A Cowboy and a Promise by Pam Crooks

 A Cowboy and a Promise by Pam Crooks

Blurb:

Her determination fuels his desire…

When her dying friend pleads for help to finish a renovation project, Ava Howell can’t refuse, even though her promise means leaving her new career and familiar life in New York to travel to a remote ranch in Texas. She’s good at what she does, and the ghost town vacation resort would look great on her resume, but it means tangling with the ex-military cowboy who is determined to stop her as soon as she arrives.

Beau Paxton needs to sell the land and ghost town to save his family’s struggling ranch. He’s a formidable enemy to Ava’s determination, but the harder she works, the more his attraction for her grows. He doesn’t want to set aside his plans so she can succeed at hers, yet he finds himself doing just that…

Will a promise bring a city girl and a sexy cowboy together? Or will a broken one drive them apart?

In general, I really enjoyed reading this story about Ava and Beau, the city girl and the cowboy who find love and happiness together. 

A promise she made to her dying friend brought Ava right to the middle of nowhere in Texas where she is supposed to finish her friend's project. While she is trying to find her way around the farm, building a very special resort, she gets to know her hosts' three sons. Even though Beau and Ava lock horns over her work right from the beginning, they start to care for each other. Their chemistry is off the charts and I really enjoyed every moment with them - up to the point where it started to feel rushed. You knew that they were in love but they were still getting there. At least that's what I thought and then - came the first declaration. Sure, they didn't have much time left due to Ava's impending departure but it felt too early anyway.  

Some action, lots of romance and very likable characters - I really liked this book and will definitely read other books by the author as well.

★★★★