Prepare one RV (that’s seen better days) with a couple of meddling (and stubborn) senior citizens and a diva or two to test your patience. Then, take one cowboy in love with his best friend (while she hasn’t a clue), toss him over an angry bull until his brains are nicely scrambled, and heat things up with a delicious kiss and a woozy confession of love. Blend all of the above together (it will take a while for everything to smooth out) and continue adding fuel to the fire until sparks fly.

I was super excited to dive in to A Cowgirl Never Forgets by Melinda Curtis for a variety of reasons. First, it marks the beginning of a new group of books revolving around the Blackwell clan and the lovably frustrating Big E. I have thoroughly enjoyed previous Blackwell stories from various Harlequin Heartwarming authors, and even though I missed The Blackwells of Eagle Springs continuity series before this one, it didn’t take me long to acclimate to the addition of Big E’s octogenarian sister Denny from those books. She’s just as spirited and hilariously meddlesome as he is, and the two of them pairing up to ‘fix’ their family fractures and match up their grandkids make a formidable team, to be sure. Add in Denny’s high maintenance daughter-in-law (and Maggie’s mom) Flora who can’t quite separate her real self from her show self and has given her daughters plenty of therapy session material… and Flora’s dog Zinni who gives her some good competition for the title of ‘likely to cause the most drama’… and you’ve got an RV-load of big personalities just waiting to entertain readers!

Another reason I couldn’t wait to read A Cowgirl Never Forgets is the combination of two of my fave tropes – friends-to-more and fake relationship (thanks to a bout of amnesia, which is also a trope I enjoy)! Clem and Maggie have been the best of friends since she moved to Clementine and started working for the Done Roamin’ Ranch (which you might recognize if you’ve read this author’s The Cowboy Academy series too). But all it takes is a good knock to the head courtesy of a rodeo clown gig-gone-wrong, for Clem’s deeper feelings for Maggie to surface from where he’s been repressing them, along with a doozy of a kiss and the mistaken belief that they’re practically engaged. And with this setup, the author has me right where she wants me – swooning, grinning, and solidly invested in watching Maggie deal with how much that kiss threw her happy-with-friendship-feelings for a loop.

Bottom Line: A Cowgirl Never Forgets by Melinda Curtis is an entertaining combination of laughter, family, friendship, and happily-ever-after that’s sure to hit the spot! I really enjoyed Maggie and Clem as individual characters, as friends, and as a couple. Their personalities complement each other perfectly, and the banter/humor shared between them is fun to read. As a couple – fake or otherwise – they certainly aren’t short on chemistry (whew! those kisses!) but it’s also balanced with the sweetness that comes from a deep connection as friends, and I loved that! Maggie and Clem both have difficult family layers to their respective backstories too, and these complex dynamics definitely influence the plot as well as the character growth. I experienced a range of emotions as they dealt with their inner scars and took the first steps in a long while toward healing rifts while also setting important boundaries for the protection of their own mental health. Such a rewarding, swoony, and heartwarming journey.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book

Maggie is going through a lot of family issues and when her best friend Clem gets into a rodeo accident that's rattles his brain a bit now he believes they are a couples and to not make things worse she plays along. But it gets more complicated as a bit of times goes goes on blurring the lines where their friendship and possible real partnership starts.

You know what this was a pretty good book. The whole amnesia and ending up a couple thing gets used a lot and I liked how this author managed to make her characters stand out. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters throughout the book and seeing their family dynamics and seeing how the tried to work on things in that aspect. There was alot of family issues they needed to work on and it was interesting seeing how that played out. Then there was the romance that was forming between the two blurring that friends to lovers friendship really enjoyed that well. Overall highly recommend.

Clem and Maggie are best friends, but when he gets a concussion after being dumped by a bull, he wakes up acting like Maggie's boyfriend. His family asks her to go along and the bikinis start. As they express affection for each other the feelings become real to both of them, but then Clem remembers their just friends. He waits to tell Maggie and that causes problems. He's moving much faster than Maggie can accept but when push comes to shove and Form walks away, can she go on without him in her life?

