Secret Nights With a Cowboy is the first book in the new Kittredge Ranch series by Caitlin Crews. If you've read books in her Cold River Ranch series, you will recognize some friendly faces here. If you haven't read any of that series, fear not, as this story stands alone. I've recently become a big fan of Ms. Crews and was excited to get into a new series from the beginning.

Riley Kittredge and Rae Trujillo were young sweethearts who wed right after high school. Perhaps they married too young, as all they knew how to do is fight and passionately make up. Shortly after marriage Rae left Riley, but never did tell him why. However, for years afterward Rae would show up at their former home at night, fight with Riley, make fiery love and leave again. One night it's different, though - she wants a divorce. Riley isn't ready to let go of the love of his life, however. Will they be able to overcome their past and Rae's secret that she's never shared and actually have a true marriage?

This is one of those stories where you love the hero and heroine but want to slap them both silly for not communicating. Seriously, people, just talk to each other! Of course, there wouldn't be much of a book if they did that right off the bat now, would there? Yet it was impossible to dislike either one, stubborn as they were. A blind person could see how much they loved each other. When they weren't having steamy times with each other, they dealt with relationships in their own families. I loved Riley's interactions with his brothers and baby sister. They were afraid of Riley getting hurt again and just couldn't help but interfere. Rae struggled with her own family and worked to become a really independent adult for the first time. The family dynamics of each were both very entertaining and frustrating at the same time. Even though I knew there must be a HEA, Riley and Rae still had me on the edge of my seat crying and wondering if true love would prevail!

As an added bonus, there was a lovely Christmas novella about Connor Kittredge, the youngest of the bunch, and his former high school sweetheart, Missy Minton. It was a great way to end the book. I eagerly await the next Kittredge Ranch story!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is the first book I have read from Caitlin Crews but it will not be the last. I loved this cowboy romance! It was so sweet and fun. I definitely recommend it for romance fans!

4 Star

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

This is Rae and Riley’s story. They were in love once, but it fell apart. Now she is back and wants only one thing from him a divorce. Will he give her one? Or will he fight for a future for them together? She wants a family, but will he want that also? And if he does will, she want him forever? What about all the issues they had in the past will they be able to overcome them? Or was this doomed from the start?

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.

I really enjoyed this book though it took me a bit longer to get into it than I thought I would. I was really looking forward to a series with the Kittredge men since the last one was the last book of the Everett brothers. This book was basically a second chance romance with a little bit of enemies to lovers thrown in. Which makes sense since Rae and Riley were married for 8 years and neither of them openly acknowledged each other. I really liked the journey that they took though I think it could have gone a bit faster. And this book had a special novella at the end with Connor Kittredge to really round out the holiday feeling. I will definitely recommend this novel to whoever is looking for a cowboy romance especially a holiday one where everything turns out alright.

This book was absolutely a happy, funny, sad and romantic novel. It had me all over the place with both of these characters and the life adventure that they both go thru sepreately and together. If you enjoy reading books by Melody Grace you will definitely enjoy this book. I had to go back and reread some of my favorite chapters. The setting beautiful small town called Cold River, Colorado right before Thanksgiving. The way the author describes the settings, characters and feelings will have you right there with them.

First we meet Rae Trujillo, a stubborn and feisty thirty-something woman living with her parents and working in the family business. She has a huge secret that she keeps to herself and shoulders all her pain with her life choices and a family that somewhat drives her crazy. She makes one decision to help get her life back on track and start living again. Now to tell Riley Kittredge what she wants.

Riley is a brooding, tall, dark and handsome cowboy who has a thousand chips on his shoulders. He works for his family training horses on his land where he built a life for Rae and himself. So when Rae drops her life changing decision on his lap he doesn’t know how to react. So he decides to help Rae to get her life back together by helping her step out on the dating sceene. When secrets finally come to light about Rae will they be able to stick it out together or will it tear them apart.

This book will definitely have you turning pages to see what happens and why Rae made some of the decisions she made. The family dynamics in this book will have you laughing and crying and wanting to know more about both of their families. Rae’s friends are the ride-or-die kind and help and support all her decisions. I can’t wait for the next book to come out to see what’s in store for the Kittredge brothers.

~ Brooke

3,5 stars

Although this is book one in this new Caitlin Crews series, this series is a spin-off/continuation of her Cold River Ranch series. You absolutely do not have to read that series to read this one. But it’s great, so why not?

When the Kittredge family was delved into a bit in the book The Last Real Cowboy, Riley often ticked me off. He also had me really curious. It was mentioned now and again through that last series that Riley and Rae were married…or are married? It was never really explored, so I was excited to see this story was the exploration of that relationship.

