Comrade Cowgirl

by Yolanda Wallace

For cattle rancher Laramie Bowman, family always comes first. After her brother is injured in a rodeo accident, she accepts a lucrative position in remote Godoroye, Russia, to help pay his medical bills. When she meets the woman assigned to be her interpreter, however, her heart might end up getting lost in translation.


Anastasia Petrova would prefer to remain on the front lines of the seemingly futile fight for gay rights in her conservative homeland, but dwindling finances force her to leave Moscow to take a full-time job working as a translator for a pair of American trainers on a start-up cattle ranch. If she comes out to her new coworkers, she could lose the job she so desperately needs. But when she meets gorgeous cowgirl Laramie, how can she possibly deny her feelings?

Genres: Romance, Lesbian

253 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 12, 2019

About the author

Yolanda Wallace is not a professional writer, but she plays one in her spare time. She has writ­ten seven nov­els, and her short stories have appeared in multiple anthologies. She and her partner live in beautiful coastal Georgia, where they are parents to four children of the four-legged variety — a boxer and three cats.

Yolanda Wallace also writes under the pen name Mason Dixon.

Reviews

[Lex Kent · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 Stars. I’m a fan of Wallace but unfortunately I have to put this book in the only okay pile. I was excited to read this because of the premise of a lesfic romance taking place in Russia, but unfortunately the book didn’t really live up to my expectations. It is not a bad read, it’s just was not what I was hoping for.

The main story is about a Russian millionaire who hires some American’s to help fix his cattle ranch up. I’m not a horse fan in real life but something about books with lesbians on a ranch, always works for me. I found myself enjoying the ranch scene and finding them really interesting. However, the book shifted and we didn’t get to see anymore of trying to turn the ranch around and I actually missed it.

The actually romance in the book was unfortunately a miss for me. I just did not feel the chemistry between the two mains. I understand being gay in Russia is illegal so things had to be on the down-low, but still there were plenty of missed opportunities to ramp up the sparks. Some of the best love stories are about two people who should not be together, so I don’t think it was a reason for the characters not to have more chemistry. Even the sex scene was kind of blah. When the book shifted to more romance, I wanted the ranch scenes to come back.

I just looked back through my ratings of Wallace’s books. 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, I really enjoyed the books she put out back then. Her books after that have just not been the same for me. They have been okay and always readable, just not great like her earlier works. I don’t know if it is me or what, but I hope Wallace can find that magic spark of hers that I used to really enjoy.

An ARC was given to me for a honest review.

[Joc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I fall somewhere between three and four stars in my feelings about this novel, but perhaps closer to three than four. When Laramie Bowman’s older brother is injured in a rodeo, she takes up a position to set up and run a ranch for a wealthy Russian John Wayne fan. It seems a good way to help pay the medical bills even though it means being in a country where homosexuality is illegal. Anastasia Petrova takes the job as the translator for the foreign ranchers because she’s been fired from most of her jobs for insisting on being out and proud and desperately needs the money.

The setting is very appealing and I think this is the first romance I’ve read set in Russia, which has loads of tension inherent by virtue of the laws. Unfortunately though, it wasn’t much of a romance until quite late in the story. There is a stronger emphasis on Laramie having to deal with the existing foreman and farm hands in relation to the cultural divide than there is on the attraction Laramie and Anastasia feel for each other.

The focus on farming also meant that there wasn’t enough exchanging of personal information between Laramie and Anastasia to have a full understanding of them and their pasts. Anastasia’s past could have been an incredibly powerful theme but it was glossed over in generalisations. So while I enjoyed the writing and the setting, I felt let down by the lack of tension and romance.

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first Wallace book and I liked it. Laramie Bowman takes a ranching job in Godoroye Russia to help pay for her brother's medical bills. She doesn't want to go, but knows her family depends on her. Ana Petrova is a gay rights activist in Russia. She keeps getting fired from her jobs because she insists on be out to her co-workers in a country where being a homosexual is illegal. Her best friend and play boyfriend helps her to secure a job working as a translator for Laramie.

Now that I have gotten that out of the way. What did I like. I like the attraction and interaction between the two MC's. The love connection between Laramie and Ana is very cute. Ana seems to learn how to come into her own with Laramie's help. Now, even though I thought this was a cute little romance, I did feel something was missing from this one that would make it a 4 or 5 star read. The plot seemed a bit overly simplified (being gay and in Russia is heavy) and I also found myself wondering how this book was going to be wrapped up if Laramie was set to be in Russia for 3 years. I think I would have loved a different ending. I am still happy I read this.

