Book picks similar to
How to Handle a Cowboy by Joanne Kennedy


romance
western
contemporary-romance
contemporary

The Littlest Cowboy


Maggie Shayne - 1996
    So when a baby lands on the doorstep of the Texas Brand, his first question is which younger brother is in for a butt-kicking? But the little fellow isn't named after Ben, or Wes, or Adam, or Elliot. The little feller is named after him – Garrett Ethan Brand–according to the note his mama left behind.He’s still racking his brain to figure it all out, when a woman shows up at the ranch in the dead of night, spitting, fighting mad, and accusing Garrett of murdering her sister and stealing the baby!Chelsea is confused, heartbroken, and too mad to think straight, and the same trouble that found her poor sister is right on her tail. But of all the places she and the baby could've wound up, Garrett thinks this ranch is the best one.Because this is one family that knows how to pull together and trouble doesn't stand a chance against The Brands of Texas.

Morning Comes Softly


Debbie Macomber - 1993
    Never before has she done anything so reckless, casting the only life she knows aside to travel to a strange place and marry a man she's never met. But something about this man calls to her—and she knows this may be her very last chance at happiness.Tragedy made Travis Thompson the guardian of three orphaned children—and determination leads him to do whatever it takes to keep the kids out of foster homes. When he decides to take a long shot on a personals ad, the results are surprising, and before he knows it, he has agreed to marry a mysterious Southern woman sight unseen.It could be the mistake of a lifetime. But Mary Warner may be exactly what this broken family needs. And with a little faith, a little trust, and a lot of love, two lonely hearts might just discover the true meaning of miracles.

To Love a Texas Cowboy


Julie Benson - 2015
    Then she meets Ella’s financial guardian, Ty Barnett, a handsome hardworking rancher, with his own ideas on child rearing. Ty and Cassie clash over almost everything, especially Ella, but when two people have the welfare of one child at heart, suddenly they find themselves looking at each other in a whole new light… Will Ty make room for another lady in his life? And will Cassie allow herself to love a Texas cowboy?

Soldier's Duty


Elle James - 2019
    Angus McKinnon, the oldest, had just completed his fourth deployment with the elite Delta Forces when he was called home. He ended his Army career to return to the family ranch and help his mother. He was supposed to come back and marry his girlfriend, but she hadn’t waited for him. After he left to join the military, she left, too. Regret burns hot in Angus over leaving his military career and brothers in arms, as well as for losing the girl he loved. Bree Lansing was brokenhearted when Angus left to join the military. Though she promised to wait for his return on leave, fate played an evil hand. During a confrontation with her stepfather in the barn, he fell and she left vowing never to return. Later she learned the barn burned with her stepfather in it. Bree moves to Alaska and starts a new life there. She refuses to regret her stepfather’s death, but fears returning to Montana, afraid she’ll be charged with killing him. When her mother falls ill, Bree must return home and face her guilt and fear while keeping the man she once loved at a distance. She can’t let him close when her secrets could ruin her life and his by association. With Bree back in town, Angus dares to dream of a happily-ever-after. If only he can convince her that he never stopped loving her, even though she didn’t wait. What he doesn’t understand is how accident-prone she’s become since she’s returned. When the accidents turn near deadly, he pulls Bree into his protective embrace. Sparks fly and the years melt away, leaving their emotions fiery and raw. Someone is trying to kill Bree, but perhaps more troubling is the desire building between them, hotter than even in their teenaged years. Together, they fight to keep Bree alive and discover the culprit behind the attacks. In the process, they unearth a clue about the disappearance of the Iron Horse patriarch.

Waltz Back to Texas


M.J. Fredrick - 2012
     After growing up in a dying town, with only two restaurants, no movie theater, and no future, waitress Cassidy Simon wants out. For once, luck is on her side when the oil boom comes to South Texas. She’s determined to use it for her advantage, starting up an RV park for the oilfield workers to add to her escape fund. She’s never been out of Texas, and she’s itching for adventure. Grady McKenna couldn’t get away from his family’s ranch fast enough when he was a teenager, but a tour in the Air Force in the Middle East is enough to convince him there’s no place like home. He’s seen the world, had his adventure. Now he’s ready to contribute to his family’s legacy in Evansville. Naturally, the woman who draws his attention is the one intent on slipping through his fingers. How can he convince her life with him will be all the adventure she needs?

