The Coyote Cowboys each made a vow to a fallen comrade and have one year to carry out their task…

Local hero Remington Cross has only painful memories of Marietta, Montana. He may want ranch work, but he’ll take it anywhere but here. Still, loyalty brings Remy to Marietta, determined to locate Jace’s godchild, ensure his physical and financial security, and then close this chapter for good. But a smoldering encounter with a beautiful bartender threatens his timeline and heart, and when he discovers Jace’s godchild is at risk, he enlists the aid of the enigmatic beauty who’s more no-strings than he is.

Shane Knight is no stranger to secrets, and she can tell the haunted ex-soldier is hiding plenty. She’s finished trying to fix wounded bad boys, and after her broken engagement, her heart’s permanently off-limits. When Shane jumps boots first into a red-hot one-night stand, she never anticipates getting tangled up with a sexy cowboy and a child who needs them.

It’s a chance for love, family, and a fresh start for them both, but will secrets break the fragile thread of their new beginning?

Titles in The Cyote Cowboys of Montana series include — The Cowboy’s Word —♥— Marry Me Please, Cowboy (The 85th Copper Mountain Rodeo #3) —♥— The Cowboy’s Christmas Homecoming —♥— The Cowboy Charm —♥—

This is an adult 18+ story that may contain language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Love Marietta, Montana stories?  Then please visit our Marietta, Montana page for more titles.

Tule ARC

Title:  The Cowboy’s Word
Series:  The Coyote Cowboys of Montana #1
Author:  Sinclair Jayne
Genre:  Modern Western Romance
Published:  July 11, 2023
Publisher:  Tule Publishing
My Rating:  4.5

The Cowboy’s Word begins The Coyote Cowboys of Montana series with a story of commitment, family ties (both known, suspected, and hoped for), and finding a future that is completely unexpected.  Shane and Remy’s story is full of connections within the small town of Marietta, Montana — which means that if you’ve visited this remote, fictional Montana town before, then you’ll run into some familiar faces along the way. (Montana Rodeo Brides – 2 stories in Holidays at the Graff – The Wilder Brothers – 1 story in the 79th Copper Mountain Rodeo).  If you haven’t read them before, it’s not really necessary to enjoy this new series… but it would give you something to look forward to should you want to go back to the earlier, slightly connecting series, and The Wilder Brothers series is probably the most relevant to The Cowboy’s Word.  I’ve read them, enjoyed them, and definitely would recommend them.

Remy and members of his unit are mourning the death of their leader, their friend Jace who died in combat.  Remy especially takes Jace’s death hard.  These men had planned to retire from the military together and return to their ranching roots in Marietta.  Now, they all are devastated by their shared loss and are determined to take tasks from Jace’s bucket/wish/to-do list and complete them in his name.  They’ll meet up again in a year, so twelve months to dive a bit deeper into their friend’s life and perhaps begin their own futures. Remy’s task will take him back home to a town full of memories, to a place that is full to overflowing with grief and painful memories.  It should be a quick trip in, deal with his task, and back out again long before the memories can overtake him again.  Only… that’s not what’s waiting for this brave man in Marietta.  His future awaits there if he can deal with the past.

Shane also has returned to Marietta.  Her life fell to pieces, and she’s retreated to home to rebuild in a different way.  She sees no romantic future for herself, but she does what she can to survive the memories… or she was until one man with eyes that could see into her soul showed up at the bar she worked at in the Graff Hotel.

Shane and Remy’s story is so full of emotions, from tears to rage to acceptance to eventual love.  It is, at times, intense and, at other moments, light-hearted and steamy.  It’s a journey of two lost souls finding peace at last with each other as they each fill in those empty spaces.  But it’s also not without complications, as the past is always there in one form or another.  It’s a multi-layered story that is well-written, compassionate when needed, frank when justified, full of laughter and happiness that is hard-won, and acceptance of the past while moving beyond it.  Dealing with the demons of the past is never easy, yet it brings people together as a family with a future… should they be brave enough to take the risks involved in letting someone in.

I loved Remy.  He’s such a good man, learning to be even more than he ever expected to be.  I adored Shane, for she has faced tragedy with a grace that she cannot acknowledge yet, with a fear of opening herself up to love again.  Watching them fall was an emotional, heartfelt journey.  Running into familiar faces is always a bonus – and I loved the way that old friends were brought into this new series.  The Cowboy’s Word is an excellent beginning to the series; it drew me in and held me there with a powerful story and believable characters.  Loved it and would highly recommend it.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from Tule Publishing, and I sincerely thank the author and publishing house for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

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