Lost Rider (The Coming Home Series Book 1)

This book has given me back my faith in the romance book community. Lost Rider for me is one of those books that you just can't manage to get over. It sits in your mind and on your heart and you just want to tell everyone that this needs to be their next read and you hope like heck that everyone loves it the way you do because otherwise we just can't be friends any more. *wink* The crazy thing about loving a book this much though is that, I in turn, find it difficult to review since all I really want to do is throw books at people shouting 'YOU MUST READ THIS!' I don't want to tell you anything because I want you to hunker down, read, and fall in love as hard as I did so that then we can talk about ALL THE THINGS! I want to talk about how emotional the story is. I want to talk about how heartbreaking it is. I want to talk about how beautiful it is, how romantic it is, how freaking hot and swoon worthy this couple is. I want to talk about how we have all now become obsessed bull riding fans and how we are going to jump in my Honda Odyssey and truck it down to Texas so we can follow the circuit....but we have to take our families with us otherwise we're Maverick's mom and that is a big NO so, CARAVAN!!!!! I want to talk about Maverick and this guy: Bolton Bonner and how I don't know if he was the inspiration for Harper, but he is totally my pick for Maverick. I want to swap picture after picture with you and follow Instagram and Twitter feeds. I want to, gasp, start watching Dancing with the Stars, something I have never done, haha. I want to talk about how much I adored Leighton who may have had her heart broken in so many ways but never once gave up on her dreams. Who may have become stand offish and frightened because the people she loves never stay, but still opens her heart up to possibility. I want to talk to you about how reading this book will remind you that our dreams are just there waiting for us to fulfill them and that we just have to have a little faith in ourselves and those that we love. I want to talk about how no matter the hurt we may have suffered we can't quit, we can't give up. I want to make pie and have picnics, I want to sit around a bonfire and wear colorful cowboy boots. I want to buy my husband a black Stetson and a pair of Wranglers. I want you to want all of those things too so you have to read this book. You have to see what made me fall so hard for this story, to not want it to end, to be anxious for Quinn and Clayton stories, to want to see little Mav and Leighton babies running in the bluebells. I want you to fall in love with reading again, if like me you found your self tired of the same old thing. I want you to fall in love with love and I want you to read this because this book will give you that. Maybe it just came at the right time for me but I don't believe that, I believe that this book is a book everyone can love. I feel like I am putting myself out on the line a little by saying that because you know some people just don't like the same things I do, I can't understand it but its true, *wink*, weird people, lol. Truly though this book is just simply a beautiful story that is easy to open yourself up to. It's a book that will melt your heart and have your soul smiling by the time you get to the end. I hope that you will love it as much as I did and when you are done reading I hope that you will come find me so we can have all the chats about Mav, Leighton, Quinn, and Clayton. I'll be here anxiously waiting for you!

I am not usually a big reader of cowboy/ western romances so I wasn't sure what to expect from Lost Rider, but I figured if Harper wrote it then it was certainly worth giving it a shot! Maverick is feeling pretty lost indeed as the story opens. After finding out his career is over thanks to one too many injuries, he has spent the last few weeks in the bottle trying to drown out his misery. To add insult to injury, he has to return to his hometown of Pine Oak TX to face the painful memories that chased him from town and still haunt him. His abusive monster of a father has died and he needs to be there for his older brother and younger sister, but that also means facing the woman he has never forgotten. Leighton loved Maverick from the time she was born, and by the time they were teenagers she had well defined visions of their future. Sometimes she thought he felt the same, but she slowly saw him morphing from a happy boy to a young man who was losing his joy for life as he got older. She never realized the extent of what he faced at home but she knew it was the root of the changes she saw in him. When Maverick graduated, she knew she was running out of time to let him know how she felt so she took a chance only to have her heart utterly shattered by him in the process. Ten years later that hurt still remains lodged in her heart and she dreads seeing him again. Mav knew if he gave Leigh any hope at all that she would give up her own hopes and dreams at the young age of 16 to follow him, so he pushed her away in the harshest way possible in his 18 year old wisdom. Now 10 years later, he realizes the magnitude of his mistake but believes it's too late to make things right. Maverick is a major jerk at the beginning of the story but we slowly come to understand why. Sparks immediately fly the first time he and Leigh come face to face and not in a good way, but that old attraction is still simmering right below the surface for both of them. Constant fireworks erupt whenever they are together and Leigh is determined to hold on to the anger and hurt to protect herself. After an enlightening conversation with his sister Quinn, Mav goes all in to prove to Leigh he is back for good and to try to prove his feelings to her, but that also requires him to bare his heart and tell her truths about his life not even Quinn and his brother Clay know. This story has some pretty emotional moments as each of the characters deals with the fallout of the Davis patriarch's death and the secrets that are revealed in the aftermath. But it also has the sweet, funny and hot moments I expect from this author's storytelling even though the heat is muted a notch or two in this book. Mav has some of the wonderful alpha attitude I love in Harper's heroes, and his heartfelt speeches are just as yummy as his bedroom voice too ;-) The secondary characters were well developed, and all in all, I am definitely looking forward to more of the Davis clan in upcoming books!

Lost Rider is the 1st book in the new series called Coming Home by the amazing author Harper Sloan. Lost Rider had me going thru multiple different emotions:: Hope. Anger. Angst. Peace. Forgiveness. And Most of All- Love. That is the theme that runs as a current thru this book. No matter what is going on, love is running throughout. The main characters in this book are Maverick Davis & Leighton James. Maverick left Leighton 10 years before when they were teenagers, with plans to never come back. Now he is coming home, after too many concussions have taken him off the Rodeo circuit. Maverick has come home to his father’s death and to Leighton hating him. He didn’t remember her looking as sexy as she does now. She was once the only person he could talk to about anything, was one the only person he could share things with and now she doesn't even want to speak to him. WOW Times change. Maverick is determined to make Leighton talk to him ,to see him again but he doesn’t realize the depth of her despair and of her pain which means Maverick has a tough road ahead of him in proving to Leighton that he is home and he is back in her life. Leighton is a woman who has had a hard road in life. She had this huge love for Maverick which he threw away when she was but 18 years old. It was done in a pretty cruel manner. She has had to grow up, and find her own dreams without the man she loved with her of her heart. When he left her, she was broken, and bruised. Her dreams didn’t come easy and her life didn’t come without fights but she is where she is now in life, by the drive she had to prove something and that was she could be something without him in her life and she is somewhat happy- she has her bakery and she has Maverick’s sister and brother (Quinn and Clay ) in her life as good friends. She doesn’t want him back in town, she doesn’t want him yet a part of her is happy he is back in town yet she fights those feelings. There are deep and lacerating wounds that have to be healed before they can fully be together and not everything can be avoided which is what this story focuses on. That and what family really is. It’s a story about family and rediscovering those roots and making up for those you hurt. That is what this story also focuses on. Maverick and Leighton’s story will have you grabbing for tissues and rooting for their HEA. Their passion is deep and their love is one heck of a 2nd chance love story. It is so beautiful and the plot is fantastic, but it is written by Harper Sloan so yes, you will get that awesome plot, that beautifully written story. I look forward to reading the stories of Clay and Quinn. My rating: 4.9 stars **** "I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

This story had a lot of potential, but what really got to me was that it felt so repetitive. It started off really strong, but then once they got together it was just one long HEA with kinda sappy dialogue. How many times were they going to profess their undying love for each other throughout the entire second half the book? I was waiting for something to HAPPEN to the characters to solidify their bond instead of simply great sex. How did Maverick go from an abused and tormented cowboy to the perfect life partner over night simply because Leighton says "I love you"?? I wanted the author to dig deeper into Maverick and Leighton growing their relationship and catching up with the 10 years they missed. The confession about their mother was strong and gave a great sense of family and resilience, but I wanted more from it. Maybe that's coming in the subsequent books on Clay and Quinn's story?

