Series: Kings of Country, #3
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Release Date: August 24th, 2021
when his world is falling apart around him?
Can he find his way back home?
According to his record label, Travis King’s drinking and partying has to stop. Or else… Image rebranding means joining AA and singing opposite one of the industry’s rising stars at an upcoming awards show. It wouldn’t be so bad if Loretta Gram wasn’t cold as ice. No matter how hard he turns on the charm, she won’t give him a break. It looks like this cowboy has finally met his match.
Loretta is still grieving the death of her original singing partner, and she doesn’t have it in her to deal with playboy Travis King. But her career is all she has, so if singing with the Three Kings is what she needs, she’ll do it. Loretta isn’t as cold as she lets on, but she’s had more than her share of heartache. When she finally shows Travis who she is, he knows he’ll do anything to be her forever cowboy.
Perfect for fans of: Enemies-to-lovers and opposites-attract romance. Behind-the-scenes glimpses into country music. Characters who find the courage to be their true selves. Poignant romance that warms your heart
CW/TW: mentions of drug and alcohol abuse, mentions of suicide, mentions of divorce, character in recovery from substance abuse
“Just so we are clear, I plan on kissing you, Loretta Gram.”
Sometimes you stumble across a book on NetGalley, not knowing what you’re going to get when you start and then suddenly you’re crying and feeling all the feels and falling in love with characters you’ve never met before and adding previous books in the series to your TBR and your Kindle because you just need more!
That’s how I felt while reading Country Music Cowboy by Sasha Summers. And I have absolutely no regrets.
While part of a series following the King siblings, each book can be read as standalones. It would be best to meet the siblings in order so you can understand their respective relationships before you meet them in the next books, but if you’re like me, then you’re okay knowing who ends up with who and then go back and start from the beginning.
The Three Kings are famous in the country music scene, led by twins Emmy Lou and Krystal and backed by their older brother Travis. While the twins are famous for their heart wrenching and foot stomping music, Travis is famous for a whole other reason. A drinking and drug problem led Travis to a bar fight which was captured on camera and put on every website, television screen and social media imaginable. After three weeks in a rehab centre, he’s back in the real world and he’s ready to change his life and the way his name is mentioned in the business. Loretta Gram was one half of a country music favourite duo – LoveJoy. But when her singing partner and best friend dies from a drug overdose, she finds herself struggling to make it through every single day.
But when her label connects her with the King family and insists that Loretta and Travis sing a duet on stage at an award show during the “In Memoriam” segment, things take a turn for the worse. Loretta isn’t ready to sing with someone new, but she has no way out of it. And after everything she knows about Travis, the last person Loretta wants to perform with is the man himself. However, their duet on stage gets the attention of everyone all around the world and the label decides to make money off of them by turning them into a proper duo. Which pisses Loretta off to no end, and makes the whole thing far too entertaining.
While it’s an enemies-to-lovers romance, the enemies bit really only comes from Loretta since she’s got her opinions of Travis locked in place. Travis is drawn to her like a moth to a flame and he’s barely containing himself when they’re together. And because they have no choice but to spend all of their time together, the two of them have to air their grievances and sort through their personal issues in order to make this duo work. And boy, do they do that or what!
“One night is what you offered, I said yes, of course. But let’s make that forever, just me loving you. Rules are meant to be broken. I’ll break them all for you.”
The chemistry between Loretta and Travis is incredible, they want each other, but they won’t do anything about it. There’s a lot of pushing and pulling and the sexual tension is SO HOT. I felt like I would combust reading about them not acting on all the things they feel and all the things they want. And Travis is as swoony as all get out, so I commend Loretta for standing her ground and not giving in to what her body clearly wants. And finally, they take a chance on their feelings and promise each other one night. And it’s a sleepless night. It’s an open-door romance, but it’s not explicit, so you get to enjoy all the things about an open-door romance, without too much detail. And honestly, it works because these two are so great together.
One of my favourite parts of the story was the lyrics. Oh my god, Travis writes some beautiful music and his lyrics are always so raw and honest. This is where his swoony persona comes in, because he wears his heart on his sleeve and writes it into all of his lyrics. We get a lot of behind the scenes into the country music scene, but the scene where they’re writing lyrics and creating music together is absolutely beautiful. Another thing I absolutely adored about the story was the relationship between the King family – including Emmy Lou and Krystal’s beaus. Their banter, their relationships and their love for each other is so evident. I love that the sisters don’t hold back when it comes to interfering in Travis’ life or his secret romance with Loretta.
Country Music Cowboy is a story of letting yourself go, giving yourself a chance to feel again, falling in love with yourself and someone else, second chances and of course, music. Also, if you like swoony cowboys who can write gorgeous lyrics and woo you without trying hard, this is the book for you.
Thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca and Sasha Summers for an advance copy. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
anna reads here 