Ready for all the spicy cowboy romance books you can get your rope around?
Y’all, if you love a rugged cowboy who knows his way around a ranch and a bedroom, you’re in for a treat. Cowboy romance books bring alpha charm, small-town swoons, and some seriously smoldering moments. Whether you’re in the mood for slow-burn farm boy tension or downright dirty rancher heat, we’ve got 21 spicy cowboy romance books that bring the sass, saddle, and the swoon-worthy moments.
We’re ranking these books on the Spicy Scale using 
peppers instead of flames. Because nothing pairs better with a cowboy than a little kick. 
The spicy cowboy romance books scale:
- Mild Salsa🌶 (Sweet & Subtle) – Closed-door romances, tender love stories
- Slow Simmer🌶🌶 (Mild Heat) – A little tension, a few open-door moments
- Fiery Sparks🌶🌶🌶 (Moderately Spicy) – Open-door, but not the whole focus
- Smokin’ Hot🌶🌶🌶🌶 (High Heat) – Frequent steam, dominant cowboys
- Burnin’ Up🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 (Off-the-Charts) – Explicit, no-holds-barred heat
21 Best Spicy Cowboy Romance Books
1. Flawless by Elsie Silver
Series: Chestnut Springs (#1)
Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶 Smokin’ Hot
A champion bull rider, an agent’s daughter sent to keep him in check, and a forced-proximity romance that turns from enemies to lovers.
🤠 Roundup Recap: Rhett Eaton is a bad-boy bull rider with a PR problem, and Summer is the agent’s daughter assigned to fix it. The problem? They can’t stand each other. But when Summer moves onto the ranch to keep an eye on Rhett, their fiery clashes turn into undeniable chemistry. Featuring witty banter, an “only one bed” situation, and plenty of slow-burn tension that erupts into steamy encounters, this book is a perfect start to the Chestnut Springs series.
2. Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage
Series: Rebel Blue Ranch (#1)
Spicy Level: Fiery Sparks
A brother’s best friend romance with cowboy charm, slow-burn chemistry, and sizzling tension.
Roundup Recap: Emmy Ryder is back home after a rough few years, but she never expected to run into Luke Brooks—the man she’s had a crush on since forever. He’s older, off-limits, and completely infuriating. But under his gruff exterior is a man who’s fighting his own demons. As tensions rise, so does the heat, making this small-town romance both heartwarming and undeniably steamy.
3. The Cowboy’s E-Mail Order Bride by Cora Seton
Series: Cowboys of Chance Creek (#1)
Spicy Level: Fiery Sparks
A fake fiancée, a mistaken identity, and a cowboy who wasn’t expecting love—but got it anyway.
Roundup Recap: Rancher Ethan Cruz is tricked into believing that journalist Autumn Leeds is his mail-order bride. When she arrives in Chance Creek under false pretenses, the chemistry between them is undeniable, but so is the deception. With small-town meddling, forced proximity, and a romance that slowly turns real, this modern cowboy love story is a swoony, playful take on the classic marriage-of-convenience trope.
4. Reckless by Elsie Silver
Series: Chestnut Springs (#4)
Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 Burnin’ Up
A charming bull rider, a secret pregnancy, and a heroine who wasn’t supposed to fall for him twice.
🤠 Roundup Recap: Winter thought her one-night stand with Theo Silva was a reckless mistake—until she finds out she’s pregnant. The last thing she expects is for Theo to show up, determined to be a father… and to convince her they’re meant to be together. As he charms his way into her heart and their bed, Winter realizes resisting him might be impossible. This spicy, swoon-worthy romance is packed with heart, humor, and heat.
**Spicy Series Alert** We’ve included four books in Elsie Silver’s Chestnut Springs Series
5. A Cowboy to Remember by Rebekah Weatherspoon
Series: Cowboys of California (#1)
Spicy Level: Smokin’ Hot
A celebrity chef with amnesia, a rodeo cowboy who never stopped loving her, and a second-chance romance with a modern fairy-tale twist.
Roundup Recap: Evie Buchanan wakes up in the hospital with no memory of who she is, only that the face of cowboy Zach Pleasant lingers in her dreams. When she returns to his family’s luxurious dude ranch, she has no idea they were once childhood friends—or that they had a complicated past. Zach sees this as his second chance to prove his love, but will Evie remember their history before he can win her heart again? A fresh, modern cowboy romance packed with emotion, steamy chemistry, and an irresistible Black cowboy hero.
6. Tame the Heart by Ava Hunter
Series: Runaway Ranch (#1)
Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶 Smokin’ Hot
A city girl’s Montana adventure turns into a love story with a grumpy cowboy who never saw her coming.
