Prodigal daughter, Angela Dalton, comes home to Dry Creek Ranch. Mentioned in the previous books as being missing, she was in the Witness Protection Program. Wanting to change the world, she bought a farm to raise crops for the poor, but arm dealers stepped in and she was lucky to get out a live. But it seems that the trial is coming up soon and with everyone locked up, she thought it would be safe to come home. Cowboy and saddle maker Tuff Garrison lives across the creek. He has a dark history and doesn't get involved with anyone, but Angie's brother, cousin and their wives have slowly been drawing him in and as much as he fights to stay away from Angie, she is too young for him, he has darkness inside him, guilt...etc. he just can't keep away from her, especially when danger comes to her door.

Terrific characters, witty repartee, interesting info about leather work, running a ranch and beautifully described scenery, make this book a pleasure to read. I read an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Stacy Finz never lets me down. Cowboy Proud was a really enjoyable book. Gotta love a cowboy and the girl who falls for him. I look forward to Finz's next book!

I loved the last book in this series Cowboy strong so was excited to get stuck into this one and I was not disappointed. I loved Tuff he just does his own thing in life and been happy with things as is until Angela and as much as he just wants to keep moving he can't because what's between him and Angela is too hawt to ignore! This has the perfect mix of undeniable attraction, danger, love, family, laughs and worry as well as learning to trust and open yourself up to a different path in life.

Moving home can be jarring especially especially after being in witness protection.

Angela has dedicated her life to different groups to do good for society. She travels around the world and ends up accidentally funding a terrorist organization. When she turns on them and ends up in WITSEC, she leaves behind her family. After years, she comes out of the program and goes to her family's farm in Northern California where she lives in a cabin on the property next to Tuff. Helping with the family business and being neighbors with the handsome cowboy next door is a lot to take on, but she slowly acclimates to her life again while looking over her shoulder for any remaining threats.

I love this series. The small town life that the Dalton's experience and come to embrace makes it such a fun read. You step inside the pages of the series and laugh and cry with the characters do. The town is a family and they step up when everyone needs help. Over the course of the series, you see the Daltons build their farm to what it becomes in this novel and it was so interesting to see the creative ideas they have to keep their legacy.

I loved reading about Angela and Tuff as they get to know each other and become friends and then more, but it was so nice to revisit the other Daltons and get a peak into their lives. It made the story feel more real and made me have a smile for 95% of the book.

Stacy Finz is one my favorite authors and I love the Nugget series. When I discovered that she has several others, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to read them. I will never not recommend her books to other people because they are absolutely fantastic!

I received an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

Loved reading this book and author. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend her and her books. Happy reading

Cowboy Proud (Dry Creek Ranch #4). By Stacy Finz. 2021. Kensington Books (ARC eBook).

I have really enjoyed Finz’s Dry Creek Ranch series. The Dalton men and their spouses are a great bunch and have been working hard to save the ranch they inherited from their much beloved grandfather. And Sawyer’s sister and Cash and Jace’s cousin, Angela, who has now returned from years in the WITSEC program, finds herself just as committed to have the ranch and fledgling shopping center a success. But she can’t help but worry that she may have brought danger home with her. Living and working at Dry Creek Ranch, cowboy and saddle maker, Tuff Garrison has finally settled down, but he has been a loner for a long time. His new neighbor Angela invokes his protective nature, but he is reluctant to advance past friendship with her, despite his deeper feelings. A recommend for those looking to read an emotional romance mixed with some suspense, strong family, and cute animals.

I am so glad the author chose to write Angie's story and this was a nail-biter. Even though she doesn't believe it, Angie has so much courage and is so much tougher than she thinks. Tuff is a loner with his own tragic past. He has no desire to settle down or get involved with anyone, but he can't resist Angie or the protective pull he feels for her. Such a compelling storyline that I didn't want it to end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lyrical Press for this advanced review copy. In return, I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This book was good. What attracted me the most was the cowboy in the title. I'm obsessed with cowboys so I thought sure, why not? Loved it!

Cowboy Proud continues the Dry Creek Ranch series with an intense romance full of sizzle and danger as Angela and Tuff face her past on the way to their own future.

