Along Came a Cowboy: A Romantic Showdown in Small-Town Arkansas

A Book Review by Audrey Hebbert: Along Came A Cowboy By Christine Lynxwiler March 2008, Barbour Publishing ISBN-978-1-59789-896-6 Trade $9.97 This story, set in a western town, provides a good read with all the charm that Lynxwiler brings to her work. Dr. Rachel Donovan runs a thriving chiropractic practice, and apparently she has everything together. In typical small town fashion, she helps out with the committee planning the town's major centennial celebration and rodeo. She's even been nominated Shady Grove's Citizen of the Year. Unfortunately, she carries baggage from the past. Part of the conflict is kind, godly, stereotypical cowboy Jack Westwood, Rachel's old high school chum. He's cherished a love for her all these years, holding her dark secrets without rancor. Jack is bullheaded enough to persevere through her rejection, and insightful enough to recognize her conflicts with her past, especially the one involving a mistake Rachel made in their senior year. Lynxwiler skillfully ties all the threads together at the end, pouring in forgiveness, true love and a takeaway for the reader's life. I especially enjoyed the book because I, too, grew up in ranch country, and I had to reconcile issues from the past. Sometimes it's harder to forgive ourselves than those around us.

"Along Came a Cowboy" is a wonderful, lighthearted, comical love story. The Pinky Promise Sisterhood series are well written and the characters come inside your home and sit down. I thought "Promise Me Always" was the best, but Christine Lynxwiler out did herself with this new one. Dr. Rachel Donovan carried a lot of baggage with her through her life. It seemed the you could feel the tension lifted as she conquered each of her problems. Jack was/is a handsome cowboy from next door and years ago. To see him enter her life, although she fought to have him there, was refreshing for me. Rachel handled each problem with poise and dignity, and humor. I really did not know what to expect when I received the book, but I could not put it down when I started reading. I always want the good guy to win and they did. This was one of the best that Chris has written. She always brings the characters to life. They seem a part of my family. That's what I look for in a good book. One I can get lost in and I did in "Along Came a Cowboy." If you are looking for some lighthearted summer reading, buy this book!

Fabulous! I was looking for a fun and romantic read after a plethora of mind bending books and Along Came a Cowboy did not disappoint. The humour, delightful romantic tension and engaging characters drew me in instantly and carried me through the entire book. That being said, it is not without substance from Rachel's awkwardness with her parents to her niece's search for her real mother. Toss in cameos from Rachel's friends from Promise Me Always and you have the perfect tale to spend a few hours with.

My daughter and I both read this book and loved it. We thought Lynxwiler handled issues of purity, teen pregnancy, parenting, love, and forgiveness quite well. We were quite taken in by Jack's charm, love, and patience, and how he handled unwanted interference of the press. As a Mom, I appreciate how the issues of pregnancy, trust, pressures, commitment, and forgiveness addressed. Had a hard time putting it down!

In Shady Grove, Arkansas chiropractor Dr. Rachel Donovan just wants her practice to succeed without any hints of scandal so she goes out of her way to avoid dangling alliances with men especially with cowboys. She has had a scandal to last a lifetime so burned once she adheres strictly to her mantra of no cowboys. However when Rachel meets cowboy Jake Westwood while on a town planning committee, she thinks he is quite a hunk when they are not arguing. He finds her pretty when they are in agreement and lovely when she yells at him. However, fearing her past will surface, Rachel rejects any relationship with the hunk, but love cannot be easily discarded especially when the stubborn cowboy insists on constantly coming around to see her. LONG CAME A COWBOY is a deep character study starring a woman wanting to overcome her past as she seeks personal salvation. The romantic subplot enhances Rachel's efforts to obtain redemption starting with paragon behavior of someone nominated town citizen of the year. Readers will appreciate Rachel's tale supported by a strong secondary cast especially the title cowboy, the townsfolk and her family. Harriet Klausner