The 3 hs and the 3 Hs are old friends. Each one has her own story. The first story was okay. I couldn’t get into the next one.

This is a good book. This book has four stories in it. They are about a girl and a guy that when to this camp as children. The camp was good for them both because it brought character into their lives. They both return to help the camp get started again. During this time they realized that there was an attraction. They each had issues but together they fell in love.

I'm late to post feedback on this novel but let me just say the whole series is fantastic. The idea of weaving these stories together by different authors is delicious. If you haven't already started this series, this is your sign to pick up one the books and starting with 'The Comeback Cowboy' is a great choice.

A cowboy compilation! What could be better than four yearning yummy men? Why, the four women who pull pranks on them and get busted. Every single time.
The group has gathered to revamp Camp Phoenix, which is important to all of them. They find a lot more in the woods than any of them bargained.
All four novellas are good, but the first captured my heart. Bree and Flint made me laugh heartily. Flint’s hat was a major part of the plot. I snickered at Sheriff Dicker instead of Decker.
The deep voices of the men also had my pulses heightened.
If you need a cowboy Fix, drop in on these four.

Four stories set at a camp for teens dealing with issues that could send them down the road of crime and possible imprisonment. The four male leads, all now in law enforcement, were all campers at one time and graduated to counsellors, the four women were also campers who made something of themselves. Great stories all. What always surprises me is that four different authors with four different styles each write one of these four stories that all go well together. The prologue takes the reader back ten years when the four women were teens and all attending Camp Phoenix for the summer, the men were all counsellors and the pride of founder, Sheriff Bill McClain. I enjoyed all four of the stories, but I have to say that my favourite was The One with the Hat by Jackie Ashenden. Perhaps it was because it was the first story, or because it set the stage for the rest of the book, but Bree's and Flint's story was fantastic. Bree White is a successful, local Real Estate Agent, and Flint Decker is the local sheriff. Flint was the one that caught Bree stealing ten years earlier and she wants nothing to do with him. When they are assigned to the same job, getting camp sponsors, there is a lot of sizzle and sass. Stealing his hat to prove a point, has them acting on some of those feelings. I am not going to share details of all four stories, but I will say they all had some chemistry and varying levels of steam, but none of them were too bad. There was an element of enemies to lovers to three of the stories and a co-workers trope in the last one. For novellas, the characters were all well written, even showing continuity across the four stories. I loved that the women, who were frenemies at camp, became friends during the refurbishing of the camp and even helped each other in their exploits. Each of the stories involves the women trying to steal something from the men and there was definitely some humor there. With a lot of banter, soul searching and the backstories sharing how they overcame poverty, neglect, family issues and bad choices, this anthology was a winner for me.

In most cases, I'm drawn to an anthology to sample some new to me authors and possibly find some new reads to add to my ever-growing TBR (like it's not already long enough!). In this case, I was already familiar with the authors, and I've enjoyed books by each of them, so I fully expected to enjoy this anthology. It did not disappoint. Each story centers around Camp Phoenix and the characters coming together to save it. These are romance authors, so of course, there's some falling in love and some steamy fun as well. The whole thing is thoroughly entertaining with some terrific characters that make it easy to root for them (in love and in their attempts to save the camp). So, if you haven't read any or all of these authors, you don't know what you're missing, and this anthology is a great way to meet them.

What a delightful return to Jasper Creek!

This is the fourth compilation book by these four authors that centers their characters in Jasper Creek. You don't need to have read any of the earlier books, but I promise you'll be glad you did. Each of the four novellas gives its own couple their own HEA, while all the stories are interconnected by their location and relationships.

I really love the writing styles of all these authors, so whenever one of these compilations come out I jump at the chance to read it. This one is set at a summer camp and focuses on couples who have known each other for years but are only now getting their chance at love. The strength of these stories is the friendships and history between all the characters. Reading this (and, really, all the Jasper Creek books) makes you feel like you're part of this close-knit, small town community with all the warm fuzzies included.

Five stars for heartwarming romance in each story. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves cowboy love stories. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Rating 3.5

Four individual couples and their stories all centered around Camp Phoenix. A camp for at risks kids, helping them to have purpose and avoid juvenile incarceration.

