ONE LUCKY COWBOY

Author: Carolyn Brown ISBN: 9781402224379 11/2009 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: SOURCEBOOKS

Jane Day is on the run from the paid assassin who had been her fiancé. In Wichita Falls, Texas, she meets Nellie Luckadeau, a spitfire of an old lady who desperately needs someone to work on her ranch. But Nellie's drop-dead gorgeous grandson "Lucky Slade" is sure he can spot a con artist a mile away. He's determined not to let some upstart like Jane fleece his granny. When his signature intimidation methods don't convince Jane to leave, he pours on the charm to make her spill what she's up to. She's happy to play along, but she's not going to let this hot, hostile cowboy run her off his land when all she needs is a lucky break…

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

ONE LUCKY COWBOY, the second installment in the Lucky Trilogy, is sheer fun. A Cadillac-meets-pick-up-truck story, it is filled with down-home humor, realistic characters and pure romance. I read this book in an afternoon, and while I wished I’d been fortunate enough to have read the first book in the series, it didn’t matter a bit that I haven’t done so. Falling into Jane and Slade’s world is easy—and enjoyable.

Jane is on the run from a less-than-ideal impending marriage. She has learned too much about her future husband’s life to allow the nuptials to proceed as planned, so she trades in her credit cards for cash, heaves her cell phone out the window and runs for her life. She finds herself face-to-face with a real-life cowboy who is intent on exposing her motives for working for his grandmother. The only thing is, Slade believes Jane has ideas to dupe his granny and sets out to prove as much. Watching these two go round and round is amusing as well as enchanting.

I loved the characters in this book, and could easily see myself settling into the world they inhabit. They are all so well-written, they leap from the pages. Whether Slade is lounging around, talking with his grandma or rousing Jane from a motel bed, he feels very real. I felt the same way about everyone else, as well. Jane is especially likeable, with her no-nonsense personality, cat-like grace, and sheer determination to keep herself alive. I could not help but hope she would find happiness.

I won’t give anything away, but I will say this story ends perfectly. I will also say that I eagerly anticipate the next installment in the Lucky Trilogy. ONE LUCKY COWBOY is a great read, and I look forward to more from Ms. Brown!

Kay James