I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This has been on my TBR pile for so long, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. I really enjoyed the storyline and seeing the characters change throughout the story was a great character development. The plot was great and kept my attention. I'm glad I got the chance to read this and will be on the lookout for more in the future!

This is one of those stories I liked but didn’t love but felt invested enough that I wanted to continue reading but felt no sense of urgency to do so. It was a quick and easy read and I enjoyed the overall storyline and found the characters interesting. Sometimes it did feel a bit too fast-paced and some things were glossed over making me feel disconnected. This one falls into the "good" category for me.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

An office romance, secrets, and assumptions push Trish to do unthinkable things. When her brother asks for help she almost risks his trust when she falls for his business partner. Will she keep it professional will she dive into her feelings?

This is a hot and heavy story that is fast paced and full of risks.

Mel and Dan are the main characters in this light romance. The two of them were fun to read about as their relationship developed. Their story held my interest, and I was thoroughly entertained. The Montana setting really worked for me as well.

Rebel Cowboy is a beautifully crafted romance. Mel is trying to hold her family's ranch together in spite of a mother who deserted her family many years ago, a father who was paralyzed in an accident five years ago, and a brother whose addiction to alcohol renders him unable to help her with ranch business. As you can see, Mel is carrying a lot of baggage, both emotional and financial.

Dan is a former NHL hockey star who is caught in a scandal that has ruined his career and called out for him to retire. Unable to prove he did nothing wrong, Dan runs away to his grandparents' dilapidated farm, intending to hide there until he decides what to do with the rest of his life. With parents whose bitter divorce leaves them unable to comfort Dan, a father who is a hockey world bigwig, and grandparents who are in a nursing home in Florida and don't even know who he is anymore, Dan could not be more alone. The fact that he knows nothing about ranching brings Mel into his life as a paid instructor to get his ranch going. This may also be the answer to Mel's financial problems.

Sparks of lust bring Mel and Dan together in unexpected ways, but both are carrying too much baggage to let the lust grow into a relationship. Or so they think. Mel has been abandoned by everyone she loved and on whom she depended. Dan has lost the ability to play professional hockey. These are lost souls who have wrapped themselves in armor to prevent being hurt again. Can they ever love anyone again, let alone each other?

Mel and Dan try to avoid admitting that they love each other, to the point they wind up hurting one another. Then a strange twist in Mel's family causes her to reassess everything she believes and she makes the final cut in her ties to Dan. Dan has to confront what he really wants out of life, hockey or the ranch, and that leads to some deep soul searching, helped by a llama named Mystery.

The end of the story is just perfect. It's believable, and exactly right for these characters, especially since their journey to this point was rocky at best. I loved this book and look forward to more books in this series as well as other stories by Nicole Helm.

Sorry for the inconvenience in taking so long for my feedback, but I never finished this book and no longer have access to it.