“Rebel Cowboy” by Carolyn Brown
I got a copy of this book from my friends at Net Galley in order to review this novel in advance. I will say that I have never read a book by Carolyn Brown, but have read my fair share of Western Contemporary Romance.
The story is set in Texas where Taggart Baker and his twin brother, Hudson have returned to their home town after purchasing a ranch. They purchased a ranch adjacent to their newly married sister - Emily-who plays a significant role in this book. Tag has a history of being wild and getting himself in trouble and in the first chapter we see him get into some trouble of his own at a bar, which lands him in the ER. Where local nurse, Nikki Grady runs into him. Nikki is Emily’s best friend and has been the only woman to turn down Tag’s advances, claiming that his wild ways were too much for her to handle.
The pair had a fun and flirtatious banter throughout the novel. Both are struggling with their own issues of their past. Tag struggles to put behind his bad boy ways and cope with the loss of his friend, Duke, in a motorcycle accident. Eventually, Tag’s past comes back to bite him in the arse and throws Nikki into the middle of chaos.
Nikki also has her own struggles and we are exposed to her mother Wilma throughout the course of the novel. Nikki is a complex character and I believe that the numerous traumas she has faced added to the story and kept my attention throughout the course of the book. At time, I felt like she should just put her mother behind her because the relationship was toxic for her. But I got a clear understanding of her thoughts about her relationship with her mother. For both Nikki and Tag, grief and loss is a common theme that binds them at pivotal points throughout the book.
I have to say, the reference to all the country songs in the book wasn’t really my cup of tea and I thought it to be a bit immature. I will admit there were times where I physically rolled my eyes. However, there was definitely some juxtaposition between the immature banter and the serious topics that Tag and Nikki faced.
Overall, the plot and characters were well developed and there was definite leeway for more books in this series. I would continue on with the series as there are several other characters, such as Hud and the Callan boys that I would like to see more of. It was a well written book and an entertaining read. I gave this book 4 stars!
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