3.5 stars
This was a cute and very steamy read!

It's a wholesome yet romantic story about family but also shows how families can become 'dysfunctional' through events that occur.

I loved the writing style and the language that was used allowing the story to be so easy and enjoyable to read that it was hard not to quickly soar through the pages.

One minor thing that did come across as unrealistic to me was the level of understanding that the ten year old character seemed to have. I understand young kids can be very mature, especially with their own life circumstances but some of the heavy conversations that this character had didn't seem realistic to me.

***Thank you to Forever Publishing for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review***

*4.5 stars*

An emotional second chance…

The cover caught my attention and the blurb drew me in. I mean, there be cowboys so it’s almost certain you will find me there at some point! A.J. Pine was a new to me author that enticed me with the promise of an emotional read full of cowboys (that point cannot be stressed enough) and she delivered.

Ava and Jack were going to love each other forever. Only it ended in confusion and broken hearts. Fast forward years later and it was time for answers. Painful? Definitely. The rewards though, could be immeasurable…

Those years weren’t idle. Both had carried on but their roads inevitably led them right back to where they started. Their bittersweet reunion was full of hurt and anger but couldn’t disguise the love that started it all. Their path was complicated without being artificial, dramatic without being over the top. Heart-pinging emotions swirled and bubbled in every corner, and I was happily along for the ride…

A slow start almost derailed me from what turned out to be a fantastic read. And, of course, then I wanted it to slow down again so I could experience the joy and laughter, even the tears, that much longer. This is a family affair and I’m on stalker watch for the sibling’s stories to come!

Jack Everett has been hiding for his family for the past 10 years. But who's to blame him, after taking the abuse of a drunk father for years and then to have the love of his life tell him he was just a fling.
So when Jack ends up back in Bluff Oaks for the funeral of his father, he never expected to stay. That is until he finds out that not everything from his past he thought to be true, was.

This book was a sweet yet angsty, second chance romance that I devoured and could not put down. Jack and Ava were magnetic and you root for them from the moment they reconnect. Emotional and full of feeling that will have you reeling... Second Chance Cowboy was a great read and I can't wait to read more of the series!

I wasn't sure if cowboy books were my thing or not, but I decided to give it a shot. Sadly after 24% I realized I wasn't feeling it. There was nothing wrong with the story, it just didn't click with my reading likes. I wasn't feeling the magic that I feel when reading a book so I have decided it is not for me. There is a possibility that I will go back to it at some point in time, because you never know, reading tastes change. But for this purpose I'm calling it.

(Note: I didn't want to rate it because I don't rate books I don't finish but Netgalley made me. I went in the middle because that was the most fair option for a book that was about my tastes and not the book itself.)

We all look back on our past and pinpoint moments that we wish we could do over again. For whatever reason - be it circumstance, bad choices, timing - with some perspective we see where it went wrong and wish we could fix it. Second Chance Cowboy isn't a do over but an opportunity to own up to the past and plan a way forward. But for Jack and Ava, the past comes with such heavy baggage who knows how things will turn out.


I had a hard time with this because as romantic as it was, it was also emotionally heavy. At first I thought it was Ava who kept her pregnancy a secret from Jack and deliberately pushed him away for his own good. She was 17 or 18 at the time and made what she thought was the right move for both their futures. When he returns home to attend his father's funeral, the cat's out of the bag and suddenly he's hit with the reality of the past 10 years -- what he's missed with Ava and their son, but also how his younger brothers have grown up in his absence.


Not that Jack is in the clear. He' still terribly hung up on his past and carrying so much guilt. As a result he doubts his own ability to be a good partner and father. At the same time he feels the incredible responsibility to overcompensate for everything his loved ones didn't have. Jack's doubts were what got to me and for my own personal reasons, I got his tormented soul 100%.


After some reflection, what I realized made it hard for me is the crushing weight of all the expectations heaped upon every single person involved. Everyone expects the other to behave a certain way and to make what they believe is the obvious or right decision. In Jack's case, it's also the pressure that he inflicts upon himself that adds to his misery. I loved the rekindled romance because seeing a more mature Jack and Ava approach each other is that hopeful second chance we all wish for. It's a beautiful sight to behold. The renewed appreciation for his hometown and the reconnection that they all make with one another make your heart burst. I think A.J. Pine did exceptional work in showing us that aspect of human nature where expectations can either lift us up or crush us.


Jack and Ava couldn't have known the love they'd rediscover or the riches they'd find within family. In the end, pushing past all the guilt, hurt and hardships, Second Chance Cowboy is a romantic, heartwarming and spectacular welcome home!


~ Bel

Second Chance Cowboy was a beautifully-written story about giving your first love a second chance. Ava and Jack once believed that they belonged together until one fateful night changed everything back when they were teenagers. They went their separate ways and ten years later, they were reunited when Jack was back in town for his father’s funeral. Being face to face, they both realized that they never got over their feelings for one another and those feelings came rushing back. The only thing is that Ava is harboring a secret that is destined to change things for both of them. Once Jack knows the truth, he must choose between leaving this ranch behind or making a fresh start with the only true love that he has ever known.

I adored these characters and my heart ached for all the pain that Ava experienced when Jack left ten years ago. I understood why she kept things secret but she had to tell him the truth to see what kind of man Jack grew into. Jack was harboring resentment against his father after all the abuse he suffered while growing up on the farm and he needed to let it go. He needed to help turn the ranch into a successful vineyard and prove to Ava that he was the right man for her. To not break her heart a second time around.

Second Chance Cowboy was a great story and a great start to a new series. I’m excited to see what happens to Jack’s brothers in the next few books, especially Walker, who seems to need help the most. Such a great romance.

Loooooved this book!

It's been a while since I've read a cowboy book and this one hit the spot. It was funny, angsty, well thought out, sexy and just a fantastic read. Can't wait to start the next book.

I loved the pace of this story. It felt long and unrushed in a good way. The whole story takes place in such a small frame of time, but it uncovers a lifetime of love and heartache, regrets and mistakes. This is one of those second chance stories where you really feel for both sides. Not that either did right or wrong necessarily- but just how life played out. Jack just broke my heart. What he carried was more than any single person ever should, and ava, she made such sacrifice for love. I admit I got misty towards the end. It was a beautiful story and a great cast of characters

Second Chance Cowboy is a truly promising start to the Crossroads Ranch series. The story was well paced, and I loved the character dynamics and interaction. I look forward to reading more of this series and more by this author. I will be definitely be recommending this book to others readers.

This was a cute book. Jack comes home after 10 years, to his fathers funeral. He runs into his past, and is given a huge surprise. He works on conflicts with his self and brothers.

I liked this book, easy reading. It was predictable and kinda slow at times. Kinda repeating the same thing over and over without much progress, but I till enjoyed it.

OMG, this was my first AJ Pine book but it will not be my last!!

I love a second chance romance, add in a secret baby and I cannot wait to dive in and ready it! I loved Jack and his strength and vulnerability. And his deep seeded love and loyalty to his brothers and aunt. And how he never stopped loving Ava. Even after 10 years apart.

And speaking of Ava. Jeez, the poor girl of 18 making the toughest decision of her life--to let Jack go, had to be heartbreaking. And raising their son on her own, making her own way. Trying to forget the boy she loved. Who's now all man. And back in town.

The draw, the connection between Jack and Ava is undeniable. It's strong, sexy AF and so damn perfect. I loved my time spent with Jack and Ava and cannot wait to dive into Luke's story.

The book is a powerful story about love that a girl has for her unborn child, that child’s father and doing the most courageous act for love and saving the person she loves. Ava Ellis meet Jack his first day from transferring to her high school and feel for him right then and there. In his cast and broken ribs. In five months the reason why he is leaving town is explained, and though she never tells him that she is pregnant she hopeful maybe one day he will come back to town. That day is ten years later for his father’s funeral and the reason for all of his broken bones, burses, and most of the thought that he cannot ever be a father or he will turn out like his father. Seeing his brother and aunt he realizes just how long he has been away, but it is not until later when he runs into Ava when he actually feels something. He then knows he is still in love with her. When he finds out that he has a son it takes a moment to process, but later he understands and is not angry. The author takes you on a journey on what happened in the past and if they can have a future. Really it is up to Jack but he does not realize it, for he is only focused on his promotion to New York. But does he really want to go, they still must tell Owen that he is his father and he is finding it harder every day not to think about Red, Ava. They begin to fall into a pattern only for him to do say the wrong thing. Ava is working on him to see past, the past. That he is nothing like his father and never was. It is not until you get towards the end that he proves to himself he is not. Then it is up to him to do what he needs to do for his well-being. A good story I like all of the characters, the brothers, his aunt, and even though I did not like her father he needed to be in the story. Overall a very good book.

Jack and Ava's story is the epitome of second chance romance as the title implies.

Jack has been running from his demons ever since he left his hometown with little success. Ava has been picking up the pieces of what he left behind and finally moving on with her life when he comes back home. Their attraction is definitely back in full force but it's no love at second site for these two.

The secret baby aspect is no surprise to the reader since it's in the synopsis and I adored this part of the story. Watching Jack learn how to interact with this child and become a father is touching and a whole lot swoony. He's got that whole grumpy hot guy thing going for him and with his background, every reader will want to repair his heart. Thankfully, Ava does a good job. :)

Jack's brothers are a big part of the story (and will get books) and quite frankly, even though I loved this book, I'm looking forward to the others in this series more! The importance of family and working through your past to have a better future were the big takeaways for me and I'm so excited to read more in this series.

Second Chance Cowboy combines two tropes into one amazing story; Second chance romance and the secret baby.

Jack left town ten years ago broken-hearted and hurting. He's still not over the loss he felt then, so when he finds himself coming back when his father dies - he's determined to do what needs doing for his brothers and be gone again. Throwing a little kink in that plan is the failing vineyard his father bought and left he and his brothers. Jack can't leave them with a failing vineyard - so he's determined to do what it takes to get it up and running and then leave to return to his life. But a few secrets from the past are about to make that a little difficult and turn his life upside down.

When Ava broke things off with Jack - she did it for good reasons, with the best of intentions for him. But now that he's back in town, she can't continue keeping the truth from him - no matter what it means to her, her son comes first.

But as the truth comes out, and Jack and Ava have to work through it and the repercussions of decisions long past made, they find themselves in more than a tricky situation - the feelings are still very much there.



As these two work together to get the Vineyard back up to running well - there's much more going on between them - but can this second chance really work out? Has to much happened between them or is now their time to shine?

Second Chance Cowboy will take you on quite the emotional journey, one that explores how the decisions we make affect us long after they've been made, one that proves sometimes love doesn't die - even if we've thought it was buried and gone. It delivers a story about family ties as well - how our decisions can have big impacts we don't expect on those we love and how sometimes we don't know everything.

I'm excited to read what else A.J. Pine delivers in this amazing new series.

Find this review and more at kimberlyfaye reads.

It had been ages since I read a cowboy romance, but I'm damn glad I picked Second Chance Cowboy up. It's not a genre I read a lot of, but I find I really enjoy it when I do. That was certainly the case here. It's also been ages since I read an A.J. Pine book and I enjoyed her style here.

Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes and once you add a secret baby, I'm basically all in. (Though I guess Owen can't really be called a baby since he's 9, but you get my point.) The circumstances that split up Ava and Jack were sad. Though it all happened in the prologue, before I really knew either of the character, it's still tough to watch two people who are obviously in love, with their whole lives ahead of them, break up. That's why I'm glad most of the book is set in the present, when they were reunited and the truth came out. It'd been ten years since they laid eyes on each other, but that spark was absolutely still there.

