The Cowboy and the Kid by Anne McAllister

Having a father is a big responsibility.

And finding him a wife is a challenge eight-year-old Becky Jones takes seriously. Ex-rodeo cowboy Taggart Jones is adamant. No marriage. Been there. Done that.

Not even if Becky’s dream candidate is her beautiful, blonde teacher, Felicity Albright, who knows about barrettes, patching up scrapes, and hates carrots as much as his daughter. Taggart’s still not interested. Much.

What’s a daughter to do? Becky’s nothing if not ingenious, and she’s determined to convince a stubborn Taggart and a bemused Felicity that they really have met their match.

Series: The Tanner Brothers, Book 4| Publisher: Montana Born| Genre: Contemporary Romance| Source: Publisher | Rating: 3 Cups

Challenges Read For: Blogger Shame

There’s been some things going on lately and I really just wanted an upbeat read that I didn’t really have to think about and since the books in my TBR mountain wasn’t really cutting it, I looked at my past due pile and found this one. Seriously, the title and the blurb screamed cute and adorable and it was just what I needed.

 

Here’s why liked it:

 

Ø Taggart Jones. Seriously, is there a place to order a Taggart of mine own? He’s a single father and instead of letting his parents raise his daughter when his wife left him, he took her with him on the road during his years as a rodeo star. And, once he realized, that doing what he loved could leave his daughter without a father, he stopped and chose to open a bull riding school instead of competing.

Ø Felicity Albright is one tough chick—and possibly a bit mad. She made a deal with one of her student’s parents that if she could learn how to do something new, then he would allow her to continue teaching his son in a way that gets through to him rather than straight from a textbook. So, this crazy lady decides to learn how to ride a bull—much to Taggart’s chagrin.

Ø The fact that the matchmaking was done by Taggart’s daughter and her friend was adorable. They were willing to do anything to make sure Taggart and Felicity noticed each other so it was exciting to see what they would come up with next.

 

Here’s what could have been improved:

 

Ø The book’s a bit dated—it’s a rerelease that originally came out in the late ‘90s but it has a slightly older feel to it. It would have helped me get into the flow easier if I would have known it was a reprint when I started.

Ø The romance between Felicity and Taggart could have been a bit more developed. It went from attraction to resistance to a date-that-wasn’t-a-date to more resistance then let’s get married without showing a relationship. So, the attraction was there but the chemistry and development was lacking.

Ø I could have done without some of the random plot devices. Sure, they allowed the plot to advance but some of them were a bit out there in left field and had me going, ‘yeah, that wouldn’t have happened’.

Ø I would have liked a bit of backstory on Taggart’s first marriage. Things were alluded to but never addressed and it sort of left holes in the plot.

 

Overall, it wasn’t one of the best books I’ve read but it wasn’t the worst, either. It was fun, cute, and what I needed at the time.

 

The Tanner Brothers Series

Cowboys Don’t Cry

Cowboys Don’t Quit

Cowboys Don’t Stay

The Cowboy and the Kid

Cowboy Pride