Mail Order Cowboy

James charms in her fourth return to tiny Wishing River, Mont. (after Wishing for a Cowboy). Widow Hope Roberts balances raising her nine-year-old daughter, Sadie, with running her naturopathic clinic and fixing up the ranch she inherited from her late husband’s grandparents and has no idea how to run. For years, she’s blamed local physician (and heir apparent to a huge ranch) Dean Stanton for her husband’s untimely death—but she’s got her facts wrong. Meanwhile, Dean has worshipped Hope from afar for years, and, after her sole ranch hand quits, he offers to help out. Their enemies-to-lovers romance blossoms with the full support of Hope’s daughter, but Dean’s avaricious father doesn’t think Hope is good enough for his son and throws obstacles in their path. James convincingly illustrates the couple’s deep love and individual dilemmas, making it easy to root for them to find their happy ending. She also finds plenty of room for laughs amid the more serious subject matter of grief and healing, including a scene wherein Dean describes performing open-heart surgery on an American Girl doll. This appealing love story adds a sparkling new dimension to Wishing River’s small community. Agent: Louise Fury, Bent Agency. (Jan.)