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Always a Cowboy #2
Forever a Maverick
He's parched and on the brink of despair. Ash's well is dry. Unless he finds a new source of water, his dreams of a flourishing farm will crumble to dust. A last-ditch proposal could solve all his problems-just as long as he ignores how she makes his blood sing.
A single mom in need of hope... Juniper is drowning. The bills keep piling up and it's her son who will suffer if she can't keep her head above water. When Ash proposes-her water rights for a fat check and a wedding-Juniper sees her chance at a new life. But the marriage is supposed to be strictly business, no matter how hot he is.
A convenient marriage that might become more... The harder they try to keep everything professional, the deeper Ash and Juniper fall. But can they accept that a plot hatched in desperation might be the marriage of their dreams?
A single mom in need of hope... Juniper is drowning. The bills keep piling up and it's her son who will suffer if she can't keep her head above water. When Ash proposes-her water rights for a fat check and a wedding-Juniper sees her chance at a new life. But the marriage is supposed to be strictly business, no matter how hot he is.
A convenient marriage that might become more... The harder they try to keep everything professional, the deeper Ash and Juniper fall. But can they accept that a plot hatched in desperation might be the marriage of their dreams?
266 pages, Paperback
Published October 11, 2020
121 people are currently reading
103 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 16, 2023
DNF at 30%
First marriage of convenience book that stressed me out while reading it. Juniper was dealing with too many things in her life, therefore she didn’t trust anyone and thought the whole world was out to get her.
Poor Ash was just trying to make her happy from the beginning but she just wouldn’t let him.
The main reason I DNFed it was because of Juniper. I’m sorry I couldn’t deal with her personality. She was rude to those who wanted to help her most of the time.
First marriage of convenience book that stressed me out while reading it. Juniper was dealing with too many things in her life, therefore she didn’t trust anyone and thought the whole world was out to get her.
Poor Ash was just trying to make her happy from the beginning but she just wouldn’t let him.
The main reason I DNFed it was because of Juniper. I’m sorry I couldn’t deal with her personality. She was rude to those who wanted to help her most of the time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2017
I have absolutely no ability to resist a marriage of convenience story. Not that I would have tried with this anyway as I read everything Genevieve Turner writes. This one is a fascinating premise because it involves the use of water rights in California. I enjoyed the push and pull between Juniper and Ash. Turner also did a great job with the stresses of parenting and trying to have a life outside of that, particularly when you are a struggling single mom. There were times I kind of wanted to shake sense into Juniper as I have little tolerance for people who can't see the forest for the trees, but I was also throughly convinced about why she felt the ways she did. It didn't feel like contrived conflict but Juniper dealing with her issues. And the pay off was worth it.
March 17, 2017
Marriages of convenience are something that never happen in our world…not in the present…they are archaic and just unrealistic, right? Well, perhaps not. In this book a marriage of convenience is agreed upon for monetary reasons. Juniper needs money to make her dream of moving away from Cabrillo with her illegitimate son a reality – she wants a clean new start with a sparkly future. Ash wants Juniper’s water rights and is willing to pay for them if she will marry him. So, an agreement is made. And then, what was to be a marriage of convenience begins to become inconvenient when attraction and feelings become involved.
This is a story of family, future and frustration. It is also a story or emotion and learning to trust. It is a story of determining whether one’s dreams are worth following or if instead it might be wise to reconsider and create a new dream for the future. It is a story I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Juniper is a wonderful, strong, independent but rather prickly single mother while Ash is a quiet earthy man with molten lava bubbling under the surface. Their relationship is not easy but it is definitely worth the read. I am eager to read what comes next in this series set in Cabrillo.
Thank you to the author for the ARC. This is my honest review.
This is a story of family, future and frustration. It is also a story or emotion and learning to trust. It is a story of determining whether one’s dreams are worth following or if instead it might be wise to reconsider and create a new dream for the future. It is a story I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Juniper is a wonderful, strong, independent but rather prickly single mother while Ash is a quiet earthy man with molten lava bubbling under the surface. Their relationship is not easy but it is definitely worth the read. I am eager to read what comes next in this series set in Cabrillo.
