The Cowboy Says I Do

Jayne (A Baby for the Texas Cowboy) launches her Montana Rodeo Brides series with this thinly plotted reconciliation romance. Ashni Singh and Beckett Ballantyne have been together since high school, taking their relationship on the road while Beck tours as a rodeo cowboy and Ash manages the tour’s marketing. But Ash is fed up with prioritizing Beck’s career over her own—and with his unwillingness to propose. Meanwhile, Beck’s grandfather is considering selling the beloved family ranch, leading Beck and his cousins to hatch a nonsensical scheme to show their grandfather they’re serious about settling down on the ranch by getting engaged. They make a game of it: the first cousin to propose wins. Beck is the only one already in a relationship, which would give him an unfair advantage were Ash not dead set on reclaiming her independence. Can Beck win her back, or will the “Rodeo Bride Game” blow up in his face? Ash’s internal conflict is sharply rendered, making the marriage contest feels even more like a flimsy gimmick in comparison. Luckily, it fades to the background as the plot progresses, and Jayne focuses instead on a sensitive portrayal of two people learning to grow. The result is uneven but sweet.(Aug.)