I love a story in which the strength of a woman can be found in the amount of love they can extol on those around them. Courtney Adams never shied away from her feelings (well maybe except for a few brief moments). Her determination to make due with what was dealt to her made her the perfect pairing for the purposeful loner of a cowboy, Dean Lawton.
In a hilarious meeting, Dean and Courtney end up married. While they wait for the annulment to go through the supposed, prim and proper Eastern lady. teaches Dean the real necessities of living a full life. While one aspect of the ending (regarding the annulment) left me disappointed, I loved that Dean was able to express the qualities that were at the essence of who Courtney was. Now if it just has an epilogue it would have been perfect!

After having read hundreds of historical romances through the years, most of which have been Regency/Victorian, I have read a couple of American Western historicals and so glad that I decided to read them. Like I said in my review of the first book in this series, the dialog is not corny and the stories are interesting. Through the characters’ dialog we find ourselves immersed in their stories. I loved this book. Kind of a marriage of convenience with a twist. Lovely seeing Dean and Courtney discover love. Wonderful storytelling.

4.5 stars ~ rounded up

When Courtney Adams flees her wedding and heads west to find her friend Alexandra, the last thing she ever expected was to find herself mistaken for a mail order bride and married to a very grumpy and extremely handsome cattle rancher!

Dean Lawton has had enough of his younger brother Randall's interference in his life, he tells Randall point blank to butt out, but when he arrives in town to pick up supplies and stops by the post office to collect a "very important" package for Randall - he assumes the beautiful woman in the wedding dress at the post office is Randall's "package" and feels honor bound to marry her - but doesn't bother to inform her of that fact.

Courtney is grateful to the cowboy for helping her, but is confused why he insists on taking her to see the local judge and has her witness a wedding. It isn't until they get back to his ranch that she learns the truth - she didn't witness a wedding - she got married! Once Dean realizes his horrific error, he promises to fix it - but the judge isn't easily swayed - he insists that they live together for a month before he will even consider dissolving their marriage.

Dean is extremely unhappy about this - Courtney makes him feel things that he has no time or desire to feel. He has his hands full with his ranch and trying to find out who is slaughtering his cattle. Besides, Courtney is a city girl, she will never be happy as a rancher's wife - she is spoiled and pampered and totally unprepared for life on the range.

He is 100% right, Courtney is spoiled and pampered - but he completely underestimates his temporary wife, because besides being spoiled and pampered, she is smart, determined and possesses an optimistic outlook on life. So no, ending up married to a grumpy cowboy wasn't her plan, but she will make the best of it. Instead of pouting and expecting to be waited on, she learns to cook and care for the house and slowly worms her way into her cowboy's heart. Dean acknowledges that Courtney is not what he believed and a bit of hope blossoms as they grow closer and eventually become intimate.

But a partially overheard conversation, a deranged lunatic and past heartache may prevent them from ever having their HEA.

This was a wonderful story, well written and filled with great characters, steamy love scenes, a bit of laughter, a little drama and a dash of angst to keep it interesting. While I did want to smack Dean a time or ten, he completely redeems himself at the end. My only complaint is the book ends a little abruptly and really could have benefited from an epilogue, but even without that, it is a fantastic read and I am happy to recommend it!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review of an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publister.*

Second book in the series. This was Courtney and Dean story. This was a fun, sweet, sexy read. The two leads were so stubborn and set in their ways of not wanting a spouse. This book started on a misunderstanding and finished in the most beautiful way. I definitely recommend this one.
Thanks the publisher and netgalley for this ARC. The opinions here are all my own.

3.75/5. Amy Sandas's 2nd foray into Western genre and it's better than the first in the series. Courtney Adams is the runaway bride in this one, running from her Boston society wedding after learning that her husband-to-be is really in love with another woman. She arrives in Montana still in her wedding dress, albeit a bit bedraggled and dazed from the journey, and is immediately swept up in a wedding ceremony in a case of mistaken identity. Before she can say her objections, she is married to taciturn ranch owner, Dean Lawton.

Dean had no intention to take a bride, especially a fancy-looking Eastern lady, but he thought Courtney was tricked by his rascally brother to come as a mail order bride and so he quickly marries her for her protection while intending to sort out the details of an annulment later. Neither Dean nor Courtney are happy with their predicament and they are not shy about expressing their feelings of distaste to the other. Except annulment is not granted easily by the presiding ornery magistrate, who orders 4 weeks of cohabitation before he would consider it. Turns out she's not as useless as he thinks, and he is not as cool and unfeeling as he would like to be.

It's not a detailed in terms of the setting and the characterisations as it could be, but the protagonists are likeable and the chemistry is real with some lively interactions between the two of them.

This is a story about a misunderstanding and a wedding between two people from two different worlds. He was a hardworking rancher and she was a society princess. Eventhough their wedding was a mistake, it was the best thing that could have happened for both of them. In getting to know each other they found out who they truly wanted to be.

I loved Courtney and Dean story!! Imagine getting married and not knowing it!! Then when you try to annul it, you are required to remain married for a month! What a ride Sandas gave us. It was so much fun watching theses two fall in love. From neither of them wanting to be married to falling in love with one another. The bantering between these two had me laughing out loud. Definitley one to put on your TBR pile!!

Delightful.
I enjoyed this story about the differences between the rigid society and expectations of C19th Boston and the freedom of rural Montana. Strong and interesting characters. I don’t believe I have read anything by this author before but I would certainly look for more books by her.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Excellent writing. This was a really fun story. This starts with Courtney running away from her wedding after getting a love note from the groom meant for another woman. She arrives out west and immediately meets Dean who thinks his brother has sent away for a mail order bride for him (he had just threatened to do so) and since there is a woman getting off the train in a wedding gown he assumes this must be her. After some misunderstandings they end up married. I liked this book. I liked watching them both adjust to each other and their circumstances.

Just how do you find your accidentally married to a cowboy? Well, when you run away from your wedding in your wedding dress and head out west for adventure, you never know where it's going to take you. Courtney finds herself in quite the predicament with the oh-so-grumpy cowboy, Dean Lawton. Which is more than a little crazy because Dean doesn't want a wife.

Rolling from one mistake and misunderstanding right into another, Courtney and Dean have to stick out their new married life for a month. And what a month it is. In addition to learning about the way so of a real ranch, Courtney bonds with Dean's family, and even starts learning how to cook! But Dean has more important things on his mind, such as who is killing off his cattle, to try and deal with the woman he's accidentally married to.

I loved how both characters started the book heading in one direction, but life quickly steered them in another. I loved how sweet the gruff and grumpy Dean could be when he let his guard down. And Courtney's fiery temper had me grinning as she set the rough cowboy in his place a few times. They make a wonderfully balanced couple, and I think I'm going to have to go back and grab book one, because from what I saw of that couple, I want to know more.

Westerns can be hit or miss for me, but the accidental marriage concept of Cowboy's Honor intrigued me. I'm really glad I gave this one a chance.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Amy Sandas’s The Cowboy’s Honor has the strong, handsome and silent type cowboy trying to live his life quietly and with pride in the ranch left to him and his brother by their grandfather. Dean and Randall were abandoned by their mother while still children immediately following their father’s death. Their grandfather pushed Deal the most to learn how to run the ranch and make sure it prospered. But, Dean never forgot the betrayal by his ‘city’ mother for leaving.

Having jumped out the window of the church on her wedding day, Courtney really is a brave woman who does not want a cold marriage. Traveling for weeks, city girl Courtney arrives in town at just the ‘wrong’ time and is immediately wed to Dean ‘for her protection.’ Unable to annul their marriage for a month, Courtney decides to begin her adventure. Their unusual meeting, with her in a wedding dress, leads to all kinds of incorrect assumptions by Dean. These two banter back and forth from their beginning without really communicating. It’s not until he has her at his ranch that he finally realizes his mistake.

Courtney was raised to keep a mask in place in the society and never betray her true feelings. That mask helped her so many times when anyone else might have lost control. Courtney really is kind, generous, forgiving and beautiful inside and out. She keeps Dean on his toes with her forthrightness and plain speaking, even with her mask in place. Dean begins to see how much she has adapted to her new life with somewhat grudging admiration, but he still classifies her with the type of woman his mother had been.

Dean seems to be forever stating that he does not want a wife, even when he is about to make love to Courtney. Yes, we know he is just trying to convince himself. These two have a bit of a rocky start on the way to their HEA as Dean finally redeems himself. This is a stand alone and second in the series. Ms. Sandas has made sure to vary our hero and heroine so as to distinguish them from those in the first of the series – The Gunslinger’s Vow. If you have not read it, add it to your reading list. It’s a really good romance, too.

Sandas has given her readers a solid western romance, filled with adventure, fun and a happy ending. Who wouldn't want to meet Dean and long for a life out West with your own cowboy.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a slow burn, Western romance. Courtney is being forced into an arranged marriage she does not want. When she discovers her husband to be is in love with someone else she escapes to the South to live with her friend but ends up in Montana. A case of mistaken identity leads to a rushed marriage to Dean who believes she's the mailed ordered bride his brother ordered for him.
Both Dean and Courtney are stubborn, prideful characters. Dean is determined to spend his energy on taking care of his ranch and Courtney is determined to turn this mistake into an adventure.
The sexual tension between them is off the charts and the banter at times is pretty funny. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was how long it took them to give in to their desires. Dean is ridiculously stubborn and pushes her away too often. I'm glad at the end her comes to his senses.

After receiving a misdirected letter from her betroth to his lover, Courtney Adams flees the day of her wedding and the future her parents have laid out for her to the West for then to be mistaken for a surly cowboy Dean Lawton mail order bride. The last thing Dean wanted was a wife especially not some fancy Eastern lady he believes his brother "ordered" behind his back. Yet one misunderstanding leads to another, and before the dust can settle, he finds himself married to a woman who challenges him at every step. Seeking an annulment after discovering the error, the judge denies their request and gives them four weeks to decided on the marriage. Becoming nothing more than a marriage of inconvenience, feelings developed and soon Dean must decide to either convince Courtney to remain in his arms or lose her forever.

Overall, this Runaway Brides Series was more than enjoyable. The witty banter between the leads had me laughing out loud and they were so evenly matched in temperament that it became difficult not to like them. Dean was used to getting his way so when he ended up marrying the red-haired spitfire, she gave him a run for his money. It was so refreshing to come across a western romance novel with strong female characters: main and secondary. The author was able to thoroughly flourish the relationship beautifully and create a heartwarming tale that anyone could enjoy.

I love witty banter between the hero and heroine, and this book had it all throughout! Such an enjoyable read, with really strong female characters and alpha men not too proud to admit when they are wrong. I hadn't read this author before, and I wasn't certain what to expect. Sometimes cowboy romances can feel too similar, and I lose interest after a while. However, with this book, it kept my attention the entire time and had me looking to see what was next for this author! Amy Sandas revived my excitement about the genre and made me start looking for more.

It's not every day that the small town of White Sulfur Springs sees a fancy Eastern woman wearing a wedding dress, especially when she has just debarked a train. So when Dean Lawton sees her outside the post office, after his brother told him there was a package waiting for him there, he is certain that his brother has finally done the unthinkable and gotten Dean a mail order bride. However, Courtney Adams is running away from a marriage, not looking for another one. After finding out her groom's secret and realizing love would never be part of their marriage, Courtney is determined to strike out on her own. She was hoping to meet up with her friend, Alexandra, who had run away from her own marriage last summer and was now living with her ex-bounty hunter husband in Helena, Montana. But the train doesn't go that far, and now she is stranded in White Sulfur Springs with a man who told her he is now her husband. And that simply will not do.

The dynamic between Dean and Courtney was amazing! They were so evenly matched in temperament, each giving as much as the other gave in attitude. I loved how Courtney stood up for herself and consistently made sure Dean knew he had to respect her, regardless of the unwanted marriage between them. Dean was so flustered by Courtney's confidence, and it was funny to see him slowly see how good she could be for him. It was frustrating at times, especially when their relationship became more intimate, that they still refused to be honest with each other about their feelings. They were really good about expressing themselves about everything under the sun, except romance. Dean had been hurt before and so had Courtney, so their insecurities led to conflict. But at the end of the day, I really liked how their love grew over time, and they were a strong couple.

Now I need to go back and read the first book in the series, to learn more about Courtney's friend, Alexandra! You definitely don't need to read it to understand this book, but you'll want to after you're done.

Hours before her wedding, Courtney Adams receives a beautiful love letter from her fiance. The only problem is that the love letter wasn’t written to her. *womp womp* So, as any self-respecting girl would, she pulls a Rachel Green, hikes up her wedding dress, and climbs right out the window. Leaving her family and all of Boston’s elite behind, Courtney follows a friend out west to Montana. Everything was going (not so) great until a super grumpy cowboy mistakes her for a mail-order bride. And then she sort of accidentally marries him. Ooops. I really hate when that happens…

In a perfect comedy of errors, Dean Lawson finds himself with a fancy Eastern wife he never wanted. But, before he knows what hit him, Courtney is challenging him at every turn and bringing his stubborn, broken heart back to life. Except their marriage of (in)convenience was only supposed to be temporary…

I don’t know why it took me so long to read a Amy Sandas book but I can’t wait to go back and frantically read everything she’s ever written. I thought The Cowboy’s Honor was fantastic. Courtney is brave and opinionated and willing to claim her own happiness. Dean is a cantankerous cowboy after my own heart. But the best part of The Cowboy’s Honor is the yummy way that Dean and Courtney battle and bicker back and forth before finally (FINALLY) admitting how they both feel. I don’t know what it says about me but gahhhh I really love it when a couple can’t stand one another at first.

