4-STAR REVIEW: FALLING FOR A REAL COWBOY by Karen Baney

Vargas Ranch: Book 1
Publication Date: November 21, 2023

She’s trying to resurrect her career. He’s sworn off women. Will this city-meets-country duo find love where they least expect it?

Dalton J. Vargas the fourth has sworn off love. Women are just a distraction that keep him from running his family’s multi-million-dollar guest ranch near Wickenburg, Arizona. After his father announces an early retirement, the full burden of the ranch rests on his shoulders. When a city-slicker romance author stays at the ranch, Dalton’s perfect world turns to chaos.

River Sloane’s last workplace romance novel flopped—big time. Now her publisher wants her to write a modern-day cowboy romance, which she has resisted for years. When her publisher sends her to a dude ranch in the middle of nowhere Arizona, she must learn about cowboys and ranching to get her career back on track. One hunky cowboy stirs her heart and unexpectedly becomes her muse.

Will she let herself fall in love with the real cowboy or will she return to the life she left behind? Will Dalton open his heart to a new, lasting love?

I’ve been in the mood for a sweet, contemporary romance, so when the request to review the Vargas Ranch series by Karen Baney came through my inbox, I decided to give this new-to-me author a try, and I was pleasantly surprised.

The first book in the series, Falling for a Real Cowboy, features Dalton Vargas and River Sloane. Dalton is the oldest of five brothers who run the Vargas Ranch, with Dalton being the CEO. River is a romance writer whose books are underperforming. Her publisher sends her to the Vargas Ranch in order to learn about cowboys so she can jump on the cowboy romance bandwagon. Sparks fly… It’s a romance, after all.

Falling for a Real Cowboy is a pretty quick read. It was definitely sweet, and there was an inspirational theme throughout. Dalton and River lean into their faith, and the overall theme of trusting God’s timing keeps shining, especially when that classic moment in romance novels threatens to tear the couple apart.

The story wasn’t terribly complex, but a huge cast of characters was introduced, which was slightly overwhelming. Dalton and River were likable characters. The plot was pretty straightforward. They meet and fall in love pretty quickly. Something drives them apart, but they find their way back to each other. It’s a pretty standard romance. I kept wanting something with a little more depth, but in the end I got a Harlequin Inspirational like romance.

Falling for a Real Cowboy was a nice, quick, inspirational romance. With likable characters and an interesting setting at an Arizona ranch, I was drawn into the story and read it in one sitting. If you’re looking for a sweet cowboy romance with some Christian themes, this might be the book for you.

Karen Baney is passionate about writing stories full of flawed characters. She enjoys weaving together stories of second chances, redemption, and overcoming personal trials. As a transplant to Arizona, she loves researching the state’s history and finding ways to seamlessly incorporate real history and real settings into her novels. In addition to writing and speaking, Karen works as a Software Development Manager for a Christian ministry.

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Apr 10 –Gina Rae Mitchell – book review of FALLING FOR A SHY COWBOY / giveaway
Apr 10 – Splashes of Joy – book review of FALLING FOR A REAL COWBOY / giveaway
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