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Cavanaugh Justice #39
Cavanaugh Cowboy
A killer in a sleepy Texas town?
A Cavanaugh Justice romance
Worn-out homicide detective Sullivan Cavanaugh’s looking for some peace and quiet in Forever, Texas. But once Sully meets feisty ranch foreman Rachel “Rae” Mulcahy, it’s clear that quiet isn’t in the cards. Especially when one of Rae’s wranglers turns up dead. Can Rae and Sully outrace the killer to crack the case—and could Sully’s stint in Forever be one for keeps?
A Cavanaugh Justice romance
Worn-out homicide detective Sullivan Cavanaugh’s looking for some peace and quiet in Forever, Texas. But once Sully meets feisty ranch foreman Rachel “Rae” Mulcahy, it’s clear that quiet isn’t in the cards. Especially when one of Rae’s wranglers turns up dead. Can Rae and Sully outrace the killer to crack the case—and could Sully’s stint in Forever be one for keeps?
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2019
60 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Marie Ferrarella
1,231 books276 followersMarie Rydzynski-Ferrarella
aka Marie Charles, Marie Michael, Marie Nicole, Marie Ferrarella
Marie Rydzynski was born on March 28 in West Germany to Polish parents. She moved to America at the age of four. For an entire year, Marie and her family explored the eastern half of the country before finally settling in New York.
Marie swears she was born writing, "which must have made the delivery especially hard for my mother." From an early age, Marie's parents would find her watching television or tucked away in some private place, writing at a furious pace. "Initially, I began writing myself into my favourite shows. I was a detective on '77 Sunset Strip,' the missing Cartwright sibling they never talked about on 'Bonanza' and the 'Girl from U.N.C.L.E.' before there was a 'Girl from U.N.C.L.E.,' not to mention an active participant in the serialized stories of 'The Mickey Mouse Club.'" Marie began to write her first romance novel when she was 11 years old, although she claims that, at the time, she didn't even realize it was a romance! She scribbled off and on, while dreaming of a career as an actress.
Marie was only 14 when she first laid eyes on the man she would marry, truly her first love, Charles Ferrarella. During her days at Queens College, New York, acting started to lose its glamour as Marie spent more and more time writing. After receiving her English degree, specialising in Shakespearean comedy, Marie and her family moved to Southern California, where she still resides today.
After an interminable seven weeks apart, Charles decided he couldn't live without her and came out to California to marry his childhood sweetheart. Ever practical, Marie was married in a wash-and-wear wedding dress that she sewed herself, appliqués and all. "'Be prepared' has always been my motto,"the author jokes. This motto has been stretched considerably by her two children, Nikky and Jessi, "but basically, it still applies," she says.
In November of 1981, she sold her first novel for Harlequin. Marie, who now has written over 150 novels, has one goal: to entertain, to make people laugh and feel good. "That's what makes me happy," she confesses. "That, and a really good romantic evening with my husband." She's keeping her fingers crossed that her reader's enjoy reading her books as much as she enjoyed writing them.
aka Marie Charles, Marie Michael, Marie Nicole, Marie Ferrarella
Marie Rydzynski was born on March 28 in West Germany to Polish parents. She moved to America at the age of four. For an entire year, Marie and her family explored the eastern half of the country before finally settling in New York.
Marie swears she was born writing, "which must have made the delivery especially hard for my mother." From an early age, Marie's parents would find her watching television or tucked away in some private place, writing at a furious pace. "Initially, I began writing myself into my favourite shows. I was a detective on '77 Sunset Strip,' the missing Cartwright sibling they never talked about on 'Bonanza' and the 'Girl from U.N.C.L.E.' before there was a 'Girl from U.N.C.L.E.,' not to mention an active participant in the serialized stories of 'The Mickey Mouse Club.'" Marie began to write her first romance novel when she was 11 years old, although she claims that, at the time, she didn't even realize it was a romance! She scribbled off and on, while dreaming of a career as an actress.
