At first I thought Aubrey was an idiot for not telling people why she and Mitch broke up. Everyone was treating her so horribly!
But then I found out why and it made me even angrier! Aubrey was getting treated like dog poop and she’s being the best kind of person!
So, while I was secretly wishing that most of the residents of Dry Creek fall into a deep pit, sparks start flying between Aubrey and Cash. But Cash is dealing with his own demons. Even when it comes down to the wire you want to give him a good smack upside the head.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read! 5 stars!!

This book is a great beginning to the Dry Creek Ranch series. The chemistry between Cash Dalton and Aubrey McAllister could start a fire. Then there is Ellie, Cash's twelve year old daughter that is now living with him since her mom died from cancer. Cash did not even know he had a daughter so they are both trying to adjust to each other.

I enjoyed Cash's sexy cousins , Jace and Sawyer. They are quite close and living on the ranch they inherited from their Grandfather Dalton, who died four months ago. Those are just some of the great characters in the book. My favorite character is Aubrey who is strong, courageous and does not stand a chance around Cash. She also has a horrible ex-fiance, Mitch who makes her life miserable.

This book was so good I could not put it down and read it in one day, only to be sad when it was done. I am so glad there will be more books in the series. There is romance, intrigue, family crisis, lies secrets, affairs and so much more. It is no wonder Cash has to face his demons, move on and build a home for his daughter, Ellie and as his cousin would tell him he needs to Cowboy Up.

I absolutely loved reading this book and would enjoy reading it again. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

First book in a new series. Cash is back in town and finds out he has a 12 year old daughter and she comes to live with him after her mother passes away. Ellie is having a hard time settling and audrey the new neighbor helps cash redo ellies room. If you want to hear more read the book.

If I could I would give this 10 stars

Cowboy Up by Stacy Finz
Dry Creek Ranch #1

Cash Dalton and his cousins have inherited their grandfather’s ranch and though would rather sell the ranch to pay off back taxes his cousins, Jace and Sawyer, would rather keep it. How they will manage financially is a mystery in this book and remains a mystery at the end BUT with at least two more books for the cousins and perhaps one for someone named Angie a solution may be found before the series ends.

In this book we learn a bit about all three men but this story belongs to Cash. What do we learn about him?
* He had a big career in the FBI until something happened
* He just found out that he has a twelve year old daughter, Ellie, that he will be responsible for rearing from here on out
* He has a sense of humor
* He believes in “the truth”
* He is someone who has not put down roots
* He is HOT
* He is conflicted about a number of issues
* AND that he might fall for his neighbor, Aubrey McAllister

What do we know about Aubrey?
* She just broke off a long-term relationship with her fiance, Mitch
* She is considered to have wronged Mitch by all and sundry in their small town
* She is an excellent interior decorator-designer
* She knows what she wants
* She is spunky
* She gets along with Ellie
* She thinks Cash is HOT

Ellie is in a bad spot emotionally and really would prefer to stay in Boston so quite a bit of the story revolves around her feelings and how her new life in Dry Creek impacts her and others. We meet her cousins, Travis & Grady, Jace’s sons and she seems to like them well enough. She has a friend back in Boston she keeps in touch with. She misses her mother – a LOT. She is not warming up to Cash. AND she does a bit of soul searching before the end of the book. She also is sometimes wiser than her twelve years might expect her to be.

In addition to setting the stage for this series there are some secrets, a cattle rustling operation to suss out, decisions to be made by more than one, a romance, some secrets exposed, crimes perpetrated, libel, job futures to figure out and a few other issues that crop up.

Did I enjoy the story? Yes
Do I want to read more in the series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Lyrical-Shine for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

A great start to Stacy Finz newest series. I have really enjoyed her Garner Brothers and Nugget series and Cowboy Up feels like a cross between the two. The focus is on three cousins who have inherited their Grandfather's ranch in the small Northern California town of Dry Creek.

Cash is a former FBI agent whose life has been turned upside down by a difficult case, the loss of his job, and a twelve year old daughter he just found out about.

Aubrey is trying to rebuild her life and keep her career afloat after calling off her engagement. It hasn't been easy with all the small town gossip about her and why she ended things.

Cash and Aubrey are also neighbors and somewhat reluctant friends with the possibility of more. I really liked how their connection allowed them to open up about their struggles and concerns.

I thought the author did a nice job with balancing Cash's attraction and changing relationship with Aubrey and how he was trying to connect with his daughter Ellie. I was really rooting for both relationships to succeed.

The story is told mostly from Cash and Aubrey's points of view with a few scenes thrown in that let the reader know what some of the other characters are thinking.

Aubrey McAlister is nobody's favorite person in Dry Creek. She has committed the unforgivable sin of (gasp!) calling off her wedding to the most popular man in town. She has her reasons but is keeping them hidden in order to save the inevitable heartbreak for a friend who has already been through a lot. Her car is vandalized, her coffee may or may not have spit in it, and her job prospects have dried up (the downside of working for your fiancé). Basically, Aubrey's life is crap.
Cash Dalton knows from crap. He is a former FBI agent (the "former" part is not his own choice) and now he's in town trying to help his cousins keep the ranch that has been in his family for generations. Speaking of generations, it seems that Cash unknowingly contributed to the next-he apparently has a daughter whose mother never bothered to tell Cash existed. So he's dealing with his own crap and now the crap of a teenage girl whose mother died and now has to live with a man she was told didn't want her.
There was a lot going on in this book and I'm not sure it all really gelled for me. Finz is a fantastic writer but it might have been too many stories to fit into one book. The ending was fine but I have a feeling I will feel better after the next book (assuming we get to see more of Aubrey and Cash there.)

Three stars
This book comes out July 23
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

I really enjoyed this book, which starts a new series by Stacy Finz. I'm looking forward to reading the next two in the trilogy about the other Dalton cousins. Not sure when they will be out, since this one is set to be released on July 23rd, I believe. I received this book through NetGalley from the publisher and author in exchange for an honest review.

What great fun! A new town to fall in love with in Cowboy Up by Stacy Finz. The characters are genuine, the plot realistic and the dialogue flirty and witty. It is a refreshing and entertaining story.

Cash Dalton is a good man with burdens. When unexpected news arrives, he mans up like he did on his job as an FBI agent. Aubrey McAlister is a good woman who suddenly becomes the town outcast. The town people are normal; nosy, some good some not so good. Sounds like where I live, except I didn’t understand why no one would side with Aubrey after the famous break-up. Other than that fact, I truly enjoyed this story; part remaking your life, part family drama, part romance and even a little mystery. There were characters especially the other cousins that I hope get their story soon.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed the book Cowboy Up. The character development was strong and the characters likable. I will be interested to see if the author decides to add more books to the series.

Very enjoyable read. The ups & downs of life have left Cash & Aubrey reeling. They’re both dealing with life changes & neither really knows how to deal with them. Author Stacy Finz has created a great chemistry between Cash & Aubrey & expanded on it.. As well as the drama of finding out he’s a father 12yrs later, Cash is dealing with no longer being an FBI agent & wondering what he’s going to do next. The drama for Aubrey is from a cancelled wedding to the town golden boy. Her job is gone as is her home & any side work & friends she had gone too, all because of a rumour started by her ex to cover his tracks. Watching Aubrey & Cash deal with the fallout was often funny but sad. Watching the bond they were creating was interesting even when they were both determined to keep everything casual. I also enjoyed the extra drama added in with the cattle rustling. Recommend to read.

I do love a great Cowboy read!💚💙
I got roped into this journey from the start and it was excellent to the end. The characters, well the Dalton's anyway, were all awesome and carry the Cowboy Code genes. This is Cash's story and what a story to tell. So much change in a small amount of time, meeting a daughter he never knew about, so yeah, the emotions are ALL there, having been fired thru no fault of his own, and the list goes on.
He meets Aubrey, his next door neighbor, who thinks he's a drunk, and yes, there are LoL moments throughout. The chemistry is instant, the timing's all wrong, but the heart doesn't care. She has her own set of wrongs being done to her and it makes some really intense reading.
The atmosphere is a perfectly depicted small town, in your business, no secrets, all gossip setting which I love, most of the time lol. The scenarios all kept me reading, not wanting to put it down until I finished it. Drama, action, and heat are all there to enjoy and absorb. When kids are involved, just makes it even better, along with Cash's cousins Jace and Sawyer, who I am anxious to read about, hopefully next in this crazy good series.
I received an advance reader's copy thru Netgalley and am giving my honest thoughts and opinions voluntarily.

4 stars

While I do LOVE a cowboy, I generally steer toward more contemporary novels but as a newcomer to this author's work, I'm pleasantly surprised how much I liked this book. Stacy Finz did a great job creating rich, layered characters with a great deal of internal conflict making the storyline super compelling.

My only critique is some of the storyline felt like a continuation of earlier work, as if it were later in a series and an investment in some of the characters had already been built. (I'm not sure how as this appears to be the first in the series), I felt like I somehow missed a bit of backstory with the sister, etc, but I was thoroughly invested in Cash, Ellie and Aubrey and the cousins.

Cash, Ellie and Aubrey were all dealing with their lives changing dramatically and my heart broke for them. If you're a 12 year old girl in need of a dad, even if he's a stranger, Cash was a perfect model for that. Gah, the man wrecked me with how he cared for this little girl and how desperately he wanted her to love him back. Aubrey was a dream match for this struggling dad and his girl, fiesty enough to challenge him, caring enough to be there for them both. I also really enjoyed the light suspense in the book as well. I actually would've like more of that! Great book and I can't wait to read how this family keeps cowboying up!

