A Cowboy's Touch by Denise Hunter

First of all, this story pairs up two of my favorite things: my favorite author and cowboys. *grin* Let's begin with the summary of this Women of Faith novel:

Abigail is just in Moose Creek, Montana for the summer to temporarily care for her great aunt. But a tender-hearted cowboy beckons her to stay.

Abigail Jones intends to spend just one summer in middle-of-nowhere Montana with her Aunt Lucy. Time away from her job is just what Abigail needs to reassess her life. The slow pace has her breathing deeply for the first time in years. And the majestic scenery encourages her to get reacquainted with herself . . . and God.

What she didn't count on was the handsome widowed cowboy who owns the ranch where her aunt lives. When the rancher loses his daughter's nanny, Abigail decides to lend a hand for the summer.

Wade Ryan can't help being attracted to Abigail. But he's given up everything to protect his daughter, and he's not about to risk it all on a pretty face.

Under Abigail's care, Wade's home and daughter thrive. And with Wade's touch, Abigail's heart feels at home at last. But Abigail knows this elusive rancher is hiding something. Will her own secrets separate her from the cowboy who finally captured her heart?

And now, my review:

Our widower hero has a policy—don’t touch, especially where women are concerned. And there are plenty of single women in town who would love to dance with him or get close. He even holds himself back from relating with his daughter. Until our heroine steps into his life. She’ll nanny for him, point out his daughter’s needs, and then test his policy. In order to protect his daughter, our hero resists a relationship with the heroine—which is quite difficult—and he’ll be especially regretful when he learns her secret.

Romance readers will love this story. I liked how the author zeroed in on relationships more than ranching, but she gave the touch of realism to the story through her depiction of ranch life. The characters seemed real, relatable, and likable.

The other satisfying element of this story was the focus on redemption and how we cannot redeem ourselves. Both characters fought demons of self-doubt paired with regrets, both were trying to atone for their own mistakes. The heroine in the story calls herself the Truthseeker, but she's avoiding Jesus, the Truth. Loved how Denise tied this element in by glorifying and pointing toward Him.

I also loved the way the author wrapped up the story. Looking forward to the next book in this
series!

This Thomas Nelson novel releases April 1, 2011.

Highly recommended.