Claire Moon moved to a small Montana ranch after being severely burned in a fire. A jeweller by trade she conducts her business mostly on lot and avoids social interaction. Her solitude is threatened when a young calf escapes from a nearby ranch, jumps her fence and has to be caught by its owner. Cowboy Wes McQueen feels guilty that his cattle has damaged next door’s property, especially as it is his fault. He goes around to apologise and Claire is unable to avoid meeting him. She is reticent and retiring but he is determined to make amends for the damage and a tentative friendship is formed. Slowly this friendship develops into more but Claire is still unsure about reentering society. Wes, however, is determined to help her rejoin society.

An enjoyable read that explosion how injuries can make people change and sink into themselves as a coping mechanism. Both characters are likeable and the puppy angle is cute.

I received this novel from Tule Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Claire Moon moved to a small Montana ranch for peace and solitude after barely surviving a tragic fire. A jewelry maker, she used to travel extensively to sell her work, but now prefers only online sales. Her quiet existence is imperiled when escaped cattle tromp through her yard and garden. Claire is unable to avoid meeting her handsome rancher neighbor who arrives to remove the cattle, and when he turns on the apologies and the charm, she’s not really sure she wants to. Cowboy Wes McQueen feels guilty when his family’s cattle make a mess of his new neighbor’s property, especially when he finds out it’s his fault. But when he tries to make it up to Claire, she’s very shy and resistant. Still, he finds himself determined to make amends, and the two form a tentative friendship—a friendship that unexpectedly blossoms into more. Despite Claire’s reluctance to rejoin society, Wes is determined to make their relationship work. He realizes that he’s like his father in more than one way—when he finally falls for a woman, he falls hard. And there’s no going back.
This was a nice read. I’ve recently read a book with a similar situation, so these themes seem to be popping up. I still enjoyed the book. I liked both characters. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tule Publishing via NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.

This book was so beautifully written. I just adored the characters and the appearance of prior characters from the series. My heart just broke for Claire and want she experienced. Fortunately moving to Montana and meeting Wes was the best thing to happen to her. Even though Wes is what some considered "a social butterfly" as he dates a lot, he saw Claire in all her beauty. I loved watching Wes make those final steps into maturity. His heart was tender and caring for Claire. He helped her to overcome her insecurities and grasp life all over again.

I loved the dual POV format, especially where Claire was concerned. I have never had the experience like the ones she had faced so I really appreciated the author doing a fantastic job in portraying her thoughts. It made understanding her actions so much easier.

The bedroom scene was written very nicely and there was nothing descriptive. I highly recommend this book to anyone. You also don't have to read the prior books to read this one but I would so you can also fall in love with the brothers' and their wives.

Throughly enjoyed The Cowboy Next Door. A great plot and characters. Will be reading more books by this author. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my digital arc this is my unbiased review.

Claire wanted to live quiet life, away from crowd ever since her accident that's the reason she moved to Montana. Until Cows started eating all her garden. She wasn't expecting to face different crowd. When she was trying to move them away from what is left of garden, a handsome cowboy on horse arrives to move them back to his ranch.
Wes heard he had a new neighbor and never met her until now. She was hiding half of her face but he was attracted to her. Ever since the first encounter, he wanted to help her.
Claire thought her would live in solitude until she met Wes. She wanted to go back to way she was before the tragedy but she couldn't face the whispers and comments. But something about Wes is making her more comfortable.
Wes felt different about Claire. He doesn't do relationships but something felt different about her and he wanted to know about her and get to know her. Even his family can't believe he is changing.
Now Claire and Wes are getting closer thanks to three puppies West rescued from the roadside. They are more comfortable with each other but is Claire ready to face everything else?

It was sweet and quick read. Both were likable characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and Tule publishing for my ARC in exchange for honest review.

The Cowboy Next Door is book number three in the Once Upon a Western series by Trish Milburn. This Claire and Wes’ story.

