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Thank you for joining in the book tour for Her Surprise Cowboy!
Are you ready for a springtime romance? The hills around the Northern California town of Shelter Creek are green and lush. The staff at the Shelter Creek Wildlife Center is busy rescuing baby bunnies and a cute fox. And Trisha Gilbert, a single mother who works at the center, is enjoying the good weather and more time outdoors with her baby son, Henry. . .
Liam and Trisha meet!
That night with Trisha had somehow saved his life. And now she was here. It was almost impossible to comprehend, but when he blinked and looked again, there she was, staring at him with an expression that resembled horror.
Liam glanced around to see Jace and Vivian watching him with quizzical expressions on their faces. How long had he been standing here, lost in memories?
Trisha was so still, she looked like she’d quit breathing. Liam pulled air into his lungs in silent sympathy. “Trisha.” It wasn’t much, but it was all he could manage.
"Claire McEwen gives readers and education in wildlife management and welcomes them into the wild beauty of the Northern California landscape. From the friendships to the meddling of the book biddies to the romance, it’s the people of Shelter Creek that leave their mark."
In this excerpt from
Her Surprise Cowboy, Trisha is trying to avoid Liam after she spots him in the grocery store.
Trisha hadn’t expected her first step to happen so soon. She wasn’t ready. Her emotions had been rubbed so raw during her conversation with Becca that the moment she spotted Liam in the Shelter Creek Market, she almost burst into tears.
That was why she was hiding behind the potato chip display, waiting for him to finish choosing milk in the dairy section. Trisha peered around the corner again. How could anyone take so long picking out a carton of milk? She pretended to examine the ingredients on a potato chip package while she waited, heart thrumming hard in her veins.
“No matter how long you stare at those, they’re not going to get healthy.”
". . . well written and a fun read for relaxing. The characters are well-defined and seem so real. There is slight humor and serious, plus fun, situations." - LAWonder10
"This is a wonderful story. I love the way Liam and Trisha find each other again. . . . The characters are well-developed and it is easy to feel their emotions. . . . I highly recommend this story to others who enjoy great relationships and learning new things." - Vickie
"Author Claire McEwen does a really nice job of weaving the past together with the present in a way that readers can connect. And since I have only read one of the previous books in this series, I was able to keep up with the characters and the plot with no problem. . . . This is a sweet story of forgiveness and a chance at life neither of them expected. If you love sweet Heartwarming drama, this is a great one for you."
"It is always interesting when a father comes home to a child. Even more so when he is surprised to be a dad. I really like this series because the author weaves in the characters from previous books in the series, even the non human ones. . . . I can not wait to read more from this series and author."
"It has been a while since I have read a romance, and
Her Surprise Cowboy by Claire McEwen is perfect. The characters are well developed, and the story came together fabulously. I loved the ending. All in all, my rating is five stars. I highly recommend this to all readers of sweet romance."
"
Her Surprise Cowboy was such a fun “surprise daddy” story! . . . I loved the changes that occurred in both Trisha and Liam throughout the novel as they learned to trust each other and opened their hearts to love.
Even though this is book three in the series, readers should have no trouble jumping into this wonderful cast of characters and beautiful setting."
Trisha bumps into Liam at the grocery store.
Trisha set her shopping basket down and went to retrieve Liam’s basket from where it lay on its side. She collected the cans that had flown out. “You have a dog?” She waggled the can of dog food she’d just found.
“Yup.” He was looking at her with such a serious expression that Trisha braced herself. Did he know about Henry already? He was still standing in the milk. He gingerly stepped out of the puddle, onto dry linoleum.
“I’m truly sorry I bumped into you.” She needed to leave, to get away from his hazel eyes, and the way he was studying her so carefully. It was disconcerting how familiar his face was. There was the curve of his lower lip, the faint stubble blurring the line of his jaw, the thick lashes and tousled curly brown hair. She remembered, suddenly, how soft it had felt under her fingers. Yet he was a complete stranger.
"
Her Surprise Cowboy is a sweet story of love and family, truth and secrets, ranching and wildlife. It proved a pleasure to spend time in Northern California with Trisha and Liam as their complicated romance unfolded; I enjoyed it immensely—I’m sure other readers of contemporary-cowboy romances will enjoy it, too."
"
Her Surprise Cowboy is a book that I found very interesting. I loved the place that Trisha work at that took care of the wild animals. Especially the part about the coyotes. . . . I also enjoyed the Book Group called Book Biddies that were all friends of Trisha. They were so much fun and cared for Henry and Trisha."
"This was a delightful romance of two people learning from their biggest mistakes and embracing life and who they have become due to them."
Liam talks with Monique, local hairdresser and member of Shelter Creek’s Book Biddies, about the baby son he’s just learned about the night before.
Liam was petting Ranger’s head and pondering a tree when the unfamiliar woman sat herself right down on his tailgate.
“That’s a pretty nice tree,” the bleached-blonde lady said as she sat down. “A coast live oak. I love their twisting silver trunks. This one must be a few hundred years old.
Startled by her presence, Liam scooted over to make more space for her. “I was just thinking that. How much it’s seen. All the weather and people’s lives...” Liam realized he was revealing his inner thoughts to a total stranger. “I’m sorry, I guess you caught me in a strange mood. What can I do for you?”
Liam visits Tricia and Henry for the first time.
Liam folded his big frame to sit cross-legged. He seemed to take up most of the space in the living room. He set up some of Henry’s blocks close to him. Henry crawled over and waved a pudgy arm to knock them down. Then the baby took a block and put it in his mouth. “I’m not sure that’s for eating, big guy.”
“It’s okay for now. I’ll get his teething ring back out of the freezer in a few minutes.”
Liam glanced at her ruefully. “I didn’t even know they got teeth this young. I have a lot to learn.”
"
Her Surprise Cowboy is a sweet & tender romance with layered characters and a heartwarming subplot, particularly if you are interested in wildlife rescue. Watching Liam embrace the role of “daddy” is as swoony and endearing as you might expect, and so is the romance between Liam & Trisha. A story that draws you in, characters that capture your heart, and just the right amount of humor and warmth."
"There is a certain layer of joy in reading a story about second chance romance . . . McEwen has such a wonderful way of tucking you into her character's lives and giving you a reason to take up residence beside them as [they're] working out their problems. Although the circumstances within
Her Surprise Cowboy aren't ideal they are realistic and it is how she showed the willingness to grow and the ability to right wrongs is what rooted me in the pages of the novel - whilst having this beautiful community of Shelter Creek fully represented and present."
"5 Teacups filled to the brim for Claire McEwen's Sweet, country, western romance
Her Surprise Cowboy! If you love a good western and a good Hallmark movie, then this is the book for you! I absolutely fell in love with the characters in this amazing tale . . ."
Trisha and Liam go on their first family outing
Trisha went to put Henry in the stroller, but Liam held out his arms. “Can I carry him for a bit?”
She hesitated, anxiety whispering vague warnings in her ears. “Well, I guess. Just watch your step.”
He shot her an amused look. “I’m fairly good at walking.”
“I know, I’m just—” she sighed, hating to admit it “—overprotective. Everyone teases me about it. Maya, Vivian, all the ladies in my book club.”
She set Henry carefully in Liam’s hands and he nestled Henry on his hip, his arms around him, just like she carried him. At least he’d been watching her. He was trying.
"
Her Surprise Cowboy is a wonderfully written contemporary romance about forgiveness, fresh starts, starting over and rebuilding trust that is sure to bring a tear to even the most cynical of eyes. Claire McEwen imbues her story with plenty of hope, warmth and heart and has penned a love story that will lift the spirit and make readers smile. . . . A first class romance that will steal readers’ hearts,
Her Surprise Cowboy is a terrific page-turner by Claire McEwen."
Reading Excursions - Review
"Claire McEwen is a new-to-me-author, but the Heartwarming line isn’t new to me at all. These are the “hope & inspiration” line that feature wholesome stories of love, compassion, and belonging; along with the happy-ever-after ending. . . . Home isn’t a place, so much as where one’s family is. Heart-tugging, emotional, and endearing – this story of love, second chances, and redemption didn't disappoint."
Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of this post...
Her Surprise Cowboy
(Heroes of Shelter Creek #3)
By Claire McEwen
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 368 Pages
April 1st 2020 by Harlequin Heartwarming
Looking for redemption…
Finding a future
Rancher Liam Dale is in Shelter Creek to make amends for his troubled past. He had no idea vet assistant Trisha Gilbert would be there, too—and he’s even more shocked to discover he’s a daddy! Trisha has good reasons not to trust him and a baby boy to protect. But now that he knows he’s a father, Liam longs to transform this unexpected reunion into a true family.
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Other Books in the Series
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Claire McEwen writes romance set in quirky small towns and beautiful western settings. Her strong heroes and heroines take big emotional journeys to find their happily-ever-afters. Claire’s books have been published by Harlequin’s Superromance and Heartwarming lines, and have won various awards, including The Golden Quill, the Book Buyers Best, and the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award. Claire lives by the ocean in Northern California with her family and a scruffy, mischievous terrier. When not dreaming up new stories, she’s a busy mom who enjoys gardening, hiking, discovering flea-market treasures and wandering on the beach. A life-long bookworm, she always has her Kindle close by.
1 winner will receive a $25 Amazon eGift Card (open internationally)
Ends April 15, 2020
Title: When Valleys Bloom Again
