Rough Rider

Vane's second Hot Cowboy Nights contemporary Western (after Slow Hand) is an over-the-top story with more tragedy than romance. Country girl Janice Combes has idolized rodeo star Dirk Knowlton for years, but he doesn't seem to return her feelings. Nonetheless, he's willing to be seduced, and Janice gladly relinquishes her virginity. After another bull rider has a fatal accident, Dirk heads to California and the Marine Corps, leaving Janice alone to handle the unexpected consequences of their encounter. Over the next 14 years, Vane throws every possible crisis into her story%E2%80%94an abusive spouse, drug addiction, war injuries, and more%E2%80%94until it feels less like a love story than a Greek tragedy. When both Janice and Dirk return home to Montana to lick their wounds, readers will want to root for them, but the romance is overshadowed by the anticipation of the next devastating event and the concern that both protagonists may not survive long enough to get a happy ending. Agent: Jessica Alvarez, BookEnds. (Feb.)