Cowgirl at Heart

Cowgirl at Heart by Christine Lynxwiler ... In this Christian romance, Elyse McCord meets Andrew Stone. Both have secrets in their past. Elyse is adopted and her past has made her very timid - except with dogs. Unfortunately, her willingness to stand up for these defenseless animals puts her in the path of a violent, gun-wielding drunk. She is saved by Andrew - trained by his father, the Texas Ranger. As the story progresses, we learn about her past, and Alex and her family work to help her to overcome it and to move into her future. But just when it seems all is going to turn out well, Andrew's past catches up to both of them, and she needs to learn not only how to forgive her own past, but also how to trust again. Will God bring them together? Or are they forever destined to walk through life alone? A good story! I am grateful to have received an electronic copy of this book through netgalley.

I couldn't add any better review than the 3 already given. I just wanted to say I totally agree with the other reviewers and this series is excellent. I do feel at home reading about this family and the McCord sisters. I'm glad that the suspense drama was kept to a minimum and resolved quickly because I like to relax and enjoy the people and the book and I don't care for a bunch of suspense that keeps on building to a climax. I like it to be interspersed in the book and this was done well in this book. All of the characters are very likeable and very fleshed out. I have not been disappointed at all reading her books and have read just about all of them.

Elyse McCord is a painfully shy dog trainer who finds a dog that has been horribly mistreated. In an effort to rescue him, she is threatened at gun point by the dog owner's ex-con of a brother. To her rescue comes Andrew Stone who just so happens to be staking out the con he suspects killed his wife three years ago. In the fight, the attacker flees leaving Elyse in danger and in need of a protector that Adam, with alterior motives, is willing to be. As the weeks go by, mutal attraction leads to stronger feelings and they both realize that they have to learn how to trust each other with their secrets to be able to have the love that they desire. I won this book on Goodreads Firs Reads giveaway and I'm glad that I did. Otherwise I never would have given it a chance. I'm not a Christian myself and have found, in the past, that Christian Fiction/Romance books come across as corny and preachy. The characters always find a happily ever after and the author tends to send a message that you will too as long as you take Jesus in your heart. This book was refreshingly different. Andrew and Elyse were not sickenly perfect and I believe that, if they were real, I could be their friend and not feel that they would judge me or make it their mission to convert me. With that being said, this book was very well written and the story kept me interested from the very beginning. I loved how Elyse's sister Crystal and her fiancee were shown to be having serious problems during this book when I'm assuming their story has been told in the first book of the series. Most...ok, probably all of the serial romance books I read, once the book is done, the couple remains "happily ever after" in every other book after it. Which I always thought was a good thing, but after reading "Cowgirl at Heart", found that it just isn't real. In real life, the stories continue and the road is always rocky. I look forward to reading Crystal and Jeremy's book and all the others that come from Ms. Lynxwiler.

I have a few books by Christine Lynxwiler on my shelf that I have not had a chance to read yet. When I had the opportunity to read her newest book Cowgirl at Heart, I had high hopes for her storytelling abilities. I am very happy to say that I was not the slightest bit disappointed. This story started out strong and had a wonderful mix of romance and suspense that made it very interesting and enjoyable. One of my favorite things about this book was the setting. The McCord Farm is a very peaceful and tranquil place. It was a place where Elyse could always feel safe from her many fears. But, just like life, evil can invade even the most tranquil places in our lives. When evil invades Elyse's life, she must learn to face her fears and fight for herself. She does so bravely and is an inspiring character. Cowgirl at Heart was not just about Elyse and Andrew, her knight in shining armor. It was also about other members of the McCord family. This is a family that I already like a lot because they are very loving and the dynamics are very much like real families. There is basically nothing I didn't like about this book. I am so pleasantly surprised by the fact that this book met and exceeded my expectations. This author is new to me, but I will always be looking forward to reading more from her.