The Cowboys Fake Marriage by Bree Livingston

The Cowboys Fake Marriage Reviews

• 
  Kathy

  I just finished this super cute book by Bree Livingston. The Cowboy's Fake Marriage is listed at 330 pages but it didn't seem that long to me. I flew through it.
  I liked the characters, setting, and storyline. Like most romances, this was predictable but had enough twists and turns to keep me engaged. This is the 3rd book I've read by Bree and I will pick up another one.
  
  With a meddling uncle, feisty heroine, and hardworking cowboy this one is a perfect fit for those who enjoy lighthearted romance.
  
  Source: Kindle Unlimited Borrow
  Content: Clean (just kissing)
  Rating: 4 Stars
• 
  B. D. Mann

  "The Cowboy's Fake Marriage" is my first book by this author. I intend to put her on my reading list. However, I have a hard time justifying the five stars many reviewers awarded. Oddly enough, I appreciated that her cast of characters was much smaller than most and was appropriate for this book. That is a real plus for me. To keep things straight, I usually keep a notepad handy to keep track of the characters and their relationships. It was not necessary for this book. I enjoyed the general storyline and was pleased with the character development. I appreciated that the author kind of metered out background on the protagonists. Each time a new fact emerged, it added a layer of understanding into the character. Well done! I did not care, however, for the continual self-doubt and wavering self-confidence voiced by both protagonists throughout the book. Unfortunately, this created boredom with the text and caused the story to drag on and on. For my taste, the book would have been much improved by removing about 30 pages worth of this type of repetition and speed up the action. On the positive side, although I initially had a great dislike for the character, Hannah, and resented keeping her on stage, so to speak, as things turned out, there were some great lessons learned through her. Thus, another well done! On balance, I see a lot of potential in Ms. Livingston’s writing and look forward to reading her works in the future.
• 
  Pascale’s*ARC,Unwind,Read,Review

  -‘I’m not interested in you like that. We’ll both keep a professional distance, and when the house is done, we’ll shake hands and part as friends.”’-
  
  I like her! Grace is an awesome character. Kind, loyal, strong, not afraid to speak her mind and stand up for what’s right. She made me want to stand up and cheer. Go, Grace, go! Jackson is a great character too. He seems so sweet, strong and gentle, and hot!
  
  This story was so great! It reminded me of some of my favourite authors’ works (a little bit of Cindy Roland Anderson, a bit of Karen Rock, a touch of Victorine Lieske ...), but also all Bree Livingston, which I’m so glad I discovered as I love everything she writes! Highly recommended. The Cowboy’s Fake Marriage is definitely worth the read. An enthusiastic 5 stars rating from me!
• 
  Coco.V

  🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/17/2019)! 🎁
• 
  Joan

  DNF at 25%
  (My updates: There is nothing different here. The writing plods along, inoffensive and totally predictable. Grace is the perfect woman, Jackson the bumbling idiot who has no sense of design. Some peculiar phrases made me scratch my head. Mundane.)
  
  My Review
  Mundane (and peculiar) phrases: 'An average-height man wearing jeans and a denim button-up got out and approached her.'
  
  and again: 'The car stopped next to his and an average-height woman with stick -straight raven hair got out of the car.'
  
  What's with the 'average-height'? What IS 'average-height'??? It's dull, unimaginative writing. Are Grace and Jackson 'average-height'?
  
  And what is 'stick-straight' hair? Sloppy writing.
  
  I got fed up of reading how fabulous Grace was at design - and this is a women who removes stuck-on wallpaper with her fingernails?? Get real.
  
  It needed serious editing and tightening up to get rid of repetitions:
  
  Pg 77 As Grace stood back, she took in what would soon be a blank canvas, trying to gauge what would be both appealing and modern and yet fitting with the style of the home. What would make eating in that room the most appealing?
  
  I didn't like the way Grace was portrayed as the perfect woman - capable of helping replace a fence, strip wallpaper, redesign a house and yet Jackson came across as a country bumpkin in a lot of respects.
  
  I realised I didn't care about either character, so I left them to strip wallpaper with their fingernails ;)
  
  Not rating at this moment. This had the feel of being written in a rush without much serious thought and even less editing. Meh.
• 
  Jen

  Cute clean read
  
  I've been in a bit of a reading funk lately. But I found a deal for Kindle Unlimited and hoped that it might help me get back to my love of reading. This title was my first pick. It is a cute, clean romance, which is just what I needed.
  
  Grace and Jackson both are dealing with heartbreak and really aren't looking for a relationship. Then Jackson's ex makes an appearance and Grace impulsively announces their engagement. It's a romance so we know the ultimate ending, but the road there was bumpy but at the same time interesting.
  
