I was a bit disappointed in this book it did not have the usual Carolyn Brown zip. Zaylie and her character were done very well but I found I the book was lacking in the Brown humor and didn't keep me engaged. The book seemed to be more about Zaylie than a love story, the relationship between Claire and Levi was secondary to Zaylie. The story seemed to drag on and I kept waiting for something excitiing to happen.

I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one that this author writes. The storyline was simple, enjoyable, and entertaining.

The start of this book was great, opened with a lot of mystery and tension, and then...just lost it.

So we open in the middle of a blizzard with three people sharing a cabin to wait out the storm, and Claire is all distrustful of this random cowboy that came in from the storm to find them there. She pulls a gun on him and is all "no sudden movements" about it. He takes things in stride, is very patient and 'yup, I'm large and scary, she's right to be cautious about' and it's just a great tense dynamic and then...

...and then the storm is over and what was Claire scared of? Nothing, she's just like that. They're not, like, on the run from anyone. Her paranoia never comes up again. There's nothing pressing keeping her in proximity to Levi, so the plot concocts a bunch of random coincidences and shrugs to keep her at the ranch. There's no tension and no drama and just no POINT. After that good opening, I lost interest pretty fast and wound up disappointed.

Levi Jackson is the foreman of the ranch he works on and during his travels around the ranch he gets caught in a snow storm. Making it to the cabin in the property he is confronted with a woman and a little girl. The woman Claire Mason is watching her four year old niece and is defending both of them by pointing a loaded .38 at Levi. He thinks he should be having other thoughts in his other than the one he is having that she is attractive and sexy. They will make it out of the cabin to the main house and for the family who is used to Levi bringing home strays as in animals. This is the first time he has brought a woman and a girl to the main house. The rest of the story is Levi not thinking that he is good enough for Claire since all he really is, is just a cowboy. Claire likes him but at the same time it is difficult for her to allow someone to help her with different things since she has been on her own for most of her life. Now see how these two can try to work past their own issues and work towards being a couple. A good story with good characters all around.

4 star

I was pulled right into this story. The story has laughs, pain, secrets, and heartbreak.

If you have not read the below I would recommend reading those books(s) first
Cowboy Bold (Longhorn Canyon #1)

This is Claire and Levi’s story. Claire is just trying to get home. When she runs off the road in a blizzard, she knows she is in trouble. But Levi is there to help her out. Only problem is her car is out of commission until they can get it fixed. Levi offers her and her niece a place to stay. The longer they are around each other the more they find they like each other but with them living different lives will it ever work? Levi knows what he wants but is he willing to risk rejection if she does not want to stay with him?

I loved these characters and the side characters. I felt I could connect with the characters and the story was a great read.

I recommend this book.

Cowboy Honor is the second book in Carolyn Brown's Longhorn Canyon series, one I've been looking forward to ever since meeting the hero, Levi, in Cowboy Bold, the first novel in this series. While both novels can be read as standalones, I recommend reading them in the order written so that you get to meet the entire cast of characters as they are introduced. Cowboy Honor certainly delivered what I hoped it would, and it gets 4.5 stars from this reader.

We first meet the heroine, Claire, as she and her 4-year-old niece, Zaylie, are holed up in a small, cold, rustic and seemingly abandoned cabin, taking shelter there after Claire wrecked her car by sliding on ice and crashing into a tree during a blizzard. When the cabin door suddenly opens and a behemoth of a man enters, Claire is quick to pull our her small pistol and do whatever is necessary to protect herself and Zaylie. Once the behemoth removes his ski mask and cold weather gear, Levi soon gets a fire going in the fireplace (Claire couldn't find the matches), and does what he can to reassure Claire and Zaylie that he means no harm. If you've already read Cowboy Bold, you already know of Levi's penchant for rescuing strays and injured animals, and that he's a ranch foreman, and by the time the snowplow reaches them, and Claire can get to a working phone to call for a tow, Levi brings Claire and Zaylie back to Longhorn Canyon Ranch, and we meet Retta and Cade, who were the main characters in Ms. Brown's previous novel.

While I've often complained in my reviews about the lack of drama, suspense and angst in a novel, and that the lack of them failed to keep me interested, this novel lacked all of those things, and yet I was hooked and enchanted from page one. Who wouldn't love Levi? He's a big, tall, sexy ranch foreman with a huge heart, good manners, self-doubt, and a willingness to be charmed by the precocious 4-year-old chatterbox that is Zaylie, who immediately falls in love with Levi's assortment of strays. He's also almost immediately attracted to Zaylie's short, feisty, sassy, no holds barred, Aunt Claire, and, for the first time in his life, soon discovers that he wants more than the meaningless, one-night stand bar hook-ups he's used to, but Levi has enough honor and self-doubt about his own worth to not be pushy about wanting to get Claire alone and in his bed, willing to woo her quietly and slowly. What a refreshing change of pace!

