Delicate Hope: A Single Dad Cowboy Romance

by Jessica Myel

Chasing love is like running in place — exhausting.

Mae Morgan is tired of being overlooked, and ignored. Her lease on love was bleak.

So when her aunt called asking for help with her flower shop books, Mae couldn’t say no.

But when she gets to Paxton, her aunt surprises her, leaving the struggling shop to Mae, on one she has to run it for a year. Mae isn’t a quitter and convinces herself it’s possible. A dating hiatus and a change of scenery could be a good thing. Plus, it’s a small town, it’s not like she’d find someone. Right?

Wrong.

Cooper Hayes is charming, funny, and a single father.

When his sister dropped his niece in his arms and left, he went from being a cowboy with wild nights, to struggling to raise a little girl.

But he wanted more for Naomi and himself.



When he meets Mae, she hardly gives him the time of day. But Cooper is a persistent man, and when he wears her down he realizes how little time they have.

Mae doesn’t want to put her delicate heart on the line, and Cooper is all but willing to hand her his. Will they both be able to take the leap? Or will it just end up in heartbreak— again?



Welcome to Hayes Ranch, where family is more than blood, and love is a little harder to wrangle.

Delicate Hope is a standalone romance in the interconnected Hayes Ranch Series.

Get your copy today!

428 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 27, 2026

About the author

Jessica was born and raised in the Midwest. After acquiring a bachelor's in Marketing and a Masters in Biblical Studies many years later, she realized her calling was writing.
Her passion for words and finding her voice creates deep and emotional writing in various romantic subgenres. When she's not writing, she's drinking matcha, coffee, or both with her head buried in a book.

Follow me on Instagram and Tik Tok! @jessicamyelauthor

Reviews

[cat]

・❥・⁀➷ pre-read

single dad + cowboy 😝😝 sign me UP baby

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Single Dad/Guardian
*Smal Town
*She’s Older
*Slow Burn
I really enjoyed this small-town romance!
Mae moves to Paxton to take over her aunt’s flower shop with the condition that she has to stay for an entire year before she decides what to do with it. Cooper is a local cowboy who had his niece dropped in his lap and has been a single parent for the last 5 years.

I enjoyed the plot overall but the way her aunt asked her to come to Paxton felt odd, but maybe that was the point. By the end we find out there is more to it, but the scenes with her aunt and the flower shop were just weird to me.

Mae was relatable. Her friends in Denver were garbage and amplified her insecurities: always being the one guys use to get to her friends, being a people pleaser and just not feeling worthy in general. I also loved that she had to turn down the music to see better in the storm 🤣

I loved how persistent and sure Cooper was. He knew immediately Mae was it for him and I loved his tenacity to get his girl. The first time he went to the flower shop was adorable. ❤️ They both went through a rollercoaster of emotion, and it was sweet to see both of their interest.

Cooper’s relationship with Naomi was adorable as well! I have said this before and I’ll keep saying it, I love to see kids in these small-town books. It adds something extra and shows a sweeter side to everyone. I did want to see Mae and Naomi interact more, but it make sense that they didn’t because he didn’t want to parade women around her.

I didn’t really have any expectations for this but signed up for it loving small town/single dad romances 💜

[Kelly Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5 stars rounded up)

If there’s one thing I’ll always show up for, it’s a small-town western romance 🤠🌾 and Delicate Hope definitely delivers on that cosy, heartfelt vibe.

Right from the beginning, I connected with Mae. Her struggles with love, feeling overlooked, and trying to figure things out in your early thirties felt incredibly real and relatable. I think so many women will see a piece of themselves in her, which made her journey easy to invest in at first.

And Cooper… honestly, he is the definition of a walking green flag. A devoted single dad, patient, caring, and completely all in? Yes please. The way he shows up, not just for Mae but for his niece, was such a strong and loveable part of the story... (THE FASHION SHOW SCENE, IYKYK).

For me, the pacing was a little up and down. While I understood Mae’s fears and hesitation, there were moments where her resistance to the connection felt a bit drawn out, and I found myself wanting her to meet Cooper halfway sooner. It did create tension, but at times it pulled me slightly out of the story, was frustrating and made it harder to stay fully connected to her character.

That said, I’m really glad I stuck with it. The small-town setting, the found family elements, and the overall heart of the story made it an enjoyable read. It’s one of those romances that still leaves you with that warm, hopeful feeling by the end 💛

If you love:
✨ Small-town romance
✨ Single dad tropes
✨ Cowboy energy
✨ Slow-burn with emotional stakes

This book is for you.

Thank you to the author and Luna Literary for an eARC. All opinions are my own.

