What better way to get into the spirit of love than by cozying up with a nice Western romance book?
It’s the season of love, again. Time to break out the chocolate hearts and oversized teddy bears, nab a reservation to your favorite restaurant, and celebrate the person that makes your heart flutter. But don’t forget about self-love. Treat yourself this Valentine’s Day with one of these swoon-worthy Western romance books.
Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O’Connell
The queen of Western romance, you’re bound to have a good time with just about any Ellen O’Connell book you pick up. However, our personal favorite is the riveting action-romance novel, Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold. Set in Colorado in 1885, this story follows Anne Wells, a rebellious and occasionally unladylike young woman within a rigid and proper family. Her world is turned upside down when she has a run-in with Cord Bennett, a half-Cheyenne man who is also the embarrassment of his well-to-do family of ranchers and lawyers due to his mixed heritage. When Anne’s father finds the two alone together, his rage causes a violent incident that has the couple on the run from a sin they are not guilty of. The romance is passionate, the action heated, and the family dynamics as interesting as they are infuriating. This is a novel for those looking for a romance with a side of family feud.
Texas Destiny by Lorraine Heath
Yet another titan in the world of romance novels, Lorraine Heath has written her fair share of steamy Western love stories. Her most popular, the Texas Trilogy, consists of three intertwined romance novels weaving a tale of tangled love in the Old West. Texas Destiny, the trilogy’s first book, follows Miss Amelia Carson, a young mail-order wife from war-torn Georgia making her way to Fort Worth to meet hard-working and charismatic rancher Dallas Leigh, who wants to marry her. When Amelia steps off the train, it is not Dallas she is greeted by, but Houston — Dallas’ brother who has been tasked with accompanying her on the three-week trek to his ranch. Houston is the opposite of his brother in every way, physically and mentally scarred from the horrors he endured during the Civil War. As the two journey across the Texas plains, a forbidden connection begins to form. This is a slow burn love story for those who love some notes of historical fiction in their romance.
Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens
Another historical fiction, this tale follows a scrappy young orphan who finds her calling as a revenge-seeking gunslinger in the Wild West of 1877. Lucky Red follows 16-year-old Bridget as she is forced to strike out on her own against the unforgiving Kansas prairie after her bad-news alcoholic father is killed by a snakebite. Upon making it into Dodge City, she is recruited to work at the Buffalo Queen — a women-run brothel where she comes to appreciate the care and camaraderie of her fellow “sporting women.” However, when famed gunfighter Spartan Lee rides into town and makes Bridget swoon, leading to a series of double-crosses that pull the Buffalo Queen family apart, Bridget sets out on a quest for vengeance. Moreso an action-adventure novel with a romantic b-plot, this modern take on the classic gunslinger narrative is great for the gals who like a strong female heroine to root for.
The Tender Texan by Jodi Thomas
This Western romance book is a slow burn in the truest sense, following two unlikely lovers brought together by the harsh elements of the Texas wilderness. Anna Meyer posts an ad offering $100 to a cattleman who can help her build a homestead on the Texas frontier. A rugged cowboy named Chance Wyatt answers the call, offering to dedicate a year of his life to building a home with this stranger. The two vow a strictly professional relationship as they begin their project together. However, as Chance and Anna find themselves drawing closer to one another to protect against the savage land, they can’t help but acknowledge a mutual aching desire for connection. The often unforgiving and occasionally breathtaking Texas landscape plays a major role in this historical fiction, allowing the two reluctant love birds to open up to one another and hold each other close in order to weather the storm.
Unbreak Me by Michelle Hazen
Another slow burn romance, Unbreak Me focuses more on the emotional turmoil of painful memories than the physical turmoil of the harsh landscape. This Western romance novel follows two troubled souls as they are brought together by circumstance and compelled to lead each other through the healing process. Andra Lawler is a young woman who spends most of the time on her family’s horse ranch struggling with the memories of an assault she experienced in college. LJ Delisle is a Haitian-Creole cowboy haunted by memories of Hurricane Katrina and discrimination that seems to follow him everywhere. He is brought to Andra’s ranch to help her train her foals and keep her company through the summer. As LJ woos Andra with his big laugh and baking skills, Andra struggles between the guaranteed safety on her family ranch and the exciting adventure that might await her with LJ in New Orleans. This romantic drama covers deeper themes of trauma and healing while offering a gentle love story between two people weary but ready to open back up.
Lakota Dreaming by Constance Gillam
This novel juxtaposes its romance with a dose of suspense and mystery for a ride that thrills at every turn. Zora Hughes, a big-shot editor living in New York, can’t stop having dreams about a hidden ancestor — a young woman who fled from slavery and married the Sioux warrior that helped her to freedom. Upon her therapist’s suggestion, she travels to an Oglala reservation in South Dakota to try and learn more about her family’s past. There, she meets the initially skeptical and oddly magnetic reservation police offer John Iron Hawk, who grows to believe in and help Zora on her quest to unearth her family’s past. However, as her quest begins to touch on some elements of history that a certain villain would rather keep covered, Zora, John, and the entire community find themselves in danger. This book is for those who enjoy multiple elements intertwined with their romance, including action, mystery, suspense, and history.
The Wildest Ride by Marcella Bell
This one’s for the rodeo gals. The Wildest Ride frames up a reality TV-esque rivals-to-lovers tale set against the ever-competitive rodeo world. Undefeated rodeo champion AJ Garza was planning on a much-needed retirement, but the potential bankruptcy of the Houston rodeo program that saved him as a teenager has him back in the arena vying for a million-dollar prize at a closed-circuit rodeo tour. All seems to be shaping up as Garza hopes until Lilian Sorrow Island enters the scene. Lilian is a fiery Muskogee woman who enters the rodeo competition with the hopes of saving her family’s Oklahoma ranch. As the two rodeo athletes fight tooth and nail for the prize money, they can’t help but gravitate toward one another’s passionate drive and hidden tenderness. Their vicious rivalry gets a whole lot more complicated as they realize they just might be made for each other.
The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava
This hilarious and heartfelt tale has all the workings of a classic workplace rom-com — white lies, compromising positions, romantic tension, and spilled secrets. The Truth According to Ember follows Ember Lee Cardinal, a Chickasaw woman sick of the job search. Ember takes her fate into her own hands via a fabrication on her resume, giving her the benefit of the doubt that her white counterparts often receive. After landing her dream accounting job in Oklahoma City, she finds herself enthralled by the company’s IT guy and fellow Native Danuwoa Colson. Weary of the company’s no-dating-at-work policy, they start to see each other in secret. However, when a coworker catches them together while on a work trip and threatens to blackmail Ember with her true identity, Ember must choose what is more worth saving — her dream job or her dream man.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of publishing houses
