Heart of Beauty by Danielle Grandinetti
Publisher: Hearth Spot Press 
Publication Date: February 11, 2025
Genres: Christian Historical Romance
Pages: 186 
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Discover the origin of Crooked Tooth Ranch in this 1870s western retelling of Beauty and the Beast


How can a beauty save a beast?

Blue Spruce, Montana, 1871—When Caleb Orson’s prize stallion escapes his ranch, Sal Beauregard rides to the rescue, revealing her true identity as a one of the few eligible females in town. She’d do it again if it meant saving an animal from the cruel retaliation of Brendan Doran. The man has no respect for women or God’s creatures.

But the sun’s early setting strands her at Caleb’s ranch. Worse, Sallie’s father unceremoniously leaves her there under Caleb’s protection. However, Doran refuses to lose again to Caleb—first a horse, now a woman. He wants Sallie as his wife, and not even the reclusive ogre of a cowboy can stand in his way. No matter Sallie’s opinion.

Choosing to make the best of a difficult situation, Sallie takes over the gentling of Caleb’s stallion. She believes she can reach Caleb as well. Only, the first blush of friendship grows into something … more. Something that threatens the desires of Caleb’s enemy. And if Doran cannot have a beauty like Sallie, neither can a beast.

A Tale of Tenacity, Romance, and Peace

My Review and Reflections

Oh. My. Gosh. This book. I was so engrossed that I looked down at my Kindle and saw I was 50% through in no time. Granted, it’s a shorter book (186 pages), but it could have been twice as long, and the same thing would’ve happened.

Sallie’s predicament drew me in. Raised by her dad after losing her mom when she was small, she had to pretend to be a boy in public to avoid unwanted attention on the frontier. But her kindness and love for animals put her at risk. Caleb was sweet and caring but hardened by war, convinced his heart wasn’t worth giving. I wanted to scream, “Yes, it is!”—though others tried to tell him, just less dramatically.

Beyond Sallie and Caleb, I loved Mr. and Mrs. Thomas—a sweet, caring couple. Doran? Not so much. But without a villain, this wouldn’t have been nearly as good.

This was my first Grandinetti book, but not my last. This is book 10 of 14 in the multi-author Hearts of the West series, it left me wanting more—but it can be read as a standalone. It’s perfect for historical fiction fans who love seeing the white knight (or cowboy) triumph over evil.