RIVERDALE meets INCEPTION in this twisty and unique YA coming-of-age romance.Quarterback.Class president.Burnout.We all have our identities.Most of the time, they come from our circumstances. They’re made by others—shoes for us to walk in whether they fit or not.But what if?What if we could take off those shoes?What if we could wear a different pair?What if those boxes we put ourselves in are … pair?
What if those boxes we put ourselves in are better…worse?
And what if, when we do…we’re trapped there for good?
They all call me Cowboy.
She’s the damsel who doesn’t need to be rescued.
And him…he’s the villain.
This is our story. And this is how we want it to be told.
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What did I just read???? Ginger Scott brings a crazy and unique story that will have you diving head first down a rabbit hole full of crazy plot twists and alternative universes!
Quarterback.
Class president.
Burnout.
We all have our identities.
Cowboy, Damsel and Villain will keep you on high alert while you navigate this crazy journey they are on. It is not a quick read. Be prepared to sit back and take the journey with them. The first half of the book is slow and steady. It had me wondering and guessing where it would all lead. Suddenly, everything starts to make sense. And wow!
“Do you ever feel like you just, I don’t know, want to be anyone else?”
I have not read anything like Cowboy Villain Damsel Duel. Hats off to Ginger Scott for taking a chance and following the story that was in her head and dying to come out! I really can’t say much more without giving anything away.
As I said, I love that Ginger took this chance. I have seen a few authors putting out their stories like Ginger’s – their “I just want to tell this story, but I don’t think anyone will like it.” stories. They are becoming some of my favorites! So take a chance on something different. This is so not your typical YA romance story. Enjoy the ride and see where it take you!
“I am more certain that we are all mad. And broken. And forever altered.”
4 stars
#AuthorGingerScott #CVDD #CowboyVillainDamselDuel #YA #Unique #RabbitHole #CrazyPOVs
WHAT IN THE WORLD DID I READ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
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.
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NO REALLY! WHAT WAS THAT??
My mind is blown.
If you are looking for something light to read….. move on by then because this isn’t the story for you.
If you want something that makes you think… like REALLY think.
and KEEEEEP on thinking…. and you STILL HAVE NO IDEA what that was.
Then one-click this baby. It’s an unusual love story…. but I think I really enjoyed it.
I was emotional by the time it was all over and my mind is just blown.
Unexpected
If you’ve read the book description that’s a great place to start if you want an idea about wha Travis is about… but then the whole thing is totally unexpected .
The book takes you on a wild ride with three young adults who all don’t feel like they belong .
There’s not a whole lot more I can say without any spoilers but I will say that if you like plot twists and adventure this book is written beautifully and is a GREAT read .
There’s a little romance involved but that’s not the focus . In terms of heat in that romance that’s no what this book is about either . But the strength of what love can do does play a part .. that’s all I’ll say haha
Deliberately cryptic but awesome none the less .
5 Stars
Review by Lisa
Late Night Support Group
Up All Night With books
This is probably one of the hardest reviews I have ever written. Cowboy Villian Damsel Duel by Ginger Scott is just absolutely amazing!!!. So brilliantly written that I could not focus on anything else till the end. It consumed me with the need to know what’s next, what’s happening, that doesn’t seem right and OMG didn’t see that happening.
I am not going to recap the story because I don’t want to give anything away. From start to finish we are taken on an adventure with all the things happening. I love this part of Ms. Scott synopsis of the story:
They all call me Cowboy.
She’s the damsel who doesn’t need to be rescued.
And him…he’s the villain.
This is our story. And this is how we want it to be told.
Really? Just from that you know it is going to be a wild ride!! And it is nothing what you think and so much more than what appears.
Another thing is that you may not know what is happening, but stick with it all will be revealed in this twisty, romantic, sort of way.
Holy mind blown! What was this? THIS is why Ginger Scott is one of my favorite authors! It was so complex and amazing and freaking genius!! If you liked the movie, Inception I’m pretty sure you will like this book, too. It’s YA and Science Fiction and something really different. After a point I wasn’t even sure what is dream and what is reality. I loved this unique story so much and highly recommend it to everyone!
Cowboy is the football star of the high school who is pushed toward the sport only by his father. Damsel is a really smart girl who is constantly striving for perfection, trying to stand out of the shadows of her four sisters this way. Villain is a guy from the wrong side of the town who tries to earn the money he will need for leaving his life behind with shady businesses. Seemingly they have nothing in common, yet their paths cross each other through an opportunity that they can’t turn down. What if you can take control of your destiny and create your perfect self? Would you take the risk?
Ginger Scott once again dared to step out of her comfort zone and create something quite unique. Like the author’s book, A Boy Like You it wasn’t a typical YA novel. This time, the story contained several mind-blowing twists and turns and every time I thought I knew what’s going on in the book, came a big twist that laughed at my face.
I’m not saying that I finally got all my questions answered, but the author really built a brilliant world with this novel. I always feel that Ginger Scott is one of the outstanding authors who does not get enough credit. In my opinion, this novel was exceptional too, and I sincerely recommend it!
Explosively entertaining, twisty, and engrossing, I was completely swept away by this completely original and addictive tale!! What is, what might be was never trusted as what you thought was blown out of the water around every turn. The chemistry between the characters was heart warming, and their battle to discover the truth was utterly mind blowing!!! If you’re looking for something out of the box, miles away from boring, and something you can escape in, this is your book!!
~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog
4.5 STARS
WAT.DID.I.JUST.READ?
I know I’ve already said it, but here I go.
I don’t read a lot of YA/Coming of Age romance, but with Ginger Scott, I always make an exception.
But this book?
It’s so much more…
It’s Ginger Scott testing new boundaries…and succeeding in it.
I’m still breathless, hours after finishing it.
Totally unexpected.
Totally consuming.
Totally heartbreaking.
Avoid spoilers.
Dive into COWBOY VILLAIN DAMSEL DUEL trusting this author, do it clueless, but before doing so, take a HUGE breath.
You’re in for an unexpected journey!
Well done, Ginger Scott.
***ARC Provided by the Author for an Honest Review***
Visit my French blog: https://isalacroqueusedelivres.wordpress.com
MIND BLOWING is the perfect word to describe this book.
I have to tell you I really like my romance to be nice and sweet but even if Cowboy Villain Damsel Duel won’t check those boxes I can’t say I didn’t love this story because there’s a lot going on and the author did a brilliant job showing her cards at the right time.
At the start of the novel I didn’t feel anything for the main characters but page after page they conquered a special place into my heart, they kept me in suspense for some time in order to find how their stories would have ended and why they were connected.
I won’t tell you more about the plot because you have to taste it in first person but I swear you will find all the answers at the end of this twisted journey.
Well this book surprised me in a great way, I was not expecting to find some of twists, I loved it, I think this book is a bit different from what Ginger Scott has written before, but nevertheless it’s still so good, I absolutely recommend reading this book it’s so different and good from your usual romance read.
Having never seen Riverdale or Inception like the blurb described this type of book, I had no real idea what was in store for me…But I knew, and was not disappointed, that Ginger Scott would take me on a ride thru her newest book.
“Do you ever feel like you just, I don’t know, want to be anybody else?”
If you could possibly change yourself to be anyone else, would you? These three students felt they were in situations in their lives that could not be so easily changed, but what would an offer be for you to attempt drastic changes? Money ? Power? Freedom?
Meet Cowboy( the football star), Villain (the loner/local drug dealer) and Damsel ( the class president). These three lives of three classmates will connect as well as cross in such a unique way that it will leave the reader questioning what they are reading until the end…And even after, I still sat there wondering what I had just read.
As with all Ginger Scott novels, I highly recommend. She writes mainly YA/NA stories and even “Cowboy Villain Damsel Duel” fits as a YA coming of age story that will keep any age reader entertained. But be warned, this story will make you question a lot and mess with your mind through out.
From the very first page this book pulled me in. The prologue makes you hold your breath because well, because what is going to happen. This book was an absolute page turner. I could not wait to see what was going to happen next, and then what would happen after that, and after that. I did not know what to expect, or how all of this was going to end, but Ginger did not disappoint. This is not an average YA love story. This book is unique and pure greatness. This will be one of my top reads of the year I am sure of that. Kudos on another great story Ginger!!
