The Heart of a Cowboy (Colorado Cowboys Book #2)

In The Heart of a Cowboy Jody Hedlund allows us to get to know the second McQuaid brother, Flynn, as well as younger siblings, Ivy and Dylan. Flynn is the perfect cowboy hero – ruggedly handsome, caring for others, brooding at times, and completely captivated by the red-haired beauty he is guarding. Linnea is not only pretty, but strong-willed and intelligent, the best match for Flynn, if he can just figure it out. Their relationship develops over time, not only a fiery romance, but a sweet friendship and respect as well. The secondary characters add to the reality of the story and are just as well written as the main characters. When Jody Hedlund tried her hand at historical cowboy romances, I knew she would do it up right. This series exceeds my expectations. Her balance between historical happenings, an unfolding love story, and exciting adventures is reader perfection. This is a book not to be missed. This book can be read as a stand-alone but reading the first book in the series would add to the understanding of the story and the characters. It’s also a very good book on its own. I was given a copy of this book by the author. All opinions stated are mine alone.

The Heart of a Cowboy is a fantastic story of daring rescues and sweeping romance that should not be missed by anyone who loves a good western! In this second installment of the Colorado Cowboys series, intelligent and independent Linnea meets strong and protective Flynn McQuaid when he saves her life on the trail out West. Linnea, a botanist, keeps running into trouble on her scientific expedition, so Flynn is secretly hired by Linnea’s grandfather to protect her as they travel together towards Colorado. Through the weeks of the trip, we see plenty of dashing rescues and romantic moments that made me want to swoon! However, I really appreciated the deeper spiritual element that Jody Hedlund brought to this story. Flynn battles some deep-seated fears of starting a family because of his mother’s death in childbirth, and he uses that fear to place barriers between him and Linnea. It is not very common to see a hero work through such crippling fear as a vital part of a plot, and I thought Jody Hedlund did a wonderful job of depicting Flynn’s battle to trust God and pursue a happy ending despite his own fear. I also loved how Jody Hedlund balanced chivalry and feminism in this story. She paired the intelligent and independent heroine with a strong hero who respects her intelligence but also strives to protect her. They work together to support each other, and it is a wonderful depiction of a relationship built on mutual respect and love. The character development in this book was excellent, and when you mix in some adventure and romance, it is the perfect recipe for another wonderful read by Jody Hedlund. I received a copy of this book from the publisher and author for review purposes, but my thoughts are my own. I really did love it!

The Heart of a Cowboy takes up right where A Cowboy for Keeps left off. As with the first book, I was swept up into the thrilling world of the American west, ripe with dangers and unexpected perils around every trail bend. This adventurous tale was fun, exciting and hard to put down once I’d begun! Author Jody Hedlund has certainly proven herself to be an excellent author of historical pioneer westerns. And that last chapter! I’m left excitedly looking forward to the next installment in her Colorado Cowboys series!