The Heart of A Cowboy by Jody Hedlund. A Review

When he agreed to guard her, he never bargained on having to guard his heart.

Brilliant scientist Linnea Newberry is on the adventure of a lifetime, traveling the Santa Fe Trail with her grandfather, Dr. Powell, on a botanical expedition to Colorado Territory.
She longs to be valued for her contributions and not seen as a helpless liability. But at every calamity she faces, her grandfather threatens to send her home.

After watching his ma suffer and die in childbirth, Flynn McQuaid has sworn off women and marriage forever. Headed west to start a new life, he has his hands full not only taking care of his younger siblings but also delivering cattle to his older brother. He doesn’t need more complications.

When Flynn rescues Linnea from drowning during a river crossing, Dr. Powell promptly
hires Flynn–unbeknownst to Linnea–to act as her bodyguard for the rest of the trip. As
Flynn fights against the many dangers of the trail, he soon finds himself in the greatest
danger of all–falling for a woman he’s determined not to love. Amazon

My Thoughts

I loved this story, getting to know both Flynn and Linnea was a joy and I wanted to know more.
Two absolutely independent individuals in their struggle to survive and the belief that love wasn’t in the books for them.
I loved the way the author wove the story so beautifully you’d almost believe you’re there.
Flynn is dealing with feelings of resentment and anger towards his elder brother and step father and doesn’t see having a relationship as worth it since the only example he had was pretty terrible. When he’s contracted by Linnea’s grandfather to act as her guard, he finds he may have to guard his heart too.
I also loved Linnea’s independence even though she struggled to prove herself to her grandfather, she nearly lost out on what would have been the best thing for her. I love how she was able to use her love for plants to put her in perspective and make her realise God’s plans are usually better than your own in the long run.
I was rooting for these characters to learn forgiveness, to let go of past hurts and to open their hearts to Gods best for them which they finally did.
Definitely one for lovers of historical romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via the publisher. All opinions expressed are solely mine.

Jody Hedlund is the author of over twenty historicals for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Award. Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!). When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.
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