Book 2 in award-winning author Joanne Kennedy’s new Blue Sky Cowboys series, Blue Sky Cowboy Christmas is an emotional, compelling story from a master of the genre. Joanne Kennedy’s sexy cowboy romances feature the rugged and lonely Wyoming range, where the nearest neighbors are miles away and the climate is brutal for man and beast.
This beautiful and sensuous tale takes place during the holidays when a lonely cowboy is more desperate than ever to connect with the woman of his dreams.
And… that blurb does not tell you much at all about the story within. *sigh* I have an ARC of this book and I had really expected there to be a blurb before publication. I see I was wrong about that.
Titles in the Blue Sky Cowboys series include — Cowboy Summer – Blue Sky Cowboy Christmas –
Title: Blue Sky Cowboy Christmas
Series: Blue Sky Cowboys #2
Author: Joanne Kennedy
Genre: Modern Western Romance
Published: September 29, 2020
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
My Rating: 4 stars
Blue Sky Cowboy Christmas is the second story in the Blue Sky Cowboys series and brings us Griff and Riley’s story which is an emotional journey for both the characters and the reader. I have purchased the first story, Cowboy Summer, but I have not read it yet. I wish I had made the time to do that before diving into Griff and Riley’s story. I had forgotten that I purchased it intending to read it before this review was due. But time gets away from me, and even now it seems like there just isn’t enough of it to get everything done. I’d say you “could” read this one as a stand-alone, but you’ll understand more background, more nuances if you start at the beginning.
Griff intended to re-signup to the military but instead got sent home to do some healing and dealing with the trauma of combat, in particular, a severe case of PTSD that he just cannot seem to get a handle on and that fact is only making his recovery harder and longer. Griff wants it done with today, but the reality is his PTSD may never fully go away… and that’s not something he knows how to live with.
Riley has her own demons in her past. She’s overcome them, no longer addicted, completely turned around and clean. Yet. She doesn’t see herself as worthy. Oh, she puts on a pretty good false face but at her core, she feels the townsfolk look down on her for past deeds, and that she doesn’t deserve the good things in life including a good man at her side.
She and Griff spent time together before he left on assignment. Since he’s been deployed they text occasionally and are comfortable, for the most part, with each other. Griff may want more, Riley seems intent on pushing him away. They’ve come to a crossroads of sorts but now is the time to reach for the dream for them both or they will have lost everything that was once possible.
I enjoyed Blue Sky Cowboy Christmas. If there were moments when I wanted to shake both Riley and Griff or at the very least sit them down for a kind, stern talking to… well, they deserved that for the way they acted toward each other. It was plain to see that they worked together, they counter-balanced each other’s pasts and future so well if only they could see that. With some chuckle out loud moments, some awkward moments, and some steam-filled moments as well, this couple captured my heart as I waited for them to catch up and see just how right they were for each other.
Oh. P.S. Please put a blurb on this book, a real story blurb. You are asking readers to buy the book even more sight unseen than usual without any kind of story related cover description to show them the interesting and emotional story within the pages.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca 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.*
Available in paperback or for your favorite e-reader, mine is the Kindle.