The prologue takes place 10 years past. It establishes the story line of each characters personality and a little of their history. We get a brief understanding of what the camp does and is doing for each of them.

Fast forward 10 years and the camp has been out of commission for a few years. One of the individuals purchases it and wants to make it relevant again. He reaches out to the others and asks for their assistance to get it up and running. This is the starting point when we delve into each hero and heroines pairing, who they are as adults and watch them fall in love.

Each author has a heroine and they write a more in-depth storyline on their trajectory since their time at Camp Phoenix. We see more of their backstory of their youth and how they have made something of their lives in part because of the camp. Each individual is unique and the pairing is fun and sweet to watch. Love their HEA and the friendships that developed over the years.

Each other did a nice job of interweaving the past and present into their characters and the friendships as well. It was fairly smooth transition and read.

The image of the phoenix is a powerful one, a being of flame, rising from the ashes of its previous self. That’s the image that Sheriff Bill McClain of Jasper Creek invoked when he built Phoenix Camp. He made the camp into a place where teens who were heading down bad roads would have a chance to take a breath in a safe place and look hard at their past selves and, with support and understanding, choose to rise from their own ashes.

When The Comeback Cowboy opens, Bill has passed and the camp has been neglected for years. It’s going to take time, money and more than a bit of elbow grease to bring the place back from its own ashes.

Just as both McClain and the camp he created once helped its alumni pick up their pieces and move on, so now it’s their turn to bring the place that helped them back so that Camp Phoenix can help a new generation of kids who need it as much as they did.

So there’s not just one “comeback cowboy” in this book, there are four; Flint, Lincoln, Jackson and Duke. All are now in their early 30s, and they all “graduated” from the school of hard knocks but, thanks to McClain, found a better path than their lives had originally intended them for. Jackson Hart, forced to retire from the DEA after a career-ending injury, now owns the old camp. And he’s determined to turn it back into the saving place it once was – and to save himself as well.

His friends all come back to help him with the many, many dirty jobs that will be needed to make that happen. And he coaxes, persuades, orders, whatever, a group of the successful women who once walked that same misguided path that he and his friends did. Women who owe their success to Bill McClain and Camp Phoenix every bit as much as those comeback cowboys do.

The story in The Comeback Cowboy is the story of putting, not the band – because this bunch was never all that together – but the camp back together. It’s about restoring the place and the traditions that made them each what they became.

A restoration that takes place in the background as the four women; Bree, Violet, Kinley and Clementine – who all hated and envied each other as teenagers – bond into a sisterhood that surprises them all. And find the love that none of them ever thought they would have or deserve – after the pasts they all share.

Escape Rating A-: The Comeback Cowboy is both one story and four stories at the same time. It’s about what the camp meant to them in the past, and what they hope it will mean to others in the future. It’s about giving back and not giving up.

And its four romances – all taking place at the same time and in the same place. But each of them just a bit different in spite of those similarities.

Bree and Flint’s romance is absolutely enemies-to-lovers. It’s hard to think of a situation that would create more enmity in the past – as well as embarrassment in the present – than their original not-cute-at-all meeting. When Bree was 14, and Flint was a newly fledged police officer, he arrested Bree for shoplifting. Instead of booking her he brought her to McClain which led to the camp which put her on the path to a much brighter future.

But she’s never forgotten and is not too sure she’s forgiven either. Falling in love with the man who arrested her was NOT in Bree’s plans. Stealing his hat, on the other hand, sparks off something special.

Each of the women ‘steals’ something from one of the men. An important something, like Flint’s hat. Or an annoying something, like Jackson’s ever-present and frequently squawking bullhorn. As love languages go, it’s certainly different.

At the same time it’s emblematic of who these people are and what parts of their lives they still need to re-think before they are ready for their own future. In other words, each of them needs to rise up like the phoenix one more time, and those so-important items are symbols of what they need to let go of to make that climb.

