4 STARS

I liked a Cowboy's Pride. In away the story is personal for me to read that kind of story, It is hard to walk again. Trent car accident killed his best friend and left him in a wheel chair. Trent is angry. He does not want to be at this ranch for the disabled. He has given up and has learned enough to be able to take care of himself. He does not want any help.

Alana is a physical therapist and working on the ranch. Her best patient that she helped the most was her niece who was in a car accident and she was the only survivor. Her mom and uncle Alana's fiance did not survive.

To get Trent to do physical therapy they used the threat that they would call his mom. It worked and was funny. Alana was fun to see the different ways she could get Trent to try the different exercises. Including taking him back to the rodeo.

Alana had her own fears to deal with. One she did not want to leave Rana and the ranch in California. Trent lived in Colorado and if he got better would be traveling to different rodeos like her late fiancé did.

Their is some sex scenes in the book that I admit to skipping. The characters were believable. I would like to read the next book. I can guess who it would be about maybe. I will have to wait and see.
I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it in exchange by Netgalley.
06/04/2013 PUB Harlequin Romance 224 pages ISBN: 0373754574 ( )

I really liked this book. Both Trent and Alana felt very real to me. Trent is angry. His best friend was killed in the accident that injured him and ended his rodeo career. He has made enough progress to take care of himself but will never get on a horse again. He really doesn't want to be on this ranch for the disabled, but his mother guilted him into it. He is in a foul mood and refuses to cooperate with Alana. He really hates her slave driver attitude but part of him is really attracted to her. I loved the way that Alana compared his attitude to a little boy at the beginning. Their interactions were pretty heated as he tried his best to refuse her treatment. His change in attitude was gradual until one of her more radical moves, then he started to believe in her. He also had some survivor's guilt that he had to work through before he was really able to open himself up to the future he wanted.

Alana had lost her fiance in the same accident where her almost niece had lost her mother and been badly injured. Alana used her skills to help Rana recover and walk again, and assisted Rana's father on the handicapped friendly ranch as the resident physical therapist. When Trent arrived something about him really got to her. I loved her determination that she would get him back on his feet. She didn't let him get away with anything and did a great job getting him to do what she wanted. If a straight challenge didn't work she threatened to call his mother. I really enjoyed seeing her challenge him time and again. She also began to see that he wasn't the rude grump that was her first impression of him and that the man inside was quite different. She starts to have feelings for him that don't fit with her professional ethics. She also had her own issues and fears to deal with. She was comfortable and happy on the ranch and didn't want to leave Rana who she felt still needed her. She also hesitated to get involved with another rodeo man and have to deal with the stresses of the separations involved.

I loved the theme of not giving up. Alana refused to give up on getting Trent on his feet again, and refused to let him give up. Trent refused to give up on getting Alana to admit her love and enter into a real relationship with him. I really liked the way that they finally worked things out. ( )