Accidental Cowgirl

Releases this Tuesday - October 8th, 2013
Accidental Cowgirl
by Maggie McGinnis
Rating: 4 of 5 stars


My Review:
For a rollicking, fun adventure, definitely check out this book. It had a kick-ass heroine (who reminded me of a female Mel Gibson or Bruce Willis) and a fast-paced, sweet story.


Haley has been through so much in the last year, her friends want her to have a chance to relax. The cowboy ranch vacation seems like an odd choice at first, but we soon start seeing how well that fits Haley's personality and what she needs. She's tough and needed that connection to some of her roots and happy memories after the hell of the last couple months. I didn't really think that Haley felt things too deeply. She has a fear of horses that is pretty much overcome in seconds. She also has a painful leg that she still needs physical therapy exercises and hurts all the time, but it's only mentioned every now and then and never stops her from doing something. She's been having panic attacks that feel pretty real to the reader, but I wasn't often pulled into her emotions all that much. The book felt more like it was focused on the adventure and healing rather than introspective emotions.


Decker has a solid head on his shoulders and is doing everything he can to save his mom's home. It takes him a long time to figure out that it's his home too and where he belongs. He has women throwing themselves at him pretty constantly because of how handsome he is, plus the dude ranch is billed as having hot cowboys. I liked how he didn't have hangups about being tender and caring about people. He was strong and tough, but was capable of empathizing and was a nice, helpful, caring guy. He took a bunch of time ruminating about the past without sharing his problems with his family. We get a sort-of overview of how he's handling the problems at the ranch and in his life, but again, this story is an adventure not a deeply detailed book so we don't see too many specifics.


Haley's friends and Decker's family were good sounding boards for the two main characters. They were nice and caring and felt just as real as Haley and Decker. They brought some nice humor to the story and they kept both characters on the path to healing.


I would compare this story to a Lynn Kurland book. Sweet and adventurous, with a PG rating. The number of injuries suffered and the continuing resiliency of Haley reminded me so much of Mel Gibson and Bruce Willis from their 80s action-adventure movies. Doesn't matter how many times Haley gets hurt, even if she can barely walk and was unconscious only hours before, she's still going to save the day. It was cute and fun to see, but you also roll your eyes a little bit if you try to take it all too seriously.


I did get frustrated with the number of fade-outs. All this exciting stuff happening and then, poof, end of chapter, cut to next scene. A couple times I was ready to throw my Kindle because I couldn't believe the scene would just end and leave me hanging with a small flashback thrown in later. The other times it was just “aww...it would have been fun to actually see the rest of that”.


I hesitated every time I had to put this book down and finished it with a smile on my face. When you're looking to enter a romantic adventure that doesn't cut too deeply, Accidental Cowgirl is a good choice.


I received a complementary ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.