Violet and Lincoln’s romance is a bit of a second-chance one, as she had a huge crush on him back in the day, while he noticed how much she pretended to hate him but didn’t see her as more than a little girl – because she was much too young. Now they’re both adults, and both of them have traumas in their pasts that they need to let go of, symbolized by Lincoln’s grandmother’s locket that Violet makes off with.

In their different ways, both Kinley and Jackson need to, as his friends tell him, unclench. He can’t always be in control, and has to learn to let go of the facade that he can, while Kinley needs to let herself stand up for herself. Their ‘bone’ of contention is that damnable bullhorn that Jackson keeps putting between himself and the world that no one can truly control.

Clementine McClain and Duke Cody have known each other for years. She’s McClain’s daughter – and now she’s Duke’s cop partner. Their romance has the flavor of the ‘best friend’s little sister’ vibe, as Duke has watched Clementine grow up and does feel protective of her. That she’s his mentor’s daughter adds the spice of the forbidden to the whole thing. Once she was forbidden, but not anymore.

Three out of the four romances worked really well for this reader. It didn’t seem like Jackson and Kinley’s romance had quite enough time for it to not seem a bit too fast and more than a bit convenient, but the others had more than enough history to make what would otherwise be insta-love really zing. Clementine’s story had the added bonus of her personal journey from ‘one of the boys’, because that was the only way her dad could deal with her, to accepting herself as she is. That it’s all wrapped in how much she loves her dad, misses him, and still resents just how much he made her feel like her being female was an embarrassment to him added an interesting layer of complexity to her story.

In summary, because this does need one, I loved three of the romances, thought the fourth was OK, and found the story of the camp and its rise from its ashes to be delightful. If you love any of the included authors, or are looking for a bit of a contemporary western romance sampler, The Comeback Cowboy is a treat!

The Comeback Cowboy is an anthology of four novellas by authors Nicole Helm, Jackie Ashenden, Caitlin Crews, and Maisey Yates. The setting in all of the stories is the same, as well as the cast of characters. But each author focuses on one particular couple in their book. I enjoyed how seamlessly these novellas flowed between each one yet held onto the author’s unique voice. The stories are sweet yet steamy, emotional yet fun, and slightly angsty, yet all end in a HEA. This was my second anthology by this group of authors, and I look forward to reading what’s next from them.

THE COMEBACK COWBOY (Jasper Creek Anthology Book #4) by Maisey Yates, Caitlin Crew, Nicole Helm and Jackie Ashenden is the fourth fun and entertaining Jasper Creek anthology with four couples finding love in novellas tied together by a recurring theme. This book stands on its own and you do not need to read the previous books for content or context.

The prologue explains how fifteen years ago Sheriff Bill McClain started Camp Phoenix in the Oregon wilderness for at-risk children. Four of the camp counselors had gone through the program and were like sons to Sheriff McClain and they eventually all went into law enforcement in honor of the man who saved them.
Now they are back, bought the rundown camp and are rehabbing it to reopen with the help of four previous campers who have turned their lives around, also.

The first story is “The One with the Hat” by Jackie Ashenden featuring Bree White and Flint Decker. The second story is “The One with the Locket” by Caitlin Crews featuring Violet Cook and Lincoln Traeger. The third story is “The One with the Bullhorn” featuring Kinley Parker and Jackson Hart. The fourth story is “The One with the Trophy” by Maisey Yates featuring Clementine McClain and Duke Cody.

All the stories have the women forging friendships among themselves that they did not have while they were campers, and they were funny and heartwarming. Each romance has a different twist, but all the men and women had their own insecurities that being back at the camp seemed to exacerbate and they had to overcome for their HEAs. The characters are well developed for an anthology and the sexy heat is there.

Overall, while I had my favorites, the four novellas flow well together and the book is a delightful read.

The Comeback Cowboy is a nice easy breezy romance that will sweep you off cowboy boots feet.

