Honky Tonk Cowboy

HONKY TONK COWBOY
Barri Bryan
ISBN: 1-58608-151-9
October 2000
New Concepts Publishing
Ebook
Contemporary Romance

Beautiful widow Sarah Scott has returned home to Summerville following a prison stay brought about by lies from her nemesis, John Markum. Anxious to rebuild her life, she accepts an invitation to dinner from best friend Karen Hamilton and her husband, Reid. There she meets irascible ex-rodeo star Blake Hamilton, Reid’s brother, who now owns a honky tonk club. The attraction between Blake and Sarah is immediate and overwhelming, but Sarah refuses to enter into another loveless relationship and Blake has vowed never to commit himself to a woman. Facing intense opposition from family and friends, the two fall into a tenuous sexual relationship. Will it ever deepen into more or will Blake and Sarah be destined never to be lucky in love like so many of the cowboys in the songs Blake plays in his club?

HONKY TONK COWBOY reads like so many of the country western songs it brings to mind – as a classic tale of love gone wrong. Sarah and Blake face so many obstacles to forming a relationship, such as friends, family and most importantly past relationship mistakes that leave them unable to trust one another. Barri Bryan has written an appealing tale of the redemptive power of true love and it rings true throughout the tale. However, this reviewer was a bit put off by the implication that Blake held such a sexual hold over Sarah that she was willing to debase herself to keep having any type of relationship with him. This conundrum was explained in the course of the story to this reader’s satisfaction and did in fact add to the plot development. This story is filled with twists and turns, and does have elements of a romantic suspense tale. Blake was not a particularly likeable character for most of this story but was redeemed by story’s end. All in all, this reviewer recommends this tale to any reader who enjoys contemporary romance with a western tilt.

Reviewed by Leah
July 2006