Thank you to the author for the ARC. This is my honest review.
Read
February 8, 2021I would have really enjoyed the story and would have given it 4 stars (which I almost never do with romance novels) however...I CANNOT STAND IT when authors/editors get glaringly obvious details wrong. It ruins the whole book for me.
We learn right from the beginning that Juniper is 24, her son is 4...and she got pregnant with him in high school. Hmm. Just in case you were wondering...nope, she wasn't an older student, but in fact was 18! Huh?
Now Ash, we learn from the start, is the same age as Juniper, and bought his farm in Cabrillo 5 years ago (and has had his eye on her the whole time.) (Just to recap: the son is 4, and she had him in high school, and she is now 24.) To make it even more confusing, he actually went to college and got a degree before moving to Cabrillo (but remember, he is the same age as her.)
If all of this incredible timeline inaccuracies didn't turn you off, didn't have you confused, didn't at least have you scratching your head, someone somewhere along the line tried to fix one of the timeline problems ONCE. Toward the end of the book Ash and Juniper get into a fight, and he asks her if she's going to keep punishing herself and her son for a mistake she made SIX years ago. Six years ago makes sense when you're talking to someone that is 24 and had a baby at 18...the only problem is we've been told ALL. THROUGH. THE. BOOK. that the child is 4.
March 16, 2018
this was fantastic!! why haven't more people read this??
I like the marriage of convenience trope, even though sometimes the result is OTT or silly or insta-lust (none of which I love), and this book may be the best one I've read. the writing is fantastic. both Ash and Juniper are such well-defined characters and GT writes Juniper so well - yes she is prickly, stubborn and has a chip on her shoulder from the way she was judged in the past, but you can see the depth of emotion inside her and that she uses her hard edges as a shield - and Ash can see this too. Totally loved the way this played out. Owen was also well done, although some of his dialogue read a little older than 4 years old to me; I loved the interaction and connection between him and Ash (even if that part was fairly predictable).
I like the marriage of convenience trope, even though sometimes the result is OTT or silly or insta-lust (none of which I love), and this book may be the best one I've read. the writing is fantastic. both Ash and Juniper are such well-defined characters and GT writes Juniper so well - yes she is prickly, stubborn and has a chip on her shoulder from the way she was judged in the past, but you can see the depth of emotion inside her and that she uses her hard edges as a shield - and Ash can see this too. Totally loved the way this played out. Owen was also well done, although some of his dialogue read a little older than 4 years old to me; I loved the interaction and connection between him and Ash (even if that part was fairly predictable).
March 24, 2019
I read this as part of the “kiss me again cowboy: a limited edition fundraiser box set for veterans”. An unexpected enjoyable read of a farmer and a waitress. When I think of cowboys I think of rodeos and cattle stations (Australian version of a ranch). But this farmer definitely has the same qualities expected in cowboy romance novels. I recommend this to anyone who likes HEA’s with a bit of reality in a marriage of convenience story.
July 28, 2022
ash warner, what a man! he made this book so good ugh. he's so dreamy, he deserves the whole world.
juniper frustrated me a lot honestly but i get how she got there, how she ended up so bitter and insecure. i only wish she wasn't so stubborn and selfish for that long.
juniper frustrated me a lot honestly but i get how she got there, how she ended up so bitter and insecure. i only wish she wasn't so stubborn and selfish for that long.
May 13, 2025
Bouncing between a 3 and 4 star. 3.5, then. I enjoyed this 2nd book in the series better than the first. Juniper pisses me off a bit, but honestly, I think quite a few of us have gotten into our own heads before. So she's not unrealistic.
