An emotional cowboy romance that was hard to put down.

When extreme bull rider Cody Galen met Skylar Grey in Billings, Montana, he knew she wasn’t like the rest of the women he met while traveling with the rodeo. She wasn’t a buckle bunny like she pretended to be, but he went along with her game because he was intrigued by her.

Skylar is back home in Billings after her fiancé died. She just wanted to start her life over again. When she meets Cody, she didn’t expect much. It was just supposed to be a fling. But then her heart rebelled on her.

Cody is used to living his life in the fast lane. He doesn’t want to settle down, but he knows eventually he will have too. He knows he can’t ride bulls much longer and will have to decide what to do afterwards. Falling for a women wasn’t exactly the first thing that came to mind, but it happened, and it happened fast.

This book had it all, intense romance, emotional situations and a great story. Anyone who loves a good cowboy romance needs to add this book to their reading list.

Cody and Skyler's story was fantastic. Skyler lost her fiancé in a car accident and for two years have just been existing. Then her father's company sponsored a bull riding event and her life changed forever. She met Cody at one of her father's parties and did the unthinkable one night stand with him. But it was anything but a one night stand for either of them. Their journey was sweet and funny and sexy. This was an all around perfect romance. I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy

Cody is an intense romance. For me, there is simply no other way to describe what is happening between Cody and Skylar but… intense. I don’t know that it makes for a comfortable love story, but it is a compelling one. I believe part of that feeling is in the delivery of their back stories in a more narrative fashion instead of actual dialogue between them. In many ways the reader knows more about what this couple is feeling than they do through much of their story being told. Don’t misunderstand me, it’s definitely not a story that tells us instead of letting the characters express what is going on, but it is also definitely a story that is not dialogue driven – and for Cody and Skylar’s story, that worked quite well. Why? Because at different parts of their story neither of them would have been able to put what was happening in words because of their own emotional baggage. So we’re told until they can talk to each other enough to bring us into the dialogue. For some readers this type of story telling won’t work, for those readers I’d have to say just hold on, let things unfold and soon enough you’ll get all the dialogue you desire… in their own time. I mention it because in many ways it adds to the feeling of things being intense almost to the edge of being out of control.

Skylar had lived in Atlanta, Georgia for years, there she was happy, building a life and planning to marry a wonderful man. All of that changed in a matter of hours when Thayer had left for a meeting with an old friend and when the police arrived at her door. One drunk driver and her world had been smashed to pieces. For two years she was in an emotional fog, much like being seen as a widow without the marriage license. Eventually she moved back home to Montana, and one unexpected cowboy walked into her life.

Cody knew this was his last year on the Tour. He’s too old now, even though in his thirties should not be considered old in any field – when you’re riding the bulls, it’s almost ancient. He’s been in this business long enough to see friends injured beyond hope, to feel death at his shoulders and to see men walk away for love and family before the bulls could put them in the ground. At this point in his life he had no friends on the tour, only fellow cowboys crazy enough to sit on the back of a bull for the thrill, the money and for some, the notoriety. His plan was simple, stay at the top of the field, bring home the most prize money he could manage and survive this last year intact enough to start a new life doing something else. And he was sticking to that plan right up until one amazing woman opened a ranch front door – and he was gone. No logic to it, no sense to be made, for this woman he’d do things he never expected to do – like stay.

Cody hits all of the emotional buttons any reader could possibly have. What Cody and Skylar have between them is indeed intense, a bit crazy and more than simply fast, hard, amazing sex. There’s a connection there that will take faith and trust in each other to forge into a life time. It will take stepping out of comfort zones and letting someone else in to the important parts, the mind, the heart, the reasons they are as they are today. If they can do that then the future goes on for mile after amazing mile.

I’d recommend this title and any story in this series to Romance readers who enjoy a complicated couple, intense emotions, sizzling sexy times and the discovery that love doesn’t always show up when we expect but it’s a gift to treasure nonetheless.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This is a tragic, beautiful, heart wrenching, heart healing love story and there are not enough words to express what an incredible read it is. I was expecting something very lighthearted and sexy, fast paced and easy flowing. The kind of book you can pick up and read in an afternoon before moving on to the next one.

