Carrying the mantle of responsibility for her flighty younger sister’s wellbeing and that of her little nephew, horse trainer and magazine columnist Annie Wilkerson reaches breaking point when her Montana Living equine column is cancelled. Out of her depth, but with little choice, Annie accepts the offer of writing a lovelorn column instead, placing her at the mercy of the one man she has avoided at all costs – ladies’ man Dylan Taylor.

Dylan can’t work out exactly what it is that Annie holds against him, but she is the one woman in town he can’t seem to impress. Dylan needs Annie’s expertise to help his beloved horse whose health is deteriorating, he strikes a deal with the reluctant woman to provide advice for her column in exchange for her equine training skills.

As Annie and Dylan work together, Annie begins to see another side to the cowboy she has despised but as her ability to control her circumstances and her changing feelings for Dylan, Annie discovers that letting go of her fears is not so simple and she wonders if her faith is up to the test.

Contemporary romance specialist Denise Hunter concludes her Big Sky series with The Trouble with Cowboys, another engaging story of a handsome cowboy and the woman afraid to love him.  There are plenty of sparks in this novel as Dylan sets his sights on Annie from the beginning, his confidence and charm apparent, especially when compared to Annie’s other potential love interest. Annie paints all cowboys with the same brush ~ incurable flirts who refuse to commit ~ and Dylan’s behaviour reinforces her view. While Dylan and Annie have appealing characteristics, her prejudices and Dylan’s flirtatious behaviour seem more teenage angst than mature adult. The discussions between the two when preparing responses for the advice column were pivotal to Annie’s changing perception of Dylan, yet lacked the detail and depth I’ve come to expect from Denise. Those looking for a lighthearted romance with sweet characters will not be disappointed in The Trouble with Cowboys. Despite this one not being a favourite of mine, Denise remains one of the première writers of contemporary inspirational romance without question, and I will eagerly await Barefoot Summer the first in her new Chapel Springs romance series, releasing in July, 2013.

Relz Reviewz Extras
Character spotlight on Dylan
Reviews of A Cowboy’s Touch, The Accidental Bride, Smitten, Driftwood Lane, Seaside Letters, Surrender Bay, The Convenient Groom and Sweetwater Gap
Character spotlight on Jake
Character spotlight on Sabrina & Tucker (Seaside Letters)
Interview with Denise
Visit Denise’s website and blog
Buy The Trouble with Cowboys at Amazon or Koorong