No Getting Over a Cowboy

Fossen’s second Wrangler’s Creek contemporary (after Those Texas Nights) reunites long-parted lovers at a complicated time in their lives. When Garrett Granger finds widowed Nicky Marlow and her young daughter, Kaylee, renting his great-grandfather’s old house, he wonders whether he’s being punished for his past sins—specifically, for dumping Nicky a month after becoming her first lover and taking up with the woman who would later marry him, cheat on him, and break his heart. Their reunion is far from peaceful, not least because it’s accompanied by several members of Nicky’s widows’ support group (a lively, eccentric bunch whose ages span decades), a possible murder, the appearance of Garrett’s ex-wife, and his mother’s matchmaking efforts. There are plenty of secrets, but none juicy enough to justify Nicky’s refusal to be honest with Garrett. Even after they’ve grown closer, she repeatedly runs from him and leaves him to be shocked by her actions, which undermines her claims that she’s grown a spine. Adorable Kaylee and Nicky’s feisty best friend steal the spotlight. Given the unbelievable story, readers should warm up so they’re prepared to stretch their imaginations. (Apr.)