"Nowadays cowboys may be as hard to find as gold nuggets in a creek bed, but they do still exist. And they’re always available between the covers of your favorite cowboy story." In honor of National Day of the Cowboy, our resident cowboy romance wrangler, Denise Hunter, is sharing the seven reasons we will always love cowboy books. Get reading and giddy-up, y'all! - Stephanie

7 Reasons We Love Cowboy Books

We Love that Cowboys are Unabashedly Rough and Tough

Between the covers of every cowboy story lives a world in which men are gruff and macho. No Armani suits or BMWs here. They wear boots, drive a dusty truck, and their work is physical and dirty. Cowboys handle whatever business comes their way, and they do it without complaint.

We Love Strong Heroines

The cowboy may be the main attraction, but lets not overlook the heroine. She’s a hardy woman, living in a rugged environment. Or maybe she’s a city slicker who’s about to meet her match (like Abigail in A Cowboy's Touch.) Either way this plucky heroine is up to the challenge of taming her man, and we want to be there to see it go down.

We Long for a Simpler Time

Books about cowboys allow readers of contemporary fiction to experience simpler times without traveling back to the past. Ranch life is based around hearth, home and family, and it’s also centered around a loving community in which neighbors happily lend a hand. This sense of community keeps readers coming back for more.

We Get our Animal Fix

Cute colts on spindly legs, herding dogs, pregnant heifers—and the man (or woman in The Trouble With Cowboys) who takes care of them all. Need I say more?

We Know Cowboys are Real Life Heroes

Cowboys exhibit courage in the face of danger. Whether they’re herding cattle, branding calves, or fending off wildlife, they risk life and limb on a daily basis. This hero is never afraid to protect his herd or his woman—and who doesn’t love a brave and stoic hero?

We Miss Good Ol’ Fashioned Courtesy

Remember when people were kind to one another? Civility is a big part of cowboy culture, and respect for others is of prime importance. A cowboy respects his animals, the land, and fellow human beings. But most of all, he respects women. Sure, she can open that door and pull out that chair all by herself. But why should she when he’s happy to do it for her?

We Feel a Connection to our Past

Reading about cowboys hearkens in our souls a longing for the Old West—an era unique to American history. Today’s cowboys may not face shootouts, isolation, and disease, but they do face many hardships. And they also exhibit the same can-do spirit of the American cowboys of yesteryear.

What are some of your favorite cowboy books?

Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than twenty-five books, including A Big Sky Romance series which features all the cowboys your heart desires. She has won all sorts of fiction awards, but her Page Chaser claim to fame are her two novels turned Hallmark movies - A December Bride and The Convenient Groom. When Denise isn't orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking green tea, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are rapidly approaching an empty nest.