I was hooked from the beginning the end. Claire and Wes were wonderful characters. An emotional story that will make you laugh and cry.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

The Cowboy Next Door is the third title in Trish Milburn's Once Upon a Western series and it's the second title in that series I've read, and my favorite thus far. Although it's a one-sitting read, it is filled with warmth, kindness, an emotional understanding and sensitivity to the way people with disfiguring injuries (accept that it also relates to those born less than perfect) deal with the way people react to them, and how they come to learn to accept the hand they've been dealt and carry on with their lives. I give it 4.5 stars.

Claire Moon, the heroine, had one side of her face badly burned and disfigured while she was trying to flee her burning apartment building, a fire that killed two other tenants. Once she was able to leave the hospital and try to pick up the threads of her life, from the looks she got and the way people treated and reacted to her changed appearance, including the boyfriend who left her as soon as he saw her face, realized that her life was forever changed. With her insurance settlement, she left Houston and bought a small, run-down ranch in a small Montana town--a place where she could hide away from the stares and whispers, set up her on-line jewelry making business, and even have her groceries delivered by mail, and where she could avoid all personal human contact and interactions, or so she believed--she didn't count on meeting the Wes McQueen, the handsome and flirtatious cowboy next door.

When Claire finds some of the McQueen cattle grazing on her first ever vegetable garden and tries unsuccessfully to shoo them away with her broom, Wes comes riding to the rescue, and finds it odd that his new neighbor won't even meet him face-to-face. He can see the undamaged side of her face, and what he sees is a beautiful woman. Although she tries to talk him out of making reparations, Wes does what he thinks is right, and is back the next day, not with a check, but with new plants and seeds, and despite Claire's objections, goes ahead and replants her garden. Wes is handsome, and a commitment-phobic serial dater, who isn't used to women resisting his charming, sexy and fun-loving personality, and is intrigued by Claire, who seems quite able to resist his advances.

One thing Claire hadn't counted on when she decided to hide away in Montana was the isolation and loneliness. Her inner struggles with her disfigurement, and her newly formed self-esteem issues are similar to what wounded war veterans have to come to terms with when they return home. Sadly, we are a society constantly obsessed with and bombarded by images of stunning actresses and models, and judging others by those standards. It's part of the reason anorexia and bulimia have become as commonplace as the saying, "you can't be too thin or too rich." This novel clearly, and with warmth and understanding, depicts the feelings of a woman who has never known what it was like to be rejected because of her appearance, and sadly, it's a rude awakening. She truly has lost her trust in others but when Wes keeps returning, unasked, to help her work on her renovations, Claire doesn't understand why he's bothering with her when there's no shortage of other beautiful women he can date, but slowly, although she continues to hide the damaged side of her face from him with her long hair, a casual friendship begins to form.

While expecting to read about Claire's issues, as Wes continues to help her, and when he learns the reasons why she's hiding from the realtor who handled her purchase of the ranch, he researches what happened to her, and tries with great sensitivity to get her to realize that true beauty is so much more than just her physical appearance. His relationship with Claire also leads him to examine his own choices in the other women he's dated, and when his family members point out what they see as his shallow standards and previous dating behavior, they warn him that Claire might become too attached to him, and the damage he could do to her fragile ego if he's as casual and uncommitted with her as he has been with other women all along. So instead of one character trying to come to terms with her injuries, we have two characters who are slowly learning to accept each other and grow emotionally.

Eventually Claire accidentally shows her damaged face to Wes and is shocked that he's still coming around. She soon admits to herself that she's falling for the handsome and kind cowboy, and that his family members all treat her as they would anyone else. But when Wes talks Claire into letting him take her to the Founder's Day celebration, she inadvertently overhears some unflattering remarks while in the ladies room, and realizes that although Wes already has her heart, he's a been love 'em and leave 'em kind of guy, and rather than fall more in love with him, she decides to end their relationship before he dumps her the way her previous boyfriend did. But is that the right move for her? Even she has her doubts, and since I don't do spoilers, I'll leave you to discover for yourself what happens after Claire's preemptive break-up with Wes.

