The following twenty romance novels about cowboys are can’t-miss, one-of-a-kind reads that you’ll want to check out sooner rather than later. They will rope you right in!
Cowboy romance, otherwise known as Western romance, is a timeless subgenre that takes many forms — there truly is a cowboy romance for everyone! From contemporary cowboys in big-city settings to tales of danger and suspense set in the Old West, there’s no end to where your Western reading journey can take you.
Cowboys make for memorable literary heroes, and with a smart and witty heroine at their side, the warmth and heat practically leap off the pages. If you love gruff heroes, rural settings, or unexpected romance, then Western romance is sure to become your top genre in no time.
Best Cowboy Romance Novels
Billion Dollar Cowboy by Carolyn Brown
Internationally bestselling author Carolyn Brown delights readers once again with Billion Dollar Cowboy, the first installation in her thrilling four-book Cowboys & Brides series.
Set on a small-town ranch in Texas, Billion Dollar Cowboy introduces Colton Nelson, a ranch owner and recent lottery winner who is desperate to keep gold diggers away from him and his fortune. He recruits Laura Baker, a plucky ranch hand, to enter a fake relationship with him — but neither of them is ready for what will happen when real feelings enter the mix.
Montana Sky is Nora Roberts at her best — moving characters, heart-pounding romance, and beautifully crafted writing that sweeps readers up like no other.
Jack Mercy passed away, leaving behind a ranch that’s worth nearly twenty million dollars, and he’s leaving it all to his three daughters. But there’s a catch — none of his daughters know that each other exists, and they all have to live on the ranch for a year to inherit the money. Heartfelt drama and romantic mishaps are bound to follow — can the three sisters learn what it means to be family before it’s too late?
Elsie Silver writes sweet and sexy small-town romances with a whole lot of heart, and Flawless is no exception.
Rhett and Summer’s romance is unexpected, off-limits, and full of undeniable chemistry. Rhett is a professional bull-rider known for breaking rules, and Summer is his agent’s daughter, who’s supposed to be keeping him out of trouble. What could possibly go wrong?
You can buyFlawless here, and make sure to check out the next three books in the Chestnut Springs series for more sizzling small-town romance.
Off-Limits Cowboy by Kristine W. Joy
Kristine W. Joy’s Off-Limits Cowboy is a cute and charming rom-com read with a delicious Western twist!
Carson is a single dad and ranch owner, and Emma is his best friend’s younger sister. He’s always known that she’s off-limits, but when coincidence (or fate) brings her to his ranch to stay, he’s not sure how long he can go without making a move.
Rowdy cowboys and old-fashioned Western charm line the pages of Lauren Landish’s Buck Wild, the first in the must-read Bennet Boys Ranch series.
James Bennet is a rodeo cowboy with a rebellious streak, and Sophie Stone is a veterinarian-in-training with enough feist to match James’s hotheadedness. They challenge each other, attract each other, and embark on a summer fling worth remembering — but what happens when the summer is over?
You can buy Buck Wild here, and make sure to check out the next two additions in the Bennet Boys Ranch series to get your bad boy fix.
Smooth-Talking Cowboy by Maisey Yates
Smooth-Talking Cowboy by Maisey Yates is a can’t-miss series debut that’s full of swoon-worthy heroes, fast-talking heroines, and idyllic rural settings.
Meet Olivia Logan: all she wanted was a foolproof way to win back her ex, and entering a fake relationship with a handsome local cowboy is sure to do the trick. Luke Hollister plays along with Olivia’s fake dating idea — mostly to win the good graces of his father.
Things get complicated when Luke starts to realize that Olivia getting back with her ex is the last thing he wants. He wants her by his side, but will he be able to convince her that he’s looking for something real before it’s too late?
Jessie Gusman’s The Cowboy’s Best Friend is Western romance at its finest — with a sweet slow-burn love story that’s bound to leave readers swooning.
Meet Palmer: he’s desperate to save his beloved ranch from financial ruin, but he can’t claim his billion-dollar inheritance until he’s officially married. He’s been pining after his best friend, Ames, which she knows nothing about — so she offers to help him find a wife, even though it pains her to think about him with somebody else.
Can Palmer and Ames see the truth in each other’s eyes before it’s too late? Or will they miss their chance at happily-ever-after?
Maggie Osborne is a critically acclaimed writer of numerous historical fiction novels, and her foray into Western romance with The Promise of Jenny Jones is lauded as one of her best works.
After a tragic and untimely death, six-year-old Graciela is left in the charge of Jenny Jones, a tough and tenacious young woman with little experience taking care of anyone, let alone being a mother. Jenny sets out to get Graciela to California safely, with many ill-intended individuals in pursuit, and a run-in with the ruggedly handsome cowboy Ty Sanders along their journey.
If you’re looking for a sweet contemporary romance in a sizzling Western setting, then Debra Holt’s True Blue Cowboy is the right book for you.
Chance and Josie have been friends — just friends — for as long as either of them can remember, and Chance has always wished for more. Josie, however, had fallen for Chance’s brother years before, and he had left her lonely and heartbroken.
Years have passed, and Chance and Josie finally have a chance to be together as more than friends — but will they ever be able to get the timing right?
You can buy True Blue Cowboy here, and make sure to check out the next two books in the Blood Brothers series for more of your reading pleasure.
Knotted by Pam Godwin
Knotted by Pam Godwin is a dark and steamy romance read with a dominant cowboy and his second-chance lover at its center.
Jake Holsten grew up with Conor — she was his first kiss and his first love until a violent tragedy ripped Conor away from him. Years pass before Conor returns, but Jake is a different man than he used to be. One thing remains the same: he wants Conor all for himself.
