Secret Nights with a Cowboy (Kittredge Ranch, #1)

After reading the Cold River Ranch series by Caitlin Crews, I knew this was an author I wanted to read more from. So when I was asked to read an ARC of ‘Secret Nights With a Cowboy’, the first book in a new series, I simple couldn’t resist.

Title: Secret Nights with a Cowboy

Author: Caitlin Crews

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Page Count: 400

ISBN: 1250625491

Goodreads Rating: 3.95

A man holding on... Riley Kittredge has always known exactly what he wanted. His land, his horses. His woman. He met and married Rae Trujillo far too young, and their young love combusted right after they said their vows. But their passion has never managed to burn itself out. Yet when Rae shows this time, it's not a night of pleasure she demands, but a divorce. A woman letting go... Rae should have moved on a long time ago. She knows she and Riley just don't work. They might make great lovers, but that doesn't make a marriage. And now Rae wants a new life, complete with a baby. But when her husband offers to be a father, to give her the family she's always secretly desired, she and Riley will both have to face demons from their past—and choose love over fear at last.

In ‘Secret Nights With A Cowboy’ we meet Riley Kittredge and Rae Trujillo. Riley and Rae got married right out of High School, and they got separated not long after. The reason for their separation is something that’s been speculated about in their little town for years. And not even Riley knows the reason. One day Rae just grabbed her bags and left him. Everyone thinks she never came back, but Rae has been coming back day after day for years.. and leaving him again so no one would know. Although this is definitely not the marriage Riley wanted, he will take Rae any way she offers. But one day Rae tells him it’s time to get a divorce, and Riley is determined to finally find out what really made her leave him.

This book left me with mixed feelings. From the moment I started reading I definitely wanted to keep on reading so I could figure out what was going on. Riley and Rae seem to have it all.. Great chemistry, they both haven’t loved anyone else since they met when they where just kids and still there is something that made Rae leave. And she doesn’t talk about it with anyone. Not with Riley, and not with her best friends. So we, as readers, also don’t have the slightest idea why Rae left Riley. And this really irritated me to be honest. Not that I mind a little bit of mystery.. But what could have made Rae leave her husband while he doesn’t have a clue why?!

I enjoyed the fact that this book is a spin off of the Cold River Ranch series. So we already know a little bit about these characters. I remember wondering about Rae’s character, and now I finally got to read her story.

The chemistry between Riley and Rae is also fun to read. But Rae’s whole reason for leaving Riley without him or anyone else knowing why still leaves me feeling confused. I just don’t get it. And although I loved the end of this book, I think I would have enjoyed this book more if could have understood Rae’s reason for leaving a lot earlier. There just seems to be to much anger between these characters. And then in the end they lost their anger way to fast if you ask me.

This book definitely made me curious about the other Kittredge brothers though. And about Rae’s brother the marine. I sure do have a lot more I’d like to read from Caitlin Crews.