Wyoming Rugged

Rugged doesn’t quite describe the (of course) billionaire magnate who fights his desperate longing for his business partner’s daughter in this contemporary western. Milksop might be a better description for oilman Blair Coleman, who doesn’t express a clever thought, ever, when he belatedly starts to woo young Niki Ashton. Niki, who’s about to graduate from college, is the most naive, sheltered young woman in the history of the world. She’s terrified of men after one scary encounter (from which Blair saved her) and has no real desire to venture far from her father’s ranch, though she does take an administrative position with a local mining firm. Here, Niki seems unduly influenced by a male colleague who urges her to ignore her doctor’s advice for her severe asthma; she blithely goes on a hike from which she needs air rescue and resuscitation. The prolific Palmer may want to slow down and refocus her attention on writing relatable characters, rather than setting any old story down on paper. (Dec.)