle back a step as I push past him and walk over to the fridge that’s closest to my office. The one that I keep all my special pies in. Wrenching the door open, I grab the closest cookie dough creation before slamming the door back.
{...}
“You want your pie, Mav?” I ask again, this time hiding my anger behind a sticky-sweet voice and a little smile.
He doesn’t speak, and honestly, I’m not sure I’m capable of giving him a word in anyway. Without a second thought, I bring my arm back before I swing it forward and slap the whole pie into his face.
“There’s your goddamn pie, you good-for-nothing jackass!”
Have I mentioned yet that this book is sexxxxy?
With quick and impatient movements, he pulls his hips back, moves his hand from my hair and down to my hips—mirroring the hold of his other hand as he lifts me from him and slams me back down over his hard cock, impaling me completely.
He growls deep in his throat.
I scream loud enough to wake the dead.
His head falls forward, forehead to my sweat-slicked chest.
My head falls back, forehead to the ceiling.
They have explosive sex pretty quick...and then they take a step back and sort out their true feelings. Maverick goes from pissed off asshole to a pretty mushy romantic hero pretty quick in this one. I kind of wanted him to stay jerky for just a bit longer because the sexual tension was just so delicious, but his romantic side and they way he decided to court Leighton properly made me smile as well.
I also loved Clay and Quinn (her book is next). Clay is just as intense as Maverick and is extremely protective of Leighton - he squares off against Maverick when he first comes back home and their scenes are so well done. There is a lot of growly words between them.
And Quinn is a riot - when she learns that Maverick and Leighton are giving it a go at a relationship she made me laugh:
“Ohmigod. Ohmigod. Oh. My. God,” my sister mutters under her breath, eyes even wider. “Clay,” she says with a gasp, reaching out blindly behind her to find him, not looking away from the two of us. “Clayton!” she screams when her hand can’t find him.
“Jesus, Quinn, take a breath,” he grumbles, grabbing her hand before she can slap him.
“It’s happening,” she breathes.
“You are the weirdest person in the world,” Leigh says, laughing.
I highly recommend this one. Maverick, with his southern drawl and all his "darlin's" and his Stetson and dusty boots are going to make you swoon. And Leighton is such a fun heroine. Dying for Quinn's book.
Grade: A-
Maverick is an asshole to start - and I have to say, an asshole hero done right is my catnip. Two things happen that make him a successful asshole: one, he is redeemed by the end of the book (dare I say, he turns quite mushy after starting off VERY intense) and two, Leighton, our heroine, stands up to him and gives it back just as good as he dishes it out. I adored her.
Maverick and Leighton grew up together in Pine Oaks, Texas, and Leighton crushed hard on Maverick who is a few years older than her. When he is eighteen, Maverick decides he needs to leave this town and explore his dreams of being a rodeo star. In a desperate attempt to gain his attention, Leighton goes to a bonfire shortly before he leaves, dressed in a more...mature fashion..and overhears Maverick saying how she is trying too hard and she has the body of a boy. Devastated, Leighton flees, and Maverick leaves for rodeo stardom, not to be seen again for years.
But Maverick won't be gone forever. Ten years later, he has had one too many concussions and can't ride anymore. At the same time, he learns his father has died, so he grudgingly goes back home for the funeral, and to see his brother Clay, his sister Quinn and back to the family ranch. He doesn't like ranching, but he also feels like with his rodeo career over, it's time settle down and help out his brother and sister. Maverick had an abusive father and a mother who abandoned the family - so there is no love lost over the death of his father. His father never once supported his rodeo career:
Instead, all I can focus on is the fact that, even at my peak, I wasn’t good enough for him to be proud of me.
No matter what, the silence from him over the years said it all. He couldn’t give two fucks what I accomplished out there on the circuit.
It took me a long time to realize that I had been pushing myself for so long to prove to him I was worthy, but even when I fucking knew it wasn’t worth it, something inside me still wanted to matter to Buford Davis.
When Maverick arrives back in Pine Oak he is bitter, pissed off, and in no mood for friends or family. And then he sees Leighton at the funeral.
