Rosie Linn works at the local candy shop in the small town of Marietta where every Friday a handsome cowboy comes in to buy the same chocolates. Rosie has tried a bit of flirting but doesn’t think she’s ever been noticed when the cowboy comes into the shop which is just as well because as soon as she can sell her house Rosie plans on moving to L.A. with her older brother.

Brant Willingham has noticed Rosie at the candy shop when he’s stopped in weekly to pick up a treat for his autistic sister but he feels he’s had just too much on his plate to begin dating. Brant’s mother passed away in a car accident leaving him the sole caregiver for his sister and he has no clue how to handle it on his own especially living the life of a ranch hand. Brant comes up with the idea to try to approach Rosie to spend time with his sister which leads to spending much more time together than either planned.

Melt My Heart, Cowboy is a lovely little romance set in a charming small town. As nice as the couple involved in this story seem to be and I’m sure some would be rooting for both of them to overcome their troubles and find love I think the star of this one had to be Sara Marie, Brant’s autistic sister.

At eighteen, Sara Marie is ten years younger than Brant and of course that leads to a bit of a disconnect in how Brant thinks of her. He’s been off working and living his life for ten years while their mother raised her so Brant is still seeing her as that little girl. Sara Marie even with her autism is still a person with feelings and hopes and that was brought to life in the story. Good job to the author on creating such a character.

Overall, another great small town romance with lovely characters would definitely recommend this one.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Melt My Heart, Cowboy is the first book in Tule Publishing's Love at the Chocolate Shop Book series by author CJ Carmichael. I think this is going to be a great series based up on Melt My Heart, Cowboy.

I have been a fan of Carmichael's previous novels featuring the Carrigan family. In Melt My Heart, Cowboy, Rosie the main characters works at Sage Carrigan's chocolate shop in Marietta, Montana. She stayed in Marietta for years to assist with her father's care. Now she just needs to sell the family home and head to LA where her older brother has a job awaiting her as a screenwriter. But the house has not been selling as it needs some fixing up.

Enter cowboy Brant who is a regular customer at the chocolate shop. He and Rosie strike up a deal where he will help with fixing up her house and she helps with his autistic sister. It is win win for both of them until Rosie realizes that her future may lie in Marietta not LA. Will she stay or will she go?

Great tale. I was crying by the end. Always a good sign in a good romance. Well written.

Highly recommend Melt My Heart, Cowboy. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

Rosie Lin, alone in her family home, is planning an moving to California to be with her brother and his wife, after the death of the father, who she was caretaker for. Sage helped her brother Daniel write scrips. Working at Sage Carrigan's chocolate shop helped pay the bills while she worked on the home to get it ready to sell.
Brant Willington worked on a ranch and worried about his autistic sister, whom had placed in a nursing home after his mother's death. Both Sara Maria and the nursing staff kept telling him she did not belong there, but he was afraid to accept the responsibility for her full time.
Brant and Rosie become the solutions to each other's problems and over time fall in love. Self doubt and life interfere for a bit but they overcome and find a happy-ever-after.
The cast of characters in their lives form a cohesive support group and it makes for a wonderful tale.
I received an advance copy free for my honest opinion....Loved it1

Book Review: Melt my Heart, Cowboy by CJ Carmichael

Book 1 in the newly minted series Love at the Chocolate Shop, “Melt my Heart, Cowboy” brings the readers back to the fictional town of Marietta, Montana. And for those who follow the Marietta stories, the chocolate shop here is the one owned by Sage Carrigan of the Circle C Ranch.

But, “Melt my Heart, Cowboy” is not about the women of Circle C Ranch. This is the story of Rosie Linn, a sales clerk at the chocolate shop who has dreams of moving to Los Angeles for a new career. This is also the story of Brant Willingham, a ruggedly handsome ranch hand whose sister Sara Maria is autistic.

And most important, this is a story about family, the pain of losing them and then finding one who has been there right before your eyes.

