The Heart of a Cowboy by Jody Hedlund

With The Heart of a Cowboy, Jody Hedlund has crafted a sweet love story between a brilliant female scientist and a cowboy with a heart of gold.

Book Blurb

Brilliant scientist Linnea Newberry is on the adventure of a lifetime, traveling the Santa Fe Trail with her grandfather, Dr. Powell, on a botanical expedition to Colorado Territory. She longs to be taken seriously by the other team members, but at every calamity she faces, her grandfather threatens to send her home.

After watching his ma suffer and die in childbirth, Flynn McQuaid has sworn off women and marriage forever. Headed west to start a new life, he has his hands full not only taking care of his younger siblings but also delivering cattle to his brother. He doesn’t need more complications.

When Flynn rescues Linnea from drowning during a river crossing, Dr. Powell promptly hires Flynn–unbeknownst to Linnea–to act as her bodyguard for the rest of the trip. As Flynn fights against the many dangers of the trail, he soon finds himself in the greatest danger of all–falling for a woman he’s determined not to love.

My Thoughts

From the end of A Cowboy for Keeps, I was intrigued and excited about Flynn’s story. So when I had to opportunity to read The Heart of a Cowboy, I was stoked. And I was not disappointed.

Hedlund grabs you from the first line and pulls you into the story of the Santa Fe Trail. For those who love stories about wagon trains, you’ll definitely enjoy this one. Hedlund puts a nice twist on it, though, because Flynn and his crew aren’t traveling to Oregon but are driving cattle to his brother’s ranch in Colorado. And Linnea, a female botanist ahead of her time, is with an expedition studying plant life in the west. These two disparate agendas come together when Linnea’s grandfather asks Flynn to protect her. This creates one of the most unique plots I’ve ever read.

There is a lot of discussion about physical attraction, which may be off-putting to some readers. But Hedlund uses this to make an important point about boundaries Christians should not cross. I liked that the physical attraction isn’t the only thing that draws Linnea and Flynn to each other. They also enjoy talking to one another and appreciate aspects of each other’s personalities. For example, Linnea admires Flynn’s selflessness, and Flynn admires Linnea’s kindness and zest for life. This really rounds out their relationship.

A Cowboy for Keeps is still my favorite of the series, but then again, I’m a sucker for a good marriage of convenience story.

Overall, The Heart of a Cowboy is a sweet, original, and action-packed romance historical fans will love.

(Note: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher to review. I was not required to post a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.)

Further Information

To grab your copy of The Heart of a Cowboy, click the book image above to order it from your favorite retailer. 

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