Fashion model Laura Oakes longs to be taken seriously. When an inheritance brings her to Sweetheart Creek, Texas, she shucks her old life and dives headlong into small town living. Too bad the handsome and serious cowboy Levi Wylder she’s crushing on sees her as nothing more than a princess.
Was it the sparkly cowboy boots? Because it couldn’t be due to how she stepped in and calmed that rearing horse outside his stable.
The last thing Levi Wylder needs is a high-maintenance woman interfering with his plans. But that’s exactly what he gets when his family ranch suddenly finds itself without a riding stable manager. And the only person he can find to fill those empty boots is a woman who buys her footwear based on looks alone.
But when Laura steps into the ring, Levi discovers there’s something about this beautiful stranger that he completely underestimated—such as her power to steal his well-protected heart.
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Jean Oram grew up in an old schoolhouse in a Canadian town, population 100 (cats and dogs not included). She is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author of feel-good, heartwarming romances that make readers smile.
Jean lives in Canada with her husband, two kids, cat, dog, and the pesky neighbourhood rabbits that hop through her garden like it's an open salad bar. She can often be found outdoors or reading a book. (And of course at her laptop writing your next irresistible read!)
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Great start to this series and I loved getting to know the people of Sweetheart Creek and the Wylder Brothers. Levi is a country boy and Laura is a city girl. A rocky first meeting and jumping to a few conclusions in spite of knowing each other many years ago, makes for an interesting read. I loved seeing Laura become a country girl and Levi changing his mind about her. Great banter between them as well as between the brothers. Their is some angst but I loved how the author worked it out. Sweet ending.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A wonderful start to a new series by the talented Jean Oram. Levi and Laura are definitely an opposites attract scenario. Big city girl and farm boy. This causes problems between them that appear insurmountable at first glance. It's amazing what open communication and compromise can do to heal the rifts in a relationship. I love the way their relationship evolved as they got to know each other. If you're looking for a well-written sweet romance with likable characters, an engaging plot, and an HEA, then I urge you to grab this book and get started on an adventure in the Texas town of Sweetheart Creek. I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens next with Levi's brothers and the wonderful people of Sweetheart Creek.
Laura Oakes is a retired fashion model who returns to Sweetheart Creek because of an inheritance. A town she has not been to since she was a child, a town she always loved. The visit brings her to the home she remembers very well, a home she plans to sell. The money will be used to purchase a new home for her. Once she decides where that will be anyway. Driving into the little town she runs into her childhood crush, Levi Wilder and he is just as cute as she remembers. Levi Wilder has his hands full running the family ranch, he does not have time or interest in any kind of relationship. He has memories of Laura when they were younger, he always thought she was cute. Now he just thinks of her as a pampered princess, one who has no business being on a ranch let alone helping out on one. Although, they do have a history and there is some chemistry there. Time to maybe convince a city girl that she just may make a great cowgirl. The Cowboy's Stolen Heart
This is book one in The Cowboy's of Sweetheart Creek Texas Series and it is Laura and Levi's story. This is the first book in a new series by Jean Oram and I absolutely loved it. Laura is a.fashion Model and when her aunt does leaving Laura her house she decides to go and fix it up and then sell it but things don't always go as planned. Levi works on the family ranch and not pleased when Laura starts helping with the horses on the ranch. The characters and storyline pulled you in right from the first page and you have to keep reading to see what would happen next and even though Laura and Levi are total opposites they have strong chemistry but will it be enough. I really enjoyed reading this book as Jean Oram is an amazing author and writer and she certainly knows how to keep her reader's attention and I can't wait to read the next book. I definitely recommend you read this book and others by Jean and you will definitely not be disappointed. I voluntarily reviewed an Arc copy of this book.
A great start to a new series. Levi Wylder is not looking to fall in love, least of all with the princess from the big city, he doesn't have time for high maintenance. Laura comes to Sweetheart Creek to sort out her inheritance, not expecting to fall for the gruff cowboy Levi Wylder. These two are complete opposites but you can't fight what your heart wants. This is a great opposites attract romance that pulls at your heartstrings but also makes you laugh. This book is full of great characters and I look forward to reading more of this series.
