Jayne Ann Krentz – The Cowboy

The third book in the Ladies and Legends Trilogy series, published June 1, 1990.
Genre: contemporary romance
Cover: typical and boring.



Margaret Lark though she’d gotten over Rafe Cassidy for good after he walked out on her a year ago. But when the headstrong cowboy swaggers back in her life, demanding a second chance, she’s suddenly not so sure. Can independent Margaret resist temptation, or will Rafe make her an offer she truly can’t refuse?


Her two best friends are both married now and Margaret is left alone in Seattle. Like them, she is a very successful author, and she enjoys her life and career. What she does not expect is to find Rafe Cassidy waiting for her in her own apartment when she gets back from Sarah and Gideon’s wedding. She really does not want to see him again after the way he broke her heart last year and used her in a business deal against her boss. But Rafe refuses to leave until she hears him out and gives them both a second chance. He wants her back in his life and he will do whatever it takes. Like setting her father up with his mother, and making a deal with her father to buy his company. If Maggie wants to talk to her father about this all, she will have to come to his ranch in Tucson, Arizona for a few weeks.

Maggie feels blackmailed, but she is concerned about her father and wants to know what is going on. At least Rafe’s mother dislikes her so she won’t be happy to see her again. That Rafe assures her his mother has changed her opinion does not make her believe it.
Rafe also swears that he has changed, that he does not spend all his time working anymore, but Maggie finds that hard to believe as well. The man she dated for two months barely had any time for her, and most of that time he wanted to spend in bed. And only at his convenience. Like his mother said, she was more suited to be his mistress than his wife. And Margaret refuses to be the kind of wife that Rafe will need or want. A woman who makes her husband and his career the single important thing in her life, to be his hostess and arm candy when he needs her. Margaret is proud of her own career, and she likes writing. She will not give that up.
But Rafe keeps pressuring her, and kissing her, and it is so hard to keep him at a distance. Especially as her father seems to be genuinely happy with Bev, and they want to get married. He also wants Rafe as her husband, as he thinks they belong together.
Still, Margaret does not give in easily to Rafe’s demands to get engaged; she never accepted his proposals last year either. She just knows she will be miserable with him. But a short affair might be doable.

Then there is Rafe’s younger sister who is in love with an artist, something Rafe is dead set against. Of course Margaret reams him out for that, no career is ever safe so he should not look down at an artist. After all, she is an artist as well, and her former career as a businesswoman went down the drain because of Rafe last year as well. So there is no job security anywhere. I enjoyed how she made him go to the gallery with her, and how she persuaded him to see things differently. She is not a pushover, Margaret. But she is a woman in love, and she will not have her heart broken by Rafe again.
So when he distrusts her loyalty again, she won’t stand for it!


I know this is a ‘90’s book, but I really dislike Rafe’s heavy handedness. He never takes no for an answer, he keeps pushing and demanding, and he keeps calling her Maggie instead of Margaret even though she despises it truly. He just never listens to her. So in my opinion, he has not really changed his ways, especially as he is plotting a deadly revenge against her former employer.
I liked Maggie, but I would not have stayed at the ranch when I had found out my father was fine and not being coerced or anything. Let Rafe work a bit harder for it, and do things on her turf and prove that he is changed. When his assistant shows up with work, he just goes at it and sends Maggie away to take a swim or something like that.

I liked Maggie, but I liked the previous two heroes more than Rafe. Rafe is a cowboy and multi million dollar businessman. He is just too dictatorial for my tastes. Too much used to giving orders and being obeyed immediately. Still Margaret did not give in too easily, but she did give in eventually and they got married very hastily.

Jayne Ann Krentz is one of my favourite authors. I discovered her books over 25 years ago and still can’t get enough of them. And lucky for me, I have not read all of them yet.

7 stars.

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian