C.H. Eryl’s The Princess and the Cowboy: Clover Springs series, Book 3 is a romance that begins with Sunny refusing to allow Hunter to spend Christmas with her. She tells herself that it is only for the holiday before she returns to Wyoming. The plane she is on crashes into the sea near Aki. After a quick rescue, it seems that she is well, until the following day. Princess Sonja wakes up, disoriented, and doesn’t recognize her father. Dr. Quade admits her to the hospital with partial amnesia since she remembers her time in Wyoming. King Roderick calls Brian, Sonja’s best friend, who knows she is a princess. Brian has Hunter, Dakota, and Liz fly with him to Aki. Hunter’s plans to propose to Sunny screech to a halt when he realizes Aki’s tradition of a crown tournament determines who Princess Sonja marries. With Sonja’s speedy recovery, can he learn fast enough to win?

C.H. Eryl writes eloquent dialogue that matches each character’s personality. I could relate to Hunter’s inner turmoil of self-doubt and whether he was worthy of marrying a princess. The weight of his decision was easy to see in his inner thoughts. His brother, Brian, and Liz are quick to remind him that Sonja isn’t the only one he has to win over. I appreciated the attention to the colorful details given about Aki’s people and island features. The supporting characters added to the tension that was built. I disliked how dismissive Sonja was toward the feelings of people around her. The tournament was exciting to watch as Hunter handled each event. The plot challenged my expectations while still being easy to follow. I liked the way Hunter and Dakota were in touch with their Native American heritage. The Princess and the Cowboy will appeal to readers who enjoy romance stories with characters chasing dreams across the sea.

The Princess and the Cowboy by C. H. Eryl is Book 3 of the Clover Springs Series. It is a gentle, fun romance with a touch of fairy-tale thrown in. When Sunny O’lepeki first moved to Wyoming, she was determined that her friends would not know her secret back home on the island of Aki. Sunny was the only daughter of the King of Aki and was destined to become queen. She’d discovered early on that her status as a princess determined how people perceived and treated her. Only Brian, one of her oldest friends, knew of her royal heritage and he was sworn to secrecy. She was adamant that people should like and respect her for what she achieved in life as a successful owner of a landscape design company, not the circumstances of her birth. Sunny fell deeply in love with Hunter Broken Feather, a champion bronc rider and cowboy. A worrying phone call from her father sends her home to Aki where she must face up to the responsibilities and traditions of a royal princess. How will her friends and, more importantly, her boyfriend react when they discover the truth about her royal status?

The Princess and the Cowboy is unashamedly pure fun and romance. C.H. Eryl has followed a predictable yet satisfying format in this series of stories. I enjoyed getting to know these larger-than-life characters and vicariously participating in their adventures and loves. Although there is a fairy-tale feel to the story, the author does a beautiful job of bringing the characters to life, especially Hunter, a young man who had already experienced his fair share of trouble in life. Just when he thought he had found peace and his soulmate, circumstances, tradition, and protocol threatened to rip it away from him. I do love a sweet romance and this story has all the elements that make for a successful and scrupulously wholesome tale. The characters have morals and intelligence, which they display admirably as they attempt to walk the fine line between duty, love, and personal desire. This book has no pretensions to be anything other than a warm, satisfying read. I enjoyed this story and can highly recommend it.