A Cowboy State of Mind

Marts (Wish Upon a Cowboy) delights with this tale of romance and recovery, the first in her Creedence Horse Rescue series. Zane Taylor returns to Creedence, Colo., to work on his family ranch as his alcoholic father recovers from a heart attack. When he spots Bryn Callahan, the diner waitress he’s sweet for, and her broken-down car on the side of the road, he gives her a ride back to town, sparking a friendship. The attraction between them intensifies when he comes to her aide again, helping her to transport a badly abused horse to her farm. Bryn gets hooked on rescuing animals, taking in more horses, a pig, and a group of puppies until she’s running a full-fledged rescue farm. Animal whisperer Zane agrees to help Bryn with the farm, becoming ever more drawn to her the more time they spend together. But Zane carries physical and emotional scars left by his abusive father and believes that he’ll never be good enough for Bryn. Marts’s fast-paced narrative and flawed but sympathetic hero make for a magnetic romance grounded in small town charm and psychological complexity. This sweet western romance spells good things for the series ahead. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, the Seymour Agency. (June)