Marie was only 14 when she first laid eyes on the man she would marry, truly her first love, Charles Ferrarella. During her days at Queens College, New York, acting started to lose its glamour as Marie spent more and more time writing. After receiving her English degree, specialising in Shakespearean comedy, Marie and her family moved to Southern California, where she still resides today.
After an interminable seven weeks apart, Charles decided he couldn't live without her and came out to California to marry his childhood sweetheart. Ever practical, Marie was married in a wash-and-wear wedding dress that she sewed herself, appliqués and all. "'Be prepared' has always been my motto,"the author jokes. This motto has been stretched considerably by her two children, Nikky and Jessi, "but basically, it still applies," she says.
In November of 1981, she sold her first novel for Harlequin. Marie, who now has written over 150 novels, has one goal: to entertain, to make people laugh and feel good. "That's what makes me happy," she confesses. "That, and a really good romantic evening with my husband." She's keeping her fingers crossed that her reader's enjoy reading her books as much as she enjoyed writing them.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 6, 2019
Good book with an unexpected melding of two of the author's series, Cavanaugh Justice and Forever Texas. Sully has just finished a grueling 18-month investigation into a serial killer. He is tired and burned out. Enter his Uncle Seamus, who arranges for Sully to visit an old flame in Forever, Texas. Sully will work as a ranch hand and give his brain and soul a rest from the dregs of society. There he meets prickly, loner ranch foreman, Rae Mulcahy.
I liked the development of the romance between Sully and Rae. There were sparks between them from the beginning, though Rae tried to resist them. She had convinced herself that she had used up all the good in her life when Miss Joan took her in after Rae's father died. A man in her life wasn't in the cards, especially one that was only there for a short time. Sully was surprised at his reaction to Rae as she stirred up feelings that had been buried for a long time. Rae was a little difficult to like at the beginning because she always seemed to be angry at everything and everyone. Fortunately, Sully's laid-back attitude was a good counterpoint, and it wasn't long before he softened her rough edges. I ached for Rae and her feelings of aloneness and belief that there was nothing more for her. I loved how Sully showed her that she wasn't alone. I also liked the way he kept thinking about how much his family would like her. I loved the ending as Sully fumbled his way through telling her his feelings, and Rae's teasing him through it.
The suspense in this one was good. There are foreshadowings of the trouble when the two wranglers are first introduced, with Warren's disappearances and Rawlings' general bad attitude. Sully is there to get away from police work, but he can't shut his instincts off completely, and something doesn't sit right for him. When Warren turns up dead, Sully offers his help to the local sheriff. Rae also refuses to be left out and stubbornly insists on being included in all aspects, despite Sully's objections. I enjoyed how, even from hundreds of miles away, the Cavanaugh teamwork is still in action, as Sully calls in favors from Valri and others back home in Aurora. Things got very intense as they closed in on the killer and Rae put herself in harm's way. I was on the edge of my seat until it was all over and the bad guy caught.
One of my favorite things was Miss Joan's get-together and how Sully compared it to his Uncle Andrew's parties back home. It both made him feel at home there, and also brought a twinge of homesickness. I would love to know more about the connection between Miss Joan and Seamus as it sounds like there is an interesting story there. I also enjoyed the ending and seeing Rae's first experience with the Cavanaugh clan.
I liked the development of the romance between Sully and Rae. There were sparks between them from the beginning, though Rae tried to resist them. She had convinced herself that she had used up all the good in her life when Miss Joan took her in after Rae's father died. A man in her life wasn't in the cards, especially one that was only there for a short time. Sully was surprised at his reaction to Rae as she stirred up feelings that had been buried for a long time. Rae was a little difficult to like at the beginning because she always seemed to be angry at everything and everyone. Fortunately, Sully's laid-back attitude was a good counterpoint, and it wasn't long before he softened her rough edges. I ached for Rae and her feelings of aloneness and belief that there was nothing more for her. I loved how Sully showed her that she wasn't alone. I also liked the way he kept thinking about how much his family would like her. I loved the ending as Sully fumbled his way through telling her his feelings, and Rae's teasing him through it.