I give this one 3.25 stars.

This ARC was provided by Netgalley and the Publisher for an honest review.

[Laure · Rating 4 out of 5]

👭📚👩‍❤️‍👩🏳️‍🌈

I received an ARC of « Comrade Cowgirl » from BSB (via NetGalley) in exchange of an honest review. (Thank you very much for that, BTW, I enjoyed the trip !!!) … So, here it is !!

It’s the 1st time I read a book by Yolanda Wallace.

To begin this review, I’d like to say that I’m not fan (at all …) of pictures of persons on covers. (Why ?? ‘cause from my POV it spoils a lot of things about the characters. I prefer when I picture them in my mind's eye based on their description made by the author …). So, even if I loved the sunset and the cattle on the cover, I don’t like the final « product » ‘cause, sadly, it’s wasted by the huge woman picture in the middle … This woman doesn’t look like a rancher (more like a city girl in disguise …) …Think a bottle of vodka and/or a Russian flag would have been better to illustrate the location of the story ..

This being said … I want to say (and I insist) that I liked a lot the novel !! 😊 & I give it 4stars …
=> The Pros
° The chosen location : I love travelling even during my reading … and I think that’s an interesting change of scenery … + It seems some research has been done and it makes the characters more believable … (Just FYI : Philipp Kirkorov’s music and style are definitely not my cup of tea , though … lol)
° The down-to-earth condition of the characters …
° The humor .. ; Gosh !!! I laughed out loud more than once …. There are some great puns and jokes !!
° The smooth writing / the good wording … coupled with plenty of interesting vocabulary to work on …
° The fact that the romance is sweet
° There are good secondary characters


What’s prevented me to put a 5th star ?? => The Cons
° I won’t give specifics not to spoil anything but … I want to say this : The link between Elena & Ana was highly predictable like were the circomptances (I figured all about this « situation » at the second I’ve read about their hometown) … but it’s touching nonetheless
° I would have appreciated to have a more balanced story. What I mean is that the end in HEA mode is interesting and welcome (of course) but it’s too sudden compared to the beginning of the relationship which happens in the space of a few days only but occupy at least the ¾ of the novel + ..I think that ALL the relationships at the ranch would have deserved to be developed more in time so, it would have been great to read more about their development rather than passing from the coming-out scene to the « 5 months later phone call » which led pretty quickly to the end …



If I had to make a very short and quite different version of my review it’d be something like this :
Did I enjoy this book? => Yes !!!
Is this book now included in my « must be re-read »-list? => Yeah, I’ll re-read it someday ..
Will I purchase the paperback? => Probably … If I have the opportunity
Would I read another book by this author? => Yes (even probably more than one. As a matter of fact, I can't wait …)
Would I recommend this book => Yes ‘cause even if it’s not perfect it’s a simple and sweet romance nonetheless.

Guys and gals, now it’s your turn => Grab your own copy and make your own opinion …
Enjoy (or not) your reading …

🏳️‍🌈👭📚👩‍❤️‍👩🏳️‍🌈

[JulesGP · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time reading a Yolanda Wallace book and I found her writing to be very smooth. I’m usually a slow, distracted reader and this one took me just a few enjoyable Sunday hours to get through.

The premise is unique, a Wyoming rancher, Laramie Bowman, accepts a lucrative job offer on a Russian cattle ranch to train locals into running their business in a more professional and proficient manner, basically turning them into real cowboys. Her translator, Anastasia Petrova, is a LGBT activist which continuously keeps her in danger and out of work until her best friend finagles her the job on his uncle’s ranch. It’s definitely a slow burn and no one’s in a hurry but the story and characters keep a consistent pace. There are good backstories on both mains which added some depth but didn’t bog down anything. When Laramie and Ana finally come together, it feels true to their characters. Even the villain was a good smarmy one.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading some of this author’s earlier stories. I read this book courtesy of Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ms. Wallace has written a nice, simple, modern-day cowgirl romance. This cowgirl novel is different from most in that she has placed the story in Russia. Initially, I was not sure if it would hold my attention. I was pleasantly surprised when I was given the opportunity to learn about another country and how Russia deals with homosexuality.

