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Cowboy Trouble

(Acquainted with the Night #1)

Joanne Kennedy (Goodreads Author)

3.50 · Rating details · 1,195 ratings · 147 reviews

A cowboy like that could break your heart...

Fleeing her latest love-life disaster, big city journalist Libby Brown's transition to rural living isn't going exactly as planned. Her childhood dream has always been to own a farm-but without the constant help of her charming, sexy cowboy neighbor, she'd never make it through her first Wyoming season.

Handsome rancher Luke Rawli ...more

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Paperback, 387 pages

Published March 2nd 2010 by Sourcebooks Casablanca (first published January 1st 2010)

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How to Handle a Cowboy by Joanne Kennedy

Joanne Kennedy

7 books — 3 voters

Call Me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Best 2010 Romance Novels

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Average rating 3.50 ·

Rating details

· 1,195 ratings · 147 reviews

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Mar 26, 2010 Shawna rated it liked it

Shelves: romantic-suspense, 2010-reads, heroine-i-wanna-bitch-slap-annoying, i-read-no-longer-own-sold-swapped, small-town-lovin-small-town-setting, hero-nice-guy-gets-the-girl, cheating-fidelityissues-past-or-new, contemporary-romance, animals-matter, love-triangle-vying-courtships

3 stars – Romantic Suspense

This should have been titled “Libby Trouble” because city girl heroine Libby, who moves to small town Lackaduck, Wyoming to heal her broken heart and start a chicken farm, is absolutely exasperating. If not for Libby’s hunky rancher neighbor, sweet cowboy Luke, I wouldn’t even be giving it 3 stars. He’s such a caring, endearing, sexy hero and frankly, I couldn’t fathom what he saw in Libby, other than the fact that she’s a relatively attractive, available woman in a on ...more

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Apr 04, 2010 Pamela(AllHoney) rated it really liked it

Shelves: pet-or-animal-in-story, cowboys-ranchers, contemporary-romance, loc-usa

I love the cowboys :) And Luke is worth loving. He lives with his parents and, in his case, it's a good thing. Libby bugged me a little but, overall, she wasn't so bad that it ruined the story. Not really much of a mystery, though. I guessed the who-done-it early in the story. The story moved at a comfortable pace, allowing the reader to get to know the characters. ...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Karla rated it really liked it

Enjoyable read. I like this author's writing, and liked this book better than the first one. The book was funny, had some suspense, was spicy and two likeable characters. ...more

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Feb 06, 2019 Pelusa Rivera rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I was bored, bored couldn't get past annoying Libby, I liked Luke but what the heck did he see in Libby?.I personally did not understand, and I like Cowboys and love mysteries but this one was ridiculous and she was idiotic, I did try I picked up and put down and picked up again, but atleast there was nothing that was going to hold my interest..

Rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) Voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions.

...more

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Mar 30, 2019 Blodeuedd Finland marked it as dnf · review of another edition

Right now all the men (and why are there so many men) are all rapey and touchy. I am all wtf have you never seen a woman? This town is creepy

I have liked her books before, but it seems this was actually her first

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Mar 07, 2010 Brande Waldron rated it really liked it

What is a girl to do when your ex leaves you for your boss and you look back to realize that the life you knew isn't the one that you wanted to begin with. This is the story of Libby Brown, crime scene, Big City journalist who has decided to move to Wyoming and live her dream. To have a chicken farm. In Joanne Kennedy's book Cowboy Trouble you are immediately captured by Libby, frankly she cracked me up. Always cautious and on her toes, the Big Bad City trained her well to always keep her eyes o ...more

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May 18, 2012 Romancing the Book rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, western, romance, cowboy

Posted on Romancing the Book's blog
Reviewed by Desere
Review Copy Provided by self from Amazon

I am sure by now we all know that Joanne Kennedy writes the most incredible cowboy stories with the hottest of men! But what about when you take a seriously yummy cowboy, add a heartbroken I am never going near a man again woman add a small town never solved mystery and what do you get ….. one heck of a book!

