Cupids and Cowboys (Caroline Clemmons) Books in Order

Cupids and Cowboys spins out of Bachelors and Babies and shifts attention to the next generation, plus the chaos that happens when younger characters decide grown-ups need help finding love.

The tone is playful, but the emotions are still sincere. These are western romances with community, family ties, and just enough matchmaking mischief to push guarded adults into situations they would never have chosen on their own.

Children are rarely subtle.

In Clemmons's Adeline, the title points to one of the little schemers rather than the central heroine. A grieving teacher and a carpenter who has settled into useful bachelorhood become targets for two determined girls who think they know exactly what a happy ending should look like. That gives the story a lighter, sweeter rhythm than some of Clemmons's danger-driven westerns.

If you like stories where the town, and especially its younger residents, nudge romance along, Cupids and Cowboys is a good match. It keeps the frontier setting, but adds a wink.