Cowboys of Summer

by Mary Connealy

[phyllish]

I have found that some anthologies have one great author and a bunch of authors who do not write as well. Which means slogging through the okay stories or skipping after a chapter or two to get to the ones that are really worth reading. Cowboys of Summer is not that type of anthology. I enjoyed every one of the stories in this collection.

Dr. Tess and the Rancher by Mary Connealy

Nebraska

This story was completely different from the last book I read by Mary Conneally. It was humorous with some laugh-out-loud moments, and it was sweet. The details about the excavation that Tess was doing were quite interesting and I really appreciated the way the author managed to share just the right amount of information about paleontology in that region.

Hometown Girl by Cheryl St. John

Oklahoma

This was a heart-warming story of reconciliation and returning to the things that are truly important.

Lake Effect by Tina Radcliffe

Colorado

Reading Lake Effect left me with a smile on my face. This was a great summer read about a summer girl. Both Jessica and Tucker had been hurt in the past and need to find healing and learn to trust. This story had more of an inspirational bent than the others in this compilation.

His Lone Star Heart by Missy Tippens

Texas

Another big brother trying to protect his sister from his best friend. In this case, Nick might have a good reason to suspect Zeb of being a danger to his sister’s heart, because Zeb has a track record of not being able to commit to the women in his life. In this sweet romance, Zeb needs to learn to trust that God’s plans for Him are good and to get over his fears related to being passed from one foster care situation to the next.

Great Strides by Lorna Seilstad

Nebraska

“man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” I Sam 16:7 NKJV

Dana made a quick judgment when her friend approved having an ex-con do community service at the hippotherapy facility she founded, and determined that she would get rid of him as quickly as possible. Until she got to know him, see his kind heart, and was convicted about her snap judgement.

This was a very good story and was a great reminder that it is so important that we don’t hold a person’s past against them if they have repented and are walking with the Lord.

The Decoy Bride by Sherri Shackelford

Nebraska

Fun. Witty. Romantic. Sweet. The Decoy Bride was a pleasant quick read with an interesting plot and characters. My one complaint is that when Sterling was first introduced, his thoughts toward Paige made him seem like a playboy who slept around a lot. Later, that seemed contrary to his character. I think the author was trying to show that Paige brought out a different side of him, but it did not come across that way.

This review was originally posted on Among the Reads

I would like to thank Just Read Publicity Tours for giving me this copy of the book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.