You're going to want to read this book to find out. You'll laugh and cry along with Maggie and her family as the story unfolds.

Although I received a free ARC from Net Galley and the publisher
alk and opinions are my own.

A Cowgirl Never Forgets by Melinda Curtis, book one in the Blackwell Belles series, is a fake dating, best friends romance with a reminder of the importance of family. Maggie Blackwell was part of the Blackwell Belles, performing with her sisters until an accident occurred; breaking up the group and estranging the sisters. Clem Coogan is now her closest friend and rodeo partner. When Clem gets injured while protecting Maggie, he believes they are a couple; which complicates the situation. Clem has long hid his feelings for Maggie, fearing a confession could end their friendship. With Clem having lost his memory, Maggie decides to pretend they're in a relationship until Clem's memory returns. The arrival of Maggie's mother, grandmother, and great uncle, whom she hasn't spoken to since the accident fourteen years ago, adds to the tension.

Needing a ride back to Oklahoma, Maggie's uncle suggests a road trip in his RV. This close proximity forces Maggie to engage with her estranged mother and confront her own feelings for Clem. This book is the first book in the Blackwell Belles' saga, a multi-author venture, with more books in the months ahead

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #Harlequin

Fans of the Blackwells are in for a treat! Big E and his extended family are back! A brand new series kickoff is underway for Big E's sister Denny's granddaughters and Melinda Curtis is starting us off with Magnolia's story. I was quickly hooked though there is a hint of a cliche amnesia storyline tidbit to withstand. I loved Clem and really enjoyed the side of Maggie that he helped release. I feel like the set up for the series was laid pretty well for the coming books, but I was surprised that we didn't get any of the interaction between the whole group of sisters at all yet. I'm looking forward to watching them develop and for the drama yet to come. So excited to have the Blackwells back again!

This was a super cute introduction to the last of the blackwell grandkids. I enjoyed seeing characters from Melinda curtis's cowboy academy series.

This book centers on Clem (one of the Done Roamin boys) and magnolia (Maggie). They've been best friends since Maggie came to town. Now they're working a rodeo together when clem gets thrown by a bull and gets amnesia. Maggie realizes that she has feeling for clem. Can they work through baggage from both of their pasts, all the while having a making grandma and grand uncle under foot?

Maggie Blackwell and her sisters were part of a trick riding show until a terrible accident split them up. Clem Coogan, who grew up with an abusive stepfather and later found refuge at the Done Roamin' Ranch, is now Maggie's best friend and rodeo buddy. After an accident leaves Clem with amnesia, believing they are in a relationship, Maggie is advised to play along until his memory returns. Although worried about ruining their friendship, Maggie agrees and soon realizes she has genuine feelings for Clem but fears commitment. Clem has secretly loved Maggie for a long time but was afraid to show it. Their journey back to Oklahoma with Maggie's great-uncle, grandmother, and estranged mother tests their growing love. This sweet, clean love story features mischievous relatives and a "fake to forever" romance that will keep you turning pages until the end.

Melinda Curtis weaves a funny tale of well-meaning relatives meddling in the love life of those dear to them.

This squeaky-clean romance had me laughing aloud a few times as Maggie’s grandmother and great uncle try to help her see her life as it is. According to them, Maggie needs to forgive her mom for past hurts, and she needs to see that her close friendship with Clem is more. When Clem suffers a concussion and believes Maggie is his fiancée, the fake-dating trope enters the story.

Melinda Curtis balanced the humor and seriousness well. Both Maggie and Clem lived through some hard things growing up, and both overcame some parts of their past. But it is during the impromptu road trip with Maggie’s relatives that they both learn they still had some baggage to deal with.

I really enjoyed how Maggie slowly realizes she feels more than friendship for Clem. Well done!

Fans of clean & wholesome romance with a nice dose of humor will enjoy this book from Harlequin’s Heartwarming line.