If you’ve never seen Inception, then you’ll be kind of lost. Even though this is a YA book, it’s a stark departure from Scott’s normal writing. It definitely has the darkness you’ll see in Riverdale (hopefully you’ve seen it too). And it’s certainly unique. In fact, I’m going to call it super twisted and hard to keep track. The writing is great, because c’mon, it’s Ginger Scott. She’s one of my Go To One-Click authors. However, this book lost me. A lot. And I had a hard time keeping up with the characters and plot development because I wasn’t able to read more than a few chapters at a time.
Once I got into the last 40% of the book, things began to clarify and I was able to untangle some of the web. That’s when I really started getting into it and understand what the characters meant to me. And I must add that while I am an avid YA reader, this sub-genre of YA is not my cup of tea. And that could easily explain why I had a detachment from the book.
Scott does a good job of making you second guess what you think you’ve figured out in the book and keeps you guessing throughout. Props for that. I could never figure out if I was rooting for Villain, Cowboy, or if they were the same person. Even though this wasn’t a five star read for me, I’m still thrown for a loop by how well the author perfectly tangled and untangled the story. There are a lot of details and foreshadowing throughout, but you won’t see it until after. And for you 90s peeps out there, Scott throws you a Matrix reference!
Overall, the sci-fi quality of the book just wasn’t in my wheelhouse, but regardless Scott did a bang up job.
I don’t know where to start with Cowboy Villain Damsel Duel. I have so much to say about it…that I can’t say about it because I would spoil the entire thing for you. What I will say is that it’s unlike anything Ginger Scott’s ever written and maybe even unlike anything else I’ve read before. It truly was “A Ginger Scott Experience“.
How did I feel about Cowboy Villain Damsel Duel? Short answer: I was mind blown. Long answer: I started out thinking things would go one way. Then there was a twist and I thought things were going another way. Repeat that scenario a bunch and I was so confused, but in a good way. I don’t think I truly figured out where this incredibly addictive, utterly unique story was taking me up until almost the very end. I’m going to be thinking about this book for a long time. It’s just… WOW.
Cowboy Villain Damsel Duel by Ginger Scott is an experience beyond my words. I cannot even express half of what I am feeling. Exhilarating? Yes. Mind games? Yes. A distorted yet very relatable reality? Yes. New adult romance set in a surreal yet brutally honest world? Yes. But none of these will tell you how exceptional and groundbreaking this story is.
So the story is set in a small town and three students of the high school. Cowboy is the football jock. Typical jock. Arrogant, shallow, narcissistic and everything. Damsel is the president of student body. Perfectionist, nerdy, genius and breaking down under her own pressure. Villain is the guy from the wrong side of the track. Ďrug dealer, broken soul from a broken home and literally having no care for anything. Their paths are not supposed to cross. But these paths not only collide but they mix and mess up royally. By a magic pill. Because reality and dream are only two sides of same coin.
This story has freaked my brain in epic proportions. Half of the time I was floating in the space between reality, truth and deception. I could not decide which person to trust and whom to despise. Ginger Scott very masterfully put the struggles of teenage lives with all the angst, pain and frustrations. I can tell you my emotions were very real. And this story has left me dazed, shocked and one hundred percent impressed. I could identify with each character in a different way. All the ugly and beautiful parts of life were exposed here. And the author dragged me through heaven and hell.
Some stories cannot be judged by rating stars or a gushing review. Cowboy Villain Damsel Duel by Ginger Scott is such a book. It was a very risky and a lot crazy endeavour. But for me it was very special. Let your mind roam free in the realms of dream and reality and I guarantee you the ride of your lifetime.
Received ARC for honest review
Ginger Scott outdoes herself with this latest book. From the gripping prologue to every “what in the….” moment to the very last work, this book creates a journey that will leave breathless. The edginess Scott always portrays in her YA stories catapults to the next level in Cowboy Villain Damsel Duel. This story rocked me hard in a way I never expected. It’s honest and raw with a refreshing, complex story spun from interesting characters for whom everyone can relate.
Scott’s writing seemed to take on a whole new level as well as she expertly navigates through a complex web of story structure in order to engage and excite the reader by keeping them guessing and needing more. For most of the book I had no clue what was happening or where the story was taking me and I was still glued to the pages. It’s not a story I’d typically read at all but Ginger Scott wrote it so I gave this half science-fiction, half coming of age story a try and I’m so glad I did. This story is unique, challenging and well written. Go in completely blind to reviews in an effort to avoid spoilers.
