Down Home Cowboy: A Copper Ridge Novel

Yates’s eighth Copper Ridge contemporary (after Slow Burn Cowboy) highlights the romance between a small-town bakery owner and a cowboy single dad. Alison Davis weathered an abusive marriage and difficult divorce and now enjoys her independence as the owner of a successful bakery in Copper Ridge, Ore. One of her newest employees, 16-year-old Violet, is the daughter of sexy cowboy Cain Donnelly. Cain and Violet are trying to rebuild their lives; Violet’s mother walked out on them, and they recently moved to Copper Ridge from Texas. As Alison helps Violet navigate the waters of teen angst and rebellion, she gives advice to Cain, who doesn’t always welcome her suggestions. When the attraction between Cain and Alison becomes too strong to be ignored, they decide to embark on a no-strings-attached sexual relationship, but the long-term commitment they’re trying to avoid sneaks up on them anyway. Yates has expertly developed her characters, and Alison and Cain’s multifaceted personalities are gradually revealed as they attempt to come to terms with the wounds of their past in order to build a relationship for the future. This fast-paced, sensual novel will leave readers believing in the healing power of love. (July)