I really liked both Ava and Jack. It was kinda hard for me to reconcile Ava's decision to keep Owen from Jack for all this time, but the more backstory I got, it actually made sense. Jack was definitely weighed down by his past and that of his father and he did need to get out of their town and make a life for himself. I just wish that life had included Ava and Owen sooner. But that wasn't their story. This was. As much as I hated them being apart, it was lovely to watch them work their way back to each other. For a story that could've been extremely heavy, it was kept not overwhelmingly so, and instead, had just the right amount of feels for me.

The list of things I loved about this book is long, but I won't waste your time on all of it. Some highlights include the romance (duh), character development, and the secondary characters and the relationship between them and the primary characters. (OMG Jack's brothers! The brotherly banter is the best.) I'm definitely looking forward to more from Crossroads Ranch.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

FAVORITE QUOTES

"I loved you, Jack. I loved you every day we were together, and I'm pretty sure I'd fall for the man you've become if I had the chance to."

"I can't watch you walk into a room without wanting to touch you. You're like the goddamn sun, and I'm the closest planet. Powerless against your gravity."

"I love the girl you were when I met you and the amazing woman and mother you've become. I'm a better man for knowing you. For loving you."

After Jack’s mother died when he was a teenager, his father took a dark, deep turn into alcohol. This resulted in him also being physically abusive to his three sons. All Jack wanted to do was leave his town and start life over somewhere far away. While in high school he fell in love with a girl named Ava. She was sweet and kind and everything he wanted – but he knew he couldn’t stay near his father. He leaves his small town, and his family ranch and becomes a lawyer in San Diego.

But Ava isn’t the only person he leaves behind. Right before he leaves, Ava finds out she is pregnant. But she doesn’t tell Jack. For ten long years she keeps it a secret – because he broke her heart when he left, and the one time she thought to tell him, she saw him with who she thought was his future wife (are these really good reasons to keep this secret?? I will discuss in a minute).

Ten years after all of this, Jack’s dad dies and he comes back home for the funeral. It is here he is reunited with Ava, meets her ten-year old son, realizes it is his and needs to make decisions. He was offered a promotion at work, but that means moving across the country to New York. His father had invested in a local vineyard, which his two brothers do not want. Ava also works at a vineyard….so they now have a common interest besides their son.

Secret babies is a tricky trope for me. I need solid reasons for the baby to be kept a secret. The reasons Ava uses to keep her son a secret from his father in this one makes no sense to me. I think it’s really unfair for the kid and the dad to not know the other exists. A phone call, a text, an email – these are all things one can use to break news to someone. Then if the dad acts like a dick and doesn’t want to be part of the kid’s life – then you can be angry and keep him away etc.. Ava gets angry, admittedly irrationally angry, that Jack was not there to support her – for a kid he knew nothing about.

“You – you were getting married after I’d spent years changing diapers at four in the morning…joining the preschool PTO because yes, there was one…buying two extra car seats because the only way to be included in the carpool clique was to have all of the necessary equipment!”

But – he didn’t know. So…..?

I do enjoy second chance love stories – but I wish in this one that Jack and Ava had a little more tension in their relationship once reunited. They start a physical relationship really quick and it just felt like a bit of a let down. There are issues that arise because Jack is still dealing with feelings about his late, alcoholic father and what that means for him now that he is a dad. And he has two brothers who run the ranch – both presented as moody and gruff…a good set-up for future books.

I guess it comes down to the facts that I didn’t like the secret baby trope (the way it was handled) and the romance just seemed too pleasant after all the secrets and years apart. There was something missing for me.

Grade: C

You know what’s exciting? Reading the first book in a new series, loving it and the characters and knowing that really great books are coming. That’s what happened when I read Second Chance Cowboy, the first book in the Crossroads Ranch series by A.J. Pine. Contemporary Westerns are one of my favorite subgenres, and I’m so stinkin’ excited to have this series to look forward to.

