Cowboy Up by Harper Sloan -- Review

Title: Cowboy Up 
Author: Harper Sloan 
Pages: 384
Publishing: December 19th 2017
ISBN: 150115527X

Synopsis: 

New York Times bestselling author Harper Sloan returns with the third in her sultry, Western-set Coming Home series, in which the eldest Davis sibling Clay may have finally met his match—but will he be able to give up the solitary, quiet life he’s built in the name of love?

As the eldest of the Davis clan, Clayton has always tried to lead by example. Along with taking his job as head of the family business seriously, he is also determined to keep his brother and sister in line. Clay is known for being serious, silent, and stoic—completely in control of his life. And with the way he grew up, coupled with a disastrous end to the last relationship he was in, he’s just fine with his quiet, solitary life.

What he hadn’t counted on was Caroline Michaels. She’s the proverbial woman next door—the town next door, that is. Caroline hasn’t lived an easy life, but after escaping from an abusive relationship, she’s finally living for herself and no one else. The last thing the quirky, shy bookstore owner expected was a steamy one-night stand with Clay Davis.

When Caroline and Clay meet, the connection is instant, both falling into one heated night of passion before parting ways—both driven by their own reasons to deny what they clearly wish didn’t have to end. It isn’t until Caroline falls on hard times and Clay comes back into the picture that they realize just how impossible it will be to stay away from each other.

Will Clay be able to give up his rootless existence in favor of finally settling down? And, more important, will Caroline want him to? 

Review: 

I've been waiting on the third book in the Coming Home series for months now and I was so happy to find out it was about my favorite character. Clay was the most intriguing character in the first two novels, even though they weren't necessarily centered around him. I had my fingers crossed that Sloan would write an installment to the series about him, and she granted my every wish. Clay was exactly the dark, mysterious, and strong man I expected he would be. 

Clay is the last of the Davis siblings to find love, but does he want to find it? Caroline Michaels lived a rough life so far and things only looked like they were getting worse, but when she stumbled into the strong arms of Clay Davis, her story began to take a turn for the better. The chemistry between Clay and Caroline was intense, and I have to say, there were a few times I had to put the book down and catch my breath. As in the first two novels, there were a lot of intense sex scenes and as much as I love a good hot'n'heavy sex scene, it seemed to be a little much from time to time. 

Out of the three novels from the Coming Home series, Cowboy Up was my favorite. There was romance, steamy love scenes, budding friendships, and even a little action that I wasn't expecting. I love Sloan's writing and can't wait to read more from her in the future. I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy a steamy romance novel with a slight twist! 

Rating 4/5 

*Thank you Gallery and NetGalley for sending a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.