bull riding | Susan Baganz

Linda Yezak has finally released the follow-up to Give the Lady a Ride and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Mom was given an advanced copy to read and could not put The Final Ride down. After all, we all love cowboy stories, don’t we? My only complaint is there was no dog on that ranch. What’s up with that?

Patricia’s friend Marie is away on her honeymoon. Talon longs to marry Patricia but she’s hesitant because of the betrayal of her previous husband. He’d lied to her. She believes Talon would never do that but if he did, it could be a deal breaker for their relationship. Her aunt arrives to try to tempt her back to New York and life on the ranch gets chaotic. Romance and time alone with her beau become scarce.

Talon is faced with a dilemma. He’s a bull-rider but his last ride left him injured and recovery was hard. In the meantime he’s fallen in love with Patricia, the owner of the ranch he works for. Patricia is an “Uptown Girl” who’s finally adapted to ranch life. She loves him but has asked him to promise not to ride a bull again.

But if he does ride would he lose Patricia and his livelihood as well? Would he be sacrificing everything? And what if that’s exactly what God is calling him to do?

When the season gears up and the desire to ride is great, coupled with the taunting from a fellow rider, Talon sees red and struggles with the challenge to keep his word and ride again so that when he hangs up his bull-riding hat he’s done so at the top of his game. Not afraid like some would say he was.

The Final Ride is a sweet romance filled with conflict, fun secondary characters and a realistic struggle to negotiate love and the calling and gifts one is given. Mom couldn’t stop smiling when she had finished the book and said she wants a cowboy of her own. She’ll have to settle for me though since she’s allergic to horses!

I’m giving this book five bones even though it didn’t have a dog in it. Mom really liked it a lot. And I don’t do stars–I’m a dog.

Spatzle Baganz, book reviewer for the silygoos blog because that’s how we roll.

5 bones for blog

Over the years I’ve had the privilege of meeting many new authors on Facebook. Over time, some of them have even become friends. Friends I look forward to someday meeting face-to-face and giving a big hug to. One of them is Linda Yezak who authored the book “Give the Lady a Ride” a few years ago. I only recently had an opportunity to read and review this contemporary Western romance.

The story is a case of opposites that initially repel. Patricia Talbert is given an inheritance of a ranch that ideally would have gone to Talon Carlson who was more a son to the owners and known by them than Patricia ever was. Did they have an ulterior motive?

Patricia only knows that she needs to get back to her life managing her father’s political social calendar. She’s lonely and has found out the hard way that everyone has some agenda. So her trust issues are big.

Talon is afraid he’s going to lose the one home he’s really loved as well as the job he has poured his heart and soul into for years. In spite of all that, he’s discovering that he may also be losing his heart to the new owner.

Throw in some hot cowboys, rodeos and the danger and leap of faith it takes to ride bulls and “make the eight” and you have a delightful story of some people dealing with real issue of grief, trust and yes, love. It’s a wild ride!

I’ve admired the cover of this novel for years and I’m grateful I finally had a chance to crack the binding and enjoy the tale Linda has to tell.