Ben was a charming and interesting character and I felt drawn to him much more so than Charlotte. I think by not “seeing” their weeklong previous fling put her at a disadvantage in my mind, because she came across as very stiff for most of this book. I get that her career is very important, she made a commitment, she’ll lose money, etc...it’s all she talks about! But yet we know that she doesn’t have much in her life except her work.
Ben was easier to like, despite his past selfishness and playboy ways. I’m not sure if the author made his case for his behavior better or if I just thought his reasoning for that behavior was more understandable.
I know it sounds like I didn’t enjoy the hook, but I actually did! I thought it was very well written and enjoyed the writing, secondary characters and various plot devices. While I had to grow to tolerate Charlotte, I would still recommend this book to others.

This story was cute and had some pretty romantic moments. Pearl, Charlotte’s grandmother, was perfect. And the Inn and the Ranch both sound like cozy places to visit.

However, ultimately the story line was a bit boring and repetitive with the couple going over their reasons for not being together in every single chapter. Charlotte’s character seemed to change close to the end which was jarring too. She is a doctor but doesn’t really act like one through most of the book. She doesn’t mention medical stuff much at all and doesn’t even know what to do for a hangover. But then suddenly at the end, she is constantly spouting medical jargon and statistics?

I did enjoy the epilogue though. It did a good job at tying up lose ends.

I don’t think I will read more from this series but I am grateful to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Make Mine a Cowboy is the second book in the Meadow Valley series. It is a heartwarming story with endearing characters. It had a well written storyline that flowed seamlessly. It was a light hearted, warm and witty read. I look forward to reading the next book.

Your back at Meadow Valley for the second book in the series. Dr. Charlotte North has been visiting her grandmother while there and also seeing Ben Callahan. Now that she is leaving to go back to New York neither one says what they really want to tell the other one.
Ben sad to see her leave has then received news along with his brother that changes things for him. This goes along with his father’s illness from the previous book. He is now looking at life differently. Also, during this time Charlotte receives a call from her cousin the fire LT. saying their grandmother fell from the ladder and has broken her wrist and ankle. Charlotte feels a need to go back out to Meadow Valley to help her.
She was not expecting her grandmother to try to fix her up with every single man in town though. So, she reaches out to Ben for him to be her fake date and then fake boyfriend, he though does not want to be fake anymore and explains to her why. She has always wanted to be a doctor and wants to be in New York besides she signed a contract. Her is a story of romance, loss love of a family member which is handled well from the grieving side having lost some myself. And really what two people would talk about when making a decision about being together. The ending and epilogue for me really send it over the top and it reminded me of the movie “For the Love of the Game” that ending or part of it anyway. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all of the characters, a very good read.

3.5 Stars!

The book blurb is what drew me into Make Mine A Cowboy by A.J. Pine. The first chapter is quite exciting and caught my immediate attention. This is the second book from the author's series, Meadow Valley, and it can be read as a standalone.

The female heroine, Dr. Charlotte North, is an interesting character. I liked her determination, and her ability to stand firm when it comes to her job as a pediatrician for a well-respected medical practice in New York City. She has a good heart, and drops everything to care for her spunky grandmother when she gets injured from a fall. Luckily, her employer grants her a leave of absence so that she can spend the next eight weeks running her grandmother's inn, while also looking after her. Charlotte falls into lust and love with Ben Callahan, a local rancher. Ben and Charlotte had an amazing fling the last time Charlotte was in town visiting.

The male lead is Ben Callahan, a local rancher. For the past six months he has been living life on the edge and shirking his ranching responsibilities. Now Charlotte is back and she needs him to pretend to be her boyfriend so that her grandmother will stop trying to fix her up. Within eight weeks, they become more than just friends.

