Series:
Three Cowboys (Book 2)
With a thriving cattle ranch and good friends all around,
there's not much Luke Nilsen would change about his life. But when his buddy
Noah's sister comes to visit, Luke begins to wonder if it's time to change
himself -- and become the kind of man a sophisticated city woman like her would
want. Maybe his female bestie, Bernie Cooper, who runs the local coffee shop,
can use her womanly expertise and give him a man makeover . . .
Bernie thinks Luke is just fine the way he is -- more
than fine, even -- aside from being blind to the fact that Bernie is perfect
for him. But what's a BFF to do? Perhaps it's time for her to finally get over
Luke and move on. Yet as Luke helps organize their small town's Adopt a Shelter
Dog auction event, one sweet little puppy seems to be on a mission to help Luke
realize that the right woman has been right by his side all along . . .
Good friends to lovers romance. Luke has recently left
the Marines to return home and run the family ranch. Besides suffering from
PTSD and resisting getting help, he is also dealing with getting the ranch on a
more stable financial footing. The last thing he needs is to fall for his
friend's sister, which he has done. Luke is fascinated with Noah's sister,
Bailey, and goes to his best friend, Bernie, for advice on winning her.
Bernie is a busy woman. She has a bakery/coffee shop that
keeps her hopping for most of the day, plus she runs the local animal shelter
from her family's barn. She'd like to expand the bakery but has yet to have the
time to look into how to do it. Bernie has been in love with Luke since she was
in kindergarten, but Luke is oblivious. She decides it's time to move on and
seriously look at dating other men, though she will still have to deal with
Luke on the shelter dog adoption event.
Luke irritated me with his complete cluelessness about
Bernie's feelings for him. It was also apparent that he and Bailey were not
suited as a couple. Fortunately, they figured that out quickly and became
friends. I was happy to see Bernie hit him over the head with the way she felt,
even though Luke didn't take it well at first. However, once his eyes were
opened, he started looking at her differently and paying attention to the
sparks of attraction he'd felt. Bernie is no pushover and keeps after Luke to deal
with his problems as they enjoy their growing relationship. Luke also supports
Bernie as she faces several challenges of her own. It still takes the thought
of Bernie leaving to make Luke realize the full extent of his feelings. I liked
his big moment in all of its awkwardness.
Part of the book deals with the challenges Luke and
Bernie face with their businesses. I liked seeing how Luke worked with his
family and friends to solve the ranch's financial problems. Bernie is very
independent and has a hard time accepting advice. This becomes more important
when her estranged father, a successful businessman, wants to mend his
relationship with her and offers his help. Her struggle with her feelings over
the matter was realistic.
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