Review: All in all a solid book in the series.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 25, 2014
Originally Reviewed For: Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and FantasyIn Book Six of her Cowboys of Chance Creek Series, Cora Seton returns to the charming life at Chance Creek. Ok, not so charming since they have been known to have all sorts of mishaps there. Why in her The Cowboy Catches a Bride, then even managed to capture some terrorists.. Small town America at it's most intriguing.The Cowboy Lassos a Bride is only my second book of Ms. Seton's that I have read and I must say, I am enjoying what I have read so far, immensely. This book is the beginning of a trilogy within the series, focusing on the brothers Matheson. Rob, the youngest of the boys has already met his match (his story can be read in book three of this series, The Cowboy Imports a Bride) but the rest of the brothers remain single much to their domineering, overbearing, pain in the ass, father's dismay.Hannah Ashton has had it with being alone. Has had it with settling for second best and has had it with not fulfilling her own dreams. So after she rescued a 1500lb Bison, named Gladys, she manages to dump her looser of a boyfriend and start over. Ready to return to school and become a vet. Everything is all set.. that is until Arrogant, Annoying, Holt Matheson starts making strange demands. Sleep with his son for fourteen nights (all she has to do is sleep) or Gladys becomes someone's dinner. Hannah is devestated but when her current housing situation becomes messy, decides to take Holt up on it. It doesn't hurt that Jake Matheson is Hannah's dream man. Too bad she has other plans...Jake Matheson has been promised the Double-Bar-K his entire life. He loves that ranch.. he lives for it. But his overbearing, controlling father, just won't let go of the reins. Consequently, life is a constant battle between Holt and Jake... add that to the fact that Holt is always trying to stir up things between the brothers, life is not all it's cracked up to be. But when his father tells him, be married in a month, or get off the ranch, Jake is stunned. He knows he wants Hannah Ashton but seriously, how can anyone accomplish that in a month. He has a plan but will his interfering family help or hinder him?I liked Jake and Hannah, I like how they were willing to look at the circumstances of their lives and try to make something out of what they had. I like the way they learned to work together and managed to overcome some pretty huge obstacles. This part of the story was actually quite heartwarming.Unfortunately, Hold Matheson made me ill. I could deal with the plot line of an interfering overbearing matchmaker with a good heart.. BUT Holt was something more. He transcended annoying.. He made promises and broke them, constantly amending what he "meant". This was a character without honor but we are supposed to like him. It would have been acceptable had he been the villain of the book but that isn't how he was written. He was so horrid, so awful that his character took over the book. Which made it a less than pleasant read. Maybe had he had a smaller part.. I don't know. For me Holt Matheson ruined this book and what makes it worse? He is sure to be a main secondary character in the next two books.That was the only real negative about this book. The rest of the Chance Creek residents were in attendance and we got to spend Wednesday Poker Night with them all once again. What a fun time that must be with all of these amazing people. That continuity, that cohesive group is what saved this book. Their support of Jake and Hannah, their friendship and their encouragement balanced out Holt's horridness.All in all, a solid book in the series. Not my favorite because I just couldn't stand Holt (in case you missed that). I might have been more tolerant of him had I read Rob's book. From what TCLaB implies, Holt played a huge part in Rob's story as well. My advice? Read the series in order (now that's a shocker) but read the series.. and yeah.. read this book.ShauniThis review is based on the ARC of The Cowboy Lassos a Bride, provided by netgalley