Smexy Books

Romance and Urban Fantasy Reviews

  • Review Request
  • Contact
    • Smexy Reviewers Profiles
    • New Reviewer Application
    • Contact
  • Advertising
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • By Genre
      • BDSM
      • Contemporary
      • Erotic
      • Fantasy
      • F/F
      • Historical Romance
      • Historical PNR
      • LGBTQ+
      • M/M Romance
      • New Adult
      • Urban Fantasy
      • Paranormal Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Romantic Suspense
      • Young Adult
    • By Letter Grade Rating
      • A Reviews
      • B Reviews
      • C Reviews
      • D Reviews
      • DNF Reviews
  • Features
    • New Releases
    • Smexy Deals!
    • Retro Review
    • Weekly Wrap-Up
    • Blog Tour
    • Scenic Sunday
    • To Be Read
    • Guest Post
    • Top Ten/Happy Friday
    • Smex Scene Sunday
  • The Psy/Changeling Channel
You are here: Home / Contemporary Romance / Review: My Cowboy Promises by Z.A. Maxfield

Review: My Cowboy Promises by Z.A. Maxfield

June 30, 2015 by Mandi Leave a Comment

cowboy promiseMy Cowboy Promises by Z.A. Maxfield (The Cowboys #4)
Released: June 16, 2015
Contemporary M/M
Intermix

Reviewed by Mandi

The blurb says Ryder Dent is a “true-blood cowboy” and while it may run in his family, I wouldn’t consider him a cowboy. He works at his father’s farm store and lives in Texas. That’s about as cowboy as he gets. Ryder is gay but hardly anyone knows. When his friend Andi was teenager, she got pregnant by a rodeo star and didn’t want anyone to know he was the father. And since Ryder was scared for anyone to find out he was gay, both Ryder and Andi pretend Jonas, their new son, is Ryder’s biological child. They marry and try to live a life the best they can for Jonas. They share a bed, but they are never intimate. Both are honestly pretty miserable. When a new doctor named Declan comes into town, he takes an interest in Ryder’s family and wants to be his friend. Ryder has never even kissed a man, so he has a hard time dealing with Declan and his feelings.

For some reason, Ryder really rubs me the wrong way in this book. I disliked him not because he is a jerk or an ass – more because I felt like he wanted everyone to take pity on him. He tries to exude this perfect persona, but also deep down wanted people to feel sorry for him. He works at his father’s store and doesn’t like it. He let’s his dad boss him around. He is married to a woman, and he is gay. Andi wants to have a big singing career, and little poor old Ryder is stuck at home being a dad. I feel like he resents all of these things, but never tries to make his situation better.  The one and only thing that did feel genuine and that Ryder was passionate about is his son. But this story is more focused on Ryder and HIS issues, than a romance with Declan.

We really don’t get to know Declan all that well. I liked him a lot better than Ryder – he seems like a decent, kind doctor – but their chemistry lacked. I wanted to know why they were attracted to each other – besides their looks. Are there any other gay people in this Texas town or is it just because Declan moves there and is gay that there is an attraction?

Does Andi want more out of life than being married to someone she can’t physically be with? There is a big a big plot set-up but then not a lot happens in this book. The poor relationship Andi and Ryder each have with their own fathers and Jonas realizing Ryder isn’t his biological father greatly overshadows Declan and his romance with Ryder.

I DNF’d book two in this series but wanted to give it another try. Going to have to say this series isn’t for me.

Rating: D

Goodreads l Author Website l Series

Kindle l Nook

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon
  • More
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Filed Under: Contemporary Romance, D Review, Discussion, M/M Romance, Penguin, Z.A. Maxfield

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome to Smexy! If you are reader feel free to use our search feature to find a specific book or browse through our features to find Smexy Deals, New Releases, and book news!

As an Amazon Associate, we do earn from qualifying purchases. We also earn a small commission on affiliate links to Apple, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords,  Booksamillion, and Bookshop,org.

 

Shop our Affiliates!

Amazon

B&N

Apple

Smashwords

Booksamillion

Angela

Melanie

Jen

Kate

Iby

Kate H.

Sign Up for Daily Emails


Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.

Follow Us!

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on Instagram

Top Posts & Pages

  • New Releases- Week of June 9-13, 2025
    New Releases- Week of June 9-13, 2025
  • Smexy’s Top Ten Favorite Sex Scenes of 2012
    Smexy’s Top Ten Favorite Sex Scenes of 2012
  • Smexy Deals- Deals for books by Jessica Joyce, Ruthie Knox, Annie Mare, Patricia Briggs, and more!
    Smexy Deals- Deals for books by Jessica Joyce, Ruthie Knox, Annie Mare, Patricia Briggs, and more!
  • Retro Review: An Unnatural Vice by K.J. Charles
    Retro Review: An Unnatural Vice by K.J. Charles
  • Excerpt Reveal- Someone Knows by Vi Keeland
    Excerpt Reveal- Someone Knows by Vi Keeland
  • Review: The Finish Line by Kate Stewart
    Review: The Finish Line by Kate Stewart
  • Smex Scene Sunday
    Smex Scene Sunday
  • Steamy Excerpt from Everything's Better With Lisa by Lucy Eden
    Steamy Excerpt from Everything's Better With Lisa by Lucy Eden
  • Review: The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros
    Review: The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros
  • Review: The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary
    Review: The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary

Disclosure

The majority of the books reviewed at this site have been provided for free by publishers, authors, or other third parties like NetGalley or Edelweiss. Acceptance of a free copy does not guarantee a review or a positive review.

As an Amazon Associate, we do earn from qualifying purchases. We also earn a small commission on affiliate links to Apple, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and Booksamillion.

Shop our Affiliates!

Amazon

B&N

Apple

Smashwords

Booksamillion

 

Find Our Reviewers

Angela @fv-angela.bsky.social l Goodreads

Melanie @melonreads.bsky.social l  Goodreads

Jen .@thebooknista l Goodreads

Kate  @kateminasian l Goodreads

Iby Instagram l Goodreads

Kate H. @Naranjadia l Goodreads

Copyright © 2025 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d