  Both characters had a lot of insecurities and issues to work with that did get a little old. But it was needed for the character growth. And I just wanted to shake both of them from time to time. In the end, I was rooting for them to find their happily ever after.
  
  i enjoyed this book enough that I'm grabbing the next book in the series. I shed a couple tears and laughed out loud... I definitely recommend.
• 
  Cynthia

  A beautiful story
  
  Grace was going to Abilene to a future customer about designing the interior of their home when her breaks down outside of Willow Valley, the mechanic offers his nephew's place to stay. Jackson is trying to fix the pasture fencing when he uncle calls. What starts off a her helping him, turns into so much more.
• 
  Tina "IRead2Escape"

  The Cowboy's Fake Marriage was such a fun and sweet read. It was fast paced and kept your attention from the beginning.
  
  Jackson's life has left him feeling unworthy. His parents abandoned him and his brother as a children only to have his father come back and take his brother only. And then there was his wife. Not only did she cheat on him but she made it clear that he was her biggest mistake and a waste of her time. Jackson cut his losses and went back home to live the life he was meant to live. The uncle that raised him didn't want the run down family bed and breakfast. As the agreement went if Uncle Quincy didn't want it it would go to Jackson when he turned 30. Jackson just knew that he could make a go of it if he could just overcome the hurdles from his ex and her dad.
  
  Grace lost her fiance in an accident and just needed to get away. How she took a wrong turn and ended up in Willow Valley she has no idea. But, there she is - car broke down and nothing left to do but keep moving forward. Just her luck the kind stranger that helped her out also had a nephew that was fixing up a bed and breakfast. It may not be ready for the public but there was plenty of room for Grace.
  
  I loved how Grace immediately fell in love with the old rundown place and got so excited about all of the possibilities. Jackson really appreciated all of the things that made Grace different and special. He was just about the perfect character. Compassionate and kind but also not afraid to speak his mind and be assertive when necessary. Grace definitely had no problem speaking her mind which came in quite handy since Jackson's ex-wife kept popping in begging him to take her back.
  
  As I said this book was sweet and fun. Did it have some far-fetched spots? Yes, but if you go into it just wanting a fun book that will suck you in, make you chuckle and make you swoon a little this book is for you.
• 
  Leslie Books and Socks Rock

  I didnt think I'd like a cowboy romance book but I loved this! I do love the fake dating trope so that pulled me in to try it. Both Jackson and Grace are dealing with heartbreak on top of troubles. Grace's car broke down leaving her stranded in the middle of nowhere Texas and Jackson inherited 300 acres of land and an old B&B that's seen better days with a large looming mortgage payment over his head. They team up to help each other out only Jackson's ex shows up wanting him back and telling him he needs to sell the land. To throw off Hannah, Jackson's ex, Grace proclaims that they're engaged, as a ploy to get Hannah to leave Jackson alone.
  
  I couldn't wait to see what happened in the book and I loved Grace's passion and Jackson's kindness. They were perfect for each other.
• 
  Jessie Bee

  This was truly a simple loving read for me. The way Grace finds herself lost while driving to an assignment and then how her rescuer plays matchmaker for her and his nephew is quite hilarious. Throw in an impulsive Grace and a suspicious ex-wife about their engagement helps create sparks between Jackson and Grace. Truly a lovely read.
• 
  Rocky

  Grace and Jackson
  
  Grace Maddox is an interior decorator on her way to a job but somehow, her GPS sent her in the wrong direction. When her car breaks down in the middle of nowhere she has no idea what to do. She eventually gets picked up by a kind older gentleman who takes her to his nephews run down bed & breakfast.
  
  Jackson Bellamy is a former rodeo champion who is still reeling from his divorce a year earlier. He has inherited the bed & breakfast from his grandparents and is trying to get it in shape to start using it again. When his uncle pulls into his driveway with a beautiful woman he believes that he’s being set up again and he’s not happy. But when he finds out she’s an interior decorator and she loves the old house he’s willing to put up with her until the renovations are completed.
  
  Both Jackson and Grace are hiding secrets. Will they learn to trust each other enough to let go and learn to love again or will their “relationship” end when the house is finished?
• 
  Bess

  Cute & quick read!
  Grace has lost her fiancé and is blaming herself. So, she's buried herself in work but has lost her passion for interior design.
  Jackson has an old historic home that was once a B & B that he inherited. His ex-wife's father has threatened to foreclose if he doesn't remarry his cheating ex-wife.
  Enter Quincy, Jackson's meddling uncle.
  With the help of Quincy, Jackson & Grace are thrown together. Now, what happens next could be the salvation of both or their total annihilation!
  Since this is a light-hearted read, we know this is a HEA! It was nice to see Jackson & Grace fall in love. This reminded me of a saying, "sparks bring you together and sustenance keeps you together," or something like that. It is very true in this read. The main characters are seriously crushing each other however, over time the sparks develop into something more akin to a blossoming flower!
  It was sweet!
• 
  Millie Shepherd

  I stayed up till 3 am reading this book and finished it in one sitting! It was really good but not one I'd call a favorite.
  
