The Cowboy's Game by Cindy Steel: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.

The Book

He’s coaching her love life…and losing control of his own.

Jake Evans knows a thing or two about heartbreak. Recently divorced and raising his four-year-old daughter on his own, this cowboy has sworn off women for good. When a job opens up at a dude ranch in his hometown, he comes running, emotional baggage in tow.

An unexpected bonus? Spending the summer with his childhood best friend.

Shelby Tucker was always better at sinking three-pointers than navigating relationships. With a promising new job on the horizon, her life needs a change. She’s determined to stop sitting on the sidelines while life happens all around her.

First thing to tackle? Dating.

But after one too many cringeworthy moments, Shelby turns to the one person she trusts completely. Jake reluctantly agrees to coach Shelby through the dating world, certain his heart is safe where it is. Soon they’re back to their old routines—placing bets, shooting hoops, and putting Jake’s strategies into play.

Except this time, every touch lingers. And the line between practice and something real is blurring fast.

When an accident threatens to fracture Jake’s carefully rebuilt life, he’s forced to confront the one truth he’s been avoiding: the woman he’s never allowed himself to date might be the one he can’t live without.

★ The Cowboy's Game is a closed-door romantic comedy full of heart, sizzle, and witty banter, but without explicit content.

This is the third full-length novel in the Pride and Pranks Series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but you will see character crossovers!

The Author

Cindy Steel was raised on a dairy farm in Idaho. She grew up singing country songs at the top of her lungs and learning to solve all of life’s problems while milking cows and driving tractors—rewriting happy endings every time. She married a cute Idaho boy and is the proud mother of two wild and sweet twin boys. Which means she is also now a collector of bugs, sticks, rocks, and slobbery kisses. She loves making breakfast, baking, photography, reading a good book, and staying up way past her bedtime to craft stories that will hopefully make you smile.

Follow her for updates and new release information at www.cindysteel.com and at Instagram: @authorcindysteel

Book Review

With the previous book in Pride and Pranks series being released all the way back in 2022, you could definitely say this one was a long time coming... and oh my goodness, it was absolutely worth the wait! But if you thought the wait for us readers was long... it was even longer for Jake and Shelby to get their happily ever after so many years as best friends only. I loved how their story begins with a look back at some of their moments together starting at just six years old... and when they get to seventeen!? Oh my!  No spoilers here, but it had me literally laughing out loud... and that was before we ever even got to the first chapter. Simply put, these two were just the best. They had such a fun, teasing dynamic between them with all that history. When he starts coaching her in dating, their chemistry was even better. This book might be spice free, but it certainly had plenty of sizzle... in the best way possible. As laugh out loud funny as it was, there were also beautiful moments of tenderness that I loved as well... the perfect balance of it all. As much as I truly enjoyed the previous books in this series, this one tops them all, hands down. I couldn't get enough! 

The Cowboy's Game is a closed-door romance with kisses only and some minor language. It is the last book in the Pride and Pranks series but could also be enjoyed as a standalone. 


You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/3NWc5YE