Hard Loving Cowboy: Includes a bonus novella

A.J. Pine

Mar 2019 · Sold by Forever

About this ebook

This cowboy's handsome, sexy, and definitely off limits . . .
Walker Everett spends his days at the Crossroads Ranch wrangling cattle---and steering clear of anything that would complicate his already too-complicated life. Until Violet Chastain, the ranch's newest employee, asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend for her parents' anniversary party. She's the most beautiful woman he's ever met and needs his help. How can he refuse? Violet isn't about to fall for a brooding bad-boy cowboy, no matter how sizzling their chemistry. But she also never expected Walker to go along with the charade. Before long, he's charming her parents at their weekly dinners and kissing her way more than necessary. Spending so much time together tests the limits of their "just friends" relationship, but what happens when their game of pretend becomes all too real?Includes the bonus story Rocky Mountain Cowboy by Sara Richardson!"A fabulous storyteller who will keep you turning pages and wishing for just one more chapter at the end." --- Carolyn Brown, New York Times bestselling author, on Second Chance Cowboy"Cross my heart, this sexy, sweet romance gives a cowboy-at-heart lawyer a second chance at first love and readers a fantastic ride." --- New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Ryan on Second Chance Cowboy

Ratings and reviews

4.5 stars Walker's story really surprised me with how heartfelt and emotional it was. It was such an honest and unflinching story about finding your way, facing your demons, and loving and fighting for yourself. This is the 3rd book in the Crossroads Ranch series, but can be enjoyed as a standalone. Previous characters do appear though and our hero is introduced earlier in the series. In Hard Loving Cowboy, we watch both our heroine and hero struggle with the responsibilities of life and triggers they face day to day. Sometimes they stumble and other times they rise. Both Walker and Violet are broken people when we meet them. Their introduction is less than conventional, but it allows them both to drop the masks and be happier versions of themselves without the stress of reality. Even with their omissions, they are both seen in a way neither has ever experienced before. Pine tackled several difficult subjects beautifully in this book, showing not only the harsh realities and lasting effects, but also the emotional toll carried by loved ones. It was raw and honest and really struck a chord with me. I loved the chemistry between broody Walker and steamroller Violet. The build up between them was fantastic as they tried to fight the connection growing between them. They pushed and challenged each other, while being supportive and understanding. Walker's weekly dinner date with Violet's family was so sweet and tender. It was such a contrast to the person he felt trapped as in Oak Bluff. What I appreciated most about the story though was that even after everything is laid out on the table, both Violet and Walker knew that they needed to be whole before trying to build any future between them. They still chased their dreams and loved themselves as much as each other. So many times, a magic bullet comes at the end of the story to tie everything into a nice and pretty bow. Pine still gave us the pretty bow, but in a realistic and more meaningful way. This was a great way to end this series and I loved the little tidbits about Cash, Jack, and Luke's futures. A novella further down the line to check in with the everyone would be awesome and hey, doesn't Jenna need her own HEA? ;) We're not leaving the Crossroads Ranch world just yet though, and the preview of My One and Only Cowboy at the end shows us that we're headed to Meadow Valley with Sam Callahan next. I can't wait! *I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*

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.

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.

About the author

A librarian for teens by day and a romance writer by night, A.J. Pine can't seem to escape the world of fiction, and she wouldn't have it any other way. When she finds that twenty-fifth hour in the day, she might indulge in a tiny bit of TV A id=_anchor_1 name=_msoanchor_1 file: C: Users colavitm Desktop ToughLuckCowboy_mm.doc#_msocom_1?[HL1]/a to nourish her undying love of vampires, superheroes, and a certain high-functioning sociopath detective. She hails from the far-off galaxy of the Chicago suburbs.

You can learn more at:
AJPine.com
Twitter @AJ_Pine
Facebook.com/AJPineAuthor