Holly‘s review of Her Lone Cowboy (Larch Valley, Book 2) by Donna Alward
“Grouchy Noah was a challenge, but a Noah who started to trust Lily was far more difficult to handle…”
Noah Laramie has come back home to run Lazy L Ranch. Injured and now out of the army, he wants to shut himself off from the world.
Lily Germaine is just there to help him, but loner Noah is the most stubborn-as-a-mule man she’s ever met. Losing an arm doesn’t mean he has to lose sight of who he is. His courage, strength and loyalty make him one in a million. She just needs to convince him of that….
This is the second book in Alward’s Larch Valley duet. I enjoyed the first one, though the end did leave me feeling a little unsettled, and I have to say it was the same for this one.
Noah was injured while at war – he’s a Captain in the Army – and Lily, who is best friend to Noah’s sister-in-law – agrees to help him out a bit until he gets more settled. Noah is frustrated by his new circumstances and not sure how to deal with them. Having Lily around isn’t helping much either. She only serves to remind him that he isn’t whole and therefore not fit for someone like her. Lily was hurt in the past and is terrified of commitment. She’s willing to help Noah only because she knows he won’t be around permanently.
I really liked both Noah and Lily. Lily was practical and fun loving, the perfect antithesis for Noah’s dark broodiness. He’s having trouble adjusting to life after his injury and Lily is really good at pulling him out of his shell. Noah really gave Lily something to focus on, and I loved that they formed a friendship. As they came to trust each other their relationship really blossomed.
I really enjoyed this story, right up until the end. Then I was frustrated with Lily for pushing Noah away. But at the end of it, I couldn’t really blame her for having done so. Neither of them really gave all they could to the relationship, and therefore neither was solely responsible for the way things turned out. I don’t want to spoil it, but I’m still trying to decide my overall feelings.
I also think Noah’s injury and the emotional trauma he suffered could have been explored farther. It was hinted at that he had unresolved issues, but they were never full addressed.
For the most part this was a sweet story with strong emotional pull on both sides.
3.75 out of 5
The series:
This book is available from Harlequin Romance. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
