Love Letters from Cowboy

Hometown Sweethearts #2

by Lacy Williams

From a USA Today bestselling author:


He nearly missed his chance…


When the love of his life is injured in combat overseas, Ryan Michaels promises himself that he won't let another day go by without declaring his feelings. Except... Ashley’s always seen him as a goofy high school kid. Even ten years after graduation, she seems content to keep him in the Friend Zone. How can he prove he’s not the same punk he used to be if she won't give him a chance?


She doesn't belong anymore…


Ashley Reynolds ran away from home to the military after discovering she was adopted. Now she's home, a wounded veteran, with her Military Working Dog at her side and she no longer fits into the small-town life. Her dad’s Alzheimer's is getting worse and she needs to be able to take over the family business--but that means interacting with Ryan on a daily basis.


As Ashley tries to build a new life for herself, she discovers there's much more to Ryan than the college dropout she thought he was... Will she open her heart and let Ryan in?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Christian Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Novella, Military Fiction, Christian

ebook

First published May 13, 2014

About the author

Lacy Williams wishes her writing career was more like what you see on Hallmark movies: dreamy brainstorming from a French chateau or a few minutes at the computer in a million-dollar New York City penthouse. In reality, she’s up before the sun, putting words on the page before her kids wake up for the day. Those early-morning and late-night writing sessions add up, and Lacy has published fifty books in almost a decade, first with a big five publisher and then as an indie author. When she needs to refill the well, you can find Lacy birdwatching, gardening, biking with the kiddos, or walking the dog. Find tons of bonus scenes and reader extras by becoming a VIP reader at www.lacywilliams.net/vip .

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The hero in this book was amazing but the heroine was awful. Sorry, Ryan, I couldn’t give your story more than two stars. Your leading lady was a self-absorbed judgy Judy.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had read another of Williams' book and decided to read another; she writes some very sweet, open-hearted, and clean romance that is a nice change of pace within the romance genre.

I did like her use of having Ryan write letters to express his emotions over the years, as the pacing and book-length felt more as it was written with a novella in mind, it allowed the reader to get a gauge of his emotions and character as Ashley is the prominent voice as she's trying to figure out her place in this situation of being an amputees veteran who has come home to find that everything has changed except for the cowboy who's always loved her.

[Robin Hatcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook:
This novella features Ryan, a true and steady hero. But there were moments when I wanted to give Ashley a good shake and tell her to smarten up. A sweet romance.

Robin’s Ratings
5🌟 = Out of this world. Amazing. Unforgettable. A personal favorite.
4🌟 = Excellent read. Couldn’t put it down. Will recommend to others.
3🌟 = Liked it. Glad I read it. Engaging/entertaining/interesting.
2🌟 = The book was okay, but I’ve enjoyed other books so much more.
1🌟 = For whatever reason, I didn’t like it and can’t recommend it.

[Cheesecake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Em Eldridge is the reader and she does a pretty good job.
Ryan and Ashley. It felt like a role reversal in this story. Ryan is the one who never doubts and waits for his love. Ashley is the one who pushes away and takes for granted. I actually didn't care for her much for much of the story. The chip on her shoulder and her head up her *ss... Not that she was mean but more just utterly thoughtless. She almost passes the point of unforgiveable before she realizes what she's throwing away.
I know I'm not selling this story well, but I really enjoyed it and listened to it non-stop.
I would have given it 5 stars but I felt the ending was a little rushed. More of an hfn but a sweet one.
Back when Ash was 18 she found out her parents had been lying to her. She takes it badly and joins the armed forces. Now, years later, she is back after losing her arm. Ryan is there to meet her at the airport. They were friends before she left but he is 2 years younger and back then, that was a lot. Still he sent her a letter every week that she was away, and she has never read one of them.
When she returns, she finds that there's a lot has happened that she would have known if she'd only read the letters.

[Nikki H · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a really cute story

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter had a dentist appointment today and I figured I could get most of this read while waiting for her. With Love, Cowboy is a short sweet novella with a hard working, humble hero. I really liked Ryan, he is the kind of guy I hope my daughters end up with. Although he's more of a fairy tale prince than what you are likely to find in reality. I've yet to come across any guy who is as selfless, kind, thoughtful, patient and giving as he was.

Due to the length of this story we don't get a lot of time to connect with and understand the characters. I had a little trouble believing that Ashley never once opened one of Ryan's letters but hung on to them for all those years. Even still I enjoyed reading this sweet story of devotion and love.

For those who enjoy sweet clean romance this is worth reading.

Content: Clean

Source: Amazon.com

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5 stars) Well, that was precious.

[Nicole Manning · Rating 4 out of 5]

The storyline is cute and sweet and clean. The books in this series are super short though, especially this one so far. I'd love a few more pages to really get to know the characters or follow their story longer. The books are definitely cliffhangers kind of that don't get completely finished...

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[LadyCalico · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't say that I enjoyed this story. It was excellent in some parts, but then weak and contrived in others. The author leaned too heavily on the tell-us instead of show-us. If the characters and situations are authentic, the boring inner monologues telling us every detail of what the characters are thinking and feeling are redundant and need not interrupt and distract from the flow of the story. I generally find that authors resort to the tell-us when the character's behavior is either so unnaturally off-the-wall or so obnoxious and the author feels a need to write her an excuse for being such a drip--and that is true of this novella. The heroine was one really selfish, mean biddy. What kind of calloused person would not bother reading letters some sweet little high school goofball friend faithfully wrote to her during her deployment to keep her updated on what's happening back home--and then would rip into that friend when she got home because she didn't know some important things, just because she never bothered to read his letters. Not just a beyotch, but a psychotic beyotch. And Ryan, Ryan, throwing away ten years of your precious youth waiting for a woman who treats you like dog crap on her shoe even though she isn't worthy to clean your cowboy boots with her tongue. Seriously, Dude, you need therapy...badly. The author totally failed to deliver on her promise for a happy ending and instead gave us a very tragic one--a happy ending would have been Ryan wising-up and marrying a nice girl worthy of his affection and letting nasty Ms. Shrew drown in her own sour bile.

[Anna Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely book... but honestly, I should've taken off more stars than I did.

First, it's WAY too short. When chapter 4 is the 50% point of the book, you know you've been had. Thank goodness I got this when it was severely discounted, or I'd've been seriously angry.

Second... NO man is ever going to be as *GOOD* as this guy. Ever. They don't think like him, act like him, take responsibility like him. I don't think a man has ever existed like this. I mean, I got a *GOOD* guy... and he looks like a loser next to this one. Be prepared to suspend reality.

And third... no reason is ever given as to why this *GOOD* guy would want this chick. She's not smart. She's not ambitious, she's not talented or creative. She's not *NICE*. She's been cold and awful to this guy her entire life. WHY would he want that? It makes no sense.

So did I like the book? No. Did I like him? Who the heck wouldn't?! But do I like her? She was hideous the whole book. Didn't even OPEN his letters, for pete's sakes. It was just... wrong. The book was wrong. I didn't like the book.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this novella! Ryan is definitely a swoon-worthy character! He has such a kind and caring heart. As the story progresses, we see what kind of person Ryan is by the ways he has cared for others. Ashley is home after being gone for ten years in the military. She never really looked at Ryan in a romantic way in the past. Can Ryan convince Ashley that he is the man for her? This is such a sweet story of love and forgiveness.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorites by this author. Ryan is such a doll and a great love letter writer. A definite keeper. Ashley has hurts in her past and present that causes her to put up walls. But Ryan is no quitter. Highly recommend.

[Jen_C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good, a few errors. I just wish Ashley was a bit more likeable in the first half. Ryan is almost too perfect. Sweet read.

[Sarita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Ryan's story. It was the best for me from the 3 book series.

A very cute and short read.

[Priscila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Letters from Cowboy was such a sweet, romantic story!! Seriously, Lacy Williams writes the best swoony heroes, and I loved how steadfast Ryan was in his pursuit of Ashley. I mean, someone who's been writing to her for so long, while also helping out with her family while she's been pursuing her military career? *Happy sigh* (where does one find one of those cowboys? Asking for a friend 😉). Yes, Ashley has some things to work on, especially after returning home after surviving an explosion in her line of work, while also dealing with an identity crisis and the problems her parents are facing. Through it all, the author did a great job of dealing with the emotions from all those situations, as well as sensibly dealing with topics like Alzheimer's and the adjustments it means to the family.
Overall, a beautiful, romantic, and satisfying story, perfect to curl up with, and, if you can manage, to read in one sitting. ~ 5 stars!

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed Love Letters from Cowboy from the Kindle Unlimited Lending Program.

Ashley Reynolds joined the Marines, became a dog handler that sniffed out explosives. She didn't come home to visit much after finding out she was adopted. Now she is a wounded warrior, with her wounded K-9 partner and returning home.

Ryan Michaels has loved Ashley since he was 14 but she just wasn't interested. Ryan wrote to Ashley every week she was away in the military, became the manager of her parent's feed store and stepped in help them when they both had health issues. He changed from a silly teen with a crush to a responsible and dependable man that is always ready to help.

This sets the stage for a sweet story of how romance grew between Ashley and Ryan to a happy ending.

[Andrea Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

by Andrea Renee Cox

This was a cute story that featured a disabled veteran, Alzheimer's, and a great heart. I thought both the disability and the Alzheimer's were portrayed well. It was very clear that the author admires servicemen and women and has a deep respect for those who help folks with Alzheimer's.

One of my pet peeves is when the cover model doesn't match up with the description of the character. The cover model has dark hair, but the character was said to have had blond hair. Quite a huge difference. And if I recall correctly, this cover model also portrayed this book's character's cousin on the previous book's cover. Are the characters supposed to look the same?