I like this book; it was a lot of fun to read. It’s been a while since I read a cowboy romance. I read them all the time, and I really can’t think why I stopped reading them. The Comeback Cowboy is four mini novellas written by four authors and put together in one large book. All these novellas are connected to create this bigger story. Each story focuses on different characters who are volunteering at Camp Phoenix. I was pleasantly surprised at how all these stories came together so seamlessly. If I hadn’t known that four authors wrote each story, I would have thought the same author wrote each novella. Their writing styles were so similar. If you are looking for an authentic cowboy romance that takes place on a farm with horses, then you might be disappointed with this book. The leading men in this story all have that cowboy feel to them, but that’s about it in terms of any Western feel to the story.

Each mini-story focuses on two characters who, of course, fall in love. The main overarching story is all of these characters have returned to Camp Phoenix to help get it up and running for the upcoming camping season. They will be volunteering their time as camp counsellors for the summer. Each character has spent a part of their teen years at the camp, and they realize how important it is to help ensure that the camp can keep running because of how much it helps at-risk teens.

Each story is a novella, meaning things move quickly between the characters. All the stories have a terrific enemy to lovers or forced proximity feel to them. I loved the witty banter and antics that went on between the couples when they were fighting. In each story, the heroines try to steal something of importance from their male counterparts. Of course, the would-be heists never work out, often resulting in the couples having sex. In terms of spice, these books fall in that middle range. The scenes aren’t overly graphic, but it isn’t a closed-door romance.

The Comeback Cowboy is a fun country romp that will make you smile.

THE COMEBACK COWBOY – Maisey Yates, Caitlin Crews, Jackie Ashenden, and Nicole Helm

HQN

ISBN: 978-1-335-50818-8

April 25, 2023

Contemporary Romance Anthology



Jasper Creek, Oregon – Present Day



It’s a return to their old summer camp in THE COMEBACK COWBOY. Will the women and men of this tale find everlasting love?



The One with the Hat – Jackie Ashenden



Bree White hated Camp Phoenix when she was there back when she was a wild teen. Everyone in town knows that Bree and her family had criminal tendencies and it was proven true after she was caught shoplifting. She hated the rules and regulations, and the rigors of the camp didn’t make her change her mind. Her old nemesis was Flint Decker, the young officer who’d arrested her on the shoplifting charge. To her chagrin, Flint is one of the men behind the restoration of Camp Phoenix. She hopes she can avoid him, but she can’t. He’s as annoying as ever.



In The One with the Hat, Bree returns to a place she’d rather not be but it’s all for a good cause. She has grown up to be a top-notch real estate agent in Jasper Creek, but Flint makes her feel like a teenager again. Yet, as much as she claims to dislike him, the more she finds him attractive. Will the two finally hit it off—or will they let the past come between them?



The One with the Locket – Caitlin Crews



Attorney Violet Cook feels her stay at Camp Phoenix ten years ago saved her life. Back then, she had a crush on camp counselor Lincoln Traeger, who is now a U.S. Marshal. He teased her back then and continues to this day, especially since Violet dresses in outfits totally unsuited to working on cleaning up a camp. But she wants to prove Lincoln wrong, that she is capable of doing anything she wants. As they circle around each other, readers sense that it will soon come to a head, and they will give in to their attraction.



The One with the Locket features Violet, who is pretty hardnosed at getting what she wants. She needs that after being raised with brothers who are criminals. She wants to prove that she is not like her brothers. Lincoln admires her, yet he has a tough time cracking her hard shell. Can he convince her that he is the man that can love and cherish her?





The One with the Bullhorn – Nicole Helm



For former DEA agent Jackson Hart, starting a new life by reopening Camp Phoenix was a way to forget about the past. He goes pretty much by the rules, which includes annoying Kinley Parker. Ten years ago, their paths crossed at Camp Phoenix. Never one to follow the rules, Kinley decides to get back at Jackson by stealing the bugle he uses every morning to wake everyone up in camp. As the two butt heads, emotions come pouring out. And it leads to sparks that are threatening to lead to more than hot looks between them.



Kinley is the cook of the camp and tries to ignore Jackson, but he’s hard to ignore in The One with the Bullhorn. His early morning bugling leads to more than a few confrontations. Jackson is feeling the pain of the injury that led to his retirement from the DEA and the death of his partner. Will Kinley end up being the one to soothe his wounds? It’s not easy for her to love a man, but maybe this time Jackson will be that guy.