This is a good first book to a new series. It had to be hard for Laura to retire from modeling after it being her everyday life for so long. Then to have her ex treat her like he did was unforgivable. I know it was hard for her to go back to Texas to clear out her beloved great aunt’s home after her death. I think she was surprised how good she felt in Texas at Sweetheart Creek. Remembering all her good times there as a teenager helped her feel comfortable there. I was glad to see that Levi changed how he acted towards her when they saw each other again the diner. She was surprised she still felt a little crush on Levi liked she did when she was younger. Unfortunately Levi had his past with a failed relationship that has affected how he feels about women, especially a model from New York City. Levi has his own problems trying to keep the ranch going since most of his brothers don’t do much to help him. I enjoyed reading about the ranch and the riding program for troubled children. I loved Levi’s grandfather and his wisdom. There are also some fascinating things that happen at the ranch. Sometimes we don’t talk to each enough to stop misunderstandings. I enjoyed the book and I am looking forward to Myles book. I encourage you to read the book. I was given a copy and voluntarily wrote a review.
As the opening salvo for The Cowboys of Sweetheart Creek Series, I was greatly impressed. The storyline was interesting with a variety of avenues involved. I was pleased that the romantic element adhered to clean literature standards; however, I do feel that our heroine, Laura, is shown to compromise Christian standards because she, as nice as she is described to be, demonstrated a lack of morality when she lived with her New York boyfriend without the benefit of marriage which implies immoral conduct with her boyfriend. Thankfully, this fact is only a minor item in the overall story. All characters in the story come across as completely believable and human, as is the story itself.
As the opening book of the series, it appears that many characters that may reappear in the remaining books of the series are first introduced here. Consequently, I discovered at least 47 characters were introduced in this novel and I found myself struggling to keep people straight in my mind. Thankfully, from the outset, I kept a list of characters with a short description of their place in the story. I found I frequently had to refer to my list to keep the cast of characters straight in my mind. This became burdensome to me and is the primary reason for awarding four stars instead of five for this offering.
2.5 It had a few sweet moments but a bit frustrating and predictable. The back and forth and indecision gave me whiplash. They were both back and forth and almost never on the same page at the same time. Not much depth to any of the characters and Laura's insecurities were many. Here she has this wonderful man that loves her and flies to NYC because he misses her and she still fights against him. She keot snapping at him and just wouldn't understand his worries. After what his ex did, I didn't blame him. Also their lack of communication drove me bonkers. 3/4 of the book before they even started opening up to each other. Well Levi did but Laura didn't. It did have some sweet stolen moments just not enough of them imo. I couldn't finish it. Don't even care that it was almost finished Laura was just too frustrating.
ARC for honest review with no compensation Received from BookSprout 4.5 stars
The Cowboy’s Stolen Heart is book 1 in the new series The Cowboys of Sweetheart, Texas by Jean Oram and what a great beginning to this series!
Up first is Levi Wylder, tall, handsome and serious who is in need of a riding stable manger and Laura Oakes, fashion model steps up to help.
She heads to Sweetheart, Texas after receiving an inheritance and when she sees Levi...her heart beats faster. All Levi sees is a princess and high maintenance. That is until he is having issues at his riding stables and Laura steps into calm the horses and riders and steals his heart...what a Wild and crazy ride this will be!!
It was a sweet small town romance with some very familiar tropes. It was an enjoyable read, but there was nothing overly exciting. It’s forgettable and I won’t really think about it in the future. It’s just not going to stick with me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is a sweet and charming fish-out-of-water story. I found most of the town characters to be interesting and likable. Of course, there are the few that I hated but that's to be expected. I didn't like the ending, there was no HEA just some declarations of love but things were left unsettled.
Laura is a NYC fashion model who realizes that she has aged out of the industry. Instead of becoming a washed-up, has-been peddling depends and anti-aging creams, she retires and heads to Texas to settle an estate and figure out her next career move.
Levi is a strong and loyal character. He's got the oldest sibling mentality. The one where he thinks only he can be responsible for everything and everyone else. His siblings take advantage of him and leave him with no life of his own other than the ranch. I didn't care for them because of this and I don't know if I want to read about them. The author didn't make them appealing enough for me to care about their lives and/or relationships.
Levi meets Laura and immediately assumes that she's just like an ex, only interested in the glitter of life outside the small Texas town. Did I mention he's got that oldest sibling mentality? He's also an idiot when it comes to love, women, and relationships. She kind of is, too.
Their relationship happens fast and honestly seems a little off at times. However, I liked Levi and Laura so much that I was rooting for them. I really wanted to see their relationship succeed. I also wanted Levi to stand up to his free loading family and finally demand that they pull their own weight.
I'm not sure I buy their love or that their relationship will last. I wanted more from them, I wanted the author to spend more time on building their relationship and less on fluff. I needed an epilogue showing me how they are in a year and how their relationship has grown. How have they worked out their differences.
