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Wyoming Sweethearts #2

The Cowboy's Secret

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Even a millionaire in disguise can’t hide his true heart.

He’s secretly worth millions of dollars…

But is he worthy of her trust?


Dylan Kingsley has learned to hide his millionaire status from strangers. So it’s no wonder Gabby Stover—his infant niece’s guardian—thinks he’s just another drifter. To prove his worthiness, Dylan takes a job as a ranch hand…and accidentally finds the purpose he’s been seeking his whole life. But could the truth steal Dylan’s chance at a happily-ever-after with Gabby and the baby?

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2020

85 people are currently reading
150 people want to read

About the author

Jill Kemerer

118 books623 followers
Jill Kemerer is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author of heartwarming, emotional, small-town romance novels often featuring cowboys. She is a multi-published author of Christian romance novels with Harlequin Love Inspired. Nearly a million of her books have sold worldwide.

A former electrical engineer, Jill now writes full-time. Her essentials include coffee, caramels, a stack of books, and long walks outdoors. She rarely passes up a bookstore and spends too much time at the library. She resides in Ohio with her husband. They have two adult children. For more information, visit her website, jillkemerer.com.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
Profile Image for Susan Snodgrass.
2,002 reviews274 followers
February 12, 2020
'Cowboys aren't deadbeats. They're strong and dedicated and they never quit.'

Jill Kemerer brings us book two in her Wyoming Sweethearts series and it's so very good. We come to know and cherish two people who have been hurt in the past by those they loved and are scared to step out in faith again and allow love to enter their hearts. And we watch as God touches those hearts and helps them be able to receive love again. There was a section in this book that really ministered to a situation in my life, and truly spoke to me. I'm quite thankful for that. Don't miss this one, folks. I look forward to more in this series.

*My thanks to the publisher and author for a copy of this book. The opinions expressed here are my own.
3,942 reviews1,764 followers
April 23, 2020
Uber cute cover alert! There's just something about a doting cowboy snuggling a baby, isn't there? And watching Dylan fall for his wee little niece is a pretty swoonworthy way to spend a freezing cold winterish-spring afternoon.

This scripture -- "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you, Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27) is at the heart of this second chance romance. Both Dylan and Gabby come from dysfunctional families and have suffered both loss and betrayal in their lives. Definitely not the foundational stronghold required to build a new relationship...unless they invite God in to heal their brokeness.

This is the second book in Jill Kemer's Wyoming Sweethearts and if you've visited Rendezvous, Wyoming you'll be delighted to greet some old friends and bask in all the small-town gossipy goodness. No worries if you haven't read Her Cowboy Till Christmas (yet), you can still enjoy The Cowboy's Secret. It makes a great standalone read as well.
Profile Image for Lori.
1,892 reviews134 followers
February 16, 2020
Gosh this was a sweet sweet story about forgiveness and truth and learning from past mistakes all wrapped into one.
Gabby is a cool character who has had a responsibility thrusted on her unexpectedly but one she cherishes.
Dylan is an interesting character as well.
He too has an interesting past. Oh my!
I enjoyed this story but ya know what? I sure wanted to scream at Dylan and Gabby sometimes. They were just so frustrating and too blind to see what's in front of them and seeing what God has orchestrated.
They were both too busy and self absorbed.
I think this author does a fantastic job of bringing these characters to life and Gabby was easy to make friends with.
The plot was really exciting because sometimes it is better to tell the truth up front or is it?
I recommend this book because it's a sweet and clean read that will leave your heart thumping along to see if these two will have what it takes to be Phoebe's caregiver or
1,839 reviews18 followers
April 13, 2020
Dylan worked for his Dad and then he found out from his father's assistant that his father had sold the company. Several weeks later his Dad died and then while he was upset with his Dad over the loss of the company and the fact that his father did that without discussing it with his son. Dylan felt hurt and was wading in a pity party. He gets the call that his little brother Sam died of a drug overdose. So now Dylan finds himself with no job and both his Dad and little brother gone.

Dylan decides to take a year and travel overseas. He is now a multi-millionaire since he was left all of his Dad's money. He didn't need a job he had plenty of money. When he returns home he receives a letter addressed to Sam that Sam had fathered a baby in Rendevous. When he shows up there to see his niece he finds out that her Mother has passed away he finds out that Allison's sister Gabrielle is raising Phoebe. Gabby thinks he is a drifting cowboy because of his boots and hat, so he let's her believe that. He doesn't want anyone knowing he has plenty of money.

Gabby has this thing against cowboys. So it makes the book really interesting. I think if you read this you will really enjoy the book.
Profile Image for Carey.
37 reviews
February 20, 2020
I was transported to Rendezvous, Wyoming, where I became attached to the characters immediately. I appreciated the clean romance story of Dylan and Gabby with a touch of suspense as they had their struggles. There were times when I wanted to speak to each of them face to face to give them my opinion and straighten out their misunderstandings. Lessons for life can be learned in this lovely story. I enjoyed this second book in the Wyoming Sweethearts series as much as I did the first and cannot wait for the third. I received an advanced copy with no obligation to review but was glad to give my five star rating as Jill Kemerer has never disappointed me with any of her books.
Profile Image for Ranie.
900 reviews18 followers
November 18, 2021
This was such a sweet, comfortable, encouraging story.

Excellent characters detailed descriptions and great secondary characters storyline. I love Gabby and Dyan's stories, both had deeply touching and hurtful past but continuously try to help others.

Highly recommended
Profile Image for Carol.
960 reviews40 followers
July 26, 2023
It was a pleasant enough story, but with a very predictable plot.
Profile Image for Jo|Ruth Reads.
665 reviews82 followers
August 8, 2024
This one totally had me tearing up at the end. Loved this story. It was first time reading a Love Inspired book. I am officially hooked!
Profile Image for Celia Dodge.
66 reviews
May 6, 2025
📚THE STORY📚

Gabby doesn’t trust cowboys. Her father and her ex were both cowboys, and they were unreliable, dishonest, and took far more than they gave.

Dylan isn’t a cowboy. He’s a trust fund baby, the son of a Texas oil magnate. So that’s a good thing - right?

Except Gabby thinks he’s a cowboy. He’s keeping his true identity and wealth secret, letting her believe he’s just another drifting ranch hand.

Why? Because Gabby is raising his infant niece after both her parents - Gabby’s sister and Dylan’s brother - passed away. And Dylan wants to make sure everything with Gabby’s parenting is above board before he reveals his plan to look after her financially, lest she see dollar signs and start plying him for more money.

But Gabby isn’t the type to try and take advantage of a wealthy man. As Dylan starts to spend more time with her, he discovers that she’s a hardworking, loving, salt of the earth soul. And he starts to fall for her.

Will his secret come out? Can Gabby love a cowboy - or a man pretending to be one?

💕THE ROMANCE💕

Gabby is attracted to Dylan from the start, but she holds herself back for all sorts of reasons. She’s careful about letting men into her life after being burned one too many times by her father and an ex she thought she loved. Plus, she has a baby to think about, and she doesn’t want to risk a man getting close to little Phoebe and then letting her down.

Dylan is initially drawn to Gabby’s down to earth sensibility and the way she tenderly cares for his niece. They connect over having both lost a sibling and their shared love for Phoebe. He shows up for her, doing what he says he’ll do, when he says he’ll do it. He longs to use his fortune to look after her more, but is stuck keeping his secret. When it finally comes out, he’s able to make a grand gesture befitting a wealthy romance hero.

Jealousy plays a large role in developing the romance. Both characters see other locals trying to catch the other person’s attention, and their strong feelings in response to witnessing this help push them toward acknowledging how they feel about one another.

✝️FAITH ELEMENTS✝️

They attend church together. Though we don’t hear the actual content of the sermon, the text notes that it’s on the topic of resisting temptation, which gets Dylan thinking seriously about his attraction to Gabby.

Both characters pray, and both have a journey to go on in their own personal faith. Gabby needs to learn how to embrace Christ’s message of forgiveness and grace, while Dylan learns to accept his worth as a child of the Lord rather than getting caught up in his father’s expectations.

📝MY THOUGHTS📝

This was a fun blending of the secret identity, wealthy hero, and cowboy tropes! The dramatic irony of Gabby rejecting Dylan because she doesn’t trust cowboys, while Dylan is trying to pretend to be a cowboy, is very fun. I enjoyed the arc of the romance, with everything from kisses to a great apology and reconciliation scene.
November 28, 2024
This book wasn’t bad! I liked the trope and the two main characters, Dylan and Gabby. The author actually wrote in all the backstory pretty well and all the details really added to the story to make it memorable and unique!
Dylan and Gabby are actually Phoebe's legit Aunt and Uncle (Gabby's sister is Phoebe's mom, Dylan's brother is Phoebe's Dad), which I thought was a really cool touch; they aren't just some random friends of Phoebe's parents.

Dylan finds out that his late brother had a daughter and goes all the way to Wyoming to meet her (intending to just make sure Phoebe's safe and in a good environment, before setting up child support and a trust fund for her). Dylan instead falls in love with Phoebe and very quickly Gabby, too, and when he finds out that Gabby thinks he's just a cowboy grifter-like her father and past boyfriend-he decides to work as a ranch hand and stick around to get to know Gabby and Phoebe better.

