Book Review: The Trouble With Cowboys

Author: Denise Hunter
Publication Date: October 2, 2012
Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Only one pair of boots-and the cowboy wearing them-can get Annie out of the mess she's in.

Annie Wilkerson is Moose Creek's premiere horse trainer and equine columnist for "Montana Living." Money is tight as she tries to put her kid-sister through college and provide for her young nephew.

When Annie's column is cancelled, she's given first shot at a new lovelorn column-and she can't afford to turn it down. Only problem is . . . Annie's never been in love.

Always resourceful, she reluctantly strikes a deal with the town's smooth-talking ladies' man Dylan Taylor: She'll work with his ailing horse, Braveheart, if he'll help her answer the reader letters.

Working closely with Dylan is harder than Annie imagined, and she quickly realizes she may have misjudged him. But her unwavering conviction that cowboys are nothing but trouble has kept her heart safe for years. And she can't risk getting hurt now.

The more Annie tries to control things, the more they fall apart. Her feelings are spinning out of control, and her sister's antics are making life increasingly more difficult. Annie knows she needs to turn the reins over to God, but surrender has never come easily.

When Dylan reveals his feelings for her, Annie doesn't know what to trust-her head or her heart.

The trouble with "this" cowboy is that he might just be exactly what she needs.

“If Dylan had a heart, she was sure it was unwoundable. Made of something springy and elastic that sent oncoming darts bouncing off. Typical cowboy.”

“Dylan’s Texas drawl had followed him north, sticking with him like a stray dog.”

 

“Heaven have mercy, it was easy to see why he made women lose their wits. What was God thinking combining all those rugged good looks with cowboy charm and tossing in dimples for good measure?”

“Because, baby. That’s the trouble with cowboys. They’re always leaving.”

This book was the perfect fall read! I also never get tired of reading about cowboys and country boys; I happen to be highly attracted to them! The cover of this book gave me high expectations for the material inside. I must say that I did judge a book by its cover and I was a little disappointed in how I felt about the book once I was done reading it. I wanted this to be a 5 cupcake book, but I just wasn’t feeling 5 of those little fluffy pink cakes by the time I was done.

 

I think it was the storyline that lost me. How many times have I read a story about a girl who has given up on love because of past events or because of other people who have left her? TONS! I am not by any means saying that I am tired of that at all; I just expect more from those typical storylines. As much as I read, I really have to have something that is jumping off the page and begging me to stay; at least when it comes to romance. I felt like our main character, Annie, was way too whiny. I hate to say it that way, no, really I do. Annie had nothing really going for her. She was about to lose her job, having to raise her twenty year old sister, and she was dating the most boring man on the planet. As the reader I was constantly wondering what was going to happen to her next. I didn’t want to feel that way. I wanted to be happy for Annie, and I wanted Annie to stand up for herself. She was always letting people push her around and run all over her. Come on, Annie, you’re better than that!

 

Dylan Taylor, the cowboy, was my favorite part of this book. I want a freakin’ cowboy! He might have been a bit reckless and carefree at times, but he was brought back down to Earth whenever he was in the presence of Annie Wilkerson. I wanted to smack Annie for not realizing that Dylan was the real deal earlier. She kept classifying him as a “philandering cowboy,” but Dylan really had a heart made of gold. I was definitely Team Dylan in this book, and that is so strange because being the little feminist that I am, I am usually for the girl! Dylan took the cake in this novel and I could just picture his dreamy self walking home to me every night!

 

Overall, I liked the story and for my first book by Denise Hunter I enjoyed it enough to try more of her work in the future. I hope you all will grab a copy and snuggle up with Dylan this cool Fall season!

 

***Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review***