Although I think it is a standalone read, this book is part of a series. I like it when walk-on characters have been in other stories as it is like catching up with old friends. SNwaC is about Rae Trujillo and Riley Kittredge. They are what I would call a perfect example of a combustible couple. They were sweethearts for fuh-evah, grew up together, and married right out of high school. They burned brightly and then imploded and split…or did they?

These two are clearly in love with each other but haven’t spoken in years. Or have they? It was a great premise – and I won’t give too many details so as not to spoil the story for anyone – but I wish I could have sat the two of them down and told them to just talk! In any case, they end up giving each other dating advice and in a small town? You can bet some of the scenes are hilarious.

The families are something. Hooboy, everyone has an opinion! At the core, they are right behind Rae and Riley, but there is much drama in both families. Rae’s mother and grandmother cracked me up, most of the time, as I can picture (what I like to call) their rivalry. And Riley’s brothers and father have just as much going on as the Trujillos only they express it in a different way.

I liked this story when it had Rae and Riley actually talking to one another. The results were pretty amazing, considering some of the secrets these two kept from each other.

Romantic story with the usual handsome hero and beautiful,feisty heroine. We follow their complicated romance till it all sorts itself out.

A story with a lot of emotional depth. Rae and Riley have a tempestuous marriage. She has a secret that she has not shared with her husband. They have dated since high school but have not learned how to be married to each other. Small town life has added to the complexity of the relationship with everyone having an opinion. It gets really intense as they finally confront the issues and sort out their feelings and find that true love still can heal hearts.

Riley is a cool glass of cowboy. I wanted to wrestle him away from Rae. I loved his devotion and his love for her, despite all of the strains in their marriage. Riley and Rae have synergy and their bond may have become frayed but it's unbroken. I love Riley's reverse psychology ploy on Rae and how much it pained him to act nonchalant and indifferent. One of the best scenes is in the bar and the skimpy dress. It was just like an old western where everyone waited with baited breath for the Riley volcano to erupt. I did think it was a little unrealistic and foolish that these two would carry on for the length of time without delving into the crux of their problems. It's an intense read but every scene with Riley was pure pleasure.

Riley first realized that he had feelings for Rae when he was 14-years old. Unfortunately, Rae was only 12 at the time, and he was horrified by the idea. A few years later, when she was an appropriate age, he acted on his feelings. They dated through high school and married as soon as she graduated.

However, things didn’t proceed as smoothly as one might have expected. They fought and fought, and Rae finally moved out of their home. Despite moving out, they secretly spent many nights together in the interim. Eventually, Rae decided that it would be best for them both if they divorced and moved on, still feeling unable to tell Riley the truth about why she left him in the first place.

This decision prompted Riley, to hatch a plan for winning Rae back. Will Riley’s plan bring them back together again or will it backfire? Can two deeply flawed people who come from deeply flawed families find a way to honestly address the issues that have kept them apart for eight years?

Secret Nights With A Cowboy is a contemporary romance with a western twist by Caitlin Crews. Ms. Crews has provided readers with a well-written book and filled it with outstanding characters. Rae is living with her family after leaving her husband. After years of sneaking back to him at night, she's decided it's time to end things. Riley doesn't know why Rae left him but he wants her back where she belongs. Riley and Rae's story is packed with drama, humor and smoking hot sexy bits. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to my next book by Caitlin Crews. Secret Nights With A Cowboy is book 1 of the Kittredge Ranch Series. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was well written but, I didn’t really connect with Rae or Riley. I understood Riley better than Rae. Rae seemed to be stuck in a time warp and couldn’t (or wouldn’t) tell Riley what went wrong when they were young and first married. But, Riley didn’t have a clue and he still loved her. She would get defensive and angry with him even though she knew he didn’t know what he did wrong. Thankfully, secrets were revealed and they can finally live their lives.

