A wonderful story reminding us that beauty is more than what is on the outside. Claire Moon is a withdrawn reclusive young woman who bears the scars of a past tragedy. When the cattle from the neighboring ranch run wild in Claire's yard and garden Wes McQueen rides into her life. After he wrangles the cattle back to his property Wes is determined to make it up to Claire for the destruction the cattle caused. She tries to resist his help but Wes is persistent and soon a tentative friendship has been formed. It's not long before Wes knows he's fallen hard for this damaged beauty. Now he has to convince her that what he feels is real and void of pity.

This one will tug all your heartstrings. I highly recommend it.

the Cowboy Next Door by Trish Milburn
Broken fences create sexy neighbors
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 is Claire Moon and Wes McQueen's story.
Most people’s to-do lists were long on Monday mornings. Claire Moon’s was downright scary. As in approaching the length of the U.S. tax code. One thing that wasn’t on it, however, was chasing cows out of her garden, but that’s exactly what she was doing. She probably looked like some sort of lunatic dressed in a ratty T-shirt and shorts she’d had since college, wearing flip-flops she was doing her best not to trip over, and wielding a broom as she yelled at the beasts to stop nibbling and trampling her zucchini and tomato plants. Luckily no one was around to witness her display. Of course that was by design.
She’d moved to rural Montana to get away from people. She hadn’t planned on livestock posing a problem. But then she was pretty sure Montana was home to more cows than humans, so maybe it shouldn’t have come as such a surprise.
She swatted at one of the cows with the broom. “Go on, get out of here! You have plenty to eat on your own side of the fence.”
Just coming over the hill she’d vacated was a man on a horse. On instinct, she turned away but stopped herself before completely presenting her back.
The guy spurred his horse to a faster pace, and she took a couple more hurried steps toward the porch. But he didn’t approach her, instead circling around the garden and herding the cattle back in the direction from which they’d arrived.
She watched, transfixed, as man and horse seemed to move as one animal. For a fanciful moment, she wondered if the cowboy could telepathically communicate with his mount. Maybe he spoke to the cattle, too, because while they’d just viewed her as a nuisance, at his direction they vacated her garden in mere moments. What they left behind was a trampled mess.
Anger welled up inside her. All the hours she’d put into the garden had been for naught.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book."
I highly recommend reading.
the Cowboy Next Door by Trish Milburn is a wonderful well written 5 star book.
Trish 's Books with Tule:
Her Cowboy Prince
Once Upon a Western
A Cowboy’s Kiss
Once Upon a Western
A Merry Mountain Christmas
The Cowboy Next Door
Once Upon a Western

This book had me from the start, the main characters were so likeable, and I could completely understand Claire and why she wanted to just be alone and left alone and yet my heart also was taken by how Wes just wanted to do so much for her and to be her friend. And then came the night he wanted her help with some abandoned puppies he had found and now my heart is fully involved.
Yes I recommend this one, and don’t just leave it on your TBR pile..

Third in Trish Milburn’s Once Upon A Western series, The Cowboy Next Door is a sweet love story with a healthy dose of self doubt on the parts of the protagonists. Set in ruggedly beautiful Montana, this story brings together a drop dead gorgeous cowboy with a reputation for not committing and a reclusive jewellery maker who’s moved to her new Montana ranch to hide from the world after a fire left her with severe scarring on one side of her face.
I couldn’t help but love Claire as she attempted to move a group of reluctant cattle out of her vegetable garden by swishing a broom at them, and Wes also found his way into my heart pretty quickly too when he turned up to replant Claire’s garden. This story is light and entertaining with a quick pace. I zipped through it in an afternoon and really enjoyed the journey.

Claire Moon has moved to Montana searching for solitude & privacy. Too bad the neighbors cows didn’t agree. Wes retrieved the cattle from her garden & was instantly interested. Of course, Wes is a player- goes after anything in skirts. Claire is very self conscious of the scars on her face & feels it will turn Wes off. Wes is determined to show her that it doesn’t matter. Can he get past her shields?

This was a good story about appearances not mattering & growing as a person. Claire & Wes both had to learn to grow & trust each other. Claire had to realize she wouldn’t be happy in solitude & that you could trust others. This was a sweet moving romantic story with a hit of mystery.

Clare has endured hell, and only wants to fade into the background and live a peaceful and inconspicuous life, after the brutality she suffered at the hands of the man who vowed to love and protect her. Wes is a carefree, live life in the moment, sexy as all get out Cowboy. He doesn’t want for women, but his love em` and leave em` reputation isn’t really who he is.

The Cowboy Next Door is a beautifully written account of the preconceptions and cruelty imposed by small-minded people, and the devastating impact these thoughtless actions have on an already fragile heart.

