I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
What a Cowboy Wants
by
Vicki Lewis Thompson
western romance in a Kindle edition that was published by Ocean Dance Press LLC on February 19, 2021 and has 196 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include \Werewolf in Manhattan, Werewolf in the North Woods, A Last Chance Christmas, Rolling Like Thunder, Should've Been a Cowboy, Cowboys Like Us, Notorious, Sweet-Talking Cowboy, Gift-Giving Cowboy
First in the Sons of Chance western romance series and revolving around the Chance family and their ranch outside Jackson Hole, Wyoming, although the nearest town is Shoshone. It’s June 2010 and hot enough. The couple focus is on Dominique Jeffries and Nick Chance.
My Take
The start makes no sense. His friend has a ranch, but Archibald can only get it when his friend loses it in a card game? Why didn’t they simply go in together on it in the first place?
Thompson uses third person dual protagonist point-of-view from Nick’s and Dominique’s perspectives, so we learn their thoughts, feelings, and the actions they witness.
It’s cute what Thompson does with Dominique’s personality and character arc. Seems Dominique had been a wild child tamed by her ex-boyfriend. She does see the good bits Herman helped her with. Always nice to balance the bad with the good. Now she’s attempting to find a balance between the two while noting the differences between that sexy cowboy and the stingy Herman.
More cute is the NOT-info dumping as we learn some of the boys’ past, ahem, activities. I liked hearing how the original house evolved. We also find out how Pam could afford to buy the Bunk and Grub and fix it up. And why she wanted it.
That initial meeting between Dominique and Nick is, mmm, hot and shows off Nick’s sense of humor, lol.
The ranch sounds like a great place to work. And never deny the power of the ladies to get things done, lol.
There’s a lot that’s character-driven with some of the action caused by Jack’s obsession with keeping the ranch going.
Some of the conflict involves Jack’s obsession along with Dominique’s refusal to enjoy more than one bout of lovemaking with Nick. I gotta say it doesn’t ring true for me. In fact it was annoying, which contributes to my thinking the pace was slow.
A couple of tenets from this story is to never decide no for someone else and be honest with your significant other.
The Story
It’s only getting worse with Jack so serious since their father’s death. He’s working everyone to death. Then a wounded bird lands at the ranch, appealing to Nick’s desire to help.
A help she’ll return when Nick is tasked with sorting through their father’s old trunk and discovers a hideous truth.
The Characters
Dominique Jeffries is a professional photographer with a successful studio, Jeffries Studio, from Indianapolis, coming off a break-up from Herman. Her mother is obsessed with the bottom line.
Today’s Last Chance Ranch
Nick Chance is the middle half-brother and a veterinarian. Jonathan “Jack” Chance Jr is the oldest brother, riddled with guilt over their father’s death. Bandit is a black-and-white paint, a top-earning stud, Jack rides. Gabe is the youngest, another half-brother, and participates in rodeos to show off their cutting-horses, including Top Drawer and Finicky. Jonathan Chance Sr had been their father until a few months ago. Sarah Chance is Jack’s stepmother and Nick and Gabe’s mother. But she’s a mother to them all. Archie had been their grandpa. Grandma Judy, Sarah’s mom, is recovering from a hip replacement. Grandpa Bill had died. Roni, a NASCAR mechanic now, had been a fourteen-year-old on the run from her abusive father; now she’s their foster daughter who is on tour with NASCAR right now. Diana had been Jack’s mom who ran off when he was born.
Mary Lou Simms is the cook who’s been there for a long time. Mary Lou will surprise you! Emmett Sterling is the ranch foreman who loves Pam but can’t be with her. Emmett has an expensive daughter. Nicole Elizabeth O’Leary is a nasty surprise for Nick. Ranchhands include Jeb and Watkins.
Butch and Sundance are a pair of dogs Nick rescued. Calamity Jane, Gabe’s favorite horse, is pregnant. Coffee, a.k.a. CWC, had been the colt Jonathan Sr had gone out to pick up. Doozie is the foundered mare Gabe brought home.
In Shoshone . . .
Pam Mulholland runs the Bunk and Grub, a B&B in town. Josie runs Spirits and Spurs, a bar with live music and dancing. It used to be the Rusty Spur. Carolyn is one of the servers. Elmer owns a gas station and tries to slow everyone down. Lucy Bledsoe owns Lickity Split, the ice cream parlor, and is a great friend of Sarah’s. Lucy fell in love with Tom at a wedding for one of Lucy’s cousins.
Stuart, a friend of Pam’s, runs the White Feather Gallery in Jackson Hole.
The Last Chance Ranch was born 1 May 1937 in a card game
Archibald Chance took a chance. Seth, Archibald’s buddy, had a deed to a worthless ranch, the Double Zero. Eleanor, Seth’s sister, is a seamstress. And Archibald loves her.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a range of yellows and greens with a sunset over a silvery body of water and a faint horizon of mountains. It’s Nick Chance facing us from the waist up, tilting his brown cowboy hat at us with a smile on his face. I’m’a smilin’ too at that bare chest framed by his green and black plaid shirt!. The title is white and a blend of script and sans-serif across Nick’s upper chest. The series info is centered below it in white. The author’s name is in yellow across his abdomen with an info blurb beneath that.
The title is broad-based and all about the three brothers and What a Cowboy Wants.