I didn't get that. It's as bad as when Levi mentions marriage in a off-hand fashion towards the end, Laura scoffs lightly and blows it off. That left a bad taste in my mouth. A book that was going so well and was written so brilliantly soured at the end. The final chapter isn't even about Laura and Levi! These wonderful characters deserved better than what the author gave them in the end and so did I as the reader.
Disappointed and that's why this is a 3.5 rating for me.
Laura Oakes is a model with a love of fashion and clothes that a pretty rather than functional. Levi Wylder runs his family ranch with varying degrees of assistance from his brothers. He is rude and runs in the opposite direction when he meets her, seeing her as high maintenance. He knows Laura's car broke down from conversations at the diner, but he doesn't offer her a ride back to it, though he does end up driving by and picking her up. He also assumes she can't handle the ranch's horse therapy program even though he saw how she calmed an anxious special needs child and the horse she was riding on. Laura shows him that she's not just a pretty face, but a capable woman and he lets her into his life and his heart. I didn't like how he assumed she would just give up her old life and be a ranch wife. But she also keeps things from him. They are both a little hot headed at times. I loved her fearless little rescue dog Target, who kept getting himself into trouble.
I really enjoyed this start to a new series. A sweet cowboy series in a Texan town. I loved being introduced to the brothers and a few town characters. I enjoyed the Cowboy / model romance and there were definitely some great moments of hilarity. I wasn’t sure when I started if I’d continue the series, but this turned out to be a wonderful romance with a sweetness level no more than kisses. I’m greatly looking forward to the next installment.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
“The Cowboy’s Stolen Heart”(The Cowboy’s of Sweetheart Creek,Texas Book 1)
What a good book! A model,a rancher and his brothers,and a riding school make this great! The model is in town to sell her late aunt’s house,but her car breaks down.Luckily ,this handsome cowboy comes to give her a ride to town to find a tow truck.Since that beginning,they find themselves together a lot,which leads to some very interesting things! But,I’m afraid to find out,you’ll just have to read it for yourself.I’m sure you’ll find it worth your time.
When Laura Oaks returned to Sweetheart Creek, Texas to settle her great aunt’s estate, she had no idea that she would not only fall in love with the town but also a special cowboy by the name of Levi Wylder. She remembered him from years earlier from visiting the local hardware store where he worked. Laura fills in at a riding school for disabled and probably children held at his ranch and soon both are smitten with each other. This is a clean love story with a feel good story with a feel good ending.
I enjoyed Levi and Laura’s story. Their story starts off a little rough. The two are opposites and bump heads quite a bit but slowly a bond is formed between them. Levi’s attitude at times was a little aggravating but he’s a good guy and his character grew on me. I ended up really liking him. I liked Laura. She is very compassionate and adaptable. It was nice seeing them both grow as individuals and as a couple. I look forward to reading the next book.
Jean Oram creates another wonderful world filled with intriguing people and a warm small-town vibe. Levi runs the family ranch and shoulders so much responsibility. He imagines his wife as a perfect cowgirl. Enter retired fashion model Laura with her boots that are as far from practical as she is from her New York home. The connection between them is instant and intense. A fabulous first-in-series. Can't wait to read the rest of the series!
This is an enjoyable small-town romance, but having the local vet/animal control officer picking up stray dogs at urban and suburban shop parking lots kind of spoils the vibe for me. Habing lived in a city 10 times the size of Sweetheart Creek where we had to drive 40 miles for Target and 160 for TJ's, I know those shops are not located in small towns. A jarrong note.
The Cowboy’s Stolen Heart by Jean Oram is a sweet and delightful read in a new series that sets you up to enjoy all. Laura Oakes is a fashion model that’s taking a break and has come to decide what to do with her Aunt’s house in Sweetheart Creek, Texas when she runs into her old childhood crush Levi Wylder. I absolutely recommend this book to everyone new and already a fan of Jean Oram.
A fashion model inheritance brings her to a small town as she thrives on her new life. Unfortunately, she forms a crush on her neighbor who just sees her as a pampered princess.
This is a sweet, sassy romance that will have you falling for this unlikely duo. A model and a cowboy can they are more alike when it comes to the heart. An enjoyable read.
This is the first book in this series about these cowboy brothers. Although this book could be a standalone, I would imagine that reading the next books in the series may benefit by having been read in order. This is Levi and Laura’s story.
Levi is the eldest brother and has taken over as the head of the family ranch. He has made this his life and priority, especially since he has had zero success finding the right woman to spend his ranch life with. His last serious relationship ended with her seeking a different life that did not involve the ranch at all. A run in with a fancy newcomer makes him begin to wonder what it would be like to have someone to share this with.