What I got was definitely lighthearted as Cody and Skylar meet and begin to spend time together. They just clicked and their conversations and moments together were full of fun and steamy goodness. Both of them are in denial but this doesn’t have the push and pull that usually takes place in such cases. Each of them are struggling in their own way but neither are willing to open up to the other about it.

Cody is a man’s man, alpha strong, determined and yet confused by his own internal need to keep Skylar with him. Skylar is just trying to figure out how to move on, where to move on, and if those around her will allow her to move on. She is a strong heroine that has no expectations and that is actually what is driving Cody crazy. He wants her to make demands of him.

This doesn’t flow quickly to be forgotten afterwards. This is a journey. A “sweet, brutal dance” that makes the reader feel every jarring, twisting buck that this couple experiences as well as the ultimate high of a ride well done.

ARC provided for an honest review

No epilogue but the last chapter gives a view several years into the future and is one of the best “epilogues” I’ve read in a long time.

Dual POV
No abuse

Cody by Megan Crane is the fourth book in the American Extreme Bull Riders Tour series. Like each of the previous book, it is a stand-alone. There is less of the bull riding aspect in this story but just as enjoyable. Skylar Grey and Cody Galen have suffered losses and have to overcome that to be able to truly live and not just survive. That is at the heart of this steamy romance story.

While it has dual perspectives, much of the story is through Skylar’s eyes. Like her family, I would have been questioning her behavior so her POV brought real clarity to what she had been through and was still dealing with as well as her actions with Cody. Cody is a character made to be played by a younger Clint Eastwood including the rehearsal party scene. Besides the scene in Marietta, (loved seeing Jesse again), being a favorite so is the last chapter. The last chapter is an epilogue, that is sweetly satisfying.

Highly recommend to cowboy romance fans.

American Extreme Bull Riders has been a fabulous series and Cody is no exception. Skylar Grey a woman who has lost so much and Cody Galen a stubborn bull rider who lives hard and doesn’t care what people think. What start out a little fun soon sizzles into more but is Cody ready to face his feeling and change his way to keep the woman he only wants more of. Great read, I would recommend the story and series to readers

I just love this series. All the different authors writing books, just a great series of stories. Megan Crane knocked it out of the park with this story. Such a perfect sweet romance. Excellent characters and a heartwarming storyline. I absolutely loved it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Net Galley and Tule Publishing.

OK so I am in love with anything by Megan Crane.
Honestly, I have loved all the books I have read by Megan Crane beginning with A Game of Brides three years ago. And then there's Once More with Feeling and I love the 80's which I also adored. I knew this would be another favorite and it is! Megan writes a wonderful story no matter the plotline, a story full of great words to describe the feelings, the settings, and the emotions that all combine to make something so worth the time it takes to read.
Yeah, it's a romance but it's a really good romance. I love stories that talk from the guy’s perspective when he is the one that finds himself in an internal quandary. This is true of Cody who has never seen the future with any woman but when he meets Skylar all those notions of having no permanent woman take a hike. He is drawn to her as never before and as never again. She, however, has been living a non-life as the widowed fiancé of what everyone described as the perfect man for her. She is truly not living at all-until she meets Cody. In her mind, he has brought her back to life and she welcomes the breath he brings to her, if only for a little while and she’s fine with that. He’s not. He’ll find her and bring her back. Period.

Megan Crane’s Cody is a sexy and sweet cowboy romance that will tug at your heartstrings and make you smile. Skylar Grey lost her fiancé two years ago and is adapting to life without him. She’s just moved home to Billings, Montana, in order to start fresh and away from the overwhelming memories. Soon after she arrives, she meets one of the hottest and best bull riders in the country - Cody Galen - on his way through town with the rodeo.

Cody is older for a bull rider and looking to retire after this last year on the circuit. He’s a loner and has never been interested in having a serious relationship with a woman. He’s into one-night stands, but he never expected to meet a woman like Skylar.