The One with the Trophy – Maisey Yates



Sheriff’s deputy Clementine McClain is the daughter of the sheriff who founded Camp Phoenix. She is supportive of the people who are planning to rehab and reopen it, and that includes her fellow deputy, Duke Cody. Clementine never felt truly loved by her late father and that has followed her to adulthood. She is a good girl, so when her fellow campmates Bree, Violet, and Kinley challenge her to steal Duke’s high school football trophy, she agrees to lose her “theft virginity.” Duke overhears part of the conversation, the part where she plans to lose her virginity and his mind goes there. Oh, yeah, he can’t wait…



Sweet and innocent Clementine gets a lesson that she will never forget in The One with the Trophy. She has worked alongside Duke for several years and secretly has a crush on him. Now that he’s looking at her that way, she is as excited as she is scared. Will they finally hook up?



All four tales are connected by not only the characters all being onsite at Camp Phoenix, but the fact that they know each other from the past. The goal of each female character is to take something belonging to their male nemesis. THE COMEBACK COWBOY is full of fun and charm. Don’t miss this entertaining tale.



Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

Welcome to Camp Phoenix...

I quite enjoyed this four novella collection based the four men of Camp Phoenix. Set in Oregon, around the Camp, The One with the Hat, The One with the Locket, The One with the Bullhorn and the One with the Trophy. Great for summer reading with steam and hope.
Recommend.

4.25 stars

Another tale in Jasper Creek, this time Grandma June’s house is nowhere in sight. Instead, this story takes place at an old summer camp that used to help at-risk youth. While it’s been out of commission for a few years, one of the people it helped in the past decided to purchase the camp and start it back up. He needs help fixing things up, more help than his three best friends can contribute.

There is a prologue taking place 10 years previous that does a good job of showing us each character very briefly. For some of them, it’s their first time at Camp Phoenix, for others they have attended for years and are now counselors. Ten years later they are all upstanding citizens hoping to help give kids the same leg up they received…and trying not to fall in love.

The One with the Hat by Jackie Ashenden

Something that stuck out to me throughout this story is that there is never an explanation given as to how these adult people can take this time off of work. Especially since the MMC in this story is the sheriff while characters that will also have their stories told in this book are also law officers under him. Who’s minding the store??? We’ll see if it’s ever addressed in the other stories.

Bree and Flint have amazing chemistry. It’s almost funny how she has attempted to avoid Flint for the last couple of years, since establishing herself in Jasper Creek, while he is vexed as to why she is so blatant in her avoidance of him. These two both grew up around Jasper Creek and were sent to Camp Phoenix by its now-deceased owner, the previous sheriff. When Flint was a rookie cop he caught Bree shoplifting and that is her reason for keeping her distance, she’s ashamed. She doesn’t realize Flint also had some delinquency in his past and he would never judge her for trying to feed herself.

Although it can be said Bree’s upbringing was much less stable than Flint’s, there is a defining event in his past that keeps him from promising anything more than one night with her. Of course, one night turns into two turns into three, etc. Yet Flint still has blinders on as to what love is and that he is worthy of love and respect. I found their journey to be lovely and touching. ~ 4.5 stars

The One with the Locket by Caitlin Crews

When they attended camp, Lincoln and Violet did not live in the Jasper Creek area. They were both lucky enough to have people care enough to tell them about the camp and suggest they apply for scholarships. Lincoln went on to become a US Marshall while Violet is an attorney helping underprivileged kids. Violet has always had a thing for Lincoln, ever since her first summer at Camp Phoenix when she was 15 and he was a camp counselor. Violet has never wanted to “need” anyone. She knows that every time anyone shows interest in her, they want something from her, so she keeps everyone at arm’s length. So when she first sees Lincoln she decides on sight she hates him and has kept that hatred going for 10 years. Lincoln, having been older, was unaware of Violet’s hatred (crush). He cannot understand her animosity when they have to work together to revitalize a very important part of the camp.