The three Everett brothers — Jack, Luke and Walker — are poster children for a troubled childhood. They endured their beloved mother’s death and their father’s complete falling apart and drowning in despair, anger and alcoholism. Jack Sr. took out his anger on his boys, and because Jack was the oldest, he became the shield. This abuse took its toll on all of them in different ways. Jack left town to be a lawyer, Luke is a jovial risk-taker/bull rider who is obviously covering up his true feelings, and Walker, the youngest, is a hot mess who self-medicates with alcohol. I adore each one of the brothers. They are hilarious, and they do love each other in their own way.

After leaving 10 years ago, Jack is forced to return to Oak Bluff for his father’s funeral. He doesn’t want to be there because the ghosts of his past loom very large, especially in the house he grew up in. So, while he and his brothers give each other a pretty hard time, which can be a little jarring at first, there is a current of love between them. It’s just been buried for a while due to their estrangement.

Jack has plans to leave after his father’s estate is settled, but two things happen that convince him he needs to stay longer. He runs into his long-lost high school love, Ava Ellis, and he’s required to breathe life into a vineyard his father purchased on their land before his death. Talk about two big speed bumps! Well, it gets better.

Ava Ellis comes face-to-face with the man she fell in love with at 18, whose baby she carried, Owen, who is now 9. The whys and hows of Jack not knowing about Owen are quite complicated, but I appreciated and came to understand why Ava handled things the way she did 10 years ago. (If you’re not a fan of secret-baby romances and the complications it presents in the story, I understand. For me, Pine deftly handled this plot point.)

As for Ava? She’s AWESOME. She’s such an incredible mom to Owen, and while she feels terrible for what happened with Jack, she always believed she did the right thing by sending him away. She knew the household he grew up in and knew he had to get out of Oak Bluff. Another reason I love her: She’s not a doormat, but she is a truly selfless person, and to top it off? She never stopped loving Jack.

“I loved you, Jack. I loved you every day we were together, and I’m pretty sure I’d fall for the man you’ve become if I had the chance to.”

Once Ava and Jack meet again, she doesn’t waste time telling Jack about Owen. Obviously, this is a big shock for Jack, and anyone would expect him to be angry and he is … but not for too long. (Thanks to his father, Jack has some serious inner demons to wrangle with throughout the book.) There is a little hemming and hawing, but Jack makes no bones about wanting to meet Owen. Jack and Ava communicate well, making the difficult circumstances somewhat easier to navigate, where other authors might be tempted to let miscommunication and assumptions rule, leading to over-the-top and unnecessary drama. Not the case here.

Ava and Jack have to navigate how to introduce Jack to Owen. Who is Jack? How does Ava know him? Will they tell Owen exactly who Jack is? Will Jack stay in town and be a father even though he has committed to leave in a few weeks? This is a lot for these characters to work through, and it doesn’t just impact Jack, Ava and Owen. There are also his brothers, Luke and Walker, and his Aunt Jenna, who stepped in and raised them when their father checked out. So many pieces to this puzzle.

Can we talk a moment about Jack and Ava together? Goodness gracious. The chemistry blazes between these two, and that’s an understatement. Ms. Pine creates a connection between the characters that is strong and even deeper than “chemistry.” There’s no question that Ava and Jack belong together.

“As soon as you leave I’m going to have to take a really cold shower and think about doing my taxes or something.” He leaned forward like he was going to kiss her but instead let his lips brushed against her ear.

“I could do your taxes,” he murmured.

While the family issues are heavy and complex, they don’t drag the whole story down, and it’s easy to feel compassion for the Everett brothers and Aunt Jenna. They all deserve an HEA, but there is so much work to be done. I loved the family dynamic. Even though they’ve been through hard times, they love each other and willingly pull Ava and Owen into the Everett fold.