Although rather short in length, the speed at which this novel and the relationship between its two main characters was paced was a little too fast for this reader. It's a romance novel after all, so you already know that there will be an HEA ending, I just wish Ms. Milburn had expanded on the depth and development of their relationship and the time-frame of this book to make this engaging, heartfelt, and well written story seem a bit more realistic and the relationship more believable.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

Claire was burned severely in a fire, and having experienced cruel experiences about her appearance, she made the decision to move to a remote area (Montana). Fortunately, she has a thriving business making jewelry that lets her work from home. Pet peeve, but I would dearly love to see authors branching out into including careers that would let some actually make a thriving living from home.

She meets the rancher next door after cows get into her garden. He turns out to be a wonderful guy.

The "big reveal" of her scarred face took up way to much time in the book. What I did like, however, was the very real struggles Claire felt as she became part of the community and developed the courage to interact with people. This was a bit of a rollercoaster, as was the romance with Wes, as her esteem took hit after hit, even while she became more confident.

I liked the story and recommend it.

Claire has moved to a small Montana ranch to hide from the world after being severely burned in a fire. The fire has left her scarred in more ways than just the obvious. She discovered who her true friends were and those who were not walked away. Wes in the playboy rancher next door. When his cattle causes property damage to her ranch he marchers over there, or more accurately rides his horse, to set things straight. The fact that she never looks directly at him and that her hair always covers half of her face intrigues him. When he learns about the horrific fire she endured he can't help but admire her courage. The more he gets to know her the more he wants to be with her and make her happy. Beauty really is more than what the eye can see, it's a feeling. Good read.

This was a great read, it had a strong Beauty and the Beast feel to it. Except the beast wasn't the cowboy. Claire and Wes had great chemistry and I loved how Wes handled Claire and her fears and concerns over how she looked. Every woman wants a man like Wes, to take away their insecurities. The only thing I didn't care for was the explanation or details on the fire in the field. I recommend this book to everyone who loves a good clean romance

Poor Claire has been burned.
Literally.
While asleep in her apartment, a fire breaks out due to faulty wiring. Thankful to be alive when other aren't, she buys a house in nowhere Montana hoping to get away from humanity. People have been making fun of her burns on her face and it was too much for her to handle. Now she is living her life by herself in her new home.
Enter Wes. Oh, he's dreamy!!! Still self-conscious of her burns, she says aways from him and hides the side of her face with burns. But he sees her.
These two embark on a sweet love story. :)
Well worth a read.
I loved how Wes and his family weren't shallow and how they treated Claire like a real person with real feeling.
And that epilogue!

The Cowboy Next Door by Trish Milburn is book 3 in the "Once Upon a Western" series, but is pretty much written as a stand alone type of book.
It´s one of those books, that when you start reading, you are swept into the story and will have a very hard time putting the books down, before you make sure, that they get their own very happy ending.
Claire and Wes will need to fight for their happy ending, and family, past and present will all do theirs to try to keep them apart. So pick it up, and see for yourself. If you like cowboys, and romance, this is a good one.

The Cowboy Next Door is a sweet story set in beautiful Montana. It is a friends to lovers story. Claire and Wes are not looking for a relationship, but their friendship leads to more. Trish Milburn captures the reader’s heart and will leave you both smiling and teary-eyed.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

What a heartwarming book, as both Claire and Wes have issues in their life and they both start to deal with those issues and grow along the way - personally and as a couple.

Wes starts to realize that maybe the single bachelor ways are not so great and Claire deals with her insecurities from her scars.

I loved that Wes was so protective of Claire and she tried so hard to not fall for Wes but she did.

Great HEA and I enjoyed the friends to lovers theme. I think that is a great starting point for a great relationship!

Cowboy Next Door is a heart touching, deeply moving novel set in rural Montana. It is far enough away from the crowded city that Claire Moon needs to escape the gawking and pitying stares of people at her burned face. When she encounters Wes McQueen, the handsome and rugged rancher next door, she is in for a sweet, honest surprise-one that could change her life if she opens enough to let him in.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the third book in the Once Upon a Western series. I have enjoyed each book. This book is about the third brother Wes and the newcomer, Claire Moon. Claire has moved from Houston and purchased a home in Montana bordering Wes and his family’s ranch acreage. Claire is a hermit and unwilling to leave her home or talk to people. We learn it is because one side of her face was badly scarred in a fire in her apartment complex in Houston. Several people lost their lives in the fire so she was lucky. Claire has been subjected to rude behavior due to her appearance so she tries not to leave her home. At the start, Claire is faced with some cows in her garden destroying her plants. Wes and his brother show up and get the cows away. Wes notices the damaged and returns with new plants to fix it. Claire tries to stop him, tries to avoid him, etc but they get a chance to talk and he likes her. He looks her up to see what happened to her. He is warned to not hurt her because he has a reputation as a player. He starts coming by to fix things and they spend time together. He realizes he feels something for her and she does the same. She allows him o see her scars and he doesn’t flinch, making her very comfortable around him. He convinces her to go to a town dance and things happen to upset Claire and she pulls back. There is angst, sadness, suspense and happy times in the book. I highly recommend the book, the series and Trish Milburn.

