Grace’s world has been upended… again. She’s heading home to the place she swore she’d never return to face a future she never wanted. With the death of her father and stepmother, Grace has to figure out how to handle the young stepbrother she’s never met. JJ certainly didn’t ask for any of this but she has to do what she feels is best for them both… even if she has to fight the man she once loved over just about everything. Her life is far from this small town and the memories she cannot shake. Or is it? Events just keep happening to Grace and she’ll soon have to make choices — like learning to trust again. Choices that can bring her happiness or dash her dreams forever.

I enjoyed my time in No Cowboy Required. It’s a second chance romance with a few unique twists. I wish I could say that I loved both Grace and Noah, but they both have flaws that aren’t easily overlooked. Noah certainly believes he knows all the answers, and Grace often comes off as selfish and cold. Watching them work through their past and make a new future together is an interesting adventure. I liked this couple, loved JJ and was eventually convinced that they’d all have a good future together. Yet it’s going to be a bumpy road to get to that point. I had fun with No Cowboy Required and would recommend it to any Contemporary Romance reader – especially if you love flawed, very human characters.

*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 was just okay for me. The writing was okay, but I felt like it did lag a little at times. Noah and Grace were good together eventually. Grace had a huge chip on her shoulder, and Noah irritated me with the "I did it for your own good" garbage. I hate when people think they are doing something for someone else, when in reality, you need to let them make their own choices. I was glad that Grace got some closure with her father, even though it came late. The HEA was good, and I was glad these characters were able to get there.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

I like second chance romances but I get annoyed with these guys who feel that they need to push their girlfriend away so that she can achieve her goals. What really annoyed me about this particular story was that Noah wanted Grace back and she should just forgive him for pushing her away and breaking her heart and everything would be good and they could pick up where they left off - seven years ago!

I did enjoy the progression of Grace learning to rely on family and acknowledge that there was more to life than a job in New York! I really loved that her father could see how he had failed her and apologized in a final letter to her.

JJ was a great addition to the story and pretty much stole the show! It was great when Grace pulled him out of the academy that was not a great fit for him.

One thing that I would love to smack Noah in the head about was his staying friends with Vanessa when she was so cruel to Grace. If it was me, I would feel like Noah had betrayed me and not be so forgiving!

3.5**** At first I thought this was going to be a fairly predictable story, but I found myself starting to really enjoy it. JoAnn's addition of JJ, Grace's autistic brother definitely changed the dynamics of the story and added that something different to the story. I enjoyed the relationship between Grace and Noah and was hoping for a HEA.

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC for a copy in return for an honest review.

This was a wonderfully heartwarming story with the small town flair I adore. Grace Harper never planned on returning to her small hometown but when her father unexpectedly passes away and she discovers she has a younger brother she never knew about she has no choice but to go back. That's ok. She'll settle the estate, sell the ranch, and get her brother placed in a great boarding school. Then it's back to her life. Too bad things don't go quite according to plan!

This is a very well done book with some pretty amazing characters. I loved JJ and the care Noah takes with him is amazing. Don't miss this wonderful sweet read. I highly recommend it.

No Cowboy Required is the story of Grace and Noah, former small town high school sweethearts with a bitter breakup between them. But with Gracie’s father and stepmother dead, she has to return home to take responsibility for the ten year old stepbrother she never knew. When I first started this story I was ready to dislike Gracie. She seemed so uncharitable towards JJ and I was ready to write her off.
But I kept reading and it took no time at all for Gracie to win me over. She was smart and determined, took the crap sandwich life handed her and spun it into gold and that was damned impressive. And JJ was amazing, smart and precocious and artistic as hell.
The only real person—other than her former bestie Nessie—I couldn’t seem to warm up to was Noah. He was judgmental, controlling and overbearing and that was just for starters. HE pushed her away and then blamed her for staying away, for not being the same teenage girl he’d made life decisions for because he thought he knew better. Noah isn’t a bad guy, he’s just not my idea of a hero. But he was a great father figure to JJ.
As much as I enjoyed No Cowboy Required, and I did, reading it was an exercise in frustration. It took forever for Noah and Gracie to talk about why he pushed her away, about everything really. They were two adults with a special needs child to care for and simple communication seemed to baffle them. I wanted Gracie to just take JJ back to NYC and take up with Spencer, now that right there is a quality book boyfriend people!
Even though Noah grated on my nerves, JoAnn Sky did a good job with No Cowboy Required. I read the book in one sitting and mostly enjoyed the ride. If I have one complaint it would be that Noah needed to work harder for Gracie, she deserved more than what he gave her.

