Cassie Danner never imagined she could move on after the tragic death of her husband. She was left with debts and no real home, so Cassie must make her way from one seasonal job to another in order to make ends meet. Landing a job as the cook for a dude ranch in Wyoming fulfills her need to make money as well as be close to the land she loves. What she doesn’t bargain for is the mixed emotions she has for the ranch owner’s son Robbin McKeag. No ordinary ranch hand, Robbin is an honest to goodness drop-dead-gorgeous movie star, on hiatus from life and staying at his father’s ranch in an effort to put his life in order. As one of the rare child stars who was able to translate early fame into adult celebrity, Robbin has had anything he ever wanted including too many women, too much booze and plenty of drugs. Cassie isn’t ready to jump into another relationship, particularly with someone who has serious issues, but something inside her wants to see past all the drama.
In life, as in romance novels, it’s not always easy, and I for one am happy about that. Who wants easy? Easy can be written in two chapters. Instead, in Cowboys Never Cry, author Tina Welling explores the nuances of how relationships develop, get torn apart and then re-built. As a modern woman, Cassie is no pushover, she wants to believe that she can move on and create a new life. Robbin is not easy to love, he’s got a ton of baggage and there are moments when I wanted to give him a good slap upside his head so he could straighten up and fly right. At other times I pictured him as a young Robert Redford, and in those moments, I was able to refrain from shouting at him. And still other times, I thought, “Sheez, if I were Cassie I’d be saddling up my horse and riding off into the sunset without him.” But, that’s what endeared me to Robbin, he was real, with all the attendant “stuff” that goes with real. Come on, ladies, haven’t you ever wanted to hit your significant other with a frying pan? Or throw an ironing board at 'em? And at the same time haven’t you also thought they were the only person in the universe for you? Love: it’s a mixed bag. And that’s what Ms. Welling does well; she gives the reader real.
With Wyoming as a back drop, and almost a secondary character, Cowboys Never Cry explores the many facets of love. Love between a man and a woman, a father and son, between best friends, and even between people and the land, giving us a wide range of emotions and relationships to enjoy and savor.
There’s a scene in the book where Cassie’s friend tells her she should date, and says dating isn’t a commitment, it’s like dancing. “You’re not committed for a lifetime, just one song.” If you were going to describe your relationship would you say: 1) your partner is effortless across the dance floor 2) moves to the beat of his/her own drummer 3) doesn’t really have rhythm?
Maria Lokken is an avid romance reader and an award winning television producer.
