Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

4 Southern Women Head West to Crinoline Creek, Texas

In A Cowboy of Her Own by Patty Smith Hall, Madalyn Turner wants nothing more than to run her own ranch in Crinoline Creek, but she doesn’t realize that the male ranchers in town would be so set against a female rancher. Luckily, Carter Wilbanks needs help with his sister in exchange for lessons in ranching.

In Josephine’s Dream by Cynthia Hickey, Josie Montgomery accepts a job as housekeeper and nanny for Parker Owen’s four children with no prior experience. The widower desperately needs her help but is reluctant to trust her. He sure didn’t expect to fall in love with her.

Marilyn Turk’s Love’s Lookin’ at the Cowboy Café finds Sarah Beth Taylor in town to claim her restaurant that her uncle gave to her—only he neglected to mention the establishment used to be a saloon. Emery Wright, the president of the bank, doesn’t want to get involved in the sweet Southern belle’s problems, but Sarah Beth doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.

Kathleen Y’Barbo’s Bea Mine finds Bea Wilson coming to Crinoline Creek to claim her aunt and uncle’s land only to find they have no claim to it. In fact, shady dealings connected to the claim get her arrested and temporary Sheriff Gil Hollis must guard her. But the two have a history neither one suspects…  

I enjoyed these stories. All four heroines are determined to make a new life for themselves despite being ill-equipped for the challenges demanded by their new positions. They were all from the South and had all suffered great losses during the recent Civil War, an aspect of the stories that snagged my interest.

Love’s Lookin’ at the Cowboy Café may have been my favorite because the heroine had no clue how to cook for herself, much less cook for customers.

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