REVIEW: ONCE UPON A COWBOY BY: MAGGIE MCGINNIS  
 
 
REVIEW:   ONCE UPON A COWBOY BY MAGGIE MCGINNIS
 
Release Date:  June 30, 2015
 
My Review
 
Once Upon a Cowboy (Whisper Creek, #3) by Maggie McGinnisMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Once Upon a Cowboy proved to be a heartbreaking story.  It was also an uplifting story. All the pain and shame that Jessalyn experienced in her younger years shaped who she grew up to be.  Wary of men and relationships and ashamed of her life.  Cole has his own issues with self identity, family dynamics and his place in the world.  These two damaged people managed to bring out the best in each other.  (www.goodreads.com/review/list/25556913-isha-coleman)
 
Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-Cowboy-Whisper-Creek-ebook/dp/B00OEXM778/
 
Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/once-upon-a-cowboy-maggie-mcginnis/1120956121?ean=9781101884966
 
Google Play Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Maggie_McGinnis_Once_Upon_a_Cowboy?i...
 
Itunes/Ibooks:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/once-upon-a-cowboy/id951401564?mt=11
 
Kobo:  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/once-upon-a-cowboy-3 ( )

When you see the title if this book, you are deceived into thinking that this is only a lighthearted cowboy romance, and while in part that is true, this book is also about survival.
Our story is about a woman called Jess, on the surface she is this fun and sexy yoga instructor, who brought her best friends out to a ranch in Montana to learn how to ride. But that is also where both of her friends found love and Jess falls for Cole. Cole is eager to see Jess again, but he is not quite ready for a relationship and Jess doesn't feel worthy of one.
But as I said, that is surface Jess, but that is not all who Jess is! She is a survivor of abuse from a parent and from a boyfriend, but no one knows that side of her and she plans for them to never find out...until her past come back to haunt her!
Man! What a book! It honestly takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions, and I can honestly say, by the end of the book I was exhausted. Be warned! This is not a book that you can put down, it is a book that will keep you up till you finish it and stay in your thoughts for days.
Okay, so let's get to the basic of the book. I am not one for flashbacks; I feel that they take away from the story...except in this case! I think having that entire back story in the beginning would take away from the storyline. It flowed well and I found myself easily gripped by the storyline. I found the characters to be likeable (especially the camp kids) and I enjoyed knowing their back stories. Now this book is a part of a series that I have not read, but that didn't matter (other than the fact that it made me want to read them), it was easy to jump right into the story, as the author provided you all the background that you need.
Overall the book is very enjoyable; it sucked me in, left me emotionally drained but very satisfied. I give Once Upon A Cowboy 9 out of 10.
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I received a copy in exchange for an honest opinion. This does not influence my opinion in any shape or form.

Once upon a cowboy has a little bit of everything. A gorgeous cowboy, a wonderful farm, friends who are basically family and the girl needing a bit of rescuing from not only herself but her past.
I liked Once Upon a Cowboy but I didn't love it. I don't even know why I didn't love it either, I just didn't. I'm not sure if something was missing, or what I wanted to happen. I just wasn't sure what made me not love it.

Our Story
The story is told in third person with some flashbacks to Jess’s past every now and then.

I always find it difficult to connect with characters when it is told in third person but I actually enjoyed Once Upon a Cowboy. I do think it would’ve been nice to read both their point of view things and have the story told through their eyes.

Once Upon a Cowboy is a story you need a day to sit down and read. Once you start you can’t seem to stop or at least that was the case for me. It was a quick and easy read that does not end in a cliffhanger. I was actually pretty sure it was going to end in a cliffhanger because I didn’t think there would be enough room to finish the entire story in such a short time but thankfully it didn’t end in a cliffhanger.

Our Characters
Jess. Jess has gone through hell. Utter hell. She was not only abused by her mother and aunt but her boyfriend as well. It was heartbreaking to read all the abuse she endured. No one should ever go through that. She had to run with the help of her grandfather, who gave her the opportunity to not only to get out of the small town she lived in but to change her name and start all over. And so she did, she was able to live her life without really worrying about the others she left behind until she receives a letter that her Grampy passed away. Now her past is coming to haunt her and finally she has to face it. I personally think she was an amazing character, she was able to start over and then when the time she was able to tell the truth to her friends. She was incredibly strong. I did find it hard to relate to her from time to time but overall she was a likeable character.

Cole. Hot cowboy? Check. He is a hardworking, sweet, good with kids cowboy. He also knows that something is wrong with Jess. The fear in her eyes when he lifts a finger to touch her cheek is all the indication he needs to know that something bad has happened to Jess and he just need to know how to prove that he won’t be like the people in her past. He was extremely gentle, romantic and such a good guy that you couldn’t help but love him. I especially loved how he handled Jess in such a sweet and tender way that you couldn’t help but love him. He was also really good with kids and that just makes you love him even more.

Overall
Once Upon a Cowboy is the third book in Whisper Creek, you don’t really need to read the other two [I didn’t] to understand the third book but I am definitely interested in reading the other two so I can really understand the series. Personally, if you are like me and love good looking cowboys who fall in love with city girls then you should check this out.
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While I have loved each of the Whisper Creek stories, I must say this one is truly my favorite. The story is heartwarming, emotional, and will grab you from the start. Cole and Jess first met two years ago but each has always held back. Cole is tired of hiding his attraction but Jess is still holding back. As Jess's story slowly unravels we get to understand her better and Cole being the kind, loving soul he is won't let her hide any more. This is a great story and will have you laughing at some parts and crying at others. A great emotional read that should be on everyone's list. I highly recommend it. ( )

Jess has kept her secrets at bay for 13 years, but now her past seems to be coming back to haunt her. She's never told anyone so she has no one to turn to for help. When she returns to her best friends at Whisper Creek for another wedding, she sees Cole again, the hot cowboy she adores but needs to stay away from. She knows he's too good for someone as damaged as her. Cole has known for a while now that Jess is someone he wants by his side, but she's like a frightened filly. He has to take it slow so she'll trust him, but he wants her to stay at Whisper Creek. Will he be able to convince her?

Once Upon a Cowboy is a complex love story to keep you absorbed from the onset. Intense characters with close bonds mingle with sharp tugs on your heart as they show love, compassion, and strength. I always love a ranch setting, hot cowboys, kids and horses to go along with a close-knit cast of characters. The ending was superb, with Cole being there for Jess when she needed him the most. The love was evident and the feelings, tear-worthy. Maggie McGinnis is a new-to-me author and Once Upon a Cowboy was definitely a meaningful, thoughtful romance that tickled my reading fancy! 5 Stars! ( )