Anything he can do
She can do better
Rodeo riders Jack Burris and Audrey Hawkins are both at
the top of their game -- except when it comes to love. Competing against each
other in the Bronco Summer Family Rodeo, they are so determined to win they've
put blinders on, tamping down their mutual attraction. In this battle of the
sexes, the real victory may lie in surrender, but who will get off their high
horse first?
Good enemies to lovers story. Audrey is the third
generation of a rodeo family. She's proud of what she and her sisters can do and
frustrated at the lack of respect given to women in rodeo. The Hawkins sisters
came to Bronco for the Bronco Family Rodeo.
Jack is also part of a rodeo family. He and his three
brothers all compete. Jack doesn't think women belong in rodeo, that it is too
dangerous for them. He has a woman friend who was paralyzed in a rodeo
accident. Jack grew up in Bronco, and he and his brothers are in town to
compete also.
The rodeo promoters have latched on to the two families
as the faces of the rodeo. During a photo shoot, the sparks between Jack and
Audrey are intense and evident to everyone around them. Their chemistry comes
out in the photos, too. The promoters suggest a Battle of the Sexes exhibition
between the two families. Audrey sees it as a great way to show what the women
can do, while Jack thinks it's a bad idea.
I liked watching the relationship develop between Jack
and Audrey. The chemistry between them is explosive, as are their opposing views
of women in rodeo. Seeing them poke at
each other while trying to make their points was fun; neither one was willing
to give an inch. Both found that despite their antagonism, getting each other
out of their minds was impossible. Jack tried telling Audrey that he needed to
concentrate on preparing for the rodeo and that they needed to keep things
professional rather than personal. That didn't last long, so they decided to
see where things would go between them.
The promoters also started pushing a blossoming romance
between Jack and Audrey while they tried to keep anything between them private.
The more time they spent together, the more their feelings for each other grew.
Both try to resist because maintaining relationships on the rodeo circuit is complicated.
They also must reconcile their differing opinions on women in rodeo. I liked
seeing Jack's prejudices change the more he gets to know Audrey and see how
good she is. Things look promising until Audrey overhears a discussion between
Jack and his brother Geoff. Jack made a boneheaded comment, leaving Audrey
devastated and furious.
It was exciting to see the competition between the two
teams during the rodeo. They were evenly matched, and I liked seeing how each
event turned out. I wasn't entirely satisfied with the outcome of the rodeo
competition, as it seemed as though the announcer had his desired result and
wouldn't settle for anything different. All Jack wants is the chance to make
things right with Audrey, but he doesn't get the chance. I ached for both and
their unhappiness. I laughed when Jack got obscure advice from Winona Cobb. But
when he finally figured it out, he found a fantastic way to demonstrate his
feelings to Audrey. The ending was terrific, and I loved Jack's bib moment.
I loved Jack's brothers and the close relationship they
had. They tease and argue but are there for each other in times of trouble.
Audrey's sisters were great too. One urged Audrey to be cautious with her
relationship with Jack, while the other two were all for it. But all of them supported
her when she needed it. There was also a secondary relationship between Jack's
brother Mike and Audrey's sister Corinne. It will be interesting to see if
anything comes of it. 
She can do better