I don’t hide the fact that I’m not big on characters having huge secrets. The thing is, usually the reader knows the big secret and that bad feeling in the pit of my stomach from knowing the secret is part of what I don’t like. In this story, the reader is as in the dark as Riley and all of Rae’s friends and family. Nobody knows why Rae left Riley all those years ago. The two had dated since high school and were always, very obviously, desperately head over heels for each other. And since Rae never elaborated to Riley, let alone anyone else in town, as to why the marriage didn’t work out, the small town filled in the blanks on their own. And she let them. I found myself filling in the blanks myself. I had a lot of scenarios in my head. I eventually hit on the right one, but I have to admit that it was a bit annoying to me how long we have to wait to find out the truth.

Rae is not good at speaking her truth. There is a scene with her friends where we learn the reason why she’s so tight-lipped, and I can’t blame the girl. This doesn’t me she’s a wallflower. Rae is actually very strong willed and outspoken…until it comes to things of consequence. She will defend her best girlfriends to the bitter end, no matter the situation. But don’t ask her anything personal about herself.

Riley is not much better at talking things out. Again, knowing his situation growing up it’s hard to blame the guy. But there comes a time when adults need to be adults if they want any sort of real and lasting connection to other adults, especially in a romantic sense.

All through this story I could feel the connection Riley and Rae have. I was rooting for them, for the most part. But I was more rooting for them to stop hurting each other and to actually talk more than anything else. Thankfully, the eventually begins to happen. To me, it felt like it dragged on for too long, though.

Just because this particular story didn’t hit the nail squarely on the head for me doesn’t mean I’m not still in love with this author. I will definitely be continuing this series. There are so many more people I want to see get their HEAs in this town.

SWEET NIGHTS WITH A COWBOY...
this short holiday novella was included in my ARC of Secret Nights with a Cowboy. From what I gather, it is also included in the final published copies of that story. Therefore, I’m marking it as book 2.5 in this series.

Like I said, this is a novella. Really short and sweet. We get the story of the youngest Kittredge brother; his first and only love Missy, what went wrong, and their fling when she comes back to town to lick her professional and emotional wounds. In other words, it’s a beautiful second-chance romance.

I found this story to be extremely sweet. Missy and Connor have amazing chemistry. And because, at first, Connor believes he has a finite amount of time before Missy finds a new job out of town and moves away again, he pulls out all the romantic stops to give them both some fun and happy memories. Very swoony.

Definitely a feel-good holiday story worth a read.

4 stars

What a great second chance romance with cowboys, small town atmosphere, family drama, lots of emotion, and a great debut to the Kittredge Ranch series by gifted author, Caitlin Crews. I loved the off-the-charts chemistry between Riley Kittredge and Rae Trojello and was rooting for their HEA as I was totally absorbed in all that was happening from start to finish. If you enjoy well-crafted contemporary cowboy romance, don't miss "Secret Nights with a Cowboy". I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

This was a heart-rending cowboy romance. I liked the characters but boy did they need communication skills. It was very well written with small town charm., which I love. I think it is a great start to a new series.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

No one is sure what is happening between Rae and Riley, are they divorced or still a couple. Something needs to change, and they need to start to actually communicate with each other.

This is a great second chance romance, they have always had a volatile marriage, they were too young, but when Rae asks for a divorce, can Riley show her all is not lost.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book is well written and the characters are described well. The friendships and the relationships within this book is great. The characters are enjoyable. It is set is Colorado. The pacing is perfect. This is my first book by Caitlin Crews book and I can't wait to read more by her in the future. This romance did not disappoint, it is well written. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. I can't wait to read more books by this author in the future. This book is in stores now for $7.99 (USD).

As teenagers Rae fell in love with Riley and thought she had found her happy ever after. Instead she found out that marriage wasn’t just about love and when she reached a breaking point she left her husband physically but her heart remained behind. As a result, even though they aren’t living as a couple that didn’t mean that they could stop the chemistry igniting between them in the subsequent years.

Eight years later when Riley is approached by Rae asking for a divorce as she needs to move forward with her life it changes everything. He isn’t about to just let the only woman he has ever loved leave his life and that means not only sorting through the misunderstandings of the past but convincing her that they have a future together.

This is a heartwarming story of two people who have always loved each other who needed to realize that with understanding trust they can have the life and love they have always wanted.

This was definitely a different kind of theme than what I am used to reading...a married couple. I love these because those of us who are married can relate to the ups and downs, lack of communication, wondering what is the best thing to do when you feel lost. Riley and Rae are both in serious confusion as to how to proceed with their marriage. The amount of time they took to come to their conclusion was staggering, but I get not wanting to let go of the one you love. When they were both finally able to tell their truths and examine their role in the demise, pure beauty came from it. They had healing, acceptance, and strength. Their relationship changed for the better and really makes you hope not only their problems work out but also in your own life.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher through Netgalley.

This is the second book in this series by this author. this story follows the characters Rae and Riley. This is a second chance romance story with lots of humor, heat and very hot chemistry between the characters. This is a well written story with engaging characters and an emotion filled plot line. This story is perfectly paced. I was hooked from the first chapter. This book has the perfect ending to the story.

