Lost Rider by Harper Sloan Review
4 Smooches
Synopsis
In Lost Rider, the first Western romance in New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Harper Sloan’s Coming Home series, an injured rodeo star encounters an old flame but will she be just what he needs to get back in the saddle?
Maverick Austin Davis is forced to return home after a ten-year career as a rodeo star. After one too many head injuries, he’s off the circuit and in the horse farming business, something he’s never taken much of a shine to, but now that it’s his late father’s legacy, familial duty calls. How will Maverick find his way after the only dream he ever had for himself is over?
Enter Leighton Elizabeth James, an ugly duckling turned beauty from Maverick’s childhood—his younger sister’s best friend, to be exact, and someone whose heart he stomped all over when she confessed her crush to him ten years back. Now Leighton is back in Maverick’s life, no longer the insecure, love-stricken teen—and Maverick can’t help but take notice. Sparks fly between them, but will Leighton be able to open her heart to the one man who broke it all those years ago?
Written in the vein of Diana Palmer and Lindsay McKenna, this Texas-set series is filled with sizzle, heart, and plenty of cowboys!
Review
I have loved Harper Sloan’s books since she first release Axel, they immediately struck a cord with me and I just found it easy to get lost in her world. Over the years she has ventured out from Romantic Suspense in many directions and the newest genre she has added to her repertoire is Western. She drew me in from the first touch of Maverick’s southern drawl and did a fabulous job of setting the scene of the book. I loved the Texas and rodeo vibe and the characters all felt very authentic to that.
“It’s hard to forget the pain of the past when the memories still shine bright.”
Maverick and Leighton are the kind of couple that make you fall for second chance romances. In the past it wasn’t the right time or circumstances and now, ten years later, with no contact and hurt feelings Maverick has to work hard to get the one woman who never really left him. Lost Rider starts off with a bang and some full on drama and angst but if you enjoy an easy read no fear, it doesn’t take a long time for the dust to settle and the angst overall is pretty light. I read some early reviews that said there was no angst in the book and while I didn’t find that to be the case in my opinion I will say compared to say, The Corps Security series, it was light.
“I feel like I’ve been branded. I hope I’ve been branded, because there will never be another man for me, not now . . . not ever.”
I do want to mention that I read an early copy so for me personally I found several errors and one small plot inconsistency. It wasn’t enough to turn me off from the book but since I am not sure if they were corrected by the final copy I thought it would be worth mentioning. Overall, this was a sweet, second chance southern romance that made me swoon with a heavy does of sexy as hell too. Definitely worth a read.
~miranda
