Zach Marvell’s word is the law on the ranch — or it was until she showed up.
Zach Marvell’s been running the family Marvell Ranch without interference since he was fifteen, but when Finley James arrives for her sister’s wedding and proceeds to ask questions, give advice and tell him a few unpleasant facts about himself, he’s annoyed. And then intrigued.
Horse trainer Finley James has been perfectly happy floating from job to job until her parents sell the family ranch in Nevada and she no longer has a safety net. She’s not worried as she’s landed a job at a top horse training facility, but that lasts less than a week when Finley, who’s never held back her opinions, tells a wealthy client a truth he doesn’t want to hear. Hat in hand she returns to Marvel Ranch hoping Zach will give her a short term job until she can figure out her next move. Finley knows promising to not interfere or makes waves will be tough.
Who knew keeping her hands and her heart to herself would be her biggest challenge?
Titles in the Men of Marvell Ranch series include — The Cowboy’s Last Rodeo – A Marvell Country Christmas – Challenging the Cowboy –
Title: Challenging the Cowboy
Series: Men of Marvell Ranch #3
Author: Jeannie Watt
Genre: Modern Western Romance
Published: April 8, 2019
Publisher: Tule Publishing
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Put together a cowboy who believes he’s always right, takes no sass from anyone and has a very high opinion of his own abilities and decisions, bring in a horse trainer who refuses to settle down, is not afraid or willing to keep her opinions to herself in spite of the consequences… and something is going to boil over real fast. Meet Zach Marvell and Finley James, two stubborn, opinionated people who believe it’s their way or the highway until the sparks between them prove to be much more than simply temper and needing to be right. CHALLENGING THE COWBOY brings Zach and Finley into close contact beyond their in-law status as his brother is married to her sister… and the race is on to see who can out-stubborn the other first.
I liked Zach and Finley individually and definitely together. Two more stubborn always has to be right, won’t back down from an argument on the exact color of the sky at any given moment in time type of people you’d be hard pressed to find. Yet that same personality trait that drives them both crazy is also what draws them to each other. They each have layers that aren’t on display for everyone to see, they both have issues that lay beneath the surface that needs a bit of digging to come to light – being stubborn is the perfect way to keep digging until you get to the core of things. At times, it may seem that these two bring out the worst in each other yet in truth they’re bringing out the best and proving that two stubborn adults can indeed find a happy ending… eventually.
If you’re in the mood for a fun cowboy romance where “rock” meets “hard place” and both win in the end, then you’ll feel right at home on the Marvell Ranch and with CHALLENGING THE COWBOY. I’d not hesitate to recommend this story or the entire series to readers who love a good romance, believable characters, with sparks flying every which way possible. I had a blast and believe you will, too.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
**This review also appears on my Lovin’ A Cowboy Romance blog where you’ll find just about anything you ever wanted to know about Marietta, Montana and it’s charming residents — as well as lots of Modern Western Romance stories to dive into.**
Available for the Kindle
