THREE COWBOYS AND A PUPPY is a delightful and insightful story whose substance is belied by its title. That old expression of not to judge a book by its cover fits here. I didn’t choose THREE COWBOYS AND A PUPPY because of its title, I chose it because of its author, Kate Pearce. Having read several of her stories I readily chose this new one to read and review. And I am so glad I did.

Life is filled with priorities. Most people try to delegate responsibilities when possible. That is not the case with Bernadette, or Bernie as her friends call her. Bernie is on hyperdrive. She works diligently to divide her time and resources among many responsibilities. Some work related. Others are more personal. Not that Bernie has a personal life. She seems to squeeze in her friends and family. But as for her businesses, they come first.

Her best friend Luke has been a fixture in Bernie’s life since they were youngsters. Then Luke left for the military. The Luke who returned is not the same person. Bernie sees this and Luke tries to hide it. The more Bernie pushes for Luke to open up, the tighter the reins become. For Bernie, her relationship with Luke has become one of convenience. Luke knows Bernie will always be there for them, but he is totally clueless about how Bernie’s feelings for him have evolved. And that is the big problem.

Friends of Bernie know that she is in love with Luke. They also know it is mutual. But because Luke is so tightly wound the best he can do is spend time with his best friend and avoid the issue of a lifetime commitment and of course the love word.

In THREE COWBOYS AND A PUPPY we are introduced to a dilemma: stay the course or break ties? Neither is going to bring any personal satisfaction or happiness to Bernie. Her businesses are demanding so much of her time. The first item on her list should be managing that time better. She gets help with that from a surprising source. Life is beginning to change for Bernie. Not so for Luke.

So the critical issue is just how are these folks going to wake Luke up to the possibility that if he does not make significant changes in his life, he just may lose the most important person. Sounds easy. Totally is not. And that is what Kate Pearce constructs in this lovely story that certainly packs a punch. The supporting cast plays a vital role and often steals the scene.