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June 29, 2021
Trigger & Content Warnings
Slut shaming mentioned
Teen pregnancy recounted
Alcohol consumption
Death of a father recounted
Drought
Slut shaming mentioned
Teen pregnancy recounted
Alcohol consumption
Death of a father recounted
Drought
August 19, 2022
I mean, props to this author for finding an almost realistic reason for modern people to get a marriage of convenience. The book was fine, but kids in romance is not my thing.
Want to read
December 10, 2023Purchased in epub format from Barnes and Noble for my Nook.
March 1, 2024
I’m enjoying this series.. Now on to #3
November 15, 2025
Charming book. I liked it more than the first one in the series. But neither Turner’s nor Barry’s books have recaptured the magic of my beloved Earth Bound.
May 13, 2022
Great book
January 1, 2022
Where has Genevieve Turner been all my life? Just kidding. I know where she’s been: patiently biding her time on my TBR. I have read one of her co-written historical romances with Emma Barry, which I super enjoyed, so I was primed to like this one. But it really and truly blew me away.
It’s a contemporary Marriage of Convenience between a very strong, kind-hearted farmer and a prickly single mother. I could not have been more on board the moment Ash proposed to Juniper. Her water rights in exchange for cash that will give her and her son Owen a fresh start away from their small judgmental town. Or so she thinks.
This book was downright magical for me. The characters, the gorgeous prose, the farm setting, the central conflict… I was hooked from page one. Ash has always been drawn to Juniper, even if he’s barely said a word to her the last 5 years. We know he’s going to fall hard for her once they’re under the same roof. My heart was in my throat watching the way he looked after her and Owen, just imagining the future heartbreak. But Juniper wasn’t immune either. She has reasons for often acting like a wary feral cat. It can be so hard to know if you can really trust someone and I really loved watching her journey. I tend to prefer my romance be child-free but Owen turned out to be great. It was great to see them form their little family, even if Juniper had one foot out the door for much of it. And Ash and Juniper had such great chemistry!! Ash puts his muscles to good use.
My heart truly ached for them. It wrecked me but it was a sneaky wreck. I nearly sobbed at one point. And then later I cried happy tears. It was just so moving and wonderful and it did my heart good. I can’t wait to read more of this author!
A few other things I loved: Ash builds Juniper raised garden beds so she can learn how to garden. He took in his neighbor’s three Pomeranians after she died and didn’t change their ridiculous names because they’d already lost enough. (The absolute sweetness of that man!) Juniper’s fierceness in doing right by her son—even when she was dead wrong, I couldn’t help but admire her tenacity. I come from farmers so I loved hearing about how Ash got into it, what he grows, and his plans for the farm. (I do wish we’d gotten to see more of the farm or even to know who the mentioned-but-never seen workers are but that’s a very minor complaint.)
Character notes: Juniper is a 24 years old white waitress. She has a 4 year old son named Owen. Ash is a white farmer and 4-H volunteer. (Possibly late 20s?) He has three Pomeranians named Foo-Foo, Mr. Winky, and Dr. Snoo. This is set in Cabrillo, CA.
CW: toxic mother, past slut-shaming, past teen pregnancy , pregnant secondary character, baby epilogue with off-page delivery, Owen’s father is not involved in his life, drought, past death of father when heroine was a child, alcohol, inebriation, ableist language
It’s a contemporary Marriage of Convenience between a very strong, kind-hearted farmer and a prickly single mother. I could not have been more on board the moment Ash proposed to Juniper. Her water rights in exchange for cash that will give her and her son Owen a fresh start away from their small judgmental town. Or so she thinks.
This book was downright magical for me. The characters, the gorgeous prose, the farm setting, the central conflict… I was hooked from page one. Ash has always been drawn to Juniper, even if he’s barely said a word to her the last 5 years. We know he’s going to fall hard for her once they’re under the same roof. My heart was in my throat watching the way he looked after her and Owen, just imagining the future heartbreak. But Juniper wasn’t immune either. She has reasons for often acting like a wary feral cat. It can be so hard to know if you can really trust someone and I really loved watching her journey. I tend to prefer my romance be child-free but Owen turned out to be great. It was great to see them form their little family, even if Juniper had one foot out the door for much of it. And Ash and Juniper had such great chemistry!! Ash puts his muscles to good use.