All of that said, I wouldn’t have minded if these two had moved a little faster. A few times I was definitely like Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Not yet? Boooo. Also, considering that everything was soooo all Dean’s fault, he could have cooled it a few times with his jerky attitude. But you know how grumpy cowboys do…

Courtney Adams has always done her duty by her family. She is preparing to marry a man she has been basically betrothed to since birth. When Courtney realizes her fiancé is in love with someone else, she defies them all by running away. Courtney wants more to life and so she begins her journey west in search of that adventure.

Dean Lawton doesn't want a wife, and he's tired of his brother, Randall, mentioning mail order brides. When Randall asks Dean to pick up a package from the post office, Dean is shocked and angered to see Courtney standing out front in her wedding dress. Dean does the honorable thing and marries Courtney to give her the protection of his name. There's just one little issue with the whole ordeal... Courtney wasn't there to marry him and now that they've tied the knot, the judge is refusing to grant them a divorce until Dean and Courtney have lived together a month. What has Dean gotten himself into?

Author Amy Sandas is sure to steal hearts with her RUNAWAY BRIDES series. It all started with THE GUNSLINGER'S VOW and continues with book two, THE COWBOY'S HONOR. Each book focuses on one of a trio of ladies who are friends and running away from their weddings. They come out west and find their true loves and learn a lot about themselves along the way. THE COWBOY'S HONOR is Courtney's story. Courtney meets Dean, a rancher, who has no interest in a wife. After a little misunderstanding, they are wed. Courtney is optimistic and willing to give their marriage a real go. Dean, on the other hand, is a little more resistant. My, how their characters grow throughout the story. It isn't smooth sailing, but Dean and Courtney must risk it all to find their HEA. Do not miss Ms. Sandas's THE COWBOY'S HONOR.

This was a lovely read, the heroine Courtney (hideous name though), is a classic ‘feisty’ heroine, with fiery hair to match, however Amy Sandas is able to handle this trope very deftly and Courtney rises above her anger and frustration and works hard to enjoy her adventure in this book.

The novel opens on Courtney’s wedding day, she has been betrothed to Geoffrey since they were children, and she and Her mother are getting her ready to be wed. She seeks reassurance from her mother that she is doing the right thing, but her mother ignores her concerns and urges her to be proper and disguise her emotions. We soon discover her parents prize restraint and decorum over all else.

Courtney decides she cannot go through with the wedding, and walks out in her wedding gown to try and find her friend Alexandra Kincaid (book 1 in the series) in Montana Territory.

Dean Lawton is the owner of a cattle ranch near White Sulfer Springs, in Montana and is a lonely young man, made bitter by the accidental death of his fiancée, and his mother’s desertion when he was a young boy. He has been raised to run the ranch by a very strict grandfather after his mother left. He is also troubled by the senseless slaughter of some of his cattle. When we meet him he is angry after an argument with his brother about getting a mail order bride. He heads off to town on an errand, and his brother asks him to pick up a parcel from the post office for him.

When he is in town he rescues Courtney, still in her wedding dress, from some unwanted attention and erroneously assumes she is the ‘parcel’ he has been sent to collect.

Furious and impetuous he marches her off to the judges office and marries her, to have her under his protection until he can send her away, They have a huge argument when she realises what has happened and they try and seek an annulment the next day, the judge refuses, and says they have to love together for 4 weeks before he will grant an annulment.

Frustrated and angry, they both react badly, and even though Dean recognises he was mistaken he can’t bring himself to apologise at first. They agree that she will stay out of ranch business, and make the best of the 4 weeks they have to wait. Courtney has a resilient spirit and tries hard to befriend Pilar, her sister in law and Jimenea, Pilar’s mother, and the ranch cook. She tries hard to learn to cook and helps sew for Pilars baby, and settles in to enjoy her adventure. I loved this element of the book, it was so refreshing to see someone make the best of things, who was able to control herself and her actions.

Ms Sandas develops the relationship between them beautifully. They are quickly attracted to each other, and eventually become closer. After a number of misunderstandings, and a dangerous encounter with the cattle rustling villain, they do get their HEA.

I really enjoyed this book, which I received as an ARC in return for an honest review.

I kept thinking how lucky Courtney actually was. Dean has a wonderful house and ranch. He has the means to support her so she doesn't have to. So often this is not the case in this type of cowboy romance novels. I liked The Cowboy's Honor, a lot.