Carrie Schmidt's Reviews > A Cowgirl Never Forgets

Prepare one RV (that’s seen better days) with a couple of meddling (and stubborn) senior citizens and a diva or two to test your patience. Then, take one cowboy in love with his best friend (while she hasn’t a clue), toss him over an angry bull until his brains are nicely scrambled, and heat things up with a delicious kiss and a woozy confession of love. Blend all of the above together (it will take a while for everything to smooth out) and continue adding fuel to the fire until sparks fly.

I was super excited to dive in to A Cowgirl Never Forgets by Melinda Curtis for a variety of reasons. First, it marks the beginning of a new group of books revolving around the Blackwell clan and the lovably frustrating Big E. I have thoroughly enjoyed previous Blackwell stories from various Harlequin Heartwarming authors, and even though I missed The Blackwells of Eagle Springs continuity series before this one, it didn’t take me long to acclimate to the addition of Big E’s octogenarian sister Denny from those books. She’s just as spirited and hilariously meddlesome as he is, and the two of them pairing up to ‘fix’ their family fractures and match up their grandkids make a formidable team, to be sure. Add in Denny’s high maintenance daughter-in-law (and Maggie’s mom) Flora who can’t quite separate her real self from her show self and has given her daughters plenty of therapy session material… and Flora’s dog Zinni who gives her some good competition for the title of ‘likely to cause the most drama’… and you’ve got an RV-load of big personalities just waiting to entertain readers!

Another reason I couldn’t wait to read A Cowgirl Never Forgets is the combination of two of my fave tropes – friends-to-more and fake relationship (thanks to a bout of amnesia, which is also a trope I enjoy)! Clem and Maggie have been the best of friends since she moved to Clementine and started working for the Done Roamin’ Ranch (which you might recognize if you’ve read this author’s The Cowboy Academy series too). But all it takes is a good knock to the head courtesy of a rodeo clown gig-gone-wrong, for Clem’s deeper feelings for Maggie to surface from where he’s been repressing them, along with a doozy of a kiss and the mistaken belief that they’re practically engaged. And with this setup, the author has me right where she wants me – swooning, grinning, and solidly invested in watching Maggie deal with how much that kiss threw her happy-with-friendship-feelings for a loop.

Bottom Line: A Cowgirl Never Forgets by Melinda Curtis is an entertaining combination of laughter, family, friendship, and happily-ever-after that’s sure to hit the spot! I really enjoyed Maggie and Clem as individual characters, as friends, and as a couple. Their personalities complement each other perfectly, and the banter/humor shared between them is fun to read. As a couple – fake or otherwise – they certainly aren’t short on chemistry (whew! those kisses!) but it’s also balanced with the sweetness that comes from a deep connection as friends, and I loved that! Maggie and Clem both have difficult family layers to their respective backstories too, and these complex dynamics definitely influence the plot as well as the character growth. I experienced a range of emotions as they dealt with their inner scars and took the first steps in a long while toward healing rifts while also setting important boundaries for the protection of their own mental health. Such a rewarding, swoony, and heartwarming journey.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower