I found myself liking this story right from the start. Donna Alward does a splendid job of making her characters walk off the page and into our hearts. In THE COWBOY'S VALENTINE, Lacey Duggan is distressed to be coming home to Crooked Valley ranch in Montana. Lacey was a career CPA in a government office, and budget cutbacks mean she's out the door. Not long before, she'd had health issues and a divorce in quick succession, so she's now time rich and cash poor. The ranch she would prefer to sell is a fallback home for her, but it's just temporary, right?

Lacey's brother Duke, recently married, is a veteran who intends to make the ranch life a success and hopes to get Lacey to accept her third share of the spread. The ranch foreman, Quinn Solomon, is caught in the middle, trying to ignore the Duggan family issues and get on with the work. Quinn knows about life's hard knocks. His treasured wife died and left him to raise their young daughter Amber. He's devoted to the ranching life and Lacey's attitude worries him, for his job depends on family solidarity. The quicker he can help her find another income stream, the better.

I enjoyed how little girl Amber is a pleasant distraction for Lacey. She's cheerful, and her chatter is a diversion from being told positions are already filled. Lacey enjoys cooking but doesn't see herself as a home-maker. She has to start considering part-time book-keeping for stores in town. Women and men all over the world are having to come to terms with a changed economy, which under-utilises their skills and experience. Resentful some may be, but that doesn't help anyone. Lacey's feelings are well portrayed and her changing attitudes can help us all to learn. St. Valentine's Day may start her on a happier pathway. Quinn has to learn not to make immediate judgements about people, and not to make barriers of his bad fortune. Is a future for the two on the cards - or will their hearts remain in different places?

Packed with grit, outdoor life and admirable people in the Montana community, THE COWBOY'S VALENTINE is well worth a read. If Valentine's Day does make some people act out their romantic wishes, we should celebrate it, because everyone needs a little romance to brighten their life. Donna Alward has hit just the right note with this wonderful, heart-warming story.