The Bad Boy Cowboy

Fans of Pearce’s Morgan Ranch series (The Last Good Cowboy) will comfortably settle into this fourth installment of relatable characters struggling to surmount the fences they’ve built against their own happiness. Rodeo celebrity cowboy Hoss William “HW” Morgan has suffered an injury and a loss to a much-younger competitor. He’s ready to retire from the circuit and take a chance that his family will welcome him back to the only home he’s ever known: Morgan Ranch, located in Northern California. It’s just about ready to open as a working dude ranch, and, in hopes of welcoming people with disabilities, the Morgans need the opinion of an expert. Physical therapist Samantha Kelly, herself a disabled vet, isn’t thrilled by the idea of six weeks on a ranch, but a paid vacation is a paid vacation. When the cowboy with a bad rep tries to teach the former Army MP how to ride a horse, it’s quickly clear that love is inevitable. There’s nothing new or exciting here, but Pearce’s faithful readers won’t mind. Agent: Deidre Knight, Knight Agency. (Jan.)