The suspense in this one was good. There are foreshadowings of the trouble when the two wranglers are first introduced, with Warren's disappearances and Rawlings' general bad attitude. Sully is there to get away from police work, but he can't shut his instincts off completely, and something doesn't sit right for him. When Warren turns up dead, Sully offers his help to the local sheriff. Rae also refuses to be left out and stubbornly insists on being included in all aspects, despite Sully's objections. I enjoyed how, even from hundreds of miles away, the Cavanaugh teamwork is still in action, as Sully calls in favors from Valri and others back home in Aurora. Things got very intense as they closed in on the killer and Rae put herself in harm's way. I was on the edge of my seat until it was all over and the bad guy caught.
One of my favorite things was Miss Joan's get-together and how Sully compared it to his Uncle Andrew's parties back home. It both made him feel at home there, and also brought a twinge of homesickness. I would love to know more about the connection between Miss Joan and Seamus as it sounds like there is an interesting story there. I also enjoyed the ending and seeing Rae's first experience with the Cavanaugh clan.
March 10, 2019
I have some mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed the characters but felt that they fell a little bit flat in the character development area. Things happened in the book at a predictable pace and it felt like everything was waiting for the next development to carry the characters to the end of the book. There was very little suspense and half the times the characters frustrated me with their inner monologue. Not because the dialog felt false but because it seemed like they were always contradicting how they viewed themselves. One would think I'm not a nosy person and yet they would asked at least twenty questions trying to get insight to who someone is. It drove me bonkers. When the romance happened, it felt rushed and underdeveloped as the scenes didn't have the tension building excitement. This is a good read for light entertainment but nothing more. It was very light hearted.
December 28, 2020
Female lead wasn't the most likeable character, but the suspense plot was pretty good for a Harlequin! (Also, this will forever be the book I was reading when I got engaged. Sort of appropriate that he came from a huge family and that was something she always dreamed of)
June 3, 2019
There’s nothing like a polite strapping man to get your blood pumping. Oh, and murder I guess...
This is kind of a basic romance book. There’s a heroine that works in a traditional man’s role, and an easy-going hero that is dealing with some darkness from his job as a detective. Then there’s a murder that has the two working closely together to solve it!
A few things bugged me along the way. The hero disrespects the heroine’s nickname of choice, and the spouts the Bible at her as to why. It was just a situation that rubbed me the wrong way. Also, the heroine takes guarded to the next level. She’s very angry and tries to take on way too many things. Lastly, she’s constantly telling him not to kiss her, and he says he won’t, but they keep doing it.
Really these are just personal preferences. And all that being said, the hero definitely has some swoony moments! And the heroine is so strong, which is really great to see. So you may really like the Cowboy suspense romance!
Thanks you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This is kind of a basic romance book. There’s a heroine that works in a traditional man’s role, and an easy-going hero that is dealing with some darkness from his job as a detective. Then there’s a murder that has the two working closely together to solve it!
A few things bugged me along the way. The hero disrespects the heroine’s nickname of choice, and the spouts the Bible at her as to why. It was just a situation that rubbed me the wrong way. Also, the heroine takes guarded to the next level. She’s very angry and tries to take on way too many things. Lastly, she’s constantly telling him not to kiss her, and he says he won’t, but they keep doing it.
Really these are just personal preferences. And all that being said, the hero definitely has some swoony moments! And the heroine is so strong, which is really great to see. So you may really like the Cowboy suspense romance!
Thanks you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
May 10, 2019
Rachel is a foreman who is known for taking in strays to work for her. She doesn't quite get why Sullivan a former homicide detective would come to work for her. When one of her Ranch hands goes missing and found dead Sullivan is on the case to finding out what happened and find the Killer.
If you like contemporary books with a bit of mystery and it then you'll like this. I was expecting a bit more mystery in this book it didn't happen until like 50% into the book. When it comes to the mystery I did find it interesting and enjoyed seeing how they were able to solve everything. There was also a bit of romance between Rachel and Sullivan which I enjoyed watching as well. Overall this was a pretty good book.
If you like contemporary books with a bit of mystery and it then you'll like this. I was expecting a bit more mystery in this book it didn't happen until like 50% into the book. When it comes to the mystery I did find it interesting and enjoyed seeing how they were able to solve everything. There was also a bit of romance between Rachel and Sullivan which I enjoyed watching as well. Overall this was a pretty good book.
May 31, 2019
Maria Ferrarella's Cavanaugh Cowboy has little of this and a little of that. A little romance mixed with a little suspense. I loved following Rae and Sully on their journey to find their forever.
May 25, 2019
Unexpected Findings!
Cavanaugh Cowboy: WOW! Loved it! Great suspense and hot romance! It was another great addition to the series! Fantastic writing by Marie Ferrarella.
Cavanaugh Cowboy: WOW! Loved it! Great suspense and hot romance! It was another great addition to the series! Fantastic writing by Marie Ferrarella.
July 3, 2021
Great series
I love this series. Each book is stand alone but you get to revisit old friends. Looking for more from this author.
I love this series. Each book is stand alone but you get to revisit old friends. Looking for more from this author.
May 19, 2019
I received a free advanced copy of this book from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
I have read more of the author's Colton books than the Cavanaugh series, so I am not familiar with all the family members, but that did not subtract from the book, which can be read as a stand alone. It seems that most members of the Cavanaugh family are involved in law enforcement. Detective Sully (Sullivan) Cavanaugh had finished up a tough 18 month undercover case pursuing a serial killer. When undercover he is forced to bury all emotions and now he is having a heard time getting them back. His great uncle sends him to Forever Texas, to work on the horse ranch of an old flame, where he hopes he will be able to get back his "zest" for life. Physical work helps as does his attraction to the prickly foreman, Rae (Rachel) Mulcahy, who unlike Sully, with his huge family, is all alone. When they stumble upon a murder, they are forced to spend more time working together and things heat up. Engaging characters and an action packed mystery, full of surprises make this an intriguing read. I read it in one sitting.
I have read more of the author's Colton books than the Cavanaugh series, so I am not familiar with all the family members, but that did not subtract from the book, which can be read as a stand alone. It seems that most members of the Cavanaugh family are involved in law enforcement. Detective Sully (Sullivan) Cavanaugh had finished up a tough 18 month undercover case pursuing a serial killer. When undercover he is forced to bury all emotions and now he is having a heard time getting them back. His great uncle sends him to Forever Texas, to work on the horse ranch of an old flame, where he hopes he will be able to get back his "zest" for life. Physical work helps as does his attraction to the prickly foreman, Rae (Rachel) Mulcahy, who unlike Sully, with his huge family, is all alone. When they stumble upon a murder, they are forced to spend more time working together and things heat up. Engaging characters and an action packed mystery, full of surprises make this an intriguing read. I read it in one sitting.
May 16, 2019
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.
This was a wonderful story that blended in two different worlds from the author, Forever, Texas and the Cavanaugh family. Sully (Sullivan) heads to Forever, TX after a particularly rough case that lasted 18 months for the detective and his team. He heads to Forever, TX after his great-uncle Seamus sends him there. Rae (Rachel) is the foreman for the J-H Ranch where Sully is headed to. A wrangler for the ranch comes up missing and shortly after, his body is found in a shallow grave on the ranch. The two along with the town's sheriff and three deputies try to figure out who and why he was murdered.
This is a wonderful story that will keep you guessing. As the story goes along, the chemistry between Sully and Rae heat up. I really loved the dual POV format that the book was written in. This was a joy to read a book that joins these two great story lines.
I highly recommend this book.