These two are a lot of fun. Lincoln with his laidback demeanor hiding the hunter inside. Violet who just does not know how to turn down any sort of challenge, even to her detriment. When that tight leash they’ve been holding on their attraction finally snaps, the chase than ensues is sensational. I’m really glad the author lets us see the softer side of Violet without compromising her backbone of Adamantium. ~ 4 stars

The One with the Bullhorn by Nicole Helm

This story packs an emotional punch. Kinley is amazingly insightful, she’s always taking in everything around her. In that way, she’s much like Jackson. They don’t miss anything. Unless it has to do with themselves. Kinley has such extremely low self-esteem it’s painful to hear her inner thoughts. What I love about how she is written is that she knows when she’s spiraling. She knows when she’s letting intrusive thoughts get in the way of living her life. She’s had enough therapy to know the signs and give great advice to her friends. She just cannot seem to make the tricks she learned work for her.

It’s a bit of a surprise how tender Jackson is with Kinley, especially once he realizes the depths of her insecurities. I knew he was a good person, but didn’t know if he’d be able to muster the warm gooeyness needed. He can, but only with Kinley. These two are a beautiful thing. ~ 5 stars

The One with the Trophy by Maisey Yates

Clementine always attended Camp Phoenix along with all the other troubled kids, only she wasn’t in trouble or even at risk of getting in trouble. Her dad, the sheriff at the time, was the owner and ran the camp. Therefore Clementine always felt like she was on the outside looking in. The other kids didn’t trust her and, although she participated in the activities, she kept herself to the outside since she didn’t want to take anything away from those that needed help. On top of that, her mom took off when she was a baby and her dad wasn’t so great at dealing with a young girl. He was loving and tried his best, but Clementine never felt she could be her true self since it made her dad uncomfortable. Now he’s gone, she’s part of the police department with other (older) previous attendees, and she’s no closer to knowing her true self. (Side note: the running of the local sheriff’s office and these characters being away so much at the camp were finally addressed in this last story.)

Duke has always looked up to the former sheriff and knows his life would have turned out much differently without his guidance. No matter how much Duke tells himself Clementine is like a little sister to him, he knows that’s not true deep down. But he promised the sheriff he’d watch out for Clementine and doesn’t feel he’s doing that if he gives into his heart.

While there are a lot of awkward yet funny scenes with these two, they definitely have a connection. I’m happy they got together but was also annoyed by this author, yet again, reverting to making her MFC a virgin. There’s nothing wrong with a 20 or even 30-something character being a virgin, but I swear I cannot remember the last time I read a book by this author that didn’t have a virginal main character. I have to be fair and say if I hadn’t read such a large swath of this writer’s library and know how this has crept into her writing only recently, but persistently, I probably wouldn’t have been bothered by it at all. Especially since it led to some cute/comical misunderstandings. ~ 3.5 stars

Summary: Overall, this book was full of chemistry and fun. Friendships were forged and the authors did a wonderful job of showing us those connections in the few pages they each had in their novellas. This book can absolutely be read without having to read the others in the series as they don’t tie into life at Camp Phoenix.

Overall Rating = 4.25 stars

**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

The Comeback Cowboy by Maisey Yates, Caitlin Crews, Jackie Ashenden, and Nicole Helm, book four in their Jasper Creek series, is a wonderful, connected compilation of stories that turned enemies into cohorts and friends, crushes into love, and were all filled with laughter, tears, some heat, and a deep understanding of the human psyche, and the positive difference a place like Camp Phoenix can make.

Camp Phoenix was a summer camp for at-risk children to attend rather than ending up in juvenile incarceration, or expelled from school. Owned and operated by the sheriff of Jasper Creek, Oregon, Bill McClain, he helped these young people turn their lives around. Bill died several years ago, and four men, all now in law enforcement, and who became friends years earlier while attending the camp, have bought the camp; which is now in need of repairs, and a lot of TLC. They are planning to reopen it for the summer. The guys enlisted the aid of four girls, former campers who returned for their own reasons, to help renovate and revive the campgrounds before the campers arrive. Oh what an interesting summer it's going to be for Flint, Lincoln, Jackson, Duke, Bree, Violet, Kinley, and Clementine as we get to see how the camp influenced their decisions and how they find love and friendship.