Romance: Squeaky clean. Light kissing and handholding.

I received an advanced copy of this book courtesy of the publisher through Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

This was a very confusing read for me because a lot of the plot lines did not make sense. The romance was also lacking and the writing was too immature for me. Unfortunately I was not the right target audience for this.

I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review. I have said this before in other reviews, I always give honest reviews whether people appreciate them or not.

Not for me

I felt like this book was written for young adults rather than adults, perhaps it was marked wrong on NG. Also, even though this is book 1 in the series, there were a lot of characters and elements that were referred to as if the reader should know them, rather than introducing them to the reader.

The title is a play on Clem's amnesia, which is a cute reference. Maggie and Clem's friendship to romance is a sweet and wholesome story, but definitely for a younger audience. I would definitely read other books by this author in the future.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Maggie Blackwell was part of the Blackwell Belles, performing with her family until an accident occurred. Now, Clem Coogan is her closest friend and rodeo partner. When Clem gets injured while defending Maggie and subsequently believes they're a couple, the situation complicates. Clem has harbored feelings for Maggie for years but fears confessing might end their friendship.

Maggie decides to pretend they're in a relationship until Clem's memory returns. The arrival of Maggie's mother, grandmother, and great uncle, whom she hasn't spoken to since the accident fourteen years ago, adds to the tension.

Needing a ride back to Oklahoma, Maggie's uncle suggests a road trip in his RV. This close proximity forces Maggie to engage with her estranged mother and address her own feelings for Clem.

This book is the first book in the Blackwell Belles' saga, with more books in the months ahead.

This is a Cowboy Romance, and this is the first book in the Blackwell Belles series. This book reads like a young adult more than a cowboy romance. I just cannot read young adult anymore because the characters drive me crazy. I ended up DNFing this book because I could not connect to the character or get into the storyline. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

2.8 stars ✨

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Overall it was an enjoyable read but I don’t think I was the intended audience for this book. I was looking for a vibe that went along with the chestnut springs series but this was definitely a very YA book.

I would have preferred a bit more of a slow burn for Maggie and Clem to see more of what their dynamic as friends was like before Clem’s accident. I also thought the plot of Clem losing his memory was going to last throughout most of the book and it was going to be more of a fake dating trope. The fake dating trope that actually occurred was quite confusing for me to read and often did not make sense.

Love how Maggie was willing to cut toxic people out of her life and that included toxic family members. Clem clearly hadn’t dealt with that before so he was a bit annoying when she talked about wanting to stay distant from her family. I also think that the mom having a random supportive talk with Maggie towards the end of the book was very out of character for her, since the mom did not act out of selflessness for the entire book.

A Cowgirl never Forgets is an entertaining romance. I enjoyed the plot and the character dynamics. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

0🌶️, ⭐️⭐️

I really don’t think I am the intended audience for this book. The description gave me high hopes for a cowboy romance and small town feels, but I didn’t feel any of the romance and attraction you normally get from a cowboy romance. There was no build up of the town really, and the only characters were their family. The grandma and Big E were extremely meddlesome but not in the endearing way. And Maggie’s history with the Blackwood Belles and her anger towards them is justified but Maggie is so stuck in her hate and that hardly gets resolved. And the whole family really isn’t fair to her at all. I still feel like I don’t like the mother and their relationship.

The description makes it seem that Clem’s concussion delusions is the main plot of the book but it’s only really there for the beginning. This could have really been a fun fake-dating trope.

And then they bring in a whole new dream for Clem and his future right at the very end. Seemed like a few different stories wanting to be told here and I didn’t get enough of any of them. I really think we needed more one-on-one with Clem and Maggie. Almost every scene had family involved. I didn’t see enough of their growth. I did like Griff, however. I wouldn’t mind a story about him.

✨ Would I recommend? Probably to those who like a meddling family drama more so than a small town, cowboy romance.
✨Don’t let this review discourage you from reading this heartwarming story, it just wasn’t what I was expecting!