The Cowboy Next Door is a moving, well written book with wonderful characters and a memorable storyline about what truly matters. I really enjoyed this story and recommend you grab your copy and start reading

3.5 He Was Capable of More Stars
* * * 1/2 Spoiler Free-It's Live!!!
It is unfortunate, but in our daily life, image and how we see ourselves makes up an enormous amount of how we feel. It may have become heightened with all of the social media outlets, etc., but these concepts of beauty and its importance has always been there.

As an example, I had made it to twenty-five without having chicken pox. When my first son came down with it, so did I. It left me with some minor scars on my face. As minor as they were, it caused me to feel as if my face wasn't mine anymore and I think I stopped wearing contacts and started to wear my glasses more and more to cover them. With this experience of very minor physical change, I started reading this tale with a personal connection of my own.

Life for Claire Moon had been free and easy... her spirit was light, she was blessed with pleasant looks and an appreciation for life. Her family loved her and she blossomed into a happy woman talented in jewelry making. Life was an adventure.

An then it became hell...her apartment building was engulfed in flames and as she tried to escape, a piece of the building fell on her, leaving half of her face destroyed. After going through numerous reconstructive surgeries, she finally felt confident enough to try to reclaim her life. Her venture out to be part of everyday tasks became a nightmare...the whispers, stares and then crying of young children caused her to turn within. It was so traumatic, she took the settlement from the negligent landowners and found her own safe haven, Montana.

Here is Montana, Claire found the most rundown ranch. She saw the bones of it and felt she could make it her own. She was able to get it for a great price and she wasn't afraid of manual labor. The ranch had a home which was basically sound, she just needed to move it into the 21st century with paint, repairs, and love. Claire had already given the land her love through a vegetable garden. She had nursed it and somehow hoped to bring it along to produce all she planted.

Only when she looked out her window, she saw cattle from the next door ranch marching towards the vegetation like a determined vacationer to a Las Vegas Buffet! She scrambled out with her baseball bat and swung it around to get the cattle out of her garden. They looked up as then munched and chewed with mirth in their eyes.

Wes McQueen is hustling to round up the escaped cattle which have made their way into the new neighbor's land. As he moves closer to the area where they are clustered, he sees a woman trying her best to get these animals out of her garden. As Wes gets closer to the house the woman turns and he barely sees part of her face. What he does sees interests him and approaches with a friendly smile. One of his brothers follows up behind him and yells out causing the cattle to respond and leave the yard.

Claire hoped the same thing that caused the cattle to leave would make the cowboy in front of her to disappear too. Instead, he is too close for comfort for Claire. She picked this isolated ranch for a reason. She decided she wouldn't need people up close and personal any more. She had her business which worked perfectly over the web and social media, she got all of her supplies delivered and if she had to get something in person, she went when there timing would make it likely no one was around. Perfect, no people see them stare or try to cover up their reactions to her face.

Now she has this handsome, picture perfect cowboy front and center and wants to talk with her. Claire had developed a way of turning to the side and offering her "good side" to those she had to deal with. Her hair was like a screen hiding her bad side. Oh, he needs to leave and Claire did everything possible to get him to leave as quickly as possible. She responded to his apology for the cattle trampling and eating her vegetable garden. He wanted to pay for the replacement and she quickly told him, no it wasn't necessary. She wasn't exactly cold to him or rude. She just wanted him gone.

