Title and author: Lost Rider by Harper Sloan
Series: Coming Home - Book 1
Publisher: Pocket
Releases: April 25, 2017
Purchase: http://tinyurl.com/nxqj8v4
Genre: Contemporary
Author website: http://authorharpersloan.com/
Rating: 5 Stars


The Coming Home series introduced me to Harper Sloan, and I will not soon forget the reading experience. LOST RIDER is a romance about second chances and filled with extremely poignant emotional circumstances. I became caught up in Maverick and Leighton’s personal dilemmas from the very first incident, and my concern for these two likable individuals continued to mount as their relationship went through countless highs and lows. The focus of the story is about the feelings of this couple, and whether they can ever work out the many issues that have plagued them since they were much younger. I am just glad I was able to take the journey with Maverick and Leighton.

Being a champion bull rider was the dream of Maverick Davis even when he was a child, and for ten years he had lots of success on the rodeo circuit. But being thrown from a particularly ornery bull had huge consequences for him, as the danger of riding again is too great for him to continue. So now Maverick is returning to his family’s ranch in Texas which raises horses, where a new career awaits him along with numerous painful memories and one huge regret.

When he had left the town of Pine Oak, he knew his sister and brother would be missed by him, but not his cruel father. There was also a certain girl who was a friend of his sister, and he would miss their private talks as he could actually feel at peace for a little while afterward. But there was no way Maverick was going to remain in the area for Leighton James, and she clearly understood his thoughts before he left. When he gets back home, both have changed over the years, and they now see each other in a different light.

While there are a number of scenes in LOST RIDER that I will recall over and over, discussions between different characters are some of my most vivid recollections. A chat featuring Maverick and an elderly resident of Pine Oak still causes me to laugh, and an exchange Leighton had with her coworker was packed with hilarious comments. There was also a memorable episode in a restaurant. Many of the talks in which the Davis siblings took part are packed with so much heartache, and I felt their inner anguish because of the author’s skilled writing. When Maverick and Leighton had a conversation, the moment could be intensely heated from sexual tension or hurt feelings. Since the story is told from alternating points of view, I was always able to know exactly what these two were thinking.

It is often said there is a fine line between love and hate, and the saying has never been truer than throughout much of LOST RIDER. Though Maverick and Leighton desire each other with an almost overwhelming desperation, neither wants to admit the fact out loud because of what happened in the past. The stress of their unfulfilled longing is frequently evident in how this couple reacts, and I repeatedly worried over how they would respond to a new situation. Sexual encounters are fiery and often fueled by lust, but tender caring is also evident. The Coming Home series is off to an outstanding start, and I am very eager to read the second book. LOST RIDER is captivatingly realistic at all times.

I voluntarily reviewed the book via NetGalley, and all comments are my honest opinion

Maverick felt he would be better off anywhere but home. So the first chance he got he vowed to leave and never look back, even if it meant leaving his heart behind. When Maverick left, Leigh tried her best to move on but the heart wants what the heart wants and since she couldn't have what or who she wanted Leigh decided to focus on what she could have. Owning a successful pie shop would have help relieve the longing for more and she was doing a good job of pretending it was working until circumstances out of his control brought Maverick home and back into her life.
Maverick and Leigh's story is about second chances and forgiveness. In order to find their way back to each other, they both have fight their way through a past of disappointments, secrets, misunderstandings, and a great deal of pain if they want to have the future they both long for. I loved how these two fought through it all do get to a love that most dream of . After reading Lost Rider I wanted to start searching for my own cowboy 🤠. Great job Harper Sloan, I give it 4 stars!

This was my first book by Ms Sloan that I have read. There were a lot of points in this book that almost made me want to not finish it. Maverick and Leighton were like hot and cold and all over the place. One minute having hot angry sex to not going to have sex again until she falls in love with me. I liked the dual point of view both in the past and the present. I just thought that you didn't really get from Mav's side that he was all that in to Leighton when they were younger. Most of the time I thought he was a jerk and there is a difference between being a jerk and being an alpha male. It seemed like most of the dialog was in their heads a lot. Maybe this is Ms Sloans writing style. The book was pleasant with low angst but was not really my particular reading style.

What a great book! Intense read with a well deserved HEA. I can't wait for the next book!

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title. Unfortunately, I was not able to finish this book which means I will not be able to review it. I truly appreciate the opportunity and apologize for the inconvenience the lack of review may cause you.

