REVIEW: Summer Nights with a Cowboy by Caitlin Crews

Summer Nights with a Cowboy by Caitlin Crews finds traveling nurse Janie Atwood in Cold River. Having been raised by her maternal grandparents, she never knew who her father was. Upon their deaths, her grandparents left her a clue as to where she could find him, which led her to accepting a job in Cold River so she could investigate. Unfortunately for her, her newest client lives across the street from Sheriff Zack Kittredge.

Zack doesn’t trust Janie. He’s suspicious of her excuse that she’s in town to take care of his neighbor, believing that she’s hiding something. He just can’t figure out what it is. Despite his doubts about her, he soon finds himself falling for Janie’s bubbly personality. But when the truth about Janie’s father comes out, will Janie be able to forgive Zack for what he had done to him?

I wasn’t crazy about the first half of the book. Zack comes across as overbearing and a bit of jerk; he’s not very nice to her. Despite this, Janie found his behavior and suspicion amusing. It also made her more attracted to him. I didn’t really understand the attraction. Then she comes up with Charm School to teach him to be charming, but she has not idea how to go about teaching him charm. It left me a little confused as to why she would even offer it, especially if she had not idea of how to go about doing it.

The second half of the book was a bit better. Once Janie finally confides in Zack, his personality somewhat improves. There are still times he comes across as a bit of a jerk, especially when it came to his parents. Janie, for her part, encourages Zack to clear the air with them, believing there was more to the story than Zack knew. Once he discovers the truth, it seemed like his personality completely changed, which I had a hard time buying into.

This is the third book in the Kittredge Ranch series. You can read this as a standalone, but if you haven’t read the previous books, you may feel like you’re missing some of the background about the siblings. I don’t think it would be enough to take away your overall enjoyment of the story though.

Summer Nights with a Cowboy is about discovering your roots, uncovering the truth, and finding friendship and love along the way. It’s a bit of an opposites attract story, especially with Zack and Janie’s conflicting personalities. This book would be for readers who enjoy small-town romances.

Book Info:

Publication: March 29, 2022 | St. Martin’s Paperbacks | Kittredge Ranch #3

Traveling nurse Janie Atwood has come to Cold River to uncover old family secrets and maybe, if she’s lucky, find a new home. That the gorgeous, glowering sheriff next door thinks her caring for his elderly neighbor is a nefarious scheme is a bonus. Having never been anything but a good girl, Janie finds Zack Kittredge’s simmering suspicion an excellent reason to try being a little dangerous instead…

Sheriff Zack Kittredge is okay with being… intense. He takes his loner status as seriously as he takes his responsibilities to protect Cold River. And he thinks cheerful Janie might be a threat to the town. But the more he gets to know her, the more he faces the truth―she’s brighter than sunshine and he’s like a moth to her flame. When Janie suggests he could use a few charm school lessons, he surprises them both by accepting. He doesn’t need help. But it’s clear he might need her…

Because the only thing hotter than the summer sun in the Rockies is the forbidden passion that burns between them…