As an avid enjoyer of romance books, I have delved into many subgenres such as friends to lovers, romantasy and regency romance. One of my favorites, which has recently risen to great popularity in the book world, is western romance. While these books often each follow a similar plot line (as is true of all romance novels), they each offer their own twist that keeps me coming back for more. The general definition of western romance is a romance that takes place in the American West and often contains cowboys, small towns and other typical “western” attributes.
The most well-known western romance writer from my own experience on social media is definitely Elsie Silver. Her most popular series is the Chestnut Springs series, which is a cowboy romance series set in a small town in Alberta, Canada. The series follows the men of the well-known Eaton family as they fall unwittingly in love. Each of the five books offers unique main characters, from bull riders to ranch handlers, with my personal favorite male main character being a hockey player in the third book, Powerless. With all the small town charm and gruff men that a soft heart a girl could want, this series was all four and five-star reads for me. They also all offer tropes such as childhood friends to lovers and unexpected pregnancy that are sure to tick some of your other romance boxes.
Elsie Silver also has an earlier and less well known series called Gold Rush Ranch. This series has, just recently, been republished and although I have not read it myself, I am told those who are a fan of the Chestnut Springs series will enjoy it as it offers a similar small town charm. I am also told you can really see her growth as a writer from this first series to the Chestnut Springs series, and true fans will enjoy seeing her writing improve. The first book, Off to the Races, features an enemy to lovers plotline, one of my personal favorites, so I plan to start reading this series soon.
The final western romance series from Elsie Silver and one that I have been able to enjoy as it has been released is Rose Hill. As I read these books after the Chestnut Springs series, I can definitely see how her writing has advanced as her characters feel more real and her sideplots more developed. Each of these books also has a single dad as the main male character, which adds an element of complexity to the relationships. A new book titled Wild Card just came out on September 9, so that is on my immediate TBR.
Like Elsie Silver, author Lyla Sage specializes in western romances. While her books are similar in many ways to Silver’s, they also offer a unique spin on the subgenre. I have read all four of her current releases in the Rebel Blue Ranch series, with the latest release, Wild and Wrangled, published this past spring. Like Silver’s series, each book offers a unique romance with distinct main characters. My personal favorite was Swift and Saddled, which follows main characters Teddy and Gus as they overcome their past as teenage enemies and fall in love. Each book takes place in the same small town, and the characters are all interwoven, which led me to grow quite attached to the setting and some characters before I even read their book. I particularly enjoyed reading about past couples in later books, as they are featured, and a cute girl gang even forms between the female main characters.
One last western romance series is The Edens by Devney Perry. Each of the six main books follows a different sibling of the Edens family, the founders of the small town of Quincy, Montana. There are also two novellas, a prequel and one between the fourth and fifth books, for those who want more to read in this series. One of my favorite parts of this series is that each book has a mystery sideplot, so even if I felt the main romance was lagging a bit, I was always drawn back in. Although I have yet to finish the series, I can say the first two were both excellent reads with some unique main characters that kept me entertained.
For romance readers looking to expand their reading horizons or those seeking a good escape, I recommend exploring western romance. Small town charm and cowboys always hit.
Emma Robinson is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at elg229@cornell.edu.