AnnMarie - Alphas Do It Better Book Blog

Cowboy Up is the first book I have read from Stacy Finz and it won't be the last. This was the perfect summer beach read. I absolutely loved Aubrey and Cash, as well as the rest of Cash's family. I am really hoping to get some books about Cash's family, especially Sawyer. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

When Aubrey catches her fiancé cheating, she’s fortunate her old friend Jace Dalton lets her rent a cabin on the ranch his grandfather left to him and his two cousins, Sawyer and Cash. And it becomes even more fortunate when her fiancé twists things, turning the entire town of Dry Creek against her. Even though the ex has blackballed her from working as an interior designer in town, at least the Dalton cousins are on her side. She'll just have to ignore her pesky little attraction to Cash since they both have much more important issues to deal with.

This is my first book by this author, and I love the Dalton cousins. Cash's challenges with his daughter were heart tugging and poignant and really brought out the emotion of the story. I really liked Aubrey's character and easily felt her struggle between doing what she felt was right and dealing with the town's treatment of her. And I must say, it was rewarding to see her ex get what he deserved.

The drawback for me was some extraneous narration, character supposition and introspection. It became repetitious and I found myself skimming through paragraphs to get back to the meat of the story. I’ll admit to being a bit of an impatient reader, so this may not be an issue for some, but I found it detracted from moving the story forward. Otherwise, the storyline was interesting and the characters were engaging and endearing, and I'm interested in reading the other cousins' stories when they come out.

*I reviewed an early edition of this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide feedback and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source.

I loved Cowboy Up! Cash & Aubrey were great together. I really enjoyed their story, and I look forward to seeing what Stacy Finz has in store for the other Daltons. I liked Cash's cousin, Sawyer, and I can't wait to find out the rest of his story!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley.

This book is a great start for a series that is sure to become a winner. A series about three cousins who inherited from their grandfather, a dilapidated ranch , each of the men carrying their own heartaches and demons.
This one belongs to former FBI special agent Cash Dalton. A man that was fired from his job and still has nightmares about his last case.
In the midst of this turmiol, he suddenly is entrusted a twelve year old daughter he knew nothing of when his one night stand dies. He is at a loss as is the child. Thankfully, their next door neighbor , Audrey, a woman that is renting a cabin in their property and is being ostracized by the town, ends up not only helping with his daughter, Ellie but also with his battered heart.
But Cash has responsibilities and feels he is not good enough for Audrey. In the midst of all of this, there is also a mystery that entails cattle rustling that will keep you guessing.
All in all , the plot is engaging, and the main characters as well as the secondary characters in the form of the other cousins ,are all well developed.
One of my favorite lines in the book are “…you are my future.. You’re my heart, my future, my everything.”
I can’t wait to see what else this talented author has in store for us in this series.
I was entrusted a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Cowboy Up is the first story in Stacy Finz’s brand new Dry Creek Ranch series, and I for one, loved it! Cowboys have become my new obsession and this story definitely ticked all the boxes on my must-read list. Wonderfully complex lead characters, quick and entertaining banter, loads of fun and laughter, and a quirky small-town vibe with a multitude of personalities to keep the reader captivated! This is a totally charming read that has definitely ensured I will be waiting anxiously for the next exciting instalment from Dry Creek!

I have found so many great new authors on NetGalley and this is definitely one of them. This story had a realistic and seamless storyline. There were so many wonderful characters including Cash and Ellie who were the main characters. I hope the other characters in this book get their own story. I would definitely read in and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great story with wonderful characters.

Each having their own secrets and demons made Cash and Aubrey at dynamic and stubborn couple. Bring in a 12 year old that Cash knew nothing about and this little family fights to figure out their place in Dry Creek. I have now added Stacy Finz to one of my favorite authors. She is pure. She is raw. She is heart strings pulling, but her books do not have to take you down a dirty road to get you to the end of a feel good book.

Stacy has started a new series, and it’s clear her heart is 100% in it with this tale of failure, recovery, redemption, and second chances, with a little mystery thrown in for good measure. Aubrey and Cash meet at the very lowest point in their lives, and are drawn to each other despite knowing that nothing can come of it. Yet it’s clear that they bring out the best in each other, and despite their best efforts they start to bond. Can both of them ‘cowboy up’ and face the rotten hands they’ve been dealt, the town’s censure, and their growing attraction?

I love that Ellie, Cash, and Aubrey are flawed and occasionally graceless; one of the reasons I read Stacy’s work is that she is a master at characterization. The tension in the book comes partly from circumstances that make it clear Aubrey can’t stay in town, and Cash isn’t so sure he can either, though they both would prefer to. In addition, there is a crime that needs to be solved. It’s not super-hard to guess what’s going on, but this is a romance rather than a mystery and I happily grant a bit of leeway when solving the crime gives the HEA a shove in the right direction. Overall, there is a joy in the writing that shines through and is easy to appreciate, that makes even the darkest parts of the book a delight to read. I received an advance copy in return for my honest review, and I’m already anxious for the next book in this new series.