Leighton has spent the years with Maverick gone, well, thinking about him. She has opened a very successful pie shop in town, and is happy - but her love for Maverick has never wavered. She is extremely close with both Quinn and Clay - they have become her family and she knows the tension with Maverick being gone so long and not really part of the ranch or family is pretty intense. She knows Maverick will be back for the funeral and her tension is ramped up too. Their reunion at the funeral however, doesn't go so well. Maverick doesn't even recognize her at first, thinking she is a random girlfriend of Clay's:
“How well do you even know her? You haven’t said one word about have a new piece of ass so she must not have been in the picture long. Best I can tell, I’m not too far off the mark.”
“How well do I know her?” He laughs bitterly. “I’d say pretty well, considering she’s been Quinn’s best friend for twenty-six fuckin’ years. Why don’t you let that sink in, you fuckin’ asshole?”
My eyes leave his instantly and I look over to his truck, trying to see past the black tint that hides her from my view. No fucking way. It couldn't be.
But even when he realizes this random woman is Leighton, he still can't be nice. He is such a jerk - because he obviously secretly loves her, but he is so bitter over his past with his dad, and feels guilty over how he treated Leighton all those years ago - it's easier to be a big jerk than to apologize
“Yeah. Like I said, you ain’t over shit. I was out of line. We need to put it behind us so I can go back to the ranch.”
His words hit me, the meaning clear, and I’m suddenly even more pissed than I was just a second before.
“So you can go back to the ranch?”
“That’s what I said.”
“Why, you good-for-nothing jerk. You didn’t come over here to apologize for showing your ass, but to what? You get put in time-out by Clay? Or Quinn? You could have saved us both the trouble and just driven around in that flashy little truck of yours for a red-hot minute before heading back and reporting to them like a good little boy that you had done as ordered.”
“Now, you listen here—” he starts, stepping forward, our chests just a foot apart.
“Oh, I don’t think so, mister. You might think the sun came up just to hear you crow, but I assure you that I don’t need your cocky ass lighting my doorstep."
I love Leighton SO much. She can take his surly attitude and throw it right back in his face. She never gets whiny or acts immature - her feisty attitude made me smile over and over again. She fully admits to herself that he is still so damn sexy, even when he is scowling and shooting off his mouth. She doesn't deny their attraction, but doesn't let him get away with anything either. Heck - she even throws a pie in his face!
“You want your pie?!” I yell, my voice coming out more like a high-pitched screech. My ears roar as my heart picks up speed with my anger and I feel like I can actually hear the blood rushing through my veins. “You want your blasted pie?” I knock him in the gut with my shoulder hard enough to make him shuffle back a step as I push past him and walk over to the fridge that’s closest to my office. The one that I keep all my special pies in. Wrenching the door open, I grab the closest cookie dough creation before slamming the door back.
{...}
“You want your pie, Mav?” I ask again, this time hiding my anger behind a sticky-sweet voice and a little smile.
He doesn’t speak, and honestly, I’m not sure I’m capable of giving him a word in anyway. Without a second thought, I bring my arm back before I swing it forward and slap the whole pie into his face.
“There’s your goddamn pie, you good-for-nothing jackass!”
Have I mentioned yet that this book is sexxxxy?
With quick and impatient movements, he pulls his hips back, moves his hand from my hair and down to my hips—mirroring the hold of his other hand as he lifts me from him and slams me back down over his hard cock, impaling me completely.
He growls deep in his throat.
I scream loud enough to wake the dead.
His head falls forward, forehead to my sweat-slicked chest.
My head falls back, forehead to the ceiling.
They have explosive sex pretty quick...and then they take a step back and sort out their true feelings. Maverick goes from pissed off asshole to a pretty mushy romantic hero pretty quick in this one. I kind of wanted him to stay jerky for just a bit longer because the sexual tension was just so delicious, but his romantic side and they way he decided to court Leighton properly made me smile as well.
I also loved Clay and Quinn (her book is next). Clay is just as intense as Maverick and is extremely protective of Leighton - he squares off against Maverick when he first comes back home and their scenes are so well done. There is a lot of growly words between them.
And Quinn is a riot - when she learns that Maverick and Leighton are giving it a go at a relationship she made me laugh:
“Ohmigod. Ohmigod. Oh. My. God,” my sister mutters under her breath, eyes even wider. “Clay,” she says with a gasp, reaching out blindly behind her to find him, not looking away from the two of us. “Clayton!” she screams when her hand can’t find him.
“Jesus, Quinn, take a breath,” he grumbles, grabbing her hand before she can slap him.
“It’s happening,” she breathes.