Lost Rider: Coming Home Book 1 by Harper Sloan 5 Star review by Jodi Bird for Mixed Emotions Book Blog Oh, Harper Sloan, she sucks me in with her sexy as hell characters and doesn’t let me have a moment of rest. I loved this story as will all of Harper’s books. Lost Rider is no exception. Leighton James has only loved one man her whole life. Even when that man disappointed her and broke her heart. Now twenty-six, Leighton owns her own business and home. Not wanting to be a rancher, Leighton sold most of her family’s land to the Davis’. It helped that Leighton was best friends her whole life with Quinn Davis. The Davis family had always been in Leighton’s life, include Maverick. But Maverick wanted other things from life and those things didn’t include Leighton. Maverick had it all. He was a rodeo star. He could get any woman he wanted, except for the one girl he really wanted. He lost that when he broke her heart at 16. Now with his rodeo career over, Maverick is going home to get the one thing he’s always wanted, but never let himself have. I’m so not telling you any more about this amazing book. I love Maverick. He’s back home trying to right his wrongs while fighting the demons that chased him away. Leighton doesn’t want to give her heart back to this man, but sometimes the heart wants what it wants. There is no denying the chemistry between these two, it’s intense and strong. I love the playlist that follows along with this book. The songs were all fitting for each chapter. A couple even making me laugh. I had the opportunity to read this book through Netgallery. I’m thankful for that opportunity, but I was also able to listen to it via Audible. The Narrators did an amazing job telling this story. They sucked me in from the beginning and didn’t let go. I hope if you have the chance to read or listen to this book, you will.

4.5 Stars Somehow, this is my first book by Harper Sloan. Yes, I know. No, I am not all that sure how this happened. But, I think I started in a pretty great place. I know I am hoping we get the stories of the other 2 siblings, as there is a lot to tell and they were incredibly interesting and developed as side characters. Maverick and Leighton (Leigh) were wonderful, and there was so much to love about them. That said, for some reason, I had a tough time getting into this at the beginning. I think because Maverick really wasn't in a great place at the beginning of the story. Definitely not the romantic hero that you imagine. But, he makes up for this first impression...both to the readers and to Leigh, who isn't all that glad to see him return. And then she is. But she isn't. One of the things I loved about this book is how much Maverick loves Leigh. He just does. He is in it for the long haul, he is putting down roots, and they are not going anywhere. He is all in...although he is smart enough to know why there is some doubt for the people around him. And, I was glad for this. As, while the chemistry is off the charts, as a reader, at first, I was not all that sure what I thought of Maverick. By the end, well, he can unpack that duffel at my house, no problem. I loved the way Harper Sloan wrote this amazingly flawed character and then allowed him to redeem himself in the eyes of the readers as he was proving himself to the people he loved, to his family and to Leigh. This makes you believe him. You KNOW he is telling the truth, that he is all in. And, you feel it. You sense it. The emotion he feels, and those of those around him, practically pour off of this book. The story arc for this was also well done. There are things that are not answered, but are left in such a place that you have the answers you need for Maverick and Leigh to move forward. And I thought this was perfect. There was a lot about this book that felt like real life, like a story about 2 real people. So, the idea that while they get their happily ever after, and it is wonderful, that there is more story to tell when others are the main characters is definitely left open. I recommend this book and I really, really, hope we get the other stories that are so clearly asking to be told. I know I will read them.