Ms. Pine’s character development, strong family building and interesting secondary characters add layers to the story that jacked up my enjoyment of Second Chance Cowboy to maximum levels.

I’ve been a fan of AJ Pine’s books since her debut, If Only. I haven’t read many (or possibly any?) cowboy books, but since Pine is one of my auto-buy authors and I can always count on her books to make me laugh and swoon, plus pack an emotional punch, I didn’t hesitate when she announced the Crossroads Ranch series.

I loved Jack and Ava. They were both relatable characters, and I appreciated how driven they both were and how they wanted what was best for their families - and each other - no matter what. It was easy to get invested in their story and root for them as a couple, and I wanted so badly to see them as a happy family unit. This was a story about second chances in more ways than one - Jack getting a second chance to prove himself, a second chance with his brothers and aunt, and a second chance with Ava, the girl he’d never stopped loving. Jack’s brothers Luke and Walker, his Aunt Jenna, and Ava and Jack’s son Owen rounded out the cast of characters nicely and added so much heart and humour to the story.

Second Chance Cowboy is a steamy romance, and also a beautiful, emotional story about love and family. I was up until 1am finishing it because I had to see how things turned out, and I was happy crying by the time I finished. I definitely recommend this (and all of Pine’s other books) to fans of contemporary romance. I can’t wait for the second Crossroads Ranch book!

I have read and loved work by this author in the past, but for some reason this one just did not work for me. I was unable to connect with these characters. I put the story down thinking it may have just been a mood I was in, but each time I came back to try again I wound up skimming and setting it down. Ultimately, I chose to DNF at 40%. I may try again sometime down the road, but something about this one wasn't working for me.

Received in exchange for a honest review.

Jack stole my heart from the first page in this tender, sweet and sexy romance. Jack is a lawyer and once a cowboy who has had a terrible childhood once his mom died. He was the one who protected his brothers at all costs and always did what was right for everyone else but himself. He is always afraid he will be like his dad and that hinders him from moving forward in so many things.

Ava is the strong stubborn woman who let Jack go so he could be free. Only she didn’t think of the consequences that could happen when Jack came back to town. She is a great female lead character because she is strong and caring. She is compassionate as well. And it is her and her son Owen that help Jack find his way home and to see he is not his father and deserves love in his life. Even when her dad put Jack down, she stood up for him. she believed in him even when he didn’t believe in himself.

Their story began as a romance in high school that broke both their hearts. His because of one incident where he was protecting her and she afterwards made him feel he wasn’t worthy but also like she was afraid of him. Her because she wanted him to be free of his demons so she let him go. Only she had a secret and when he comes back to deal with his dad and his estate that secret comes out.

The secret is Owen their son and that evokes so many emotions in Jack. YOu can tell he is a natural dad but he fears becoming his own so he holds back a little. But Owen is to adorable not to love and Jack does. His attraction and love for Ava resurfaces as well. this leaves Jack confused and frustrated. His life is on track and he is able to help his brothers stay afloat with his job but you can see they need more and so does Jack. His youngest brother you just want to cry for. He is so angry and using a coping mechanism to deal with the past that can harm him in the end. But with him and his other brother, they are able to show Jack that he isn’t his dad. They work together with Ava to help heal Jack.

The story is one of second chances, finding yourself and family. Ava’s dad doesn’t help the situation with jack but in the end when Jack shows us the man he is we see a change with him. Ava helps Jack see where he belonged and that family and love help you heal. His brothers show him how to move on and be what they need.

the story is character and emotional driven and you feel what the characters do as they go on their journey. For Jack it is a journey of healing and finding where he belongs. Of letting love in and being who he is meant to be. He is a great man but lost in the past and it is his family and Ava that help him move on and find his way. For Ava it is letting Jack in and letting love get another chance.

A wonderful tender sweet story of second chances, family and healing. Of letting go and letting people in. I look forward to seeing Jack’s brothers find love as well.