A short sweet read, “Melt my Heart, Cowboy” is an uplifting story that makes you believe that true love does exist, be it familial or romantic.

“Melt my Heart, Cowboy” is Rated T for Teens. Parental guidance is advised due to discussion of autism. Though there are no sex scenes in the story, it is implied that it happened.

A sweet love story.

For the last few months, Rosie Linn has looked forward to the handsome Friday night cowboy coming into Copper Mountain Chocolate Shop where she works. He always buys the same box of chocolates and never tries anything else. Whoever he is buying them for must really love dark chocolate salted caramels. But Rosie has bigger things she should be focusing on besides trying to figure out the cowboy and who he is shopping for. She is trying to sell her childhood home so she can begin her dream of being a screenwriter and moving to Los Angeles.

After his mother’s death, Brant Willingham has been keeping his regular Friday night visit with his sister Sara Maria who lives at May Bell Care Home. He brings her a box of chocolate and they go out for pizza and a movie. But the staff at May Bell Care Home think Sara Maria really needs to be spending time with people her own age as she has grown bored living there. So, Brant comes up with a plan. He approaches the pretty girl at the chocolate shop and asks if she would be willing to spend time with his sister. In exchange he will help her get her house ready to sell.

As Rosie and Sara Maria become friends, Brant also finds himself drawn to Rosie. He really doesn’t have time for dating between working and driving into Marietta to see his sister. But fate has a way of working things out and Brant and Rosie soon find themselves falling in love. How will this effect Rosie’s plans of moving?

This was an enjoyable story and a good beginning to the new Love at the Chocolate Shop series. The chemistry between the two main characters was very strong and I enjoyed learning their story. I also enjoyed catching up with characters from past books and look forward to hearing more about them in the future.

An awesome start to a new series, of Love at the Chocolate shop. Now, who doesn't love chocolate! Rosie, works at Sage's (my dream job) where she meets Brant. Brant comes in every Friday to buy chocolate for someone sweet. That someone turns out to be his autistic sister, Sara. All three of them develop a friendship and help each other out, plus you Henry the dog.

Loved the chemistry between Rosie and Brant. Plus, The Carringan family is one of my favorite families. This book shows how special families and friends are. Can't wait to hear more on Portia!
I received this book from netgalley for an honest review.

Melt My Heart Cowboy kicks off the Love at the Chocolate Shop series beautifully with a sweet love story between chocolate shop sales assistant and secret screenwriter Rosie Linn and cowboy Brant Willington. Set in the picturesque Montana town of Marietta, this heartwarming story pairs two people who have spent most of their lives caring for family members rather than for themselves so it was nice to see them let down their guards and learn to love. Throughout the story the chocolate shop has been a central theme, which certainly had me drooling a bit. Overall, Melt My Heart Cowboy has been enjoyable reading.

A wonderful heartwarming story that is the beginning of what should be a fun series to read. Love blooms at the Chocolate Shop in Marietta when long time customer Brandt Willingham finally introduces himself. Rosie Linn knows he's been coming in every week for a specific box of chocolates but she has no idea who he's been buying them for. She's surprised when he asks for her help with his sister. Why now though? She's hopefully close to selling her father's home and leaving to start her life in LA. These two make a perfect pair. Each having recently lost a parent and needing to find a way to heal and find a new path in life. Will they find their way together or would it be better if they go their separate ways? Definitely a book you want to read and find out. I highly recommend it.

Rosie works at a chocolate shop. Every Friday a handsome cowboy comes in and gets the same candy. She wonders who is receiving the candy. Brant has been going to the chocolate shop every Friday to get his sister some candy. His sister is autistic and he has to stick to a routine. If not, she will have a melt down. He doesn't have much patience with is sister and needs some help with her. He got the idea to ask the pretty girl at the chocolate shop to help him with is sister. Rosie agrees and proceeds to fall in love with Brant and his sister. The problem is that she is supposed to move to LA with her brother. It was her dream to get out of her home town and do something different. That is what she wanted? Right?