Laramie Bowman is a true American cowgirl who helps to run her parents’ ranch in Wyoming. Her brother is a rodeo star who has sustained major injuries while competing. His hospital bills are outrageous, and his family is being financially stretched to cover the expenses. As a result, Laramie accepts a three-year contract in Russia to help a multi-millionaire start up a cattle ranch and train the cowhands.

Laramie does not speak Russian so Anastasia Petrova, an interpreter, is hired to assist Laramie in communicating with her staff. Anastasia is single and does not have any family. They are attracted to each other but realize that there would be major problems if they acted on their impulses.

The plot is not very complex. Readers will find no surprises. I also feel there could have been a deeper development of the chemistry between Anastasia and Laramie. I did find it interesting to learn about the legal and societal difficulties that gays face in Russia.

I rate it 3-1/2 out of 5 stars.

I was given this ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

[Genny · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author really captures the essence of gay eldest daughter horse girl lmao

and like okay so objectively the plot made sense and the characters were relatable, I just wish the plot was less structured? The premise is so wild and then the actual execution makes too much sense, which sounds like nonsensical criticism but I feel like there could have a plot twist in there somewhere.

[Best Lesfic Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Russia as a setting for a contemporary lesbian romance is unusual and interesting especially since Russia criminalises homosexuality.

Read the full review @https://bestlesficreviews.blogspot.co...

[Bee Sherrard · Rating 2 out of 5]

For Laramie Bowman leaving Wyoming to work at a ranch in Russian wasn’t in her plans but when her brother is hurt and the medical bills grow she feels it’s a sure way to make some money to help her family. Anastasia Petrova is a LGBT activist living in Russia. Not a great place to be considering the political climate re LGBT rights. Not able to find steady work she accepts the chance to make some money by working as a translator on the same ranch as Laramie. Staying in the closet is the safest thing for her to do but that might not be as easy now that she has met Laramie. The women also have to deal with a foreman who is embezzling money from the ranch. Actually not that bad a story but I’m afraid it’s not what I’ve become used to reading from Ms Wallace. But still a nice little read.
ARC via NetGalley

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very disappointed in this story. It had so much potential but turned out to be overly talky, totally predictable, tiny love story. I didnt feel any chemistry between the two main characters yet they immediately had an irresistible attraction for each other. Could it be because they were the only lesbians at the ranch? Where was the ranching lessons? We learned nothing about ranching. Why did it take place in Russia? Nothing unique about the location except the language barrier and the repeated, repeated, repeated reference and remarks about homosexuality being illegal. Yet everyone seemed to be ok with it. With more development of the uniqueness of the location and more ranching information and a few less obvious storylines this story could be one I would recommend.

[isa Simonet · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as I liked all the books of Ms Wallace, as much I was disappointed by this one.
However, the story was promising, and the place chosen to develop it was interesting.
But unfortunately, many aspects of this story are either implausible or repetitive.
The chemistry between the two protagonists does not work.
The only points of interest are the state of the living conditions of LGBT people in Russia, and the life of the ranch.
The cover is very pretty and will attract readers.
I recommend this book nevertheless.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Laramie's brother is in a rodeo accident, she takes a job in Godoroye, Russia, to make money to pay for her brother's medical bills. She and her colleague Shorty have three years to teach a new rancher how to run a successful cattle ranch. Anastasia was hired as a translator for Laramie and her colleague but she doesn't predict she'd going to enjoy ranch life as much as she does, and she doesn't expect the American cowgirl to be so attractive. The two women struggle with the challenges of a start -up ranch and their feelings for each other in a place where their feelings could be dangerous.

I really liked the way Laramie and Anastasia's relationship came together, their chemistry was fantastic and they had a very realistic relationship. I really enjoyed the cast of characters Wallace assembled in Godoroye, the heroes and the villains alike, they brought a beautiful depth and warmth to the story.

The setting for this story was really interesting, and posed scary challenges for our leading ladies.

