Below is the complete list of Denise Hunter’s Big Sky Romance books in order. For this series, the chronological reading order is the same as the order of publication.
Publication Order of Big Sky Romance Books
About Big Sky Romance
In Moose Creek, Montana, wide-open landscapes and close-knit community life provide the setting for three romances about trust, forgiveness, and unexpected second chances. Denise Hunter’s Big Sky Romance series follows women whose carefully arranged lives are disrupted by relationships they neither anticipated nor feel prepared to pursue. Combining contemporary Christian romance with ranching traditions, family responsibilities, and emotional conflicts, the novels explore how love can challenge deeply held assumptions about independence and security.
The trilogy is set in a fictional Montana community where ranching remains an important part of daily life. Horses, family-owned properties, and the practical demands of rural living influence the characters’ choices, while the town’s interconnected relationships provide continuity between the stories.
The opening novel, A Cowboy’s Touch (2011), introduces Abigail Jones, a hardworking professional whose demanding career has left her exhausted. Hoping to recover her sense of balance, she travels to Moose Creek to spend the summer caring for her great-aunt Lucy.
Abigail initially regards Montana as a temporary escape from her responsibilities. The slower pace and expansive countryside offer a welcome contrast to her usual routine, but an unexpected opportunity complicates her plans.
When Wade Ryan, a widowed rancher, loses the nanny responsible for caring for his daughter, Abigail agrees to help. Wade has devoted himself to protecting his child and maintaining the stable life he has created for her. His reluctance to trust outsiders conceals personal secrets that could threaten the family’s future.
As Abigail becomes increasingly involved in their lives, her growing affection for Wade challenges her expectations about career, home, and commitment. Their relationship develops alongside questions about honesty and whether two people with difficult histories can build trust.
The Accidental Bride (2012) shifts attention to Shay Brandenberger, a single mother struggling to maintain her childhood ranch along the Yellowstone River. Financial pressures threaten the property, and foreclosure has become a frightening possibility.
During Moose Creek’s Founders’ Day celebration, Shay agrees to participate in a historical wedding reenactment. Her embarrassment turns to shock when the man waiting at the altar is Travis McCoy, her former sweetheart.
Travis abandoned their relationship years earlier to pursue success on the rodeo circuit, leaving Shay deeply hurt. Their unexpected reunion becomes considerably more complicated when a misunderstanding transforms the staged ceremony into a legally binding marriage.
Travis proposes an arrangement that could help Shay save her ranch, but accepting his assistance means trusting the man who previously shattered her confidence in love.
The novel explores the difference between forgiveness and restored trust. Shay must confront her resentment while protecting the independence she has worked hard to preserve. Travis, meanwhile, must demonstrate that his intentions have changed through actions rather than promises.
In The Trouble with Cowboys (2012), Hunter introduces Annie Wilkerson, a respected horse trainer who also writes an equine advice column for Montana Living. Annie carries substantial financial responsibilities, including helping her younger sister attend college and providing for her young nephew.
When her column is cancelled, Annie is offered an opportunity to write romantic advice instead. The problem is that she has little personal experience with love and maintains a deeply sceptical attitude toward cowboys.
Seeking help, she reluctantly approaches Dylan Taylor, a charming local man whose reputation reinforces her distrust of romantic relationships. They agree to exchange assistance: Dylan will help Annie answer readers’ questions, while she works with his ailing horse, Braveheart.
Their arrangement forces Annie to reconsider her assumptions about Dylan. His behaviour gradually reveals qualities she has overlooked, while her growing feelings challenge the emotional boundaries she has established.
Annie’s struggle for control extends beyond romance. Family obligations, financial uncertainty, and her determination to manage every difficulty independently create pressures she can no longer resolve through sheer persistence.
Across the trilogy, Hunter presents three different approaches to romantic vulnerability. Abigail must decide whether she can abandon familiar ambitions for an unexpected future. Shay confronts the possibility of trusting someone who has already hurt her. Annie discovers that protecting herself from disappointment can also prevent meaningful connection.
Christian faith forms an important part of their emotional development. Prayer, forgiveness, and learning to surrender excessive control influence the characters’ decisions without removing the practical problems they face.
The Big Sky Romance series consists of three novels published between 2011 and 2012. They have also been issued together as the Big Sky Romance Collection. Each book features a central relationship with its own resolution, while the recurring Montana setting connects the stories.
What gives the trilogy its character is the contrast between the apparent freedom of Montana’s open landscapes and the emotional restrictions its protagonists impose upon themselves. Through ranching life, family commitments, and difficult romantic choices, Hunter portrays love as an experience requiring courage, honesty, and a willingness to accept an uncertain future.