Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Bad Cowboy Tennessee
SERIES: Hard Spot Saloon
AUTHOR: Raleigh Ruebins
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 300 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 19, 2025
BLURB:
He’s not just a cowboy. He’s a monster, with his sights on me.
He’s also my sister’s boyfriend.
Until they break up on the first night he’s in town…
…And suddenly I’m the one with a very bad, very wrong cowboy on my hands.
Draven Lyons is the heir to the wealthiest Montana ranch dynasty.
He’s also a walking red flag, carrying a violent past filled with blood.
Letting him touch me was the first mistake.
Enjoying it was even worse.
I’m straight, but now he’s making me want things.
And it ends up with me pinned against a wall. My lips up against his ear. Begging him for more, especially when it hurts.
Telling Draven about my online stalker was the next mistake.
So what if my online videos make men want me? It’s just business.
Now Draven’s following me in the name of protection.
But his own dark secrets torment me. What happened back in Montana? Why is he still here in Tennessee, hiding out in my small town? And why does he want a frat boy bartender like me?
REVIEW:
Note: This is book 3 in the series and so contains spoilers for previous books.
Max is the cute frat boy bartender/mixologist at the Hard Spot Saloon in Bestens Tennessee. He’s worked there for a while and he loves his home town. He’s never even been on a plane. He understands how life is supposed to go in Bestens. He was a college hockey player and how he’s retrofitting a barn on his parent’s property into his own living space. He has an online presence with his cocktail mixes. He’s ben getting more popular and has been doing posts shirtless and lately he’s started to get some attention – a lot of it from men. And some of it is not good. He’s a very open and trusting guy.
One night he come home from his shift and he’s relaxing and having a drink before bed when he hears his front door being rattled. He’s not a small guy but he’s not really a fighter. He has no weapons and so he decides he’s not going to just wait for whatever is coming for him and he pulls open the door with his hockey stick in hand. He sees a tall man in a cowboy hat who is in shadows and who quite handily disarms him very quickly. He’s pinned to the ground and pretty much helpless. He bites the guy and only then he finds out who the guy is. His name is Draven Lyons and he’s in town with his sister Lily. Lily is back for a wedding of an old friend and Draven has arrived with her. So he was attacked by his sister’s boyfriend? Not quite. On a lot of accounts.
Draven is sticking around Bestens. He’s bought a property. It happens to be the one that Max had his eye on as his eventual home. He keep hanging out at the bar. He is also very concerned about Max’s safety. Max was worried about someone coming in his front door with a key, but his kitchen window was wide open. Hmmmm. Draven is worried about the comments from some folks on Max’s account. Max is sure nobody is actually going to harm him. It’s just creepers. Draven is not convinced. Also, the heat between them is undeniable. This is a first for Max. He’s never been into a guy before. He has always considered himself to be straight. But this thing with Draven? It’s driving him crazy. Also turns out his relationship with Lily has never exactly been what everyone though it was.
Draven and Max keep texting. Max demands to know everything about Draven. Draven clearly has a lot of secrets. He’s got scars and tattoos and a best friend who shows up unannounced. But he’s also the flame and Max is the moth. He’s never been with a guy but he cannot get Draven out of his mind. They are definitely starting something. What is anybody’s guess. Their chemistry is off the charts and Max can’t believe that he is going down this path. He’s intrigued by Draven and he really wants his attention on him. He likes giving up control which is a surprise. He’s just drawn to Draven who keeps telling him he is nothing but trouble.
Then things get crazy when Max IS in danger. Draven is determined to keep Max safe. His solution leads them down an unusual path. But that path pushes Max and Draven to get very honest. Draven is convinced being totally honest with Max will finally drive him away. He’s already told him a lot of what went down between Draven and his family. Then once he gets the rest of the story, Max is even more committed to Draven. But the danger isn’t over yet! Can they survive and be stronger together or will Max go back to his nice little life in Bestens and Draven will stay in Montana.
So I will admit I was kind of put off by the beginning of this story. I did NOT like how it started or Draven and Max’s first encounter. This is my favorite book in the series. Draven is a deeply secretive person. This is understandable as his past is revealed throughout the story. He’s absolutely convinced that he is not worthy of love. He’s never had it before, so why should he now after all he’s done? Max doesn’t see him that way at all. Max is like a golden retriever energy sweet heart of a bro. He’s not rich, but he’s never lacked for anything. He and his family are close. He cares about his hometown. He’s never known anything other than his life and Draven has shown him a whole different world. Turns out Bestens maybe isn’t such a small world after all 😉 I loved these two together. Their chemistry if fire hot. The push pull of both of them and Max’s awakening to the pull he feels from Draven. The former relationship with Lily is very complicated and was more of a non-issue with Max than it was with others. I liked where everyone ended up 🙂 This is was a lot darker than the other stories in this series but it worked for these characters. I was reading as fast as I could to see what would happen next. I feel like each book in this series is better than the previous book. Highly recommended!
RATING: 
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