Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Cowboys Can’t Kiss
SERIES: Kissing Ridge Cowboys
AUTHOR: R.M. Neill
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 287 pages
RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2025
BLURB:
Riley Benton
Cowboys break hearts. It’s a known fact.
But my career as a romance planner has me moving back to my hometown of Kissing Ridge—a town so full of cowboys you can’t enter a room without bumping into a Stetson. And I don’t date cowboys. Not that it matters. I build romance for others… not myself.
There’s no way I’m falling for a steer wrestler with a sinful smile and awkward rambles.
I’ve already had one cowboy break my heart. I don’t intend to make it two.
Jackson Sutherland
Riley Benton is all my daydreams brought to life.
And despite that fact, he doesn’t make me self-conscious when my mouth runs away with me and I blurt out random things. I’m pretty sure he thinks I’m cute, too.
We have a connection, and if he’d just let himself accept it and move past the friend zone, we could be beautiful together. But he’s more stubborn than a steer who hates the wash rack.
I’m used to working hard for what I want, but how do I convince him to risk his heart and kiss another cowboy?
Cowboys Can’t Kiss is book one in the Kissing Ridge Cowboy series. It features a hopelessly romantic, but awkward cowboy and a guarded former escort turned romance planner who thinks the friend zone will keep his heart safe. A friends to lovers story with a unique first “date” and all the found family you wish you had can be found in Kissing Ridge. Pass the hummus and remember to look up when the stars are out.
REVIEW:
I really enjoyed this low angst romance between Riley and Jackson.
Riley is a Romance Planner who was previously an escort. He’s returned to the small town where he grew up under the watchful eye of his Aunt Agnes after his parents did everything they could to send him away. Aunt Agnes is really his only family and now that she’s older, he wants to make sure she’s taken care of. They speak daily and Agnes would like to see Riley settled.
Riley isn’t interested in cowboys due to a bad breakup with lying bastard of an ex. He has sworn off cowboys in fact. Too bad he meets one (that he doesn’t know is a cowboy at first) that ticks all his boxes 🙂
Jackson is interested in romance and an HEA. This sets him apart from his rodeo peers who are about the buckle bunnies. He and Riley experience a meet cute where they don’t actually see each other really. But they agree to meet again – only to have those plans thwarted. But once they do really meet, well they are still in for some surprises 🙂 Jackson is adorably flustered by Riley and starts spouting random food facts – which Riley finds adorable.
Jackson really likes Riley and wants to date him, but with Riley swearing of dating and especially cowboys, he will only agree to spend time with Jackson as friends. They spend time on really interesting “dates” and Riley feels comfortable with Jackson as long as they are doing things as friends and he’s trying to get Jackson over his anxiety with talking to men he might be interested in. They are adorable together 🙂
Eventually of course they can’t deny the chemistry and so they start to see each other for real. Riley is worried about his past work being a problem for Jackson but he insists that it isn’t. Jackson is more worried about Riley’s cowboy aversion. Riley is determined not to fall for a cowboy. Yeah, you can imagine how that goes 😉
Just when they are ready to move forward Riley has a crisis. But Jackson is there for him and it’s absolutely swoon-worthy. Both men have to admit their true feelings and acknowledge their vulnerabilities. It’s sweet to watch them recognize what’s right in front of them all along 😀
This was so lovely. I almost wished for a little more tension, but these guys were so good together. I loved Aung Agnes and Gabe, Riley’s best friend. Jackson’s parents were WONDERFUL and a breath of fresh air for Riley whose own parents abandoned him. The rodeo guys and Jackson’s friends were also great support. I’m really looking forward to more stories with these cowboys and their friends. A really wonderful kickoff to this new series. Recommended.
RATING: 
BUY LINK:
