A Cowboy’s Fourth of July

by Melinda Curtis

I enjoy Harlequin Heartwarming books, and I favor books by Melinda Curtis. The Cowboy Academy series combines what I like in A Cowboy’s Fourth of July. In the prologue, the reader gets a peek at Allison Burns, a talented singing cowgirl, and Dixon Youngblood (Dix), her math tutor guarding a heavy crush on her, in high school. The rest of the novel focuses on them as adults, however. Allison is a single mom trying to manage a ranch floundering in debt, and Dixon has returned to his roots in Clementine, Oklahoma, working with his grandmother as a banker. Both characters have trust issues and long for the love found in a stable family. Most of the characters in this book have cowboy/rodeo connections and values rooted in family and the land. Dix, however, was abandoned by his parents and then his grandparents. He was taken in by a loving ranch couple who fostered lots of boys who chose to call them “mom and dad.” The ranch was their home, and they became brothers with all the teasing and support that comes with that relationship. 

In his banking job, Dix has to work with people who are under water financially. They fear him because, despite his cowboying abilities, he dresses like a city slicker and has the power to foreclose on their loans. Allison inherited many loans when her parents died and doesn’t have the financial skills to get herself out of debt. Besides the obvious challenges of running a ranch and raising a child, Allison feels pressure to win out over “Pilates Queen” Evie in the yearly fair baking competitions continuing the Graces versus Burns feud, another family inheritance of sorts.

Dix has always been attracted to Allison and steps up as her fake boyfriend to help her in a difficult social situation. As might be expected in a Harlequin Heartwarming romance, sparks fly even as the two work on their own issues. Dix helps Allison discover why she is so far in debt and inspires her to recall the joy she once found  in music. Throw into this plot Dix’s uncaring parents and sick grandmother, and Allison’s daughter’s self-obsessed baby daddy. The result is a fun romance with 4th of July fireworks.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Romance

Notes: 1. Allison’s daughter is Piper. She is 10 years old and enthusiastic about so many interests, especially as they relate to  being “the best cowgirl ever.” Allison has never told her anything about her father and that comes to a head in this book when he appears in Clementine to sing. He is also unaware he has a child. Piper is a fun character, sweet but manipulative.

  2. #2 in The Cowboy Academy series, but works well as a standalone because each book focuses on a different cowboy. There are four books so far in this series.

Publication: July 25, 2023—Harlequin Heartwarming

Memorable Lines:

“Even if you opened branches of the Clementine Savings & Loan across the state of Oklahoma, your mother would still look at you and see the boy she failed because she had to give you up. And until she can look at you without that filter, your relationship with your reals is going to be strained.”

“At some point, Dix, you’re going to have to make choices about your life based on what makes you happy, not what might mend that dysfunctional family of yours….Maybe then, you’d look around and find yourself a good woman, one who understands you’re always going to be watching for signs she’s leaving you to find a happier place in the world, because that’s what most fosters do.”

“If you wait until she’s worked through her issues and you’ve worked through yours, you might just be waiting forever…instead of finding your forever.”