The theme of this modern Western romance is that someone
may be bitter, scarred or traumatized -- but still in need
of love and capable of loving. Wrangler Jackson Cade takes
a job working with horses on a dude ranch, but it's only a
cover for his real job, which is a bounty hunter. At first
there is nothing to make manager Dani Crawford think her
new hire is A COWBOY TO KEEP. Although she has to admit
he's got a nice way with horses, and he insists on taking
time with a scared, unreliable mare.
Dani has her own shady past which she is determined to
hide. The irascible bounty hunter could jeopardize her good
job. She doesn't trust him, or anyone. Gradually though,
she comes to depend on him to do good work. But he'll round
up the bad guys he's chasing and leave, so there's no point
replying on him to stick around. She doesn't realize that
she's made a very good impression on Jackson, and he might
even consider settling for a while; if work permitted, that
is. Separately, Jackson is hunting down someone responsible
for the death of a family member. He'll find them no matter
how long it takes.
This story is heavy on suspense and light on romance, with
plenty of scenes from the point of view of tough-talking
guys in the open country. I particularly enjoyed the horse
training aspects and the good match with the landscape.
Dani is a strong determined young woman, kept fit by her
work and sharp with her tongue. In the sidelight of the shy
mare we can see aspects of both main characters, who need a
reason to trust again. This is a particularly nice writing
device.
Enjoy Karen Rock's big-hearted Rocky Mountain Cowboys
series, where the men are real working cowboys, not just
called that because they wear a Stetson to the office. A
COWBOY TO KEEP has some mild swearing but otherwise is
suitable for anyone from tweens to adults.
Dani Crawford has a secret…and if bounty hunter Jackson Cade
finds out, he could ruin everything. The scarred yet
handsome cowboy has tracked a dangerous criminal to the dude
ranch Dani manages, and to get rid of Jack she'll have to
help him catch his man. But the closer they get to cornering
their quarry the more Dani wants Jack to stay. Spending time
with him is making her long for things she can never have
thanks to a past mistake. And if the truth comes out she may
be spending her future behind bars rather than safe in her
cowboy's arms…
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy