A surprise reunion… With the ex who lassoed his heart!

Bull rider Noel Emerson left Clementine, Oklahoma—and the girl he loved—to chase his rodeo dreams.

When his foster mom’s birthday brings him home four years later, he’s stunned to find that his beautiful ex Sophie Jean is a bigger part of his family than he is.

His jealousy chafes worse than a new pair of chaps. But what starts off as a fierce rivalry turns into a sweet reunion.

Beautician Sophie Jean Shearer has turned into a fine cowgirl thanks to her ex’s family. And she’s found her own dreams, but will she saddle up for a second chance at forever with her unpredictable cowboy?

Titles in The Cowboy Academy series include:  A Cowboy Worth Waiting For* ~ A Cowboy’s Fourth of July* ~ A Cowboy Christmas Carol*~ A Cowboy for the Twins* ~ The Rodeo Star’s Reunion* ~ Cowboy Santa* ~ The Cowboy’s Wedding Proposal (ARC) ~ Country Fair Cowboy (ARC) ~ The Christmas Cowboy* ~ Winning the Bull Rider’s Heart (ARC) ~

This is a no-spice romance, perhaps with closed-door or fade-to-black scenes. Tension and kisses might be involved.

Title:  Winning the Bull Rider’s Heart
Series:  The Cowboy Academy #10
Author:  Melinda Curtis
Published:  March 31, 2026
Publisher:  Harlequin Heartwarming
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Winning the Bull Rider’s Heart is the tenth title in The Cowboy Academy series.  Noel left home to fulfill his dream of the rodeo.  Everyone’s entitled to a dream, yet he also left behind Sophie Jean, a woman who loved this cowboy with all her heart… but he loved his rodeo dreams more than her.  Returning home several years later, Noel is in for a few surprises.  Mainly, that the girl he left behind is tightly entwined with his family, more than he is, it seems at this point in time.  For some reason, that fact doesn’t sit well with him.  He’s not sure what he expected, or maybe he thought she’d still be pining for him and ready to return to his arms.  Think again, cowboy.

I completely enjoyed my time back in the Done Roamin’ Ranch world.  Noel and Sophie Jean deserve a second chance to get their love right, but they also have some past issues to deal with.  To say that their relationship is complicated, influenced by others, and that even now forces are at work that keep getting in the way of this couple as they face the consequences of Noel’s leaving for the rodeo circuit would be an understatement.  There are several people I would love to smack upside the head, tell to mind their own business, and leave this couple alone.  But then… characters never listen to me (thankfully).  We’ll run into some familiar faces again, get a bit caught up, and watch a couple fall back in love for their second-chance romance.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

Sophie Jean and Noel’s story is well-written, emotional, and full of laughter and tears, assumptions and revelations as they rebuild their relationship.  This time for life.  If that sounds like your kind of romance, then you’re going to love Winning the Bull Rider’s Heart.

*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.*

**I’ve loved this series, even though I’ve read each story; the posts of those reviews were lost to me, and I’m having to recreate them here.  It’s a bit time-consuming, but I’ll eventually get it done.  But this is an entire series that I would not hesitate to recommend.

This title is available at Amazon