The Cowboy Singer Review and Excerpt

Hello and welcome! As part of a CLP blog tour, today's stop features a review and excerpt for The Cowboy Singer, written by Paula Tiberius. I hope that you'll leave a comment and let us know you were here. Enjoy the excerpt, and thanks for stopping over!

Blurb: April Connors figured her love life was on hold indefinitely now that she was about to have a baby while temporarily staying at her grandmother’s house (what a turn-on!). Meeting infamous country singer Jimmy Wick may have made her giant belly flip, but she was filing him under a big “as if.” No man in his right mind would fall for a gal this pregnant, and besides, she needed to focus on herself and the baby. James Warwick (a.k.a. Jimmy Wick) was not in his right mind. His ex-wife was petitioning for full custody of the only thing that made him happy besides playing music, his four-year-old princess, Summer, and the thought of losing her had him crazier than an outhouse rat. His saving grace was his new ‘friend’ April who he was falling head over heels for. The only problem was, April had just been knocked up, dumped and stranded by the last guy she was with and was in no mood to go down that road again. She was hellbent on getting her life back on track just as James was watching his fall apart, leaving them both caught off guard by the unstoppable romance that would sweep them off their feet.

The EXCERPT:
April Connors refused to take another step. "This is a bad idea."
“If anyone gives you grief, I will personally tell them where to go,” Katie said, grabbing April’s hand and pulling her towards the entrance of the Saddle Club, where a man the size of a refrigerator stood in their way.
“Ten dollars, ladies.”
The giant bouncer took their twenty-dollar bill and waved them through. The place was uncomfortably packed, and the smell of beer and whiskey made April queasy. She used to come here all the time, but tonight she felt like an outsider.
“People are staring at me, Katie.”
“No they’re not. It’s your imagination.”
“Then please tell me that cowboy over there is just an illusion, because I think I might die of embarrassment.” The man in question was lanky and cool, with ice blue eyes glinting playfully from under his hat.
“That’s no cowboy,” Katie laughed as she waved to the stranger. “That’s James Warwick.”
“No, please don’t. I can’t do small talk tonight.”
“Don’t be silly. You’ll love him!”
April opened her mouth to protest, but he was already on his way over. Katie gave him a big hug. “James, this is April. She just moved back here from Los Angeles.”
“Jimmy Wick. Pleased to meet you.” Jimmy dipped his head down, removing his hat for a moment. April had to admit the gesture was charming and it made her smile.
“Right, Jimmy Wick. I forgot about the stage name. James volunteers at my ‘Read, Write and Do’ thing twice a year. And tonight, he’s the main attraction.”
“You’re a musician?” April was genuinely surprised. In his faded jeans and Western shirt, she thought he might work on a ranch.
“You mean you didn’t come to see me?” James pretended to look hurt.
“She just got into town a week ago. She hasn’t caught up on the scene yet.” Katie acted like April wasn’t having a baby anytime soon. Looking at her, no one would imagine her top priority would be frequenting nightclubs or “catching up on the scene.”  What a joke!

THE REVIEW:

RATING: 5 LIGHTNING BOLTS


A woman starting over. A man with a successful career but a personal life in turmoil.  When you add this combination together, you get April and James' story in The Cowboy Singer. 


First, I'm a sucker for a singer as a main character.   James aka Jimmy Wick, did not disappoint. He's handsome, he's successful, and his personality is great! He's not one of those that lets success go to their head. He's very down to earth and caring. He's perfect for April.


April was looking for success. She'd gone to California in hopes of making it as an actress. What she found was an ex that didn't know when to keep it in his pants and a growing belly.  One could say she's down on her luck, but April isn't one to sit and ponder and feel sorry for herself. She's going to do what she can to stay independent and not have to rely on someone to support her financially or in any other way.  Despite a few moments where she seems very naive, I really admire April. She's ready to get back on her feet again and do what's right for herself and her unborn child. She's  jumping into the work force, prepared to do what she can. 


The dialog is so beautiful! It has it's times of making me tear up, and making me smile, and on a few occasions, making me angry, depending on which character.  It's so real and raw. James and April have times where they say things and then wonder why they said it, but can't take it back. it's charming. 


The flow of this story kept getting better and better. I couldn't wait to see what happened next. James and April both have things they need to figure out, and there's a big decision for James to make. I felt bad for him when he was  faced with a situation. 


All around, i love this book. It has an emotional appeal with characters that find their way into readers hearts and don't want to leave. The Cowboy Singer is a keeper, and I do hope for more wonderful books such as this from Ms. Tiberius. 

Paula Tiberius is an author, screenwriter, filmmaker, musician and mom living in North Hollywood, California with her musician husband Richard, their daughter Violet, and their German Shepherd, Jackson. Paula wrote and directed the award-winning feature film Goldirocks in Toronto, which came out theatrically in 2004, played on Pay TV and Cable in Canada and is currently available on Netflix, distributed by R Squared Films. To learn more about Goldirocks, visit www.goldirocks.com You can read more from Paula Tiberius at her website  www.paulatiberius.com/blog, where you’ll find lots of thought-provoking blogs, vegetarian recipes and more. The Cowboy Singer is her first novel.