So if you’re looking for a soul-soothing romance set in the modern West, stop here, don your boots and get yourself a good read.

I confess I am a total sucker for romance – good romance. I count Andi Marquette’s From The Boots Up among the best of the genre, and here’s why. If I am in the mood for romance, I want pure romance. Think “comfort food.” Not too cliché or trite, or with too much drama or too many sub-plots about a difficult childhood or whatnot. I don’t want too much suspense or things that drag the story down. Nope, I want a pure, unadulterated romance where the author skillfully builds up tension and keeps it simmering until sweet love conquers all. And From The Boots Up is that type of well-done romance as only a master storyteller can provide.

Here is the story. Meg, a college student, is helping out on the family ranch in Wyoming during summer break and Gina, a journalist, is roped in by her California newspaper to do a story on the dude ranch. When the two meet, there is an instant attraction, but only one week to act on it. I especially liked the secondary characters: Stan (Meg’s dad); Alice (the queen of the kitchen), and guest Marjorie. And the setting added lots of flavours:  trail rides, campfires, and ranch dogs. Everyday life takes a back seat while everything is focused on this perfect moment when two women fall in love.

And although only a novella of about 100 pages, Andi packs a punch into it – nothing fluffy or flat here. So if you’re looking for a soul-soothing romance set in the modern West, stop here, don your boots and get yourself a good read.