Wild Ride Cowboy

Yates’s ninth Copper Ridge novel (after Down Home Cowboy) is full of plausible characters faced with relatable problems. Alex Donnelly has come to Copper Ridge, Ore., to claim his inheritance with his brothers and keep a promise to a military buddy who was killed in combat. Before Jason Campbell died, he asked Alex to help his sister, Clara Campbell, keep their family ranch running. Clara is reluctant to accept Alex’s help, though the ranch is struggling and the unpaid bills are piling up. She’s currently infatuated with a local barista, but she notices how solid and dependable Alex is. Clara and Alex gradually realize and succumb to their mutual attraction, but he’s reluctant to continue their relationship, as he’s convinced he has nothing to offer her. Yates makes it easy to believe in the magnetism between Alex and Clara as they come to understand the power and meaning of real love. (Sept.)