Title: The Wrong Cowboy (Granite Junction Book 1)
Author: Megan Ryder
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Western, Cowboy Romance
Release Date: August 26, 2020
Graduate from college? Check.
Land a school counselor job? Check.
Seduce her forever crush? Epic fail!
The sexy rancher is clearly not interested in long-term. In fact, he’s not interested, period. But Emma is determined to change his mind until his cousin, Gabe Buchanan, puts a definite crimp in her perfect plans.
Gabe has come to help his cousin with work around the ranch while struggling to unravel his next book plot. The last thing the he expected was to find literary inspiration in the curvaceous cowgirl pining over his cousin. Determined to prove he is the right match for her, he devises a plan to win Emma’s heart.
As much as Emma wants her childhood crush to finally take notice, she can’t help but be intrigued by sizzling hot and funny Gabe. When he asks her out, she can’t say no. Besides, it’s just a friendly dinner. No big deal. Yet when the lines between casual and interested blur, neither can deny the chemistry between them.
Can Gabe fill every box on Emma’s checklist and give her what she needs the most? His heart and a future together?
“He’s a handsome devil, isn’t he?”
A low voice drawled from the back end of the car and she yanked her hand away as if it’d been scorched. She scowled at Gabe, who leaned against the bed of her truck, one ankle crossed in front of the other, arms folded across his chest as he smirked at her. Cam must have put him to work today, since it appeared he had just showered. His sandy brown hair was damp where it curled around the nape of his neck and up under his hat. His plaid shirt was clean, his jeans, worn and comfortable-looking, frayed along the seams, as if they were old. And damned if he didn’t look even better than he had in his fancy, city clothes that morning.
She folded her arms and glared. “I thought all cars are women. Temperamental and something to be taken care of.”
He pushed off the end of the truck and sauntered toward her. “That’s a very old-fashioned view of women, Emma. First off, women don’t need to be taken care of. My momma taught me that they can handle most anything thrown at them, possibly better than men, and I listen to my momma. Second, I believe in equality. A car can be male or female, and trust me. This beast is all male.”
She sucked in a breath and narrowed her gaze. He was going to school her on feminism? “I don’t need a lecture on women’s rights, Gabe Buchanan. Because this car is tough, it must be male?”
Gabe’s smile never wavered. He leaned forward as if imparting a secret, his breath teasing her ear. She shivered. “Nope. I checked under the chassis. He’s male.”
He stepped back, his laughter ringing out around them. Her eyes widened and she was about to give him a blistering reply when she paused, realized he was teasing her. She relaxed and laughed with him. “Do you take anything seriously?
He cocked his head, considering her words for a moment. “My momma, because she scares me. The IRS, for the same reason. God, because I’m hedging my bets there. And my family. Other than that, probably not.”
She shook her head and turned to the cab of her truck. “I don’t think I’d better take anything you say seriously.”
He rested a hand on the frame of the truck, right above her head. “You want to go for a spin? He handles real nice. If you’re good, I might even let you drive him.”
“And how do you define nice?” She tensed, waiting for a smarmy come-on.
He must have correctly interpreted her body language because he straightened and his tone, when he spoke, was serious for once. “It’s simple. Kind words, respect, maybe a little flirting. Nothing else. Anyone who asks for anything else is an asshole.”
This is the first book I have read by Megan. I really
enjoyed it. Emma has had a crush on Cam but then his cousin comes to town. At
first, she can’t stand him. Then when she hears that her crush has plans to
move away. She has the idea that maybe she can make him jealous. She will agree
to go out with Gabe. Will it work or will her carefully structed life be turned
upside down by falling for Gabe? Emma has her whole life planned out. She may
have just pictured the wrong man as the leading man. Gabe is an amazing man. He
has his own things to work through though. Emma and Gabe agree to have a fun
fling while he is in town. Could feelings become involved and how will they
make it work if they do? This book is a really sweet read. It has some heat but
not much. The characters in this book as wonderful. I look forward to reading
more about them. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. I will
be looking at Megan’s other books as well.
Ever since Megan Ryder discovered Jude Deveraux and Judith McNaught while sneaking around the “forbidden” romance section of the library one day after school, she has been voraciously devouring romance novels of all types. Now a romance author in her own right, Megan pens sexy contemporary novels all about family and hot lovin’ with the boy next door. She lives in Connecticut, spending her days as a technical writer and her spare time divided between her addiction to knitting and reading.
