A review by bobosbookbank
Heart of a Cowboy by Kristin Vayden

5.0

HEART OF A COWBOY is book one in the Elk Heights Ranch series and is my first read from author Kristen Vayden. This is a slow burn, contemporary romance set in a small town with a cowboy (kind of!) that'll make you swoon! Wow, I honestly wasn't expecting all the feels that I got from this book. It's not just another love story, it also deals with issues that we all have to face eventually. Ms. Vayden's writing was beautiful, she created a story that flowed seamlessly between life and death, love and hate, acceptance and denial, forgiveness and condemnation. Yes, this is a sweet romance between Cyler and Laken but at the same time, it's about a father and son trying to come to terms with a painful past. There's a thin line between love and hate and the common denominator between the two plotlines is Laken. I adored her! She was compassionate, understanding, fair and best of all...hopeful. Laken was probably one of the best female characters that I've read in a long time. When I first met Cyler, I wasn't sure I was going to like him, he seemed so indifferent but of course, there's always two sides to every coin and this story is evidence of that. He turned out to be so much more than I expected (in a good way!). Beware...you'll need to have tissue on hand for this one! Told from dual POVs with a bittersweet ending. I received, read and voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.