Ms Milburn has shown in this book, why we love a Cowboy. Wes has a depth that people fail to see past his smooth good looks, and his passion to see the physically and emotionally wounded Clare shed her cocoon and emerge a confident, kick-arse woman is enchanting. The Cowboy Next Door has a laugh out loud banter and a deeply emotional storyline that tears at the heart and brings tears to the readers eyes; but through it all is a wonderful telling of a strong friendship, that becomes a controlled burn, and eventually a passionate love.

I thoroughly recommend this book and turned the last page smiling.

“Because physical perfection isn’t what makes a person beautiful.”
There was so much I liked about The Cowboy Next Door. The slow friendship turn romance, the fun banter, the emotional and sensitive storyline, the characters, and the writing. This is truly a character and dialogue driven story. Wes is a sexy, fun cowboy who has never lacked for female attention and has a reputation as a love and leave ‘em whether it was deserved or not. Claire, once a vibrate free spirit, has become a loner and hides from the world. She’s starting over and determined to do it herself. Wes encourages her to emerge and not let her scars define her. His character is one of my favorites because he never shows pity, he sees her beyond the physical appearance, encourages but knows when to back off, and pursues her with kindness and honesty. Descriptive writing so that you feel the shaky friendship blossom and their feelings for each other deepen. A story that left me a smile and I was happy to have read it. The Once Upon a Western Series is a must read for fans of cowboy brothers who know how to treat their women. I know this series will be re-read by me more than once.
Reviewed by Comfy Chair Books/Lisa Reigel (February 1, 2019)

I recieved a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, it was a nice quick read with some great characters.

There wasn't a lot of background for the characters but I'm assuming that because I haven't read the previous books in the series.

Everything seemed a bit rushed... But i loved the beginning... It was just so realistic :)

Great story with a recluse heroine!
“The Cowboy Next Door”, by Trish Milburn, is a wonderfully emotional and sensitive story about a wounded heroine and the sexy and funny cowboy who woos her with his kindness.
We get an amazing depiction of what a woman with these issues feels and goes through and what it means to live with the constant realization that “something as simple as being attractive to another person would never be simple again.” The loneliness, anxiety, fears and hope – it’s all there.
Wes’ easy stance with Claire and life in general doesn’t hide his good heart, thoughtfulness, honesty and depth. The way he treats Claire is lovely, so much ease and frankness. Wes grows and changes with the growing attraction and the relationship too, and that process is lovely to watch. It’s like we can see the “fun, flirty, lifetime bachelor”, the “lovable goofball” in his personality, but also his kindness and goodness.
The attraction is instant and the romance fast, but the process is believable, perhaps because the characters acknowledge that, even without knowing how to explain it.
Dialogue, characterization, side characters, setting are all well written, contributing to a fluid and enjoyable story.
I would have liked perhaps a bit more building up on the characters and relationship, but this is a minor issue and overall this was a great story. It also left me thinking about the different perceptions and constructions of wounded heroes versus wounded heroines in fiction and life in general.

Claire has moved to Montana after a horrible fire burned the side of her face. Trying to escape from the world she buys a small run down ranch to run her online jewelry business. Hunky Wes, the cowboy next door, turns up chasing some of his cows that had escaped and were eating her garden. Instant attraction, but she doesn't trust him and doesn't want pity. He can't stay away and finds lots of excuses to visit. Enjoyed this one, and although short it felt complete. Highly recommend this story.

Kudos to Trish Milburn. This is a must read it is book three in a series but you can also read it as a stand-alone.
This is Wes (the playboy) and Claire (the recluse due to having one side of her face scarred by fire).
They fall in love and Claire regains her self confidence.

3.5 Stars rounded Up

The story had me reflected that there‘s still indeed double standards when it comes to battle scars someone had. When it came to men, people accepted that scar as sign of courage and bravery; women don’t have that privilege - they are expected to keep smooth facial skin. This so called ”rules” applied to the majority of us. But then again, it is said that women are their harshest critics.

Claire Moon, the heroine in “The Cowboy Next Door” bore scars from a tragic fire that had her uprooted her life and moved to her solitary Montana house. An incident with the broken fences and meandering cows introduced her to Wes McQueen, the charming cowboy from the neighboring ranch. Not comfortable with the prospect of people staring and freaking at her scarred face, Claire tried to keep her distance which action only intrigued Wes more.

The overall plot is fairly predictable, really. However, Wes and Claire won me over with their slow-growing relationship. No instant jumping each other bones here! The getting to know each process that boosting up the attraction between the two were so sweet, Claire’s past revelation brought out as part of that getting to know conversation felt real, and - despite the sentiment that he was a player - Wes struck me as kind and dependable other than a goofy cowboy. Add puppies into the mix, you can bet I’m smitten with this book!

