Review: Cowgirl dreams
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 19, 2014
In Cowgirl Come Home (Montana Born Fair #2) by Debra Salonen, Bailey left Marietta, Montana when she was 18.  Escaping her father, leaving her mother, and hurting her boyfriend Paul.  With heart ache, sorrow and hurt competing with big dreams, Bailey forged on.Fifteen years later, she's back, feeling broken, unsure, and like she never really got anywhere.  Her mother needs her.  Her father might too, although he'd never admit it.  And surprisingly enough, the one person she thought she'd left behind might still want her.As Bailey struggles to pull her life back together and move on after her own tragedies, she is also dealing with complex family relationships and the possibility of a fresh start with Paul.  Is that really what she wants though?  Has enough time passed that they can forgive each other, and be together as who they are today and not who they were then?Debra gives us a well written, emotional story that is all about relationships, healing, and moving forward.  Debra starts off Cowboy Come Home with a very controversial subject, and she manages to write so well, matter of fact and unbiased, that no matter what your feeling on it I think you'll be sucked right into Bailey and Paul's world.Bailey and Paul's characters both have a maturity that can only come with life experience and I love these kind of characters.  They both could still be bitter and angry, but they are not.  Even though hurt lingers after all these years, I love how they interact and how Debra brings them together.  Debra manages to make both of these people realistic, with issues that real people have.  This relate-ability really drew me into their lives, making me feel a part of it, and making me want things to work for them whether or not they got together.There are a lot of secondary characters in Cowgirl Come Home, some I recognize and some new.  Bailey's parents are strong secondary characters.  They and their relationship as a family is a focal point of Cowgirl Come Home.  I really enjoyed the evolution of this family.  Paul's family is dynamic and we see a fair bit of his older brother who I think should have a story all of his own!Loosely tied to previous Montana Born Books, Cowgirl Come Home stands strong on its own.  With complex relationships and multi-layered characters, I'd recommend this well paced book to any romance reader.