🤠 Roundup Recap: Ruby’s plan to escape her overprotective family leads her straight into the path of Charlie, a rugged cowboy with no patience for big-city girls. But as Ruby throws herself into ranch life, she proves tougher than he expected. Their summer fling burns hot, but when real feelings get involved, Charlie must decide if he’s ready to take a risk on love. With heartfelt moments and plenty of tension, this romance is one to lasso.
7. Rein Me In by Kayla Grosse
Series: Cowboys of Night Hawk (#1)
Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶 Fiery Sparks
A small-town cowboy, a plus-size heroine, and a slow-burn romance full of humor, heart, and heat.
🤠 Roundup Recap: Blake never planned on coming back to Night Hawk, but when tragedy calls her home, she finds herself face-to-face with Gavin—the rancher who was once her late brother’s best friend. Their shared grief turns into something unexpected, but Gavin isn’t one to rush. With small-town meddling, undeniable tension, and a romance that simmers before it sizzles, this one’s as heartwarming as it is steamy.
8. Wild Highway by Devney Perry
Series: Runaway (#2)
Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶 Smokin’ Hot
A high-heat, second-chance romance set in small-town Montana with a rugged cowboy who never forgot her.
🤠 Roundup Recap: Gemma thought she’d moved on from her small-town past, but one road trip brings her face-to-face with Easton, the cowboy whose heart she broke years ago. He’s still angry, she’s still stubborn, and neither of them expected the sparks to reignite. Full of angst, passion, and emotional depth, this second-chance romance delivers on both heart and heat.
9. Long Hard Ride by Lorelei James
Series: Rough Riders (#1)
Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 Burnin’ Up
A high-heat cowboy ménage romance with dominant ranch hands and a city girl ready for adventure.
🤠 Roundup Recap: Channing is a city girl looking for a fresh start, but she never expected to find herself sharing a bed with not one, but three rugged cowboys. Sensual, scorching, and wildly addictive, this book is perfect for readers who love bad-boy ranchers, ménage romance, and boundary-pushing heat. This series starter sets the stage for plenty of wild rides to come.
10. Unridden by Cat Johnson
Series: Studs in Spurs (#1)
Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 Burnin’ Up
A spicy cowboy romance featuring a sexy bull rider, a woman who’s never let herself go, and a bet that changes everything.
🤠 Roundup Recap: When rancher Jenna takes a bet to finally experience passion with a cowboy, she never expects to end up caught between two best friends—both professional bull riders eager to show her exactly what she’s been missing. Packed with steamy encounters, cowboy charm, and a thrilling rodeo backdrop, this book delivers heat, humor, and plenty of heart-pounding moments. One of Cat Johnson’s many extra spicy cowboy romance books.
11. Powerless by Elsie Silver
Series: Chestnut Springs (#3)
Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶 Smokin’ Hot
A runaway bride, her best friend, and a road trip that ignites long-buried feelings.
🤠 Roundup Recap: Sloane has always counted on Jasper—her best friend—to be there for her. But when she needs him most, he walks away. Now, she’s fleeing her wedding, and he’s the one driving the getaway car. As they navigate close quarters, old feelings surface, and their friendship takes a steamy turn. With forced proximity, emotional depth, and sizzling chemistry, this friends-to-lovers romance delivers all the tension and heat.
12. Her Forbidden Cowboy by Charlene Sands
Series: Moonlight Beach Bachelors (#1)
Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶 Smokin’ Hot
A country music star, his late wife’s sister, and a second-chance romance filled with passion and heartache.
🤠 Roundup Recap: Zane Williams is a widowed country singer whose world is turned upside down when Jessica, his late wife’s younger sister, comes to stay at his California ranch. The attraction they’ve always ignored is suddenly impossible to resist. But family ties, grief, and guilt stand in their way. With emotional depth, sizzling chemistry, and an angsty forbidden love storyline, this cowboy romance delivers both heartache and heat.
13. Lost Rider by Harper Sloan
Series: Coming Home (#1)
Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶 Smokin’ Hot
A broody bull rider returns home, only to find that the girl he left behind isn’t ready to forgive him.
🤠 Roundup Recap: Get your rope ready for an entire series of spicy cowboy romance books! Maverick Davis left Pine Oak, Texas, a decade ago, breaking Leighton James’ heart in the process. Now, an injury forces him to return—and Leighton has no intention of making things easy for him. Their fiery reunion is filled with resentment, longing, and a chemistry that refuses to be ignored.
This emotional, tension-filled second-chance romance is packed with small-town drama, heartfelt moments, and plenty of cowboy charm.
