The premise of the story seemed interesting as I love a good second chance romance with a little conflict in the way. However I was left a little bored throughout the book.

A lot of the story happened in the first part. Meeting each other again, hating each other, becoming friends again and making up. Then there were a whole lot of 'I love yous' with some extra added conflict by secondary characters that made little sense to me to be honest.

I received an ARC via Netgalley in return of an honest review.

I'm a fan of Ali Vali since I read the story of Harry and Desi. I can count on Ali Vali for a good dose of angst and Asher and Reagan have plenty of that.

Asher and Reagan grew up together and were destined to be together. Until Reagan's father, Silas, died while bull riding. Reagan couldn't stand by while Asher wanted to follow Silas' path to become a bull rider. Reagan left and broke Asher's heart.

A good read, full of angst and reckoning.

Raucous good time at the rodeo for all who read this sexy tale of second chance love. Asher and Reagan really brought the story around once they reconciled.

Definitely have to check out Vali's other books as I was truly impressed by her world building and dedication to character development.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing an eARC for a honest review.

any rodeo-romping reader will enjoy this read. I found Reagan and Asher quite endearing and gorgeously well-thought out. The author definitely put in the hours to make sure the subjects of this story were rodeo ready.
This book felt like several evermore lyrics strung together. So sweet, sad and magical.

A person reads for many reasons and one of the many reasons I read is to learn. Not knowing much about rodeo and specifically, bull riding, I now know more than I knew before. Reagan Wilson, physical therapist, looking to return home and reconnecting with family. Asher Evans, bull rider on the verge of becoming a world champion. Reagan struggles with the physical challenges and danger of bull riding. That is how she loss her father and she is afraid that Asher's life will come to a similar fate. This story is about family, loss and above all love. The epilogue emphasizes that point. Enjoyable read with the opportunity to learn which in my opinion, is a good thing.

This is a rodeo romance set in New Orleans. The two main characters are Asher Evans and Reagan Wilson.

Asher Evans’ dream is to become National Champion in the 8-second bull riding competition. Asher was trained to become a bull rider by Silas Wilson, a world champion prior to his death. Asher owns a very large ranch in New Orleans and works hard to make it one of the most successful in the state and region.

Reagan Wilson, the daughter of Silas, hates bull riding because her father had an accident while competing. Reagan hates blames the sport for his death.

Asher and Reagan grew up together, fell in love as teenagers and broke up when Asher decided to become a professional bull rider. Reagan moves away to college and becomes a physiotherapist. After several years, she returns to New Orleans to work for a very well-known sports therapy company. Her first client just happens to be Asher. The story leads us through their relationship and how they handle problems that arise.

I always like Ms. Vali’s books, but this one just seemed to lack the hook. The first third of the book was interesting and the pace was good. After that point the tempo slowed down. The on-again off-again interaction and miscommunications between Asher and Reagan started to feel bothersome.

Ms. Vali writes most of her books set in the Louisiana background. As a result, she is very descriptive and interesting. The rodeo scenes are very well written and make one feel as if you are in the stands. The epilogue to the book provides readers with the good close to the story.

I recommend this book and give it 3 out of 5 stars.

I received this ARC from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cute heartfelt romance

Reagan returns home, her path immediately crossing with Asher. They have a close, personal connection from the past, but for Reagan they are all painful memories. Brought closer again following the death of Reagan’s father she now fears fate has the same in store for Asher but has to find a way to support her because they are falling for each other all over again.

There was a great tension between Asher and Reagan, further fuelled by all the painful associations to rodeo associated with her father’s death. This created a great dynamic between them that had a push and pull as they fought emotion, with desires and need to be with one another. It really was a story about true love because without it, they were never going to understand one another’s reasons. There were many heartfelt conversations shared, and dives into the past by reflective moments alone for Asher and Reagan, so we got to know them quite intimately.

They also weren’t alone, the cast surrounding them added to the conflict of their situation. Upon finding one another again, definitely a plan in motion by fate, there were other people in their lives to consider. Decisions had to be made about Reagan’s father’s wishes for his ranch, and that had the potential to cause so much more conflict than they did. Asher and Reagan were perfect together but determined to fight their emotions based on their complicated past relationship and fear.

I really enjoyed the story and being on this journey with Reagan and Asher as they found compromise and happiness.

Charming story with a delightful MC in Asher. I enjoyed getting caught up in the rodeo life and would have liked to have seen Asher compete.
A predictable tale but an enjoyable read with only minor upsets

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

bull riding
8 seconds

thats all asher has to get through is 8 seconds but on a bull they feel like a life time
this is ashers last season and she wants to go out on top

reagan is the girl that got away....she hates anything to do with bull riding and cant understand why anyone would want to enter the ring.. especially as it killed her father

but reagan has come home and the fireworks start as soon as asher and reagan meet up

its not a bad read, and i loved the parts about the rodeoing and bull riding but i found reagan a bit flaky

Eh, I wasn't a huge fan of this book. I thought the dialogue/scenes went on and on about Regan leaving Asher years before, that it soon felt like ALL their conversations revolved around their sordid past. I guess I also found the farming and rodeo part not that interesting, but that will obviously be a personal thing.

I'm a huge Ali fan. I could tell she did a lot of research for this book. I just did not connect with this as I usually do with all her other novels. Having said this, I still I enjoyed it and would recommend.


thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books.

I really liked this story. The main characters were well written, and the the romance between the main characters was very sweet and sort of uncomplicated. There's a bit of drama and quite a lot of angst in this story, since it's a second chance for both characters. Asher who's a professional bull rider, was hilarious at times especially when she's just getting ready to ride a bull for the first time, her head voice had me laughing out loud a few times throughout this book, she could be immature at times, but I felt she was the more mature one of this duo. Reagan who's a physiotherapist, was in my opinion kind of immature and whiny at the beginning of this story, but by the end she started to grow up and mature more, by taking responsibility and owning what happened to them in the past, actually both characters took on what happened in the past and decided to only concentrate on their relationship in the present. The support characters were written well, and helped to make this an even more interesting story, I loved the addition of the horses especially Albert, he just seemed like a great companion horse. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family and I look forward to what's next from this author.

3.5⭐️
This story takes place in rural Louisiana and the world of ranching and bull riding. This is also the part I liked very much. The description of the landscape, Asher's thoughts on how to move her ranching business forward, her love for the animals (I had to smile at the dairy cows looking like Oeros), and then the hardcore competitive sport of bull riding was beautifully shown and well told. The linkages of the three families, where the fathers were best friends, and together built the ranches and helped each other in all situations were very interesting and heartwarming.

The whole setup of the story is well done and that Asher and Reagan, who were best friends years ago before becoming a couple, get a second chance is well set up. The fact that Asher has trust issues with Reagan after being left by her without a word because she wanted to continue attending rodeos is completely understandable. But also the fears that caused Reagan to run away are understandable, only the way she left Asher was not the fine kind. And eighteen-year-olds make bad decisions all the time. All the tensions and fears at the reunion were palpable and the approaching each other again is wonderfully told. The conversations are an important part of the story, especially to work through the past, but not the easiest part.

But after the two got closer again, the story lost some of its tension. The attraction and love they have for each other were palpable, but the story became a bit repetitive with misunderstandings, and hasty reactions and was also a bit predictable.

Asher is an absolute sweetheart and cares very much for her family and friends and in contrast, is a badass bull rider. You have to like her even though I had the jitters every time she sat on such a beast. Understanding and liking Reagan took me a little more time, but what she had experienced as a young woman is not easy to digest and her fears were very well founded. However, it was always clear to me that Asher and Reagan belonged together, even when other attractive women paid their respects.

Overall an enjoyable second-chance romance with crazy bull riding action.

Never Kiss a Cowgirl is a contemporary romance by Ali Vali. While it is a standalone novel, it is written in the same universe as almost all of the author’s other books, so I recognized many of the places and secondary characters. I’ve always liked that about Ms. Vali’s books.

The novel is a second-chance love story about two women, Asher Evens and Reagan Wilson. They grew up together, fell in love as teenagers, and broke up when Asher decided to become a professional bull rider, the same occupation that Reagan blames for her father’s death. Years later they meet up again when Reagan moves back to New Orleans. In spite of the years of separation, the hostile words that were spoken long ago, and the hurt they both carry, Asher and Reagan realize they still have feelings for each other.

For me, this is a typical Ali Vali romance with a butch/femme couple that must go through lots of angst before they can find their happily ever after. There are quite a few steamy love scenes as well. I loved the ranch settings as well as seeing some places I’ve come to know from other books.

