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What Is It About Cowboys?

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Cowboy romances wax and wane in popularity, but they never go out of style completely. I got thinking about that the other day. Why are cowboy romances so popular?

I mean, I know I like reading them and writing them, but clearly there are many women (and some men!) who find western romances compelling. From a Christian standpoint, there’s more to it — much more! — than how attractive a man looks in jeans, boots, and a Stetson.

1. There’s no one more masculine than a cowboy. A banker in a business suit who can’t even change the oil in his convertible? No thanks. A true man is wild at heart and isn’t boxed in by current society’s attempt to “tame” him. He can tackle anything he sets out to do and isn’t afraid to get dirty or even hurt in the process. A man of action practically ooze testosterone while reminding us of simpler times when men were men and women were women. A cowboy has real muscles, not from pumping iron at the gym, but from the physical labor he engages in every day.

2. There’s no one more hardworking than a cowboy. He makes an action plan then gets things done. Nothing can stop him — not a thousand-pound calf, not a raging snowstorm, and not a mountain lion or grizzly bear. So a woman can’t derail him, either, at least not for long!

3. There’s no one more resourceful than a cowboy, unless it’s MacGyver. A cowboy can’t take the time to sit in a corner and whine. He can survive anything nature throws at him and come out on top. Self-sufficiency rules. Wet matches and wet wood won’t keep him from building a fire. Being thrown from his horse won’t keep him from bringing in a wounded colt or calf. His independent, creative mind is up to any challenge.

4. There’s no one more honorable than a cowboy. If he says he will do something, consider it done. If he sees an innocent person being attacked, he’ll step up and send the bad guys running. He’s often the strong, silent type, but it’s not because he can’t articulate his thoughts. He can, but you might not be worthy of hearing them. Want a friend who’ll stand by your side no matter what? Pick a cowboy.

5. There’s no one more gentlemanly than a cowboy. In today’s culture of “equality,” men aren’t encouraged to step up and hold the door for a woman. A gentleman — a cowboy — will do it anyway. He’ll saddle your horse, call you ‘miss’ or ‘ma’am,’ protect you, and respect you. With any luck, he’ll notice when you are willing and able to do something for yourself, and he’ll respect that, as well. But he may need reminding, because he’s going to default to being a gentleman every single time.

See that cowboy? Now kick him up a notch with a spiritual dimension. He loves Jesus and doesn’t mind if you know it. Is he perfect? Nah. But he keeps coming back to what he knows is right and true and godly. Ah, now we begin to see why any savvy heroine might want to ride off into the sunset with her cowboy!

But even a cowboy can get in over his head, at least temporarily. Take Adam Cavanagh, for instance… except you can’t, because Riley Dunning already did.

Marry Me for Real, Cowboy releases September 8.

Adam Cavanagh’s rodeo championship tastes like dirt after a competitor’s critical injury, but going home to his family’s Montana ranch isn’t much of an improvement. If not even the coveted trophy earns his stepfather’s respect, what will it take?

Riley Dunning’s quick thinking is all that’s keeping her body, soul, and principles together, but demanding a kiss from a hunky cowboy to deter the weirdo following her might be taking things too far… especially when the cowboy comes up with a risky plan that might offer them both stability. If it doesn’t backfire completely.

Will a fake engagement give Adam and Riley the leg up they each need, or will the cost to their hearts be too high? Because neither believes the other will want to marry them… for real.

So tell me, do you enjoy cowboy heroes in a Christian romance? If you do, why? Did I miss something in my list above?

Valerie Comer (312 Posts)

Valerie Comer is a USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner who writes where food meets faith and fiction. She injects experience laced with humor into her green clean romances. Her life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.


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Comments

  1. I love cowboys in stories. Cowboys have so many good qualities – loyalty for one.

  2. I admit I am a converted cowboy fan (not Dallas Cowboys, lol)! I did not think I would like the cowboy stories as much as I have been, so thank you and keep ’em.coming!

  3. I’ve always loved cowboys! Started with all of the westerns I watched growing up, and just continued! The one thing I think you missed is that cowboys have their own “code” and they don’t shoot anyone in the back! Literally or figuratively, lol!! Even most of the “bad” ones drew the line at hurting a woman, some at a child. In the westerns, they didn’t pick a gunfight with an unarmed man. It was part of that code, if they weren’t wearing a gun, you couldn’t draw on them. The same “code” is there today, just in a different way. Some cowboys wear suits to work, but have that cowboy ethic and code ingrained in them.

