Reckless in Texas

June 13, 2016
Dell’s first Texas Rodeo contemporary takes the reader on a journey into the rough-and-tumble world of bull riding. Violet Jacobs has hired a substitute bullfighter to help with her family’s Texas rodeo, in which she provides backup from horseback if the bull-riding cowboy can’t get out of the way of the bull. She’s surprised when hunky Joe Cassidy shows up at her ranch—especially since he’s not the man that she hired. Over time they grow closer, but Violet knows that Joe will be returning to Oregon after his stint with the rodeo, and she’s still adjusting to life as a single mom after a one-night stand resulted in the conception of her young son; a relationship is not in the cards. But she can’t keep her eyes off him. Dell’s insight into the world of bull riding is illuminating, and her highly dimensional characters make her a standout in western romance. Agent: Holly Root, Waxman Leavell Literary.

June 1, 2016
When rodeo contractor Violet Jacobs hires a relatively obscure bullfighter for a short contract and gets superstar Joe Cassidy instead, she's blindsided by the blazing attraction that flares between them but intimidated by all the differences she's convinced will keep them apart.Violet wants nothing more than to heighten her family's profile as rodeo contractors, but keeping track of current commitments, her young son, a messy love life, and other family complications makes it hard to do. When she hires a bullfighter--the person in the ring who protects the riders--to close out their Texas season, she's surprised when superstar Joe Cassidy, the best in the field, shows up instead. Joe is superconnected in the industry but has recently been publicly and unfairly fired by Dick Browning, an influential contractor with a reputation for being impossible to work with. Joe has come to Texas to work in a much smaller pond than he's used to, mostly to get away from the toxic Browning. When the Jacobs family enfolds him like a son and he and Violet dance around the possibility of an affair, he wonders if the time has come to let go of his old dream of working as a partner on Browning's ranch and perhaps stake a claim with Violet and her family. But relationships are problematic territory for both Violet and Joe, and trying to get on the same wavelength leaves them both hurt and confused and in very different parts of the country. In order to find happiness, they'll have to figure out how to rescue each other from their shared path of mistakes and miscommunication. Dell's writing is notable, and her rodeo setting is fascinating, with characters that leap off the page and an intriguing series of actions, conflicts, and back story elements that keep the plot moving even though Violet and Joe's missed connections occasionally seem strained. A sexy, engaging romance set in the captivating world of rodeo.

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