Cowboy Come Home: Includes a bonus novella

There's just something about second chance romances that make my heart sing. Yes, the separation and angst is often painful, but the reward is so worth it in the end. Cowboy Come Home hit all the right notes and had me rooting for Claire and Ford right from the start. The book can be enjoyed as a standalone, but previous characters do appear and it would be most appreciated if read in order. I really loved Claire. She was intelligent, strong, independent, kind, and had so much fortitude. She was unstoppable when she put her mind to something and was willing to put her own happiness aside for those that she loves. She had fantastic chemistry with Ford and I really enjoyed seeing them verbally spar and banter back and forth. The build up was delicious and I couldn't wait for these two to lower their walls and finally give in to what they both wanted. I would never have thought that a scene in a little Airstream trailer could be both so insanely hot and laugh out loud hilarious. Yes, there's the inevitable push away (I was really shaking my head at that one), but I was so happy to see that the characters just didn't fall back into step with each other. They had to earn that forgiveness and really make an effort to prove that they were in it for the long haul. The more serious moments (TW: death of a sibling, cancer) were balanced well with humor (Bubba was great comic relief) and the writing was wonderful. Catching up with all the previous characters was so fun and I loved getting a little more of their stories and glimpses into their futures. There were a few nods to Cinderella in the story, but I found the book to be overall less of a fairy tale retelling than Big Bad Cowboy. The epilogue of Cowboy Come Home was absolutely adorable though and I couldn't contain my giggle and smile after reading the final line. Readers are sure to fall in love with this story as well. *I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

ARC for honest review with no compensation received from NetGalley and Forever. 4.5 stars Cowboy Come Home is book 2 in the series Once Upon A Time in Texas by Carly Bloom Ford Jarvis, rancher who moves from ranch to ranch thought he found it all at Rancho Canada Verde...foreman, place to call home, the woman of his dreams Claire Kowalski and a family BUT he believes he’s cursed so he leaves. Now two years later he’s back for 6 weeks to train the new foreman only that person is Claire so he will do whatever it takes to help her…then it’s back on the road. Claire Kowalski has dreams she want to pursue, loves her family ranch but her life changes when disaster strikes, her father has cancer and they need a permanent foreman, she is determined to be that person but what she doesn’t know is Ford is coming back to help short term... Does Ford believe he is still cursed and needs to move on or can he and Claire find their way back to each other to build a life, a family and have the HEA they both deserve?

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review** After reading the first book in the Once Upon a Time in Texas series and loving it, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. Carly Bloom drew me into the town of Big Verde and I haven't looked back! Claire Kowalski has grown up on her family's ranch, Rancho Canada Verde, and being the only child of Gerome and Lilly, she is set to inherit it when the time comes. While the ranch is very much a part of who she is, she also has other dreams and would love to pursue them. One of the things she has her heart set on is finding her own Prince Charming. She thought she had found him two years ago when Ford came to work at Rancho Canada Verde, but he broke her heart when he up and left. Ford Jarvis is a rancher who finds himself going from ranch to ranch. He's not one to put down roots or to get attached, but when he had been at Rancho Canada Verde, he did both and he ended up falling for Claire. Believing that she deserved better, he left. He has always believed that the Jarvis men are cursed and that they don't stay and fall in love. Now that Gerome needs his help, Ford is headed back to the one place that has held his heart. His plan is to stay for six weeks, but will both the land and the girl have enough pull to make him stay indefinitely? The chemistry between Claire and Ford was so strong and explosive. It was clear how much they cared about one another, but you could also understand why both were holding back. All of the characters that Carly Bloom has created have made these stories so rich and enjoyable. There are deep connections, friendships and the town genuinely looks out for their own. I love this series and I'm really looking forward to what Bloom has to offer for us in the future!