I don't think I'm asking for too much when it comes to romance. I want banter, I want sizzle, and I want swoon. And yet, somehow, I keep coming across romance books with none of the above.
Emmy was thrown from her horse during barrel racing, so she's now back at her family's ranch recovering mentally from the accident and figuring out her next steps. Of course there's a cute boy next door who just happens to be her brothers' best friend and totally off-limits. All of a sudden, sparks are flying and Emmy and Luke can't help falling for each other.
Okay that's a great premise. But right off the bat, there's a problem. Where are the sparks? I detected not an ounce of sizzle or tension anywhere in here. The characters were bland, their conversations were bland, and I had a hard time imagining anyone falling in love or lust while saying such bland and boring things to each other.
A large part of the problem is the writing style. It essentially intercuts scenes inside the characters' heads (where they constantly go on and on about how beautiful the other person is and how attracted they are to them), with the aforementioned bland dialogue, with some additional scenes of them talking to their BFFs about how much they like the other person. It was just tell, tell, tell, with no show at all.
The things is, tension (romantic or otherwise) always comes from what is unsaid, not what is said. So if you have a story that is all tell and no show and essentially overshares and overexplains the feelings that the characters have for each other, then you have effectively killed good and dead the most important element in a story.
Another issue is the characters. It's not that they're unlikable, because that would mean there is something to dislike. It's more that they feel generic, like cardboard cutouts of what romance leads should be. Luke is nice and handsome and always there to lend a hand, while Emmy has deep-seated issues that Luke will inevitably swoop in and make all better. I guess I just expected a little bit more.
Even the cowboy element felt so bland. If you take out the fact that they're on a ranch and Luke wore a cowboy hat once in the whole story, and substitute a different sport for barrel racing, this would literally be any other romance. I don't think there was even a single cowboy expression or "yeehaw!" in here.
The other thing that was disappointing was the ADHD rep. There was specifically an author's note at the beginning of the book talking about how she has ADHD, and she wrote Emmy with that in mind. I'm always so heartened to see diverse representation in books, so when Emmy's ADHD turned out to be little more than her being messy and late to things, it felt lacking.
I'm sorry, but this book did not live up to the hype. Sure, if you're wanting a generic romance with some horses thrown in, there's nothing wrong with this one. But if you're hoping for even a little bit more, you're better off looking somewhere else.
Readaroo Rating: 2 stars
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