The Novel Navigator

Last night, my bestie and I went to our first ever rodeo! It was heart pounding and jaw dropping…. we screamed our heads off along with a whole arena full of spectators. From mutton bustin to bareback riding (aka bucking broncos), barrel racing to bull riding, we saw it all. The outfits were fabulous, the music was on point and the whole experience was an absolute vibe. Eight Seconds Rodeo “celebrates the cowboys of today and the legacy of Black rodeo”, cultivating community and love of the land. It was an honor to join the community for a night and I hope to be back next year!

The crazy part? I’m in the middle of a cowboy romance right now! While Braving the Storm is more cowboy rancher and not rodeo cowboy, it still is quite fitting and a lovely coincidence. I’ve read a few cowboy romances and in making the list of series below, I’ve come to realize they’re all by Elsie Silver. LOL But I love Elsie Silver and so should you. Most of what I’ve learned about rodeo comes from her Chestnut Springs series and while it sounds silly, it was pretty legit. For one, I learned about how most athletes on the circuit are actually quite young, which was definitely proven at the rodeo last night. The feeling of being at a rodeo and watching a bull fly around an arena with someone holding on for dear life was riveting and I got my first taste of that feeling in Elsie’s books. Her accuracy and ability to portray the fear, excitement, anxiety, and rush that a rodeo brings is outstanding. Give one (or all) of them a try!

• Gold Rush Ranch
  • Horse racing
• Chestnut Springs
  • Bull riding
  • Rancher
• Honorable mention- The Rose Hill series is less cowboy and more small town romance but is still a chefs kiss.

Cowboy books on my TBR:

• Cash, Jessica Peterson
• Done and Dusted, Lyla Sage
• Buckled in Barbwire, Harloe Rae
• Cowboy Casual, Holly Renee
• A Cowboy in the Streets, Elizabeth Bright
• Alive and Wells, Bailey Hannah
• Rein Me In, Kayla Grosse
• The Badge (a mafia cowboy romance), Lena Hendrix

If you prefer to watch your cowboys on screen, here are a couple recs for shows & a movie!

• Ransom Canyon on Netflix (all the great romance vibes, not so much rodeo)
• Yellowstone on Peacock & Apple TV (drama, suspense, not so much rodeo)
• Walker on Max (drama, suspense, not so much rodeo)
• Godless on Netflix (badass frontier women)
• The Longest Ride on Netflix (rodeo romance)

Check out the Eight Seconds Rodeo HERE