She's looking for the woman, she never knew she lost in a place she hoped to never see again. Grace is not happy when her past collides with her present. Her past is something she never planned to revisit, but apparently fate didn't get the memo. Home was not part of the plan, but life has a way of changing your mind. No Cowboy Required makes small town a big deal. JoAnn Sky proves no matter how far you run, your heart's memories are never far behind.

Well written romance with a good plot and characters. This was a new author to me and I enjoyed her writing and will be reading more of her work.

"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough sweet romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

No Cowboy Required is the first book I have read by JoAnn Sky. It seems that there are a lot of new authors or at least many I have never heard of before. Such is the case with JoAnn Sky. It was the cowboy theme that drew my interest. I found the book an entertaining read, not too deep and not too complicated.

It was easy to see why Grace was filled with so much angst as she return to the Wyoming ranch. Besides being a second chance story it is also an enemy to lover story too. I liked the title especially since it sums up Grace’s feelings when she see Noah again. She does need his help but she doesn’t want to need his help. Since he let her follow her dreams instead of trying to hold her there years ago; he is not a bad guy.

The story flows capturing your attention from the beginning. The characters are entertaining even as they go through several angst filled moments. Noah decides what he wants but knows that he has an uphill battle on his hands. JJ is an added reason for Grace to reconsider her original plans. His presence rounds out the overall drama. Fun read that is perfect for summertime reading.

**Review is scheduled on blog for my date with the blog tour - 5/14**

No Cowboy Required was such a heartwarming story filled with small town charm. I adored the characters, I had a lot of fun watching how the story progressed and the happy ending left a huge smile on my face. This was Joanna Sky's debut novel and I'll definitely be checking out her future books!

This trip was supposed to be in and out, nice and easy. Sell the ranch, scoop up JJ, and skedaddle.
Noah’s gaze rolled down her body, lingered on her too-high heels, then climbed back up. “The city’s treated you well,” he said.
Bronzed abs peeked through the rip in his dirty T-shirt. Reno had treated him well. Very well. Not that she’d ever admit it, especially to him. “How did you know I’d be here?”


Grace Harper made a life for herself in NY, in photography, and it was everything she had ever wished for. While she was in a hurry to get back there, she had to spend two weeks back home in a little town south of Reno, Nevada. Not only was she meeting JJ, her 10 year old step brother, for the first time. But he was left in her custody, since her father and his mother had just passed away. Grace planned to quickly sell her dad's ranch and take JJ back to a boarding school in NY, but everything started to combust. There were so many more variables than she could have ever fathomed, including her ex-boyfriend Noah.

Maybe he’d made a mistake pushing her away. But he wasn’t mistaken about what they could accomplish if they worked together. They could do what was best for JJ. Together, he and that girl were unstoppable. And he had less than two weeks to prove it to her.


I don't want to say much more, because it was so much fun watching everything unravel. From Grace's life back in NY, to finding a connection to JJ, to seeing people she knew from her past to even how her and Noah interacted, I found myself completely lost in their story! And there was a lot of emotion packed into every single one of those moments. So while it easy to connect to Grace, Noah was definitely my favorite. He could be quiet at times but there was a lot simmering underneath his surface. He was thoughtful, caring and had the hugest heart ever.

“But that something that used to be between us, Gracie, it’s still there. You’re pretending you don’t feel it.” He reached her, trailed a finger up her left arm. She shivered. “Don’t fight it.”


