Dirk Knowlton has always been a rodeo star, even in high school, and Janice Combes competed on the same team. He never noticed her; Rodeo Queen Rachel Carson had captured his heart, and Janice had reluctantly accepted that fact. After college, Dirk turned pro but Janice continued to tend to her father's ranch. She still worked as a stock hand at rodeos, minding the bulls and secretly pining after Dirk, knowing he was out of her league, besides he was already spoken for. He mostly saw her as one of the boys, a friend, but even so Dirk didn't like how another cowboy, Grady Garrison, kept coming on to Janice. Then a terrible accident happened, and the repercussions altered everyone's life.

ROUGH RIDER is the second instalment in the Hot Cowboy Nights series, and can easily be read as a standalone. ROUGH RIDER was such a wonderful surprise: Ms. Vane was a new author to me, I was expecting a standard cowboy romance, and I was completely blown away!

ROUGH RIDER rises above anything I've ever read in the genre. Ms. Vane's prose is seamless, fluid, vibrant yet understated: stylistically, the author is so subtle that her characters become living and breathing entities, and for the same reason, the dialogues sound totally natural and spontaneous. The story is powerful and multi-layered, and although there are quite a few rough spots for the characters, it is a very smooth ride for the reader. Ms. Vane's vivid descriptions of rodeos and life on a ranch make all the difference because it feels authentic. The author never succumbs to romanticising cowboys but tells it as it really is, including the highs and lows.

Character development in ROUGH RIDER is nothing short of stellar: Dirk and Janice are very well-rounded, very complex characters; they are engaging yet flawed. I really cared what happened to them as they went through many changes, which take place over an extended period of time and makes ROUGH RIDER a very compelling read.

ROUGH RIDER is fast-paced, captivating, rich in emotions and romance. I found ROUGH RIDER a very quick read because I couldn't wait to know what was going to happen next in Dirk and Janice's lives. Ms. Vane takes us right into Janice and Dirk's world, and I loved every minute of it! Oustanding!

Book Summary

Two wary hearts ...

Janice Combes has two loves, bucking bulls and Dirk Knowlton. But Dirk only has eyes for a dazzling rodeo queen. How can Janice ever compete while mired ankle-deep in manure? Exchanging playful banter with Dirk is all Janice can expect-until the stormy night he knocks on her door dripping wet and needing a place to crash.

Different Dreams...

Dirk Knowlton is living the cowboy dream. Life should be good-roping, branding, backing broncs, riding bulls, but there's a void he can't seem to fill. After getting hung up by a bull, he wonders if this is really the life he wants. Restless and rebellious, he bolts...but there's a certain cowgirl he can't forget.

When a battle-scarred Dirk returns to his Montana ranch he's determined to hang on at any cost. Janice has come back home to lick her own wounds. When old dreams turn to dust, can two wary hearts take another chance on love?