  4. I do enjoy a good cowboy story. Growing up on a farm with beef cattle has endeared me to cows and their owners.

  5. I do enjoy a good cowboy story and I adore that cover! Congrats on the upcoming release. :)

  6. I love cowboys! I think it’s because they are hard working, loyal, love family and animals.

  7. I think you hit the nail right smack on the head with who a real cowboy is. And there are many of those still living today. Growing up on a farm, I lived among cowboys and cowgirls. That is all I knew for a long time. And these men and women were to be respected all the time. Us children tried to emulate them as much as possible. And I grew up reading authors like Zane Grey. Yup these are the true heroes. My husband may not be a cowboy, but he is so much like what a cowboy embodies. Especially being a man after Gods heart.

  9. This post was perfect! I grew up around cowboys and I live amongst them now. I’ve often said if the world goes completely nuts I’d rather be around cowboys for safety. They’ll put themselves on the line for you.
    I attended Cowboy Church last year and being in the room with a bunch of Jesus -loving cowboys was unforgettable.
    I married a firefighter but he always wanted to grow up to be a Cowboy 😊

  10. I grew up in a small farming community but have always loved cowboys! I think a Christian cowboy is an absolutely perfect mix. I believe their way of thought & belief truly go hand in hand. The respect for nature and animals that God created for us to care for take everything right back to the purpose we are here on earth, along with sharing Christ with others of course. I agree that their loyalty and respect go hand in hand. Be it for God, the land, animals & people; they are all wound up in the perfect package…..A COWBOY!!!
    It saddens me to know that they are truly a dying breed, with the continual development of beautiful land being so prevalent anymore. I wish there were more protected areas to preserve the land & animals. I think that’s part of why their ‘popularity’ has wavered, progress is pushing it out. Some of us will never tire or lose our love for books about cowboys though!

  11. Love a good cowboy story!

    To me cowboys were the back bone of the American west in the early days as our country was expanding west.

  12. I usually do like some cowboy romances thrown in the mix of all the other Christian romances I like. I don’t really care about the hero’s vocation. They can be masculine in many ways. For example, your first point said that changing the oil was a sign of masculinity. Well, neither my husband nor his dad can change the oil themselves, but they are still masculine as well as gentlemanly. I think the definition of masculine has morphed into what I would call macho, which is not c complimentary. A man doesn’t have to show off his physical strength or his ability to perform manual tasks. In fact, showing off anything is prideful and very off-putting. I think my love of westerns started with Janette Oke’s Love Comes Softly series. Clark was a hard-working but gentle soul, a caring father and loving husband. That’s the epitome of the kind of man you described. But they don’t have to be cowboys.

  13. I think people like cowboy stories because cowboys are one of the last areas where men can be men. Culture has done a great disservice to men by undermining what it is to be a real man, someone who does what he says and takes care of those in his life. Cowboys are still gentleman and haven’t yet been corrupted by feminism.

  14. I love cowboy heroes for all the reasons you listed here & can’t really think of anything to add to the list! They’ve always been a man of honor, respect, hard-work, and principles. They have a work ethic like no other and get things done. The one thing I respect most, is they are a man of their word. When they say they will do something, you can take that to the bank!
    Have you ever watched the TV show “The Cowboy Way”? It features three real life cowboys with families of their own trying to run their business & balance life. They are also strong Godly men who are doing the best they can to live out their faith, even on television. They are all gentlemen at heart, hard-working, respectful, with a “get-er-done” attitude. There have been a few times when they don’t agree with each other & butted heads, but they’ve always come back and apologized and found ways to make it right and worked together. I really love that show because it’s how I envision cowboys, both real life & fictional ones. :-)

    “Marry Me For Real Cowboy” sounds good Valerie! I have Kindle Unlimited so when it comes out, I’ll be borrowing it for sure! Love me some cowboy stories.

      • I haven’t watched it for a while because they moved it to a different day & time slot that’s way too late for us. I need to look to see if it’s “On Demand” or not. I believe it’s still on INSP channel. It’s one of the few decent shows on anymore! :-)

        • While most channels are available in Canada via cable or satellite providers, we don’t subscribe to either methodology anymore. And there are many “border blockers” for online content. But I WILL look it up and see if I can find it here!

