A Cowboy’s Runaway by Sara Van Buskirk

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A Cowboy's Runaway

by Sara Van Buskirk

Series: Hartley Brothers #1
Series Rating:
Published by Independently Published on April 5, 2024
Pages: 276
Format: Kindle, Paperback
Source: the Author
Goodreads
Storygraph
Get Your Copy at: Amazon

He doesn’t trust me and watches my every move. How will I get out of here on time?

Nevada 1869

Alone in the Wild West, Emma finds herself exhausted, penniless, and desperate. Unable to return home without finding her friend, she seeks employment on the Hartley family ranch. When all seems to go according to plan, she runs into James, the arrogant but handsome son who is now her boss.

James doesn’t trust stubborn Emma and is determined to keep a watchful eye on her, fueling a magnetic attraction neither can deny. As they navigate the challenges of working together in the rugged west, Emma battles to unveil her mysterious past, haunted by the pursuit of innocence, while James grapples with demons he's desperate to forget.

With danger shadowing Emma everywhere she goes, unanswered questions linger. Can she trust James enough to share her truth before time runs out for them both, and will the search for her friend lead to redemption or ruin?

In A Cowboy’s Runaway by Sara Van Buskirk, James and Emma both have something they are hiding.

Can Emma find peace for herself and her sister?

Emma

Emma is looking in the Wild West for her friend, but sadly, by the time she reaches the next town, she doesn’t have any money. She finds work at the Hartley family ranch to save money so she can grab her sister and try something different. Emma hides a lot from the Hartley’s and doesn’t want to bring trouble to their ranch or family since she likes them. I have to say that Emma is a good character, but she has flaws and fears that made me worry about her.

James Hartley

James Hartley is a Civil War veteran who only came home because his father was hurt and his family’s ranch needed his help. He puts himself to work so that he doesn’t have to think about much from his time in the war or anything else. James wants to get things settled so that he can leave again. The problem with that is the new ranch hand is someone he wants to try to get to know a bit better, even though he is worried about what that means. James is a gentleman, and he has his flaws that he tries to keep buried. The reason for that is because he’s ashamed of himself.

Romance

Emma and James have a bit of an enemies to friends to lovers romance. The enemies are because she doesn’t trust men much, especially not James, after their first encounter. As the book goes on, the two develop a friendship that blooms into romance the more they get to know each other. These two are very cute together.

Four Stars

My rating for A Cowboy’s Runaway by Sara Van Buskirk is four stars. If you like sweet historical cowboy romances, you should try this one. Ms. Buskirk did an excellent job of transporting me to Nevada in 1869. She brought together a lovely story that brings to light some sad things that happened back then.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of A Cowboy’s Runaway by Sara Van Buskirk.

Until the next time,

Happy Reading!

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 2025 Alphabet Soup-Author Edition-RC
• 2025 Goodreads RC
• 2025 Romance Book Reading Challenge
• 2025 Traveling the World

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