3.5 stars. This isn’t the first time I’ve read a story set in Marietta, Montana, and I’ll admit I’m getting to quite like the place. Sage is an important part of the town, not just because she owns a chocolate shop, but because she’s the third daughter of a local rancher. Though she might live a different life now, once she was part of the rodeo circuit as a barrel rider and it’s there she met her biggest secret – Dawson O’Dell, a man she fell utterly in love with. Until his wife caught them in bed.Since this ties in with another big secret Sage has kept for years, it’s perfectly understandable that she’s still angry at Dawson after five years. Even without her secret, she’s entitled to be furious when Dawson walks back into her life. I have to admit, right from the off I wasn’t sure how they could resolve this issue in a novella format. Even after Dawson explained the circumstances, I expected Sage to need a lot of talking and coaxing to come around, which simply wasn’t possible in this short form.As such I felt a little let down. This is a good story – Sage is a nice woman with excellent reasons for her anger, and Dawson is trying to make things right, even if he’s not exactly brilliant at it. I wanted them to sort things out, but I wanted them to also have the time to grow to trust each other properly. Throughout the whole book I was constantly checking to see how long there was left, because I couldn’t see how it could all be resolved without some big shortcuts or something major happening.Alas, it was shortcuts. I hate it when that happens. Personally I didn’t think Dawson’s explanation was that great, and although his current actions made up for a lot, I think I would have much preferred things to go more slowly between them. Not possible in a novella, so maybe I’d have liked Dawson to have done something sooner. I don’t know. I did enjoy the book and right up to the last chapter I was happy with the way things were going. But this is just a novella, so the last chapter had to wrap up a lot and rush some things and just… it left me a little sad and a bit disappointed at the wasted potential. This was building into something really good, and instead it became just okay.That’s the trouble with novellas, sometimes they’re just too short, or the pacing is off and important things get rushed. I still think CJ Carmichael is a good author, and I definitely want to read more of her books, but I think I’ll stick with novels over novellas, especially with a story with delicate issues like this one.(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.) Sage Carrington met bull rider Dawson O’Dell when she was a racer on the rodeo circuit. Dawson had persued Sage and became her friend when they finally spent a night together. That night ended quickly when Dawson's wife showed up with a rifle. Sage was devastated, embarrassed and hated Dawson for not telling her he was married. Sage had an accident the next day and decided to leave rodeoing and go back to Marietta, Montana with her family.Five years later Dawson showed up in Marietta to participate in the Copper Mountain Rodeo, with his young daughter, Savannah. He is determined to make up with Sage, however, Sage is not accepting his apologies.I liked Dawson and his character development. He knows he messed up with Sage and tried to fix it, but taking 5 years to do it spoiled it. Part of his plan to correct the problem was getting a house and job in Marietta where he could raise his daughter (who is an absolute sweetheart). He wanted to settle down and quit the rodeo to provide a stable life for his daughter but wanted to do this in Marietta because of Sage. I didn't mind Sage but wasn't drawn to her either. While there appeared to be chemistry between the pair, I didn't feel it.
What do You think about Promise Me, Cowboy (2013)?
Enjoyed it quite a lot, but I wish it had been longer. It felt like it wrapped up too quickly.
—KennedyCaldwell45
Starts out fine, but from the 5th chapter every page is missing about 10 lines of text.
—erin
This is a fun series. This was a little racey. But, I like the characters.
—lins
