Hard Loving Cowboy: Includes a bonus novella

3.5 Stars Review by Elizabeth Late Night Reviewer Up All Night w/ Books Blog I was drawn to Hard Loving Cowboy by AJ Pine on the title alone. Anything involving a cowboy has me grabbing it and reading it right off the bat. However, with Hard Loving Cowboy, I could not connect with the characters no matter how hard I tried. We meet Walker first and he has some major issues to overcome. Then we meet Violet. Her introduction was intense to say the least. I’m not going to deny that there was chemistry between Walker and Violet. They had that going for them from the beginning. My issue was not connecting with them individually and it made it all that much harder to read. I think AJ Pine did an excellent job with the book because the plot is there. Everything is there. Since I was not able to connect with the characters, it was a bit hard to read and because of that, my review is not awesome. I am not scratching AJ Pine off my TBR list because I am looking forward to see what she comes out with next.

I've been excited for Walker's story since the first book in this series and I wasn't disappointed!! From their first meeting, I felt the insane chemistry between Walker and Violet. The friendship that grew between them kept me glued to story. I felt every second of their headache and hardships. Addiction can be a hard storyline to get right and paired with the struggles of dealing with a sick parent, I was amazed at how both were handled with dignity and respect. I love this series and I never want it to end!! *This is my voluntary review of an advanced reader copy*

HARD LOVING COWBOY is the third instalment in AJ Pine’s contemporary, adult CROSSROADS RANCH romance series. This is twenty-five year olds, rancher and wood worker Walker Everett, and sommelier Violet Chastain’s story line. HARD LOVING COWBOY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed when necessary. Told from dual third person perspectives (Violet and Walker) HARD LOVING COWBOY follows the building relationship between twenty-five year olds, rancher and wood worker Walker Everett, and sommelier Violet Chastain. Violet is the new sommelier at Crossroads Ranch new Crossroads Winery, a position that brings her face to face with brooding and secretive Walker Everett, a man struggling with demons from his past.But a case of mistaken belief forces our couple into a fake relationship, a relationship that will turn into something more.What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Violet and Walker, and the fall-out as Walker’s past continues to haunt and control his present. Violet Chastain is on a mission to make enough money to help her mother. With a potential end date to her time at Crossroads Winery getting involved with Walker Everett is all kinds of wrongs. Walker Everett doesn’t do relationships, in fact he struggles with the family he loves and adores but Everett’s history is dark and damaging, and in this, our hero continues to battle memories of the past. The relationship between Walker and Violet begins as employee and employer but both Walker and Violet’s time at Crossroads Ranch comes with an expiry date, a date neither one has revealed to the other. Walker tries to keep his distance from the woman with whom he will fall in love but one night of fear and anger threatens everything Walker has struggled to overcome. The $ex scenes are passionate and intimate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. All of the previous story line couples and characters play secondary and supporting characters including Walker’s siblings Jack and Ava (Second Chance Cowboy #1), Cash and Olivia (Saved by the Cowboy 1.5), Luke and Lily (Tough Luck Cowboy #2), and Walker’s Aunt Jenna. We are introduced to Violet’s parents Gabriel and Camille Chastain. The world building continues to focus on the Everett family dynamics; the siblings struggle to move on from the past, a past tainted by abuse, neglect, addiction and loss. HARD LOVING COWBOY is a story of family, struggle, hope and dreams. The premise is captivating and entertaining: the characters are energetic and charismatic; the romance is seductive. HARD LOVING COWBOY is an emotional and heart breaking story of one man’s struggle to move on from the past, and one woman’s battle to prove said man is worthy of love.