Wes realized his smiles and charm meant nothing to this woman and he felt there was something more than her push to have him gone from her land. As he left he wondered if she was out there on her own due to a man who had hurt her in the past. He understood she might have felt uncomfortable with him being there as she was on her own. He didn't understand his immediate feelings of wanting to protect her though...

Wes was known as the Romeo of the family... he loved the women but never led them on, at least that was what he always made sure to relay to them. He wasn't a commitment guy and his reputation was out there for all to tease him...And somehow the teasing got old.

When Wes thought about the slight woman, his new neighbor, he thought writing a check to replace the damaged garden wasn't enough. Instead, he went and bought all of the necessary vegetable sides, low fencing and planting dirt to fix what was ruined. He pulled up to Claire's ranch and started to unload. Claire was stunned and hide inside praying he was dropping off the goods.

As Wes began to work the land, planting and fixing the garden just so, Claire was in turmoil. She didn't want him doing this but she also was so drawn to this man. She felt she had no right to be as she had nothing to offer. Wanting not to be rude, Claire came out at dusk and placed some lemonade for Wes to have. She kept her distance, being careful to have her hair hiding her scars. She thanked him and before she realized it, a friendly conversation was taking place. Could these two be friends...

Time goes by and yes, Wes and Claire do become friends...with Wes slowly getting information from Claire. A budding romance develops with so many hurdles to overcome for the both of them...Assumptions are made about Wes...and He is hurt when they arise.

This story covers so many things society puts on us... our images, the fear of the unknown and assumptions of people and their behaviors. For a sweet Western, it covered all of these issues with real depth.

A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

I was quickly swept into THE COWBOY NEXT DOOR not only because of the romance but also because of the message that is gently but firmly delivered in a wonderful story. Your definition of bravery will be changed after meeting Claire. And you’ll realize that a funny, flirty cowboy who has been the joker of this group has a far more understanding and perceptive side as well.

When describing the mental state of heroes or heroines I will often use the word -wounded- that word is really the only way I can describe Claire when we first meet her. Physically, mentally, emotionally wounded by tragic events she had no control over yet must live with for the remainder of her life. To watch her slowly grow, accept and become stronger was a joy to experience.

I don’t know why it is that in any genre of fiction a man’s physical scars are shown off almost, never completely hidden from the audience – yet, a woman’s physical scars, especially facial scars are usually covered by make-up, her hair is worn to hide the scar or accessories used to draw the eye away. THE COWBOY NEXT DOOR was so much more realistic, more intense and more engaging to me by allowing us to see Claire’s scars and Wes’ reaction to them. That he saw beyond the physical scars to the beauty within says a lot about his character. He doesn’t fluff over them, he sees them but they are not what defines Claire in his eyes. That is what real life, real love does. And I am so grateful that Ms. Milburn gave us this couple to show that truth through.

I was touched, emotionally engaged, I laughed, I cried, I got annoyed and I totally enjoyed THE COWBOY NEXT DOOR. It is my favorite story of this series. I would strongly recommend this story to any reader, no matter your preferred genre, because it is quite simply a beautiful story with truths we should all be reminded of.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

The Cowboy Next Door is the third of the Once Upon a Western Romance books by Trish Milburn. The McQueen brothers have all play a main role in each with the younger brother getting his story now. Wes has many of the youngest sibling traits even though being a hard worker and good man. It was unfair to call him a player, he never made promises and broke them or cheated on anyone.

This is without a doubt my favorite of the three. I am not sure why that is but there is something so adorable about a man who enjoys life to the fullest while also fulfilling his everyday responsibilities. Also it maybe because this story had such depth when it came to Claire Moon. Her pain was tangible, coming through the story straight to my heart. Also I loved the progress of their relationship especially the change of heart when the near tragedy happens.

The writing is solid with strong emotional perspectives. I did wonder about the fence cutting, thinking the culprit would be part of the story later. I kept waiting to meet this person, thinking she would be at the festival causing a problem. That was not to be. I also thought the ending was rushed with Claire was suddenly over her struggles which were major ones, thinking that it would have seemed more realistic if it had happened gradually. Overall these are minor issues I had with this excellent story but enough to make it 4 ½ stars.
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