14. Off-Limits Cowboy by Kristine W. Joy
Series: Brothers of Lucky Seven Ranch (#1)
Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶 Fiery Sparks
A grumpy single-dad cowboy, his best friend’s younger sister, and a forbidden romance that defies the odds.
🤠 Roundup Recap: Carson Lewis, a rugged cowboy and single father, has always abided by the unspoken rule: his best friend’s sister, Emma Moore, is off-limits. Freshly divorced and seeking a fresh start, Emma returns to her hometown, finding solace at Carson’s ranch. Their close quarters reignite long-suppressed feelings, challenging their loyalty to her overprotective brother, Wyatt. As Emma bonds with Carson’s daughter, Ava, the lines between family and forbidden love blur. This heartwarming tale explores second chances, familial bonds, and a love that was always meant to be.
15. The Last Second Chance by Lucy Score
Series: Blue Moon (#3)
Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶 Smokin’ Hot
A Hollywood heartthrob, a small-town second-chance romance, and a cowboy who will do whatever it takes to win her back.
🤠 Roundup Recap: Jax left Blue Moon years ago after a tragic accident, shattering Joey’s heart in the process. Now, he’s back, determined to prove he’s a changed man. But Joey isn’t ready to forgive or forget—especially when their chemistry is as electric as ever. With town-wide meddling, hilarious moments, and a hero who fights for his happily-ever-after, this book is as charming as it is steamy.
16. Arrogant Devil by R.S. Grey
Series: Standalone
Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶 Smokin’ Hot
A snarky enemies-to-lovers rom-com featuring a runaway socialite and a grumpy cowboy who can’t stand her—or stop thinking about her.
🤠 Roundup Recap: Meredith flees her toxic marriage and ends up taking a job as a housekeeper at Jack McNight’s Texas ranch. The problem? Jack is an arrogant, brooding cowboy who makes it clear he doesn’t want her there. But as Meredith proves she’s tougher than she looks, their tension turns into something far more tempting. With laugh-out-loud banter, sizzling chemistry, and a romance that goes from slow-burn to scorching, this cowboy rom-com delivers both heart and heat.
17. Mackenzie’s Mountain by Linda Howard
Series: Mackenzie Family (#1)
Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶 Smokin’ Hot
A brooding ex-con cowboy, a schoolteacher who sees the good in him, and a small-town romance full of passion and suspense.
🤠 Roundup Recap: When Mary Potter moves to a small Wyoming town to teach, she quickly realizes the locals unfairly shun Wolf Mackenzie—a half-Native American rancher with a criminal past. But Mary sees beyond his reputation, and as their attraction deepens, Wolf struggles with his growing feelings, convinced he’s not good enough for her.
This book blends a swoony, slow-burn romance with sizzling passion and a suspense subplot that keeps the stakes high. A true classic of the genre with a rugged, protective hero and an unforgettable love story.
18. Montana Sky by Nora Roberts
Series: Standalone
Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶 Fiery Sparks
A sweeping romance saga featuring three sisters, three rugged cowboys, and an inheritance clause forcing them all together.
🤠 Roundup Recap: Willa, Tess, and Lily are half-sisters who barely know each other, but their father’s will forces them to live together on his Montana ranch for a year—or lose their inheritance. Each sister finds unexpected love: the fiery Willa butts heads with Ben, a stubborn neighboring rancher; the sophisticated Tess falls for Nate, the down-to-earth foreman; and the timid Lily rediscovers trust with Adam, the town sheriff.
With family drama, suspense, and multiple love stories unfolding at once, this book delivers slow-burn romance, deep character growth, and just enough steam to keep things exciting.
19. Heartless by Elsie Silver
Series: Chestnut Springs (#2)
Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 Burnin’ Up
A grumpy single-dad cowboy, a carefree nanny, and an irresistible slow-burn romance.
🤠 Roundup Recap: Cade Eaton has no patience for drama—or nannies. But when his best option is Willa, a free-spirited, younger woman, he has no choice but to let her into his home. She’s too young, too wild, and way too tempting. As Willa bonds with Cade’s son, she also cracks through Cade’s tough exterior, turning their tension into scorching chemistry. This book is packed with swoony moments, fiery passion, and a cowboy who falls hard.
20. Second Chance Cowboy by A.J. Pine
Series: Crossroads Ranch (#1)
Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶 Smokin’ Hot
A secret baby, a long-lost love, and a cowboy who’s determined to win back the family he never knew he had.
🤠 Roundup Recap: Jack Everett walked away from his family’s troubled ranch ten years ago, never knowing he left behind more than just his small-town life—he left behind his son. When he returns for his father’s funeral, he comes face-to-face with Ava, the woman he once loved, and the child he never knew existed. Jack is determined to be the father his son deserves, but can he convince Ava to give him another shot at love? This cowboy romance is full of longing, redemption, and high-heat passion as Jack fights for his family’s second chance.