Laura is a newly retired supermodel who is in town to sell her Aunt’s home. She would spend her childhood summers here and looked forward to the town and its people. After a recent breakup and rumors about her being spread about her online she needs to get away. This is the perfect place to escape for a little while.
These two had a few instances where their paths crossed when they were younger. Now Laura is all grown up and has a lifestyle that is completely impractical for ranch life. Levi needs help on the ranch and ends up giving her a chance to show him a different side of her. This is when he starts to think that maybe he found what he didn’t know he was missing.
Their relationship was hopeful, but there was way too much back and forth. We were left with an incomplete ending and a prologue to the next brother’s story. Very frustrating. ⭐️⭐️
Laura Oakes is a recently retired fashion model. She's all glitz and New York glamour and she's only in Sweetheart Creek long enough to sell her aunt's house. She had a huge crush on Levi Wylder back when she was a shy kid spending a summer with the aforementioned aunt and she still finds him very attractive, but he's an unapologetic cowboy, so what could they possibly have in common? I loved finding the answer to that question, meeting the Wylder clan and meeting all the interesting people of Sweetheart Creek. This is a sweet romance with a few laughs, a few tears and a heart-warming story that will restore your faith in happily-ever-afters. It's a great read an the start to what promises to be a great new series.
Loved how this story. It shows that how people have to find their happy place and how appearance are not to be taken at face value. The way someone looks is not always what is inside.
It was fun to read how two people from very different places both in their heads, their life’s journey and where they live can come together. Laura finds that Texas feels like home but New York is where she made her name and still have obligations. It is interesting to see if she can resolve those two sides of her life. Levi is the eldest of five brothers and the one who seems to think that he has to do it all. He has become a person who will not try new things and it is always his way or not at all. Can he learn to let go and broaden his horizons? That is what makes this story so much fun to read.
This was a super sweet, small town cowboy romance, which kind of did what it says on the tin. There wasn’t any steam but that actually worked really well with the story. There were some moments and kisses which were just so cute and wholesome and just totally pulled on the heartstrings. Super easy to read and short length too so sped through it. Some flaws for me was that there seemed to be a lot of problems for the couple that were kind of there it seemed for the sake of it. Also whilst there is an HEA ending I felt it wasn’t as pivotal as it could be as it kind of happened off page so that was a bit sad at the end.
Jean Oram hasn't been one of my favorite romance authors, but after reading this book, that could change. If she writes more like this one (and, I assume, the series), I'd be happy to continue reading her work. This book was clean with enough twists and variety to keep me going. The snippet of book two at the end has me interested in what comes next, though this book stands alone. I thought the country/city relationship was handled well. And I liked seeing the MCs grow. If you enjoy clean, contemporary, cowboy romance, you might enjoy this book.
Laura goes back to Sweetheart Creek to settle her aunt's estate and runs into her old crush, Levi. Levi realizes that Laura has grown up and would like to get to know her better. These two dance around their attraction and when they finally get together they are in their own little world. When Laura's has to deal with stuff in New York for her job and sells her aunt's house things get rocky. Laura and Levi have to some things to work through due to their past relationships. It was a sweet story!
A sweet story of small time girl finding fame and fortune, but is it enough? Laura returns to Sweetheart Creek, TX to settle her beloved aunt’s estate. As a teenager she spent time there and had a crush on Levi Wilder. Well years have passed, but there still seems to be a spark there. At least on Laura side. A typical sweet romance story, looking forward to read the stories on Levi brothers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Thecowboysstolenheart
Laura Oakes lives in New York as a fashion model. Laura travels back to Sweetheart Creek, Texas to fix up the house she inherited from her aunt. Laura’s car breaks down and Levi Wylder offers her a ride into town to have her car towed. Levi is a cowboy in need of a riding stable manager at his family’s ranch. Laura is willing to help out, but Levi thinks she is not capable of handling the job because he sees Laura as a princess. I really enjoyed this fantastic opposites attract romance novel.
I received a free copy of this book VIA Booksprout and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.
Oh I so wish I could live in Sweetheart Creek! This is a great start to a new series by one of my favorite authors. I love the main characters Levi and Laura. This is a sweet story. I look forward to reading more about the Wylder Brothers.
The hot cowboy and sexy model story. After Laura's aunt died and Laura came back to town to sell the house, her and Levi became close because Levi needed help with the riding program . His riding instructor had an emergency and had to leave. I loved how they worked out their lives to coincide with one another. Happy read with all the brothers involved.