Cowboy Take Me Away

March 25, 2013
Pet lovers will appreciate this smalltown contemporary, the first in a new series set in Rainbow Valley, Tex., home of an annual pet festival. Luke Dawson was the town’s teenage bad boy, now made good as a bull rider but forced to convalesce in his hated hometown after a knee injury. Shannon North, his estranged high school love, runs the local animal shelter with overachiever’s passion. Their past emotional damage is believable and offers plausible romantic conflict, resolved without ridiculous misunderstandings. Graves (Heartstrings and Diamond Rings) includes an array of secondary characters, including some whose future romances seem imminent. Though the climax is miraculous, it fits well with the upbeat tone, fueled by the town’s legend of the Rainbow Bridge, where deceased pets await their human friends. Agent: Stephanie Kip Rostan, Levine Greenberg Literary Agency.

Starred review from April 15, 2013
The son of an alcoholic, abusive father, Luke Dawson has earned himself the title of town bad boy. Now that his father has died, Luke has returned to Rainbow Valley, Texas, to settle what little of the estate is left. A fall through some rotten boards in the decrepit family home puts Luke's career as a champion bull rider in jeopardy and forces him to recuperate in the town he swore he'd never see again. Shannon North left Rainbow Valley to pursue a lucrative career in the big city. Although at the top of her game, she longs for a quieter, simpler life and returns to her hometown, taking over the low-paying position as director of the no-kill animal shelter. With no one willing to fill the shelter's vacant caretaker position, Shannon does the work of two people. Then Luke applies for the job, and the flame they've tried so hard to forget is rekindled. Graves, a nine-time finalist for the Romance Writers of America's RITA Award, writes captivating, emotion-filled stories that sparkle with delightfully humorous moments. This charming tale is the first in Graves' new Rainbow Valley series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)