He doesn’t believe in love…

Traveling nurse Janie Atwood has come to Cold River to uncover old family secrets and maybe, if she’s lucky, find a new home. That the gorgeous, glowering sheriff next door thinks her caring for his elderly neighbor is a nefarious scheme is a bonus. Having never been anything but a good girl, Janie finds Zack Kittredge’s simmering suspicion an excellent reason to try being a little dangerous instead…

She doesn’t believe in squandering it…

Sheriff Zack Kittredge is okay with being… intense. He takes his loner status as seriously as he takes his responsibilities to protect Cold River. And he thinks cheerful Janie might be a threat to the town. But the more he gets to know her, the more he faces the truth—she’s brighter than sunshine and he’s like a moth to her flame. When Janie suggests he could use a few charm school lessons, he surprises them both by accepting. He doesn’t need help. But it’s clear he might need her…

Because the only thing hotter than the summer sun in the Rockies is the forbidden passion that burns between them…

Titles in the Kittredge Ranch series include – Secret Nights with a Cowboy – All Night Long with a Cowboy – Summer Nights with a Cowboy –

*there is a connection to — Cold River Ranch series, those titles include —  A True Cowboy Christmas – Cold Heart, Warm Cowboy – The Last Real Cowboy

This is an adult 18+ story that may contain language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Title:  Summer Nights with a Cowboy
Series:  Kittredge Ranch #3
Author:  Caitlin Crews
Genre:  Modern Western Romance
Published:  March 29, 2022
Publisher:  St. Martin’s Press
My Rating:  4.5 stars

It’s always a bittersweet moment when a series I’ve enjoyed comes to a close – but, we do get long-awaited answers in Summer Nights with a Cowboy and a sizzling, emotional send-off to the Kittredge Ranch series.  (and yes, I’m hoping to return to this world one day with another connecting series… hint, hint, wishful dreaming)

To say Zack is a bit… uptight would be like describing an elephant as large.  It’s obvious but you have no idea of the reality until face-to-face with the real deal.  When traveling nurse, Janie, true to her clumsy self, trips and spills coffee all over the lawman she never would have dreamed that would be the opening gambit in finding the love of her life… if Zack would just loosen up and stop believing she’s the newest bad guy in town!  It’s fair that he thinks she has something to hide, for she is combining her love of caring for her patients with a desire to learn more about her own history with this town.  But this was the first time someone ever thought she was more than just forgettable vanilla – that maybe she could be “up to something” so she runs with it, all the while swearing to herself that she’d set him straight… soon.

Summer Nights with a Cowboy is a fun, emotional, and even sexy adventure as two unlikely people find ways to bring out different aspects of their personalities to one very special person, all the while falling in love when dealing with the unique small-town antics they’ll encounter on a daily basis.  I had fun with Janie and Zack as questions were answered, loose ends tied up, and a couple who deserve happiness found their way to each other with a love to last a lifetime.  We’ll run into familiar faces, watch a man lose some of that closed-off-ness that has been his cover for so long now, and a woman discovers that she isn’t always in the friend zone when the right man comes along.

I don’t think you’d be lost if you picked up Zack and Janie’s story at this point, but you would be missing lots of background information and some really good romances from the first books in this series.  But it could be read as a standalone, I’d just recommend the entire series for the full impact of this world.

If you love a good totally opposites attract, wrapping up all the loose ends and answering questions that have been left hanging, and discovering a really good love story then Summer Nights with a Cowboy would be perfect for you.  I’ve had fun in this world and will miss it – but also looking forward to what the author brings us next.

*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.*

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