Danger is one bad decision away.Barrel racer Cora Hayes lives life without apology. After missing the top spot at the end of the season, she’s doubled down on her career.And her fun.City boy Ian Murphy barely knows dirt from dung, but to win a coveted photojournalism slot, he must infiltrate the close-knit cowboy community.Thankfully, Cora has offered to show him the ropes. But Ian doesn’t have … has offered to show him the ropes. But Ian doesn’t have time for a relationship. Besides, he doesn’t start things he can’t finish. If he gets the assignment, he’s gone.
When a quick snap of the shutter inadvertently puts Cora’s life at risk, Ian’s torn between doing his job and protecting Cora.
Will the clock run out on their budding love?
Or will saving Cora’s life be a race to the finish line?
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Cora’s barrel racing runs have been abysmal since a rumor started, after the last cowboy she took for a ride, that made her as popular as Typhoid Mary, so maybe all she needs to get her mojo back is to hop back in the saddle with the hot new freelance photographer, Ian Murphy. The setting is in simpler times, when phones had cords and dials, the cost of gasoline was fifty-seven cents per gallon and Hank Williams, Jr. was still playing honkytonks, but Ian has firmly friend zoned Cora since he has big plans that don’t involve staying. Which should be fine with Cora, because she doesn’t do relationships. Add to that the excitement of the rodeo circuit and a secret admirer who moves from infatuation to stalker territory and you have the makings of a terrific read.
I’m always eager to dive into one of Tharp’s books because I know it will be the perfect combination of suspense, steam, humor and heart. I adored Cora and Ian, two lost souls who found in each other the family they’d been missing. It’s always entertaining to watch characters fall when they don’t do relationships or they have big plans for their future, but Cora and Ian were so much more than mere entertainment. Though they tried so hard to keep things casual, when the heart finds its other half it has a way of changing people and plans. Their hearts got on board and were fully involved but it took their heads a little time to catch up, and once they did, life managed to get in the way. Their story kept me wrapped up in it from the very first page and I loved every minute. As humorous as it is heartfelt and as sweet as it is suspenseful, this is an exciting, poignant, evocative read that you won’t want to miss it!
Not a typical cowboy romance, it’s better! This story will hold your interest from start to finish. This character driven story is absorbing and compelling. It is supported with dialogue that is both natural and supportive to the plot. Cora is a strong female character who is irresistible in her freedom, in her passion as she chases her dream in the Rodeo and in her loyalty to her friends. Ian is a perennial outsider, but he longs for it to be different. The irony isn’t lost in the fact that he is a photographer, behind and apart from the action and other characters, but drawn to the color and beauty of life despite his own feelings of being “other”. Opposites do attract in this story and you will be drawn into their lives and the action that surrounds them. The twist, when it comes, is gripping and strong with a powerful pull that will have you unwilling to put the book down until it is resolved. I loved reading this book and I am recommending it because of the strong story, the captivating plot and the fantastic characters!