On top of all of the emotions, I loved how everything was so easy to visualize. While I'm extremely familiar with where this book took place and have even seen the wild horses myself, the images came alive within the pages. I loved how the words crafted such a quaint, little town to fall in love with. The only thing I was left wanting more of was Grace's falling out with her father. It felt like we only scratched the surface and I wanted to fully grasp her past with him. But regardless, I still had a lot of fun with this story. So if you adore stories about second chance romance and finding yourself then definitely check this one out.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by Entangled:Bliss. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

I like the theme of this story. Autism doesn't very often appear in novels and this one projects the main aspects of one of the autistic spectrums.

Grace was heartbroken when she left home seven years ago. She is now a successful photographer in New York.

Noah runs his own IT business and is caregiver to Grace's autistic stepbrother, JJ who is ten.

Grace has returned home to sort out the farm left to her by her father and to plan her stepbrother's future. She is surprised by what she sees. The ranch is no longer the same and Noah, her ex best friend and childhood sweetheart happens to be JJ's caregiver. Old memories surface, but she has a plan that she has no intention of changing it. She no longer belongs here. New York is her home. So she thinks!

Noah is very good at understanding JJ's behaviour and Grace has a lot to learn. She wants to keep her distance from Noah, but she needs him and as they spend time together, Noah wants her back. Will she be able to put her affairs in order and carry on as planned or will she change her mind once she understands why Noah behaved the way he did seven years ago?

This story really pulled at my heartstrings. JJ is a sweetie. Noah is patient, caring and loyal. Grace is stubborn and can be irritating at times, but she has good reasons. The project involving JJ's talent is innovative and emotive. I devoured this enchanting romance and absolutely loved it.

I was kindly issued with an eARC and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

This is my first book by JoAnn Sky.

What I liked:
The writing style
Most of the characters
Standalone
HEA

What I didn't like:
Grace

I look forward to reading more from this author.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review on NetGalley. I enjoyed the story a lot. It was my first book by this author. We meet Grace whose dad and step mom had been killed in an accident, leaving her custody of her stepmom’s son JJ. JJ is 10 and autistic. Grace returned to her childhood home to learn she had inherited the Wyoming ranch where JJ was staying with a caregiver, her childhood sweetheart, Noah whom she hadn’t seen since she left 7 years prior. Grace has been living and working as a highly respected photographer in NYC. She learns the ranch is in foreclosure and in need of lots of work. As she tries to get a plan, she is fired from her job. She and Noah rekindle their romance with her leaving lurking in the background. The story keeps you reading faster to learn what is going to happen. I recommend this 5 star second chance romance.

No Cowboy Required is my first read by JoAnn Sky, but definitely won’t be my last. I love Cowboys and combined with some angst-filled romance, I was hooked.

This is a really good story with engaging characters and well-developed world building too. Noah and Grace are a couple with past history, and some deeply buried feelings and frustration make for an interesting and banter filled read.

I’ll be looking for more titles by Ms Sky in the future.

No Cowboy Required, by JoAnn Sky is a contemporary romance focused on family.

Grace Harper is finally returning back home to her family ranch, after the death of her father and stepmother. She's unprepared for the responsibilities involved with dealing with the financially-failing ranch, as well as caring for her younger autistic stepbrother. However, Grace has some surprise help from Noah, who is currently caring for her brother and the ranch, and he happens to be her former boyfriend.

Noah said goodbye to Grace several years ago, and he emotionally pushed her away in order for Grace to pursue her dream in the city. Despite his love for Grace, Noah stayed in their hometown to care for his ailing father and younger sister. Now, he's hoping for a second chance with Grace, as she reacquaints herself with the ranch and starts to develop a relationship with her stepbrother. Grace and her brother bond over their mutual love of animals and art, particularly photography and sketching.

Both Noah and Grace are dealing with a lot of issues with their families and current situations; however, they are still attracted to each other after all these years. As the story unfolds, Noah and Grace strive to make the right choices in their lives, which often lead to more issues. However, it's still a sweet, heartfelt story.

No Cowboy Required is enjoyable and geared towards those who enjoy reading modern romances.


Note: I received this book from NetGalley, which is a program designed for bloggers to write book reviews in exchange for books, yet the opinions expressed in this review are my own.