Customer Reviews

The Reluctant Cowgirl (The McCord Sisters, Book 1)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Reluctant Cowgirl is a story about following one's dreams as well as romance. Basically the cowgirl leaves home at 18 pursuing a career on Broadway and returns seven years later to help take care of her family's ranch. This is a Christian Romance that isn't completely like a fairy tale as most. My favorite part was when the little girl directed her dad and Crystal acting out "Sleeping Beauty" in the barn. Although the ending is predictable, I liked it because there is enough tension and reality to keep things interesting. The Reluctant Cowgirl addresses grieving, letting go of the past, making tough choices, love of family, and God's love.

This is a beautiful story about love, lost loves, and relationships with those who truly matter. Crystal has lost her sister, Jeremy has lost his daughter, and they have both seemed to have lost a sense of themselves in the process.

This amazing book is jam packed with drama, love, mystery and suspense, and humbling thoughts of a lost sheep coming back to the fold. I found myself tearing up multiple times while reading this book. I strongly identified with Crystal and some of the struggles that she was facing. She had a dream (but was it really her's?!?) to live out and was sidetracked into greater things along the way. That seems to be the story of my life but so far it's all turned out better than I could have anticipated.

This book is not for those who have a tendency to cry at the drop of the hat, however, I recommend that everyone read this! I had a hard time putting it down and enjoyed it cover to cover. I did get a little feared that the ending may not have been how I wanted it, but you'll just have to read the book to find out what does happen.

Highly recommended read! :)

"The Reluctant Cowgirl" by Christine Lynxwiler opens with a bang! No, not really. We enter the scene in New York City where Crystal McCord is trying to make a name for herself as an actress. She has terrific friends and a guy who just proposed marriage. Then her life suddenly goes haywire as it tends to do! Crystal finds herself back home in Arkansas, halfheartedly caring for her parents' ranch. As she confronts the demons from her past that have kept her gone for so long, she finds love and acceptance and forgiveness in the place she used to call home.

This is a beautiful book that warms the heart. It showcases family ties, the love of parents and siblings, pursuing our dreams and learning when to change those dreams. Christine's smooth storytelling ability makes this novel so difficult to put down. I found myself reading way past bedtime so I could finish it in less than two days. I also found myself frequently smiling as I was reading. This author and this story certainly touched this reader's heart.

Well, this sure was a pleasant romantic story. Very realistic and well written. I look forward to the other books in the series. I liked the hero and the heroine.

The Reluctant Cowgirl begins in New York, New York and rapidly moves to rural Arkansas. Crystal McCord is an aspiring actress who returns home after a breakup with her boyfriend needing to reconnect with her family. She ends up staying in Arkansas to take care of the family ranch while her parents are gone for about 6 weeks. Much changes for Crystal in the time she is home. She must conquer the pain of losing her twin sister, mend neglected relationships and recover from her recent breakup. Jeremy Buchanan, a new neighbor to her parents, quickly becomes a friend and someone she leans on as she struggles to overcome the memories of her past. She also has the opportuntily to help Jeremy in his search for his kidnapped daughter.

Christine Lynxwiler starts this series off well with The Reluctant Cowgirl and sparks your interest in the McCord family as a whole. There is enough interaction between Crystal's siblings that you want to keep reading to find out what happens to them all. Although I felt the romance between Crystal and Jeremy happened a bit to quickly especially since Crystal's relationship with her last boyfriend just ended, I enjoyed the budding romance between them. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series and any other books by Christine Lynxwiler.

THE RELUCTANT COWGIRL is a fish out of water story, but the fish doesn't know it yet.

Crystal McCord's life goal is Broadway. Or so you think. What you really find out is that she is pursuing the dream of her sister, tragically killed after her high school graduation. Crystal, twin to Cami, fled her small hometown, running from the tragedy that has changed her life forever. She is determined to see Cami's dream come true - to star on Broadway. But, it takes a trip home, and the interest of a cowboy dealing with his own heartbreak for Crystal to realize the life of a cowgirl is all she ever wanted.

Jeremy Buchanan refuses to give up on finding his little girl. After a disastrous relationship and marriage, his wife takes off with his daughter, leaving him to wonder where she is and will he ever see his little Beka again. With a singular goal in life, he doesn't have time for outside distractions. That is, until Crystal McCord comes home to help her parents with the family ranch. Recognizing the wounded person that Crystal is, he finds that he relates to her because of the common thread they share - loss.

Crystal and Jeremy refuse to acknowledge their feelings for each other. Falling for each other was not part of either one of their plans, and only adds another level of complication to their life's goal. They must choose to be happy, but neither feel they deserve it.

I enjoyed THE RELUCTANT COWGIRL. Like I've mentioned in past reviews, I am a sucker for anything set in the west. Give me a cowboy, open land, and a budding romance and I am hooked. THE RELUCTANT COWGIRL has all three and an engaging story as well. THE RELUCTANT COWGIRL may be predictable, but when a storyline keeps me interested until the end, I don't mind at all.

I enjoyed this book. The man had his daughter kidnapped by his ex-wife and he struggles with trying to go on and keep hope that he will find her soon. He does eventually finds his daughter and he must deal with the aftereffect of what happened. The woman must face her past and the loss of her twin and deal with the guilt she feels about the loss. She comes to realize that she needs to find her way back to the Lord and her family. She fears falling in love because of what she thinks are her dreams. He fears losing his heart because of what happened with his ex-wife. They each must deal with the past before they can be together. He realizes that he will have to let her go so she can find her dream. She realizes that her dreams are not in NY but right at home. I would recommend this book to others. It has a strong family. Even though some of them are adopted there is no difference in the way they feel for each other. They have a great deal of love for each other and are there for the others when it matters.

I liked this book very much. I wasn't looking for mystery, intrigue or drama, I was looking for well written, interesting characters and something that was enjoyable. I found it in this book and I intend to read the author's other books thanks to this first foray into her writing.

I totally enjoyed relaxing and reading something that was interesting but not overdone. It had a nice element of God in it but not overbearing.

Inspirational books for women have a decidedly new look these days. What used to be sweet, romantic novels featuring chaste love and delicate sensibilities have given way to contemporary situations and outlooks. This is not your grandmother's Grace Livingstone Hill books.

There are messages of God's love, redemption and forgiveness among today's inspirational books, but the heroines are enlightened gals with modern problems that need fixed in a definitely up-to-the-minute way.

In "The Reluctant Cowgirl," by Christine Lynxwiler, Crystal McCord is an up and coming off-Broadway actress on the verge of discovery when a family crisis in Arkansas calls her home. Although memories of tragedy await her at her parent's ranch, Crystal knows her family is depending on her to help out, so she puts on a brave face and plunges into her hardest acting job ever - pretending to be happy to be home.

Jeremy Buchanan is struggling with a family tragedy of his own - his young daughter was taken by his vengeful ex-wife and he has devoted his time and energy into getting his little girl back. But when he is asked to help out at the McCord Ranch while the neighbors are away, he agrees, never dreaming he would find his heart thawing a bit for the vivacious Crystal. The two soon find that the road back to love can be a rocky one, and forgiveness for deeds and circumstances long past is a commodity that is meager, but together with God's help they can hold onto a love that will sustain them for a lifetime.

Author Christine Lynxwiler serves up an inspirational story of healing in her latest novel that proves once you allow God to be to be in control, life's problems are so much easier to handle.

Crystal McCord grew up surrounded by seven siblings in Arkansas cattle country, but when tragedy struck on the day she graduated high school, she left home and painful memories behind. Eager to live the dream she and her twin sister had shared, Crystal heads to New York City determined to land a role on Broadway. Seven years into her journey, Crystal catches her boyfriend with another woman and heads home to regroup. What she doesn't count on is meeting her family's new neighbor, a handsome cowboy with troubles of his own and a winning smile.

Jeremy Buchanan struggles to make it through each day. When his ex-wife snatched their little girl for whom he has custody and disappeared with her, his world was shaken. His sole purpose for months has been searching for his daughter. He doesn't have time for distractions, but when he meets Crystal, he can't deny his attraction. However, he's not about to lose his heart to a woman who's made it clear that nothing and no one is going to keep her from returning to NYC and her first real shot at landing a Broadway lead.

The Reluctant Cowgirl by Christine Lynxwiler is a sweet tale of two hurting people who need to find their way back to the Lord and surrender their problems to Him. Her characters are well developed, and I found myself drawn to Crystal and Jeremy from the start. Lynxwiler pulled me in with her lively dialogue and well-structured plot. The story moves along at a nice pace with the emotional tension building to a satisfying conclusion. It was hard to put the story down, which made for a few late nights. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a heartwarming contemporary inspirational romance.