Spurs & Stilettos


Ashley Johnson - 2013
    That was, until her best friend drug her down to the rodeo to help clear her head.It was there where she met Wesley. A sexy, sweet talking cowboy. For the first time in months Hope felt a glimmer hope at the end of a very long, dark, tunnel…Wesley Tyler was a bronc rider who owned two national titles and was riding his way to the next.The day he met Hope, he knew he wanted her in his life. However, he soon discovers that Hope carries ghosts with her she can’t quite shake, and her past seems to have a death grip on her.Does Wesley hold the key to helping her overcome it all? Can he win her over?Or will her past continue to haunt her…Forever…

Jenna's Cowboy


Sharon Gillenwater - 2010
    A partner on her father's successful ranch, she is surrounded by family and friends. But she never expected to see Nate Langley back in town—the first guy she ever noticed, the one her father sent away all those years ago.And she never thought the attraction they felt would be as strong as ever.Jenna's cowboy has some healing of his own to do, though, after two tours of duty in the armed forces. With the help of good friends, strong faith, and a loving family, he hopes to put the horrors of the past behind him—and become the man Jenna deserves.

Wind River Wrangler


Lindsay McKenna - 2016
    . .  From the moment  Roan Taggart picked up the pretty redhead at the Jackson Hole airport, his training and experience told him she was spooked. She’s left New York City to visit the Wind River Ranch, where Roan is a wrangler, and just as he can pick up a horse’s mood, he can feel the tension coming off her body.  And that vulnerability is triggering all his protective instincts...   Shiloh Gallagher likes the gray-eyed cowboy’s dry humor—and the Special Forces background that lends him a stoic, powerful presence. But she’s been scarred by trauma and her mother’s murder . . . and knows a strong man can be dangerous. She came to wide-open Wyoming to flee a threat that’s left her unable to write her novels. Now, as she rides horses with Roan and helps him build an isolated cabin, she’s slowly letting down her guard. But danger has followed her west, and they won’t have a future together unless they defeat a killer from her past…

8 Second Decision


H.J. Bellus - 2015
    He’s blessed with his granddaddy’s love of the ranch yet haunted with chasing that gold buckle eight seconds at a time. Tensions are high on the ranch when circumstances threaten to take it under. His dad and brothers pressure him to stay home and become an active cowboy on the ranch. However, Merek is addicted to the road and rodeo. He’s home anytime he can be and provides plenty of money to keep the family ranch afloat, but sometimes it takes more than what’s in the bank to protect tradition. Now home on a three-month break, Merek finds himself all tied up with the new girl in town. She’s quiet and reserved but there’s something about Challis’ green eyes and feisty attitude that makes her irresistible. When he runs into her at a rodeo and catches a glimpse of her on horseback all hopes of leaving her alone flies out the window. There are several rumors floating around town about her, however that doesn’t stop Merek from going after what he wants. He knows she’s off limits and only full of trouble, but Merek thrives on trouble and adrenaline. Then the road calls again and it’s time to leave. Eight SecondsGold BucklesAnd the high…What will he choose?

Wanted!


Vicki Lewis Thompson - 2010
    After escaping the engagement from hell, she's dying to break loose and live a little. And seducing a shirtless, sweaty cowhand looks like just the place to start.Nick Chance isn't exactly a cowhand but, hey, he'll be whatever the lady wants! Only he soon realizes that this is more than just a quick roll in the hay. There's something about Dominique that calls to him, something about her that completes him.There's only one problem. Dominique wants a fling, not another relationship.Little does she guess how easily she'll be persuaded to take a Chance -- again and again and again!

Second Chance Cowboy


Rhonda Lee Carver - 2010
    On the eve of their divorce, however, Carly takes a stroll down memory lane and calls Chance.A passionate one night stand between the two is shattered by cruel light of morning. With reality having set back in, Carly admits to Chance she made a mistake, forcing him to come to grips that there is no hope left for their marriage. Fate has other plans for them. Carly’s fall down some stairs leaves her with amnesia…but that’s only the start of it. Can deception bring a second chance at love or will it forever destroy an already broken marriage?

Dodge the Bullet


Christy Hayes - 2011
    But Sarah doesn’t know a Colorado Senator has earmarked her ranch for purchase and he’ll do anything to get it. Unwilling to sell, she dismisses his continued offers and moves ahead by improving the land with the help of a sexy stranger. A.J. Dodge is a man with a past. He’s returned to his hometown ready to set down roots and make things right with his family and whatever anyone else thinks he doesn’t give a damn. Until his old friend Tommy Thornton asks a favor, a favor he can’t refuse, and Dodge becomes involved with the beautiful widow Sarah Woodward. She’s alone with her young sons on a dilapidated ranch she’s determined to get up and running with or without his help. Under pressure to deliver the Woodward ranch to a land developer with shady connections, the senator sets in motion a dangerous plot to convince Sarah to sell. Dodge will risk everything to protect Sarah and the boys including his heart.

