Rodeo King (Dustin Lovers: Book One)

WESTERN:  Caleb Johnson is a rodeo bull rider on the national circuit. Several years earlier, he’d returned home and stayed just long enough to seduce his best friend’s younger sister, Rosemary Carmichael. He limps into town six years later to find her raising his look-alike son alone. She reluctantly lets him back into their lives so he can get to know the boy, Carson. Eventually she realizes the reason she’d never let another man get close to her was because she still had feelings for Caleb. Caleb had never forgotten that one week of passion with Rosemary and is thrilled to have a son. But one call from the Rodeo Circuit has him wondering how they’ll fit into his rodeo lifestyle. 

If one is looking for a well-written, quick, fun read packed with passion, this story fits the bill perfectly! It’s got plenty of elements to keep romance readers occupied for an afternoon of good reading. The bantering dialogue between characters is quick-witted and convincing; the descriptions of the location are credible enough to land the reader in the middle of small town Wyoming. There could have been more conflict, other than one “failure to speak up” moment and a couple of irritating jumps to wrong conclusions. Rosemary’s inability to locate Caleb for six years didn’t seem credible during this age of information and abundance of social media. Otherwise, this was a light-hearted romance and extremely enjoyable read that has this reader looking forward to Book Two! 

Lori Leger