I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Cowgrrl Up: Live by Jen Greyson Published by Smashwords Edition on September 8th 2015
Genres: Animals, Contemporary, Contemporary Women, Fiction, General, New Adult, Romance, Western
Pages: 237
Format: eARC
Source: Author
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An Affair to Remember meets Pure Country in this star-studded romance full of sexy cowboys, big money, and tough competition.
This is Kait’s year. She busted her butt to make it to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. No way she’s going to let glitterati gossip about the circuit's most eligible bachelor wobble her focus. What does she care if Race Tiago’s getting married? Plenty busy running her ranch and posting wicked fast times, she's never fallen for the playboy's charm.
But during the rodeo, Race reveals he’s more than a splashy tabloid headline, and Kait finds herself eyeing more than a new title. As new world champions are crowned, Kait’s fears escalate, worried their whirlwind romance will fade outside the fantasy of Vegas. Knowing she’s skittish as a new colt, Race offers to prove his devotion by giving them both time to tie up loose ends. They agree to meet seven months later at Cheyenne Frontier Days—Daddy of ‘Em All.
When Race doesn't show, Kait blames her own naiveté. Like the tabloid’s say, once a player, always a player.
But there are always two sides to every story.
When I was a child I was fortunate enough to be part of a family of farmers. I was one of the lucky little girls who asked for a horse and got one. I got to experience, for a short while, what having a horse was like and that fostered a love for all things equestrian. I remember that I was old enough to remember my first ride, but not old enough to really learn anything concrete about horse ownership and as a result, horses will forever be magical in my mind. Cowgrrl Up: Live was surprisingly adept at capturing snippets of memories from my childhood: smells, sights and experiences..and made me love Greyson’s magical work even more!
I hoped she laughed like that often—but it charged from her throat like a kid busting through a rusty gate, making me worry that she didn’t have time for fun or play.
Kait has finally made it to the National Finals Rodeo in one of the first every women only events. She’s committed to succeeding and nothing will detour her from making the top three, not even circuit playboy Race Tiago. Yet, Race isn’t going away and she begins to wonder if Mr Right isn’t just a fairytale, but right in front of her.
Race’s life needs to change before he can commit to Kait and they agree to meet seven months after the National Finals Rodeo. When Race doesn’t show Kait has to accept the fact that Race was playing her, or was he?
Greyson takes us on an emotional journey using beautiful prose and realistic plot to create a masterpiece of empathy, suspense and tears. This novel is foremost a romance novel so we don’t get to see a lot of real competition, but there’s enough detail to get an understanding of the plot: failing ranches, familial bonds and realizing that dreams can come true. Race and Kait’s whirlwind romance begins to alter their beliefs that love and happily ever after are fantasy and each has to come to grips with their own fears and uncertainties for their relationship to survive. CowGrrl Up: Live is a tale of love, loss and establishing trust.
Tears welled in my eyes. Moma had said Race was doing the same thing, and maybe he was, but wasn’t that what happened when we decided to become adults? We put away our childish dreams and settled for reality, for what was possible instead of a fairytale that didn’t last.
I was surprised to see a grandmother and ranch hands highlighted as Race’s family because our society is so stuck on the nuclear family. Fortunately, we get to see what real family is all about: love, acceptance and support. I think probably part of why I loved this book so much was that Greyson developed a realistic picture of family through strong bonds rather than cultural obligations.
I was expecting a happy ending within a few pages, but Greyson took me in a direction I was never intending to go, taking me on an emotional joy ride. While the first half of the novel is suspenseful (will they or wont they?) I found the second half painful with a ton of emotional turmoil. I felt like this would have been a cute and fulfilling novel without the final half, but I definitely can respect Greyson for creating a narrative with some serious emotional weight. Pity, fear, sadness and happiness were all on the menu – often where I least expected it.
Race the playboy will never change, or has he?
Cowgrrl Up: Live was nothing like I expected. I honestly think this is a perfect example of why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover: the cover really doesn’t match the book. I thought this would be a smutty and easy read, but instead I ended up with a novel with deep messages, strong characters and lots of tear jerking moments. It was beautifully written and well worth the read.
This novel will appeal to those who enjoy westerns, clean romance (done right!), strong female lead characters, smoking love interest and emotional roller coasters. CowGrrl Up: Live is a misleading novel about finding love in the most unexpected places and the struggle to hold on to that love in difficult situations. A worth while read for any romance lover.
About Jen Greyson
From the moment she decided on a degree in Equestrian Studies, Jen Greyson’s life has been one unscripted adventure after another. Leaving the cowboy state of Wyoming to train show horses in France, Switzerland, and Germany, she’s lived life without much of a plan, but always a book in her suitcase. Now a wife and mom to two young boys, she relies on her adventurous, passionate characters to be the risk- takers.
Jen also ghost writes billionaire legacies and romance novellas when she’s not enjoying the wilds of the west via wakeboard or snowmobile.
She’s a mama writer, unleashing stories.
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