The Cowboy Next Door (The Cowboy Series #2) (Love Inspired #494)

Lacey Gould has struggled to overcome her past, but it seems like she can't win. Just as the people of Gibson start to accept her and she feels like she fits in, her sister Corry shows with a drug habit and a baby. Lacey falls in love with her little niece, but Corry, a rebel who has no intention of changing, is a different story. Officer Jay Blackhorse knows all about Corry's record. In fact, he knows more about Lacey's past than she would like. Burned once in love, Jay has a secret of his own, one he isn't about to share. Lacey's apartment isn't big enough for her expanded family, and Jay has a place for rent, but does he want Lacey Gould living next door? Neither Jay nor Lacey want to love again, but God knows what's best for them. All they have to do is stop struggling and accept His will for their lives. Brenda Minton writes from the heart. Her characters are so real they seem like people I know and love. People in my own community, and their problems are the sort ordinary people deal with on a daily basis. A heart-warming story that will leave the reader smiling and ready for her next book. Good writer, excellent story. Who could ask for more?

The Cowboy Next Door is an emotionally packed novel that will touch the heart of anyone who reads it. Lacey is a woman who wants to change her life very badly and after six years she might actually someday forgive herself from all of her past sins. She moved to a small town and finally has found a church where she is able to understand what she had been searching for all along. All of the hard work she had accomplished comes tumbling down on top of her the day Jay Blackhorse, a local sheriff deputy, brought her sister to the diner where Lacey works. Jay has come home to finally heal. He had thought he had done that. He had been in a relationship for three years, but when he asked the woman to marry him she had turned him down. He understands now why she did and that he needs to face his past ghosts. He doesn't want to become involved with Lacey. He doesn't want to get involved with anyone, but she works his way into his heart. Brenda Minton's depth of understanding for her characters and her absolutely consistent focus on theme makes this sweet inspirational love story to one of my favorites of this year so far. There were so many times I just wanted to cry for Lacey and Jay. This is a story that a true believer in God will enjoy and even those who don't will be inspired by. Description from the back of the book: Never again would he be burned by a city girl! No matter how sweet and loveable they seem, Lacey Gould and her niece won't win over Jay Blackhorse. Still, they clearly need his help. Lacey needs a place to stay...he has a house to rent. She's clueless about caring for the infant her sister abandoned. Jay has a talent for stopping the baby's tears. But when a dark secret from Lacey's past blows into town, will Jay's help be enough? And who will help Jay when he realizes he's falling for the city girl next door?