Rating: 
Summary: A bit disappointed...
Review: Overall I was somewhat disappointed with this book. I thought the character of Trace was great, but didn't care for the female lead, Callie. She's so 'all over the place', she almost seems schizophrenic. Some of the other characters, like her father and her son, if they were actors, you might say they were 'trying to hard'. The story's pretty good, but the characters are a bit formulaic.
Rating: 
Summary: Utterly disappointing
Review: Sorry to say that I don't think any of the characters were convincing..though there was something of a plot, the main players were not at all credible. Not much of a read.
Rating: 
Summary: Author Comments on THE COWBOY
Review: THE COWBOY is set in Texas, a place close to my heart because both my kids were born there. I lived in El Paso when my dad served in the Air Force, and I taught college in Southwest Texas and went to law schol at the University of Texas in Austin. THE COWBOY is about two feuding ranch families--the Blackthornes and the Creeds, one rich and prosperous, one struggling, and the animosity that's existed between them for generations, going all the way back to the Civil War. The trouble starts when the eldest son of the Blackthornes falls in love with the Creeds' eldest daughter. Callie is one of my favorite heroines--the kind of person who holds the family and the ranch together. She's a terrific mother, a loyal daughter, and an exceptional cutting horse trainer and rider, which makes her unique. In the old west, cutting horses were used to cut a cow from the herd so it could be branded. In THE COWBOY, Callie breeds and trains cutting horses for competitions where their speed and agility are a beautiful sight to behold--and the hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money at stake are crucial to keeping her ranch from going bellyup. Trace Blackthorne, the hero of THE COWBOY, is a man used to getting what he wants--and he wants Callie Creed. But when his father falls ill, Trace ends up running his family's 800-square-mile cattle ranch, which I've named Bitter Creek, and ends up right back in the middle of the feud between the Blackthornes and the Creeds. I visited the legendary King Ranch in Texas to do my research, and you'll find lots of authentic ranching details in THE COWBOY, everything from quarantined cattle to the excitement of a World Championship cutting horse competition. This is a novel about family, about roots, about getting through the hard times and enjoying the good times. But most of all, it celebrates the power of love. I hope you'll pick up THE COWBOY and take a trip to Texas ranch country. I loved the characters of Bitter Creek so much, I'm going back there myself--in my next novel. Happy trails, Joan Johnston
Rating: 
Summary: Great Contemporary
Review: The Cowboy was really refreshing. I usually prefer historicals and regencies, but this contemporary story and believable characters drew me in. Must say that the first 50 pages were formulaic and rather dull, but when the action got going and the hero wouldn't relent, I couldn't put it down. Not only am I anxious for the next book, but I want to go back and reread the stories of their ancestors.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a Bad Book At All!
Review: THE COWBOY was the first book I have read from Joan Johnston and I have to admit, I was a bit apprehensive at first when I first picked this book up.But after reading the first few chapters, I was definitely hooked! This book is very sensual and the chemistry between Trace and Callie were so great they were crackling. It was funny how Trace could not keep his hands to himself whenever he's close to Callie. And I especially lurve the part where Trace told Callie he loved her; I almost cried, but not before thinking that Callie is such a mule for being so stubborn. It is rare to read that a guy actually told the girl "I love you" first. The secondary characters in the book are also very well-written. Also the horses and cutting were described in a lot of detail, maybe a bit too much, but overall, this is not a bad romance novel. I will definitely be looking out for other books by Joan Johnston, no doubt about it!
Rating: 
Summary: Unless you are totally bored, don't read this.
Review: The subject is a good idea and so is the plot, but the way it is written is slow and frustrating. The characters are unrealistic and cliche-ish. I can see that maybe a few people would like it, but if you want to be able to sit down and lose yourself in a book, I wouldn't recommend this one.
