My previous "cowboy" book was rather a disappointment, and I gave up on it. However, some kind soul on GoodReads convinced me not to give up and suggested I try this effort from Bower. It was much better, and interesting enough that finishing it was no chore. It deserves a plus on the 3*s.

Anyway, we have some remote place in Idaho. Marthy and Jase Meilke find a pleasant valley into which to settle. Jase is rather a lazy bum, so most of the work falls to Marthy. A few years later on, the MacDonald's settle in the area, and, eventually have a daughter whom they name Billie Louise. Billie Louise's father wanted a son, the mother was happy with a daughter, hence the split name.

Well, Billie Louise grows up. She becomes a sort of surrogate daughter for Marthy, who had lost her only child, a daughter named Minervy. Billie Louise played lots of games with her imaginary friend, Minervy, and also with an imaginary man named Ward Warren, a name she found interesting after reading about such a person in an old newspaper.

Well, some years later, Billie Louise is grown up and is essentially running the MacDonald ranch, because her father had passed away. One night, in a snow storm, she comes upon a stranger, and guides him to shelter at her house. Big surprise, the guy is Ward Warren, and he's obviously got a lot of things to hide.

Eventually, Ward Warren files a claim some ten or so miles away. A dashing young man named Charlie Fox comes out west to help Marthy on her ranch.

So, then we get lots of flirting between Ward Warren and Billie Louise. It was a bit silly, but not so abominable as the flirting in The Thunderbird, so was bearable. We also get some hints as to whether or not Ward Warren had a sketchy past, whether or not Charlie Fox is on the up and up, and so forth. Oh yeah, there's cattle rustling as well. Over all, this was a pretty GoodRead.

3½* were that possible. ( )