A sweet, and not just the chocolate, story set in Marietta, Montana. I really liked Rosie and Brant together, and the side characters, like his sister and her boss and her boss' niece, added a nice touch. Many times, side characters are mentioned, but not the focus, but here they add a nice element to the story. I enjoyed this story, and highly recommend it. I even liked the aspect of his sister's condition. A lot I do not know about autism, and it is nice to read about how a person and their family and friends interact. A fun read, and even though it touches on a few heavy topics, overall a light book that I enjoyed. Hard to put this one down.

I’m pretty sure the answer to these two’s issues are pretty plain for everyone to see but they’ve got to figure things out on their own :) It’s still super sweet and a great read.

Brant has a lot to learn about his sister and how to make a life with her now that their mother is gone. With her as a buffer, he never really learned how to deal with Sara’s autism and tends to treat her like a not-very-bright child. It’s hard on both of them while he struggles with what to do, but with Rosie’s help he figures things out. And it is definitely awwww worthy.

Rosie is also finding herself at odds after her dad died. She’s ready to start living a life of her own and is anxious to move the LA to be with her brother. Meeting and falling in love with Brant (and his sister) isn’t quite in her plans. But that’s just the way things work out sometimes :)

There’s parts to make you giggle and parts to make you sigh, but best of all there are lots of parts to make you smile.

(While this can technically stand on its own, it looks like it is a spinoff from another series and there are definitely some things that overlap a bit.)

Rosie's dream is to leave Marietta Montana and start living life on her terms. Her father needed her so she stayed and made him comfortable until his death. Now she's selling the family house and moving to California to work with her brother. Until then she's working at Copper Mountain Chocolate. She likes Sage Carrigan. She's a great boss and makes wonderful chocolate. However, Rosie is intrigued by the handsome cowboy who comes in every week and always buys the same candy. She wishes that he would notice her. I loved this heartfelt romance. Rosie is such a special woman. She wants to be loved and she wishes this cowboy was the one. Brant has no time for romance. He's carrying a heavy load. He's afraid that he can't take care of his autistic sister now that his mother is dead. He convinces Rosie to help. As these two spend time together, they find love. Do they have a chance for a HEA? I was pulled into the story from the first page. I love the characters, the amazing dialogue and the perfect setting. Marietta steals your heart with its friendly, caring people. I'm enjoying this new series, Love At The Chocolate Shop.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Like the curate's egg Melt My Heart, Cowboy was good in parts. The characters were strong and fun to spend time with although Rosie seemed to have a confused identity with two very different voices. My only real issue with the book is that there was very plot. If you're looking for a gentle, undemanding read this will suit you well but if you want a story that goes somewhere I suggest you look elsewhere.

This book is a sweet little story about a girl with big dreams and a cowboy who can't afford to dream big. Rosie Linn has a dream job in a chocolate shop but she has a bigger dream of being a writer in LA. Having spent most of her young life taking care of ailing parents, she is now ready to spread her wings and make a place for herself in the world.

Brant Willington is the handsome cowboy she's had her eye for a while now but he's never shown any interest. When he approaches her to ask for help with his autistic sister, Rosie feels she may be falling back to the old role of caregiver. Especially when Brant seems so at odds with how to deal with his younger sibling. But he's willing to help shape up her house so that it sells faster and she can make her way to LA.

As a comforting companionship builds between Rosie and Sara Maria she discovers many amazing aspects of the girl and budding romance with Brant. But he's wary and stubborn about the way Sara needs to be handled and that causes friction between them. Even then individually they cannot deny that their feelings for each other run deeper than they seemed. And Brant doesn't want to be the reason that Rosie gives up her dream.

If you have read any of the Marietta, Montana books then you have heard of the Copper Mountain Chocolate Shop. So, I was thrilled to see an entire series built around the shop. Melt my Heart, Cowboy (Love at the Chocolate Shop, Book 1) by CJ Carmichael is the first which is also fitting since one of Ms. Carmichael’s former book characters owns the shop. This is a lovely story that deals with difficult real life struggles that is not often tackled in romance books.

