Sunday 3 February 2013

Every Second Counts by D. Jackson Leigh


Twenty eight year old rodeo rider, Marc Ryder (Ryder to her friends) is fearless. She has no regard for her own safety at all. As long as she stays on the back of a hyped up, angry bull for the eight seconds it takes to win the rodeo, that’s really all that matters to her. Unfortunately for her, her downfall was a bull named Funeral Wagon and she was badly injured. She ends up back in Cherokee Falls for the first time in twelve years to stay with her friends Skyler and Tory to recuperate.

Ryder hasn’t had an easy life. Abandoned by her parents to her uncaring, mentally ill, grandmother, when she was a child, now she can’t possibly allow anyone to get close to her. She’s a player, the love them and leave them sort. Until she meets Bridgette. It may just be that Ryder now wants more than just one night. But will Bridgette allow Ryder to get close to her?

When artist Bridgette LeRoy meets Ryder, it’s lust at first sight. It could possibly be more. But when Bridgette finds out what Ryder does for a living, she tries to avoid her at all costs. Bridgette has avoided people who take chances with their lives since the untimely death of her brother Stephan.

Avoiding Ryder isn’t easy when she keeps popping up in odd places at odd times. Before very long, both Bridgette and Ryder are on a rollercoaster ride of attraction, lust and complete denial. Something or someone has to give. What or who will give to allow the two women to love one another?

Things come to a head after Ryder leaves for Dallas to compete in another rodeo. Bridgette flies out to Dallas. She has to protect her heart and try to talk Ryder in to giving up bull riding for good. She’s on a race against time and all odds where every second counts.

I’ve loved all of D. Jackson Leigh’s books and this one, in my opinion, is her best ever yet. A sweet and tender, hot and sexy romance with some of my favorite characters from previous books. A real page turner from beginning to end, from a master storyteller.

The thing I love about DJL’s books is that there is always an excellent story wrapped around a really true to life romance. I’m always sorry to reach the end of a DJL book, knowing I’m going to have, what seems to me, a long wait until the next book. But, all good things are well worth the wait.

This story is set partly among the horse world, the art world and bull riding rodeo. From the scenic descriptions it was easy to just lose myself amongst the characters.

The two main characters, Bridgette and Ryder are so obviously made for each other, everyone can see it except them. They are both well formed and multidimensional and interact so well together along with the rest of the cast of characters. Each of these characters plays their parts to perfection in furthering the story to it’s most satisfying conclusion.

This will join the rest of D. Jackson Leigh’s books to be re-read. I hope to see more of these delightful characters among the horse world very soon.

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