Review: Cowboy Dreamin’ by Starla Kaye

Kendra spends her days and nights running a business, sculpting, and leading a Tahitian dance group in Kauai. She can’t squeeze anything else into her life, but she dreams of cowboys. Sexy, hot cowboys in tight jeans, low-tipped Stetsons, and dusty boots. Men who know all about how to please a woman. She enjoys her fantasies, but can’t imagine ever settling down. But one night with one would be so nice. Surely that would get her dreams of a white knight cowboy sweeping her off her feet out of her system. 

Because of an accident that Shane believes left him “less of a man,” he doesn’t see a wife and children in his future. Carson, his ranching partner—and sometimes lover—thinks Shane is wrong. Carson refuses to let Shane settle for a life of rodeo bunnies who only want a romp in bed with a bull rider. Shane deserves more than that. He manages to sign Shane up with a matchmaking service to, hopefully, meet another kind of woman, maybe someone who will appreciate Shane for the man he is. Except Madame Evangeline expects both of the cowboys to go on this special one night date. It doesn’t take long for either cowboy to realize that one night with the purple-haired, hip-shaking beauty in Kauai might not be enough…. 

Series: 1NightStand #192
Release Date: February 11th 2014
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Source: Manic Readers
Reviewer: Elizabeth
Rating:

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Reviewer’s Thoughts

I picked up this book because a lot of people were advertising it on social media outlets so I thought I’d give it a try. I love Decadent Publishing books and the 1Night Stand series with the mysterious matchmaker Madame Evangeline. However, I did not enjoy this book for several reasons.

The story starts with Kendra who lives in Hawaii and works too much. Her friends tell her she needs to slow down and take a vacation. Then it jumps to Oklahoma where Shane is a bull rider driving home to Kansas from a rodeo. He’s into ladies but he also messes around with Carson, his ranch partner, best friend and part-time lover. Shane doesn’t want to settle down but Carson thinks Shane should hang up his rodeo days and start a family…with a wife.

Then it flashes back to Kendra and her friend talking about Madame Evangeline and the 1Night Stand service that helped her friend find a man. Then we leave Kendra thinking about a fantasy with two cowboys and jump back over to Shane and Carson discussing Shane’s rodeo career and Carson suggests the 1Night Stand service for Shane to find a wife. Shane doesn’t want to be tied down and his last words on the subject are, “Hell no.”

And we jump back to Kendra who finds out she has a match from the service, well matches…as in two cowboys. Then quickly switching to Shane and Carson having flown to Hawaii to meet Kendra. My head is spinning with all these fast changes. The transitions are so jerky; I can’t keep up with the story or even find it remotely believable.

Long story short, the trio has an awkward conversation, get into bed and then after the deed is done, Kendra said it was nice and leaves. Then the story jumps three months later to Kendra being pregnant and debating on telling Shane and Carson. She doesn’t have to wait long because five minutes later Shane and Carson show up and Shane questions if it’s true, Kendra says yes and then Shane proposes to Kendra.  Kendra says yes and then they make plans to go back to Shane and Carson’s ranch in Kansas and live happily ever after.

Even if I could wrap my head around the story, I still would not enjoy it. The sex scenes were uncomfortable and a little crude. The characters are underdeveloped and the plot seriously needs an overhaul. The author had a good idea for the plot but there was just too much back story and the lack of relationship development between characters was desperately needed in order to support the story. Unfortunately, this is a book I cannot recommend.