Holly Jolly Cowboy

Present desires and past animosity fuel the fire between an ambitious waitress and a cocky cowboy in Clare’s delectable seventh Wyoming Cowboys romance (after The Bachelor Cowboy). Known as small-town Painted Barrel’s resident high school dropout, waitress Holly Dawson struggles to turn her talent for baking into a career. Her chance to prove herself is ruined when her nemesis, Adam Calhoun, sabotages her entry into the town’s Christmas bake-off with an excess of salt. Adam, who’s still bitter about his failed marriage, regrets his actions when he realizes how badly they hurt Holly and works to make it up to her, albeit without coming clean about what happened. Adam’s efforts prove successful, leading to a truce as the pair starts treating each other with more kindness than contempt. Impressed with Holly’s fire, kind heart, and skill, Adam’s long-boiling lust for her turns to love. So when he witnesses Holly repeatedly second-guess her abilities because of the bake-off fiasco, he finally comes clean about his sabotage—and in so doing, jeopardizes their chances at something more. The pair’s combative relationship is a delicious catalyst to their affair, and the slow burning transformation from enemies to lovers creates a firm foundation for their romance. Series fans will be delighted. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. (Oct.)