Stranded with a Cowboy (Devil's Bluffs #2)

Stacey Kennedy

Blurb:

She’s given up on love…

But a hot affair with a hot cowboy is ideal.

Since being named Texas’s Sexiest Bachelor, millionaire rancher Beau Ward has been hounded by reporters. The sexy single dad escapes to his remote cabin to protect his privacy—until Nora Keller appears amid a tropical storm. She says it’s to plan her best friend’s wedding to his brother…but she really wants a no-strings fling before she relocates to Paris. With the storm raging, the pair discover passion unlike any they’ve ever known. Will walking away afterward prove harder than they’d imagined?

Themes: Contemporary

Rating: 3.75 stars

Heat Rating:

Review:

I have been looking forward to Beau’s story since his hairbrained scheme to help his brother out in this last novel, just knowing it was going to go awry for this poor guy, but I never saw this one coming. I am a big fan of Stacey Kennedy’s more lengthy novels, and figured I would give her short harlequin stories a try for a fun change, but didn’t hold out a lot of hope since they were so short. But I find that I really enjoy the story lines, characters and the steam is certainly not lacking. Beau has gotten himself into a bit of a jam by volunteering to replace his brother in the spotlight with the press and now needs the quiet of solitude to get away. Hiding away at his private cabin seems just the thing, until a tropical storm moves in quickly stranding him, with the sexy woman that has sparked his interest from the first. Nora has come to Texas for her best friend’s wedding and to take one wild ride for herself before she makes a crazy change in her life, one last chance at the crazy sexy cowboy that intrigues and makes her blood sing, something she’s never experienced before. But the more time they spend together, the more they both come to question what they both want out of life and their arrangement, but sometimes past hurts run too deep for new love to heal unless you are willing to take a true leap of faith. I loved getting to know these two and seeing them fall in love even as they worked through their pain and trust issues. Nora has been hurt again and again by the men in her past and the only person she really trusts is her bestie, but she knows that trust passion must exists and hopes that Beau will be the one to show it to her. She is smart, sweet, sassy, and loving, but she is so vulnerable and shy other times that it breaks my heart to see her doubting herself so much. I enjoyed seeing her bonding, oftentimes despite herself with Beau and his people, especially his son, and it was obvious that if she allowed herself, she was going to be a perfect fit into his family. Beau was an interesting character, a difficult man to get to know, but one that you knew could open his heart if he learned that women can be trusted to be after him for more than just his money or what he can give them. Losing his first wife so young and suddenly obviously shook him and changed him, but he is inherently a solving and strong man looking for a partner to raise a family and grow old with, one that will share his passion for life and love, even if he is afraid of trusting again. The passion between these two was unbelievable from the beginning and the fun the brought to their relationship showed us that not every relationship is about fire and flare. I loved seeing these two works through their issues, even as it was painful at times, and I wish the series was continuing so we might see them again in future stories. A great little duet of stories that I am glad I picked up tot enjoy, but if you really want to enjoy them, I recommend grabbing both together and reading them back-to-back to double the fun of a Kennedy experience.