This all is really neat because usually these Love Inspired books are more shallow than all this. Anyhoo, their conversations are sweet and these 2 have some good conversations. I will say that Gabby was a bit too annoying, judging Dylan at every turn. Dylan had a rough life and was keeping his wealth (he's a millionaire) under wraps so that people would treat him like a normal person.
When Gabby finally finds out that he's loaded, she flips out like she'd just found out he was married with 4 kids. Really annoying of her. EVEN AFTER he explained why he was keeping that part of his life private for a while.
I get it, the author needed to weave in a third act break up scene, but it was really just too much drama too late in the game and it made Gabby just SO annoying. She was also always on his butt about not spending too much money. Girl, let him make his own choices! 🤣

The ending was good though-Dylan bought the Inn from Gabby's boss who was looking to retire and sell it to some slime bag, so Gabby could own and run it herself. Dylan was always great with Phoebe and the ending was wrapped up nicely. Very cool that Phoebe's blood Aunt and Uncle became her parents.

TLDR: Good trope, great conversations, Gabby was too dang judgey and annoying the whole book.
Profile Image for Kati.
192 reviews6 followers
January 26, 2022
A multimillionaire Dylan Kinglsey has learned that "money was a poor substitute for flesh and blood person who cared." For this reason, he wants to be a part of his only niece's life. Dylan wants to get to know baby Phoebe and shoulder her care as much as her aunt Gabby Stover would allow. So, after a year of aimless drifting, Dylan makes plans to stay a time in Rendezvous, Wyoming, and gets a job as a ranch hand.
While spending time with Phoebe, Dylan grows to care for Gabby. He actually falls in love with the whole community and the small-town lifestyle. Working at the ranch, grounds him and gives him purpose. His talks with his boss help him figure his past and his future.
However, Dylan knows that sooner or later he has to reveal who he really is, and this may destroy his chance of creating and living a fulfilling life in Rendezvous.

The Cowboy's Secret is a rare story of so much emotional tug of war inside both leading characters. On one hand, both Dylan and Gabby are pulled by the loss of loved ones and by the scars from their past. On the other hand, they are tugged by their dreams for a better future. The bad experiences overshadow hope and create constant tension within the characters and between them.

This is a sweet cowboy romance with the main focus on healing, moving forward, community support, forgiveness, humbleness, and prayer.
Profile Image for Jasmine.
1,296 reviews43 followers
August 4, 2020
Will they take a chance on each other?

So, let me start off by saying how much I enjoyed The Cowboy's Secret. When I am in the mood for contemporary romance, especially of the Love Inspired variety, Jill Kemerer is one of the authors I head to. But I also gotta say that this was also one of the super rare times, like less than half a dozen ever, that I liked the hero better than the heroine. Yep, Dylan won me over right off the bat but it took me awhile to come around to seeing Gabby in a different light.

I'm not usually a fan of the whole millionaire/billionaire plot device but it really works out well in The Cowboy's Secret and I found myself genuinely rooting for Dylan and Gabby to work things out. They both have pasts that are complicated by pain and betrayal from the people they should have been able to trust the most, which, sadly, is something that many readers will find relatable in one form or another.

All in all I really enjoyed this Love Inspired romance from Jill Kemerer. It might be a slim little book and a quick read but there is a lot of emotion packed in it and readers can't help but hope for a happy ever after for these two hurting characters.

(I received a copy of this book from the author. All opinions are entirely my own.)
2,239 reviews44 followers
March 26, 2021
If you like Love Inspired Inspirational Romance stories by Harlequin, you'll enjoy The Cowboy's Secret by Jill Kemerer! Dylan Kingsley and Gabrielle Stover are brought together by their infant niece, Phoebe. Phoebe's parents, Gabby's sister and Dylan's step-brother, are both deceased. Phoebe is currently being raised by Gabby in Rendezvous, Wyoming. When Dylan finds out that he has a niece, he travels to Rendezvous and contacts Gabby. Gabby's first impression of Dylan is that he's just another handsome but troublesome cowboy like her dad and ex-boyfriend. What she doesn't know is that Dylan inherited millions when his father died. As they get to know each other by spending time together with and without Phoebe, Gabby feels that he is holding something back. What will happen when she finds out Dylan's secret? I immediately liked this story and knew I would finish reading it in one day. I liked that the book has a Christian element to it and is not an "R" rated story. The characters are described so well that they are easy to imagine and like. I know I'll be reading more of Jill Kemerer's books in the future.
934 reviews1 follower
February 16, 2020
I can always count on a charming, satisfying read when I pick up a book by Jill Kemerer, and The Cowboy’s Secret is no exception. The second in her Wyoming Sweethearts series, set in small-town Rendezvous, Wyoming, features Gabrielle Stover who is raising her orphaned niece, Phoebe. When Dylan Kingsley comes to town to check on his stepbrother’s child, misconceptions arise causing all sorts of amusing, and not so amusing, situations. While trying to hide his millionaire status from Gabrielle, Dylan takes a job at a ranch and finds satisfaction in earning his own way.

