He’s spent years polishing his bad boy reputation…

Thaddeus (T.R.) McClintock is the black sheep of his large ranching family, and he can swing a hammer and play guitar like he’s caressing a lover. He’s the epitome of a playboy, yet when he pulls Charlize Bradford up on stage one night to sing, the gorgeous, brainy wallflower rocks his world. T.R.’s life in the fast lane screams to a halt. But the single mom is wary for good reason, and for the first time, T. R. is determined to make a good impression.

The last thing dethroned pageant queen, Charlie, needs is a cowboy mechanic who’s the infamous frontman in a band. His megawatt grin coupled with his kindness and admiration tempts the paleontology professor, who studies extinct daisies, to contemplate a fling. Then T.R. shows hidden depths and bonds with her daughter, and Charlie knows she’s in trouble.

T.R. never imagined falling in love, and Charlie vowed to never again give a man a chance. But she has a secret, and stepping into the spotlight could be dangerous.

Titles in The McClintocks of Legacy Creek series include:  Risking It for the Cowboy ~

This story may contain language, violence, and/or sexual situations intended for an adult 18+ audience.

Title:  Risking It for the Cowboy
Series:  The McClintocks of Legacy Creek #1
Author:  E. Elizabeth Watson
Published:  September 3, 2026
Publisher:  Tule Publishing
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Risking It for the Cowboy opens The McClintocks of Legacy Creek series with a delightful romance between two people whose past events color nearly everything about their futures.  T.R. dreams of a future beyond working his family ranch or his mechanic skills.  Those dreams include a Nashville stage and perhaps beyond with his band.  Trouble is, he’s been told most of his life that he won’t amount to much of anything.  When you hear that often enough, you begin to believe it or let it take the shine off a dream, yet T.R. is determined to chase that dream, and he just met a woman who could help it become a reality.

Charlie keeps a low profile; she’s learned to minimize herself due to an abusive ex-husband who, to this day, can still have an effect on her life… a precious little girl she would do anything to protect, including dealing with her ex-husband.  While her daughter, Daisy, was with her father, Charlie gave herself one night to go out and socialize.  She never could have imagined that decision would change both her life and her daughter’s.  Being pulled up on stage with the band, letting herself let go and enjoy singing again, was a gift she gave herself for one night.  It became the opening door to her future, but there are so many issues to get beyond before she’ll feel safe enough to reach for T.R. in a real, lasting way.  They might have had a totally mind-blowing one-night stand, something Charlie never, ever did… but that one night is enough to convince T.R. that she’s the answer to his future, in more ways than he could have ever dreamed of.

I enjoyed Risking It for the Cowboy so much.  Their story is well-written, emotional, passionate, and engaging.  I love a man who can be a father figure to a little princess, especially when her bio-dad is a huge piece of nasty work.  I think I loved the interactions between T.R. (T.Rex) and Daisy as much as I loved Charlie and T.R. as a couple.  Yes, they each have issues to be sorted out and dealt with, including that nasty, abusive ex-husband.  But watching the growing trust between this new family in the making made my heart sing.  If that sounds like your kind of Modern Western Romance, then you’ll love Charlie, Daisy, and T.R.’s story.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available at Amazon