Each author has taken the story of one of the women connecting with one of the men; sharing it and showing how they are all connected to each other. Each story can be read individually, but reading the stories in order helps with the flow and you get to revisit the other characters in each story. Each author shares where each person came from and what brings them back. We see how these women have fared since they left the camp as teenagers and how far they have come from that angry girl who may have followed a different path had they not ended up at Camp Phoenix. Each of these novellas are wrapped up in a truly charming epilogue, and what these four authors have created is a joyous, magical, funny, charming, and touching homage to sisterhood, womanhood, family and friends, and I cannot recommend The Comeback Cowboy highly enough and excitedly look forward to their next collaboration.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

When the four authors (Jackie Ashenden, Maisey Yates, Caitlin Crews/Megan Crane, and Nicole Helm) who each contributed a novella to this anthology get together on a book it's always a treat, and as someone whose life and attitudes were forever changed after spending two summers working at a camp for the handicapped, I know what a meaningful, life-changing experience it can be, so to say this book resonated with me is an understatement. But I had to wonder about who decided on the title, since this is not a book about cowboys, and should probably have been titled The Comeback Campers. While I had some favorites among the 4 novellas, the average rating comes to 4 stars.

Camp Phoenix is the setting, and it was where 4 troubled and troublesome teenage girls from dysfunctional families, and 4 teenage boys in similar circumstances found themselves 10 years earlier. All had attitude problems, and chose Camp Phoenix rather than ending up in juvenile incarceration, or expelled from school. Owned and operated by the sheriff of Jasper Creek, Oregon, Bill McClain, he helped these young people turn their lives around. Bill died several years ago, and one of the now grown boys, currently the sheriff of Jasper Creek, Jackson, and the 3 other men he befriended there years earlier, have bought the camp, which is now in need of a lot of TLC, and are planning to reopen it for the summer, enlisting the aid of the 4 girls to help renovate it before the campers arrive. And what a summer it's going to be!

To tell you more would spoil it for you, so I'll just say that these 4 novellas turned enemies into cohorts and friends, crushes into love, and were all filled with laughter, tears, some heat, and a deep understanding of the human psyche, and the positive difference a place like Camp Phoenix can make. I'm happy to recommend it.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

3.5 stars
~~~~~~~~~~
I like the format of this book. It was interesting and reminds me of larger anthologies I’ve read in the past.

This one started off great with getting to know the four guys and the four girls which each will eventually break off into their own story and romance.

This first book laid out the overall story and plot, and then we were drawn into the romance portion. Personalities are definitely in play here. Each of the characters has detailed personalities that blend or clash with the others. They offer strengths and weaknesses that are vital to the outcome of the stories. The romantic connections between the guys and other lead characters are dependent on their personalities and play a strong part in the plot.

Each of the authors has offered twists to their story but each also has a recurring theme that runs throughout the book. The individual stories are fun and a bit heated in the romance department. It is funny how you connect with particular characters just through a turn of a phrase and description. I definitely had my favorites and not-so-favorites.

Overall, The Comeback Cowboy offers a great summer read with well-developed characters, personal growth, developing friendships, and steamy encounters. Fun and different.

This was really good. I loved how the stories kept continuing after each other. The characters were the type you can relate to. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

Those associated with Camp Phoenix, a summer camp for at-risk children, have come back to revive the camp. We have four women who have returned to the camp for their own reasons. We meet Bree, Violet, Kinley, Clementine, Flint, Lincoln, Jackson, and Duke. Each has a history with the camp and how it changed their lives. We get to see how the camp influenced their decisions and how they find love and friendship.

Each author has taken the story of each woman and shared it with us so they are all connected to each other. They can be read individually, but reading the stories in order helps with the flow and you get to revisit the other characters in each story. Each author shares where each character has come from and what brings them back. We see how these women have fared since they left the camp as teenagers and how far they have come from that angry girl who may have followed a different path had they not ended up at Camp Phoenix.

I have read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, HQN for this privilege.