ONE GOOD COWBOY – Catherine Mann
Diamonds in the Rough , Book 1
Harlequin Desire #2293
ISBN: 978-0-373-73306-4
April 2014
Contemporary Series Romance

Fort Worth, Texas; Vermont, and South Carolina – Present Day

Secrets will destroy a relationship before it barely begins…

CEO and cowboy Stone McNair is stunned when his beloved grandmother, Mariah McNair, announces that she has cancer and perhaps only months to live. But instead of having her grandchildren surround her during her final months, Mariah informs them that in order to get their inheritance they'll each have to pass a “test.” Stone's test will be to find homes for her four dogs, with his ex-fiancée Johanna Fletcher providing the final approval. They'll have to travel together to various locations—something that Stone is not sure will sit well with Johanna since she is the one who dumped him months ago.

As the veterinary technician on the Hidden Gem Ranch, Johanna loves working with the McNair family, though it's difficult with Stone nearby. He runs the family gemstone company so she doesn't work directly with him, but he is always around. Now Mariah has a job for her to do that involves being alone with Stone. Johanna is well aware that Mariah probably hopes they'll reconcile, but both Stone and Johanna know their relationship can't be repaired. Stone is as coldhearted as his name, while he has some secrets he hasn't yet shared with her…

Being thrown together forces Stone and Johanna to face what brought them together and what drove them apart. Stone's mother is a drug addict, and his father isn't in his life. He feels blessed that he was raised by his grandmother and will do anything for her—even travel the country to give away her pets. But being alone with Johanna rekindles the desire they had once felt for each other. He knows Johanna feels the same way, and how can they ignore the passion between them? Both Johanna and Stone have insecurities that neither shared with the other, so how does a couple who didn't trust each other end up engaged in the first place? ONE GOOD COWBOY is their journey to come clean with each other. But will the final secret spark the end of their relationship?

An emotion packed tale right from the start when Mariah reveals she has cancer, ONE GOOD COWBOY continues the emotional rollercoaster as Johanna and Stone relive their romance and can no longer deny one important thing: they still care for each other. While there is a “cowboy” in the title, most of this story spends little time on the ranch, and Stone isn't much of a cowboy as he is a CEO. But if you're a lover of cowboy romances, don't let this deter you. Stone is a red hot male that readers will soon be swooning over. Johanna isn't afraid to voice her opinions or to show her feelings, but she'll have to guide Stone in the art of true revelation.

A sexy fun romance that is the start of a new series by Catherine Mann about Stone and his cousins, ONE GOOD COWBOY is one enjoyable tale that I highly recommend.

Patti Fischer