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A review by danabaran06
Better Luck Next Time by Julia Claiborne Johnson
4.0
“Oh you’ve never ridden bareback, much less double? Well, it’s definitely the way to go if both riders are friends and know their way around a horse.”
This tale is set in 1938 at a Nevada dude ranch that catered to rich women looking for a quick and easy divorce, which could be obtained after living in the state for six weeks. Our story is told by Ward, one of the ranch’s cowboys, and features Nina and Emily, would-be divorcées newly arrived at the ranch. This isn’t Nina’s first rodeo, and she amuses herself by drawing Emily out of her shell, with Ward as her unwitting co-conspirator. Hijinks ensue. By turns funny, poignant, and down right heart breaking, this novel drew me in and I found it hard to put down. The characters weren’t always likable, but they were vibrantly drawn and so real I felt like I could bump into one if I ever strolled through downtown Reno. I wasn’t sure it could successfully land the plane, but I was pleasantly surprised by a completely satisfying ending.
This tale is set in 1938 at a Nevada dude ranch that catered to rich women looking for a quick and easy divorce, which could be obtained after living in the state for six weeks. Our story is told by Ward, one of the ranch’s cowboys, and features Nina and Emily, would-be divorcées newly arrived at the ranch. This isn’t Nina’s first rodeo, and she amuses herself by drawing Emily out of her shell, with Ward as her unwitting co-conspirator. Hijinks ensue. By turns funny, poignant, and down right heart breaking, this novel drew me in and I found it hard to put down. The characters weren’t always likable, but they were vibrantly drawn and so real I felt like I could bump into one if I ever strolled through downtown Reno. I wasn’t sure it could successfully land the plane, but I was pleasantly surprised by a completely satisfying ending.