REBEL COWBOY

REBEL COWBOY                                        NICOLE HELM

First in a new series about a struggling Montana ranch, a woman determined to save her family, and the NHL-star-turned-cowboy who makes it all possible.

Mel Shaw is determined to keep her family ranch from going under, so she takes on a job helping some city slicker get his old ranch up and running. And if that means being in tight quarters with the hot NHL-star-turned-cowboy? Well, she did say she'd do anything for family.

After leaving his NHL career behind, Dan never expected to find a home on his rundown Montana ranch, but with Mel guiding the way, he finds that and so much more… 
MY REVIEW:

     Mel Shaw learned at a very young age never to feel. Never feel secure, never feel love, never feel wanted, never feel happy, never feel content, never feel like you deserve to be held like a woman wants and needs.

     When she was young her mother walked out on the family.  At that point she took over where her mother left off as the woman of the house.  Yet, looking like her mother never helped because it made affection from her father less likely to happen and more standoffish in the affection towards her.  Yet, as the father of a daughter to inherit the ranch he groomed her.

     Then not what she could have ever dreamed of happening happened.  Her dad was out riding his horse and it threw him and he is paralyzed from the waist down.  So, now she is in charge of the ranch that has fallen on hard times no thanks to her brother Caleb who like his mother wanted to burn all the bridges she had left in town plus his and theirs too.  His drinking had gotten out of hand.  When she tried to help and asked what the problem was he gotten out of hand and mean.  When their father ended up in the hospital he sobered up and said he was sorry.  Coming home to help out.

     Yet, the damage had been done with those in town so she needed to get a second job.  Consulting was it for her.  She was in luck one came in Dan Sharpe a big time hockey player from Chicago.  She world get twenty grand for 3 months work.  Not bad except her moral compass was showing.  She was a money snob, rich snob, or you could call it the have and have nots snob.  The chip was getting bigger on her shoulder and her father’s anger, her brother’s sorrow and secrets were not helping it at all.  She was drowning.

     Dan Sharpe was coming to the only place he could.  Where the press couldn’t find him.  You see he was going to be staying at the home where his mother grew up.  The place where his grandpa said he found the love of life – his grandma.

     Yet, his mother hated the place and had never returned after she had left home.  His grandparents loved it but once his grandma’s health had started to slip his grandpa knew it was time to move his grandma from Montana to Florida.  He knew it killed his grandpa to leave his beloved home.  Yet, since his parents had divorced when he was five and they knew it was so hard on him no one ever spoke feelings.  Hence no emotions or relationships of any real value for Dan.

     Which leads to the trouble he was having getting anyone to believe that he was telling the truth about not throwing the game.  The truth was he buckled under the pressure.  He was more in his head about how he had missed the shot the year before and how not to do it again.  When it came time to act he blew it and did it again.  Put doubt in the minds of the judges who knew he never missed or failed especially on things this easy.  Calling into question whether he cheated or not.  He told his parents he was going to the ranch to wait out the decision for the summer.

     The morning after he arrived bright and early there was a loud pounding at his door and when he answered there is Buck and a cute cowgirl.  But the way he is dressed and the look on his face the cowgirl when greets them with a “Howdy, partners,” he said.  Making the cowgirl look at Buck and after introductions, “You didn’t tell him?”  “Sorry, too fun.”  “You’re a jerk, Buck!”  That was his introduction to the neighborhood.  Cowgirl Mel Shaw knew she was in trouble.  Sexy man in his sleeping ware, driving a Harley instead of a truck, and living in a house that had no one in it in the last twenty years.  That was not good. 

     See how two people from two different worlds come together to meet each other’s needs.  See how they maneuver the roadblocks in their lives that cause them heartache and stress.  Are they really going after the dream they wanted for themselves or the one someone else had for them?  Are they brave enough to go after what they truly want?  Confronting the demons that lurk? 

     I so enjoyed this book.  The characters are well developed and the storyline is well developed.  The twist and turn of emotions keeps you interested until the very end.  I give this 5 stars.  Provided by netgalley.com.  Follow us at:

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