My heart truly ached for them. It wrecked me but it was a sneaky wreck. I nearly sobbed at one point. And then later I cried happy tears. It was just so moving and wonderful and it did my heart good. I can’t wait to read more of this author!
A few other things I loved: Ash builds Juniper raised garden beds so she can learn how to garden. He took in his neighbor’s three Pomeranians after she died and didn’t change their ridiculous names because they’d already lost enough. (The absolute sweetness of that man!) Juniper’s fierceness in doing right by her son—even when she was dead wrong, I couldn’t help but admire her tenacity. I come from farmers so I loved hearing about how Ash got into it, what he grows, and his plans for the farm. (I do wish we’d gotten to see more of the farm or even to know who the mentioned-but-never seen workers are but that’s a very minor complaint.)
Character notes: Juniper is a 24 years old white waitress. She has a 4 year old son named Owen. Ash is a white farmer and 4-H volunteer. (Possibly late 20s?) He has three Pomeranians named Foo-Foo, Mr. Winky, and Dr. Snoo. This is set in Cabrillo, CA.
CW: toxic mother, past slut-shaming, past teen pregnancy , pregnant secondary character, baby epilogue with off-page delivery, Owen’s father is not involved in his life, drought, past death of father when heroine was a child, alcohol, inebriation, ableist language
December 8, 2022
loved this book, loved the story and the characters. could hardly put it down
March 24, 2017
Forever a Maverick is a story of family, unknown futures, frustrations and learning to forgive, trust and, more importantly, to LOVE.
Marriages of convenience aren't something that we really do here in the United States. However, they do happen for many reasons. Keeping with ones heritage and money are two examples. In Forever a Maverick, Juniper and Ash both have something, one not even knowing they have it, the other REALLY needs.
Juniper wants, no she really needs, to take her son away from Cabrillo and start a new life. Ash needs water for his crops, plain and simple. Juniper has land and water rights from her ancestors that she didn't even know she had. Ash has the money to buy them and is willing to pay Juniper for those rights. How can they do that? Well, by getting married of course! A Marriage of Convenience!
What starts out as a marriage for only money and water soon becomes something way more than either of them signed up for. Their relationship is not easy. How can you pretend it doesn't mean anything when all you want to do is stay wrapped in the other persons arms? It would seem so simple wouldn't it? That is, unless they allow their imaginations and thinking to get in the way.
You will LOVE the way these characters interact and how one little boy can help pull two strong willed people out of the past and into what could be!
You just HAVE to read this! You won't be disappointed!
As a thank you to Genevieve Turner for the ARC, I am leaving this honest review.
Marriages of convenience aren't something that we really do here in the United States. However, they do happen for many reasons. Keeping with ones heritage and money are two examples. In Forever a Maverick, Juniper and Ash both have something, one not even knowing they have it, the other REALLY needs.
Juniper wants, no she really needs, to take her son away from Cabrillo and start a new life. Ash needs water for his crops, plain and simple. Juniper has land and water rights from her ancestors that she didn't even know she had. Ash has the money to buy them and is willing to pay Juniper for those rights. How can they do that? Well, by getting married of course! A Marriage of Convenience!
What starts out as a marriage for only money and water soon becomes something way more than either of them signed up for. Their relationship is not easy. How can you pretend it doesn't mean anything when all you want to do is stay wrapped in the other persons arms? It would seem so simple wouldn't it? That is, unless they allow their imaginations and thinking to get in the way.
You will LOVE the way these characters interact and how one little boy can help pull two strong willed people out of the past and into what could be!
You just HAVE to read this! You won't be disappointed!
As a thank you to Genevieve Turner for the ARC, I am leaving this honest review.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews