A young cowboy and cheerleader are destined to part, he to his ranch in southern Utah, she to work in New York City. Years go by. Decades.
One night she gets a surprise call. The cowboy again. Through all the changes, a love that lasts. Rejoice!
Assessment:
Plot: Although this book has an engaging premise, Redd’s execution of the main character’s journey – from country-dwelling cheerleader to worldly city slicker to contented rancher’s wife – lacks a consistent focus, due to less engaging subplots and an overall narrative that expands on inconsequential scenes and condenses ones that offer the opportunity for emotional growth.
Prose/Style: Redd’s talent at landscape description, authentic dialogue, time-period characterization, and sweet humor are strong. Yet the main character’s voice, while distinct, projects a naivete that seems inconsistent with the changing of times and her personal/world experiences.
Originality: The Cowboy and the Cheerleader mixes tropes of both women’s fiction and conventional romance to varying degrees. The overall imbalance creates a story that’s compelling in pieces but not overall.
Character Development: While the heroine’s development ticks the necessary narrative boxes when it comes to experiences/action, a lack of internal dialogue and unsophisticated social commentary lend a sense of inauthenticity to her growth. Also, the majority of the narrative focuses on the heroine with less space given to the titular cowboy. This imbalance lessens the reader’s emotional investment in the relationship and the happily-ever-after of the main couple.
Date Submitted: April 03, 2020
