Committing to the Cowgirl by Jody Hedlund: Book Review

Details

• Genre: Historical fiction
• Series: Colorado Cowgirls (Book #1)
• Length: 230 pages (Kindle edition)
• Publication Date: July 11, 2023

Tropes

• Second chance romance
• Forced proximity
• Fake relationship
• Small-town romance

My Rating

Book Description

“After years away, Astrid Nilsson has returned home to Colorado, hoping to become Fairplay’s second doctor . . . and to find healing for her reoccurring consumption. Spirited and independent, Astrid doesn’t want her illness to be a burden to those she loves, so she has resisted getting serious about any man.

As the current doctor of Fairplay, Logan Steele is seeking to hire a male physician to take over his clinic after he goes back East. When Astrid, his childhood sweetheart, insists that she’s the one for the job, he offers her a bargain she can’t refuse: pretend to court him to appease his mother and he’ll give her the doctor position on a trial basis.

Sheriff Luke Wilder returned to his hometown, determined to keep the promise he made to his dying father. The sleepy tourist area with a tragic past hadn’t seen a murder in decades — until now. Keeping the community safe seems impossible as darkness edges closer, threatening to consume everything in its path. 

Astrid accepts the arrangement even though she’s reluctant to be in a sham relationship with a man who’d once broken her heart. She tries to keep herself from falling for Logan again but soon finds herself getting much more than she bargained for. With the clock ticking for both of them, can they commit to real love before it’s too late?”

— from Goodreads

My Review

The boy who broke her heart is now the man she has to work alongside. 

A fake relationship could benefit them both. Astrid gets a chance to prove herself as a doctor. Logan gets a reprieve from his mother’s matchmaking. But what happens when old feelings are rekindled?

Although they at least acknowledged it, I wasn’t a huge fan of all the deception. That being said, their reasons for doing so were sympathetic, and half the time, the only ones they were deceiving about their relationship being fake were themselves 😅

Astrid’s reasons for not wanting to marry Logan at first, even though she loved him did make sense.

Their physical attraction to each other was emphasized a little bit too much for my tastes. However, I did like how they bonded over caring for patients and respected each other’s medical expertise. 

I’m glad Logan was able to see his father’s side of things and reconcile with him. Although, an apology from his mother (to both of them) would have been nice.

Favorite Moments

🩺 Dinner with the McQuaid family
🩺 The engagement party
🩺 Little breaths

Favorite Quotes

“‘I’m likely the most interesting woman you’ve ever courted.’

‘Yes.’ He chuckled. ‘I’ve never discussed foot dissections with any other woman.’“

Jody Hedlund

“His grin widened.

‘You’re my fake almost-fiancée, so I have every right to feel fake almost-jealousy.’“

Jody Hedlund

“‘You told me you didn’t want to get married. Why would that change?’

He wasn’t sure why it would change, only that if anyone could make him rethink his plans, she was the one. ‘Maybe because I met you.’“

Jody Hedlund

“He drew in a shaky breath, praying for vitality and strength for his own body. He was going to need every ounce he could gather, because he intended to wage war for her as he had for no one else ever before.“

Jody Hedlund

“‘It looks like it led exactly where it needed to, giving you both the opportunity to let old feelings for each other blossom again.’

The feelings had resurged with more than just a few blossoms.

Her feelings had come back like a lush garden with all varieties of flowers in full bloom.“

Jody Hedlund

“It was almost as if she was the sunshine that broke through the storms in his life.“

Jody Hedlund

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