THE BAD BOY COWBOY – Kate Pearce
Morgan Ranch , Book 4
Zebra
ISBN: 978-1-4201-4471-0
January 2018
Contemporary Romance

Morgan Ranch, California – Present Day

HW Morgan left behind his family and their ranch when he turned eighteen and went on to build a successful rodeo career. But now he feels emotionally drained after coming in second during a major competition and finally decides to return home to see how his brothers have transformed the family ranch. Things are different, but in a good way. After a tense reunion, HW offers to help on what is now the family's dude ranch and is assigned the job of teaching a “trial” guest, Samantha Kelly, who is a retired army veteran. They immediately clash, but underneath the surface lies something else. Could it be…an attraction?

Sam is still struggling to recover from her injuries and a good friend suggests she stay at the dude ranch to help her physically and emotionally. Sam knows HW is a rodeo star, but he's brusque and curt with her, not realizing that she has limitations due to her injuries. But still, Sam is no weak little woman. Once they both understand each other's strengths and weaknesses, HW and Sam connect on a very personal level. In the past, HW hasn't hesitated to bed any woman, but Sam is different. She will only be there three weeks, but will it turn out to be enough time for them to discover love?

Kate Pearce returns readers to the  Morgan Ranch  series in THE BAD BOY COWBOY.

For the first time in his life, HW wonders if it's time to give up the rodeo circuit and stay on the ranch. However, there's still plenty of tension between the brothers, and that'll need to be cleared up before he can stay. Too much time away had the brothers drifting apart, but the Morgan Ranch's new venture is bringing a formerly declining ranch back to life. Readers who haven't read the series should probably look up the other books as many of the same characters pop up. In order, the books are: THE RELUCTANT COWBOY, THE MAVERICK COWBOY, and THE LAST GOOD COWBOY, then this tale, THE BAD BOY COWBOY.

Sam dedicated her life to the Army, but after her injury, she now has to adjust to civilian life. Add in some PTSD, and it's been a struggle for her. Once she arrives on Morgan Ranch, she dives in and is soon enthralled with the clean air and beautiful outdoors, plus the hard work they put in every day. Both HW and Sam have put up a wall around their emotions because they're afraid of being hurt. Their working together soon has them learning to trust again. A sexual relationship quickly develops, but will it just be a short-term fling?

Minor characters from previous books appear in THE BAD BOY COWBOY and we also get to learn more about the previously missing Rachel, the brothers' youngest sister. Will Rachel get her own story even though she is barely in her twenties? However, in THE BAD BOY COWBOY, the main focus is on HW and Sam. HW has to decide whether he'll return to the rodeo circuit, or does that decision get made for him? Sam likes living on the ranch, so is there any place for her here if she decides to remain?

Sexy cowboys and women not afraid to stand up to their man is the theme in the  Morgan Ranch  series. In THE BAD BOY COWBOY, readers will love the way that the swaggering HW meets his match in Sam. Grab a chair and a cold drink, then settle down for an enjoyable time reading THE BAD BOY COWBOY.

Patti Fischer