In fact, this entire novel was a refreshing change of pace from the dark, erotic, romantic suspense novels I usually find myself reading and reviewing. Instead, what Carolyn Brown has written is a warm, sweet, cozy, comfortable, and charming Christmas romance, and a slowly building relationship, not just between Claire and Levi, but with an entirely different way of life. In Levi's unofficially adopted and extended family and friends at Longhorn Canyon ranch, we find characters who look out for one another, care for and help each other, and give both Claire, who was raised moving from one military base to another by her less than stellar or involved parents, and Levi, who never really had much in the way of a family, but was taken in by the McGuire family and grew up being treated as one of their own, although his own doubts about his worth also made him feel somewhat apart from them.

As the McGuire's find more and more reasons for Claire and Zaylie to extend their stay on the ranch, Claire and Zaylie take to ranch life as if they were born to it. Retta is in the first trimester of her pregnancy and trying to keep everyone fed while unable to stand the smell of food. Claire helps out whenever and wherever she can, and finds herself more and more attracted to the day-to-day life and routine on the ranch, her growing friendship with Retta, and the big, strong, gentle giant that is Levi.

Initially, Claire was only in the area to look at a house for sale. She's a quilter and her Etsy sales have earned her a good living, but she wants to expand her business by opening a quilting store, something she tried in her town but which didn't take off as she had hoped. As she gets acquainted with the families who live near the ranch, she's encouraged by their interest in quilting to think she has a better chance for her dream to succeed there. When Levi realizes that Claire is already quite successful and earns more than he does, he wonders what he has to offer her, especially since she's independent enough (she's had to be) to refuse his offers to help or assist her, these two characters find themselves at odds, and although neither of them want that, how will they handle their own doubts and issues and resolve what seems like a crossroads in their relationship?

As the holidays approach and Claire and Levi act on their attraction to one another and try to deal with the issues between them, there's one more issue looming on the horizon--the return of Claire's brother, Grant, Zaylie's widowed father. He's followed in their father's footsteps and chosen a life in the military. He's been on one deployment after another, confident in leaving Zaylie with Claire whenever he's sent on a new mission. He's coming home for Christmas, has met a woman he loves, and when he tells Claire that he is planning to retire, Claire isn't sure how to deal with the fact that she will soon be separated from Zaylie, and her responsibilities as her surrogate parent.

If you've ever read a Carolyn Brown novel, you know there's going to be an HEA ending in your future, and in this novel in particular, it's as charming and heartwarming an ending as you could possibly hope for this Christmas. My only wish is that the author had given us a peek down the road and into Claire and Levi's future together. I'm hoping we'll get a glimpse of that in the next novel in this series, and I can't wait to read it. If you're looking for a wonderful Christmas read, look no further than Cowboy Honor.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

Carolyn Brown is like a rerun of your favorite sitcom. You know what to expect, it'll be funny, and it'll probably have a heart-touching moment or two. Cowboy Honor was no different. Levi and Claire meet under unusual circumstances, he is never anything less than a true cowboy gentleman, and there is always a happy ending.

Not everything has to be overly difficult and loaded with angst. Every day life for this latest down home country cowboy romance pair delivers enough conflict and fun over the holidays to keep me happy to be curled up under my blanket with cocoa and a fictional trip back to Longhorn Canyon ranch.
Review

Cowboy Honor is book two in the Longhorn Canyon series. Levi and the surrounding cast of characters were introduced in book one and it builds nicely on Cowboy Bold, but, in a pinch, I think a reader can do fine with Cowboy Honor as a standalone (but don’t, you’ll miss out).

The story opens with Levi running out of gas out near the cabin on the ranch’s property and needing a place to shelter since there is a blizzard on in that part of northern Texas. He encounters a small pistol packing Claire and her sassy four year old niece Zaylie. His gentle and kind help have Claire packing away her pistol and suddenly experiencing life like she has never known. For once, she doesn’t have to be responsible for everything and she’s surrounded by folk her treat her like a friend and part of the family. Levi has never felt this way about a woman and isn’t sure he has enough to offer to make her stay. Holidays on the ranch have a way of bringing a cowboy and lady together.

