Blog Tour: Cowboy Up by Harper Sloan + Review & Excerpt

   

  

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Harper Sloan returns with a passionate and breathless romance about the sparks that ignite when a cautious cowboy and a once-scorned woman open up to each other in the third installment of the Coming Home series. 

 As the eldest Davis, Clayton has always tried to lead by example. He takes his job as head of the family businesses seriously, making sure the farm and auto shop are running smoothly—along with keeping an eye on his brother and sister. For him, there’s a time and place to let go of the control he holds with an iron grip. And with the way he grew up, coupled with a disastrous end to his last relationship, he’s just fine with his quiet, solitary life. Most of the time. What he hadn't counted on was the cute, quirky, shy bookstore owner, Caroline Michaels. She's the proverbial woman next door—well, the next town over, that is. Caroline hasn't lived an easy life, but after escaping a verbally abusive ex, she's finally living it for herself. The last thing she ever expected was a one-night stand with Clay Davis she can’t stop thinking about. So when she falls on hard times and Clay comes out of nowhere to her rescue, she realizes just how impossible it’ll be to stay away from him. Now all she has to do is convince him to live a little…. Will Clay be able to give up the reins and finally settle down? And, more importantly, will Caroline muster enough courage to lasso him up?  

Amazon US | Paperback | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA | BN | Kobo | iBooks

 

EXCERPT:

  I push my hands from his shoulders and palm his jaw as his stubble prickles against my fingers while my hands wander up to his hair. His hat falls to the ground with a thud and I know he’s just as lost in me as I am in him, because he doesn’t even make a move to pick it up. He lets out a deep grunt when I mold myself against his body, seeking some sort of friction. The next thing I know, my back is against the door and he’s gripping my bottom. His mouth hits my jaw with a bite of his teeth, making a squeak of pleasure shoot up my throat, and his deep rumble of laughter reaches my ears as he presses me harder into the door with his hips. The heavy bulge of his erection against that spot makes me so desperate for him that I whimper in relief when his mouth finally closes over mine in a wet tangle of tongues. I’ve never been kissed so thoroughly. This is the kind of kiss that sets the bar for any that might follow. The kind that shows you everything you’ve been missing and everything you never knew you wanted. I’m going to be comparing every kiss I ever have to my dark cowboy’s, even though I know there’s a good chance no one will ever compare. The sounds coming from my mouth, the ones being swallowed by his, are nothing short of needy. My hips move in tandem with the thrusts of his, and even though we’re both fully clothed, I know it won’t take much more of this for me to go off like the town’s fireworks on the Fourth of July. “Fuck, you taste just like apple pie,” he whispers against my lips, breaking away with a gasp. “Huh?” “Goddamn, I love apple pie,” he says before his mouth is back on mine, this time with a whole new kind of hunger deepening his kisses. I’m held captive, enraptured. Then his hands move from my bottom to glide up my torso. He lifts his hard chest off mine and suddenly those delicious fingers are at my breasts. Even if I had big boobs his hands would dwarf them, I’m sure, but as it is he covers both with a firm grasp before adjusting his hold with a deft twist of the wrists. His mouth continues to feast on mine while his huge hands learn my body with slow movements. I tear my mouth from his with a breathy moan when he pushes my shirt up and slips his fingers into the cups of my bra to tweak my nipples. “Oh, God,” I moan when he does it again. “I can’t get enough of you,” he rumbles. “Please,” I beg, not with the slightest clue as to what I’m begging for. His hips dig even harder into mine as he leans back, supporting me against the door with that connection alone as he pulls my shirt off. The darkness makes me feel more confident than I normally would be, almost half naked with a man—no, a stranger. “Yours too,” I tell him as his fingers move to unclasp my bra. “I want to feel your skin on mine,” I breathe, taking over the task so he’ll hopefully give me what I want. I fumble in my haste to feel more of this dangerous arousal he’s creating in my body, but the second my bra is free and dangling toward the floor, his naked chest collides against mine, pushing me into the door with a force that sends the air rushing out of my lungs. His mouth hits my collarbone at the same time his hands grasp my bottom, sliding me up the door until I feel the wet heat of his breath against my breast. Then he stops.    

       

MY REVIEW:

4 stars

****

 This is a good book! This is Caroline and Clayton's story. Caroline and Clayton are from the same small town. They were acquaintances when they were younger but Caroline moved away for college. After escaping an abusive relationship, she moved back and opened her own bookstore in a neighboring town. Clayton runs his family's ranch. One night, Caroline has a one night stand with Clayton. Both of then were lonely, attracted to each other, and not expecting anything to come from the night. But neither of them could stop thinking about each other after that night, and when they keep running into each other, they both think it's worth starting a relationship and seeing where things can go. The two quickly become inseparable and find they are perfect for each other. There is some suspense when Caroline's book store is purposely burnt to the ground and Clayton has a psycho ex. But it all works out for them in the end and they get their HEA. 

I have read the other two books in the series, and while I liked them, I didn't love them. I liked this book much more. I actually felt the connection between the characters more too. I really liked both Caroline and Clayton. Caroline was not the spitfire the other two heroines had been She was a shy, quiet book store owner. Clayton was not a manwhore. He was a loner, running his ranch on his own, working all the time. Both of them had pasts that damaged them. Clayton's mother left his family as a small child and he was raised by an abusive father. Caroline had an abusive mother and she was also in an abusive relationship. Neither of them ever imagined that they would end up in a relationship with anyone again. They were both surprised when they met again and had such a strong connection. I really liked them both and was happy that they found well-deserved happiness and a future with each other. There is still some hokey, country speech in this book, but it wasn't as bad or somehow didn't bother me as much as it did in the other books. I liked catching up with the other couples from the series too. I felt like the pacing was a little off. The first half of the book was very good. I would have been fine if it had ended there. Most of the second half felt like an extended epilogue. While I still enjoyed it, I felt like it lacked tension. It picked up a bit towards the end. Still, I did really enjoy this book and felt like it was a good way to wrap up the series. There is a great epilogue too. 

Overall, I really enjoyed Cowboy Up! I think it is definitely worth reading, even if you haven't read the others in the series. I look forward to more from Ms. Sloan in the future!

******************

       Harper is a NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL and USA TODAY bestselling author residing in Georgia with her husband and three daughters. She has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books, hibachi, tattoos and Game of Thrones. When she isn't writing you can almost always find her with a book in hand.

Facebook | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page