Counting on a Cowboy

Richardson returns to the quaint small town of Star Valley, Wyo., in her stirring follow-up to Betting on a Good Luck Cowboy. After yoga instructor Lyric Valenza’s marriage to bronc buster Luke Copeland turns violent, she returns to her adoptive hometown and vows never to get too close to a man again—not even attractive Navy SEAL turned aspiring rodeo star Thatch Hearst. Then Thatch decides to try yoga to improve his flexibility, and the pair grow closer. Worried that one of her high school yoga students may be ensnared in an abusive relationship, Lyric persuades Thatch to keep an eye on the girl’s boyfriend. After Lyric and Thatch are mistaken for a couple, they decide to go along with it so they can go on a double date with the teens and observe their dynamic. Fake dating inevitably leads to real feelings, but when Lyric learns her ex-husband is set to compete in Star Valley’s Rodeo Days, the fear and pain she thought she’d overcome come flooding back. Richardson sensitively handles the topic of domestic violence and its long-term effects on survivors, and watching resilient yet cautious Lyric learn to trust a man again provides a powerful emotional payoff. Fans of emotional cowboy romance will not be disappointed. (Feb.)