Sometimes I believe that a series goes one book beyond when it naturally wrapped up — for me, not necessarily for anyone else. My opinion, yours may differ and that’s perfectly fine. I think that the Dry Creek Ranch series had wrapped up nicely in Cowboy Strong. Sure, there was one family member who hadn’t had their story told but we were given answers that lead the reader to believe that the missing member was fine and happy right where they were. Again, this is my opinion, and I’m defining that opinion by saying there were so many things in Angela and Tuff’s story that I cannot believe would ever happen or be allowed to happen to someone in the Witness Protection System… it just makes no sense for Angela to be allowed to return home when those she’s testifying against, the reason she’s in Witness Protection at all have not yet come to trial or been convicted and sent to prison. And that is only one example, I’m not about to spoil the entire book for anyone by nitpicking reasons that didn’t make sense to me, personally.

The story is good, and again, in my opinion, deserves the four-star rating I gave it. The plot is tight, the feel of the story flows easily, and I’ll always pick up a Stacy Finz book. There were simply too many things that I couldn’t believe to allow me to fall into the story accepting everything on the pages without question. Yet, that decision is reader-based, and your opinion may differ from mine so please pick up Cowboy Proud and make up your own mind on how this series ends. Overall, I enjoyed Tuff and Angela’s story as I watched two wounded in different ways people find their way to happiness. If you’ve followed the series then you’ll meet up with familiar faces, if you haven’t read the earlier books I’d recommend going to the first book, Cowboy Up, before stepping into this world at this point, it will all make more sense if you read from start to finish, again, my opinion.

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

I have been reading Stacy Finz since her very early Nugget series. She is one of my favorite authors. I'm usually lucky enough to get one of her ARCs on NetGalley in exchange for a review soon after finishing the book. I really liked the book which is the fourth book in what was originally going to be a trilogy oof three cousins, who work to save their late grandfather's cattle ranch in Northern California. One of the cousins had a sister who had been missing for years and since the author had so many requests over the years, she finally decided to write her story. It was a wonderful conclusion to the series, and I look forward to whatever she has next coming out. I want to aapologize to NetGalley , as well as the author Stacy Finz and the publisher for posting this so late; I really thought I had posted it

Cowboy Proud by Stacy Finz
Dry Creek Ranch #4

Loved it…great addition to this series!

What I liked:
* Angie: strong, focused, caring, protective, honest, true, and so much more. I would love to have her as a friend.
* Tuff: quiet, generous, artistic, professional, cowboy, saddle maker, craftsman, deep, more than he realizes. Loved this man!
* Finding out the backstories of Angie and Tuff
* Buddy: the abandoned dog that Tuff took in – a keeper
* The way Angie worked to make the store successful
* The slow growing relationship between Angie and Tuff
* The plot and how it unfolded
* When Tuff finally read the letter from his mother
* The way the family worked together to succeed while supporting one another
* Getting to see the characters from previous books – wouldn’t mind living in their town!
* That the baddies were thwarted

What I didn’t like:
* Knowing that there are evil groups out there just like the one in this book
* Thinking about how difficult it must have been for Tuff and Angie at various times of their lives

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington-Lyrical Press for the ARC – This is my honest review

5 Stars

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to mevia NetGalley. This book was just amazing. I just lost myself in this story anddidn’t want it to end. It was really well written and just drew in you intothese characters lives. I look forward to seeing what’s next from this author.

If you've been reading this series then you have been waiting for this book. I was so happy to finally get to visit with Angela. Throughout the series, her family has been worried about her. We really needed to know what happened to her. So finally we have our answers.

I so loved Angela. She's so sweet and full of guilt. I won't ruin her story by telling you it I'll wait for you to read it yourself. Believe me when I say it will be worth it. Because of what happened when she was away she is very nervous around both her family and strangers and really has to learn to calm down. You understand why she felt that way and really felt for her. I enjoy her reunion with her brother. He worked so hard to find out what happened to her and worried so much.

Right away you know that she'll need a special man in her life. One that is tough enough to protect and strong enough to know that she has to do some things on her own. One to stand beside her.

Tuff is just that man. Even if he doesn't know it yet.

I really liked Tuff. He's such a good guy that doesn't give himself enough credit. I get that his home life before he left wasn't the best but at times I thought he used that as an excuse to get people away. He needed to learn that he was worth more.

As these two work on resolving their pasts and moving forward with their futures, you'll be reading a wonderful story. I'm always so glad to be reading a story by Stacy Finz. Her books are so easy to read and you'll love the characters.

I loved the danger angle of Angie and Tuff’s story. But I didn’t feel any chemistry between them. Tuff seemed downright rude sometimes but Angie kept on coming back. Angie’s brushes with danger are what kept me going. This is why I gave it 4 stars.

Cowboy Proud was the perfect ending to the Dry Creek Ranch series. I loved Tuff and his rescue dog Buddy! He's one of my favorite heroes and I really enjoyed his and Angie's story.

“All he knew was that every time he was with her, he felt like he was home. Even more startling about that revelation was that before Angie he hadn’t even known what home felt like.”
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Finally, we get Angela Dalton’s story! I’ve been reading Stacy Finz’s books for several years and loved the previous books in her Dry Creek Ranch series. Though it’s a series, this could also work as a standalone. The first three books focus on her two cousins and brother and their quest to save the family ranch from bankruptcy (oh, and they fall in love, too). Angie returns after six years of absence and time in the witness protection program. Tuff lives at the ranch (he owns a leather shop in the tourist village) in the cabin across from Angie’s. How convenient! 😉 Danger is lurking from Angie’s past, however.
Things I liked:
* Tuff’s growth throughout and willingness to accept love
* Updates on the Dry Creek Ranch families
* Learning Angie’s full story and seeing her new journey and starting over
At times, Angie ignored gut feelings when there were clear signs of potential danger. Her cousins are cops, get their help and input! But, I could empathize with her desire to take care of herself and have a sense of normal after many years of being watched over by witness protection. Tuff and Angie’s shift from neighbors to friendship into love was also well developed and very satisfying to read.
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Thank you to NetGalley and Kensingtonbooks for the advanced copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Cowboy Proud is an entertaining read with wonderful characters. It has action, suspense and danger. This book pulled me in from the beginning and kept me turning the pages until the end.

This is a story about Angela Dalton who returns to Dry Creek Ranch after being in the Witness Protection Program and a stranger from her family for the past six years.

Tuff is just a cowboy without roots and an extremely complicated past. He prefers to live a simple life and keep to himself, but Angie Dalton lives in the cabin across the creek.

I’ve enjoyed reading the different books in this series. You do not have to read them in any order, but chronologically they flow better. They are romance novels with just the right amount of suspense!

Cowboy Proud by Stacy Finz opens with the return of Angie, who has been missing for 6 years. It has been a struggle, for her family and her cousins, but now she's home. Is she struggling? Absolutely. She has no idea of her place in the world anymore. She had no idea how to fir in at Dry Creek Ranch. It was one-fourth hers but she had never done anything to make it better or help pay the huge tax debt her grandfather had left behind. Not to worry: the men had a solution. Didn't they always. She was to work in Dalton's-the gourmet grocery store they had opened. It was struggling and they hoped she could make a difference. Except she knew nothing about groceries or any other kind of retail. She got to live in a cabin on the ranch, right across the stream from another cabin, in which a cowboy names Tuff lived. He had a shop in the center near Dalton's-he made leather goods, primarily saddles. His business in custom saddles was mostly online but he needed a workshop and his storefront worked. He was tasked with keeping an eye on Angie, as he lived so close.

This has been a terrific series. The cousins are all strong men who have found women to love. There's Sawyer, the writer; Jace, the sheriff; and Cash, the ex-FBI man turned livestock inspector. They were a bunch who, along with their wives had come up with the idea of the center to bolster the family cattle business, which no longer paid for itself. Angie saw the sense and was actually excited. Readers have so anticipated Angie's discovery and eventual return that this was almost anti-climactic. These are terrific personalities and it is good to see them again and be on Dry Creek Ranch. This story is far from being a surprise but it is paced well and the plot is not entirely transparent. There's plenty of family drama as well as Angie's drama and it is well worth the read. I loved it! Go, Stacy Finz!

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Cowboy Proud by Lyrical Press Books, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #lyricalpressbooks #stacyfinz #cowboyproud

This book could be read as a stand alone but I would definitely read the whole series first. I really enjoyed Angie's story, her family, and her return to Dry Creek Ranch. She had missed so much over the past six years while in the federal Witness Security Program. The story was full of mystery, suspense, and romance. It was so interesting to learn about her sexy neighbor, Tuff who lived right across the creek from her. He owned Tuff's Saddlery and was not able to give his heart or love to anyone because of his past. I enjoyed reading to find out what would happen between them and if Angie's life was still in danger. It was also fun catching up with Angie's brother, Sawyer and her cousins, Jace and Cash from the other books. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.