I enjoyed the interaction between Gabby and Dylan and seeing their relationship change and grow. Their past hurts and scars are hard to overcome, but in getting to know each other, they learn about forgiveness, honesty and misjudging others. I recommend this book to those who enjoy delightful clean romances.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the author. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Dorothy.
305 reviews11 followers
May 26, 2021
Oh This is great story and must read too.The uncle(rich)who finds out about his stepbrother daughter and the sister to sister(who died giving birth)and the aunt is raising her with the loving towns people help.Dylan(Uncle)learns to be a cowboy and Stu(owner of farm)takes him under his wings.Stu forgive him for his lies and offers him to be his right hand on his farm.Gabby has a hard time to forgive him but her love for Dylan is hard to resist him. But it’s a happy ending
105 reviews
January 12, 2025
my heart is still leaping with joy.

Another great book by Jill Kemerer. Gabby is trying to raise her sister’s baby Phoebe, when the baby’s Uncle Dylan unexpectedly walks in. He has no job, has been wandering for the past year. He gets a job as a cowboy. Gabby has been betrayed by cowboys in the past, can she trust him? What is he hiding?
I will re-read this book a it was so good watching the love story as Gabby and Dylan learn to trust each other and fall in love.
1,323 reviews23 followers
November 15, 2020
This was a really enjoyable book to read. The plot was one that I had not read in all the books I have read and thought was so inventive of Jill. I liked her style of writing and how the plot flowed. Jill hit the ball over the fence for a home run!
Profile Image for Harlequin Books.
18.4k reviews2,805 followers
Read
April 2, 2020
Categories
Inspirational Romance, Contemporary Romance, Western Romance, Wholesome Romance
Miniseries
Wyoming Sweethearts (Book #2)
1,833 reviews4 followers
July 2, 2020
Ok

I found this one to be a little slow going,and the female lead a bit offsetting.It wasn't what I was expecting.
Profile Image for Janice Boekhoff.
Author 13 books55 followers
November 2, 2020
So sweet and with characters you can't help but cheer for! In the midst of my chaotic life, reading this was a little ray of sunshine, helping to restore my hope and faith in humanity.
Profile Image for Christine.
570 reviews4 followers
May 17, 2021
This was such a cute and easy read. I really needed a small book to pass the time and this one was great!! When Dylan shows up at Gabby's doorstep, you don't know what will happen.
470 reviews
July 27, 2021
Another great one

I so glad I have started this series and now I get to meat all the characters and hear there stories from the very beginning. Happy reading.
2,182 reviews4 followers
October 5, 2022
A little too much religion but a neat baby.
1,454 reviews5 followers
June 23, 2023
Cute story of multimillionaire Dylan falling for Phoebe's aunt Gabby
181 reviews3 followers
November 28, 2023
This is a sweet story. It shows how secrets can cause problems when they are discovered but can also be be forgiven when the truth is proven to be stronger than the secret. Loved this book.
Profile Image for Barbara Campbell.
1,787 reviews42 followers
March 18, 2024
Dylan and Gabby... what a fun story! Gabby has formed an opinion of Dylan and it is so wrong! (and also funny). She works to help him, all the while worried that he will cause issues for her with her daughter. But, of course, God is in the mix and working out the perfect plan to create a beautiful family.
Profile Image for Dawn Leonard.
328 reviews
February 22, 2020
Gabby and Dylan's story is about trust. Gabby views cowboys as people you can't trust so she doesn't trust Dylan and his cowboy looks from the start. Dylan views women as golddiggers like his mom and ex-girlfriend so he's very careful about what he tells Gabby about his past. He comes to town to make sure his niece Phoebe is being properly cared for. Gabby allows him to get to know her niece as long as he follows her rules about getting a job and going along with her schedule. Stu gives him a job on his ranch and teaches him things Dylan's father never did. Things fall apart when Dylan's secret is revealed.

Jill Kemerer's second book in the Wyoming Sweethearts series has a lot of the same characters as her first book, Her Cowboy Till Christmas. However reading the first isn't necessary to enjoy The Cowboy's Secret. I do highly recommend both. The characters are well developed and the story is easy to imagine thanks to Kemerer's great imagery.

I received a free copy of this book from the author. I wasn't required to review it. All opinions are my own.
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