Title: The Cowboy’s Last Chance
Author: Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy
Genre: Romance/sweet romance/Western and cowboy romance
Book Blurb:
When Vivian Blackburn, recently returned to Southwest Missouri after her grandmother suffered a health setback, sets out to shoot pictures at a rodeo, she's not looking for a cowboy but when she meets bull rider Calhoun Kelly, she's found one. They have an instant attraction and rapport, so much so that she follows him on the rodeo circuit. When they can, they head back to Missouri to visit her grandmother. They're compatible in every way but one – he has a strong Christian faith and she lost hers after her parents died. Still, they stay together through his bull riding lumps and bumps on the rodeo circuit. When Vivian experiences strange dreams that seem to warn Calhoun of upcoming danger, she doesn't know what to think and when the messages spread through his family, everyone is concerned. Calhoun decides to hang up his spurs at the end of the season but before he does, he and Vivian are married. They decide they'll settle at her grandmother's old farmhouse but not until he rides his last rodeo. When he's critically injured, his life hangs in the balance. Will Vivian find her faith and pray or be widowed? It's a close call but time will tell.
My Review:
Vivian never thought she’d find a man as wonderful as Calhoun. Before they can get married, they agree Calhoun will ride in his last rodeo. Disaster strikes and while his life is in jeopardy, Vivian must decide if love can rebuild her faith. Can she pray for a miracle or is it too late?
The Cowboy’s Last Chance is a heartfelt Christian western romance. It’s a romance filled with emotional tension. The descriptive narration is detailed so every scene is vividly portrayed. The ins and outs of the rodeo circuit are peppered throughout the story. The plot moves at a good pace. The faith undercurrent is well-done and realistic. It’s the characters, though, that make The Cowboy’s Last Chance worth reading.
Let’s start with the characters. Vivian is a wonderfully written heroine. Her ability to work through life’s trials is commendable. Her emotions are strong. She’s lost her faith but through love, she has the chance to regain it. I connected with her in so many ways.
Then there’s Calhoun, our rodeo cowboy. His rugged good looks are matched by his faithful heart. I connected with him too. What he goes through (no spoilers) tore my heart to shreds. A magnificent hero and an even better man.
This is my first book by Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy and I’m impressed. Her writing is emotional and heartwarming. The plot progression is just the right pacing. The narration is immersive. I connected with the story and the characters. I can’t wait to read more from this author.
If you love Christian western romance, pick up The Cowboy’s Last Chance.
My Rating: 5+ stars
Buy it Now:
Author Biography:
From an early age, Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy scribbled stories, inspired by the books she read, the family tales she heard, and even the conversations she overheard at the beauty shop where her grandmother had a weekly standing appointment. She was the little girl who sat at the feet of the elders and listened.
As an author, she has published more than seventy novels and novellas writing as both Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy and as Patrice Wayne for historical fiction. Her books are found in many places, online and in brick-and-mortar stores including some in both Ireland and Australia.
She spent her early career in broadcast radio, interviewing everyone from politicians to major league baseball players and writing ad copy. In those radio years she began to write short stories and articles, some of which found publication. In 1994 she married Roy Murphy and they had three children, all now grown-up. She was widowed in 2019. Lee Ann spent years in the newspaper field as both a journalist and editor and was widowed in 2019.
In late 2020, she hung up her editor’s hat to return to writing fiction. A native of St. Joseph, Missouri, she lives and works in the rugged, mysterious, and beautiful Missouri Ozarks.
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Reviewed by: Nancy