That said, I did feel Wes’ character transformation wasn’t given enough span to give more effect, even with alternate POVs between Wes and Claire. Not having read the previous two installments in Trish Milburn’s “Once Upon a Western” series, I only got the impression that he mostly had been a joker and serial dater from his friends and family. I also felt - for someone being called his best friend - Parker, one of the supporting character, didn’t live up to predicate. These didn’t necessarily disturb my enjoyment of the story though. Ultimately, “The Cowboy Next Door” for me is a sweet, inspiring, and enjoyable read with a pair of lovable characters (canines included). In fact, I’m going to look up the previous two books and Milburn’s other backlist titles after this.


Advanced copy of this book is kindly given by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've really enjoyed the books about the McQueen brothers and was looking forward to Wes's book, which did not disappoint. Wes was the brother who, even more than his siblings, was sure he'd never find love and settle down. He'd dated casually a great deal and always made it clear that commitment wasn't for him. Then he met his new neighbor Claire. Claire, a jewelry designer who moved from Houston to get away from memories of a horrible accident and from the people who treated her terribly afterwards. She wants to hide out in rural Montana and avoid people. Wes, however, is instantly taken with her and sees her inner and outer beauty (despite her protests about the scars on her face). Because of her past harms, she has a hard time believing handsome playboy Wes is sincere or likely to stick around. Meanwhile, Wes is undergoing his own seachange. He no longer wants to just be the playboy and suddenly sees how everyone else has been viewing him - and he doesn't like what he sees. He falls fast and hard for Claire, who is slow to trust. In the end, the thing that hurt her most is the thing that reunites them. Hoping to see some stories on the secondary characters from the book too!

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book that I have read by this author from this same series and I must admit that I liked this book so much better! Claire and Wes are wonderful characters and you can feel the attraction building between them throughout the story. Claire has to get past her physical appearance and let Wes love her like she deserves to be loved. Wes has to realize that his past may come back to haunt him in the end.

My only wish is that the author would’ve developed the storyline of the conversation Claire overheard so that Wes truly understood what was going on in Claire’s mind and heart.

This is a 3 book series and this looks to be the last book in the series. It is a series about brothers who won a dude resort/ranch and this is the final brothers story, Wes who is a playboy of sorts. He meets the woman in this story Claire when an ex cuts a hole in his fence and his cows destroys his new neighbor, Claire's garden.

This is a switched beauty and the beast storyline where Wes is the beauty and Claire is the beast as she was in a terrible fire and feels her scars are horrible. She hides out at her ranch and works on her line of jewelry without any friends or family.

That is until Wes enters her life and he tries to show her how truly beautiful she is. This was a wonderful story with wonderful characters and I absolutely loved every minute of the story.

A heart felt story, The Cowboy Next Door by Trish Milburn. A great addition to the Once Upon A Western this is book three in the series. I enjoyed the character development in this book it was perfect for the storyline.

This is the first book that I have read by this author and it was incredible. The book was such a sweet romantic read but it also dealt with some serious things. This was actually the third book in a series but it can be read as a stand alone. I plan to go back and read the first two book though. This book was about Wes and Claire. Wes was a handsome guy. He really did not take life too serious. He liked to have fun and date casually. He did not realize that even though the ladies he was dating new up front it was casual that they sometimes got hurt. Claire was a beautiful woman both inside and out. She had moved to this small town to get away from how cruel people could be. She had been caught in an apartment fire and the one side of her face got burned. From that moment on people treated her differently. They said cruel things about how she looked. She decided to move. Even though she was lonely she kept to herself. Then one day Wes and some cows came barreling into her life and it was never the same. I am not going to say anymore because I do not want to ruin the story for you. This book will take you on an incredible journey. Thanks Net Galley. I voluntarily reviewed this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of The Cowboy Next Door by Trish Milburn from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, this novel missed the mark for me. I thought the writing was decent (fair) and the plot should have been interesting given the summary, but the plot wasn't evenly paced and the main characters' chemistry fell short.

I'd give The Cowboy Next Door 3 stars.

The third book in this series - but it doesn't matter if you haven't read the others.

Claire Moon has bought a remote property to hide out in after a fire left her with burn to her face. She is self concious and is trying to hide from the world when she meets Wes McQueen after his cows trample her garden.
He wants to make amends and keeps turning up at her house - it gets harder to hide from him, but can she risk letting someone in to her life, especially a self-confessed serial dater who never does long term?

THE COWBOY NEXT DOOR by Trish Milburn is the third book in a trilogy about three brothers finding love. Wes is the youngest cowboy and a casual dater, until he meets Claire. Claire has a bit of a tragic past having been burned in a fire. She moved to Montana to escape the cruelty of others. Wes won't let her hide and finds himself enjoying her company more every day. It's a wonderful story about true beauty!