Review: GREAT READ!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 28, 2014
No Accounting For Cowboys is the second book in Leah Braemel’s The Grady Legacy series and wow she really decided to shake things up a time or two or a thousand in this book. This series revolves around a ranch owned by the Grady family in Texas. While you can read this book without reading the first book in this series, Slow Ride Home, I really think you will get a better understanding and appreciation of everything that has happened in the past and how it affects this book if you read that one first. These books are incredibly detailed; there is a lot of family politics going on, legal battles, and some really surprising information that affects everyone in this family. What I love most about this book is that the plot is fascinating and will keep you guessing until the very end, the love story was so easy to accept because they just knew early on they were good together, and while mistakes were made by many of the characters, through it all the understanding, love and ties to the land made them realize no matter what they are a family.Jake is at a crossroads in his life; ever since his brother starting running the ranch following their father’s untimely death he feels left out of the decision making process despite the ranch being half his. To top it off while protecting his mother, he ended up hurting his best friend and half brother who is still not speaking to him. He’s singing in a band that his family knows nothing about and they are starting to get a following and some recognition. To top it off some information comes to light that forces him to rethink his entire life throwing him into a tailspin and making decisions he’s not sure are the best. The only thing in his life that makes since is his relationship with Paige.Paige is one of those heroines I love. She’s self sufficient, doesn’t conform to everyone’s ideas, and isn’t really afraid to go out on a limb. She is extremely competent in her job and has a thirst for knowledge. She’s strong but she lets her softer side show when she’s around Jake. Her childhood was a mess and she has an adversarial at best relationship with her father. She feels right at home working at the ranch and with Jake’s family and they adore her. Given her upbringing though, this makes her question her own motives for being with Jake.Jake and Paige’s relationship blossoms pretty quickly, but it just works. They fit together and complement each other. Their intimate scenes are very sexy but they are more than that. Jake trusts Paige’s judgment when it comes to his singing career and he encourages her to pursue her options in regards to her job as well. Honestly, they were so easy that when they did finally have a big fight I was crushed because they were so perfect together.While Jake and Paige’s romance and Jake’s singing career are front and center in this book, there are a lot of side plots that have a part in making this book a complete package. I simply can’t say anymore because I don’t want to spoil this for anyone, but I will say that I was taken by surprise by some of the developments in this book (not all, but some). There were moments of shock, of betrayal, and of hurt. However, there were also many moments of joy, hope, and forgiveness.Simply put No Accounting For Cowboys adds up to another fine offering from author Leah Braemel. While not always pretty, this story felt real; I could imagine the events actually happening and all of these lives being affected by actions that took place years ago and it was impossible to put down.Review copy provided for an honest review.