When Did the Girls Stop Riding Horses and Start Riding Cowboys?
I am no stranger to the cowboy romance genre. It was a theme for a blog last year and I dedicated a whole blog to Else Silver this month. What remains for me as a question, though, is why do cowboys get romanticized in the first place?
Let’s take a look first at who cowboys are in reality. They are men working on ranches, most of which raise cattle. Thus making them Cow-Boys. So the term “cowboy” is a job title. Contrary to popular belief, this job is often performed by minorities and is low-paid. Additionally, cowboys often travel from ranch to ranch working different seasons, giving the job that inherent American ideal of seeking a new frontier.
In her article, “Should’ve been a cowboy” Heather Hansman says: “ According to the USDA, just over 1 percent of Americans work on farms and ranches, and the number who do the kind of work that could be classified as cowboying is even slimmer. Despite that gap, the image of a specific kind of Western life has long been woven into American identity.”
So, how has this worker risen to such heroic status that Barnes&Noble, in the heart of LA, carries 15 different cowboy romance series?
We find our answer in film. In the 1940s and 1950s, John Wayne portrayed a mythic cowboy hero. Western dime novels and silent Western films were popular before the time of Wayne but his film Stagecoach (1939) really cemented the image. In it he plays a cowboy criminal who escapes prison after the murder of his father and brother. He avenges their death honorably, and then turns himself back in.
This role solidified the identity of Wayne's cowboy, the John Wayne Journal states: “Wayne’s character is a man of principle, and a man of duty; he defies the law only because he’s responding to a higher moral calling. As soon as that destiny is fulfilled, he defers to the rules of the land.” And thus we have a character that gets idolized. Wayne went on to dominate the film industry and his cowboy lived in the zeitgeist.
In a post-WWII-landscape, Americans prided themselves on being a militarily and morally strong nation. Coupled with the growing popularity of the “strong male” in child psychology, the identity of the cowboy became an ideal male archetype.
But how did this kind of man become the hero of the current romance genre?
As I have discussed in earlier blogs, Covid had us trapped in city apartments and we started to look for escapism. We have been yearning for a slower pace, living off the land, and being more closely connected to a community. Today’s cowboy genre emphasises exactly that. The focus is on family, simple but honest work tied to the land, and a down-to-earth mentality.
Hansman shares great insight here as well: “Right now many feel cut off from abundance and personal growth. We’re inside more and less ingrained in our communities than we used to be. Those wide open spaces that symbolize freedom and American independence are threatened by climate change and development. [...] That freedom-seeking cowboy on the horizon has always been this complicated image that rises when people feel disenfranchised or hemmed in. It’s Americana at its most distilled, for better or worse.”
In addition, while Wayne certainly embodied toxic masculinity, the hero of today’s cowboy novels is a feminist. He gives his heroine space to be who she wants to be, supports her and worships the ground she walks on. And of course, he uses all his physical strength to show his heroine a goooooood time.
So, as we all struggle with today’s complexities, cowboy romances respond to our deep yearning to get up on a horse and ride into the sunset to a simple, deeply connected life, filled with steamy passion ;)
Book Reviews:
Rating system: (this is based on price, just try and come between me and my kindle)
⭐️Library, ⭐️⭐️kindle, ⭐️⭐️⭐️paperback, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️hard cover,
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ special edition
Spice level:
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Oh my God, I didn’t know you could do that!
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Not suitable to read at work
🌶️🌶️🌶️Good Lord!
🌶️🌶️HOT
🌶️ hot
FMC= Female main Character and MMC= Male Main Character
Off to the Races by Elsie Silver
🌶️🌶️🌶️
I guess, technically, this is just a horse girl book rather than a cowboy romance but it had the same magic. Off To The Races is the first book in the Gold Water Ranch series, and is also Elsie Silver’s debut novel. The series takes place at Gold Water Ranch which is a thoroughbred horse racing ranch. And the first book follows Wilhelmina Farrington, aka. Billy Black, the young horse trainer and the ranch's new owner, Vaughn Harding. They are both individuals who grew up with privilege but are trying to make a name for themselves. Also, they are each desperately trying to put their hearts back together after their families let them down. They have undeniable chemistry. Sparks fly from the moment they meet and the romance that follows is swoony. Did Silver reinvent the wheel with this story? Absolutely not! But did she build a beautiful world with lovable characters? Definitely! I can't wait to read Book Two about Cole Harding, Vaughn’s brother, and Violet Eaton, the jockey and younger sister to the Eaton brothers (aka. the Chestnut Springs heroes)
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Chasing the Wild by Elliott Rose
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Well that was horny! I don't know if there statistically was more smut in this book then other books I have read but let me tell you it was significantly more lusty. I don't say this is a bad thing. Actually, it was quite fun to go back to this kind of a story; one where I genuinely felt like the sex was ever-present. If you are looking for a sexy cowboy romance book then look no further: this ex-boyfriend’s dad, forced proximity, romantic erotica is the book for you! The story follows Layla, a future veterinarian, and Colten, a mountain rancher. The two first meet and hit it off but things take a quick turn when they realize that Colten’s son is actually her ex-boyfriend, Kayce. The two are forced to spend a whole lot of alone time together and I can assume you can guess what happens next based on my first sentence. It was fun. It was raunchy. AND I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE FOURTH BOOK IN THIS SERIES! Because guess what, it's Kayce’s story and it’s M/M. I need to know what happens next!
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Homebound by Meredith Trapp
🌶️🌶️🌶️
What a refreshing story! Homebound is a cowboy romance that follows two childhood best friends who spend every summer together at a flower farm in Texas. The MMC, Wyatt, falls in love with our FMC, Dakota, at age eight. She is oblivious. So, when she gets engaged to a not-great guy 15 years later, he can't stomach it and stops coming back for summers. He shows back up three years later with a baby girl on his hip, looking for a place to stay. The book was refreshing because though it utilized many tropes, it also kept me on my toes. Every time I was sure what would happen I was pleasantly surprised with a twist. I also loved that the author made the sunshine character the man. He is the one with constant positive and sweet responses. The way he cares for all the women in his life is swoon-worthy. But I LOVED the FMC. She is a badass bullrider! She scowls at everyone and uses men for their bodies. She is nicknamed the Cowboy Killer. But it's all a front for the hard-working woman behind it who wants to make her loved ones proud and dreams of having her own little family. This story is sweet, steamy, and a little unexpected. If you love a single dad, Western life and a kickass heroine give this book a try!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cash by Jessica Peterson
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
I loved this book! I totally understand the hype around this series! I think it has all the components that make up an intoxicating cowboy romance series that you can't put down: the vivid small town, the charming cast of characters (that you also want to have their individual books), and downright filthy cowboys ;). As far as Cash and Mollie themselves go, I was hooked. They had this “opposites attract, enemies-to-lovers” energy that burned hotter than the desert sun. I loved their banter. And I loved that their tension was not forced. It made sense but we also didn’t stay focused on it for too long. There was pining and yearning. I think the way that they each respected the other and had common interest made their chemistry so enjoyable to read. I devoured this book in basically a day. I could not put it down! So thank you, Ilona Mayre. for the rec, lol.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
