I always love a grumpy hero, and male lead Riley was an excellent example of that archetype. He had plenty of reasons to be grouchy, most notably the fact that his younger siblings had forced him into participating in a singles event for "market research" while they were all still grieving the recent, tragic death of their father. Riley was something of a loner and had never planned to marry due to lingering trust issues from his mother's abandonment of their family years earlier. Even so, he was unwillingly drawn to one of the "contestants," Ainsley, who had taken her sister's place on the ranch in an attempt to avoid their overbearing mother's efforts to manipulate her into marrying a family friend. Both Riley and Ainsley had a number of issues to work through before they were ready for a long-term relationship, and they also had to deal with the interference of Ainsley's fellow "contestants" as well as their own families. However, it was very easy for me to root for them to overcome those obstacles and end up together.
In addition to the central romance between Ainsley and Riley, there were a couple of cute secondary romances between Ainsley's roommate Meagan and the ranch foreman, Cookie, and Ainsley's sister Cecelia and her erstwhile suitor, Edward. Cecelia and Edward's relationship was a bit frustrating at times because it wasn't clear why Edward was so desperate to please Ainsley and Cecelia's mother, or if he would ever get over his fear of marrying for love and admit that he and Cecelia belonged together. When he finally got his act together, Edward turned out to be a pretty likeable guy, and I appreciated his efforts to run interference with Ainsley's mother so that she could work things out with Riley.
Overall, I very much enjoyed "Who Wants to Marry a Cowboy" and would recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance, cowboys, or Bachelor-style reality TV competitions. I hope that there will be more books in this series for Riley's siblings!
*ARC provided by the author via L. Woods PR. All opinions expressed are my own.
About "Who Wants to Marry a Cowboy"
Hardworking and seriously single, there's nothing Riley Pommer wouldn't do for his family. So when his sisters concoct a crazy plan to save the family ranch, the hunky cowboy reluctantly lets them turn his homestead into the site of a dating competition. As Crescent Ridge is invaded by beautiful women vying for the top prize -- him -- Riley still isn't interested in being roped into a relationship. But when he meets the spirited and intriguing Ainsley, partnering up no longer seems pointless.
Between her business and her meddling mother, Ainsley Fairfax desperately needs to get away, and her only immediate choice is standing in for her sister in a bachelorette competition on a far away ranch. Determined not to win the grand prize cowboy at any cost, she sets out to forget her troubles and relax on Crescent Ridge. But when her path finally crosses with rugged Riley's, Ainsley finds herself heating up rather than cooling down.
With instant chemistry that sizzles, Riley and Ainsley can't help falling for one another. But as the other competitors stampede through their lives, are Riley and Ainsley destined to find their hearts trampled by the very same game that brought them together?
Who Wants to Marry a Cowboy is a hot and sexy standalone romance and book one in the Love Match Series. It was previously published as volume one in the With This Ring Series by Forever Yours.
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