Libby loves a good crime story and no matter what she will always get to the truth and do anythi ...more

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Mar 24, 2019 Bette Hansen rated it liked it · review of another edition

In this reissue of Joanne Kennedy's debut novel we have the story of a city girl, Libby Brown, looking for a fresh start and moving to Wyoming to start her own chicken farm. Before long her journalistic nose has her pulled in to a mystery surrounding a woman who went missing years ago. So we have a little mystery, some suspense and an interesting romantic dance between Libby and her sexy neighbor Luke with the town sheriff also letting his interest be known. Basically we have a little of everyth ...more

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Oct 01, 2011 April rated it liked it · review of another edition

Free Kindle download. I liked the book in general and would probably read the author again. My biggest criticism about the book is that the story is kind of predictable, much more so than the usual romance, especially a romance with a touch of mystery in the plot. I mean to say that yes, I knew which of the two "love interests" she'd end up with — i.e., which of the two men was the hero — but it was more than that; I also knew very early on which of all the possible suspects was the bad guy, the Free Kindle download. I liked the book in general and would probably read the author again. My biggest criticism about the book is that the story is kind of predictable, much more so than the usual romance, especially a romance with a touch of mystery in the plot. I mean to say that yes, I knew which of the two "love interests" she'd end up with — i.e., which of the two men was the hero — but it was more than that; I also knew very early on which of all the possible suspects was the bad guy, the one who killed the girl, whose death the journalist heroine is investigating. And that's kind of death in a mystery — you want to keep the reader guessing, first suspecting one character and then another and seeing the possibility in all of them.

So, while the romance part of it might have been OK, the mystery part of the book needed a lot of work. The clues and the red herrings were a little too obvious, such that I found myself about three or four steps ahead of the story. It's almost as if the author feared the readers might not be smart enough to get it.

The chemistry between the hero and the heroine, though, was really nice. I liked how they got along with each other. Plus, there were passages in the book that made me laugh out loud — they usually involved the smaller characters, nearly all of whom were nicely drawn. Usually, in a romance, the author doesn't bother building up the minor characters in a book unless they're sequel bait or unless the characters were the hero and heroine in a past book; the minor characters are usually flat, two-dimensional, or largely ignored, like wallpaper. The treatment of the minor characters in this book, however, was refreshing; they had some interesting quirks and lovable aspects, and they added dimension to the main characters by the sort of interactions between them.

Some of the passages describing the minor characters were also just plain, downright funny, which made for an entertaining read. For example:

Suddenly, he doubled over and grimaced. Libby thought he'd been taken ill until she realized he was contort ing himself into a bodybuilder's stance to display the muscles obscured beneath his pallid flesh.

Especially funny was the menu at a restaurant, where the cook has dreams of gourmet chef-dom:

Joe's might have been a small-town diner serving country food, but the chef obviously had higher aspi rations. The meatloaf she'd looked forward to all day was billed as "Loaf de Meat: ground beef succulently seasoned with a medley of herbs and spices, baked, sliced, and served with rich mushroom gravy." "Pureed Pommes" and "Bacon-Laced Beans Vert" were recom mended as "accompaniments."

One minor annoyance I had in reading the book was the formatting. Every now and then a word is broken in half, causing me to stumble over the words as I read:

...but I've got ten used to blocking things out.

Ten what? What ten things or people are used to blocking things out? Very, very annoying. I find this happening in a lot of Kindle books and can't for the life of me figure out what causes it. Could it be that's where the word was hyphenated as the line ended in the print version? Another round of proofreading could have easily fixed that.

So, all in all, a fun read, if somewhat predictable and faultily formatted. ...more

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May 08, 2010 Patty rated it really liked it

I knew I was going to like this book when I read the first line: "A chicken will never break your heart."
heh
Having chickens I know this to be true.
I don't, though, have a cowboy but that's OK.
The story begins when Libby Brown, an investigative journalist for The Atlanta Journal Constitution, leaves all she knows and moves to a tiny town in Wyoming. She's going to have a chicken farm and report for the local newspaper. There is not much going on around town but there is one big unsolved crime; Th ...more

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Mar 16, 2010 Kristina rated it it was amazing

This book had my heart at "chicken farm" . Having raised chickens previously in my life I knew I would like the book! After starting the first chapter i thought to myself..."This is what country songs are made of! " Our main character Libby lost her job, her boyfriend, and her dog died. It was the perfect start to a cowboy romance.

The story line was great...city girl moves to the country and has to make her way on her own. The Mystery in the book was really interesting and kept the story moving ...more

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Feb 15, 2014 Barb rated it really liked it

Fleeing her latest love life disaster, big city journalist Libby Brown's transition to rural living isn't going exactly as planned. Her childhood dream has always been to own a chicken farm—but without the constant help of her charming, sexy, cowboy neighbor; she'd never have made it through her first Wyoming season.
Handsome rancher Luke Rawlins is impressed by this sassy, independent city girl. But he yearns to do more than help Libby out with her ranch...he's ready for love, and he wants to go ...more

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Dec 28, 2010 Jess the Romanceaholic rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, hero-in-pursuit, mental-deficiency-or-disorder, romantic-suspense, free-reads, western-romance

A free read on Kindle.