Lost Rider follows Maverick and Leighton, who reconcile after ten years apart and come to the conclusion that, they cannot live without each other. They fell in love when they were just kids, but Maverick had to get away from their small town and the demons that tormented him. So, naturally, before leaving, Maverick had to make sure that Leighton hated him in order to feel better about himself and make sure that, a relationship with her wouldn't hold him back. The guy just wanted to get away to pursue his dream of being a rodeo star. Goodbye true love, hello permanent career! That sort of thing.

And after a tragic event - well, technically, two tragic events - Maverick is forced to come back home after ten years. His absence has obviously hurt his family and of course Leighton, who tried to find someone to fill the void her cowboy left behind but couldn't. She kept comparing everyone she met to him until she realized that, nobody could replace the real deal. Can you imagine? To keep a very long story short, she's mad at him at first, then he pours his heart out to her and lastly, she forgives him. Some secrets *that didn't really make my jaw drop* were revealed and everyone lived happily ever after.

So, I was obviously a bit sarcastic and that is because this book did not, by any means, reach my expectations. I've read one of Harper Sloan's other books and really enjoyed her writing, which I can say about this books as well. It wasn't perfect but, it wasn't terrible either. Just somewhere in between.

I didn't love the characters and unfortunately, I could not connect with them on a high level. I really enjoyed the fact that, the book was told in Leighton and Maverick's POV because that really allowed me to experience the story from both perspectives. What they both went through was very moving and I could totally understand Maverick's decision but I feel like he didn't have to be such a jerk. I was halfway through the book and I still could not get over his behavior. I was cringing so hard during the flashback of them at the party and wanted to shout at him for his idiocy. What is more, the secondary characters were likable enough and I really admired Quinn's fun spirit.

The story itself had some very interesting elements to it, but I feel like they were overshadowed by this whole forgiveness thing that I personally did not agree with. The first couple of chapters were great, until it became obvious that, there would be no surprises waiting for me in the following chapters, nor any plot twists that would blow my mind and make me fall in love with this book.

What I also found very tiring was the narrative itself. The internal monologues were way too long for my liking which, combined with the fact that there wasn't anything interesting going on throughout the book, left me very disappointed. The story wasn't intriguing enough to keep my attention and make me anticipate what would follow.

Last but not least, we have the forgiving progress which was very quick and left me questioning Leighton's way of thinking. I can understand what she went through and the fact that she wanted to make up for lost time but, I've been in a similar position a few times and I can definitely tell you that, forgiveness doesn't work that way. You have to work for it and not the other way around. Either it be a a relationship between lovers, friends, family. The process itself just dragged on and on and I could not wait for it to actually be over...

Overall, Lost Rider was an okay book for me. The story started out being very interesting but, after that, it was like everyone was stuck on the same page, the events of which were repeated throughout the book. Harper Sloan's writing was great and I will definitely check out the rest of her work.

***4 ‘Always’ stars***

I always try to dive into any book, regardless of if the author is one on my auto-buy list or on my new to me list, as open minded and unbiased as possible and let the description of the book be the my only guide as to what to expect, but this one surprised me, pleasantly so, but still surprised me. It was all kinds of emotional and angsty, but balanced out with sweetness and humor and filled with interesting characters that kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next.

They say that first impressions last forever and my first impression of Maverick was not an all around good one. I understood that he was dealing with a lot of upheaval in his life, but his actions had me wanting to take a 2x4 to his head. But as things progressed I started to like and even admire him more and more to the point where I kinda fell for the man, and this was before the full unveiling of what his childhood had been like. What changed my perspective was how he dealt with his forced career change. He mourned the loss of it, and there was a bit of self pity going on in the beginning, but I liked how he eventually picked himself up without needing a big come to Jesus kick in the arse. I also like how he took responsibility for the sins of his past and through that process became the man he was always meant to be.

I absolutely admired Leighton. Life hasn’t been all that kind to her and her heart has taken quite a beating in the short time she’s been on this Earth and yet she has persevered. She’s had her moments where her actions have been questionable, but she’s picked herself up by her bootstraps and moved forward with her life. I loved how she stood up for herself, even if it at times meant she reverted to her sixteen year old self and included a bit of verbal vomiting, and was brutally honest when she did. Her heart, despite being bruised, was still golden and it showed through in everything she did.