I was given an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Even if I found it poignant and well written the story didn't keep my attention and it fell flat.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This series apparently overlaps the Cold River Ranch series since Book 3 of that series is Book 1 in this series. So that's a bit confusing. But if you've read the Cold River series, then you'll recognize most of the characters in this one, which is good, since there are a lot of family members and friends to remember.

It took me 5 DAYS to finish this book. Now that may not seem like a lot, but for ebooks, I'm usually done with them in less than 2. I struggled with this book from the very beginning. The author writes long chapters and I quickly remembered that, but dealt with it. I think after this one I'm just going to have to give up on this being an author I will like since I've yet to rate any of the 5 books I've read over 2-3 stars and this one was just 2.5 for me. The Kittredge Brothers did intrigue me though...Others obviously like the books, so maybe it's just a 'it's me, not you' thing. If anything, she certainly writes books that either makes you love or hate a character.

The problem was that I absolutely hated Rae and that's putting it nicely. Honestly, there wasn't anything about her I liked. She and Riley are married (although kinda still in secret). But she left Riley without any explanation 8 years ago and moved in with her parents. 8 YEARS AGO!!! And with NO EXPLANATION! Yes, you heard that right. Yet she still shows up on his doorstep ever so often for sex and she leaves before the sun comes up. She keeps having inner thoughts about something devastating that happened 8 years ago that caused her to leave (which I predicted right away).

Even after the big reveal at the very end of the book, I had lost all patience for her and found her completely to blame for their breakup. The simple fact was that she didn't trust her husband of many years and instead left him and stayed away for 8 years before finally admitting what caused her to leave. And it wasn't justified in the least, regardless of what Riley seemed to think about himself. When you're married to someone you've been in love with since a teen and you can't seem to communicate and be honest, then you shouldn't be married at all.

And then there's the fighting. Not physical - although they do mention that she hits him sometimes when her temper gets the best of her, which is often with him. But she shows up at his house, they argue and then that somehow riles them both up and makes them want to jump each other's bones and that's what they do. It wasn't at all a healthy relationship.

Fair warning, there isn't any cheating in that the other kisses/sleeps with someone else, but Rae does decide she wants to start dating someone and she does some awkward flirting and dancing with another man at a bar, all while Riley watches and grins and encourages her (even though he hates it).

I have to give it to Riley, he certainly had the patience of a saint to wait around for 8 years for her to come back to him and tell him what happened. I certainly couldn't have waited it out for someone that didn't want me and that didn't love me enough to trust me. And when she said she wanted a divorce and wanted to date, he put up with it and grinned the whole time despite it eating him up inside. He wasn't the best hero, but it wasn't bad either and I had a lot of respect for him since he kept his vows and knew Rae was the only woman for him, even if it made him look like a broody lonely guy to everyone else.

They don't actually get back together as a couple until the end of the book (maybe 2 chapters from the end), so if you're expecting a romance, well, you won't get that. Just a lot of soap opera drama that gets dragged out until Rae finally breaks and comes clean with Riley.

4 1/2 Stars!

Oh this couple!! Riley and Rae grabbed my heart and ran with it. They were married right out of high school which sounds really sweet. Unfortunately, things didn't go smoothly and they've been "separated" for around eight years. When Rae tells Riley she wants a divorce so they can both finally move on, he's shocked. He knows he'll have to handle things carefully to not fully chase Rae away. He concocts a plan for them to "be friends" and help one another ease back into the dating world.

Even though the characters' inner dialogues are often somewhat amusing and could make me giggle, the overall storyline is quite serious. Truthfully, my heart broke in two with Riley and Rae's emotional drama. Their love for one another was so obvious. Unfortunately, it was damaged by some events earlier in their marriage that had never been properly addressed. For this reason, they didn't quite know how to proceed and kept falling back into bad habits with one another. To witness their pain at not being whole and complete in their love and marriage was crushing. I found myself feeling frustrated with them at times, but then I also just wanted to give them each a hug and some advice.

One thing I know for sure is that I loved the people of Cold River. I have to now go back and read the previous series just because I want those stories as well. I'm quite impressed with Ms. Crews' ability to combine heartbreak, hope, loyalty and a little humor to build an incredible story.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

A perfect read to hunker down with when needing something to fall into this one will do. Riley and Rae give us their story with the passion that was and still is. She has in mind what she wants and he says he does too. As this unfolds we see things become obstacles but as a reader you stick with them seeing if they can survive it all.

This book was interesting. Rae was married to Riley but they were living apart. She had moved in with her parents and most of the town thought they were divorced but they were not divorced. This book clearly showed how secrets can hurt and destroy a marriage and how important it is to communicate and be honest with each other.

I enjoyed some of the humorous parts of the story that happened and I also enjoyed how the story ended. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

SECRET NIGHTS WITH A COWBOY is a very fascinating look at love, life, marriage too young, and second chances.

SECRET NIGHTS WITH A COWBOY is the first of author Caitlin Crews' new Kittredge Ranch series and a seriously enticing read.

By Annetta Sweetko for Fresh Fiction

Complete review: https://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=72451