Cowboy Fever

Kennedy taps into the timeless, rugged appeal of cowboys with this moderately engaging romance. Former rodeo queen Jodi Brand returns home to Purvis, Wyo., to start a therapy riding clinic. One of the first people she runs into in town is Teague Treadwell, the "roughstock" boy from the wrong side of the tracks, who's now a very successful—and very sexy—rancher. Their mutual feelings quickly spark to life as Jodi tries to leave her glitzy rodeo queen persona behind and get people to take her seriously while Teague worries about controlling his temper and not turning into his abusive father. A drawn-out suspense subplot and annoying secondary character seriously undercut the main story, but western fans will enjoy Kennedy's take on the Wyoming landscape, beloved horses, and one tough cowboy. (Apr.)