Riley and Rae are high school sweethearts who marry as soon as Rae graduates. Their love is explosive and so is the rest of their relationship. Rae moves out but refuses to tell Riley why. After years of being married but not living together and when in public completely ignoring each other, Rae decides it is time for a divorce. This sets a whole new Riley into motion. Will they find their way back to each other or is it really time to finally move on?

4.5 Stars!

Riley and Rae married right out of high school while still a little self-centered, immature, and lacking in awareness. Separated, but not divorced, it's been nearly a decade since they lived under the same roof and Rae has decided it's time to move on.

This book might be book one in the Kittredge Ranch series, but it's setting is in the same town along with familiar characters from Crews's previous Cold River Ranch, 3-book series. While Grey and Abby's story in book 1 of that first series will be an all-time favorite, the wonderful characters and emotional story arc of this this book comes close. I love when an author can write a romance about a married couple and give me the same kind of affecting connection that I would feel in the typical boy-meets-girl romance. I could relate to this couple and their hasty decisions from the past, as well as their struggle to confront those choices and move forward.

The writing was evocative as Riley and Rae worked to figure out their future, together or apart. There were intimately sensitive moments and abject character growth throughout, as well as a realistically moving conclusion. When the story ended, I felt like it was only the beginning of their romance and I wanted more. Hopefully, there'll be significant scenes with them in the next two books featuring Riley's brothers.

Bonus Novella:
Sweet Nights with a Cowboy - 4 Stars

This was a novella featuring Riley's youngest brother, Connor, and his second chance romance with his high school sweetheart. I loved the little bit of Connor that we saw in Riley’s book and while I would have loved reading his full-length story, I was thrilled not to have to wait to long for another Kittredge romance. This was a short romance, but the author did a fine job in developing the relationship with a sweetly attentive, yet more complicated Connor than he first appeared. It was the perfect holiday setting for this renewed romance.

I had a hard time with this book. I started as stopped a few times to see if I could get into it by the characters act as like children. Their failure to communicate caused 8 years of pain and anguish.
It was all a little much for me.

Secret Nights with a Cowboy by Caitlin Crews was a huge disppointment to read as I had read some of the author's other novels and had enjoyed them. This one just left me....cold. Rae Trujillo and Riley Kittredge married right out of high school but had been separated since Rae walked out on him eight years before. Everyone thought they were divorced, but they never had. They were still sex buddies, although no one knew that. But, Rae finally wanted a divorce for her own reasons.

Their back and forth arguments, then jumping in the sack were exhausting and childish. I pushed through and finished the novel, but was not impressed. I hope others enjoy it more than I did!

Thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I love this new series by author Caitlin Crews. We’re still in Cold River Colorado but we’re watching the Kittredge clan find their soul mates this time. Rae & Riley are such a heartbreaking couple, my heart just hurt for them through the entire book. Marrying young as true soulmates & thinking they have their future set out in stone, heartbreak that only one of them is aware of breaks them. As Rae & Riley’s relationship changes they find that fighting & sex is all they have. Wanting something different Rae decides that it has to end, but Riley’s sure there’s still something there & he still doesn’t know what caused them to break up. Neither are ready for what is about to happen but when the truth comes out we see what true soulmates really are.
I also enjoyed the novella at the end about Connor & Missy that seems to be taking place at the same time as Rae & Riley’s story. Teenage lovers are reunited thirteen years later when Missy comes back to town after her life is shattered by her former fiancé. As we watch Connor & Missy reconnect, we get to see the sweet, soft side of Connor that he’s hidden since he & Missy broke up as teenagers in high school. It was sweet to see him court her all the while thinking that she would be leaving him soon. It was fun to see him surprised as Missy laid her heart on the line for him as she opened up her heart more to him. I’m hoping we’ll see more of Connor & Missy in the future. Definitely recommend to read. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press & Net Galley for letting me read this book for an honest review.

If you've read any of Caitlin Crews Cold River Ranch series you have already been introduced to the Kittridge family. I was excited to see that we were going to get to stay in Cold River and get to know more members of their family better.

