Sixteen years ago, Jake Rollins left Happy, Texas for a life in rodeo … and broke Anna Connor’s heart when he called to tell her he married another woman.  Barely out of high school, pregnant and devastated, Anna accepted the help of Jake’s best friend, Carl, and they raised Jake’s daughter as their own.  Even though he never planned to come back home, one glimpse of Anna’s teenage daughter at a rodeo – a daughter that looks just enough like him to make him ask questions – has Jake back in Happy looking for answers from the widowed Anna.  As it becomes obvious that the pull is still there, can Jake convince Anna that he is worth a second chance?  And will their daughter accept the truth about her parents?

Even though I enjoyed Cowboy Come Home, I do think that a couple of conversations with a trained professional might have solved a lot of their problems.  I know they are from a small ranching town in Texas and cowboy pride probably runs deep but the issue of telling Leigh the truth (and of Anna forgiving Jake) probably should have had the help of a therapist.  She’s fifteen, of course she’s going to flip out and cause trouble.

But for me, this wasn’t the main drive of the book.  It’s about Leigh learning to let go of her past with Jake and moving past it, accepting him for who he is now and understanding that they were young and stupid before.  Even though Jake is older and a little wiser, he still has some growing up to do of his own and needs to accept some hard truths about himself and his family.  With the attraction between Anna & Jake is still strong after all their years apart, it’s that reconnection  that will draw readers in.

Although the plot isn’t anything new, fans of cowboy romances will appreciate how Gaddy brings to life enjoyable characters with a country flair.