Montana Sanctuary is a beautifully co-written small-town romance that’s deeply moving and full of heart.
When Evelyn Taylor flees to the Resting Warrior Ranch, she’s hiding from the wounds of her past. What she doesn’t expect is that her past will follow her.
Lucas Everett created the ranch for training emotional support animals, but when Evelyn shows up he knows that he wants to protect her too — no matter what it takes.
Hilarious banter and deliciously hot chemistry line the pages of Melissa Cutler’s entertaining series debut, One Hot Summer.
Meet Remedy Lane: she’s a celebrity wedding planner in the heart of Hollywood until a glitzy scandal sends her packing to the middle of Texas. She lands a job at Briscoe Ranch and gets to know Micah Garrity, the town’s rugged fire chief.
Sparks are quickly flying, but Remedy and Micah are from worlds apart — could something real ever truly work between them?
Sable Hunter writes sexy cowboys and sweet heroines like no other, and Cowboy Heat is her work at its finest.
Aron McCoy has sworn off women for good until he meets Libby Fontaine and his world is turned on its head. The pair are instantly attracted to each other, but Aron is determined to hold himself back when he discovers how innocent Libby is — but when he finds out how much she wants him, too, he just might change his mind.
Linda Lael Miller’s Big Sky Country is a sweeping romance with twists and turns that are bound to keep you hooked!
Set in the small town of Parable, Montana, Big Sky Country follows the love story of rodeo queen Joslyn Kirk and single dad Sheriff Slade Barlow. Slade and Joslyn knew each other many years ago, and this second chance at romance could be too good to be true — but neither of them is giving up this time around.
If you’re looking for trope-driven romance with a charming Western touch, then look no further than Max Monroe’s delightful rom-com read Grumpy Cowboy.
When Leah agrees to help her boss out by heading to his son’s ranch and giving him medical care, she was expecting a working vacation at best. She wasn’t prepared for Rhett to be this attractive.. or this stubborn… or quite so caring to his five-year-old daughter. She certainly wasn’t expecting to fall for him — but life is full of surprises, right?
Kate Pearce’s The Reluctant Cowboy is a thrilling, genre-bending romance with a classic Western love story at its center.
Chase Morgan ran away from his ranching life years ago, but when his grandmother calls him back to the ranch, he reluctantly returns. His grandmother isn’t the only person living at the ranch these days: the bright and determined grad student January Mitchell is determined to revive the ranch, and she’s certain she can win Chase over — and hopefully win his heart in the process.
Vivian Arend’s Rocky Mountain Heat is a must-read, steamy cowboy romance that kicks off her fan-favorite Six Pack Ranch series.
Meet Blake Coleman: he’s the oldest of six, and he’s had a long-time thing for the girl-next-door, Jaxi. He keeps his distance out of respect, but when his younger brothers try their hand at winning Jaxi’s heart, Blake knows he needs to fight for what — and who — he wants, before it’s too late.
If you’re looking for a lighthearted, fluffy novel with a moving romance at its core, then look no further than Cindi Madsen’s Country Hearts.
Jemma Monroe and Wyatt Langford meet by chance when his horse shows up at her house, but fate brings them together again — Jemma is the new schoolteacher, and Wyatt’s daughter is in her class. Wyatt is a single dad who hasn’t loved anybody since his wife left him, but he finds himself drawn to Jemma. Will he find it in himself to take a chance on love?
Prepare for a heartwarming reading experience like no other when you delve into Hanna Hart’s charming series debut, A Nanny for the Grumpy Cowboy.
Drake Rolston is in desperate need of a new nanny, and Freddie Dover is the last girl on earth he would’ve chosen for the position — but he doesn’t have much of a choice in the matter. To make matters worse, he and Freddie are set up on a blind date together. Imagine his surprise when sparks begin flying, and he’s forced to realize that there’s more to this nanny than he might have initially imagined.
Country Music Cowboy by Sasha Summers is an enchanting Western romance, filled to the brim with lively music, lovable characters, and a whole lot of heart.
The novel follows country music star Travis King and the ice-cold vocalist Loretta Gram — they’re asked to perform together, and they both reluctantly agree for the good of their careers.
Travis and Loretta are polar opposites: he’s a known playboy, and she’s grieving the loss of her original singing partner. But the more the pair gets to know each other, the more they realize that they’re not so different at all. Will Travis find his place as Loretta’s forever cowboy? Or will their differences tear them — and their music — apart forever?
Cowboy romance, more commonly known as Western romance, is a literary subgenre with a rural or Western setting and a romantic pairing at the story’s center.
Who is the best Western romance author?
It is difficult to narrow down to just one — however, if you’re looking for a good place to start, the above twenty authors have all written excellent, readable Western romances that you’re sure to find entertaining.
What are cowboy books called?
Books featuring a cowboy (or cowboys) as a lead character are typically grouped under the Western fiction genre.
Do people still read Western novels?
Although the popularity of the Western genre had declined for quite some time, there are still many modern authors writing excellent Western historical fiction novels and contemporary Western novels.
What are the tropes of Westerns?
Some of the most popular tropes featured in Western literature include lawlessness, a “lone wolf” protagonist, and romantic drama.
What is the best cowboy romance?
The above twenty novels make for excellent cowboy romances that are sure to delight any reader.
Layla Hughes is a professional writer who grew up on the Central Coast of California, and later studied English at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. Her love for reading started when she was young, as she has been an avid reader ever since she mastered her ABC’s. She loves the classics, YA fiction, and loves keeping up with current reading and writing trends. She is currently traveling full-time in a converted camper van around the US, Mexico and Canada, enjoying living out a story of her own creation. find Layla on Instagram @laylabeth