  15. Cowboys are my absolute favorite thing to read. I think you summed them up perfectly. The quality I like best – being a gentleman!

  18. I do enjoy cowboy heroes in a Christian romance. Yours and Jessie Gussman’s are the first I can think about that I’d really love to hang out with :) and your list is pretty much nailed it! I was nodding my head along while reading each one of your points. Thanks for the fun post!

  19. Yes, I love Cowboys in Romance stories. I really like cowboys and I really love the way they dance and I love the cowboy hats. This book sounds like such a Beautiful story, I love, love the book cover, it is Stunning!

  20. I have to admit I’m not a huge fan of cowboy stories. I’ve read a few but they’re not my go to pick.

  22. I do enjoy the cowboy stories. I think you’re right that it’s partially the physical nature of the job. Earlier this week my husband surprised me by making us a headboard for our bed and boy did I find that attractive! I loved the Saddle Springs series and am so excited this one comes out in time for me to read it for my birthday 😀

    • A headboard handmade with love! Can’t get better than that. :) I hope you enjoy Marry Me for Real, Cowboy. I just got it back from my editor this morning!

  23. Hi Valerie,
    I read most genres but when I want what I think of a clean breath of air – in reading – I go for a sweet western/cowboy story. And you’re right. When I think Cowboy/Westerns, I do think of honor, hard working, long hours, a strong sense of community cooperation, a never say “Die” mentality/tenaciousness, respectful for women, strong sense of family, a co-existence with nature/outdoors.
    Westerns/Cowboy stories remind me of Bonanza – an old favorite of mine. :D They usually qualify as “Pick Me Up” reads for me.

  24. Hi Valerie,
    I read most genres but when I want what I think of as a clean breath of air – in reading – I go for a sweet western/cowboy story. And you’re right. When I think Cowboy/Westerns, I do think of honor, hard working, long hours, a strong sense of community cooperation, a never say “Die” mentality/tenaciousness, a respect for women, a strong sense of family, a co-existence with nature/outdoors.
    Westerns/Cowboy stories remind me of Bonanza – an old favorite of mine. :D They usually qualify as “Pick Me Up” reads for me.

  26. Cowboys are a conundrum for me. They are the characters that I identify with least as a man. I connect with the social aspects like community, being a gentleman, loyalty etc., but the ties to the great outdoors are lost on me. The great outdoors for me means sunburns and being eaten alive by mosquitoes. The result is that I tend to be put off by the idea of a cowboy story until I actually start reading it and get to know the characters as people, not just cowboys. I realize it’s like judging a book by its cover or a restaurant by the neon signs in its windows. I hear there are 12 step programs for people like me. I’ll have to check them out once I finish your Saddle Springs Box Set (which is truly on my TBR pile). :)

    • Having just returned from two weeks of camping, mosquitoes are real, not just a rural myth! Yowza they’re bad this year.

      But I do agree that the cowboy is a trope, and if he isn’t a “real person” in the story, he’s only a cardboard cutout. Well-written characters rule in every genre.

  27. Cowboys in fiction aren’t for me. I think all those years as a child of being forced to read my great-grandfathers cowboy novels when I just wanted to read Enid Blyton may have something to do with it. With a huge tbr list I probably won’t get around to reading any current ones.

  29. I think I like cowboy stories because they’re usually set in rural settings and I’m most at home in rural areas. I still enjoy books set in cities, but I best identify with people from small communities.
    And I liked your list. Very comprehensive.

  30. I love cowboys stories! They remind me of the gentlemen in regency novels – they have a code of ethics and honor that they adhere to.

    • Ah, nice! I didn’t grow up around horses. I’ve been around them a fair bit as an adult, but not as a child, even though we lived in a rural area.

  33. I’ve only ever read Karen Witmeyer’s books with cowboys so they are always historical cowboys. I have a few contemporary cowboy stories I haven’t read yet so this inspires me to try something new for my next read. Thanks :)

  35. I love cowboy heroes in Christian romance. I’ve got yours on my TBR list. It sounds great!

  36. I liked reading your list. I don’t usually read cowboy’s stories, but why not. It’ good to know the assumptions that go into being a cowboy

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