I liked this story, however, the plot dragged at times.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

Make Mine a Cowboy is the second book in the Meadow Valley series.
It presents the story of Charlotte, a doctor living in New York, and Ben, a cowboy living in California. Charlotte spent a week in Meadow Valley, where her grandma is living. She spent a lot of time with Ben in the bed. Before she went back to New York, trying to forget her time with him. But fate had another idea. Her grandma fell and broke some bones, and she had to come back.
The story was pretty good, but I hated the fact that there was no details about what happened with the two of them the last time she was there. It was hard to get into the story at first, but after that, it was pretty good.
I liked Ben, he's a typical "cowboy". Charlotte is okay, maybe a little blend to my taste.
The writing was okay, not wow.
It was a good read, but not worth 5 stars.

Ben Callahan just got a second chance on life and he wants to take full advantage. He wants to be a settled down, family man, despite everyone else having doubts. When the woman of his dreams comes back into town, he will do anything to prove he is a changed man. Dr. Charlotte North raced back to Meadow Valley just to take care of her grandmother, and she has no time for fun or romance. However, when her grandmother tries to set her up on a long line of mystery dates, Charlotte calls Ben to ask for a huge favor… a fake relationship. Will putting on a show, make these two realize their true feelings? Or will past decisions continue to haunt them?

This is an adorable story that will have readers cheering Ben on, from the very first page. Readers will appreciate seeing all the town’s characters, as well as catching up with Sam and Delaney. Ben’s story is one of hope, which this world needs more of, right now. A. J. Pine does a fantastic job of giving her characters depth and placing them in real life situations. Meadow Valley provides the perfect vacation spot for all to enjoy.

As you may remember, a few months ago, I read the first book in the series and fell in love with all of the characters. This book was the same way. Sadly, it looks like we will all have to wait a whole year, before we get the chance to read Colt’s story, but at least we can add it to our wish lists, now! This author is a definite must-read, if you like small town romances, with deep family storylines.

Notes:

I signed up to honestly review this book via Netgalley.
This review originally appeared on the Ariesgrl Book Reviews website.

Dr. Charlotte North who lives in New York, is called back to Meadow Valley to help take care of the Inn her grandmother owns after she is hurt in an accident. But going back means running into Ben Callahan, a very sexy cowboy she spent two no-strings-attached weeks with just a short time ago. Charlotte is in Meadow Valley for one reason only and it isn’t to revisit her time with Ben. Besides she’s only there for a couple of months and has to go back to her job in New York. Friendship is all it can be between them.

When Charlotte’s grandmother starts wanting to set her up on dates, she goes to Ben in hopes he will pretend to be her boyfriend. He’s definitely up for it if it means getting to spend more time with Charlotte. But the more time they spend together, the more real it feels, and it gets harder to deny what is developing between them. With Charlotte going back to New York though, what does their future hold? Can they figure out a way to make it work?

I loved these two together and their story. The secondary characters are great too! This small-town romance series is definitely one I recommend!

3.5 stars On the surface, Ben seems like the perfect "pretend boyfriend" so Charlotte's grandmother doesn't keep trying to set her up. They like each other and have fun together. But as Charlotte spends more time in Meadow Valley and Ben works hard to be more of a responsible adult, their arrangement turns into something more. The book is fun, lighthearted, and a quick read.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dr, Charlotte North is in Meadow Valley for a few months as her grandmother is healing from a fall. She is helping out at the Inn that her grandmother owns. She doesn't have time for a relationship as she works to many hours and lives in NY.
Ben Callahan has always been a playboy and never wanted to settle down because he thought his future was bleak.
Charlotte asks Ben to be her pretend boyfriend so her grandmother won't set her up on dates. Even though their relationship is fake they are still being friends with benefits only Ben's heart starts saying otherwise and Charlotte is fighting her feelings.
Will Charlotte leave and go back home and to a medical practice that she is in a contract with or move to Meadow Valley to be with Ben. Can Ben give up his part of the family ranch and move to NY to be with Charlotte.
Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the book to review.

I love this author. I've read several books and not once have I been disappointed. I love a fake relationship. It's one of my favorite romance tropes, and this one was fantastic. I loved every word.

Excellent combination second chance and fake romance story. As always AJ Pine brings the cowboy to life. The issues and baggage between the two main characters will keep you turning the pages to the HEA.

Meadow Valley is a nice place to visit for a few days.

This fake relationship had a second chance aspect to it that I really enjoyed. I loved how Ben did a complete 180 from how he had been living before. Charlotte’s craving for stability kept her from committing to stay in Meadow Valley but she dropped everything to come help when it was needed.

These two had some great banter and watching the growth was fun. I can’t wait to see which resident of Meadow Valley gets their HEA next!

I thought this was such a charming small town romance with a devilishly handsome party boy who is ready to get his life together and a put together, driven, and painfully organized doctor who is only in town temporarily. They had hooked up while she was in town for the week, and then when her grandmother got hurt she came back for 8 weeks to care for her. Their opposite personalities compliment each other so well and I loved reading the progression from vacation fling to something more serious. Ben was so sweet and worked so hard to show Charlotte how much he cared while also giving her the casual-ness she "wanted" since she wasn't staying in town. It also had the charming small town vibe and characters!

The steam was a little more than closed door, but not super detailed. Which I love my steam so I did kind of missed it! I kept turning the page waiting for some good steamy scenes that never came. The ending just made me SO HAPPY!! I hope if you enjoy sweet cowboy romances you will pick this one up!

3.5 stars

Make Mine a Cowboy was an entertaining fake dating and second chance-ish cowboy romance. I really enjoyed how Ben and Charlotte helped each other become/want to be better versions of themselves. They were so sweet together and I loved their ribbing and banter. I do wish they would have been more open and honest with each other about their feelings, but it made sense given their fears and history. The hot and cold back and forth did make things feel a bit too drawn out, but I really loved the ending and epilogue and how they worked to get there.

I always love small town romances because of the meddling townspeople and families and Meadow Valley was no different. There are lots of great characters in this one and I especially loved no nonsense Pearl. She added some wonderful comic relief, but also the kick in the pants our characters sometimes needed. If you've never read a cowboy romance before, I definitely recommend AJ Pine's books. She brings lots of fun contemporary/pop culture references into her stories that make the characters and books feel more approachable. I'm really intrigued by Colt and his backstory and am excited for his book next!

CW: Alzheimer’s and death of a parent

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

Ben and Doc we get a little bit from book 1, as Doc is Pearl's granddaughter she is trying to get to stay in Meadow Valley. Ben is the younger brother that is living it up. But they get a second chance to have their chemistry repeat when Pearl needs help with the Inn. Big City Doc doesn't want to stay but Ben and her become friends and more over time. This town is super cute and makes you want to visit!

Overall, Enjoying this series- wish it was a little more open door steam. But really liked this story line. Can't wait for more of this series. Loved all the side characters and getting more of coming up ones!

Overall, 4 stars and 2.5/3 steam

Thanks to Netgalley and Forever for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sweet story. Wonderful characters and well written. Ben and "Doc" have had a sexual relationship in the past. But now Doc asks Ben to pretend to be her boyfriend to stop her Grandmother from interfering in her love life. Doc will only be in town for a couple of months can they keep it friends only?

It’s rather astounding what having the correct information about a medical issue can do to change a life or a lifestyle in the case of Ben Callahan. In ‘Make Mine A Cowboy‘, the second title in the ‘Meadow Valley Ranch‘ series, we’ll meet Ben and the woman he’d had a sizzling week with when Charlotte North was in town for a brief visit. Neither was looking for long-term so they left each other without too many regrets of what might have been. Now Charlotte is back in this small town to tend to her grandmother as she heals from a fall resulting in some broken bones for at least the next few months. She’s left her medical practice in New York in good hands and fully intends to return when her gram is recovered.

