Review – The Love Of A Cowboy (Callister #1) by Anna Jeffrey

Description:
Texas widow Dahlia Montgomery has traveled to Idaho to find peace for her troubled soul.Luke McRae has traveled to town to argue with the Forest Service. When Luke, a man with plenty of troubles of his own, accidentally crashes into her and knocks her to the floor in the Forest Service offices, neither of them suspects it’s a life-altering moment. In the ensuing summer, , they each find something in each other they hadn’t expected, but a satisfying resolution is a journey.

This book was recommended to me by a friend on Facebook. I’ve never read this author before but I bought it on her recommendation and in the process I discovered another author whose work I enjoy. The Love of a Cowboy by Anna Jeffery is about two women who travel from Texas to Idaho to be surveyors for the U.S. Forest Service for the summer. They soon find out that summer in Idaho is a lot different from Texas and being “outsiders” in a small community isn’t easy.

Dahlia Montgomery has had a rough couple of years; she’s buried her husband, dealt with a bankruptcy, and moved back “home” to live and work with her Dad. To be honest her life is in a holding pattern and she really doesn’t have any idea how to move forward. Shortly after arriving in Callister, Idaho she’s pretty sure this summer job is the worst decision she’s made in a long time.

Luke McRae has lived the majority of his life in Callister. He’s in charge of his family’s ranch and assorted businesses. He’s divorced and has three children; two teenage girls and a seven year old son who is disabled. His life is busy between his business obligations, his family, and dealing with his crazy ex-wife. He doesn’t have time for socializing and conducts his “affairs” away from town although the town is more than happy to talk about “all the women” he’s had.

When Luke literally bumps into Dahlia it’s obvious that there is awareness on both their parts, but they both brush it off and move on. They wind up meeting a couple of more times and then Luke starts asking Dahlia out. She resists and personally I can’t say I blame her because Luke is about as far from a silver tongue cowboy as you can get. At times I wonder if he’s dense, egotistical, or just born in a barn. Some of the things that come out of his mouth and me thinking, “did he really just say that to her”? Eventually they end up in the same place at the same time and start an intensely physical relationship. Throughout their association Dahlia begins to develop feelings for Luke even though she knows it’s not smart and she’ll be leaving soon. It’s obvious Luke feels something for Dahlia but when they are confronted by his meddling and overbearing parents, things begin to unravel pretty quickly.

So much happens in this story and I found myself wondering what else was going to be thrown at this couple. Never in recent memory have I read a book where a couple has to endure so much to be together. Both of these characters are strong and determined and if they weren’t there is no way they would have been able to work through it all to be together. I very much enjoyed The Love Of a Cowboy and found it hard to put down because I really wanted to know what was going to happen next. This is not a light and fluffy romance book, yes there is romance and sex in this book, but it is about relationships (good and bad), family responsibilities, loss, healing, and eventually trusting your instincts to do what is best for you. Anyone who has ever had to endure the bad to get to the good will appreciate what this couple goes through to find their happily ever after.

4.5 Stars