When Jerod Steen asked Lily Kidwell to marry him, they hadn’t been dating, and didn’t even know each other well. This tale in the ‘Cowboys of Holiday Ranch’ series brings a marriage of convenience trope. THE COWBOY’S TARGETED BRIDE starts as a romance story but becomes a suspense tale.

Jerod was one of the troubled kids taken on as trainees on a ranch and has now grown up and wants his own family. He has saved his wages and can afford to help single mom Lily out of a difficult spot. Her small ranch is not making enough to pay the mortgage and her main priority is her son Caleb. Jerod promises them security if Lily will agree to be a real wife to him with the prospect of kids of their own. Nobody in town has said a bad word about this man, and Lily, a teacher, knows him through his volunteer work with young people. She’s turned down various offers of dates, but this is different.  This is getting married in a week.

No sooner are the couple joined in a friendly ceremony and party, than the trouble starts. Someone has it in for Lily, either trying to force a wedge between her and Jerod, or intending her harm. Could this be a co-worker, a friend, or some old flame of her new husband? She doesn’t know where to look. All she can count on is young Caleb… and even Jerod might be sneakily after her ranch.

This story starts gently, with every motivation explained for the reader, and suddenly takes off with the creepy aspect of a chiller. Lily is doing no more than many other women have had to do, making a better life for her child, and she seems to have lucked out with a man who treats both of them with great respect. Jerod’s had a hard start to life, and we really think he deserves to be with a lady like Lily. Then – it all starts falling apart.

This carefully penned contemporary romance shows the build of a relationship and we get to meet plenty of the good folks in town. Bitterroot, Oklahoma, may be a small town but the inhabitants are genuine and hard-working, and they care for their neighbours. I like so much about THE COWBOY’S TARGETED BRIDE by Carla Cassidy, who has written many Western romances and romantic suspense tales. Anyone who has followed the series will be keen to get their hands on this instalment, and it’s good for new readers too.