I went into That Cowboy of Mine thinking it was going to be a romance story revolving around a hunky cowboy (I admit to not reading the book blurb). Boy, was I surprised, and not in a bad way. This was a great romantic thriller with a hunky cowboy and a strong female lead. There was only one romantic scene, so if you are hoping for a lot of steam and romance, this is not the book you are looking for. Dillon and Cal work so well together and you can tell there is a spark between them from the very beginning.
There is plenty of action, mystery, and suspense to keep the reader engaged in the story. All these twists and turns made for a quick read. I did figure out the twist about ¾ of the way through the book. I would classify this as a cowboy cozy mystery. I will be adding more of Donna Grant’s books to my TBR list.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for an eArc of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was 95% suspense and 5% romance, which was the most disappointing part of the book. I love a good suspense, but if I read a romance novel, I want actual romance thrown in.

I'll start off with the good of this book. I enjoyed the suspense, and definitely didn't see that plot twist coming with the bad guys in the end, Talk about surprised! Isaac reminded me of Boss Hog from the Dukes of Hazard, but with a deadly and ruthless side, uncaring of the law. The whole cast of villainous men played their parts perfectly. I also loved Chet, the ranger sent to investigate the horse theft, but someone who played a pivotal role in the plot. The beginning action seemed to drag and I found myself not eager to get back to the book, but I stuck it out and thoroughly enjoyed the action of the second half.

As noted, there's very little romance to this romance novel. What little romance we get is really just over the course of a day or two and only involves them sharing a few dances at the annual town dance and of course sharing the bed that night. Then...that's it. The 'I love you's' weren't at all believable by the end given how little time they had spent together outside of an employer/employee relationship. And Dillon still didn't completely trust Cal, so that made the love even less believable. But they used the 'when you know, you know' excuse to call it love. I do believe Cal loved Dillon, but I'm not buying Dillon's declaration of love.

Another part that niggled me was that Dillon goes from making some phone calls about the ranch to hating Cal and kicking him out within a few paragraphs. No explanations as to why at the time, it was just a Jekyll and Hyde moment. It honestly came out of left field and I found myself flipping back to make sure I didn't miss a page or three. I've read this author's "Heart of Texas" series and haven't noticed that type of disconnection in plot or character actions, but this time it definitely screamed 'something is missing' while reading. Even an emotional build-up that we could see coming would have helped. But this truly did happen randomly and made no sense.

I loved Cal, he was a great man. He deserved better than Dillon. I was not a fan of her, especially in the end. We received lots of never-ending 'I shouldn't have trusted the guy' inner dialogue for chapters and I honestly began skimming it after a while. We get it, she didn't trust him. We didn't need to keep being reminded every time she had a thought about him (which was often).

Bottom line, if you're reading this for the suspense, then you'll be happy since that part is good. If you're reading this for romance, then you'll probably be disappointed and maybe even a bit annoyed at Dillon's actions.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ for Suspense
⭐ for romance

This was a quick and easy read. It's a romantic suspense that starts with the action right at the beginning, which is why I easily read this in one sitting. There isn't much mystery to who the bad guys are, but I still found this a good suspense read. I also really liked Cal and Dillon, our main couple. Cal pretty much feel in love at first site and yet, I would still consider this a slow burn romance. You could tell Dillon wanted to trust Cal from the beginning but too much had happened to let her guard down. This was a good read.

This is a great book. The two main characters are Dillion and Cal. They meet one morning at Dillion’s ranch. Dillion has a gun pointed at Cal, asking what he is doing on her ranch? He doesn’t remember anything from the previous night. He learns someone is trying to take her ranch. He offers to help. They have many problems from someone trying to kill Dillion, to let her stud horse out, finding out there is topaz under Dillion’s ranch, finding out someone killed her ranch, and Cal taking a bullet meant for Dillion. But figure it out and fall in love.

Fun cowboy romance with twists and turns that kept me eager to keep turning each page. This was a little lacking in some areas for my taste, but overall a fun enjoyable afternoon read.

Cal has been a bull rider for many years but when he didn't qualify at the latest he decided to take his loss straight to the bar. When he woke up he had a gun pointed at him by a nice looking woman threatened to shoot him. When Dillon started asking question he had no answer cause last he could remember was at a bar. Later he realized that things were not right and was determined to find answers.
Thank you netgalley for allowing me a advanced order

This was a quick easy read. There was suspense with a little bit of romance. Dillion inherited this ranch and refuses to sale and now all kinds of crazy things are happening. Will Dillion cave to the pressure and sale or is she willing to die to keep it?

This book is the literal definition of Insta love. He it starts with our male MC opening his eyes and being like “dang that’s a hot woman”. Which usually is not my jam I like more of a slow burn. The plot was interesting enough to keep me engaged. I would say this was a good book it wasn’t like omg great. For a romance I would put it at two peppers for not being fade to black but also not having a ton of spice.

