Counterfeit Cowboy

A semireformed con man and a generous socialite meet in 1890 America and change each other’s lives in this good-hearted romance. Erin O’Grady is fed up after her father thwarts her plans to volunteer at a children’s hospital by bribing a man to become her suitor. To assert her independence, she decides to leave Boston and spend Christmas visiting her brother’s family in Wyoming. Would-be reformed criminal Jesse Baker wants to turn a new leaf, but is also desperate for money to carry out the last wishes of his former cellmate, who died saving his life. After helping Erin catch her departing train, he’s torn between exploiting the young woman’s naïveté and giving in to her caring nature, which is bolstered by her strong Christian beliefs. Williams (Homesteader’s Sweetheart) conveys class divisions without derailing a story that’s as much about faith as love, resulting in another gentle, family-friendly success. Agent: Sandra Bishop, MacGregor Literary. (Dec.)