Lost Rider

Sloan (When I’m with You) hits it out of the park with her first Coming Home contemporary western romance, the tale of a lonely cowboy and the hometown sweetheart who has never stopped loving him. Rodeo rider Maverick Davis hightailed it out of Pine Oak, Tex., the minute he could, desperate to escape his abusive father. But in leaving, Maverick deeply wounded Leighton James, the shy girl who had loved him since they were children. A decade after his departure, Maverick’s father has died, and Maverick’s high-profile rodeo career is ended by a serious injury. He returns to his hometown hoping to forge a new life for himself. Leighton has closed herself off from love, instead channeling all of her energy into her successful bakery, the PieHole. Now that Maverick is back, she struggles to overcome the hurt and to trust the love of her life to treat her more kindly the second time around. Maverick is a perfect hero: multilayered, complicated, deeply damaged, yet blooming with the new promise of love. Leighton is appealing and real, as are a strong supporting cast of characters whom readers will be glad to follow into sequels. Sloan enhances the gripping story with country songs that open each chapter. This absolutely spectacular effort catapults Sloan to the top of her genre. Agent: Marisa Corvisiero, Corvisiero Literary. (May)