Thanks Netgalley for the arc of this book!

I am new to the author but happily accepted the chance to read this contemporary western romance mystery. Dillon owns a small ranch she inherited from her beloved aunt. Her neighbor, who owns a giant ranch next door has made several offers by buy her out but she refuses. On the day that her prize stallion is stolen she discovers Cal on her ranch property. Cal is a rodeo bull rider who didn’t make the cut for the current circuit. He went on a drinking binge the night before and isn’t sure how he ended up on her property. But when someone starts shooting at them things start getting dangerous.

I will admit I seldom read cowboy romances as a sub genre because I dislike alpha males. Cal isn’t one. He wants Dillon to be safe, figure out who stole her horse and find who is threatening her ranch. It doesn’t help that the villain rancher is practically his godfather. I like the characters, especially Dillon, but the romance seems rushed. And I’m taking half a star off because they didn’t practice safe sex. (I expect better in contemporary romances.) The mystery isn’t all that mysterious because the author lets you know who the bad guys are. It is more of a case of who can Dillon trust and will she figure out what they really are after. I enjoyed reading this as a nice escape for a few hours. I don’t think I’ll remember it much in a while but that is true of a lot of books that I read. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. (3.5 stars)

I am a big fan of Donna Grant. And this is a wonderful read of action, suspense, and a bit of romance. I liked the two main characters and their chemistry together. I liked how their attraction kept progressing throughout the story. A small town read with corruption and secrets and deception. Kept my interest throughout the story. I really enjoyed this.

An action-packed story and a few mysteries to solve: why did Cal Bennett ended unconscious on Dillon Young’s land and who is trying to kill her and why.

This novel was very entertaining. Lots of twists, a bit of romance, very strong main characters. A great read.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy.

It’s been a while since I’ve read one of Grant’s Contemporary Romances. Usually, I stick to her the Paranormal Romance because I think that’s where her voice truly shines, but since I enjoy her writing so much, I decided to give this one a shot.

First off, I still enjoy the writing. There’s no question that Grant can pen lots of unique and original stories. However, I find her Contemporaries to be lacking somehow. The cowboy element doesn’t bother me one bit. In fact, I loved this aspect of the book. However, the mystery and suspense subplot always throws me off. I feel like it doesn’t meld well together and a lot of scenes feel odd or forced to me.

I just don’t think it flows well together and many of the suspense scenes just feel out of place. It’s a bit jarring to read and forces me out of the story.

It’s disappointing because I really want to like her Contemporary books, but I just can’t seem to love them as much as her Paranormal ones.

In 2021 I read Donna Grant's entire Heart of Texas series and really enjoyed stepping into the world of ranch life. Donna's books have a few hallmarks: low angst, high suspense and realistic intimacy between the romantic leads. They are always fast paced and follow a few threads which makes for some quick reads that move the story along without having the reader feel like they are missing out on anything. So getting an eARC of That Cowboy of Mine had me all kinds of excited.

Cal and Dillon are an interesting couple and their "meet cute" is dramatic AF (hello gun pointed at his head). From there the suspense continues to heat up as the two narrowly escape being shot. There is some insta-connection on both sides, but it lends itself well to the dangerous situation these two find themselves in (come through trauma bonding).

Fans of Susan Stoker and Lori Ryan, will connect with Cal's easygoing, but protective nature, and Dillon's grit, strength and determination to keep her home against ALL the odds. I enjoyed the story and was easily engaged throughout trying to figure out who exactly was in on all the strange and troubling things happening around the property.

This is quick, enjoyable read. You can enjoy it without doing a load of heavy mental lifting. Just sit back, dive in and enjoy reading two people as they fall in love.

3.5/5 ⭐️

I liked the suspense part of this book, the romance part was meh. Dillon seems to be the whirlwind relationship type and with how briefly they know each other before the epilogue, you don't get the feeling that there is really anything other than chemistry holding them together. I mean somehow it goes from oh wait he wasn't helping cause all of the problems to we're going to spend our lives together.

A wonderful read of action, suspense, and a bit of romance. I liked the two main characters and their chemistry together. I liked how their attraction kept progressing throughout the story. A small town read with corruption and secrets and deception. Kept my interest throughout the story. Well done.

That Cowboy of Mine is an exciting and romantic contemporary romance that follows Dillon and Cal as they work together to figure out who is threatening Dillon and her ranch. Dillon’s determined to make a success of the ranch she inherited, even when strange and dangerous accidents start happening. When she finds Cal, a handsome rodeo champion, passed out on her land with no recollection of how he got there, Dillon becomes instantly suspicious, especially since Cal showed up the same day her prized stallion disappeared.
Cal is immediately drawn to Dillon, and he proves his innocence right after Dillon finds him. As the pair works together to figure out who is targeting Dillon and the ranch, Cal must also show the slow-to-trust Dillon that his feelings are true. Will Dillon trust Cal’s intentions and take a chance on love? And who is trying to run Dillon off?