This was a wonderful story that blended in two different worlds from the author, Forever, Texas and the Cavanaugh family. Sully (Sullivan) heads to Forever, TX after a particularly rough case that lasted 18 months for the detective and his team. He heads to Forever, TX after his great-uncle Seamus sends him there. Rae (Rachel) is the foreman for the J-H Ranch where Sully is headed to. A wrangler for the ranch comes up missing and shortly after, his body is found in a shallow grave on the ranch. The two along with the town's sheriff and three deputies try to figure out who and why he was murdered.
This is a wonderful story that will keep you guessing. As the story goes along, the chemistry between Sully and Rae heat up. I really loved the dual POV format that the book was written in. This was a joy to read a book that joins these two great story lines.
I highly recommend this book.
July 28, 2019
One of the Cavanaugh Justice series in which Sully Cavanaugh takes a break from his detective work and his great-uncle arranges for him to spend some time in Forever, TX at a ranch owned by an old flame.
The forman there turns out to be Rae, as in Rachel, and she's having trouble riding herd on two cowhands who aren't all that experienced working on a horse ranch. When one of them turns up dead, Sully can't help himself. He has to use his detective skills to ID the killer. But Rae insists on participating and nearly gets herself killed when she follows the man after he takes off.
How this all ends is both heartwarming and a nice blend of romance and whodunit in a Western setting. My only quibble is with the lack of copy editing that allowed too many missed or misplaced words to spoil so many sentences.
The forman there turns out to be Rae, as in Rachel, and she's having trouble riding herd on two cowhands who aren't all that experienced working on a horse ranch. When one of them turns up dead, Sully can't help himself. He has to use his detective skills to ID the killer. But Rae insists on participating and nearly gets herself killed when she follows the man after he takes off.
How this all ends is both heartwarming and a nice blend of romance and whodunit in a Western setting. My only quibble is with the lack of copy editing that allowed too many missed or misplaced words to spoil so many sentences.
May 8, 2019
Who are Rae, Sully, Seamus, and Miss Joan? Who are the Cavanaughs? I LOVE Miss Joan! She is a hoot! I can picture her in my mind as well as what her voice sounds like. Rae is a breath of fresh air. When Sully meets her, it is so funny. Who is John Warren? What about Rawlings? When a party happens in town, what happens that night? This book was unexpected in several aspects while reading! Enjoy it!
RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M. Brennan.
RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M. Brennan.
April 23, 2019
Good book
February 4, 2019
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to friends and family.
February 14, 2019
3 1\2 stars
Harlequin Romantic suspense series are a hit or miss. Each author brings a world they create to life and while this is part of a series readers do not need to start on book 1 to understand the characters.
The story is basic Man needs to remember what life was life before being a detective or death.
Rae has a past that makes her prickly to the point she drives people away.
The small town doesn't have what it takes to figure out who killed a wrangler on the reach Sully came to to find the good in the world.
The story moves quickly from scene to scene giving readers a satisfied ending.
The story doesn't stand out, the writing is in the traditional way of Harlequin stories move.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for the advance copy of Marie Ferrarella Cavanaugh Cowboy.
Harlequin Romantic suspense series are a hit or miss. Each author brings a world they create to life and while this is part of a series readers do not need to start on book 1 to understand the characters.
The story is basic Man needs to remember what life was life before being a detective or death.
Rae has a past that makes her prickly to the point she drives people away.
The small town doesn't have what it takes to figure out who killed a wrangler on the reach Sully came to to find the good in the world.
The story moves quickly from scene to scene giving readers a satisfied ending.
The story doesn't stand out, the writing is in the traditional way of Harlequin stories move.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for the advance copy of Marie Ferrarella Cavanaugh Cowboy.
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May 1, 2019Categories:
Western Romance, Suspense, Western Fiction, Romantic Suspense
Miniseries:
Cavanaugh Justice
Western Romance, Suspense, Western Fiction, Romantic Suspense
Miniseries:
Cavanaugh Justice
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews