I read a lot of new adult contemporaries, so this one was a bit of a shift for me, as both the hero and heroine are older. This was also a second chance story, and as I’ve mentioned before, this isn’t my favorite trope. However, this was more resonant of a missed chances/unfinished business story, and I found that I really enjoyed it.
I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
One-Sentence Synopsis
A lonely widower’s world changes when his first love, who left him with no explanation when they were 18, comes back to town 25 years later. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.
The Good Stuff
Right from the start, I was endeared to Rohn. As a widower, he’s gotten past the loss of his wife and understands that he’s lonely and wants to be with someone. I thought the author nailed his emotions, and I felt so sad for him that I became engaged simply because I wanted him to have his happy ending.
Overall, I enjoyed the whole thing, even the second chances plotline. It wasn’t forced, but there was definitely a conflict in how Rohn and Bonnie parted when they were younger. I will also say that some of the issues Bonnie had growing up resonated with me, so I felt connected to her as a character.
Things That Made Me Go Hmmm
There was a lot of buildup to what Bonnie was afraid to tell Rohn, but it wasn’t actually a surprise to me as the reader. Though I didn’t expect there to be any twists, it felt like the secret was held way too long.
The Romance Factor
This novel was fantastically sweet. Rohn is a nice alpha male who carries a lot of hurt but still wants to try again at love. Bonnie is older but still a little naive, and the fact that they came together again after so many years gave the story a fated love theme. 4/5
The Steam Factor
For some reason, I had it in my head that Cat Johnson wrote erotica. But the scenes in this book were fairly tame. There may have been a few PG-13 scenes, but nothing X-rated. 3/5
Final Thoughts
I don’t read enough cowboy romances, and I think I should, considering my love for Oklahoma and my current residency in Kansas. This book gave me some solid feels and some really likeable characters. I would definitely read other books in this series.
The Romance Factor 