They weren’t looking for love…  But a baby might bring them together

When cowboy Henry Parker suddenly finds himself guardian to his sister’s infant son, he needs help fast. So he turns to his best friend—and ranch owner—Charli Stafford.

Charli is fighting with her mother and sisters against the sale of the Stafford Ranch. And the practical rancher will do anything to save her childhood home—even marry her handsome ranch hand.

It seems like the best solution for both of them, but what starts as a marriage of convenience soon becomes more. Could this business arrangement turn them into a forever family?

Titles in the Big Sky Legacy series include:  The Surprise Cowboy Dad ~

This is a no-spice romance, perhaps with closed-door or fade-to-black scenes. Tension and kisses might be involved.

Title:  The Surprise Cowboy Dad
Series:  Big Sky Legacy #1
Author:  Deb Kastner
Published:  April 28, 2026
Publisher:  Harlequin Love Inspired
My Rating:  4 stars

The Surprise Cowboy Dad begins the Big Sky Legacy series with an emotional, delightful romance between Charli and Henry, who take a marriage of convenience to a whole other level.  Charli and Henry have known each other for years. While there might have been some unacknowledged attraction between them, in general, they’ve been good friends who love this ranch.  After Charli’s father died, she discovered that the ranch that she’d thought would go directly to her had been equally divided between Charli and her two estranged sisters… who want a quick sale, as in done and over quickly.  Charli had spent her life on the ranch with her father, her sisters had spent their time with their mother, nowhere near the ranch whose fate has been placed in their uncaring hands.  Somehow Charli has to save the ranch that means so much to her… and a sudden life-changing situation for Henry just might be an answer, for them both.

After a long, hard day on the ranch, Henry returns home to find his infant nephew, Levi, in his carrier on the doorstep, along with a note from his sister asking him to raise her son, as she no longer believes she can do so safely.  To be frank, Henry’s sister has a drug addiction problem, and Levi is probably safer with his uncle… but Henry has no clue as to how to step into this sudden “father” role.  Yet, he’d never turn his back on either his sister or his nephew.  Now, he just has to figure out how a single cowboy can be granted permanent guardianship over an infant.

I enjoyed The Surprise Cowboy Dad, yet there are bits I hope will be explained further as the series continues.  Frankly, I’m not going to nitpick over small details; it’s the author’s story to tell, not mine.  But I would have liked to know more about some relationships, but again, that may be revealed later on.  In general, Charli and Henry’s unspoken attraction, held in check, worked okay for me, since their marriage of convenience brought those real feelings to light.  I may not have loved the main characters, but I liked them enough to be invested in their story and in their eventual happy ending.  I’m looking forward to the next story in the series, especially to see if any of those open questions have answers.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available at Amazon