It was disappointing that the letters didn't come into play until the final chapter. Because of this, I felt that the title was very misleading. I was expecting there to be snippets from the letters strewn throughout the entire book.

Too-generic terms were often used when it would have been much better and crisper writing to have been more specific. For example, "chain American-style restaurant" was used. Since the book took place in America, this description came across as a bit awkward to me. Something like "the best steak place in town" could have worked well while still not using a brand name that may need permission to use. This would have given my mind only about six options to choose from, whereas the aforementioned example presented almost endless possibilities, which prevented me from imagining anything particular for this scene, which kept a distance between the characters and myself.

The first two books in the Heart of Oklahoma series did not snag my attention enough for me to collect and read the rest of the series, but I'm sure it's going to have lots of fans. The first two books are sweet stories with wonderful themes.

I was not compensated for this honest review.

[Carolyn Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Letters from Cowboy is a sweet, touching follow-up to Kissed by a Cowboy where we first meet Ryan and Ashley. This is their backstory. It is a short, touching read. Even though it is a short narrative, it provides complete attention to its characters and subject matter. I loved self-sacrificing Ryan’s patience in pursuing Ashley and kept wishing she would just read the letters and change her attitude. I felt that Ashley’s challenges as an amputee and her father’s Alzheimer’s were thoughtfully and sensitively portrayed. If you are looking for a light, heartwarming, romantic read, try this one.

[Marie McKenney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Ryan and Ashley's story

Ryan and Ashley have know each for years. She is two years older than him. He is close to her family. He loved her back them but she didn't believe him. She goes to the military. He ends up helping her family while she is gone. He writes letters to tell what is going on but she never reads them. She gets injured and comes back to find things had changed. Ryan is so wonderful to her parents. Things are up and down when she gets back. Love their rollercoaster of emotions throughout everything that goes on. They seem so wonderful together.

[Danielle Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story moved me in that what was tragic for one women, gave her the greatest gift of all. Someone whom has loved her all his life, but never had the chance to show her. This man wrote letters to her that he never mailed to express his love and life to her. The loss of her arm has her coming home, and a man sees this as an opportunity to make her fall in love with him. This story is full of heartbreak, love and hope. It shines a light in a dark situation and brings a couple into the light of love.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ashley ran off and joined the military when she turned 18 and her parents told her she was adopted. And seldom came home. But now, 10 years later, she’s home, having lost an arm. Her mom had a heart attack, her dad has Alzheimer’s, and the goof-off younger guy from school pretty much runs their hardware store. He wrote to her every week while she was gone, but she never read the letters. He’s loved her since school, but she’s afraid so she pushes him away. Then she finds out how he has taken care of her parents while she was gone. Good story.

[Lynn Hyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hurt, Helpful and Healing

Ashley had been hurt while on patrol, lost an arm and was now back home as a civilian. Ryan had been taking care of her parents and their business single-handedly since she left. Now she had to come to grips with all the realities, and that included the Cowboy in her life. Quick read with romance, love for friends and family and coping with life's hardships all wrapped up in a great story with the happy ending.

[Karen Brasher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Letters from Cowboy

Really good short story. When Ashley Reynolds returns home as a wounded warrior she finds more has changed than she could have ever imagined. But even through all of the problems at home she had not known about, Ryan Michaels was there for her elderly parents. Will Ashley be able to rebuild her life and find that she and Ryan together make the challenges easier?

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main characters--Ashley and Ryan--seemed to lack chemistry. I did not care for Ashley at all. She seemed uncaring, mean and self-centered. Ryan's love and dedication to Ashley and her family seemed unappreciated. Then Ashley changed her mind, and the story abruptly ended. Would have liked to to be longer and more developed.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

Ashley is finally coming home after her injury. Ryan is at the airport to pick her & Atlas up. She is not sure what to think. He has been finishing college at night while still running her parents business and helping them as needed. Her mom had a mild heart attack & her father is suffering from Alzheimer's. She never read his letter and when she does wow.

[Norma Gorrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love letters from Cowboy

A great story of love lasting forever. A soldier returns from war a broken person, with one arm and part of her hearing in one ear. Her dog as her companion, and friend. Cowboy tried to show his love for soldier girl but it took awhile before she figured out he was her friend and a threat to her family. This is my review and mine alone. Norma Gorrill

[Syl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

I loved this book. It’s refreshing to read a story about a wounded veteran and find the main body of the story isn’t about her injury; though it is mentioned throughout, it’s not the central theme. I thought the whole book was written with sensitivity both about Ashley’s injury and her Dad’s worsening Alzheimer’s. Well done Lacy. I loved it.

[Carolien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another short, sweet romance in this series. Ryan is slightly too good to be true, but the plot deals with the complexities of injured soldiers returning from war and the complexities that face them on their return. Enjoyed the light read.

[Pamela Hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable reading!

Lacy Williams brings to life realistic, interesting characters in well-written plots that are a good fit for current times. I always look forward to reading more of her stories!