The Grumpy Cowboy

A Sweet Contemporary Western Romance

A grumpy cowboy. A forced partnership. Unexpected love.

Phoenix Knott doesn’t recognize the ranch anymore.

The land that raised him is changing, and the decisions behind those changes feel reckless. His father is betting their future on business deals Phoenix doesn’t trust, and the money they’re owed from a rival ranch may be the only thing standing between survival and loss.

Phoenix is done waiting.

Mallorie Couch has every reason to disagree with him.

She’s his sister’s best friend.
His father’s trusted assistant.
And the woman tasked with protecting a business that keeps her own life stable.

If the ranch fails, Mallorie loses more than a paycheck. She loses security. Purpose. A future she worked hard to build.

Helping Phoenix means stepping out of line.

Not helping him might mean losing everything.

As they’re forced to work together, long-standing tension turns into something far more complicated. Phoenix starts to see the heart beneath Mallorie’s careful professionalism. Mallorie begins to understand the depth of his loyalty—and the cost of his love for the land.

Neither of them planned to question where they stand.

Or who they’re standing with.

But sometimes the strongest partnerships grow from conflict—and the safest place to land is with the person who finally sees you.

Tropes:

🤠 Grumpy Cowboy Hero
🏡 Family Ranch at Risk
💼 Workplace Tension Romance
👯 Best Friend’s Brother
🔥 Forced Proximity
🌾 Small-Town Western Setting
💞 Slow-Burn Attraction
🛡️ Protective Hero
❤️ Emotional Connection Over Heat
🌅 Sweet, Clean Happily Ever After

The Cupid Ridge Cowboys series is a sweet, clean contemporary western romance series filled with swoon-worthy cowboys in a small-town setting.

Originally published under the name Macie St. James.

AI voice was okay

I was leery about paying for an AI audio but it really wasn’t bad. I heard worse human narrators.
Cute story