Having been in a relationship that failed and at the edge of falling into a new one that some might say was inappropriate, I understand the feelings that Ms. Devlin instills in her female lead. Especially when she was being courted into a relationship that, on one hand, she's secretly pleased about and, on the other, fearful of. For those of us who have been on the edge, the secret is the anticipation of what is next. That little touch of concern about what people will say and getting to the point where you decide, "I don't care what people say."

As Katelyn Carter sits out on a lonely road in the hot Texas sun, she thinks about the past and starting over. Texas is worlds away from Atlanta and her old life. For her, there is no looking back. Even though the house was listed as a fixer upper, she is stunned by the rundown condition. She bought the house sight unseen but didn't realize that it would need so much work. As a wave of self-pity hits her she decides to have one last cry over the lost things of the past. Afterward she will start with a new house, a new job and a new life.

Daniel Bodine stops to help what he thinks is a lost motorist. What he finds is a beautiful, feisty woman who tells him in no uncertain terms that she is right where she wants to be. He also finds a woman that he wants to know more about. She is a sad-eyed, lonely woman who is the answering echo to his own loneliness.

Katelyn has four days to get her house in order before her job begins and it's not starting out well. The air conditioning isn't working and, while it might be spring in Atlanta, the day promises to be a scorcher in Texas. After calling a repairman, she goes about opening all the windows and propping the back door open so she can start getting the house straightened out.

When Katelyn wakes up the next day, she finds an unwanted visitor curled up on the floor of her bedroom. Trapped on the bed by a disgruntled rattlesnake, she has no choice but to call the local sheriff's department. The sheriff calls their rattlesnake "wrangler". Just what she needs is another man traipsing through her bedroom while she's half naked. Of course, the wrangler would be the hot sexy looking man she told off yesterday.

Daniel uses the situation to become Katelyn's handyman, helping to fix the back door, move the last of her things into the house and doing other odd jobs. In the process, he sets out to court Katelyn. He knows that he is younger than her but that doesn't matter to him. Just getting to know her is what is important. To Katelyn, the important thing is starting over free of entanglements. Daniel's gentle seduction is not something that she is prepared for or has even experienced before. She is drawn into a budding relationship with Daniel against her better judgment. Can she trust him not to break her heart? Is she ready to take that leap of faith? Will he understand her secrets? Can they build a future together? Will Daniel finally find a woman who will care for him in spite of his job? Is this the woman who will share his dreams?

Ride a Cowboy is an intense story about two people on the edge of falling in love. Daniel's determined courtship of Katelyn is both sweet and sexy at the same time. Katelyn's journey of discovery of both her self-esteem and her sexuality was a pleasure to read. If you are a fan of Ms. Devlin's paranormal and science fiction works, this book has no vampires, no werewolves and no pleasure bots. What this book does have in common with her earlier works is a well-written story that draws you into their world from the first page and is over far too soon. So if you are into a hot and sexy contemporary love story, this is the one for you.

Reviewed By Theresa
© February 2006