“You are the weirdest person in the world,” Leigh says, laughing.
I highly recommend this one. Maverick, with his southern drawl and all his "darlin's" and his Stetson and dusty boots are going to make you swoon. And Leighton is such a fun heroine. Dying for Quinn's book.
Grade: A-
March 29, 2017
Three and a half
Harper Sloan is a name even I've heard of and I'm not someone who really reads much contemporary romance so when I spotted this new book about a second chance romance featuring a hot rodeo rider I thought hey why not? Nothing more sexy than an alpha cowboy and add in the Texan accent and yep I guess there will be a lot of readers swooning!
Yes this story is about Maverick coming home to face his demons but he's in for a huge shock when he gets there. Ten years might have passed but the girl he left behind is still right where she always was. Leighton might have been shy and a bit coltish but she always knew there was only one boy for her. So when Maverick crushed her hopes and dreams something inside her just walled itself right up. Hey who am I kidding? Maverick jumped up and down repeatedly with malice on Leightons feelings, heart and self worth but that girl has gumption and Leighton is not exactly how Maverick remembers her and hot diggidy he doesn't even recognise her! They say time heals but coming home opens up the floodgates as feelings long buried come rushing back and there's a storm coming that will sweep Leighton and Maverick away!
I thought the dynamics between the characters really made this a book I wanted to finish. Yes the couple are front and centre but the author made Mavericks siblings Clay and Quinn an integral part of the story. The family actually are what this book is about and it's their relationships that give this story a warm feeling.
I really felt like I was transported to Texas and hugely enjoyed the rich dialogue. Unfortunately there was no real suspense , nothing exactly for the characters to overcome apart from a little angst towards the end. I guess I'm used to more action led stories and I did miss that. Yes the bulk of this book is just Maverick ( who can be a total armpit at times!) trying to convince Leighton he's home for good and never really wanted to hurt her. What does make it really entertaining though is the banter, the repartee Leighton shares with her female friends oh and I loved that Leighton gave as good as she got and frankly will never look at a pie the same way again !
This cowboy romance was a little slow for me but I'm pretty sure those who enjoy western style stories will enjoy seeing this couple learn to love and trust each other with a happy ending and the prospect of more books to come.
This voluntary review is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and these thoughts are my own honest opinion
Harper Sloan is a name even I've heard of and I'm not someone who really reads much contemporary romance so when I spotted this new book about a second chance romance featuring a hot rodeo rider I thought hey why not? Nothing more sexy than an alpha cowboy and add in the Texan accent and yep I guess there will be a lot of readers swooning!
Yes this story is about Maverick coming home to face his demons but he's in for a huge shock when he gets there. Ten years might have passed but the girl he left behind is still right where she always was. Leighton might have been shy and a bit coltish but she always knew there was only one boy for her. So when Maverick crushed her hopes and dreams something inside her just walled itself right up. Hey who am I kidding? Maverick jumped up and down repeatedly with malice on Leightons feelings, heart and self worth but that girl has gumption and Leighton is not exactly how Maverick remembers her and hot diggidy he doesn't even recognise her! They say time heals but coming home opens up the floodgates as feelings long buried come rushing back and there's a storm coming that will sweep Leighton and Maverick away!
I thought the dynamics between the characters really made this a book I wanted to finish. Yes the couple are front and centre but the author made Mavericks siblings Clay and Quinn an integral part of the story. The family actually are what this book is about and it's their relationships that give this story a warm feeling.
I really felt like I was transported to Texas and hugely enjoyed the rich dialogue. Unfortunately there was no real suspense , nothing exactly for the characters to overcome apart from a little angst towards the end. I guess I'm used to more action led stories and I did miss that. Yes the bulk of this book is just Maverick ( who can be a total armpit at times!) trying to convince Leighton he's home for good and never really wanted to hurt her. What does make it really entertaining though is the banter, the repartee Leighton shares with her female friends oh and I loved that Leighton gave as good as she got and frankly will never look at a pie the same way again !
This cowboy romance was a little slow for me but I'm pretty sure those who enjoy western style stories will enjoy seeing this couple learn to love and trust each other with a happy ending and the prospect of more books to come.
This voluntary review is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and these thoughts are my own honest opinion
February 5, 2018
3 3/4 "Infinity" Stars!
Sweet second chance romance. Maverick starts off being a big jerk, but he won me over. Leighton was great. I'm in for the rest of the series. Happy reading!