These two come together with a BANG, and their first meeting is steaming hot. Skylar loves their interlude, because he doesn’t know that she lost her fiancé and doesn’t treat her differently. She wants the thing between them to be a fling, because she’s never done anything rash like this in her life and it is liberating. Ironically, for the first time in Cody’s life, he thinks he might want this to be more than just sex.

I loved how their romance developed. While start is fast and hot, the romance moves slowly and steadily with a slow-burn that keeps the reader captivated. Cody and Skylar both have emotional walls, and it is fascinating to watch a man like Cody be the one to lower his defenses first. The ending is very romantic and worth a few tears. Megan Crane has written a romantic and steamy cowboy romance that will steal your heart. - Keeper Shelf Book Blog

Syrupy sweet story of how love comes into our lives silently and sneaks up on us. Especially poignant for me was that Skylar's family was way too involved in her personal life. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! Yet it all came out very satisfying in the end.

Out of all the books so far in this series, this one has been my favorite. Perhaps it's because of the undercurrent running throughout about overcoming the curve balls life throws at you...and second chances after those curve balls hit their target. But mostly it's because of the author's take on the theme of the series and the emotional honesty she added to counterbalance the action of the bull riding.

What I found to be especially rewarding was the perfect conclusion to Cody and Skyler's journey and their lives together after overcoming their curve balls. Their HEA was richly deserved and rewarded and I enjoyed how Ms Crane made that happen.

This ARC book was a complimentary copy provided by the Publisher and Netgally, I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Cody by Megan Crane
American Extreme Bull Riders Tour Book 4

OMG – Buy it! This author can write anything and does it oh so well! I have read every book in this series and think they all are great but this one was perfection! I mean…sex with a stranger? Sure, we might have fantasized about it but this book made it real and true and oh so worth reading!

Skylar has been rocked by loss and finds her life turned upside down. She returns to her childhood home and still feels “off”. What comes over her when she meets Cody is unexpected, unlike her and causes her to change in a heartbeat. With “fling” in both of their minds they spend time together, learn about one another and then…it is over…or is it? What a wonderful wonderful story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tule Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Holy moly, I loved this book! This is the second book I've read of Megan Crane recently and she has got it going on! After reading this, I think we will all want to find a cowboy of our own.

Cody is one of my favorite types of alpha males. Strong, confident and brooding. He really didn't care about much in life..until he meets Skylar. I loved how he struggled with the pull she had over him and how he kept surprising himself with the things he said to her. He was baffled to find that he felt different about her and that was just plain funny.

This author also knows how to do heroines right. Skylar had self respect. She never tried to get more from Cody, even when he wanted her too. I loved the way she handled him and let me tell you, that ending was perfect.

This one hit the spot! ARC provided by NetGalley.

Megan Crane is rapidly becoming one of my go to authors. When I pick up one of her books, I know I'm in for a good story. In this one, Skylar is living back at her father's house after a personal tragedy. Life is passing her by until she meets Cody, one of the bull riders on the American Extreme Bull Riders Tour. Cody can tell that Skylar is a good woman and not one of his usual hook-ups but he can't stay away from her. Cody turns Skylar's world upside down and she does the same to him. Red hot romance, great character development, a must read if you like a good romance novel.

Two years after the death of her fiancé, Skylar has returned home to Montana. She’s weary from deflecting all the pity and condolences of well-meaning people in her life in Georgia, only to face more of the same when she returns to the home of her father, the sporting goods mogul of the West. At her father’s 4th of July party Skylar hears the doorbell ring and opens the door to Cody, a bull rider and the newest celebrity endorsement of the Grey sporting goods family. Although neither realizes it yet, in that moment, everything changes.

Things ignite to volcanic proportions and both find themselves behaving completely out of character. Good girl Skylar spontaneously leaves her father’s home to go on the rodeo circuit with Cody, and stoic, one-night stand, loaner Cody can’t bear the thought of not being with Skylar. They both agree the relationship is strictly physical while both realize it’s so much more and fight it every step of the way. Both find themselves growing, transforming and wanting things they’ve never before wanted or are too scared to admit they crave. Ms. Crane is a master wordsmith, painting vivid pictures of complex feelings, scenery and deep, rich characters. Skylar and Cody are created with care and purpose, lacking immaturity, with each learning, growing and discovering, through their budding love, the person each was meant to be.