Riley Kittridge and Rae Trujillo have known one another since childhood and they are truly what people refer to as soulmates. They dated in high school and married young, which was both a blessing and a curse. They found love early, but they grew apart early in their marriage for reasons that Riley wasn't privy too. Rae left him without explanation. They loved fiercely and fighting and bickering was just a normal part of their relationship.

Over the course of the next eight years, Rae, who works in her family's flower shop, and Riley, who trains horses at his family ranch don't speak in public, act like they hate one another and have led the town to believe they got divorced, but did not. They couldn't stay away from one another. Rae would show up at their home, they would fight and then fall into bed.

Rae has gotten to a point in her life that she's ready to move out of her parents house and move on. She puts the wheels in motion to do this and further confuses Riley since he doesn't know what destroyed their marriage to begin with. She's the only woman he's ever loved and he hasn't moved on and isn't ready to. Will Rae finally come clean about why she left him to begin with? And will Riley be able to understand why she did it?

This novel showcased how experiences you go through influence how you handle experiences in the future. Both Rae and Riley had seen their parents less than perfect marriages and they held on to those memories as they entered their own union. This also was a great reminder that communication is one of the most important parts of a relationship. If you don't communicate, it can't get better or be understood. I really enjoyed these characters, but I'd be lying if I didn't want to shake some sense into them from time to time!

I'm looking forward to more of what the Kittridge Ranch series has to offer!

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

This one is hard to review. If I can take the actions of Rae without her secret then I must have been as confused as Riley. Why would your wife who you are wild about just move out and act like your relationship is over while in public, but show up at your door almost nightly to be a "married couple". No explanations of what went wrong, what direction you want to go in, nothing. Then in the same manner show up to tell you she wants a divorce, again after everything going along status quo.

Rae is not good with how she handles herself or her feelings. Yes she was hurt, yes it was traumatic, but yes she went overboard in her reaction- or better yet in how she treated her husband.

While I did not like Rae's actions, or reactions, I still give the book 4 stars because either way I felt passionate about her personal story and wanted to see Rae and Riley back together. This book gets your emotionally involved with the characters, and while you may or may not like their actions, that's a great thing when the writer can draw you in and you still want that character to get the happily ever after even if you want to smack her silly!

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me through NetGalley. This book was just absolutely wonderful. It was just so easy to get lost in and I just couldn’t put it down. I just lost myself within this amazing story. I most definitely will read more by this author.

Rae and Riley fell in love early and got married straight out of high school. It was all set to be an epic love story until Rae moves out and won’t tell anyone why- not her friends, not her family, and not Riley. That doesn’t mean she can herself from Riley so for 8 long years she makes the drive to the home he built for them at night and gives into the chemistry they still share. But eight years is a long time to remain in a holding pattern so Rae decided it is time to make some changes and finally getting a divorce is top of her list. Riley is not on board.

Caitlin Crews can really write the longing and anguish in a relationship and knows when to add in some humor to keep things from getting too heavy. I got swept away by all of the emotion in this book. I loved Riley and, although I didn’t love Rae, I was fully invested in their HEA even though the reason for their separation was more irritating than anything.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 STARS

Riley Kittredge is a member of a ranching family with five siblings who make an art out of being stubborn, ornery, and determined to run their lives in a totally opposite way from their parents. Riley has only ever loved one woman: Rae Trujillo. They married way too young, but Riley never really let her go when they ostensibly split up. During the day, Riley and Rae pretend to be estranged and do their best to ignore each other whenever they meet up. Things change at night though when Rae visits Riley under the cover of darkness because the one place they were totally in alignment was bedroom. They go at each other with loud voices and harsh words that always ends in the bedroom or any other surfaces that suit them.

After eight years of this nonsense, Rae is done and ready to move on with her life. Rae’s own family life is less than stellar as the multi-generation house where she lives while also working in the family business is about as comfortable as sitting on cactus. She decides to move in with a friend in town to get away from them and put distance between the house Riley built for her and still lives in.

