Falling for the Cowgirl

Author: Jody Hedlund
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Colorado Cowboys #4
Release Date: October 11, 2022

Years ago, he shattered her heart. Now she must trust him with her life.

As the only girl in her family, and with four older brothers, Ivy McQuaid can rope and ride with the roughest of ranchers. She's ready to have what she's always longed for--a home of her own. She's set her heart on a parcel of land south of Fairplay and is saving for it with her winnings from the cowhand competitions she sneaks into--but her dream is put in jeopardy when the man she once loved reappears in her life.

After two years away, Jericho Bliss is back in South Park as an undercover Pinkerton agent searching for a war criminal. He has no intention of involving a woman in the dangerous life he leads, but one look at Ivy is all it takes for him to question the path he's set out for himself.

Even though Jericho tries to resist his longtime attraction to the beautiful and vivacious Ivy, he finds himself falling hard and fast for her. In the process, his worst fear comes true--he puts her smack-dab in the middle of danger. With Ivy's life in the balance, will Jericho give her up once again, or will he find a way back to her, this time forever?

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Reviewer: Deanne Patterson

I have been reading Jody Hedlund's books since she started writing them and have loved all the genres she's written in. I was so happy to see Ivy get her own book in the Colorado Cowboys series.

Ivy is the youngest of five siblings and the only girl in the McQuaid clan. Don't let her being the youngest fool you, though. She can hold her own with the boys.

In the previous book, Ivy is several years younger than she is in this book, and we see an interest start to develop between her and Jericho. We were left wondering if he would return, but he's now back in South Park, Colorado Territory. 

Ivy has matured and achieved a lot in the time he's been gone, including saving for a parcel of land to build her own home. She's sure no one recognizes her with the disguise she wears to enter the cowhand competition that she is confident she'll win. To her, it's worth the risk she's taking.

Upon seeing and spending time with each other, Ivy and Jericho feel those tender feelings for each other again. Ivy's brothers are very protective of her, especially after she finds herself in some unfortunate situations with Jericho. Not sure if they want Jericho gone from Ivy's life or if they are just about ready to force him to marry her, she tries to keep her feelings for him hidden.

Jericho keeps a secret from Ivy, though, and says he cannot marry her. When they frequently find themselves in each other's presence, it puts Ivy in danger, and her protective brothers really have it in for him.
Will he leave again and leave her heart yearning for more, or will this cowgirl's heart sing with joy at his return?

I love the faith elements throughout the book, praises in times of danger and good times. Forgiveness and redemption play a big part, and the book has a satisfying ending. 

I was given a complimentary copy courtesy of Bethany House Publishers through Interviews & Reviews. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Reviewer: Billi Varela

Jody Hedlund has delivered another phenomenal novel. This book was a second-chance romance story of two friends. 

Ivy. I’d grown to love her character over the series, and she has not changed one bit. She is still the girl who will say it as it is. And she is still in love with Jericho. 

Jericho. In the previous book, he always tried to protect Ivy. And even now, he was still the same old Jericho. 

I loved how Hedlund displayed each character. Ivy had issues with people always leaving her. So she always felt rejected. But what she really needed was to turn her eyes to the One who’d never leave her. Only when we turn to God, do we have peace. Jericho wanted to protect Ivy. He tried to control situations. But no one but God can. Jericho had to give it over to God and accept He was the One who could protect.

I also liked that Hedlund pointed out that finding relief in a bottle would get a person nowhere. The only relief a person can have from all life's stresses and disappointments is through Jesus. 

This book was clean of language and sexual content except for a few kisses and a few scenes of a man happening upon a woman in her undergarments. Nothing bad happens.

I requested and received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers her through Interview and Reviews. All the opinions are my own. 

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Reviewer: Katelyn Sponaugle

If you’ve read the first three installments in the Colorado Cowboys series and loved them, I’m sure this book will be no exception. I’ve read many other titles by Jody Hedlund that I loved. But, before receiving this book from Bethany House publishers to review, I hadn’t read any books from this particular series. Because of that, I found Jericho and Ivy's characters and their relationship somewhat underdeveloped. 

Early in the book, the focus on their physical attraction to each other was very high. That physical tension can add a fun element to a book, of course, but this particular time I found it to be a little over the top. It actually gave their relationship a rather somewhat superficial feel. 

I found Ivy’s character somewhat immature, especially at the beginning. There were scenes in the book I enjoyed. However, there was a lot of going around in circles and incorrectly assuming the thoughts of feelings of each other on Jericho and Ivy’s part that I eventually got tired of. I didn’t find myself compelled by the antagonist and some descriptions of his deeds I would have preferred not to be included. However, they obviously drove home his portrayal as evil. I did appreciate the bit of plot twist on the antagonist's identity. 

I loved the character of Judd, who you may already be acquainted with if you’ve read the previous installments in the series. Ivy is portrayed as a strong female character. Jericho appreciates this quality about her, and I appreciate that while the author made it clear that he likes that she’s a strong woman, he still retains a strong masculine quality. 

In conclusion, I would not suggest reading this book first if you haven’t read the first three installments in this series. But, if you’ve read them and loved them, I’m sure you’ll enjoy catching up with all the McQuaid family and Jericho in this installment. 

I received a review copy courtesy of Bethany House Publishers through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion.

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