Here’s an enjoyable relaxed romance. Abby James is driving her red town car on a rough backroad towards her late grandparents’ home in Three Springs, Texas. Here, her cousin Tess, a recent widow, has inherited and wants to reopen the family establishment, The Silver Penny General Store. Those potholes, however… Abby gets stranded. THE TEXAS SEAL’S SURPRISE refers to Abby having to accept help from a cowboy. I can’t believe anyone not having a spare tyre, but she needs a ride. And a job.

Wes Tanner is happy to escort a fetching young lady, even giving her a ride on his large Belgian draught horse. But town is small and they keep running into each other, since Wes manages the only bar. Gradually we learn more about everyone. Wes finally tells Abby he was one of the elite Navy force, the SEALs. ‘Three Springs, Texas’ is a new series introducing this town and its kindly inhabitants.  Some other SEAL stories feature constant danger, but Wes, from Colorado, has put his dramatic life behind him and is focused on horse rescue and helping Boone, the father of his own late best friend.

Abby is pregnant. That’s another surprise. A lady is entitled to keep such matters private, but folks start to guess. Not before she has accepted the task of running a town social and tourist event to bring in business. Although it’s not overstated, we can see that most of the remaining townsfolks are seniors who worked hard all their lives. Younger people have gone to find opportunities elsewhere – at least wi-fi has arrived. Even the medical clinic is in the next town over.

Wes is trying to find his brother, in a subplot which serves to keep us in suspense about whether the horse-mad cowboy wants to stay here or move back to Colorado. There’s also a fun digression into disreputable history, and another into the close-minded focus of some ladies on one-upping others with their fancy gardens, and why not, I suppose.

THE TEXAS SEAL’S SURPRISE by Cari Lynn Webb comes with a good amount of personal and location history built in, so our new visitor Abby drops into a real-feeling populated town with all its inertia. To change anything, she may have to change everything. I admire the masterly writing of this understated romance, which is suitable for any age, and involves all age groups in the town activities.  I’ll be happy to revisit Three Springs.

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