The Roped Heart Ranch
(2026)(The fourth book in the Sweetheart, Texas series)
A novel by Leanna Ellis
The Roped Heart RanchSweetheart, Texas – Book 4
A pretend marriage wasn’t part of the plan.
Neither was falling in love.
Joe Rawlins came back to Sweetheart, Texas, to rebuild his ranch. Once a world champion bronc rider, he’s already lost everything that mattered—and he’s not about to risk his heart again.
Marty Thomas has one priority: her young son. She’s built a steady life and plans to keep it that way. Trusting another cowboy was never part of the plan.
But when an accident leaves her son clinging to Joe—calling him Daddy—Marty makes a choice she never thought she would. For her son’s sake, she asks Joe to pretend.
To be her husband.
To be a family.
Just until things settle.
But in Sweetheart, nothing stays pretend for long.
In Sweetheart, Texas, folks say the old wooden table at The Sweet Spot is where fathers teach their children the old ways—how to rope, have patience, and make room for second chances. Some call it a tradition. Others call it a way of life. But for a man afraid to fail again—and a woman determined to stand on her own—it may be where a family is formed.
✨ Perfect for readers who love:
A pretend marriage wasn’t part of the plan.
Neither was falling in love.
Joe Rawlins came back to Sweetheart, Texas, to rebuild his ranch. Once a world champion bronc rider, he’s already lost everything that mattered—and he’s not about to risk his heart again.
Marty Thomas has one priority: her young son. She’s built a steady life and plans to keep it that way. Trusting another cowboy was never part of the plan.
But when an accident leaves her son clinging to Joe—calling him Daddy—Marty makes a choice she never thought she would. For her son’s sake, she asks Joe to pretend.
To be her husband.
To be a family.
Just until things settle.
But in Sweetheart, nothing stays pretend for long.
In Sweetheart, Texas, folks say the old wooden table at The Sweet Spot is where fathers teach their children the old ways—how to rope, have patience, and make room for second chances. Some call it a tradition. Others call it a way of life. But for a man afraid to fail again—and a woman determined to stand on her own—it may be where a family is formed.
✨ Perfect for readers who love:
- Sweet, clean, closed-door romance
Cowboy and ranch romances
Single mom and found family stories
Pretend marriage / fake relationship tropes
Small-town western settings
Emotional, heartwarming love stories
Genre: Romance