Wild Card


Karina Halle - 2017
    Rough, raw & rugged.As the man in charge at Ravenswood Ranch, Shane Nelson has never been afraid to get his hands dirty. His sculpted physique isn't the product of a gym, but of years of hard labor under a relentless sun. His straightforward, alpha tendencies come from a man who knows what he wants and goes after it.And what he wants is Rachel Waters.He's never stopped wanting her.They were childhood best friends, then teenage lovers who evolved into soulmates. But on one fateful night, Shane made a grave mistake, breaking both their hearts in the process.Now, after six years, Rachel is back in the small, wild mountain town of North Ridge, BC.Ready to face her past.Ready to face Shane.Ready to face his dark secret.But is a second-chance at a one true love in the cards? Or will their wild hearts be broken once again?WILD CARD is a complete standalone novel and the first book about the Nelson brothers of North Ridge.

The Cowboy Takes a Bride


Kristi Rose - 2017
    To escape her father she'll need a protector. Love will only complicate their marriage of convenience. She’s on the run… A tyrannical father. A life she hates and doesn’t control. Freedom for socialite Meredith Hanover is not a luxury she has. When given an opportunity to become a modern-day mail-order bride to a rancher in rural Wyoming, she realizes this might be her only opportunity at a fresh start. He’s determined to stay… Jace Shepard’s dying father gave him two options: get married and take over the ranch or be cut out of the will. But life on the ranch is hard and isolating, something the previous women of his life couldn’t hack. With no other solution, he strikes a deal with a professional matchmaker for a temporary bride.The plan is foolproof. A bargain struck. Everyone wins in this ruse of fake love. Yet, if they're both pretending why does it feel so real?  Is Meredith ready to gamble away the freedom she’s always wanted and give her heart to the family-oriented rancher? Jace knows it’s only a matter of time before Meredith tires of ranching’s hard lifestyle and trades him in for her old-cushy life. Why should he trust his heart to her? Read more novels from USA Today Bestselling author Kristi Rose The Wyoming Matchmaker Series: The Cowboy Takes A BrideThe Cowboy's Make Believe BrideThe Cowboy's Runaway Bride The No Strings Series: The Girl He KnowsThe Girl He NeedsThe Girl He Wants The Coming Home Series:  Second ChancesOnce AgainReason to StayHe's the OneKiss Me Again  Meryton Matchmakers: A Pride and Prejudice Retelling Book 1: Lottie Pursues BillBook 2: Mary Captures Colonel FitzwilliamBook 3: Lydia Wins WickhamBook 4: Jane Adores BingelyBook 5: Darcy Ardently Loves Elizabeth Book 6: Honeymoon Postponed (A Mr.& Mrs. Darcy Adventure)

Nothing But Trouble


Lisa Mondello - 1999
    So she strikes a deal. She has to spend a full month in the Wyoming wilderness and show her father she can handle being in a remote area while managing her Type 1 diabetes before he'll agree to fund the expedition to Africa and allow her to go. But her daddy isn't the only one convinced she'll fail... But she's not about to let any man underestimate what she can do. Especially not the sexy rodeo cowboy she's hired to help get her through the month in the wilderness.Yes, he knows what he's doing. But so does she! Yes, he's ruggedly handsome...well, he can't help that, can he? But no sexy cowboy is going to keep her down!Stoney Buxton needs to raise cash fast to save the family ranch after a barn fire injured his father and left the family finances in ruin. Re-entering the rodeo circuit seems like the best way to get the money he needs. That is until Melanie Summers shows up at his ranch flashing easy money. To everyone else, Melanie's offer seems like the answer to all his prayers. But one look at her long legs and pouting lips and Stoney knows this high society gal is going to be nothing but trouble...for his cowboy heart.Excerpt:His jaw tightened. Yes, there was something definitely wrong here. And money had nothing to do with it. It had everything to do with this beauty standing in front of him, who was clueless about what she was getting her pretty little hide into. "No," he replied tersely."Mr. Buxton, I need your help.""Tourist season is in full swing. I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding someone else." He turned his back to her and began walking along the fence toward the barn, almost forgetting... Abruptly, he glanced up and saw the charred remains of the barn. The place where all his troubles had started just one year ago. It hadn't taken but a second for him to hear her boots digging into the dusty gravel behind him, jarring him from his thoughts."Then I'll do it myself," she said to his back.His whole body stiffened. He angled back to read her face, to see if she was just being a spoiled rotten rich kid, trying to get her way, or if she was actually serious. Seeing her head held high and her arms crossed in front of her, he realized she was dead serious. And dead she'd be if she stepped one boot into those mountains alone."You'll do no such thing." Frustration flaring, he lifted his dusty hat and forced his fingers through the thick crop of black hair before returning the hat to his head. "You just don't get it, do you? You're not asking me to take you on a theme park ride where you'll get to see the wonders of the world at a nice safe distance. This is God's country. The creatures that live up there don't know civilization, and you are no better than them. You could--probably will--get killed if you go out there alone." His lips twitched, taking a good long appraising look at the woman in front of him. "You might even chip a nail on that pretty hand of yours."