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N. N. Light
May 16, 20233 min read

5+ stars for Leaving Noah by Maddie James #westernromance #laterinlife #bookreview



Title: Leaving Noah

Author: Maddie James

Genre: Contemporary Western Romance, Later in Life Romance


Book Blurb:


Parker Ranches, Inc., Book 8


Leaving Noah is a heartwarming tale of love, loss, second chances, and the power of the written word.


When a rodeo accident leaves Rock Creek Ranch shorthanded, Connie MacKay travels from South Dakota to Montana to visit her daughter and help with the neighboring ranch’s cattle roundup. Raised on a ranch and comfortable in the saddle, she is determined to help.


After decades of working ranches throughout the northwest, Noah Parker heads home to Rock Creek to stay—maybe. That all depends on the reception he gets from family. When he arrives, the last person he expects to see there is Connie.


Several months earlier at Sarah MacKay’s wedding, Noah and Connie shared a clandestine night together. Neither have seen nor spoken to the other since.


It’s been a little over a year since Connie’s husband’s death, and no matter how attracted she is to the rough stock cowboy, she can’t let herself get swept away by Noah’s charm and old-fashioned cowboy ethics. Figuring out the next chapter of her life is her priority—and one she must do alone.


Noah has baggage of his own he’s not sure he can get past, let alone heap on top of hers. He has known love, and lost love, and doesn’t want to live out the rest of his days alone. He loves her, but following Connie to South Dakota is not the answer, so he tries another tack—old fashioned love letters designed to share his story, and perhaps woo her heart.


My Review:


Can Noah woo Connie with heartfelt love letters or will both wind up alone? I’ve become a huge fan of western romance and later-in-life romance. Maddie James blends both in Leaving Noah and it’s a truly remarkable read. The romance is later-in-life/seasoned yet it’s filled with emotion. The descriptive narration is so well done, it felt like I was part of the story. The characters are realistic and relatable, you’ll fall for them like I did. Trust me, you won’t be able to put this romance down.


Let’s start with the descriptive narration. I’ve never been on a ranch or been around ranchers. Yet, after reading this book, I know the ins and outs of working on a ranch. Maddie James takes great care to immerse the reader in the setting she’s created. Every detail in intricately described so the reader can dive into the story. It’s impressive how all-encompassing the narration is.


The romance is an unexpected pleasure to read. Here are two characters who have loved and lost and are not sure about loving again. All the tension and insecurities are laid out in classic romance style. Yet, there’s a heartwarming twist to this romance: love letters. An older cowboy takes his time and writes letters to show how he feels. As I read this part, I teared up. You don’t see this in romance today and my romantic heart gobbled it up like candy.


If you’re a romance reader, you have to read this book. It’s incredible!


My Rating: 5+ stars


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Author Biography:


Whether writing flirty contemporary romance or gritty romantic suspense, Maddie James writes to silence the people in her head.


In 2022, Maddie celebrated her 25th year of publishing romance fiction under multiple pen names. Her collective body of work includes over 70 titles. Maddie loves writing small town contemporary romance and cowboy worlds, and as M.L. Jameson she pens romantic suspense. You might find a few naughty short stories written under another pen name if you look hard enough.


Affair de Coeur says Maddie, “shows a special talent for traditional romance,” and RT Book Reviews claimed, “James deftly combines romance and suspense, so hope on for an exhilarating ride.”


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Reviewed by: Nancy

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