The cover on Marcella Bell’s (Amazon affiliate link) The Wildest Ride does not do the story line justice. Yes, the book is a romance novel. Yes, there is a hot cowboy on the cover. Neither of these things tells readers what the book is about.
Lilian Sorrow Island is a cowgirl through and through but retired from rodeos when she realized she would never be given a fair chance as a woman. She has been working the family ranch until she finds out that her grandfather took out a mortgage on the ranch which could leave her family homeless unless she can pull in some serious bank in a short amount of time. After he grandmother signs her up for a rodeo reality TV show, she is determined to not only win the money to save the ranch but also show that women are more than capable.
Lil is a strong Black and Indigenous woman who, let’s be honest, kicks some serious a*se. This is the type of woman little girls would cheer on because she represents possibility while she bulldozes glass ceilings. Her main competitor, and love interest for the book, is a Black Latino hunk.
And for those things, the story is great. However, a woman who is still a virgin at age 27 due to the fear of unwanted pregnancy like her mother suddenly is all in for sex without contraceptives? Doubtful and definitely not a good idea. Some of the twists also lacked believability.
Read the book for the strong kick a*se female role model. Look elsewhere for steamy sex scenes. Available August 2021.
Disclaimer: An advance copy was provided by Harlequin – Romance.
Novel Obsession 
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