Sweet second chance romance. Maverick starts off being a big jerk, but he won me over. Leighton was great. I'm in for the rest of the series. Happy reading!
January 1, 2018
4 Lost Rider Stars
It’s a really great second chance love story. And who doesn’t love cowboys!
Maverick is kind of a dick in the beginning and you really can’t blame him though you do want to smack him. I know I sure did. But he does redeem himself and I like that.
Leighton is a tough gal who really grows into her own. I don’t really have any negatives to say about the girl. I loved that she stands up for herself and isn’t afraid to be who she is. Sure she is a little unsure at times but who isn’t.
I love the relationship she has with her best friend. I really want to see that girl get her HEA.
I wasn’t a big fan of the insta-love stuff, it was and it wasn’t I think if the story had happened over the span of a few month it wouldn’t have felt so insta.
Over all I really enjoyed this book and the narration was great!
*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*
It’s a really great second chance love story. And who doesn’t love cowboys!
Maverick is kind of a dick in the beginning and you really can’t blame him though you do want to smack him. I know I sure did. But he does redeem himself and I like that.
Leighton is a tough gal who really grows into her own. I don’t really have any negatives to say about the girl. I loved that she stands up for herself and isn’t afraid to be who she is. Sure she is a little unsure at times but who isn’t.
I love the relationship she has with her best friend. I really want to see that girl get her HEA.
I wasn’t a big fan of the insta-love stuff, it was and it wasn’t I think if the story had happened over the span of a few month it wouldn’t have felt so insta.
Over all I really enjoyed this book and the narration was great!
*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*
April 21, 2017
Maverick left his hometown in Texas ten years ago to follow his dreams. He wanted to be the biggest rodeo star ever. And he achieved all that and more. But now an injury sends him back home for good. Also, his dad died and he has to help with the family's horse farm business. Which he hates! He and his dad had a horrible and abusive relationship. His dad didn't believe he would ever make something of the rodeo thing. But he did.
And now he's back home .... But his family was not the only thing he left back then. There was also the girl who could've been his forever girl. But he just couldn't stay and live with his dad for even one more day. So he left. And poor Leighton got hurt pretty badly by all that. And now that he's back.... will she give him another chance? And what will he do with his life now that he's retired at 28?
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO LEIGH & MAV???
WILL THERE BE A HAPPY END?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT ☺
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COWBOY-ISH ADORABLE!
I loved this book!
Mav and Leigh are so adorable! The way they fight and flirt and bake cake and clean horse stalls and love each other, it's too cute and funny. But it's kind of sad too. They could've had all those years together, but Mav left and broke her heart. Ugh! I shed a few tears here and there.
But now he's back and he wants - needs - his girl back.
Time to fight the most important fight of his life. It'll probably be harder than fighting against the baddest bull he ever came across!
But for us readers it's so absolutely fun to watch!
I really loved the story and the characters, but I think it should've been edited a bit better. 50 pages less wouldn't have hurt. It's just too long somehow. It goes around in circles too much. They get together for the first time at the 26% mark and then it all could've been long over with by 50% - but we still have half a book left - which to me translates to way too much unnecessary drama - which I hate :/
And again - a tiny spoiler - at 80% it's all good and could be over, but we still have 20% to go ... it was way too long. Also the conversations of everyone are waaay too long. Almost half a page many times. Too long. But I think that's a Harper Sloan thing. This is only my second book of hers and I just went back to look at my review for Perfectly Imperfect, and I said the exact same thing about it: too long and complicated sentences et cetera. :(
It just should've been a bit shorter! It would've made it much more interesting. Readers are bored easily and I'm afraid that this will happen in this case :/
Another thing that turned me off a little bit - Mav saying DARLIN' ALL the time - and Leigh saying HONEY. It's not sexy in my opinion. A cowboy can be a bit cowboyish, but that was way too much old texas grandpa in such a hot guy!
But I still loved the book and the people in it - and I want pie now!!!! ☺
If an editor should go over the book again and make it perfect - I will up my 4.25 stars to at least 4.5 - which in math is 5 ☺
Now I can't wait for Quinn's book to be released in July - and then of course Clay!!!!!!
LOST RIDER was an adorable & sexy & moving second-chance Cowboy Romance! Hurry to your nearest amazon asap for your own Maverick - this one is MINE!!!!
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