Their families are rivals, but they have an attraction that’s tough to resist. Can love truly conquer all?

Sawyer Ludington has serious issues with the Knott family. Not only are they trying to take his family’s land, but he has inside information about his dad’s rivalry with their father. When he tracks down the beautiful woman he met at an annual festival, he’s stunned to learn she’s a member of the Knott family.

Everest Knott is six years younger than Sawyer, which means they’ve always traveled in different circles. Still, she knows of him. She flirted with him at the festival for fun, but when they kissed, the joke was on her. There was something about the way Sawyer Ludington looked at her that scrambled her brainwaves.

The more Sawyer tries to stay away from Everest, the more she appears right in front of him. He can’t get involved with her. It goes against everything he stands for. But how can he resist a woman who brings out a side of him he never even knew existed?

Titles in the Cupid Ridge Dude Ranch series include — The Maverick Cowboy —♥— The Brokenhearted Cowboy —♥— The Scorned Cowboy —♥— The Sullen Cowboy —♥—

*Coming Soon Spin-Off series: Cupid Ridge Cowboys series titles include — The Grumpy Cowboy —♥—

This is a romance that includes no swearing, no violence, and no sexual content (beyond a few light kisses).

Booksprout ARC

Title: The Sullen Cowboy
Series:  Cupid Ridge Dude Ranch #4
Author:  Macie St. James
Genre:  Modern Western Romance
Published:  March 10, 2023
Publisher:
My Rating:  4.5 stars

The Sullen Cowboy concludes the Cupid Ridge Dude Ranch series as Sawyer finally meets his match… and she is not exactly what he could have ever expected!  Throughout this series, Sawyer has always been the most stubborn, bull-headed, opinionated, bad-attitude grump of all of the siblings.  The others had their moments, but Sawyer never let up with his “I’m always right, you’re wrong” attitude.  I’ve always believed that it would take a very special woman to finally turn this cowboy around, and Everest is perfect for him in so many ways… and she’s part of the “enemy” family as well.  Talk about how the mighty have fallen!

At their first meeting, Everest knew exactly who Sawyer was… he had no clue that the woman he was flirting with is the daughter of the man who is trying to gain property rights for part of his family’s property.  Sawyer was at this festival on the Knott’s property purely for information gathering when he got sidetracked by a pretty face and a fun personality that surprised him, but he wasn’t going to walk away from such an interesting woman.  Little did he know what his future held.

Evie knew who Sawyer was, even when he tried badly to disguise himself when he walked up to her vendor’s table.  Oh, his reputation had proceeded him, and their families were in a battle right now… but she wanted to know this interesting, handsome cowboy and wasn’t at all worried that she hadn’t mentioned her last name during their flirting.  Of course, it wouldn’t take long before Sawyer learned the truth, but she was taking this one evening and wasn’t the least bit sorry, no matter what her family or Sawyer thought.

I have enjoyed the Cupid Ridge Dude Ranch series so much.  The battling feud, the siblings slowly falling for their perfect partner, even the lawyers got to have a happy ending… but it was Sawyer that I needed to find his happiness to complete that enjoyment.  And Everest is exactly what this stubborn cowboy needed.

Without giving away spoilers, there is a bit of an upheaval in both families when a certain relationship is revealed… and plans are already in the works.  At first, I was surprised that this revelation came so quickly but then realized that it was the perfect way to wrap up the Ludington family’s part of this overall story.  (There is a spin-off coming soon where we’ll get the Knott family all settled into their happy endings…eventually.)

I loved The Sullen Cowboy.  Everest and Sawyer really do fit well together, and they balance each other and, in some ways, ease us all into the next series.  If you love a well-written romance with some family interference, a puzzle to solve, a realistic couple to watch as they fall in love, and an overall satisfying conclusion to a series… then you’ll want to grab this title soon.  I’ve had a blast and cannot wait to see what’s in store for the Knott siblings.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or author’s team via Booksprout. The opinions expressed in this review are my own – good, bad, or indifferent.*

Available for the Kindle as this title and the series is currently in KU