I don't give 5 stars often and rarely for this genre/series, but this one was very well done in my opinion. The focus was not so much on the two main characters, Sawyer and Erin, developing a romantic relationship as it was on them working together to revamp the rodeo that Erin's family had founded years before.

Both characters are strong enough to put forth and argue for their ideas, but also flexible enough to listen to the other person's point of view and be persuaded if the arguments are sound or at least reach a compromise. Yes, there are a few rocky points, but they are resolved.

The author puts many life lessons into the pages, and this is the main reason I gave it 5 stars, even though I probably wouldn't read the story again--at least not anytime soon. There's the fact that men and women will process things differently and reach out in different ways. Women may just sit down and talk about their feelings, but men often do so when they're working on other tasks.

Sawyer is able to point out things to Erin and to her brother Tate in ways that show them truths without making them feel silly or stupid for not seeing it. Erin does the same for Sawyer.

This plot avoids many of the common-to-the-genre plots and creates characters I care about and root for. ( )