This is an exciting romantic suspense filled with danger, intrigue, and several unexpected twists and turns. The characters are fleshed out well, with compelling protagonists and villains you love to hate. Though Dillon thinks she knows who is targeting her, several people have motives, and she never knows who she can trust, which makes for an intense and suspenseful read.

Dillon and Cal are both interesting and dynamic characters. They both go through a lot as they become immersed in a situation that is far bigger than either realized. They also deal with their own struggles as well. Dillon has trust issues, which isn’t surprising considering everything she’s gone through, and Cal is questioning many different aspects of his life.

The pair has fantastic chemistry, and there’s a ton of sexual tension between the two. Though their relationship is a bit insta-lovey, and they both acknowledge their attraction to each other, they have a lot to face before they take their relationship to the next level. I love how Cal constantly and consistently proves his feelings are sincere, and his determination to keep this independent, intelligent, and brave woman safe definitely shows what an honorable and sincere man he is.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. It was a fast read that starts with an intense scene and doesn’t let up until the end. I would recommend the book to readers who enjoy romantic suspense or cowboy romances.
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

3.5stars
Dillon has her hands fool of saving her ranch she doesn't need a coky cowboy in her life. But Cal seems to be a necessity after someone wants to take her life. An interesting story is full of suspense and mystery. Dillon and Cal make an interesting story and enjoyable read.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley

I usually like Donna Grant’s book, but I was disappointed in the h. The H tried to show that he cared and protected the h from multiple attacks on her life. After making love with the H, the h turns on him without any real evidence.

This is quite an entertaining story. It has mystery, murder, deceit, greed and romance.

Cal finds himself passed out on a ranch and doesn't know how he got there. This looks suspicious and Dillon, the owner of the ranch is more than suspicious. She doesn't trust him at first, and it takes her a while to start trusting him. This leads to a night of passion, then everything goes downhill after that. She decides to get rid of him, blaming him for everything that's gone wrong in her life. There is a group of greedy individuals who want to get rid of her in order to get their hsnds on her Ranch. They are ruthless and will stop at nothing to get their hands on it.

The person that's least suspected is part of the whole thing. When everything comes out, she is shocked and surprised. It's full of mystery and suspense.

A worthwhile read.

I received and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

Dillon Young intends to run the ranch she inherited from her aunt. However, unexplained things keep happening to her. Dillon suspects her wealthy and charismatic neighbor. When she searches for her missing stallion, Dillon finds an inebriated yet handsome cowboy instead. She wants to trust Cal, but she fears that he may be involved in the theft. Will Dillon and Cal find her missing stallion? Or will she lose her ranch to her smarmy neighbor’s greed?
Cal Bennett is a professional bull rider. He goes on a drinking binge when he does not qualify for the current rodeo. Cal wakes to find himself starting up to a beautiful woman and her shotgun. The situation takes a drastic turn when someone shoots at her. He offers to help Dillon and to protect her against any further threats. However, Cal suspects his friend and father-figure of being behind it. Can Cal convince Dillon to trust him? What other secrets will the two unearth?
I am still on the fence about Dillon. There were a few instances where she irked me. I understand Dillon’s trust issues. She has every reason to doubt others, especially with the strange accidents happening on her ranch. However, I believe she overreacted with Cal near the end of the book. The situation that caused their rift felt wrong and off. I expected something a little more damning to warrant Dillon’s distrust. What I like the most about Dillon is her determination to continue her late aunt’s legacy. She strived to make the ranch prosper and flourish under her care, no matter the cost.
Cal is such a love! He is a man of principles and strong morals. Cal’s word is his bond. I love Cal’s willingness to help Dillon. He refused to leave her defenseless against her mysterious assailant. I like how Cal did not withhold the truth from Dillon. He was always upfront with her, no matter how much the truth condemned him. What I adore the most about Cal is how he is not a former armed forces like the author’s other cowboy books. He is simply a down-on-his luck rodeo bull rider thrown into a sticky situation.
THAT COWBOY OF MINE is a standalone, cowboy-themed romantic suspense by Donna Grant. I admit that I enjoyed this story better than the author’s other cowboy books. Sometimes it feels like authors put unnecessary sex scenes just to up the heat factor in their books. I like the steady build up with Cal and Dillon’s romance. They were both aware of their shared attraction, but they did not really act on it until near the end.
THAT COWBOY OF MINE is a gripping tale of two people enduring a harrowing situation, only to find love and belongingness. The story’s pacing really kept me on my toes! I cannot wait to see what comes next by Donna Grant!