If you’re a fan of compelling, twisty young adult wrapped up in strange and unusual circumstances you won’t want to miss this!
I also love this cover!
Ginger Scott always delivers amazing characters, captures teenage angst like no other, and her writing sweeps me into her world from the first page. CVDD is on another level! Just when I thought I had things figured out… BAM! This book is a total page turner and responsible for a late night of reading followed by some very strange dreams. I couldn’t put it down. Riverdale (first season) meets Inception is the perfect way to describe this twisty YA scifi tale! Bravo, Ginger.
Wooooo! What a ride!
Ginger Scott has written many five star books that live in my library. She has a unique for gift delivering the true pulse of teen life. This book is something more. This story had me feeling like I’d been sucked up into a tornado, twisted and turned, flung about. I thought I knew what was going on, but nope nothing is predictable, nothing is as it seems with no sure footing.
I stayed up waaaaayyyyy too late reading and somewhere in the wee hours felt a bit drunk without having a drop. The characters are flawed and compelling, Cowboy, Villain an Damsel had me hooked. When I put it down for the night the story played out in my dreams and it was nuts.
That doesn’t tell you anything about the story, on purpose. I don’t think I’d want anyone to try and describe it to me. You need to experience it for yourself. I’ll be thinking and talking about this book for a long time. In December when everyone is trying to make their Top 10 list I’ll be reminding them about CVDD!
Ginger Scott’s latest novel is absolutely nothing like anything she has previously published. I’ve enjoyed Ms. Scott’s writing style for years, and yet her storytelling in Cowboy Villain Damsel Duel absolutely floored me.
This book is like a house of mirrors. You walk into it knowing things will be a little weird, but just a few steps (or pages) in, you easily lose track of reality.
“Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality”
–Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
I loved Ms. Scott’s characterization. Her main characters, Cowboy, Villain, and Damsel epitomize much of the inner turmoil of imperfect lives, self-doubt and teenage hormones. The stress of class performance, parental expectations and family dysfunctionality is palpable. The depiction of daily high school life is spot on. The plot is something I’d love to dissect in a review or a book group, but a review with spoilers would ruin the thrill of the reading the book.
As a young adult novel, the storyline is a bit dark. However, as an adult reader, I found it engrossing. The deep dive into the unknown, the richly layered story and characters made Cowboy Villain Damsel Duel a page-turner. Don’t think, just take that step into the unknown with this latest Ginger Scott novel.
Just. Wow. I happen to love it when an author steps out of her usual and Ginger Scott did just that in a very big way. With Cowboy Villain Damsel Duel, I honestly didn’t know what end was up most of the time. I was trying very hard to put together the pieces of this exquisitely written puzzle while ravenously turning the pages. Right along with Cowboy, Villain and Damsel, my mind was a jumble not really knowing what might be real or simply imagined. But when that ‘a-ha!’ moment finally made it presence known, no one was cheering louder than I was at how blessed I was to be able to read such a well-crafted and brilliant story.
This is a book that you MUST go into blind. Sure it’ll seem a bit off-kilter trying to understand just what Cowboy, Villain and Damsel have signed up for, as 3 seemingly unassuming high school seniors simply wanting to make some extra money. But as their journey gains a bit of momentum, let’s just say both their conscious and unconscious thoughts find a way to give their lives a bit of a stir. And that’s stating it mildly.
This journey is full of questions and hard decisions fueled by uneasy emotions and the simple desire to want a bit more. These 3 incredible characters could have never even imagined just what they might go through but the way Scott ties it all together and there is a ton to digest, is just wonderful. I literally had tears in my eyes as the end drew near, full of glee at what I had just read.
If you are looking for something completely different and I’m not sure I would even categorize it in the romance category, although love is subtle but very evident throughout, then grab this book. Move out of your own comfort zone and read a story that is thought-provoking and at times surprisingly exciting, keeping a tenderness close at hand as Cowboy, Villain and Damsel find their way out of this wild mystery. Yes I have been purposely vague but trust me, you don’t need to know anything more…just go for it and hold on tight.
It is not to be missed and will certainly be at the top of my 2020 reads. I happily give Cowboy Villain Damsel Duel a huge 5+ stars!!