It was supposed to be a favor. It was never supposed to feel real.

When the Colorado ranch Finn Patrick expected to inherit is sold, he follows his sister to Cowboy Point to meet the half-siblings they never knew existed. Time to figure out what comes next.

Kitty Bennett isn’t part of the plan. Sharp-tongued, wary-eyed, and fiercely protective of her family’s beloved Mountain Mama pizza shop, Kitty has no time for distractions. Especially volcanically hot ones.

But when her otherwise wonderful landlord makes it clear Kitty needs a husband if she wants to buy the restaurant at last, Finn is the obvious choice—because nothing about his stay in Montana is permanent. They can fake the whole thing. She’s confident that she and Finn are on the same page, and the plan will go smoothly.

The only problem?

Finn has wanted Kitty in every possible way. He’s wanted her since he first laid eyes on her. And he knows exactly what he tastes when he kisses her—forever. Now he needs to convince her that there’s nothing fake about them, after all.

Titles in the Family Matters of Cowboy Point series include: The Cowboy’s Least Likely Bride ~ The Cowboy’s Pretend Bride ~

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

Title:  The Cowboy’s Pretend Bride
Series:  Family Matters of Cowboy Point #2
Author:  Megan Crane (aka Caitlin Crews)
Published:  June 9, 2026
Publisher:  Tule Publishing
My Rating:  4.5 stars

The Cowboy’s Pretend Bride is the second title in the Family Matters of Cowboy Point series.  There is a connection to the world of The Cowboys of Carey Point series; however, you don’t need to have read that series to enjoy this one… but I would recommend it, as it contains some amazing stories.  Cowboy Point is a neighboring town to Marietta, Montana, and we’ll sometimes see familiar faces from my favorite fictional small town make the occasional appearance.  Finn’s plans for the ranch he’d hoped to inherit fell through with a solid punch of unexpected family showing up and showing Finn the door…literally.  He’s decided to be with his family in Montana to regroup and figure out what his future will look like.  Talk about being blindsided by Kitty’s plan.  Kitty and her sisters have made a home in this small Montana town, opening Mountain Moma pizza under a rent-to-own agreement… only her up-to-now amazing landlord has changed those rules for purchasing the building. 

Her landlord no longer feels comfortable selling to a woman who isn’t married, who doesn’t have roots to stay in place, and who might head out of town at the slightest issue.  Kitty might want to smack him upside the head, but she cannot afford that luxury if she’s going to find a way to purchase this building where their business is established.  Finn just might be the perfect solution.  A man who most likely won’t be staying long, a man at loose ends who just might agree to a marriage of convenience for a year, long enough to complete the building’s sale.

There are a whole lot of “maybes” in Kitty’s plan, the least of all is the “maybe” they’ll fall in love for real… that never occurred to her as a possibility.

I had such fun with The Cowboy’s Pretend Bride.  Kitty is probably one of the most stubborn heroines I’ve read about for a while; she can out-stubborn any mule on the planet.  While Finn might seem more laid back, when he’s determined on a course of action or falling in love, there’s not much that’s going to get in his way.  Watching Finn and Kitty dance around the growing attraction between them while still trying to strengthen those walls of theirs was a delightful adventure.  Their romance is well-written (as always expected from this author, and she never disappoints), emotional, and passionate, with laughter, tears, and a few surprises for this couple.  I’m loving this series and look forward to what comes next in the Family Matters of Cowboy Point series.  If that sounds like your kind of Modern Western Romance, then you’re going to love Finn and Kitty’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.*

Do you love anything (any story) that’s even slightly connected to Marietta, Montana?  Yeah, me too.  Be sure to visit our Marietta, Montana pages (this link is where this series is located – there are several pages :)) to catch up on any you might have missed over time.  It’s quite an amazing and diverse community, with happily-ever-after endings guaranteed.

**Also, if you enjoy this author’s work, please visit our Megan Crane page with lists or links of other titles you may have missed.

This title is available at Amazon