While I wouldn’t call this a true second chance romance, it is about setting things right with the person your heart has always belong to and does Maverick have a lot to atone for. Through flashbacks we find out what went down between him and Leighton and it’s absolutely heartbreaking, and even more so when Maverick’s logic behind his actions come to light. And though the beginning of their reunion is explosive, in both a good and bad way, I liked how everything played out, which is partly where the ‘surprise’ comes from. In some ways it was how I imagined things going, in others not so much but overall it worked for me and in some ways was quite refreshing and was quite happy with how everything turned out for them.

This is my first read by Harper Sloan and I really enjoyed it. I loved that things didn’t go as I expected and that the main charries leaned more towards the adult side of New Adult. My one issue has to do with the inner monologuing. There is a lot and I can say that most of it is necessary, but I could have done with a little more actual conversation that didn’t take place in their heads. But I really enjoyed the secondary characters, I want to be Miz Perkins when I grow up, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the other two Davis siblings deal with the knowledge dropped on them in this book and how it will affect their own journey’s to their HEA’s.

Lost Rider is not what I was expecting from Harper Sloan. It’s about second chance romance and the love of a hot rodeo cowboy and the one girl that got away. Maverick Davis is forced to come home after he learns some heartbreaking news all while everyone in the town wonders if he will come back especially Leighton, the love of his life and his sister's best friend. There is a lot of frustration, anger. love, lust and heartache but in the end it all prevails. I truly loved this book.

Only one word can describe this book for me, STUNNING! Absolutely stunning!

Harper Sloan is one of my favorite authors, and she brought her A game in Lost Rider! Between the story line, and the characters, this book blew me away. It was so intense, and emotional. Maverick and Leighton are such strong, amazing characters. Their story is one that sticks with you for days after you are done. Such a great way to start an amazing new series! I cant wait for Kiss My Boots to come out next!

5 Star Review Lost Rider (Coming Home #1) by Harper Sloan
This is the first book in Harper Sloan's new series Coming Home and I have to say she is off to a flying start. This is the story of Maverick Davis,a retired rodeo star who due to one too many injuries is forced to return to the little town and the woman he ran from Leighton James,many years ago.
Ms. Sloan is a writer I have followed for several years and I was excited to learn about this new series. It did not disappoint in any way. Lost Rider is a well written and beautiful story about a second chance at love and in my humble opinion Harper Sloan nailed it.
Bitter that he has been forced to retire, Maverick returns home to attend his father's funeral, not because he cared for him, but because his brother and sister need him. Maverick is angry, withdrawn and obviously fighting demons within; all around him, people are willing to help him but he pushes them away.Trouble comes straight to him when he comes face to face with the woman he hurt bitterly prior to his leaving 10 years ago. He is shocked to realize just how much he still cares for Leigh and how bright the attraction burns.
Has Leigh forgiven him for the hurt he caused her? Does she still have feelings for him?
I will admit that at times I wanted to punch Maverick in the face, he was an arrogant jerk; whilst Leigh was such a feisty heroine that I fell for her immediately. However, it didn't take me long to fall for the gruff cowboy.
It is obvious that there is a great deal of attraction and unresolved feelings between Mav and Leigh, in fact their encounters are filled with passion almost to the point of exploding.
With a great deal of stubbornness and determination, Mav and Leigh work through their past. At times Lost Rider reminded me of a roller-coaster, as the emotional impact of the past keeps coming back to haunt the present, but in the end, love wins out.
The secondary characters were also amazing, I cannot wait for Quinn and Clay to get their stories. Who will be next?

I am such a huge Harper Sloan fan! I have followed her writing career since she first press publish on her fist Corp. Security book, ALEX. Since then I have read all but two of her books. Coming Home is a new series for Harper. Lost Rider is the first book in this series. To say that this is different from her beloved Corp. Security & Hope Town series (a spin off series of the Corp. Security series) is an understatement.

I have to admit that I was naughty and read the reviews to Lost Rider prior to me diving into the book itself. That can be a good thing/ bad thing. In this case, I have to tell you that it was a bad thing! I was no longer interested in Lost Rider. The reviews were mixed, but I decided to give it a go anyway. I just could not get into the storyline of Lost Rider. The characters just did not grab me.

That all being said, I know that this book will capture people just because Harper wrote it. She is a fantastic writer, but in this case, Lost Rider just wasn't for me.

* Becuase this book is three stars or under, I am not going to be posting it on GoodReads or Amazon. My blog partner will be posting her review on our blog page. We love and support Harper and we will continue to do so.

This is probably Harper Sloan's best work to date! I'm not a huge cowboy fan but I totally fell in love with Maverick (and Clay). There is something about a down home, country boy, who heads back to his roots after being gone a long time.

Maverick's struggle is real and honest. He had a past he hasn't dealt with and when he gets home it's every where he turns.

Enter Leighton.
And PieHole.
And Quinn.
And Clay.

I laughed, and misted up. I was taken back to what it was like growing up in small town Texas. We all knew too much about each other and yet we loved each other with a fierceness and protectiveness I've never encountered again.

Home means many things to many people.

A place.
A person.
A feeling.

And I found them all in Lost Rider.

Maverick Davis has finally come home and realises that little Leighton James is all grown up!!

Both have harboured feelings for the years Mav has been gone, but can they take a chance on each other? Now, lets see how explosive they are!

Very is the answer! Maverick, oh my, the hotness that comes out his mouth makes me feel the need to fan myself!! Leighton (love that name) is just so guarded, sometimes I wanted to shout 'just do it take a chance' (it was for selfish reasons, I always want more sexy scenes!!)

2 half of souls joining back together. Emotional and beautiful. Another fantastic read from this author!

Since I am a Texas gal, I decided to give this book a go as I also like a good romance. It's always fun to see some of my favorite Texanisms such as "lower than a snake's belly in a mud rut" as a metaphor for feeling bad. Maverick blasted out of Pine Oak as soon as he was able to get away from a father who probably had Attila the Hun as a hero. His mother had abandoned the family long before that so he has been an emotional mess for quite some time. He also broke the heart of the only girl he ever loved under the guise of some very stupid reasoning that Leighton was better off hating him.

When chickens and cowboys come home to roost, feathers and emotions fly. Pretty much the whole book is about Mav and Leigh trying to work out their past hurts, current relationship, and possible future with the whole small town as onlookers and nosey parkers. Mav's older brother and younger sister also have their own damaged childhood to deal with although Mav bore the brunt of their father's fury. If small Texas towns and cowboys who come home burdened with lots of bottled up memories of a dark past coupled with an angsty romance is your thing, then this book has plenty of it along with emotional melt downs and steamy scenes.

Will post a review on April 25th at the Dew. http://dewonthekudzu.com

My 4.5 star review is posted on goodreads and will be posted on blog and social media on release and links will be updated at that time.

4.5 stars

4.5 stars
This is the beginning of the new Coming Home series and it has a different feel than her other series. I liked the small town setting, family, and of course cowboys. This is more of an emotional and healing journey for the characters.

Maverick Davis is coming home to Pine Oak after leaving ten years before. He left his siblings and the one girl he cared about. He hurt her deeply. But all he could see was escaping his home issues and making his way as a bull rider in the rodeo. But not he has had highs and lows in his career. And the call that requires him to come home comes at a time where he is at rock bottom.

Leighton Davis has loved Maverick her whole life. She is his sister's best friend and always felt like an ugly duckling. But over the years his siblings have adopted her and she is fully immersed in their lives. When Maverick left, he not only took her heart with him but left her with a legacy of hurt feelings and insecurities. She has managed to succeed in some areas of her life, but her heart was never the same.

They both have up guards and use their pain as a shield to keep people out. Maverick comes home angry and bitter. Leighton is now stronger and and confident, but she is still hurt and angry herself. Their emotions are all over the place and they are volatile. But there is no doubt that their lives will be colliding again. And as Maverick begins to see what he really wants and needs, he realizes he still has some fight in him left. Even if it means fighting for a chance with Leighton. She is his biggest regret, but is also his compass, peace, and dream.

But he has a lot to prove if he wants Leighton to take a chance on him. Trust has to be earned. He has to seek forgiveness and prove his sincerity. He needs to show everyone that he is willing to put down real roots and find new dreams. It is a process or finding hope, healing, forgiveness, and redemption. It requires a lot of introspection as well as opening up and being vulnerable. And letting go of the past pain and anger is crucial for an open heart.