Rating:
Summary: The "Bitter Creek" Series....Off To A Great Start
Review: This review refers to "The Cowboy" by Joan Johnston.... After being transported to another time and place by Joan Johnston in the Sisters of the Lone Star Triology("Frontier Woman","Comanche Woman" and "Texas Woman"), I couldn't wait to read about their descendants in the Bitter Creek Series. The first of the series is "The Cowboy". The Creeds and the Blackthornes have been feuding for well over a century. When Callie Creed and Trace Blackthorne, fell in love,they could not even share their happiness with their families. They could only hope that someday things would get better. But things couldn't have gotten any worse. A horrible accident has fueled the fire between the families and Trace and Callie must make a choice.Their love was great, but so was Callie's devotion to her family and sense of obligation to "Three Oaks", the family ranch. There were no words Trace could use to hold onto the woman he loved. For more than a decade, Trace was not to be seen or heard from. His whereabouts were a mystery, but when another near tragedy occurs, he comes home to "Bitter Creek" and back into Callie's life once more. Things haven't changed between the families though,the hatred has built up even more,but Trace's love for Callie has never died and he will do whatever it takes to win her back, and in the process touches the lives of all those around him.Will their love be strong enough to reunite them despite all the complications? "The Cowboy", now set in modern day Texas, still has the sense of wildness and adventure that we saw in the Lone Star series.
I was glad to see that sense of courage and conviction possessed by the original sisters has been passed down through the generations. The characters are strong and likeable, the story had many twists and turns,secrets and lies and some edge of your seat cliffhangers that made it a page turner. If you read any other books by Ms. Johnston, you know you are in for some passionate romance as well.In the end, you may even need a hankie or two. Immerse yourself in this great romance...and enjoy....Laurie
Rating:
Summary: The "Bitter Creek" Series....Off To A Great Start
Review: This review refers to "The Cowboy" by Joan Johnston.... After being transported to another time and place by Joan Johnston in the Sisters of the Lone Star Triology("Frontier Woman","Comanche Woman" and "Texas Woman"), I couldn't wait to read about their descendants in the Bitter Creek Series. The first of the series is "The Cowboy". The Creeds and the Blackthornes have been feuding for well over a century. When Callie Creed and Trace Blackthorne, fell in love,they could not even share their happiness with their families. They could only hope that someday things would get better. But things couldn't have gotten any worse. A horrible accident has fueled the fire between the families and Trace and Callie must make a choice.Their love was great, but so was Callie's devotion to her family and sense of obligation to "Three Oaks", the family ranch. There were no words Trace could use to hold onto the woman he loved. For more than a decade, Trace was not to be seen or heard from. His whereabouts were a mystery, but when another near tragedy occurs, he comes home to "Bitter Creek" and back into Callie's life once more. Things haven't changed between the families though,the hatred has built up even more,but Trace's love for Callie has never died and he will do whatever it takes to win her back, and in the process touches the lives of all those around him.Will their love be strong enough to reunite them despite all the complications? "The Cowboy", now set in modern day Texas, still has the sense of wildness and adventure that we saw in the Lone Star series.
I was glad to see that sense of courage and conviction possessed by the original sisters has been passed down through the generations. The characters are strong and likeable, the story had many twists and turns,secrets and lies and some edge of your seat cliffhangers that made it a page turner. If you read any other books by Ms. Johnston, you know you are in for some passionate romance as well.In the end, you may even need a hankie or two. Immerse yourself in this great romance...and enjoy....Laurie
Rating:
Summary: Cute book
Review: This was the first book by Joan Johnston I've read. I was not dissapointed! I usually only read historicals, but I've read this twice so far. Trace. Who could deny a character like Trace anything? Poor Callie. She had so much going on in her life.. until Trace helped find a way for her to cope with everything. I would recomend this book to anybody to read. It was a great read.
Rating:
Summary: Bad Writing
Review: This was the first Joan Johnston book I have ever read. I have only recently started reading books in the the romance genre. I won't be picking up anymore of her books. The story line and characters were not believable. She gave too much detail about ranches,horses, and cows. She did not give enough detail about how the people were feeling. She describes the love scenes as an afterthought. The book is basically boring and poorly written. I'll stick to people like Lorraine Heath and Karen Hawkins. They know what they're doing.
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