cover image Saddle Up

Saddle Up

Victoria Vane. Sourcebooks Casablanca, $7.99 mass market (320p) ISBN 978-1-4926-3510-9

Sparks ignite when a horse whisperer meets an aspiring filmmaker in Vane’s fourth Hot Cowboy Nights contemporary (after Sharp Shootin’ Cowboy). Miranda Sutton, assigned to film the rounding up of wild mustangs in the Calico Mountains of Nevada, becomes reacquainted with Keith Russo, a renowned horse whisperer who claims that Miranda’s previous video of him ruined his reputation as a horse trainer—even though her producer was the one who portrayed him as a fraud. Miranda and Keith’s attraction builds during a night together alone in the desert, and their mutual desire culminates in a sexy night in Reno. After returning to Montana, Miranda asks her grandmother Jo-Jo if she would consider adopting wild mustangs to help sustain her ranch. Though Miranda knows that Keith would be the best person to assist with the horses, she doubts he would be willing to give up his drifting ways and take a risk on their relationship and future together. Vane’s in-depth knowledge of wild mustangs adds realism to this novel, with its beautiful portrayal of the wilds of the desert as a parallel to the ever-changing but scintillating relationship between Miranda and Keith. Agent: Jessica Alvarez, BookEnds. (June)