(Rope a copy of this book for yourself here.)
This rodeo romance is pure wish-fulfillment fantasy. Lil Sorrow(that’s her real name) is a former teen rodeo champ sidelined for years by sexism and family obligation. AJ Garza is a bull riding circuit superstar trying to take home one last prize pot before retiring to focus on his non-profit work. When they both qualify for a traveling rodeo reality show, they hit the road, competing to save what each thinks matters most–only to find out it’s each other.
Naturally, they’re both the best at everything they do, incredibly attractive to everyone they meet, and hopelessly devoted to each other by page 50. In a departure from the usual enemies-to-lovers setup, Lil and AJ are at most friendly rivals. This is one of the most amicable romances I think I’ve ever read–the main couple seem to just genuinely like each other. Romance is often cozy by definition, but this is extra cozy. I’m sure there are a half-dozen cut scenes of these two cleaning house, fluffing pillows, and sipping tea somewhere.
This may be because they’re both too busy forging their #ownnormal place in the world as biracial Black people to fight each other. Lil is Black and Mvskoke Creek Freedman. (So is the author.) AJ is Black and Mexican. But again, this is cozy, so the conflict isn’t internal. Instead, it comes from annoying two-dimensional outsiders. The main couple are very fleshed out, and both seem pretty settled in who they are (there are a lot of cute cultural scenes showing this, including a great underground warehouse party) and they pretty quickly form a Voltron of Us to defend against racism, sexism, and silly questions.
That said, I quickly realized why cowboy romances aren’t my thing. Simply put, I imagine smells. Who in their right mind rides on horseback for hours, gets dragged through prairie dirt, ends the day a bit bruised and bloody miles away from the nearest shower, change of clothes, or non-bean-based meal, and then suddenly decides to lose their virginity under the stars with an equally horsey, sweaty, banged-up bean-eating dude?
Ain’t nobody that fine.
The spice was a little too pungent for me in this book and while culture and the main couple are well done, the other characters and some of the plot points got short shrift. Still, I loved reading about Afro-Indigenous and Blaxican cowboys written by a Mvskoke Freedman author, and a lot of the rodeo scenes are genuinely thrilling.
A BATH and a prize bull to The Wildest Ride.
(Beautiful people! I write this to you from the valley of overwork, overshadowed by the gloom of annoying people with the pointy rocks of my own dumb decisions poking me at every step of this week. Naturally, that means I’m reading lots of romance novels to help myself feel better. To see some of the ones on my nightstand, check out this blog post or just jump straight to the booklist at the Equal Opportunity Bookshop. Be aware that we have an affiliate relationship with the ol’ Shop of Books, and if you buy something there from a link you find here, a couple of those coins find their way into my pocket. From there, they pretty much go to WordPress and the nearest local bookshop so…you’re supporting neighborhood economies! While you do it, make sure you read something good! Peace!)
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