In fact, until the first kiss which is way into the book, I was thinking that it might be more women’s fiction because I didn’t see a HEA as a sure thing. After that kiss life for Rosie continued to have its ups and downs but I could see how everything could fall into place for her. Brant and his sister deserved fulfilling lives as well as Rosie since there were no real villains in this story except for the tragedies of life. All three including Huck, the dog, had suffered major losses for ones so young. Who wouldn’t be happy for them by the end of the story?

It is an engaging and thoughtful beginning to a series that is sure to be a hit. Makes me want to enjoy a bit of chocolate while reading. I will have to put Rosie’s chocolate rule into effect for myself, too.

Melt My Heart Cowboy by C.J. Carmichael is a heart melting story. One that instantly hooked me from the beginning. I was fascinated by the chance meeting of the main characters. Love comes tapping on the shoulder...came to my mind while reading this. Sometimes love isn't planed. It's finds you when you're least expecting it. Here, Rosie, a sales clerk sees just how that happens. A dream come true. Every woman wants to meet that somebody special that gets them twisted into knots the way Brant has her feeling. Something magical sparks between them both. Instant chemistry, a real life perspective on what the other is truly like and then add time together and...love just happens. Melt My Heart Cowboy does exactly that. Brant is indeed a cowboy that melted my heart. The moment I learned about his life and sister's situation my heart melted for him. I fell in love with the fictional character. Then Rosie is another loveable character. Her personality and believable actions led me to enjoying her as well. Life happened and love knocked them out of whack or was it into gear? Once they were put together I was rooting the whole way. Hoping it would turn out the way I wanted it to...and well, I can't say what happened. Readers must read it. I highly recommend this entertaining contemporary romance to all. C.J. Carmichael' writing is superb. She has a way with sending readers like me, deep into her stories.

Melt My Heart, Cowboy starts of the twelve book series, Love At The Chocolate Shop. Each story is written by a very talented Tule author, I have come to love all of their stories and the sense of small town community that Marietta, Montana has come to represent to me. If you’ve been to Marietta before then you know of Sage’s famous chocolates. If not, then don’t let that hold you back. Come on in and meet some hew friends.

Brant and Rosie have far more in common then they might think at first. Each has dreams that take them from where they are today, and each has felt the responsibility of caring for a loved one who needs help caring for themselves. For Rosie those people were her parents, and she’s seen them to the end of their lives and now her dream might be within reach. Brant has suddenly become the main caregiver for his sister, Sara Maria. He has no clue how to help his autistic sister and often simply makes matters worse. Sara Maria’s foundation has been stripped away at their mother’s death, and Brant did what was necessary at the time by having her stay at a nursing care facility. But Sara Maria has so many more abilities and a higher function level than Brant has any idea of. He’s stuck in the past, being the older brother who had to watch out for his baby sister. He sees the past mistakes and is blind to the young woman his sister is today. Don’t get the idea that Brant is a cruel person, he’s not by a long shot. He is however, out of his element since for the past ten years he’s been off being a cowboy on a working ranch while his mother had the full time care of Sara Maria alone. He remembers more vividly the child and needs to now see the present day young woman that Sara Maria has grown to be.

My affections in Melt My Heart, Cowboy were pretty divided between Rosie and Brant, and Sara Maria. Rosie and Brant began with light flirtations but they grew far beyond the casualness of even friendship. They each held back because of what was already on their plates, and had to learn that sharing makes everything easier. For me, the star that did the most shining was Sara Maria.

I have been and still am a caregiver for a loved one. And Brant’s frustration is very, very real. While obviously, our situations are different I still understood him – maybe I wanted to sit him down and have a stern talk to this young man – but at his base I got him. A good man doing the best he knew how. His growth by the ending of the story, enough confidence to step back and Let Rosie go for her dreams without any interference showed to me just how far Brant has come.