I have been reading Harper Sloan since she first became a published author. I fell head over heels for her hot alpha men with a taste for danger. I wondered how she would transition from the alpha security world to the rodeo and ranch. Could her cowboys hold up to those hot security guys or would they stay on the range? OMG... buy me some boots and send me to the ranch. Harper has delivered more than the typical cowboy, she has delivered a swoon worthy, tortured, alpha cowboy that will take the bull by the horns and bend them around your heart. Maverick Davis left home at a young age, chasing his dreams of becoming a rodeo star and running from his demons on the ranch. He was a boy escaping his past and is now a man grabbing onto his future. Ten years later he's returning home a broken man with the potential of becoming the man he was meant to be. First he will have to mend all the bridges he burned as he rode out of town. One of those bridges is Leighton James, the girl who loved him unconditionally. He turned his back on her love only to realize ten years later that her love is the only thing that matters. Time has moved on and things never say the same. Leighton is no longer the naive and innocent girl he left behind. She's a woman to be reckoned with. A woman with a heart worth winning. Maverick will do anything to make up for the past and win her heart. Needless to say their relationship is very complicated. They will both travel an emotional road before their passion for one another sets the pages on fire. Harper Sloan wrote a beautiful second chance romance that was emotionally charged. The chemistry between Leighton and Maverick is sizzling hot and you may get scorched as you turn the pages. I can't wait to see what comes next in the Coming Home series by Harper Sloan!

Maverick Davis, regardless of the treatment he received at the hands of man he called his father, nevertheless always hoped that one day, somehow, he'd make the old man proud. With the old man's death however, that day will never come. Instead Maverick is headed back home to the town he hasn't set foot in since graduating from high school, to bury the man he once feared would bury him. His broken family isn't the only thing he left behind those ten long years ago. There was also a girl. One whose dreams he callously and deliberately shattered just prior to leaving. Now though, with his career as a championship rodeo rider having come to a crashing end, what's left of his family is pretty much all he has left that means anything to him. In Harper Sloan's first foray into the realm of western romance, this wrangler and stetson wearing cowboy comes face to face with all of the problems he once ran away from. The people he left behind have long memories and it seems that only his little sister Quinn is keen on welcoming him back with open arms. I veritably raced through the pages of Lost Rider. The characters leaped off the page vibrant and fully realized, and the angst and turmoil between Maverick and Leighton (that girl he once spurned) seemed all encompassing. Laced with dry humor and interspersed with moments both tragically bittersweet and scorchingly hot, I imagine this book has something for everyone, and I just loved it. The first of three, with the two following standalones to focus on each of Maverick's two siblings, this first person dual POV romance is sure to bring a smile ... eventually

Harper Sloan gehört mit zu meinen Lieblingsautoren und nach der Corps-Sicherheits-Familien-Freundesbande für mich wieder ein voller Erfolg. Die Charaktere waren mir schnell sympathisch, die Story zog mich damit schnell in seinen Bann, und schwups ist war ich am Ende des Buches angelangt und kann es kaum erwarten, wie es mit den beiden anderen Geschwistern weitergeht.

LET ME JUST SAY TO THE AUTHOR JUST JOB ON WRITING THESE BOOKS. I HAVE READ ALL THREE OF THESE BOOKS I LOVE THEM . CAN WAIT TO READ MORE OF YOUR BOOK. YOU ARE ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS . KEEP THESE KIDA BOOKS COMING.

This is my first book from Harper Sloan. What a BOOK! :D If u like witt. If u like romance. If u like good characters development. If u did not know cowboys...at the end of this book, you'll want your own cowboy! ;) If u want a good read, a lot of fun, on a jumpy and sexy ride leading to HAPPY EVER AFTER.... THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU! :D

I was really excited about this book from goodreads. It had an interesting synopsis. I started reading, and at first I was like... this guys a prick. And I had a hard time liking him after that. It was like the two main characters were so angry at each other and then boom, they were in love and everything was “honey” and bleh. That’s where I really got disappointed because there wasn’t much growing down. The character went from being closed off and angry to super open and talking about his feelings. Basically becoming the perfect man. I’m not going the second book because the first left such a bad impression. Don’t waste your time.