At this point in my long-time love affair with this author’s books, I have no idea what more I can say. I’ve adored, swooned, laughed, and gushed about nearly every book I read. She writes more than one style story, but at the heart of her cowboy romance is country charm, daily life, family, neighbors, togetherness, laughter, sass and sizzle. There are troubles, but they are organic to the people and their situation.

Levi already charmed me when I encountered him in Cowboy Bold. He’s the best friend of the two men, Cade and Justin, who own the ranch and he’s the foreman in his adoptive dad’s footsteps. Levi knows he belongs and he’s right where he wants to be. He was content until he meets Claire. Suddenly he starts wondering if he’s enough. She intimidates him because she has a successful business and has her life under tight control as a woman who grew up as a military brat and with moving about and never dropping roots, control of what she can is all she’s had. Everyone treated her like the old reliable and she is, but for the first time, she’s experiencing the opportunity to be one of a team and have a support group so she doesn’t have to go it alone.

It wouldn’t be any fun at all without little sassy kids, college football rivalries, and cute animals along with hilarious ‘tell em like they see it’ older ladies like Claire’s neighbor and friend, Franny, and Levi’s mom, Mavis. Oh, and loved the ongoing story of Cade and Retta and wonder about Justin’s story next.

There is a Katie Lane novella attached to this story, but I chose not to read it for now. I love her books so its a when and not if and I have no doubt I’ll have a really good time.

I had all my usual fond reactions and envy Claire having Levi, but I think that about most of the author’s cowboys. If you want some down-home country sass and fun with a whole lot of family and cowboy romancing, give this book/series a go.

My thanks to Forever for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆
I enjoyed this book, the very real family dynamics that come into play when you have relatives that are in the military service and how it affects everyone involved.

Claire is taking care of her niece while her brother is deployed. She loves being with Zaylie, though at times it feels as though life is passing her by. She longs for a family of her own, but she doesn't have time to really date while trying to run her business and take care of Zaylie.

Levi Jackson also wants a family, especially now that one of his brothers is married and has a baby on the way. When he meets Claire, something lights up inside him. All he wants is a chance and he's willing to give Claire all the time she needs to come to realize that she wants him too.

The family dynamic between Levi and his parents is sweet and very realistic. I liked the way the author wrote the characters and their interactions with each other.

Levi Jackson was all cowboy with a big heart for rescuing animals and people. When he came upon Claire Mason and her niece shivering in the cold cabin after their car had hit a tree, he couldn't not take care of them and protect them. The more time he spent with them, the more he realized he wanted this to be a permanent arrangement. Levi's biological family had left him and he had been raised by a loving family and he wanted a family of his own. He felt it was time to mend his wandering ways and settle down.

Claire was everything he ever wanted. She was beautiful and sassy and smart. He had a hard time convincing himself that he was worthy of her but he was sure going to try to be worthy. She was worth every effort it would require and the more time he spent with her, the more he realized how much a forever family would mean to him.

This was a sweet story and I loved Levi so much. There was some sex but not terribly graphic, certainly not erotica. I was given an arc copy of this book and I willingly offer my review.

Four and a half stars: A delightfully cozy book perfect for the holidays!

When foreman Levi Jackson runs out of gas on his four wheeler, he takes shelter in one of the nearby cabins on the ranch. He is shocked when he opens the door and finds a pistol pointed at him. It seems a young lady named Claire and her four-year-old niece also sought shelter in the same cabin after running off the road. Levi moves slowly and convinces Claire and Zailey he means no harm, but Claire is reluctant to let her guard down, especially since she is used to doing everything on her own. Levi starts a fire and feeds the girls, slowly thawing out Claire. Then he offers her a place to stay on the ranch while car gets fixed. Claire and Zailey are surprised at how quickly they fall in love with ranch life, so much so that they don’t want to leave. Can Claire finally find a place to call home?
What I Liked:
*There is nothing better than a Carolyn Brown holiday read. This book delivers a cute story, a delightful romance, wonderful characters and plenty of down home coziness that warm your heart. This is a must read for the holiday season, or anytime you need a cheerful and charming book.
*I adore Carolyn’s characters, and this new batch on the Longhorn ranch are fantastic. Levi is a kind, caring man who has a big heart especially when it comes to strays. He is always taking in orphan animals. He is gem. Claire is one tough cookie. She is strong, capable and determined. Then there is the scene stealer: little Zaylie. At four, almost five, Zaylie is a force. She is an outspoken, sweet, funny girl who will have you in stitches. I absolutely adored Zaylie, she made me smile.
*The romance is simple, sweet and satisfying. I love that Carolyn Brown’s romances are without excessive drama and angst. The relationship starts a little rocky, but it quickly moves into a friendship with chemistry and then something more. It was a delight to watch these two come together.
*I swear, with every novel I read by Mrs. Brown, the more convinced I am that I need to live on a ranch, she makes ranch life so darn appealing. I love the bucolic setting of the Longhorn Ranch. The setting is cozy, especially since it takes place during the holidays. The gang on the Longhorn are so nice, makes me want to get stranded there during a snowstorm.
*The ending is sweet and satisfying. It ends with a heaping dose of holiday cheer and a couple of happily ever afters, just delightful for the holidays!
And The Not So Much:
*I was frustrated by Levi’s lack of self worth. He was constantly putting himself down because he believed he was nothing more than a lowly ranch foreman without wealth or land to offer a woman. He had a heart of gold which more than makes up for material wealth.
*I adored Zaylie, and I was so happy for her at the end, I only wished that the reader could have visited her at her house one more time to see how she settled in.

