Wrangling the Cowboy’s Heart

Uneven pacing sours the second romance in Vale’s Rodeo Romeos series (after The Bull Rider’s Second Chance). Headstrong barrel racer Amanda Rodrigues inherited her parent’s Sky High Ranch on her 25th birthday. When she receives a letter from a lawyer stating that an anonymous partner is calling in a promissory note on her ranch for the amount Amanda’s parents owed, Amanda turns to her best friend’s grandfather, wealthy rancher Thomas Wright, for help. Wright offers to buy the ranch and keep Amanda on as manager, but first he’ll need his grandson, handsome cowboy Liam Neisson, to inspect the property. Amanda’s had a crush on Liam since she was a kid, and Liam has just started to notice her as well, but a fight over the ownership of a horse recently drove a wedge between them. The inspection is sure to be awkward. But then a suspicious fire ignites on the Sky High property, and managing the disaster sparks romantic feelings between the feisty couple. Though their chemistry burns hot, the mysterious accident that brings them together is a disappointing subplot that remains largely unresolved, and though the story starts at a meander, it eventually zooms through to a hurried conclusion. Cowboy lovers and fans of the best friend’s brother trope should look elsewhere. (June)