A Thorn in the Saddle

Weatherspoon sends out her Cowboys of California series (after If the Boot Fits) in style with an exciting romance about a reformed alpha hero. Jesse Pleasant knows he can be a lot to handle. He carries the weight of the world—or at least of his responsibilities to his large family—on his broad shoulders and his temper often gets the best of him. When he walks in on his grandmother, Miss Leona, the Pleasant clan’s matriarch, and her new beaux, August LeRoux, mid-tryst, he responds with irrational anger, pulling August off Miss Leona and accidentally breaking his wrist. This outburst earns him the ire of August’s no-nonsense daughter, Lily-Grace, who has no space in her life for belligerent men after leaving her career in male-dominated Silicon Valley. After confronting Jesse about his actions, she writes him off entirely—but as Jesse realizes he needs professional help coping with his anger management issues, Lily-Grace realizes there’s more to Jesse than meets the eye. Jesse’s trajectory is more fully realized than Lily-Grace’s career struggles, but it’s so refreshing to see a romance hero in therapy that many readers won’t mind the imbalance. The focus on mental health and emotional support makes this cute western rom-com sing. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. (Nov.)