Once Upon a Cowboy's Heart

by Sarah Da Silva

Genres: Westerns

398 pages, Paperback

Published December 5, 2025

Reviews

[OneMadReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️
Language: One use of the word "hell" and a few mentions of characters swearing without stating which word they used
Drug/Alcohol Content: 🍺🍺🍺 (deals with the main character getting over her alcohol and painkiller addictions)

[Faith | The Wholesome Shelf]

📝 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗯𝗲: Second-chance romance • Emotional and angsty • Small-town undertones • Healing from addiction • Faith gently woven throughout • Closed-door romance with heavier themes

💬 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
This is a debut novel, and I had the opportunity to read it as an ARC. From the beginning, it’s clear that this story comes from a heartfelt place. The premise itself is compelling, and the author approaches some heavy subject matter with care and intention.

The opening chapters are intense and emotionally weighty, especially as we learn about the FMC's experiences. She’s experienced neglect, emotional abuse, and a deep sense of isolation, both from a controlling romantic relationship and from her parents. Those early moments felt raw and painful in a way that made it easy to feel compassion for her. I especially appreciated the presence of her loyal best friend, whose patience and steadiness provided a much-needed anchor in her life.

When the MMC enters the story, his role as a calm, grounding influence really stands out. He brings stability and kindness, and I liked how his presence slowly created space for healing rather than forcing it. I also appreciated how themes of faith were woven in naturally, offering hope without feeling heavy-handed.

As a reader, I did find myself wishing for a bit more space within the FMC’s emotional journey. The intensity of what she was facing made me want to linger longer in specific transitions, particularly in seeing how she actively begins to confront and work through her addiction. While the support system around her was clear and meaningful, a few additional moments focused on her internal processing and growth might have further deepened the emotional payoff. That said, this is also a debut, and the heart behind the story is very evident.

Overall, this felt like a promising first novel, one that isn’t afraid to tackle brutal realities while still offering gentleness, hope, and care for its characters.

❤️‍🔥 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝗿: The emotionally rich premise • The supportive side characters, especially the FMC’s best friend • The MMC’s steady, compassionate presence

⚠️ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁: Alcohol abuse and addiction • Emotional abuse • Controlling and neglectful parents • Assault & Cheating (referenced)

✅ 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱/𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲:
Closed-door romances that explore heavier, real-life struggles
Stories about healing, recovery, and second chances
Emotionally grounded small-town romances
Faith elements woven in gently rather than overtly
Character-driven stories with supportive found-family dynamics

[Jenny Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. The story was great. The FMC and MMC were good. The plot and faith tones were well thought out. I would recommend this book to a friend. 🩷

🌶️ No spice
🚫Abuse and addiction is addressed

The chapter art in the book is sweet and sets a stage very quietly for both main characters.

The only reason I am not giving this book a 5 is it needed a strong round of editing. The author states that there are errors in the beginning, but I didn’t expect that to equate to what I saw. However the story is in tact and you can easily assume through the errors.

[Callie Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5-3 stars. it was (romantically at least) clean book from what I could tell. im pretty sure anyways.

i just don’t agree with the view of christianity presented in this book. overall it was kinda mid. i’m debating between 2.5 or three

[Samantha Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story but feel it would've benefited from an editor as the book has spelling and grammatical errors. The message was lovely and it was nice to read a closed door romance for a change.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is completely full of faith and hope. Amelia has been through so much, and my heart ached for her. When her childhood best friend Mathias comes back into her life, things start to shift for her. He is such a good man who continually went above and beyond to show how much he cares for her. Even though Mathias was patient and gentle with her, she needed something (someone) greater to help her heal, grow, and move forward. I loved how Christ was at the center of that journey in this story. Sarah Da Silva has a knack for creating flawed, realistic characters that you want to root for, and with redemption arcs that are beautifully crafted. I’m really looking forward to the rest of this new series.

[Kallie Webb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute story and I loved that it was 2 dimensional and featured heavier plot points like addiction, abuse and neglect. This made the story more than your typical rom com. However I do feel like the romance moved a bit too quickly and there were quite a few typos that were distracting to the story.