ARC Review: Her Forbidden Cowboy by Charlene Sands

Her Forbidden Cowboy is the first book in the Moonlight Beach Bachelors series by Charlene Sands and I thought it was a really great first installment! This book was honestly more than I expected, and I really enjoyed it. What started out as a forbidden romance turned into so much more with these characters, and I really loved seeing them grow and heal. I can't wait to read more books in this series and from Charlene Sands.

After being left at the altar by her fiance, Jessica Holcomb heads to her former brother-in-law's beach house in California to get away from her small town. Country star Zane Williams is healing from an accident where he broke his leg and his wrist, but he is also still struggling with the painful loss of his wife and unborn child. After she died he distanced himself from her family, but with Jessica's arrival at his house he is looking forward to spending time with her again. As Jessica helps him heal physically, the two rekindle the connection they always shared. But when things start to change between them, they both struggle with the new feelings they find themselves experiencing. Soon Zane and Jessica realize that they need each other for more than just to help heal one another, but in ways they never expected. But can they possibly have a chance at a relationship with each other after everything that has happened?

I really liked Zane and Jessica from the very beginning of this book. Both characters were easy to root for and relate to. Zane was still dealing with his pain and guilt from losing his wife and child. He wasn't looking for anyone else and never wanted to fall in love again. Besides just that, he was grumpy and frustrated with not being able to do things for himself since he was injured. But the minute Jess came back into his life, he started to change. He healed physically and started to heal emotionally as well. I loved that these two had always had a connection, but that it was never inappropriate. They didn't start to feel anything they shouldn't before getting reacquainted. Jessica was different from her sister, and yet she was exactly what Zane needed. She was sweet and kind, and genuinely cared about Zane. These two had always been connected, but I really loved seeing them get to know one another in an entirely new way. They were perfect for one another and had grown and evolved by being around each other. They also had really great chemistry, and I was glad to see them embrace their feelings without adding even more guilt to what they were already feeling. I really believed that they were supposed to be together, and these two just worked for me.

Overall, this was a really great story. I liked Zane and Jess, but I also really liked the secondary characters as well. I thought that each one added something to the story, and I especially loved Zane's bachelor neighbors/friends. I would love to get to know each of them better and see them find their matches as well. Charlene Sands did a great job of showing how sometimes two people are meant to find each other and that even the most forbidden or off-limits relationship can be the truest of loves. Zane and Jess were great together, and I liked that this wasn't overly dramatic. Their story was written exactly as it should have been and I really enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend this book to contemporary romance fans, and I will definitely be looking for more from Charlene Sands in the future.

**ARC Provided by Author's Pal**

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