Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

First Kiss with a Cowboy is the first novel in the new series Silverado Lake by Sara Richardson. Surprisingly, it is also the first book by this author that I have read. All I can say about that is it most definitely will not be my last! I truly enjoyed the writing style of Ms. Richardson. She can certainly tell a tale!

Jane Harding, adjunct professor at Cal Poly as well as a romance writer (using a pseudonym of course) is returning home as the maid of honor for her best friend’s wedding. No one knows she is a romance writer. Jane is unaware that her widowed mother is considering selling the ranch. Toby Garrett is a rodeo bull rider sidelined as a result of recent shoulder surgery (hopefully a success so as to not end his career prematurely). In the interim, Toby is working at the Harding family ranch. All I thought was – wait until Jane found out about that! Well, no more storyline details as I feel it is best for each reader to discover on their own 🙂

The journey Jane and Toby must take to work through their misunderstanding from high school after their first (and at that point only) kiss, is a journey filled with adventure and self-discovery. The romantic parts definitely added some “heat” to the story. Additionally, the self-discovery journey that each main character took was filled with highs and lows and ended in really important epiphanies for each character – allowing them to progress and carry on with their adult lives. Loved reading through their individual and couple transformations. Very engaging. I found some of the “adventure” scenes a bit hair-raising. Had me holding my breath that is for sure.

I found the endearment of “sweetness” used by Toby very charming. To me, it gave a sense of the south and the manners that Toby was taught by his family.

The reference to a town in my home province of Alberta, Canada – a lovely spot to vacation I might add – brought a huge smile to my face:

“All the way to the ceremony site, Jane asked questions about the honeymoon. They weren’t supposed to have one, but Beth had opted to surprise Ethan by planning a trip to Banff in Canada. “It’s his dream vacation,” she explained….”

This book seems to have it all… second chance romance, adventure, humor, hunky cowboy… need I say more. If you like romance and hunky cowboys, then I suggest picking up First Kiss with a Cowboy – you will not regret it! I cannot wait to read more titles by Sara Richardson as her writing has caught my interest!

Enemies to lovers and a cowboy romance, possibly my two favorite things. First Kiss with a Cowboy was a thoroughly entertaining read. And the chemistry between Jane and Toby was perfect. I love a romance with a bit of history!

DNF at 10% - this book just wasn’t for me right now! I wasn’t drawn in right away so I didn’t feel compelled to continue.

First Kiss with A Cowboy by Sara Richardson is by fat the greatest summer romance I have read. Her story is filled with plenty of humor, intense heat coming off from both characters, bubbling romance, and the reality of being a writer. The female protagonist is a shy woman who has hidden her identity as a famous writer from everyone. Soon after she comes home, dealing with coming up with a new book is hard. She needs inspiration fast. First, there's her friend's wedding she has to help plan. That's where al the fun and intense scenes arrive. A former hot lover comes onto the scene. A cowboy as cocky as any other man. He's dealing with an injury from the rodeo and plans to reconnect with the woman he hasn't forgotten since their first kiss. These characters were charming, smart, and great opposites. One is super social and outgoing and the other is shy to the bone and afraid of things. I easily was able to connect with both of them. However, connecting with Jane was easy as pie. I too have fears and she felt real. Overall, Sara Richardson did an amazing job. She got me hooked and lost deep in her new world of fiction.

Mmmmmmmm, a rodeo star reconnects with a Romance writer? Yes, please.
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Sara Richardson, brought a fantastic story. The ranch backdrop, the wedding, the second chance romance. It was a win for me.
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First Kiss with a Cowboy is the first in Silverado Lake series. I really enjoyed Jane and Toby's HEA Cowboy romance. Jane was plain Jane in High School. Toby was the All American boy...turned rodeo star. What happens when they both come home to participate in their best friends wedding? This unlikely pair worked really well together. They both had some baggage that presented enough of an obstacle. I love me some (mildly broken characters).
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Although predictable, I loved the chemistry and will absolutely be ready to go back to Silverado Lake.

Fun and sexy cowboy romance with friendship, family, and second chances. Easy to read and entertaining, it has enough emotion to pull your heartstrings. A good back porch or lazy day read.

Jane comes home for her best friends wedding but has a few secrets she's keeping. Her contract for her job hasn't been renewed, she's an author and has to get a new book to her publisher in just a few weeks. But her BFF has kept a secret from her, the best man is an old crush and he's back in town because he's been injured and is the best man. If all that isn't enough, he's working at her family's business! Toby and Jane are thrown together numerous times to get things done for the upcoming wedding. The more they are together, the more sparks there are. Toby's on to her secret job and urges her to let others know and share in her successes. He's recovering from an injury and worried he won't be able to return to bull riding. Together they work to help each other shed some fears and insecurities and become a couple with a happy future. Ms. Richardson is a new author for me and I did enjoy this story and look forward to reading more from her. I received an ARC from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

4 star

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


This is Jane and Toby’s story. Jane is returning home to help her friend plan her wedding. She is struggling as her teaching contract just came to an end and she has a book due. But she welcomes the distraction that the wedding provides. But when she finds out who the best man is, she is rethinking the distraction. Toby is a risk taker but that might be coming to and end after yet another injury. When she sees Jane, he knows he wants her. He let her go before but this time he is going to get her to want him and stay. Can he prove that he wants her forever? Or will the past make her keep pushing him away?

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.

Received in exchange for a honest review.

So when I first met Jane, I was meh on her. She seemed a little uptight and how she was about Toby really turned me off. I mean she was really not nice. Her thoughts were mean and I am glad she didn’t air them to anyone because they were just really that mean to me. But as we saw her interact with those around her and loosen up we see a different side to her. Her writer’s block as she spends more time with Toby goes away and we see her gain a passion for her writing and life. Toby helps in a way to set her free and see that life is meant to live and not just sit on the sidelines and play it safe. The passion and chemistry between her and Toby heated my kindle to the sun’s heat and they sizzles with their intimate scenes. What I loved though was watching them interact in everyday situations. He was easygoing and listened and supported her. He took the time to learn about her and help with the wedding even when she was frustrated with him when he volunteered to have things done and she felt it was beyond what was possible.

Toby was laying low and trying to heal. He had surgery and hoping it wouldn’t end his career. He was also going bananas with nothing to do, so he ended up at Jane’s mom’s place working. Her mom needed the help and he wanted the work. Not what Jane wanted but she held her tongue thank heavens for that. Toby was a great guy. He was trying to deal with the fact that he would soon have to give up his career and needed to figure out what would be next.. He was kind, caring and loyal. I loved watching him interact with everyone and especially Jane because he got her goat so much. He didn’t let her attitude get to him. Watching them fall in love as they put together the wedding and help each other figure out where they would be in the future was so fun, entertaining and sexy at times. Their banter was great and you just can’t help but smile at Toby and his ways. Jane took some time but you do fall for her as she grows and becomes less uptight and unwinds. Loved this romance and how they go from Jane carrying such anger towards Toby to falling in love and keeping her mom’s business alive even after it seemed her mom wanted to retire. Watching Jane come out of her shell about her writing and get over writer’s block was fun and boy oh boy did she have an imagination especially when she thought of Toby when writing than it turned steamy...Great romance and story about love, family and second chances. About finding one’s way to where they belong and finding love with one you least expect.

This was a new author to me and I do like a good cowboy story. Jane is off to her childhood hometown help her best friend and her wedding. I wanted to give her a massive hug as she deals with her mom not knowing who she is since her dad died, the feeling of being rejected and not trusting Toby with what happened in high school. Toby is back home from bull riding due to an injury, but he is still not ing the loss of his twin 20 years earlier. Through the book we see these two waltzing around each other and denying their feelings. I really enjoyed the journey these two took apart and together to discover who they were and what they wanted. I want to read Wes’s book. A great read.

Sara Richardson gives an incredible read with First Kiss with a Cowboy! The story lines of Jane Harding and Toby Garrett are entertaining fraught with emotion and memories.
As both are in the wedding party of their best friends - old and new feelings come alive. A highly recommended read.

First Kiss with a Cowboy is the story of finding love and reconnecting with family after loss. The book has great messages regarding conquering your fears, having open conversations and learning how to not run away when life gets uncomfortable. The story also has a really sweet love story with a great guy, as well.

I liked the book but the character of Jane did confuse me a little bit - i didnt get her entirely. But in general, I did enjoy it and would read more by the author.

Loved Jane and Toby's story. I like how caring about each other regardless of the past helped to make them stronger together. Wanted it to go on.

This book is a fantastic book that I couldn't put down, I was hooked from the start. Jane & Toby were rivals when they were in high school and was happy to leave town after graduation. Now Jane is a college professor but also writes romance books under a pseudonym. She was happy with the way her life was til she had to return home, for a wedding. She got the shock of her life to find out not only is the best man Toby but he's also the new ranch hand her mom hired. Toby went back home after being injured and he knows he made mistakes with Jane in the past and wants to make them right but she had no interest. I loved seeing how both had to work to overcome their emotions and what all happened in the past as well as what was going on with their lives currently.

