Only A Cowboy Will Do by A.J. Pine

Forty candles, and one for luck. Jenna Owens wants one thing for her birthday this year: a fairy-tale ending of her own and a little relaxation at a quaint California ranch. What she didn’t want was to get caught in a storm on her way to Meadow Valley. Or to get stuck with a ridiculously hot, too-charming-for-his-own-good cowboy—one who makes Jenna reconsider her “I don't date younger guys” rule. But a little vacation flirtation might be just what she needs.

Colt Morgan isn’t interested in long-term relationships. Not since his last one crashed and burned after his fiancée found out he wanted a big family. So when he learns that Jenna has a list of items to accomplish on her trip—including having fling—Colt is all too happy to oblige. Yet the more he and Jenna get to know each other, the more Colt starts to wonder if maybe they have a chance at a real future. But when Jenna’s past upends everything Colt thought he wanted, are all bets off? Or will they find a way to make both their dreams come true?

 Series: Meadow Valley #3 | Publisher: Forever |Genre: Contemporary Romance | Source: Publisher | Rating: 4 Cups

Two strangers (one who happens to be a charming cowboy) having a little vacation fling that has the potential to be more? Yes, please!

When the nephews that she raised sends her off to relax at a California ranch, Jenna makes a list of things she’s always wanted to do and, while having a vacation fling was on the list falling for the cowboy escorting her to the ranch wasn’t. Colt Morgan’s not up for relationships, especially after his last one, but he’s more than eager to please when he finds out Jenna wants to have a vacation fling. Relationships were supposed to be off the table, but there’s something special between the two of them if they can get past a secret Jenna’s carrying.

I was hooked from the start and could not put this book down.

Jenna and Colt were so much fun. They both have things in their past that they’re working through and things in their past that have shaped them and their idea of what their futures should be. Neither are the type to have a fling without getting attached and I enjoyed watching them grow and sort things out. I also enjoyed the maturity they both had.

I love romances with family and close-knitted friendships/communities and that’s one of the things I loved about this book. The friends at the ranch who were like family, it really helped to round out the book.

The only thing that kept this from being a 5-cup read was the fact there were some things that Jenna should have told Colt, especially knowing how he felt, from the start so they could figure out things together rather than it just being thrust upon him at an odd time.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. I missed the previous books in the series and I’m going to have to remedy that soon as I fell in love with the people of Meadow Valley Ranch. 

Meadow Valley Series

0.5 Cowboy to the Rescue

1 My One and Only Cowboy

2 Make Mine a Cowboy

3 Only a Cowboy Will Do