I liked Asher from the start, but I must admit I had trouble connecting with Reagan. She just seemed very wishy-washy through most of the novel. I did enjoy seeing Dr. Harry Besantes from the ‘Chance’ books and Jacqueline Blanchard from the ‘Calling the Dead’ series. In fact, after seeing Jacqueline in a few stories recently, I really think it’s time for her to have her own novel and a HEA herself.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and recommend it to all readers who love Ali Vali’s romance novels.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Asher and Reagan grew up together, and fell in love as teens, and then, it all went to hell. Reagan moved to Seattle to go to school after making an ultimatum to Asher to stop bull riding or lose her. Asher didn't stop, and they split for yeras.

So, as the book starts Reagan is back in New Orleans/Louisana (where her Uncle Wade and Asher's ranches are), and, well, they run into one another again. It's a rocky start for sure, but, they get closer, or, rather, they get re-closer. Of course, it''s not that easy, there are lots of bumps in the road, and they almost get thrown a couple of times.

I really liked the characters, but, there were parts of the plot that were a little confusing to me. At the very end a charcater came back and it seemed totally random and out of left field. On the other hand, a different character came back and I really wanted more with her. Anyway, it was a solid novel. Reading the descriptions when Asher was on the bull was really awesome, and, the ranching stuff was all really cool too.

From page one, Ali Vali's "Never Kiss a Cowgirl" is a compelling romance story that explores the themes of self-discovery, love, and overcoming the challenges of life. MCs Asher and Reagan were childhood sweethearts devastated by a loss that broke them up for over a decade. As they navigate through the ups and downs of life, they discover that love has the power to heal even the deepest wounds.

Overall, "Never Kiss a Cowgirl" is a beautifully written and emotionally satisfying sapphic read that is sure to leave a lasting impression on the reader. If you're a fan of romance novels, then this book is a must-read.

This book starts well. The plot is interesting and the description of the land, cows and rodeo are well written and evocative. The inclusion of old friends from previous books is a nice touch and made me smile. But it also reminded me of how good this author can be, that they’ve written about estrangement before and that the other books are much better than this one. Sadly in this one, it’s a curious combination of the leading characters taking too long to get together and being way to quick. It takes ages in the book for them to rekindle their romance and when they do it’s with a whimper and no sense of why the sudden forgiveness happens. Having said that, it would make a great screenplay, all the scenes are there, it’s just the dialogue that needs beefing up

This book started out very promising with solid main characters and a very well researched plot surrouding rodeo and ranching. I liked learning more about the rodeo circuit en I want to see an Oreo cow myself now!
Then the story is on it's way..still enjoyable but as soon as it goes over the half way mark the story becomes less and less enticing in my opinion. All of a sudden the romance was rushed, misunderstandings and fights were forced upon us that didn't fit with the story/characters up until then and I have to admit to skimming a few pages towards the end. I also started to dislike Reagan and was wondering why Asher was so smitten with her. Not the way I want to feel when sinking away in a romance.
Anyways, not one of her best books but I'd still give it 3 stars, mainly based on the first half.

***Thank you for giving me the chance to read and review this book***

I’ve read a couple books by this author before and they’ve been pretty hit or miss for me. This one wasn’t a hit for me. I thought it started off really good but then it was like the book started moving in fast forward. The pacing just felt off. This essentially messed up the rest of the reading experience for me. I felt like I missed out on character development and more depth to the relationship. It wasn’t a bad read that felt like a waste of time or anything, but I’ve read better by this author.

Sweet f/f romance with a lot of great bull riding
I always love to be introduced to something new in a romance: One of the great points of this romance is that the cowgirl is a professional bull rider and, yeah, gets a lot of buckles in a world dominated by men. Ali Vali really does a wonderful job describing the fascination of this competition. I could really get a feeling what rodeo and bull riding is all about. I felt the bull’s muscles under my thighs and the rush of adrenaline. I loved the banter with the male competitor. And on the plus side there is definitely the love of the land, the love of the animals they tend and the strong ties of family. And thanks for the nod to characters of former books - made me smile with recognition.

The romance is a second chance, sweet romance. There is Asher who is so much more than a simple cowpoke and brainless bull rider: swoon, a butch who has it all and is strong and steadfast. Reagan, well, Reagan: she was hurt, did run and her choices were questionable (to say the least). I really liked how she comes back into the fold and I liked the underlying message that everyone does process differently and you are still family even if you make mistakes.

So, you will ask, why three stars. Well, as always Ali Vali‘s writing is solid, the story is interesting - but the story arc really sucked. After about 60% the romance is well under way and one wonders what‘s going to happen now. Unfortunately the sweet romance turns shallow and sappy with entirely too much I-love-yous, sex scenes and improbable conflicts coming out of left field.

Thanks to netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC. The review is left voluntarily.