What worked for me:
*it was kind of nice to have the hero fall hard for the heroine right off the bat

What didn't work for me:
*I figured out "whodunit" waaaay early on - much sooner than I think I was intended to.

See, and that's all I've really got without spoiling anything lol It was a quick, easy read, with just enough angst to keep things interesting. Plus, while I did figure out the twist early on, it had enough "well, who was it?" to keep it from getting too boring (plus ...more

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Jan 01, 2011 Carrie marked it as dnf

Shelves: western, kindle, contemporary, humorous, read-2011, tbr-challenge-2011

Not bad, but I found I kept putting it down to read other things, so I gave up. May try again some other time.

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Mar 09, 2019 Char (1RadReader59) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A book that grabs you from the beginning. You find yourself talking to yourself like you did when you do when you watch the old westerns. You know the ones in black and white or the obvious mysteries you know the ones where you can’t just turn away because you already know who did it.

Yet, when you find the characters just either too dramatic, over the top crazy or too funny where you want to turn the channel but can't because it gives you just enough to keep going. Or it could be that the clues A book that grabs you from the beginning. You find yourself talking to yourself like you did when you do when you watch the old westerns. You know the ones in black and white or the obvious mysteries you know the ones where you can’t just turn away because you already know who did it.

Yet, when you find the characters just either too dramatic, over the top crazy or too funny where you want to turn the channel but can't because it gives you just enough to keep going. Or it could be that the clues are dropped in fine hints and you think, what are you thinking? and you call yourself a crime reporter for a newspaper back in Atlanta!

Because that is where Libby Brown is from, but she allows herself to be swayed. By or should I say made fearful of ghost stories by people in the community. To be thrown off the trail of the true suspect.

You see because she is almost from day one getting tipped off by sexy all-male cowboys Luke Rawlins about a cold case in town. Of a supposed runaway or murder victim. Making this city girl who moved to Wyoming on the open plain to raise chickens very afraid. With Luke being her only neighbor living a huge country mile away makes him and everyone else in her new community a Ted Buddy relative.

When she goes to the local bar with Luke, the Roundup, she meets a lot more of the locals. Let’s just say that is a colorful bunch which is to clean a word for most of them. They are rough. As she starts to investigate she's given not so nice warnings.

This was a creative, imaginative and twisted story. In a good way. You are taken in quickly because you know Libby and Luke find an interest in one another. However, when the add local sheriff into the mix, the one Libby thought would be like Boss Hogg but turns out looking like Gold’s Gym Golden Boy a Blondie. There’s a triangle for her time.

She, however, wants to follow this cold case moving backward without stepping on the sheriff’s toes. Tensions are high for the once quiet little town once Libby starts asking questions about Della the young seventeen-year-old. The author’s spin the story causing the suspects to keep changing and always keeping poor Libby on edge was comical at times too.

She not only had one cowboy but two, one alpha male and one shy cowboy who was skittish as a new colt. Only one would win her heart. While the other…

I give this: 5++++ stars. Provided by netgalley.com.
Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com. ...more

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Mar 30, 2019 Marsha Keeper Bookshelf rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: modern-western-romance, keeper-bookshelf, beginning-of-new-series, series

Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf

COWBOY TROUBLE is a basically good story, yet one that I could not connect with one of the main characters, at all – which changed my opinion of the story somewhat. It’s also a reissue of Ms. Kennedy’s debut novel, originally released in 2010. I wish I could have enjoyed this one more for I usually enjoy going back to an author’s first work for a look at how they’ve grown and changed over time. But there is one word for the reason I didn’t: Libby. No matter how many ...more

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May 27, 2019 Ann-Maree Howarth rated it really liked it

I liked this book by a new author to me in this light-hearted cowboy romance mystery that has many twists and turns to which you will guess most of them before they happen. But the humour and characters will still give you the pleasure in this story to keep you reading to the end. Luke and Libby had that instant chemistry from the start of the book. The story was more suspenseful than I expected but it only drew me further into the story and plot. I believe this is a revamp of the author debut n ...more

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Mar 14, 2019 Kathy rated it liked it · review of another edition

3.5 stars.

Cowboy Trouble is a re-release of Joanne Kennedy's debut romantic suspense Western.

Libby Brown is a crime reporter who relocated to Wyoming following a bad break up that also led to the loss of her job. Realizing her dream of running a chicken ranch, she is also working for the local newspaper. While not a lot goes on in this small town, Libby is immediately drawn into investigating the still unsolved disappearance of Della McCarthy. In the course of her investigation, she meets town 3.5 stars.

Cowboy Trouble is a re-release of Joanne Kennedy's debut romantic suspense Western.

Libby Brown is a crime reporter who relocated to Wyoming following a bad break up that also led to the loss of her job. Realizing her dream of running a chicken ranch, she is also working for the local newspaper. While not a lot goes on in this small town, Libby is immediately drawn into investigating the still unsolved disappearance of Della McCarthy. In the course of her investigation, she meets town sheriff Cash McIntyre, whose intensity is a little unnerving. Libby is a gutsy heroine, but she not looking for love which is why she tries to ignore her attraction to Luke Rawlins, the sexy cowboy who lives on a neighboring ranch. Can Libby unearth the truth about what happened to Della? And will she decide to take a chance on love again?

Libby is an independent woman who does not need a man's help to get her chicken ranch up and running. However, she is very reluctant to accept Luke's assistance but she is smart enough to know she is out of her depth. Before long, she discovers her feelings for the handsome cowboy run deeper than friendship, but will Libby risk her heart again?

Luke is a charming man who still lives on his family's ranch. His parents are much older and their health is declining. Luke is pretty irresistible but, much to his dismay, Libby is intent on keeping their relationship platonic. As her investigation into Della's disappearance intensifies, he grows concerned for her safety. Can Luke convince her to let him help keep her safe?

There is plenty of chemistry between Luke and Libby but her lack of trust becomes a huge obstacle for them. She does not trust her judgment and it does not take much for Cash McIntyre to raise doubts about Luke. Libby is also determined get to the truth about Della's disappearance, but this leads her to make some ill-advised choices throughout her investigation. Rushing headlong into to danger, will Libby's quest for answers put her in the crosshairs of a killer?

Cowboy Trouble by Joanne Kennedy is a quirky romance that has plenty of suspense. Libby has several good qualities, but her lack of trust and her propensity to act without thinking are annoying. Luke is a sweet man but his character is not very well-developed. The mystery aspect is interesting and really takes off in the last third of the book. Although Libby is clueless about who might have harmed Della, readers will most likely have NO problem solving the crime. While the rest of the story is a bit predictable, the conclusion is quite heartwarming.
...more

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Mar 28, 2019 Marcia rated it really liked it

I received a free, advanced copy of this book from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary reviews. Endearing characters and a compelling plot written in a humorous bent make this an entertaining mystery romance.

Libby Brown has been obsessed with farms since when she played with a Fisher Price Farmer Joe Play Set as a little girl. While working as a crime reporter for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, her dog died and she found out her boyfriend was cheating on her with her boss. So she ...more

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May 08, 2019 Connie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.

After I started to read this, it seemed pretty familiar. Come to find out I read an earlier version. I could have stopped and written a review but I enjoyed it the first time so I went ahead and finished reading it again. It was still such a fun read. The mystery of what happened to Della was a good one. Luke and Libby have a connection that Libby fights all the way. She has been hurt before and doesn't ...more

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Feb 05, 2019 Stacy J. rated it really liked it

This book was really good. It had humor, romance and suspense.

The suspense of the book was told in a way that at different times EVERYONE seemed like the guilty party. That part was really fun to read. The "who done it" aspect. I was amazed at how strong Libby was. Alone on her farm and with everything going on, I would have found a hotel in town I think.

I really liked the character of Luke. He really was a good guy. He was loyal and really seemed to care about Libby from day one.

My only real is ...more

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Mar 16, 2019 Nicole ReadingBetweenTheSheets rated it liked it

When Libby’s boyfriend dumps her for her boss, she decides to buy a decrepit chicken farm in Lackaduck, Wyoming.

Luke Rawlins, the cowboy neighbor, tries to smoothly catch her eye, but he has competition from the local sheriff, Cash McIntyre.

