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The Reluctant Cowgirl (2009)

by Christine Lynxwiler(Favorite Author)

3.91 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

160260150X (ISBN13: 9781602601505)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Barbour Books

series

McCord Sisters

review 1: This was a new - to me - author. Looking forward to reading more of her books. Crystal is trying to live a dream. Unfortunately, the dream of making it on Broadway was her twin sisters dream. Because the twin sister died in a car accident seven years earlier, Chrystal felt she had to follow the dream ... and at the same time run away from the memories and hurt caused from missing her sister. Jeremy was a cowboy searching for his kidnaped six year old daughter. To try and keep his mind off of his daughter, he agreed to help his neighbors with their ranch. When Jeremy and Chrystal end up helping out on her parents ranch, they discover what real dreams are made of, as well as the meaning of true love. Be ready to shed a few happy tears throughout the book. Looking froward to... more reading book two in the series, Cowgirl At Heart, and discovering what comes next for Jeremy and Chrystal, as well as Crystals sister, Elyse.
review 2: 8 years +What can I say? I'm a sucker for romances set on ranches, with strong, silent, macho cowboys as the heroes. So as soon as I saw the title The Reluctant Cowgirl by Christine Lynxwiler, I knew I was going to do it as my first review.I didn't even read the blurb on the back (which left me quite stunned when I realized it was a Christian romance).The book starts in New York City, which considering the title took me by surprise for a few moments. Crystal McCord is following her dead twin's dream of becoming a Broadway actress. After seven years of little to no luck, her older adopted brother calls her home for a family meeting. He and his wife are moving, their parents are heading off on a mission trip and someone must mind the ranch until they get back.Since Crystal's other four siblings all have very good reasons why they can't, the job falls to her. This is her first trip home of more than a day or two since her twin died. Her coming to grips with her guilt (both real and imagined) is one of the most interesting subplots of the book.The family's neighbor, Jeremy Buchanan, hangs around to help her ease back into ranching life. Sparks fly from the moment they meet. Crystal and Jeremy's relationship deepens as she helps him search for his daughter, who was kidnapped 10 months before the book begins. This subplot is handled so well. Your heart just breaks for Jeremy and his little girl.But aside from the romantic relationship between the hero and heroine, the plot that could have been the most interesting is Crystal's struggle to renew her relationship with God.The reason I say "could" is because that aspect of the plot comes across as almost an afterthought. Throughout the entire book, Crystal believes that God will not accept her back because her sins are too great. That attitude never changes until the very end and it's done in such an abrupt way that it left me going, "Huh?"Only one other aspect of the book bothered me. Despite the continued talk about religion, it didn't read like a Christian romance. Or at least not like any I've read before. First, it is strongly implied that the heroine has been having premarital sex with her boyfriend. That's a pretty big no-no in any Christian church. And second, the book does not end in a marriage proposal. It ends with the two main characters professing their love for each other, but not a single word of commitment passes between them.Most Christian romances are books that I wouldn't mind letting my 11 year old son read, but I would not give him this one. It just doesn't promote the values that I firmly believe that type of romance novel should.I really feel I'm going to have to give The Reluctant Cowgirl two different ratings. As a straight-on romance, I would give it 4 hearts. However, as a Christian romance, I will only give it 2. less

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