THE BULL RIDER AND THE BABY

THE BULL RIDER AND THE BABY       JEANINE MCADAM
Posted:  April 2, 2014

Sexy bull rider Caleb Cooper keeps falling off his bull and hitting his head. Smart neuroscience graduate student Carrie Wang is studying him. There’s just one problem, Carrie’s attracted to her broad-shouldered research subject. But she shouldn’t be, because Carrie is pregnant with Charles Winston’s baby. However, that one-night-stand occurred in a beaker closet and Charles wants nothing to do with her or the child.

Besides being handsome in a long-haired, scruffy sort-of-way, Caleb Cooper is kind and quirky. Carrie can’t stop touching him and their unprofessional attraction is mutual. Problems abound when Carrie’s traditional Chinese mother and Charles come to the rodeo. Carrie’s mother wants her to hook a husband and Charles wants Carrie to give the baby up for adoption. Carrie knows she could never let a stranger raise her child. Can Carrie go against everyone’s wishes and raise the baby on her own? Or could Caleb become a father to this child?

MY REVIEW:

     This story had something I like to read about cowboys who ride in the rodeo.  Not about the silly aspect of it the buckle bunnies, although they do touch on them and their contribution to the sport, but on real life issues.

     It’s funny this book bull dozed right through many stereo types and others they appeared spot on.  Like country boy cowboys all speak with a twang and with a back woods vocabulary, not being educated in the country, or that they are too stupid to have college degrees.

     It touched on the dangers of the sport itself and the importance of the rider’s safety to their heads due to brain injuries.  Resulting from falling off the animals or being kicked by it.  Similar to the NFL and the head injuries.  That wearing a helmet is cooler than being dead.

     The story though centered on the unwed pregnant scientist, Carrie Wang who was doing rodeo concussion research.  Because Bret Bodner had been sued four times last year as the Rodeo Association due to brain injuries.  So, he needed data to find out if wearing it would be safer.  She was attracted to him. 

     The first injury she gets to observe is Caleb Cooper a bull rider who gets thrown and suffers a third degree concussion.  So, she grounds him until further notice.  Which he does not want to stand for, his family’s ranch needs the money.  Bret tells him he is stuck since he signed the release to be examined by him and give her final call.  He was screwed.  Like that wasn’t bad enough, one he thought she was a cute Asian who was pregnant, if you knew his history that wasn’t good.  Two, Bret told him that the two would now travel as a couple.  That meant all summer in the same car smelling her wonderful fragrance and looking at her beautiful porcelain skin all the time.  He was doubly screwed.

     Then there was the evil pull from her home in N.Y. wanting her to give up or abort the life she was creating and carrying.  Not only from the “Baby Daddy” but from her own mother.  She had so much pressure and nowhere to turn.  Until Caleb he was that one shining star in all that darkness.

     This story was so, so funny.  The characters were just priceless.  They all just jumped right off at you.  They sunk their teeth into you with emotion in their dialog but the words themselves were just so to the point.  This book had some hard subjects to tackle and this author did not shy away.  They were real issues that people go through every day and some families don’t speak about them.  You know it’s their own dirty little secret.  Not her this author gave it a roaring voice with witty dialog to make you laugh then go, “Oh! How sad!”  Reality bites and these issues Carrie was going through sucked but here was a man called Caleb who stepped up when he didn’t have to because none of it was mess but he because he loved Carrie.

     I could change anything would be the ending where it jumps from sitting down with Carrie on the rocking chairs to talking about his sister leaving with Kevin.  Hello, rushed missing something, what happened here?  Take me all the way to drop me???  Still gave it a 5 star still worth the read. Cowboy Up!!!  Provided by Netgalley.com

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