This is the story of a lost rider who is finally found and a woman who helped save him. But he saved her too from her lonely existence. Maverick initially comes off as a grumpy, angry, mean, a-hole. He pushed everyone away. But as we started to see more under his layers and into his regretful heart that wanted to make amends, he really grew on me. When he decided on something, he was all in. He was determined, loyal, and loving. I really came to like him and he became a likable hero. And Leighton was living a lonely existence herself, but did not realize the scope of it until Mav came home and finally let her in on his secrets.

This was a heartfelt, emotional, sexy, and sweet second-chance love story. It was told in Mav and Leighton's points of views in present and the past. I really liked his siblings Clay and Quinn and their dynamics. They were important factors in the story and they all shared a past.The small town businesses and ranch setting were enjoyable. I am looking forward to more in this series.

At times it was so full of emotional turmoil and the inner monologues and discussions about feelings and situations got a bit repetitive. But it was supposed to be a healing process so it was understandable that they required effort to try to overcome. There was not a lot of angst in the present, it was mostly about dealing with issues from the past that still affected the siblings. These issues bleed into their current lives and I am sure we will see them resurface as Clay and Quinn search for their own love.

4 swoon-tastic stars
Hot hunky damaged man, with rippled abs cowboy, who dumps his life breaks a few hearts and searches for redemption in the heart of his childhood friend, that he nearly destroyed. Their bond to each other is strong but the damage is deep and dense with scar tissue that may not ever be softened. There is hot cowboy riding, smoking hot kisses, and swoon worthy moments galore is this first book in a series I am looking forward to continuing.
The female main character. Leighton, owns and operates a bakery called The Pie Hole. She makes delicious pies for work and fun. Who wouldn't love her and want her every happiness ? She is the girl you want you want at your back, trust worthy loyal and steadfast. She loves pure and hard, but her trust is not so easy to earn back once it's been shredded and broken. I just loved her.
Maverick, this boy can pull his inner jerk out. He may be a uber hot cowboy but he acted like a massive donkey. He had good reason, he just never told anybody about the reasons. He preferred to carry that chip on his shoulder and darken his life even more. He was down and digging a deeper hole. Till life kicked him one time too many and he was forced to return to his center and realign everything in his life.
Very enjoyable read. I liked the characters, felt for them, could relate to them, would like any of them as friends, that is a winner.

I've read all of Harper Sloan's books, and while it's safe to say she can write a bad-ass alpha male, I wondered… can she write a cowboy? The answer... yes. Yes she can. Lost Rider is a book I would recommend to all fans of cowboys or alpha males. Maverick Davis starts out as a brooding cowboy, but he's got a heart of gold underneath it all. The best kind of alpha- a damaged hero!

Leighton James has loved the same man since she was a teen. That man has not been easy to love. He’s crushed her heart more than once. Even when Leighton hasn't wanted to love him, she couldn't help it. It’s just who she is. 

Maverick Davis is her best friend Quinn's brother. As soon as he could, he moved away from their small town in Texas to join the rodeo. He had good reasons for having to get away. But he couldn’t go before letting Leigh know exactly how he felt about her. And those feelings... well, they weren't quite the same feelings she had from him if you catch my drift. Or at least that’s what he wanted her to think.

Maverick and Leighton start out having a complicated relationship. When Mav comes back into town after 10 years, you can’t tell if these two want to throttle each other or jump each others bones. It’s really a combination of both. You can feel the chemistry and sexual tension brewing between them, but it’s more than that. There are feelings there as well.

I rooted for this couple to get it together. After learning more of Maverick’s history and Leighton’s loss of her parents, they both needed healing. They both needed each other. I loved Leighton’s feisty demeanor. She has changed from the shy younger girl she was. Maverick started out not being my favorite… he was kind of a jerk, especially in the past. The more I got to know him and really see what life was like for him, the more I felt for him.

Lost Rider is a beautiful story of a second chance for a first love that never got to be. Leighton and Maverick were perfect together and I can’t wait to read more about the Davis siblings! Bring on both Clay and Quinn’s stories! If you’re looking for something sweet, sassy, and steamy, pick this one up!

I enjoyed the beginning of the book. The author had me in tears during the early chapters. I loved the emotions she was able to brong to these characters.
It started to breakdown for me shortly after. It's obvious that Maverick and Leigh have chemistry. After they reconnected I felt that their relationship stalled. It needed a bit more