  I liked the characters, and they had amazing chemistry. I felt for them and liked how their backstories were slowly unfolded. I loved how Grace was extremely passionate and would speak her mind about anything and everything. But the best part was that Jackson loved those things about her. He didn't think they were her flaws like her deceased fiancé did, and that made me really admire Jackson's character. Jackson's ex-wife was a total pain in the rear, but I'm glad she finally just moved on despite the fact that she's the one who ruined their marriage. Jackson's uncle was brilliant! I love a good matchmaking relative; it gives a story a fun element.
  
  The romance in this story was face paced and very much an insta love. I'm not entirely sure if two people actually can fall in love like that in two weeks, but I guess anything is possible, especially when you literally spend every waking moment with that person. And to take the 'especially' even further--especially when you have to kiss that said person because you're pretending to be their fiancé.
  
  But when it's all said and done, I thought this was a fun, face paced read and I enjoyed it!
• 
  Chanel

  3.5 Stars for this story about a fake marriage between a designer and a cowboy. Grace and Jackson were both likable and I could feel their chemistry. It was refreshing that the author allowed their relationship to develop instead of having instant love. This is a “clean” read and I would have preferred a book with a PG 13 rating. I thought for their ages, they should have been more open with their feelings, as at times it almost felt they were playing a game with each other. I was pleasantly surprised the book didn’t follow a typical plot where the Ex-wife would have put Jackson in a compromising position that would have sent Grace running. In summary this romance story set in Texas shows in true love each person can totally be themselves and be loved without any conditions or having to change their personalities.
• 
  Anne Wingate

  And Things Are Not What They Seem
  
  Grace is JUST an interior decorator. Riiight.
  Jackson is JUST a cowboy. Riiight.
  Grace is one of the most talented interior decorators in Texas.
  Jackson was a top rodeo rider until he quit because he wanted a family.
  Hannah was just interested in his glory and what she got out of it. So when he left the glory and went home to Nowhere, Texas, she cheated on him. Their divorce was final more than a year ago. So why is she back?
  Where she saw terminal boredom, Grace sees scads of potential.
  But is it enough?
  Once again, Livingston draws a vivid picture the an area she knows well, with characters made believable and a situation that has undoubtedly happened more than once.
  Recommended for those who like clean and interesting romance.
• 
  Melissa Hayford

  Loved this book! Grace seems like an incredibly independent woman who knows who she is and what she wants, but she really is broken from her last relationship. Jackson is also trying to heal and move on from a bad relationship. Neither are looking for love, but they quickly become partners and friends. There is immediate attraction between them, even though they are both determined to ignore it. I loved both Grace and Jackson! They are both kind good-hearted people with a little bit (sometimes a lot) of sass. They are great together and bring out the best in each other.
• 
  Cherye Elliott

  Fun read
  
  I enjoyed the book. It was sweet, honest (kinda), and a breath of fresh air. The story even had a villain. Books always need someone you love to hate.
  
  Five stars for keeping me entertained. I only found one thing wrong....
  A problem with the story. There is a offer for 6 million on the property. He owes $100,000. The numbers don't add up. He can always obtain another mortgage. Any bank would jump at a chance to hold the note when there is a $5,900,000 prize at the end if he does pay. Doesn't matter. Because the book ended with a happily ever after
• 
  Vibliophile

  Unlikely - but so what?
  
  It's so improbable as to border on impossible, but it's fun & flirty - a new guilty pleasure. It was immediately engaging & I couldn't put it down till I finished it. It does prolong the miscommunication/misunderstanding trope a bit too much, but thankfully the resolution followed quite quickly from there.
  
  It's not original, but it does what's been done before very well! Two thumbs up!
  
  Clean romance level: Passionate kissing
• 
  Heather Green

  Cute story about accidentally finding your perfect match
  
  Cute read, though im not sure how realistic it was with the ex staying in the same house. I liked the mcs personalities. They were good together. Im glad they finally admitted their feelings for each other because I was getting tired of the back and forth. Some typos toward the end. Clean and sweet. Im starting on the next book in the series right now!
• 
  Kay Defreese

  This book was good. I loved that it took place in a small town. I loved that they were renovating his old homeplace. Loved all the characters. His uncle was a character and made me laugh. I wanted to hate his ex-wife but I actually ended up liking her in the end. Very sweet romance book and a quick read. I've loved all the fake marriage books in this series. Not a bad one in the series. Hard to tell which one is my favorite.
• 
  Karen

  3.5 Stars
  I received this book for free from somewhere and I thought it was cute. I enjoyed the playful banter and I enjoy slowly seeing and understanding a romance.
  There is no sex but a few mild thoughts about having a hard time stopping, controlling self, etc. There is passionate kissing and talk of an ex spouse cheating.