The truth is Riley and Rae still love each other although neither one knows how to come back from all their years of fighting and falling into bed. They each need to grow up and stop reliving their high school years and drowning in small-town angst where everyone knows all the inhabitant’s business. For Rae and Riley, skulking around is not helping them to mature or move on.

This book is a spinoff from the Cold River Ranch series featuring another local family. A story with lots of angst, over the top emotions, and characters who at time deserve a whack with their own books, this one will take readers on a rocky ride. There is also a bonus story featuring Riley’s youngest brother, Connor, and a girl his high school sweetheart who is back in town, Melissa.

WOW! Where do I begin.

It is hard for me to love a book when I do not like the main characters.

Rae and Riley have been married since right after she graduated from high school. They live in a small town where everyone knows everyone else. Their situation – being separated has been public knowledge for all the years they have lived apart.

I did not like Rae. She acts like a selfish child. She has a secret which is part of her marriage but she has never shared that secret with her husband. She never talks to him about what has hurt her. She never gives him an opportunity to work things out with her. She also never talks to anyone else who might giver her advice that would help her.

I was not Riley’s greatest fan either. He plays mind games with Rae. But, his faults are minor compared to hers.

Each of these people come from imperfect families. But, c’mon, that does not mean that neither one of them have ever learned to communicate with other human beings.

Most of all, pages and pages of this book are filled with descriptions and inner thoughts.

I prefer actions, conversations and personal interactions.

I enjoyed some of the secondary characters. Rae’s friends are entertaining. Riley’s brothers are obviously interesting people who deserve books of their own.

Over all, this book is not for me.

I received the book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own.

There was lots of angst and a lack of communication but I really enjoyed Riley and Rae's story!

They were in the other series, Cold River Ranch, along with many others from the Kitteridge and Everett families but they're the only ones already married. In fact they've only ever been with each other and aren't very good at being exes since they are still married and still hook-up regularly even though they have been separated for 8 years.

You get an idea pretty early on of the problem that contributed to Rae leaving Riley but not the whole story that really sheds a light on the problems they weren't able to get past. Lots of heartbreak but also some humour to round out a great cowboy love story.

There was also a bonus short story featuring Riley's youngest brother Connor and Missy, another high school sweetheart, that I really enjoyed. I look forward to the next story in the series!

I was provided an ARC by NetGalley and St Martins in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first time I've read this author but won't be the last. In fact, with this book being #1 in the series, I'm looking forward to the rest of the stories surrounding these characters. I gave this story 4 stars as an average of how I felt about the storytelling and writing.

The parts I loved were the alternating POV's which were key in this story of Riley and Rae where there is a past so we get to see how each feels about their present feelings and circumstances. The draw of the book is that you can immediately feel that these two are meant to be together yet something big happened in the past that's separated them. I had my theories on what could have possibly happened to bring these two to their current relationship and with all the back and forth, you feel like it has to be a BIG event that happened. I'm not going to spoil anything by sharing how I felt about the cause of Rae's leaving Riley. I believe this story really had more emphasis though in relaying the feelings that are involved in a love match gone wrong versus exposing a huge event that had to be overcome. The alternating POV's really helped in this regard and boy, as a reader my heart melted for Riley. In fact, I probably spent most of the big scratching my head at Rae's choices but it was still a good read.

The two characters were great and Riley was definitely a strong H while Rae had her strengths but definitely had some weight on her shoulders that she needed to overcome. This was the part I liked and didn't like in the story. The author really wrote out Riley and Rae's dialogs well and I was able to connect with each of them because of this. In fact, I felt that there was a little too much writing or words for my preference although others might enjoy it. It didn't distract from the story and I just skipped through the parts that were too wordy for me.

This story was truly romantic in parts which is something else I really enjoyed. It was also unique in that these two already have a relationship so the angst in the story was trying to figure out how it went wrong when it seems like they're soulmates. I highly recommend this for the romance readers out there.