Sandy M’s review of Cowboy Trouble by Joanne Kennedy
Contemporary Western Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 1 Mar 10
This is my first Joanne Kennedy book. I love a good cowboy story, and I do like the hero, Luke, along with the heroine, Libby. There’s some good humor throughout. The storyline starts out nice and easy, fun, then evolves into a mystery while keeping the humor strong and amusing. But something happens later in the book that takes too much away from what’s gone before.
Libby has had it with men and city living. Her boyfriend has taken up with her boss, leaving her vulnerable and pissed off. She hightails it to Wyoming with the hopes of making a go at a chicken farm, the realization of a childhood dream. Before she gets settled the neighboring cowboy drops in to say howdy. At first Libby can’t believe Luke is truly a cowboy. His dress, his speech, his chivalry is foreign to her, but she learns very quickly he’s the real thing.
Every time Luke comes in contact with Libby — which is as often as he can wrangle it — his admiration for her increases. As does his attraction to her. Not many women, especially those from the big city, would be able to take on anything close to what the woman’s done on her ranch. And up to this point I enjoyed this storyline. Luke has a great sense of humor I just love. He knows how to laugh, how to work hard, and he knows what he wants. Libby also laughs though she tries to hide it from Luke when he’s teasing, sort of a don’t egg him on type of thing. After all of this, though, things go off in a direction that are only okay for me. The story that takes over doesn’t seem to go with what’s happened so far.
Though Libby is in Wyoming to start her farm, she’s also an investigative journalist. She’s set on working for the local newspaper, which is one of those small-town four-page papers with nothing exciting to report. So when she finds out about the disappearance of a local young girl that is still unsolved, this is her way of shaking up the folks in town. Thus, the book from this point on is more about the past mystery than anything else.
Another character who comes along in the midst of this mystery is the local sheriff. He’s a nice-looking man, but something about Cash doesn’t sit right with Libby. But the woman still goes along with things he says and does. I can see the first time or two since she doesn’t know him well, but when she keeps it up, it gets irritating, especially when she admits to herself she’s wary of him.
I also don’t care for the doubt of Luke that Libby goes through — after she realizes she loves him. Even after she tells him she loves him. Luke also has a moment or two where he doubts Libby. After going through so much with these two, I feel let down that they would doubt each other like this. Especially Luke. It seems out of character for him to do that.
The mystery, of course, is solved. Luke and Libby finally wholly embrace each other, but the way they get there just takes a couple of unnecessary turns. After a promising start, Cowboy Trouble stutters a tad too much for me.
Grade: C
Summary:
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.
But he could sure keep you warm at night, too…
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 the distance…
Then the two get embroiled in their tiny town’s one and only crime story, and Libby discovers that their sizzling hot attraction is going to complicate her life in every way possible…No excerpt available.
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