The Cowboy Who Came Home by Liz Isaacson Review

 Happy Monday Bookish Lovelies :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I'm so thankful you've taken the time to drop on by The Preppy Book Princess today for another book review.

I unfortunately came down with a bit of a nasty virus on Saturday, and spent the majority of the last couple of days cuddled up on the couch with my favorite blanket, my Bible, Youtube, and a pile of wonderful reads that definitely helped lift my spirits.

One of those books was the one I'm going to be sharing all about with you today, from a new to me author who reached out to me about reading and reviewing her upcoming release.

I can't wait to tell you guys all about it, so I hope you'll all keep reading down below for today's full review.

The Cowboy Who Came Home by Liz Isaacson:

Source: Complimentary Copy Provided by the Author in Exchange for an Honest Review

Publisher: AEJ Creative Works

Publication Date: March 5th, 2024

Genre: Christian Fiction/Contemporary/Cowboy Romance

Series: Second Generation in Three Rivers

Synopsis:

He’s been serving in the military for a decade. She’s been quietly grieving a devastating loss. When Finn and Edith reunite in small-town Three Rivers where they grew up together, can their second chance romance provide hope, healing, and the happily-ever-after they both crave?Finley Ackerman left home ten years ago, determined to figure out who he was and what he wanted his life to be. He’s been serving in the Army, but when the opportunity to get out of intelligence and go home to Three Rivers comes up, Finn jumps at it.He’s expecting a huge homecoming at Three Rivers Ranch. He’s even expecting the Welcome Home banners draped across Main Street in town. He’s not expecting to run into Edith Baxter literally the moment he gets out of his truck.Edith is just as surprised to see Finn—decked out in his uniform, no less—as she comes out of her equine therapy appointment at Three Rivers Ranch. But the moment she steps into his arms and welcomes him home, it’s as if choirs of angels start singing. Perhaps he’s what she needs to finally move past the tragedies life has dealt her. She’s done her best to put her heart back together after the devastating loss of her fiancé a few years ago, and she does that by pouring everything she has into her children’s books and working a small patch of land not far from Finn’s sprawling family operation.But she’s not whole, and she knows it. He does too, and as Finn and Edith start finding solace in one another, she learns that he carries his own scars. She’s not sure her heart will ever be whole enough to give to another cowboy, and Finn’s not sure exactly what’s next for him or how long he’s actually going to stay in town.

Can Edith and Finn make their second chance into a forever love? Or will life’s paths once again diverge, driving them apart for good?Return to Three Rivers in this small-town saga romance where the legacy of the past meets the promise of the future. Revisit beloved characters and fall in love with a new generation in the Second Generation in Three Rivers Romance series!Trigger Edith's fiancé dies from a fast-growing brain cancer. It is mentioned, and she mourns him, but there is nothing graphic on on-page about his illness and he's been gone for almost 3 years when this book begins.

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

The Cowboy Who Came Home was my first experience with a novel by Liz Isaacon, and I was pleasantly surprised by this wholesome and heartwarming love story. 

Finn Ackerman has returned home after serving in the military for the past decade, and he can't believe that his former teenage girlfriend, Edith Baxter, ends up being one of the first people he runs into. Edith has returned home to help her brother run his new ranch, and is still healing from the tragic loss of her fiancé three years ago. Neither Finn or Edith are sure where their future is headed, but neither can deny the draw they feel towards each other. As they learn to trust each other and the One who holds our stories in His hands, they may just find their own way to the happily ever after they've both dreamed about.

With a wonderful second chance romance, realistic situations that leave the reader compelled to not want to leave the story, and a focus on the importance of faith, family and community, this was truly a wonderful story and a lovely first experience with a book for me by this author. I haven't read too many cowboy romances from different authors over the years, and this was definitely an enjoyable experience for me.

I'd only want to quickly mention that while this definitely can be read as a standalone, it was a little difficult for me to keep up with the many, many characters that have chapters throughout the story, who apparently were the protagonists of their own romances earlier in the author's books. I honestly kind of just stopped trying to figure out who was who with these chapters, and instead just focused on enjoying the story and the wonderful relationship that seemed to exist between the various many family members.

The only other minor thing I wanted to quickly mention was that I found it a tad strange that all the adult children referenced their fathers as "daddy", definitely not a major thing, but it seemed a tad weird to me, and often because of this I was expecting the children to be quite young, before the author went on to mention they were young adults or in high school.

Overall though, I ended up loving this one, and I'm happy say to my first experience with a novel by Liz Isaacson was a positive one. 

Final Rating: 4/5.

Definitely a wonderful story, and one I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys wholesome, faith based cowboy romances.

Thanks so much to Liz Isaacson for allowing me to read and review this title!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)