Cowboy Honor is the perfect book for the holidays. It is packed full of cozy, down home charm, heart warming characters, cute animals and a sweet and satisfying romance without drama. This is a light, feel good read that will warm your heart, perfect for winter reading.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

While I adore Carolyn Brown's women's fiction, I am also a big fan of her cowboy series. Cowboy Honor is about Levi, the cowboy who finds Claire and her niece shivering on the side of a road when their car breaks down. What begins as a kindness to Claire and the child as temporary refuge until she can get her automobile repaired, turns into a romance that Levi would like to make permanent.

Heart wrenching and wonderful. Read this book!

3.5 Stars

Claire's getting stranded at Longhorn Ranch in a snowstorm with her four-year-old niece made for a perfect winter season romance!

If anyone can melt your heart it's Levi with his penchant to rescue stray animals. They say animals are a good judge of character and all of them were drawn to and adored Levi. There's no way Claire could resist this sexy cowboy with a heart of gold. Claire was a sweetheart as well, caring for her lovable and sassy four-year-old niece, Zaylie, while her brother is on active duty. She fit right in at the Longhorn Ranch, stepping up and helping while Retta felt under the weather. Retta and Levi's mom took an immediate shine to her, and they all became fast friends.

One of the many things I enjoy about Carolyn Brown's romances is there's no unnecessary relationship angst or drama. Claire and Levi's romance felt realistic and progressed naturally. They did have to overcome normal relationship obstacles, but it never spoiled the story.

I love Carolyn Brown's brand of cowboy romance! Sexy cowboys, loyal family and friends giving sage advice (whether it's requested or not, lol), cute animals, and an adorable four-year-old made Cowboy Honor a delight!

A copy was kindly provided by Forever via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love, love, love this book!

Cowboy Honor is one of the sweetest most romantic stories I’ve read in a very long time. I absolutely loved both Levi and Claire. Their personalities and their willingness to give to others and work hard to show their love for others is inspiring. while the end got a little steamy or than I prefer it was still very tactful and light compared to many other Carolyn Brown books.

I don’t know how I missed the first in this new series, but I love this book and will definitely go back to read the first! one of my favorite things about this is the ranch life and how everyone is so friendly and giving to each other. Friendships, Sunday dinners, church suppers, and working together to build a community are just some of the things I love about the characters in this Carolyn Brown novel!

I am not sure why, as I used to really love this author, but her last few books have fallen short for me. And, this one was one of the titles I just couldn't make work. I finished it, but more because I didn't want to leave it unfinished than because I was engaged or invested in the title.

As always, I appreciate the opportunity to read and review.

Thanks,
Laura

Cowboy Honor is at the heart a very simple, uncomplicated story. One man who has a soft spot for strays, lives a good and wholesome life, loves the family who has made him one of their own, and couldn’t work a con if his life depended on it… his only real flaw, Levi doesn’t see his own true worth believing that money makes the man not his honor or abilities. One woman who has never had roots in one place but has them deep emotionally with her family, a woman who has her own skills and isn’t afraid to stand up for herself or her kin, a woman who is practically raising her adorable niece as her brother is deployed again and again… Claire’s flaw she doesn’t believe that she can stick to anyone because she simply doesn’t know how. Raised a military brat, she knows all too well how to pick up and move on…but she’s about to be given a chance to stay with one amazing man. Now she has to find the courage to grab something for herself, the man who sees her worth just as she is… the same way that she sees his worth, to her.

I can always count on Carolyn Brown to deliver a Cowboy Romance that showcases men of honor, grit, pride and stubbornness as well as the ladies who capture their hearts. Cowboy Honor, the second in the Longhorn Canyon series is no exception to that rule.

While Claire may be stuck in a blizzard with a wrecked car, her adorable, precocious niece at her side she’s found them temporary shelter… and she’ll defend it from whoever is outside that door. Only the man who enters is far from dangerous and offers them shelter from the storm here and at the family ranch for however long is needed. It doesn’t take long for Claire and Zaylie to be completely comfortable among people who may be strangers but treat them like family. The spark of attraction and “what if” is there between Levi and Claire from the beginning, yet both have some issues to deal with before their happy ever after can arrive.

You’ll fall in love with one little 4 year old scene-stealer, cheer Levi and Claire on with their romance as they begin to see themselves through different eyes and simply have a fun Christmas season with one amazing family. I loved this story and would not hesitate to recommend it to any Romance reader who enjoys a fun, flirty, emotional romance that is as simple as snowfall and as complicated as love.

*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.*

Claire isn't much to allow others to help her but when she is forced to take shelter with her niece after her car got totaled Levi Jackson is willing to help anyway that he can. While her car is getting worked out the more she likes this town that she is now in. She even considers maybe even locating her quilting etsy job into a actual shop.

This was such a nice little holiday read. I enjoyed getting to know Levi and Claire and I loved seeing that connection between the two deepen. I loved that Clarie's niece didn't fade into the background, she was a child who wanted to be noticed and was pretty active in this book which I appreciate. Sometimes the kids tend to get lost in the background and end up m.i.a. for most of the book and this wasn't the case. This was just a sweet book to read, it had very little drama but had enough to keep things interesting and the readers wanting more. Overall this was a fun read, I recommend you lovely readers to check out this book.

Cowboy Honor, by Carolyn Brown is an entertaining holiday contemporary ranch romance.

Claire Mason is focused on her quilting business, as well as taking care of her adorable four-year-old niece, Zaylie, whose daddy is serving in the Air Force. While driving through the Texan countryside, Claire and Zaylie encounter a blizzard and become trapped in the snow.

Levi Jackson is at home in Texas as the ranch foreman for his two best friends., yet he still wants more. When he finds Claire and Zaylie, Levi offers for them to stay there until the snow stops and her car can be fixed. Of course, Levi and Claire are attracted to each other, which leads to romance. It's a charming story with interesting characters, and the little girl is highly entertaining!

Even though it's the second book in the Longhorn Cowboy series, it's not necessarily to start with the first book, yet some of the other characters will feel more complete when reading the entire series.

Cowboy Honor is geared towards those who enjoy reading contemporary holiday 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.

Written with Carolyn Brown’s delightful pen, Cowboy’s Honor is a true story of love and of warmth.
Stranded Clair Mason and her spunky little niece, Zaylie, find a home away from home when Levi Jackson rescues them from a winter storm. He takes them to the ranch where he is the foreman. Longhorn Canyon Ranch offers people of friendship to Claire and Zaylie and a time to just enjoy life before Zaylie’s father returns home from a military mission.
The sparks between Claire and Levi ignite a fire in them but there are complications along with the joys that might prove too great a challenge.

“If you lived on the moon and you said that you’d go out with me, I’d figure out a way to get there.”

I feel like all I ever do is talk about how much I love Carolyn Brown, but guys, I LOVE Carolyn Brown. Her books are almost always just exactly what I need—this lovely blend of sweet, wholesome, feel good romance. That they’re about my favorite type of swoony romance hero—cowboys—is just the icing on the cake.

Cowboy Honor is another fine example of Ms. Brown’s wonderful talent for making the simple, but by no means easy, life of a rancher look good. I enjoyed every page of my trip back to Longhorn Canyon Ranch in North Texas, from the meet-cute that played so well into Levi’s penchant for taking in strays, to the “back to the future” ending that made my heart sigh with happiness. Not to mention, all the steamy, funny, heartfelt moments in between.

I truly can’t wait for the next book in this series—Justin’s, I’m sure—which will mean another chance to check in with all of these likable *and* lovable characters. Which, I hope, includes the adorable, scene-stealing Zaylie.

‘With her eyes shut and heat flooding her body, her soul found its peace right there in the cold, empty house. So it was true…home wasn’t a place, it really was a feeling. Home was Levi—being with him, sharing life’s experiences with him.’