Title: Wild Horse Springs
Author: Jodi Thomas
Series: Ransom Canyon #5
Holding on…
Dan Brigman is the sheriff of Crossroads. He’s been alone for a long time, though not always lonely, per se. He loves his daughter, who’s grown and moved away, trying to figure out life for herself. He loves his job, and it keeps him busy. But it isn’t until he meets Brandi Malone, a singer who goes from gig to gig in an attempt to run away from her past and her pain, that he remembers how nice it is to have a woman in his life. He gets attached, wants her to stay—but refuses to tie her down.
Cody Winslow is haunted by demons. One night, he’s trying to outrun them and gets thrown from his horse. Lucky for him, park ranger Tess Adams is star-gazing nearby and hears the commotion. An adept, take-charge type, she starts taking care of him and never stops. She doesn’t know much about relating to people, though, and he can’t shake his demons. They care about one another and yearn for something more, but neither is certain how to achieve it.
Lauren Brigman is lost. In heart, in mind, in soul. She wants to be a writer—but hasn’t written a word. She wants to live in the city—but is miserably homesick for her small town. She wants to be with the boy she loved in high school—but can’t reconcile him with the man he’s become. Worse, she can’t see any other man but him. She just can’t seem to find her place in the world.
This was a good book. I wouldn’t say it’s one of Thomas’ best, but it was solid. However, I had a few personal opinions about it that I don’t expect others to share, so I wanted to say up front that if you like Thomas’ previous work, or romances with a western flavor that give you the warm fuzzies, then I recommend you check out this book as well as the rest of the Ransom Canyon series. And if you like the Ransom Canyon series, go straight for the Harmony series. I revisit them often.
Now… I’m not sure why, but I had zero interest in Dan and Brandi’s story. None whatsoever. I’m ashamed to admit, I skimmed their parts from the very beginning. They’re both good people, and I’m glad they’re happy now with each other, but I did not need that to be the central story. And I had only a bit more interest in Cody and Tess.
There was only a paltry fraction of this book that I soaked up—Lauren’s parts and Thatcher’s parts. I’ve got a lot of emotion invested in Lauren’s story, which started in book one, and I’m getting really, really, REALLY frustrated with her lack of fulfillment. It’s probably a very deliberate marketing strategy, and I understand that, but at this point I’m ready for a series on Lauren alone, screw the rest of the town. I relate to her so much that it almost feels like when she gets her happy ending, I’ll get mine. Which is stupid, but that’s how connected to her I feel. Judging by the blurb for Indigo Lake, the next Ransom Canyon installment, she’ll be shoved into the background again, and it sounds like she’ll be struggling with the exact same issues. Come on, now.
Thatcher Jones is one of the more interesting characters in the whole series. The kid’s got charisma. He jokes in the book that all the ladies cling to him—and I duck my head, because I was indeed clinging to him throughout the book. He did drive the plot, though, everything happened because of him, so it’s no wonder he drew my attention. He’s got a heart the size of Texas, and he’s so funny! I’ve got my fingers crossed for Lauren and Lucas eventually working their shit out, but I’d totally be okay with Lauren and Thatcher ending up together. Seven years isn’t really that much of an age gap. But that won’t happen, so I can’t wait to meet the woman who takes him on. She better be worthy of him.
And poor Tim O’Grady, I dislike him more every time I see him. He’s just like Mary in BBC’s Sherlock—shoehorned in for a reason I’m not too clear on, almost like the author felt obligated to include him for character development’s sake. I hope he stays in New York and leaves Lauren—everyone—the F alone.
The thing I don’t get about these new kind of town-focused romances is what the main plot is supposed to be. One would think romance, but there are multiple romances going on. So either one must have more focus than the others or they all get the same attention. Done deal. But there’s another plot, at least in Thomas’ books, usually involving a crime committed and suspense as the evidence is examined and the culprits are hunted down. It’s usually this plot that ties everything else that’s happening together—brings everyone together—so I consider it the main plot. Which doesn’t make it a romance, it makes it a mystery or a thriller. But people have sex and fall in love—everyone except LAUREN, anyway, poor girl—so we’ll call it a romance.
So the main suspense plot was good, very exciting; Lauren’s plot is pending (sigh); Cody and Tess’ was cute; and Thatcher’s is just beginning. But I skipped most of Dan and Brandi’s—I did try to read it, I swear, but it was so boring—so I’m not sure if all of their conflicts got resolved. They were together at the end, anyway, as expected.
The only complaint I have on the writing was that there were more than a few typos, and that’s not Thomas’ fault, but probably the publisher’s. “Late” instead of “last,” a missing E in relieve, “met” instead of “meant,” things like that. I don’t think I counted as many as a dozen, so it’s not too bad, but I start rolling my eyes after three. Mistakes are made, yes, but this is the final printed product. It’s supposed to be professional, and typos are very much not professional in writing. Otherwise, Thomas’ prose was wonderful, with an easy flow and excellent description that carry you through vivid scenes brought to life.
One last thing–I call EPIC bullshit on Lauren sitting down, writing some stories, and a month later telling her dad her collection of short stories will be published by spring, less than six months later. Kids, it would take a miracle to go from uninspired with no connections to published in six months. Nothing’s impossible, but don’t quit your day job, because it doesn’t happen like that, and I’m shocked Jodi Thomas, of all people, would purport so, even in fiction.
Overall, I’m holding on until I get the stories of the characters I really care about.
