REVIEW: Rough Rider by Victoria Vane

Rough Rider (Hot Cowboy Nights #2) by Victoria Vane is the second book in the Hot Cowboy Nights series. If you have not read book one, you will be a little lost, even if you did read book one like I have, I still felt a little lost at times.

Janice Combes has been in love with Dirk Knowlton for all of her lift, but Dirk only has eyes for Rachel the Rodeo Queen. When Dirk and Rachel break up, Dirk turns to Janice, and for one night, Janice is able to live the fantacy. But then Janice gets the news that her dad is sick, Dirk is gone and the only one left to help her is Grady Garrison. Cursing her life with a mean, drunk like Grady, Janice holds tight to the love that she has for Dirk and the dreams that one day they might find their way back to each other.

Dirk Knowlton ran away from the rodeo and Janice after watching a young rider die in the ring, watching his ex make a play for his younger brother, and thinking that he was too late, waited too long to tell Janice how he feels about her. After serving in the Marines, he is back home, wounded, broken and looking to keep the family ranch from going under. When Janice walks back into his life, it might just be fate giving this old cowboy a reason to survive, a reason to live again.

Ok, I love a good cowboy book, This book started out ok, but then kind of jumps around a little. First part of the book is all about the past, but you don’t know it is the past, and nope they are not flash backs. The middle 2 or 3 chcapters are about what happened in 4 years down the road, then jump to 10 years down the road and bamb here we are. For me, the transition through the story was missing. I think a lot of the first half of the book could have been done through flashbacks, because although it gave you the background, you really did not need that much detail. I think more could have been done with middle part of the book, what happened in the last 4 years, it was kind of short and really left me scratching my head.

The relationship between Janice and Dirk was ok. At times I thought that Dirk was a little wishy washy, couldn’t seem to make up his mind, and then when he did, he was angry that he waited too long and lost the girl. I had a hard time connecting with these characters, so I think that is why I struggled with the book.

Book Info:

February 3rd 2015 by Sourcebooks Casablanca |  (Hot Cowboy Nights #2)

Two loves …

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?