Cowboy Ever After

Marts (How to Cowboy) charms with this squeaky-clean contemporary western. Chicago author Kaylee Collins’s cowboy romance novels have been getting panned by readers who can tell that she’s never set foot on a ranch. Her editor, Faye, has the perfect solution: a week on Faye’s brother’s Dusty Acres ranch in Bartlett, Mont. Widowed cowboy Luke Montgomery isn’t exactly thrilled when he learns his sister is sending one of her high-maintenance authors to his ranch—but he quickly changes his tune as he falls for the shy, quirky writer who throws herself into new experiences, even when she’s scared. Romance is the last thing either Kaylee or Luke expected from her visit, and now they must decide whether to take a chance on each other. Marts mines Kaylee’s culture shock for several laugh-out-loud scenes between the hero and heroine, and while their relationship doesn’t move past chaste kissing, there’s real chemistry between Kaylee and Luke. Charming supporting characters—including Luke’s best friend, Dean; Dean’s precocious daughter, Emma; and gruff widower Bear—add enjoyable local color. The result is a sweet tale that will have readers eager to return to this picture-perfect Montana town. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency. (July)