Review Title: Cowboys, Reputations, and Redemption (Review of The Cowboys, a book of four novellas by Jennifer Uhlarik, Linda Yezak, Sandra Melville Hart, and Cindy Ervin Huff)
Reviewer: Janice S. Garey
***** 5 Stars

This collection of novellas captures the reader’s heart through the realistic settings, details of the historical time frame, and the universal themes of love, trust, abandonment, loyalty, and identity in Christ. The characters all prove true in their mannerisms, quirks, actions, and thought processing. Enjoy getting to know these cowboys and those who learn to care deeply about them.

Several of the characters are trying to get out from under tarnished reputations varying in origin according to the story plots. The working out of painful situations caused by wrongful labeling finds true solution in discovering one’s identity in Christ.

Each of the stories has value both in pure entertainment and in providing a satisfactory resolution of a difficult situation. Seeing the characters filter their dilemmas through the mindset of a Christian adds depth to the stories.

This book should appeal most to adult women readers who may or may not be Christian. None of the stories are preachy except one with a pastor who acts hypocritical and has to learn a better way.

This book would make a thoughtful gift for those who enjoy quick reads and desire depth of story to include a spiritual aspect. The stories are clean reading and engage the heart and mind. As one who has read few cowboy stories, these unique stories make for a wonderful read. I highly recommend this book for readability and for its examples of ways that problems can be resolved peacefully.