I don’t know. I didn’t much care for this one. I have enjoyed some of Author Joanne Kennedy’s previous books, but this one, unfortunately not-so-much. It had potential… an “ok” plotline (new chic moves into town, decides she needs to solve an unsolved murde ...more

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Mar 01, 2019 Yvonne Cruz rated it liked it

I was looking forward to this book, since it was a new author for me, and lately , I have read a few cowboy stories which I loved.
Sadly, this one did not measure up to my expectations.
Was it entertaining , sort of, but was it memorable, no.
It was easy to determined who the villain was and at times I just skipped pages to get through the book.
The main female Libby, was exhausting while Luke, the neighbor was the one that saved the story.
All that said , I will give the book a 3 stars rating, since ...more

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Mar 05, 2019 Donna added it · review of another edition

Lackaduck, Wyoming has been a hopping place since Libby moved to town. She bought the old Lackaduck farm, uh sorry, ranch! Now she’s decided to raise chickens and maybe other four -legged animals. Darn but she had to go and meet her good-looking neighbor and then the handsome sheriff and the two crazy men started fighting over her! Speaking of crazy, how about the three Mikes in town, add a bundle of other town folk and you have the recipe for lots of fun! This book has it all! Mystery, murder, ...more

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Nov 08, 2019 Leslie Ooten rated it it was ok

I couldn't finish this one. The writing didn't flow well, and there were places were I kept feeling like a skipped a page because there wasn't any lead up to a situation. Libby was annoying and I'm not sure how she made it so far in life. Luke comes on strong from the beginning and says things like "school marm". Exactly what century is he supposed to be living in? I thought this was going to be a romance, but there is suspense to. Honestly it didn't fit together for me. I didn't make it far eno ...more

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Feb 28, 2019 Linda Rea rated it really liked it

What a fun story! Like and Libby are hysterical and the terrors round out the craziness. Libby lost her boyfriend, job and home all in one minute but she has decided to become a chicken farmer or rancher and to stay away from men this way chickens don’t break her heart. Luke meets his new neighbor and falls head over heels for her but he has a lot a competition and not just from other men. This story was sweet, crazy and a little scary sometime but it made you smile.
Reviewed on behalf of Once u ...more

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Mar 11, 2019 Denise H rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Cowboy Trouble by Joanne Kennedy was an entertaining story, yet not your typical cowboy gets the girl love story. There is plenty of humor, wit, romance, fun, and mystery packed into this read along with adorable rescue dogs and a wild, crazy chicken named Wild Thing to add to your enjoyment. The characters are likeable and the storyline is well-paced and easily holds your attention. Overall, a great read!

*Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the advanced copy I received thru NetGalley. I am ...more

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Mar 20, 2019 Karen Roma rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley, read-in-2019

3 1/2 Star Review....

Over the past year or so, Cowboys have become my new chocolate…..OK, that would be my addiction. I really enjoyed Cowboy Trouble; the characters were engaging (although Libby could be annoying at times) and the storyline (while a little predictable) had an easy ebb and flow and kept me interested throughout the book.

There was a “Who dunnit?” element early on, but the mystery didn’t really take off, so the story was basically more of an angsty romance than anything else. Ove ...more

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Dec 27, 2020 Linda rated it really liked it

This was a cute mystery romance with cowboys and sheriffs. Libby Brown needed a new start and away from Atlanta so she packed up and bought an old ranch in Wyoming. After leaving a journalist job, she decided to work on a very small newspaper but her interest as peaked when she heard of a missing young woman that was never solved. Rancher Luke Rawlins was her nearest neighbor and he fell for her from the start but had sworn off men since she did not have he ability to see the bad among the good. ...more

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Feb 02, 2019 Heather andrews rated it it was amazing

Luke is quite the charmer, “got it.” Luke straightened up and gave her a long look. “So are you gay or heartbroke?” Luke appreciates that his girl is unique, “see? You’re definitely not like other girls.” He stepped inside. “You get excited about farming and murder.” The man doesnt like being away from his girl too long, “okay,” he said. “How’bout an hour? I miss you like crazy.” I liked this book, I liked Luke.

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About Joanne Kennedy

Joanne Kennedy

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Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001
Laramie County

Books (Most Recent Publications First)

CowboyToughCoverSmall photo CowboyToughCoverSmall_zpsacac8d9d.jpg

Cowboy Crazy Cover photo cowboycrazy-300_zps70ac7db3.jpeg

Joanne Kennedy,Cowboy Fever,Western romance

Author Website: www.joannekennedybooks.com
Author Email: Joanne@JoanneKennedyBooks.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joanne-Kennedy-Books/114277591920110

Biographical and Professional Information

Joanne Kennedy's fascination with Wyoming’s unique blend of past and presen ...more