I really enjoyed the pacing of the first 85% of the book. However, I assumed I was only at about 50% of the way through the story, so I was surprised to find out I was almost done. In the last 15% of the book the pacing sped up exponentially and it was a very rapid recounting of what happens. It was missing the emotional nuances from the beginning of the book and Laramie's decision felt very unrealistic, without perhaps showing us the rest of the three year period in Godoroye. This has happened previously when I've read Wallace's books - where the beginning of the book is excellent and then the last 15%-20% is rushed and I lose all emotional connection to the story and the characters. I rated this book five-stars for the first 85%.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author, whether she thinks of herself as an author or not is good! Ms Wallace is great at character development and seems to be dipping a toe into the complexities of life with multiple revolving stories at the same time. To me, this is much better than girl meets girl, find a conflict and have angst over it and then make up and get together.
Was reading the reviews on this book and never fails, I really liked this book and others not so much. Folks were concerned with is this believable as they were reading it. Cops do their job by looking at how 98% of the population thinks and reacts, what the motive is and is it believable. I figured I would always be found guilty as I seem to react like 2% of the population and whether this story was believable or not, I enjoyed it.

[Dr E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this book made me smile and feel happy because it’s lovely and a refreshing change. A romance that also tackles the difficult subject of gay rights in Russia, not an easy combination. I am not sure how realistic the family acceptance is as that all seemed a bit neat given the political climate. But I am prepared to forgive the coincidence of Elena, because it’s such a nice read. Also has a cute cowgirl on the front cover; I love the dimple.

[Tiffany Shamaly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed this book, but didn't completely warm up to Ana. The romance seemed a little quick and forced at times. Laramie was an interesting character and I really liked her a lot from the very beginning. I guess the disconnect with Anastasia was what really caused me to not give this book four stars. I guess the plot line outside the romance seemed a bit rushed as well. Of course I love all Yolanda Wallace books and will continue to read her works, but this wasn't my favorite.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a big fan of this author. Having said that, this wasn't my favorite book by her. I liked the cowgirl concept, but I find the Russian portion less interesting. I had a hard time bonding to either main character and that is such an important part of enjoying the book. Love them or hate them, you need some kind of relationship with them. I still look forward to this author's next book. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Cathy Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the description of this book I was really looking forward to it. The mixture of hot cowgirl, Russian activist and the added tension of taking place in a country where being gay is 'illegal'
The book is well written and kept me turning the pages. I did think the author could have added more tension and suspense but overall a good read. Would I recommend......yes

[XR · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. The twist that came up for Ana was cool too. I wish it was longer.

[cowboy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wholesome romance.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another lovely lesbian loving love story from this author.

[Mx Phoebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

To save the family ranch, an American rancher goes to Russia for a long-term job and meets her translator who makes her think about more than breaking the law.

Laramie Bowman takes a job in Russia for three years after her brother suffers a debilitating accident incurring numerous medical bills and a long rehabilitation. Going to a new country and not speaking the language is daunting, but Bowman is not really concerned about that as she is about being a lesbian in a country that outlaws it. Then she meets her translator, Anastasia, and things get extremely complicated as Ana is engaged to her boss' nephew and Laramie's attraction is deepening by the day. Ana's interest in Laramie is returned as no one knows in the small town that she is lesbian who is an activist in the big city against the government's laws regarding homosexuality. Soon Ana and Laramie are speaking the same language of lust and that is just the beginning of the complications as criminals are afoot and long-buried secrets come to life impacting everyone.

I said this in an earlier review today, but I must have gone a long time without reading a straight (pardon the pun) "girl meets girl" romance that I am soaking these up (laugh). I was not expecting the little mysteries thrown in and they were fun and made things interesting. I love a good old-fashioned romance and Yolanda Wallace provides us with this in Comrade Cowgirl. There is chemistry, drama, sass, mystery, and cowgirls - a reader could not ask for more - oh wait, there is sex too. Put this book on your Summer Read list or take it to the beach because this is one that you will enjoy and it will take you away into a cute romance.

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[JWG1973UK · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book by the Publisher via Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving my review.

This is the first book by this author under this name that I have read. I have read only one other under her other pen name. This is the first book I have read that the storyline has been set in and around Russia where being anything but straight is a crime. Laramie’s brother is injured during a rodeo ride and Laramie has decided to take a job offer in Russia to help pay with the medical bills. To Laramie nothing comes before family. She would do anything to help them out. Anastasia is a translator for foreign ranchers and this is what brings to two main characters together. I enjoyed the storyline but to me there was very little romance between Anastasia and Laramie which was a little disappointing but I still enjoyed the book and will read more from this author in the future.