In the time that Charlotte was back in New York, Ben had received news that changed his outlook on his life and what his future could hold – if he could convince the right woman who got away that he wasn’t the playboy she first encountered. That’s going to take some convincing – and maybe the help of a loving, meddling, matchmaking grandmother that results in Charlotte needing a temporary fake boyfriend. It’s up to Ben to make that temporary situation into a permanent one.

I found the full gambit of emotions in ‘Make Mine A Cowboy‘. The sizzling chemistry between Charlotte and Ben is obvious, and there were plenty of laughs, a few snort-giggles, some frustration, and tears, many tears. This story is realistic in so many small ways that you’ll feel like you’re going through the good times and the bad times with this couple. I liked them both, adored Charlotte’s gram, and the secondary characters make this town come to life for me. I especially liked the unusual spin on the happy ever after ending… you’ll see what I mean. I had fun, and that’s the whole point.

If you’re in the mood for a really good romance that’s full of interesting people facing real-life situations, some steamy moments, and a love to last a lifetime then ‘Make Mine A Cowboy‘ is a perfect fit for you.

This title releases on August 25, 2020

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, 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.*

Love a tough, rugged oh so dreamy cowboy with a heart of gold? What about a beautiful, far too serious, dedicated doctor who captures the heart of that oh so dreamy cowboy? Then this book is for you! This masterfully written romance features vibrant, easy-to-love characters, delightful flirtations, bouts of jealousy and poignant emotions. Two lovers have to decide to choose love and each other or lose the connection that has become soul-deep in a few short weeks.

Both Charlotte and Ben have had experience with a dysfunctional family. Charlotte’s parents are world travelling photographers who constantly uprooted their daughter during her childhood which left her without friends or roots in a community. Her only tether was her Grandmother, Pearl, and the time Charlotte spent at her inn in Meadow Valley. Now a paediatric doctor, Charlotte’s life is in New York, the other side of the country from Meadow Valley, but she recently visited Pearl and had a rather steamy vacation fling with Ben.

Ben and his brother lived through the divorce of their parents, being abandoned by their mother and living through a turbulent life with their father. Their father’s undiagnosed illness ruined their family and cast shadows on both Ben and his brother’s future. Those shadows made Ben more selfish, wild and careless, especially when it came to relationships. Suddenly free of the shadow that had been hovering and menacing his future, Ben vows to become a better man....a better brother, son and friend. When Charlotte arrives back in Meadow Valley to take care of her Grandmother and the inn after Pearl is seriously hurt in an accident, Ben is the first person she encounters. Stress causes her to lash out at the man she hasn’t been able to put out of her mind since she left his arms and bed. When Pearl hints at matchmaking for Charlotte, she ropes Ben into “pretending” to date her. Ben is more than happy to oblige and decides to do his best to convince the beautiful, passionate and rather serious doctor to stay in Meadow Valley with him and her Grandmother....to show her he is a changed man who now values commitment over a fleeting affair.

Out of her depth and comfort zone at the inn. Charlotte finds herself turning to Ben for assistance and shecan’t help noticing that he has changed. Both can’t deny their attraction or desire for the other, but she makes sure to tell him that connection can’t be permanent, that she is going back to New York. The heart wants what the heart wants, irregardless of what logic and planning have determined. They face what lies in their hearts with both joy and trepidation, knowing that he is tied to Meadow Valley while she is tied to New York. Can a happily ever after be in their future? I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Although this is the second story in the series, it can be read as a standalone story. I was disappointed that the bonus story wasn't included with this ARC.

A second chance love story between a doctor and rancher, when she comes home to help her beloved aunt run her Inn after falling off a ladder and landing in a wheelchair. They start out the relationship as a fake to fool her aunt but become friends who value each other's viewpoints and opinions.

They're each afraid to share the depth of their feelings when it's time for Charlotte to return to her pediatric practice. Ben's family helps him to realize he can be a rancher anywhere but Charlotte is tied to NY due to her contract. How they resolve the distance issue is what makes the story good.

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.