‘First Kiss with a Cowboy’ begins the ‘Silverado Lake’ series with an emotional, engaging romance between two stubborn people, each are facing big changes in their lives, their chosen careers, and now back home are given a second chance to get love right this time around – are they up to the challenge?

Once upon a time, in their high school days, Toby and Jane shared a kiss – and each, somehow, came away from that kiss with completely opposite impressions of what the other was thinking/feeling about it. (they both were wrong about that, of course) You could put that down to teenage angst, but also Jane was such a shy girl, often picked on by the ‘mean girls’ so her impression stayed strong for a very long time, even long after she’d escaped her hometown for the big city. Toby went on to a brilliant career in the rodeo, Jane became a professor and a romance writer under a pseudonym. One extrovert, one introvert. Things are about to get interesting when they both return home to be a part of a friend’s wedding and work closely together on her family ranch.

Frankly, I adored this couple equally for different reasons. They are both so stubborn, so sure they know the facts, yet that spark between them hasn’t died down after all this time, and perhaps it’s burning a bit brighter and hotter now. I had such fun watching them move beyond that first kiss that each misinterpreted so badly back then. With a great bunch of secondary characters to round out the fun ‘First Kiss with a Cowboy’ quickly won my heart and my continued following of this series. Toby and Jane are so right together, I enjoyed their journey to a happy ever after ending – and if you love a really good romance (cowboy or not) then you’ll want to pick this one up for yourself.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) 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.*

Aw Jane and Toby get thrown back together after being asked to stand up with their best friends at the wedding. They have been rivals all through high school and she has been out of state too. A wonderful start to this new series and I look forward to reading more about these characters and see how they develop.

***ARC Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley***

DNF at 14%

I am sure there are others who love this story. And, usually I love a slow burn. And, the idea that this was going to be one between characters who had a little bit of a messy history, well, that made it even more appealing.

Unfortunately, I was...bored. I found the characters a little tedious and I just couldn't relate to them or find myself drawn into their story.

I am not able to recommend this title.

Jane is a romance writer who is dealing with writers block. Deadline is coming soon and hopefully her friends wedding can help spark something to get her writing again. Unfortunately she finds out too late Toby who she had a brief thing back in the past and she still isn't over her feeling rejected but will have to tolerate him for her friend sake.

I enjoyed this contemporary romance. I though it was interesting getting to see Jane and Toby's character and the romance that was going on. With everything having a deadline I was curious to see what was going to come up with it, I mean Toby has an injury that keeping him down for the moment but plan to going back to his rodeo career and Jane needs to get back home work on her book before she ends up a one hit wonder. Both have things to deal with, family lives to get over because the past doesn't seem to just want to stay in the back it was interesting seeing them go though the things in the book.Overall this book was pretty good I did enjoy it.

The first book of a new series and I will continue on with the series.Jane Harding is a romance writer but she doesn't want anyone to know, including her mom. Her teaching contract is up and her new novel is due soon so she goes back home to help with her best friend's wedding. The sexy cowboy she had a crush on and is a bull rider now, is best man in the wedding. He is also living at the ranch her mom owns. He is the handyman and also off the circuit to recuperate. Toby Garrett remembers their kiss many years ago and has never gotten over it. He had broken her heart one night but she had also told him she didn't like him. Now they are thrown together and the tension is back.
These 2 characters were fun to get to know and they need to really communicate better to clear up the air on what happened that one night years ago.
I received this from Forever and NetGalley.

ARC for honest review with no compensation received from NetGalley and Forever

First Kiss with a Cowboy is book 1 in the Silverado Lake series by Sara Richardson.

Jane Harding, romance writer, adjunct college professor but her life starts to unravel when her teaching contact isn’t renewed and her second novel tanks with her editor. She is told the hero stays but the rest of the novel has to be rewritten in 6 weeks. She’s headed back home for 3 weeks to help plan and be the maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding only to find out the best man is none other than Toby Garrett, the man she has based the hero on in her first best selling book and they boy who’s kiss she has never forgotten...

Toby Garrett, rodeo bull rider returns home to heal from his latest injury and surgery that could be the ending of his career. Only time and therapy will tell if it heals. When he runs into Jane the memory of their teenage kiss makes him want to right the wrong he did to her back then...

Can these two work together to make their best friends, Beth and Ethan’s wedding a beautiful and special event, repair the past between them in order to find a future and love that’s everything they both want and need?