#Review: Sharp Shootin' Cowboy by Victoria Vane - 4.5 Wine Glasses

Title: Sharp Shootin' Cowboy
Series: Hot Cowboy Nights #3
Author: Victoria Vane
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages
Published: June 2nd 2015 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 1492601187
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Linda
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Wine Glasses

TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT, COWBOY…
A Weary warrior… After eight years as a Marine sniper, war-scarred Reid Everett is back in his native Wyoming. He knows and loves this rugged land, so working for wildlife services to reduce the booming wolf population suits him to a T.

A Caring crusader… Wildlife biologist Haley Cooper is desperate to make a difference. Leaving the world of academia behind, she accepts a position as a wolf advocate to protect the animals she loves.

Raw attraction… Their jobs set them on a collision course, but chemistry sparks like wildfire between Reid and Haley. They’ll have to brave some rough territory if they hope to reconcile their polarizing views with a passion that won’t be denied.

Linda's Thoughts:
"Times may change, but I guess cowboys don't."

SHARP SHOOTIN' COWBOY by Victoria Vane is a really good western romance featuring two opposites in the powder keg controversy of destruction versus restoration of wolves in the west. The debate is seldom debated rationally in public and wildlife management was most assuredly a hot political issue for our hero and heroine in this tale. This is the story of Marine sniper Reid Everett and wildlife biologist Haley Cooper.

Even though this is the third book in Victoria's Hot Cowboy Nights series, and there are interconnected characters, SHARP SHOOTIN' COWBOY can be fully enjoyed as a standalone if that is your preference.

Reid had enlisted in the Marines after being dumped by his girlfriend. He'd actually purchased an engagement ring that he'd planned to surprise her with at Christmas, then he'd received a text unceremoniously telling him it was over between them. The experience had soured him on women so when his best friend talked him into visiting a club near Camp Pendleton before they were sent overseas, he wasn't looking to hook up. However, that was before he met Haley Cooper and, from that point forward, he couldn't get her out of mind.

Haley wasn't a party girl; She was a book nerd. She wasn't thrilled about visiting the club that night, but her best friend who loved to kick up her heels had insisted. The club was packed with Marines from the nearby base, but Haley wasn't interested in dancing nor the Marines, especially that one with his sexy body and striking blue eyes who'd paid her way into the club. Fate, though, had other ideas.

When she wagered him a game of pool and then was the cause for him being booted from the club, he gave her a ride home and loaned her his jacket when she was cold. That jacket provided a tenuous connection between them during his deployment as evidenced by the following texts:

"I've been accepted to UC Davis. Heading to Sacramento in a few weeks, so I won't be here when you return. Should I send your jacket to Camp Pendleton? - Haley
Negative, Haley Cooper. Will collect it in person... along with something else I promised myself. - Reid
In your dreams, Marine - Haley
Every single night, sweetheart - Reid

They were undeniably attracted to each other. The two had scant encounters over a span of years, but it was never the right time or place for more. Would Haley ever give their relationship a chance to be more? You'll have to read SHARP SHOOTIN' COWBOY to find out!

I really liked both Reid and Haley though I have to admit I wanted to shake Haley too many times to count! I could relate, though, to where she was coming from... so I cut her some slack. Reid had the patience of Job and I was pulling for him even though any romantic relationship with Haley seemed doomed from the get-go since they were polar opposites over such a hotbed issue.
Following please find a few of my favorite quotes from this sweet and hot romance:

"You might have figured out she has a thing for guys in uniform."
"A perfect match." He grinned. "Garcia has a thing for girls with a thing."
---

She needed him inside her. Now. "It's past time to put your money where your mouth is."
"You got that all in reverse, sweetheart." He cut off the water and backed her slowly to the wall, his lips curving into a dangerous smile. "It's time to put my mouth where your honey is."
---

"Do you know how we tell the difference between black bear and grizzly bear scat back in Wyoming? Black bear droppings have berries and the Grizzly bear droppings contain little bells and smell like pepper."
---

"When you are barely over five feet tall, you need all the extra inches you can get. But I suppose you wouldn't understand that, not being challenged for inches."
He cocked a brow.
Her face flamed. "That didn't come out right. At. All."
"Yes. I'm thankful for all my inches." His lips curved in a slow smile that made her insides quiver. "They help me get into those really hard to reach places."

One of my favorite scenes - probably because I'm in my sixties - was a chat Haley had with her Grandmother. Here's an excerpt from it:

"A good man is a whole lot more satisfying than a thermal blanket and a vibrator."
"Grams! I can't believe you just said that!"
Her grandmother replied with a win. "I may be old, sweetheart, but I'm not dead yet."

LOL! I learned a few things from this book! I learned what chaqueta meant...

"We're looking at eight straight months of chaqueta."
"Chaqueta? Jacket?" Reid translated with a frown.
"No, man." Garcia grinned, fisting his hand and mimicking jacking off.

AND I had never heard of terror sex before either.

An intense desire for sex is a common response to trauma. The shrinks even coined a term for it - 'terror sex.'"

With a slow building romance, wicked banter, a rich storyline, and completely endearing characters, this was a story that I didn't want to put down until I'd read the last word. The epilogue was awesome - I actually read it more than once just to savor it. I highly recommend SHARP SHOOTIN' COWBOY to anyone who enjoys delicious contemporary western romances with plenty of substance.



Suggest Reading Order:
Slow Hand (Hot Cowboy Nights, #1) - Review | Purchase
Rough Rider (Hot Cowboy Nights, #2) - Purchase 

Sharp Shootin' Cowboy (Hot Cowboy Nights, #3)