And I’m interested to see if, as I suspect, one story thread will be woven throughout the series. I hope so, but time will tell. I loved Melt My Heart, Cowboy. It was heartwarming, fun, sad and completely believable. I would highly recommend this story to any Romance reader – and keep an eye out for the rest of the series. It’s going to be amazing.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this novel. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this story.*

A new series is launched with chocolate and cowboys in Marietta,Montana. Love the characters and enjoyed this tale. Looking forward to reading the rest.

Ebook from netgalley and publishers with thanks. Opinion is my own.

Three stars: A nice, easy romance with chocolate and friendship, but it lacks a bit of depth.

Rosie loves her job at the chocolate shop in her small hometown in Montana. She especially loves Friday afternoons when one tall, sexy cowboy strolls in and buys the same box of chocolates every week. Rosie wishes just once that he would notice her. However, it doesn't matter because soon Rosie will be leaving her childhood home behind, once it sells, to move to L.A. where she will be able to pursue her screen writing dream. Will she able to leave her town with no strings attached?

What I Liked:
*Melt My Heart Cowboy is a nice, quick, easy breezy romance without drama or angst. It was simple, light and perfect for when you need a comfort read.
*I was drawn to Sara Maria, an eighteen year girl who is intelligent and autistic. I loved getting to know Sara Maria, and I was cheering her on as she fought her battles and found her way in the world. It was nice to see a character with autism succeed.
*The romance is steady and nice. I liked that it took its time to develop and that it wasn't hurried or lustful. It starts with a long attraction built from the weekly interaction at the chocolate shop. Then it moves into a business partnership before blossoming into something more. I appreciated that it never suffered from unnecessary angst or drama, it was nice to read a simple, straightforward romance for once.
*I liked that this book focused on friendships. Rosie quickly finds herself with several new friends: Portia, Sara Marie and Brant. I liked watching each friendship develop, and I loved that they became important and impactful.
*I enjoyed the small town setting and the chocolate shop. There is something soothing to a reader when the book is set in a small town where everyone looks out for one another. I especially enjoyed the scenes in the chocolate shop with all of its decadent, chocolate creations. Yum.
*The ending was nice. There were no cliffhangers or dramatic hurdles to overcome. It was simple and neat.
And The Not So Much:
*Portia was a character whom I quickly got attached to. I wanted to know what her big secret was. Why did she leave college during her senior year? Who hurt her? I kept expecting the answers to be forthcoming, but they didn't. Then when I learned that this was the first book in the series, I quickly researched the forthcoming books. I was disappointed to learn that she is not featured as the main character in any of the upcoming books. Furthermore, I also learned that the next three books are all written by different authors, so I am not sure how it is going to work out. I was upset to see that Portia's story was left unfinished.
*I liked Rosie for the most part, but the one thing that really bothered me about her character was the way she felt about Huck, her dad's dog. I couldn't believe that she was considering leaving him behind when she moved. I didn't like that one bit.
*While I liked that the romance was light and easy, I felt like it rushed too much at the end and the happy ending felt forced. I wanted to know what happened to Rosie during that two week period.
*Even though I liked that this was a quick read, I felt that the hurried pace hurt the characters and the story. I wish there was a bit more detail and development, especially at the end.

Melt My Heart Cowboy is a nice, light read perfect for those who enjoy romances that refrain from drama and angst. I enjoyed the characters, the setting and the friendship. My hesitation with this one stems from the fact that I felt it was too rushed, and I was disappointed that one of the character's conflicts weren't explored further. Still this was a quick read, just right for when you need something easy.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

Such an incredibly wonderful story. Carmichael showcases her storytelling talent in spades by delivering a heartwarming, beautiful read that will not be easily. Absolutely loved it and highly recommend it too!

I really love this author. I have previously read and enjoyed quite a few of her romantic suspense novels and so decided to give her romance book a try as well.

Set in the small town of Marietta, ‘Melt My Heart, Cowboy’ is the story of Rosie and Brant. Rosie works at the chocolate shop where Brant comes in every week to buy a box of chocolates. Rosie has obviously noticed Brant and often wonders who he buys the chocolates for, but she tries not to think of him too much since she has no plans of sticking around. She has got a house to sell so that she can move out of the small town for goof. Brant’s mother died in an accident that left him to care for his autistic sister. With his job as a ranch hand, Brant has his plate full leaving him with no time for a social life. As fate would have it, these two lives were soon intertwined when Brant and Rosie get involved in helping each other out and they start spending time together.

It was quite fun to read about Rosie and Brant together. From mere acquaintances to friends to something more – their journey was rather nice. I loved the fact that their relationship grows throughout the book. This is no insta-love. While I did not particularly for Rosie or Brant individually, I loved them as a couple. Don’t misunderstand me – they both are great characters, I just didn’t feel like going gaga about them. Instead, Sara stole the show for me. She is such an adorable character and so easy to fall for. Brant’s struggle to care for his sister is endearing in a way as the reader can clearly see that he truly cares.

Simple writing style and engaging narrative kept me hooked till the end. And, by the way – I just loved the book cover!

Melt My Heart, Cowboy did not, in fact, melt my heart. Rosie seemed horribly judgmental, Brant came across as terribly cold-hearted, and Sara Maria was the poor put-upon sister.

I struggled with Rosie because she seemed to be all over the place: chocolate shop clerk, screenwriter, carer. She had so many roles that none of them were fleshed out. Her relationship with her brother was supposed to be very good but the only time he was mentioned was in conjunction to their work.

Brant just wanted some time for himself without the problems of a special needs sister but he alternately came across as cold or as self-pitying. He had a decided lack of chemistry with Rosie and such a terrible relationship with Sara Maria it was breathtakingly awful.

Sara Maria is a special needs adult who alternately couldn't spell a word and yet could read and understand Kant. She loves to bake pies but doesn't like to eat them. She has monumental breakdowns but feels she should be on her own. She is a study in contrasts.

With characters I could not remotely get into and a tepid plotline with no angst unless it surrounded Sara Maria, I just couldn't get into this book. I finished it, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

A simmering story of a hot cowboy and the woman that owns a chocolate shop that steal his heart...yep, a definite MUST read! I loved the environment I found myself in as I was reading this book. It felt like I was in the shop working with our heroine and feeling the things she did and walked where she did and fell in love with the sexy cowboy like she did. I loved the scents, sounds, sights that were described in what I thought, was perfect detail. This romance is one of a kind and I am so glad to have picked this story up and read it. The cover is what first piqued my interest but it was the story itself that swept me away. It was perfectly balanced and the characters were well developed. The romance is beautiful and so darn sweet. LOVED IT!

"Melt My Heart, Cowboy" by CJ Carmichael is book number one in the "Love at the Chocolate Shop" series. This is Brant Willingham and Rosie Linn's story.

Rosie is working at the Chocolate Shop until she can sell her home then she is moving to LA for a new career.

Brant is a cowboy working and living in the bunk house on a ranch. His mother has passed away and now he is responsible for the care of his autistic sister. At this time she is in a care facility but needs more in her life than what the care facility can give her. Brant is really frustrated because he just doesn't know how to deal with this situation.

Brant gets Rosie to help with his sister. Since Rosie is spending so much time with Brant's sister they end spending time together. There is an attraction and chemistry between them. But, should they start a relationship since she will be moving as soon as her house sells plus Brant has to consider his sister's needs?

I enjoyed Brant and Rosie's story. This is a sweet and heartwarming story. The story also brought awareness to the challenges that families experience in dealing with autism.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Rosie falls for Brant just as she's about to leave town and reinvent herself. Brant is willing to give up love for her happiness. Somewhere along the way, they both find a little compromising can go a long way. Rosie also helps Brant find a way to allow his special needs sister, Sara Maria, find the independence she needs. Beautifully written story.