This second chance romance was beyond sweet!!
When big city doctor Charlotte comes back to town to help her grandmother run her inn, she doesn't expect the first person she sees to be her old flame, Ben. The hot they spent together stuck with both of them.
When grandma tries to play matchmaker for Charlotte, she begs Ben to "fake date" her to get grandma to back off. From here, the sparks fly, and we get an amazing look at their chemistry together.
I really love how this one plays out. Small town romances are always a thing for me. Throw in a rancher, and I am here for it!
Really love this series. Check it out for yourself!

3.5/ 5 stars

This was super cute. I really enjoyed the banter between our two main characters. I liked the familial interactions because they felt legitimate. I will admit that there were a few times that I felt a little bored and things were moving a little slow in the plot. Overall a cute and enjoyable read, I read it in one sitting.

Make Mine A Cowboy is the third book in author A. J. Pine’s Meadow Valley Ranch series. Dr. Charlotte North receives a call that her grandmother has taken a fall breaking both her wrist and ankle. She quickly arranges for a two month leave of absence to return home to Meadow Valley, CA from her New York City practice. She knows her grandmother will need her help not only to recuperate but also to run her inn. With her jet lagged arrival at the hospital she encounters Ben Callahan snoozing in a waiting room chair. What is her one week fling doing here?

When a bleary eyed Ben awakens, they have a few words and then Charlotte is taken to recovery to see her grandmother, inadvertently leaving her suitcase with Ben. The following day, Ben takes Charlotte’s suitcase to her, but she has already decided she has no time for distractions, she is there simply to help her grandmother.

Charlotte and Ben decide to be friends only, surely they can do that. But when her recovering grandmother begins playing matchmaker with all the eligible men in town, Charlotte cooks up a plan of her own and knows just who to enlist as her fake boyfriend, her new best friend Ben.

This is a sweet story of second chances and finding one’s true place to belong. These varied characters are well drawn and the plot has enough twists to keep the readers on their toes. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it!

Dr. Charlotte North had a week-long fling with Ben Callahan when Charlotte visited her grandmother in Meadow Valley. She is a member of a pediatric practice in New York City and has a very busy life there. Shortly after returning to New York from her week's vacation in Meadow Valley Charlotte got the call that her grandmother fell off a ladder and broke her ankle and her wrist so she is out of commission for two months so needed Charlotte to help run her grandmother's inn. What would happen when she spent two months with Ben?

Make Mine a Cowboy by A.J. Pine is the second book in her Meadow Valley series. This was a very fun, yet also emotional read. Charlotte and Ben live on opposite sides of the country. Reading about how they figure out how to be together was very entertaining. I enjoyed reading about the characters from the first book in the series as well as getting to know Ben and Charlotte.

I want to pretend we're real.
I want to pretend we could have a future.
I want to pretend I won't fall for you or hurt you if you fall for me.

A fake relationship with a cowboy, now where do I get me one of those? Especially if it's with Ben Callahan, because YUMMY. I loved him! I feel like it goes without saying that this is another fun installment in A.J. Pine's Meadow Valley series, and I read it super duper fast. Like, almost one-sitting fast. And all because I was enamored of this trying-to-change cowboy and his trying-to-stay-the-course Doc.

Cute, flirty, sexy, and, at times, highly emotional, Make Mine a Cowboy might've had a held a little frustration for me (mostly in the form of Charlotte's willful obtuseness and the reaction to Ben's gung-ho attitude), but that was easily washed away by all the likeable, charming small-town moments that made me smile.

All in all, a feel good romance (with a side of sadness) that's definitely worth a read and 100% leaves me wanting more Meadow Valley. Looking forward to Colt's book next, especially given what we learn about his past relationship...

Make Mine a Cowboy was a fun read! Charlotte, a woman with professional goals and dreams, yet loyal to her family. Ben, a rancher from a small town in California who thinks his quality of life is going to be cut short so he needs to live in the "then and now" moments, even if that means being irresponsible. After a week of fun between the two, Charlotte returns to her life in New York, only to come back to California to help her Grandma with her Inn after an injury. While trying to tackle the Inn, Charlotte leans on an unexpected new friend. Ben receives some unexpected yet reassuring news that makes him re-evaluate his outlook on life. While the two new friends spend the next few weeks together, they realize that love really is better when its with your best friend. But despite their realization, back to California Charlotte goes because she has her work which shes loves as well and cant give up. Do you think distance keeps them apart? Nope. When you know, you know and love conquers all.

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC and the opportunity to read my first A.J. Pine book!

I received a free copy of Make Mine a Cowboy in exchange for an honest review. This was a long winded story, that really didn't go anywhere. It had great potential, but the author jumped into the plot too quickly. Charlotte was a doctor in New York and Ben was a rancher. Charlotte's grandma fell, and needed help with her inn.
Charlotte returned to the inn to help. When she returned to town she ran into Ben whom she had a week long sex fling with two weeks prior. Rather then telling the story in chronological order, this tidbit about the fling was just "thrown" into the plot, and mentioned repeatedly.

The story just went south from there with all kinds of random themes thrown in about early onset Alzheimer's, building a farm house, family card game, Ben's mom and dad's divorce, etc. I made it about halfway before I skimmed to the finish.

Unfortunately, this was not a well thought out or worthwhile read for me.

I requested and received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was eager to read this book because I have read others by this author and have also read the previous book in this series. You do not have to have read the previous book in order to pick up this one - it can be read as a stand alone, but why not go all in?

This was Ben and Charlotte’s story. Dr Charlotte North in a pediatrician who lives in NY. Ben Callahan is a rancher who lives in Northern California- neither wanted anything but to have some fun, but the heart wants what it wants. I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series as well, because I want to know what happens after the Epilogue. It left me wanting more!!!

I enjoyed returning back to Meadow Valley
"Doc" and "Cowboy" are cute together.
Dr. Charlotte comes back to help her grandmother. She revives her summer fling with cowboy. Reading about her trying to decide if she's ready for more was fun.
I enjoyed revisiting previous characters.
Can be read as a stand alone.

3 1/2 stars Charlotte’s grandmother gets hurt and has to have surgery. This makes her unable to run her bed and breakfast. Even though Charlotte just returned from a short trip to her grandmother’s house, she returns to help her grandma out AND runs into her one-week fling, Ben. Ben just found out he doesn’t have early onset Alzheimer’s disease like he previously thought. (Like his father) He’s been Mr. Playboy for the last 6 months because of that mistaken diagnosis. He now realizes that he wants to settle down and Charlotte is the woman he sets his sights on. Charlotte is only in town for 6 weeks to help her grandmother. She needs to get back to her practice in NYC. In order to get her grandma to stop setting her up with available men in town, Charlotte asks Ben to be her “pretend” boyfriend. Ben wants to be her real boyfriend, but is willing to prove it to her and her grandma.
This book was super cute and enjoyable. The only issue I had was as that the characters were kind of “perfect” and the storyline was super sweet. I like my romance characters with some extra flaws that creates good conflict. However, I didn’t dislike the book at all. It was a fun read!! This is the first book I’ve read from this author. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for letting me read and review this book!

Fake relationship trope with a rancher in a Cowboy hat....yes please.
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This was my first full novel in the Meadow Valley series. I fell in love with the novella and wanted to carry on. I’m so glad I did.
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Charlotte and Ben were lots and lots of fun for this little happily ever after. I just adore Meadow Valley...the small town has some fantastic characters and just a great cozy vibe.
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A.J. kinda kicked me in the gut a little. However, if we are being honest. I love a book that moves me to tears and makes me smile all at the same time.
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At the end of the day...I’m ready to head back to Meadow Valley and see what kind of mischief we can get into next time.

Make Mine a Cowboy is the second book in the Meadow Valley series. You can read this book as a standalone with absolutely no issue.

Charlotte North spent a week in Meadow Valley visiting her grandmother and subsequently had one hot week with Ben Callahan. They both knew what it was, as Ben isn't into commitment anymore than Charlotte is. She is content in her life in New York working as a doctor and he is working with his brother, Sam and friend Colt, at their family ranch.

Nearly as soon as Charlotte has gone back to New York, her grandmother is in an accident that lands her in a wheelchair with broken bones and unable to run her Inn as she normally would. Charlotte takes a leave of absence to head back to California to help her grandmother out. The last thing she was thinking about was the fact that Ben, the man she had spent so much time with and enjoyed so much would be such a part of her life for the two months she'd be there.

When Charlotte got wind that her grandma wants to set her up with an eligible suitor, she asks Ben to pose as her boyfriend, which isn't a hardship for him since he's developing feelings. Will this former commitment phobe be able to actually settle down and will Charlotte be able to focus on something outside of her work?

I always enjoy small-town romances and this one was no exception. I enjoyed both Charlotte and Ben a lot and the secondary characters added their own flair to the story as well. I'm looking forward to additional books in this series!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

This was a really cute and fun read for me and I loved Ben and Charlottes dynamic in the book. The real star of this book though is Pearl, Charlottes grandmother. I absolutely adored her as she reminds me of my own grandmother.

Ok, now let’s get down to the nitty gritty!

The good:
•I found that this was a nice read for relaxing and getting my mind off of everything going on right now in the world. It was just the right amount of fun and fluff, but it still had some emotionally charged scenes (such as the reveal that Ben doesn’t have Alzheimer’s and the death of Ben’s dad) that kept it from just being an emotionally lacking book
•I’m restating this because I loved Pearl! The grit, determination, humor, and love that this woman has is what makes her such a lovable character.
•My favorite part of the book though by far was the fact that it wasn’t Charlotte that uprooted her life for Ben but instead it was the other way around. Instead of her moving out to Meadow Valley, the sexy cowboy moved to the big apple (NYC). I always despise it when the heroine is forced to abandon the life she’s made for herself to follow a man so this was a very refreshing change!

The bad:
•This to me felt very typical and unoriginal but I blame a lot of that to the fact that I’ve lived in Texas my whole life and there was nothing new that I hadn’t already lived or read or seen. That’s the main reason why I tend to stay away from cowboy romances but this one caught my eye so I gave it a read!
•I did think it was overkill at times with how many characters were in the hospital with injuries and then eventually death. I know that Charlotte is a doctor so it follows that there would be a bit of her specialty in the book instead of just always cowboy things, but for me when Ben got injured it just seemed like a very obvious way to get the characters back together. There was no buildup to this injury and then afterwards it felt almost brushed aside to make way for the death of his father.

Verdict: I don’t really have any strong opinion about this book, it’s just very average for me and I blame that on my own personal experiences and familiarity with the rural setting. This book is still a good read and I’m sure that many others will love it more than I did. I’m a firm believer that there is a reader for every book and vice versa, so while it wasn’t a home run for me, it might be for you!

Make Mine a Cowboy is another success story for A. J. Pine. The characters are believable and real with emotions, problems, everyday life issues mixed with love and romance. The setting for her story is beautiful with vivid descriptions that bring the town, ranch and people to life. The author deals with the issue of dementia in a touching, special way without it being overly dramatic or sad but keeps it real. Don't miss this one.

Excited to get Ben and Charlotte's story. These Callahan men are sexy and Ben was definitely a charmer. When Ben has a major event take place in his life, he realizes he doesn't want to keep on as the immature playboy any longer. However, making the change and being given credit or acknowledgment of that change is not as easy and Ben wants to prove himself.

Charlotte thought she was in town a brief time when she let herself be free with Ben. Now she is back for a lengthy stay to help Pearl- she can't take the entanglement with a playboy like Ben and she knows she's headed home. When Ben agrees to pose as her boyfriend while she's there to keep Pearl from matchmaking, both she and Ben realize lines are blurred and feelings may be in the way.

This was a sweet read and I loved both these characters, as well as the secondary characters that I can't wait to have their own stories. Highly recommend!

I was excited to read about Ben and Charlotte ( Doc's ) story. And I'm happy to say it didn't disappoint! I knew there was pretty great chemistry between these two. They had an easy rapport and their friendship quickly grew into more.
I thought the first in this series had too much drama but in Make Mine a Cowboy the author does a good job keeping the unnecessary drama at bay.
Very enjoyable read!

Small town charm with a cowboy? Sign me up. I was intrigued by this blurb and the author came highly recommended, so I decided to give it a try. I have not previously read this author or the first book, and I did not feel lost. So, it can most assuredly be read as a standalone.

I enjoyed the small-town feel as it gave me a sense of reconnecting with my roots. These days, I seem to be grappling with being homesick. This could be because of current times. It is for that reason that I feel like this would be a good book for anyone feeling the same way during these uncertain times. I did at times have a hard time connecting with Charlotte as she felt a little too formal for me. Ben, also had his moments, but I empathized with him considering what he had been dealing with.

I can see why this author is a favorite as she does have a nice writing style. I would have liked to connect more with the characters than I did but it still was a great book.

Cute and sweet story...kind of second chance, but a nice small town feel and although the characters could communicate better, it was a fun story to dive into.

3.5 stars for me. In general I enjoy books that are set on ranches as this one is, and I liked Make Mine a Cowboy although it didn't completely click for me. The premise starts with a big (huge) communications error that made the hero (Ben Callahan) take a path that he otherwise wouldn't have chosen. Not to worry, though, because the heroine (Dr. Charlotte North) is pretty forgiving of some of Ben's previous statements and allows their relationship to grow despite an adventure they shared in the very recent past. The adorable, meddling grandparent who is respected by everyone is a trope that I struggle with, particularly when the very strong/smart leads don't tell her to simply back off. At the end of the day this is a pleasant story of Charlotte and Ben finding their way to each other in the midst of conflicting priorities and life in general. The health issue that Ben's Dad is facing is real and I could feel the love as his family and others helped him through it. There are a couple of intimate moments which I think are quite tame, but this technically can't be classified as "clean".

I enjoyed the growth that Ben displayed but I was unhappy with Charlotte's ambivalence when she is clearly a woman who dives into problems and solves them. I found something lacking in the connection between Charlotte and Ben but Make Mine a Cowboy is not a bad way to spend a couple of hours. I am grateful to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A good romance between a doctor and a cowboy. The chemistry was good between the main characters with supporting cast adding to the scenes and dialogue. I love that the cowboy was willing to make a major change in his life instead of expecting the woman to be the one who has to sacrifice. The ending was right on track. Can never go wrong with a cowboy romance.