I especially love that Ms. Crane takes the time to give the reader a glimpse into Skylar and Cody’s life in the future. So many times a story ends at the declaration of love, leaving the reader to wonder. Not necessary with “Cody,” and the look at their life a few years later is the icing on this delicious cake. “Cody” is one book in the series, The American Extreme Bull Riders Tour, with each book written by a different author. I received an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review, and it was my first book both by this author and in this series. I love the idea of a series written by different authors and look forward to reading more in the series, as well as Megan Crane’s work. If cowboys, devastatingly beautiful scenery, heart wrenching emotion and happily ever afters with a glimpse of life further down the road are your thing, you’ll fall in love with Skylar and Cody.

liked this book,

A woman suffering a tragic loss, returns home to lick her wounds and escape the scrutiny of those who know too much about her grief, and a womanising, hard drinking, rough riding Cowboy who doesn’t apologise for his actions to anyone; this unlikely couple are about to burn up the pages and leave a lasting impression on each others hearts .

Skylar Grey and Cody Galen are fabulous characters and well worthy of inclusion in this addictive series. Great dialogue, an engaging storyline and believable character development, all add to the enjoyment of this fourth story in the American Extreme Bull Riders Tour series.

I’ve loved every story in the series and it has only increased in its allure as each new tale is told. That this story was written by Megan Crane, speaks for itself to the flair behind the author and her ability to capture an audience.

Thank you to all the amazing authors who have contributed their talents to this wonderful series.

This is a 3 1/2 star book for me.

I had a hard time connecting to the characters in the book for the first 1/2 or so. Cody, our hero, especially seemed wooden, with little depth; kind of a cardboard bad boy with predictable relationship issues. Skylar, our heroine, was a sympathetic character, however, she seemed a little bit lost and unfocused. She had finally moved through the grief of losing her first love and into a place in her life where she could build new relationships and move forward. Overall, the first part of the book seemed very temped. I understood that Cody and Skylar liked having sex, I didn't feel much of a spark between the two characters. All in all, I was pretty underwhelmed through the first half of the book.

I did start enjoying the book after the half way point. I started to understand that Cody wasn't cardboard so much as quiet and stoic and unsure how to build a healthy relationship with anyone. And Skylar wasn't apathetic to a relationship with Cody as much as afraid to create the foundation of a new life on shifting grounds.

By the end of the book I did feel like our romantic couple belonged together and thought that they were good for each other.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance.

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Linda Quick's review
May 23, 2017 · edit

it was amazing

LOVED this book! It has all the sass and spice that you count on from this author, wrapped around a compelling story and tale of second chances. The characters are wonderful - I found myself rooting for Skylar and feeling her pain. Cody is a man's man and just too sexy for words and such a strong character that he practically leapt off the pages of my kindle.

I loved how Skylar is trying to get past the pain in her past by returning to her family home in Montana. It's always hard to go home again - especially after living for years in Atlanta. Almost immediately, she encounters Cody and starts to feel again for the first time in years. She doesn't even know his name, but enjoys the delights he has to offer. The problem with going home again is that everyone is invested in, and talking about, your business. After all she's been through, Skylar just can't bring herself to care.

Cody is numbing his own pain by riding the meanest bulls the rodeo has to offer. For him, it's all about that eight second ride followed by fun with the local buckle bunnies. He's never been interested in having the same girl twice and loves that his fame provides enough diversity that he doesn't need to. He stuns himself when he goes back to Skylar for another encounter.

Before long, these two damaged souls are entwined in each others lives, despite Skylar's repeated comments that its just a fling and not to worry about her getting serious.

I absolutely loved this novel and can't say enough good things about it. It also has what may be the best epilogue that I've ever read - truly swoon worthy and brought a smile to my face. If you enjoy the genre, this is a must read. While this is part of a series, it is a stand alone book.

Megan Crane is one of my favorite authors. Absolutely loved this book. Read it in one sitting. A must read.