[Polina · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review :

So I think the book's plot is simple and effective. Regarding the main female character, we see that throughout the book she have doubts we can read that she has questions that I think are legitimate and that many women today can relate to: never being the one we choose, having doubts about ourselves on the age of 30, thinking we won't find someone for a serious relationship. I think this is well handled by the author and gives originality and personality to her character. I could criticize this book for using the trope of women taking a break from dating, but I don't think this trope is explored much in the book. Despite all that, it remains a good, cute, and entertaining read that read quickly. However, I think some of the intimate scenes in the book weren't necessarily well-written or necessary, against their relationship during the story and the doubts they have . Compared to that, it's well done and doesn't have that problem to lead to a working relationship in the book. As for the MC's relationship with his niece, I find it touching; after that, I think it's a good read, it's a book that isn't too long and that I generally recommend,if your looking for a short and cute romance story.

[☆Laura☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mae está cansada de intentarlo, de su vida, de que nada le salga bien, que siempre tenga que estar luchando, cansada de salir, de no ser suficiente, de quedarse siempre a un lado mientras todos avanzan. Su vida gira en torno a su familia y trabajo.

Un viaje a un pequeño pueblo cambia todo más rápido de lo que esperaba. Empieza como un favor que termina convirtiéndose en una decisión enorme que la obliga a quedarse, empezar de cero y enfrentarse a una versión de su vida que nunca imaginó.

Cooper tiene claro lo que importa. Su niña, su trabajo y mantener su mundo estable. No está buscando complicaciones, mucho menos a alguien que se irá en unas semanas.

Pero en un lugar tan pequeño, cruzarse es inevitable y lo que empieza como simple curiosidad se convierte en algo que ninguno de los dos imagino y que no saben manejarlo.

Gracias Luna Literary por el ARC.

[Tasha Thrall · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an enjoyable book – slow-paced with a lovely happy-ever-after. I truly resonated with Mae’s feelings of insecurity. However, Cooper’s efforts to demonstrate that she is the one for him were heartwarming, especially as he offered her reasons to stay longer than just a year.

Cooper is a cowboy managing his family ranch and has been raising his niece since she was two. Now, at seven years old, he is dedicated to ensuring that his little princess is both happy and safe.

Mae returned home after graduating college to assist her mother. One day, her aunt reached out for help with her flower shop, which compelled Mae to stay in Paxon for a year, managing the struggling shop while putting her dating life on hold.

[Tiffany Fortney · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a heartwarming and enjoyable new read from author Jessica Myel.

Mae gets a call from her aunt asking to run her flower shop so she packs up her things and moves to Paxton, WY to give it a go for a year. Here, she meets the charming and handsome single dad, Cooper. Their connection is instant and electric.

I really loved Mae’s struggles with not being where she thought she would be at this point in her life and dealing with feelings of being rejected, unwanted, or not good enough. I think many readers will relate to her feelings. Cooper is a dream man any woman would want and his devotion to his daughter Naomi and eventually Mae are truly so heartwarming.

I really enjoyed this small town romance with a unique trope twist! Thank you Jessica for the arc.

[Kelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC Review

If you like the single dad, reverse age gap by a couple of years, and inexperienced FMC tropes then read this.

This was a sweet small town cowboy romance with the found family vibe and an amazing supportive family. There are topics of addiction and guardianship. I will say this book is a bit on the side of instant connection, he falls first and just KNOWS. While it is dual POV I feel like the struggles were more obvious on the MMCs side of the story. Which is a nice change in my opinion. You could definitely sit down and read this in a day if you have that time.

[Lyla Nadeau · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the beginning the main characters really bothered me because they were like I’m so done with dating yet they were not, but it’s ok! He’s a single dad in a non conventional way and it brought some drama and she’s in town for just a year. Overall it came together in the end but I didn’t love it! It was a little draw out than everything near the end.

I received this as an arc and this is my honest opinion.

[Jessica Ljunglof · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Luna Literary and Jessica Myel for this ARC.

I truly enjoyed this book.
Mae's feelings and insecurities resonated well with my own sometimes. That made her very relatable.
Cooper is a man who knows what hew wants.
I really liked that we got the whole story from beginning to end.

I recommend this book to those who like cowboy, small town, found family romance.
There's a interesting twist as well that I didn't expect :)

[Amanda Price (LifeWithAmandaP) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute. Loved Mae and Cooper. Their determination and "stubborn"ness was perfect!! 🤣🫶🏼 RTC!!!

[Shannon Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute book. I enjoyed it. I will definitely recommend this book.

[Notyourmomsshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars! Review to come!