21. Kit McBride Gets a Wife by Amy Barry
Series: The McBrides of Montana (#1)
Spicy Level: 🌶 Mild Salsa (Sweet & Subtle)
A laugh-out-loud historical cowboy romance with a matchmaking little sister, an accidental mail-order bride, and a grumpy cowboy who never expected love.
🤠 Roundup Recap: Kit McBride is a hardworking rancher with zero interest in finding a wife—so his feisty little sister Junebug takes matters into her own hands. Without Kit’s knowledge, she places an ad for a mail-order bride, and when elegant Eastern lady Maddy shows up in their rugged Montana town, Kit is less than pleased. But as Maddy adapts to ranch life, Kit finds himself reluctantly charmed by her determination and warmth. This low-heat but high-charm romance delivers small-town antics, slow-burn romance, and plenty of cowboy humor in a historical setting.
🤠 Trope Spotting: What to Expect in a Spicy Cowboy Romance
🔥 Fated Love & Second Chances
Cowboys may be stubborn as a mule, but when they fall, they fall hard. Whether it’s rekindling a lost love or realizing they never got over “the one that got away,” expect deep emotions, longing, and swoon-worthy redemption arcs.
📚 Examples: Lost Rider, Second Chance Cowboy, A Cowboy to Remember
🔥 Enemies-to-Lovers Showdowns
Sometimes, the best sparks come from friction. Whether it’s a feisty cowgirl butting heads with a cocky rancher or a city girl forced to work alongside a rugged cowboy, these stories bring delicious tension, snarky banter, and explosive chemistry.
📚 Examples: Arrogant Devil, The Last Second Chance, Montana Sky
🔥 Small-Town Shenanigans & Gossip
When everyone in town knows your business, things get messy—especially in love. The hot cowboy at the bar? That’s your ex. The grumpy rancher fixing your fence? Your best friend’s brother. Expect nosy neighbors, family meddling, and the kind of close-knit town drama that makes every romance even spicier.
📚 Examples: Done and Dusted, Kit McBride Gets a Wife, Her Forbidden Cowboy
🔥 Forbidden & Off-Limits Love
Maybe he’s her best friend’s brother, maybe she’s the boss’s daughter, or maybe he’s the cowboy her family would never approve of. Whatever the case, these high-stakes romances keep the tension simmering until everything boils over in the best way.
📚 Examples: Off-Limits Cowboy, Her Forbidden Cowboy, Reckless
🔥 Surprise Baby & Accidental Parenthood
One passionate night. One unexpected baby. Cowboy romances love this trope, and for good reason—nothing softens a tough rancher’s heart faster than the realization that he’s about to be a dad.
📚 Examples: Reckless, Second Chance Cowboy, Knocked Up by the Cowboy
🔥 The Strong, Silent Cowboy
He doesn’t talk much, but when he does? Every word melts you. This trope is all about broody, emotionally guarded cowboys who slowly open up to the right woman—and when they do, the passion is unstoppable.
📚 Examples: Mackenzie’s Mountain, The Cowboy’s E-Mail Order Bride, Wild Highway
🔥 Rough, Dirty, and Dominant Cowboys
A desirable theme in most spicy cowboy romance books! If you like your cowboys possessive, bossy, and not shy about what they want, then saddle up. These stories take alpha heroes to a whole new level, complete with dominance, control, and plenty of heat.
📚 Examples: Long Hard Ride, Unridden, Corralled
Why We Love Spicy Cowboy Romance Books
Cowboy romances are a special kind of hot—and not just because of the sun beating down on the ranch. From swoon-worthy alpha heroes to stubborn, independent heroines, these books deliver slow-burn tension, off-the-charts passion, and all the small-town charm you could want.
- 💖 Fated Love & Second Chances – Cowboys don’t always fall fast, but when they do, they fall hard.
- 🔥 Small-Town Heat – Everyone knows everyone’s business—which only makes forbidden romances even hotter.
- 🤠 Rugged & Protective Heroes – Cowboy heroes are loyal, fierce, and know how to handle their women.
Find Your Next Cowboy Book Boyfriend
Whether you like your cowboys broody, playful, or downright filthy, this list has the perfect level of spice for you. So kick off your boots, pour yourself a drink, and dive into these spicy cowboy romance books guaranteed to make you blush.
Which of these books has you burnin’ up the most? Let us know! 🌶🔥🤠📖
Looking for something more animal and less cowboy? Check out the 17 Best Steamy Werewolf Romance Books
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