David Parsons has made life rough on himself for the last four years, besides feeling guilty which is explained he has also lost his horse so he feels like he can't compete anymore in the rodeo. now four years later he gets a call that someone has seen his horse when arriving he speaks with the family and here is where the angst of the story really picks up. The characters are strong along with the story and you are pulled in from the very beginning. A very good book.

Kari Lynn Dell’s first installment of the Blackfeet Nation series, Last Chance Rodeo, grabs you by the heartstrings within the first chapter...leaving you with the same heartsick feeling that the author has so expertly written David as feeling. As the story grows so does the despair and frustration...the emotions that pour off the pages is palpable...the pages themselves could not turn fast enough. Though there is a HEA, the journey getting there is rife with emotions...only making the story that much more enjoyable.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Last Chance Rodeo by Kari Lynn Dell is a cowboy romance with a little more substance and a much lower key romance than normal. David Parsons is a pretty successful calf roper on this way to nationals when his success gets the better of him and he parties, neglecting to get his horse, Muddy, away from the fireworks that totally stress him out. By the time David realizes his mistake and returns to Muddy, the horse is gone and no amount of searching brings him back. Life is not longer good for David, despite borrowing a horse from his cousin his rodeo careers is lackluster, as is his bank account, which had once been bursting at the seams. His girlfriend has announced that she is not longer interested in his lifestyle and is moving on. Still no Muddy. After a few months some woman hocks his saddle but the pawn shop can provide no leads. Life moves on. Until one day four years later a friend calls him from Montana saying he has seen Muddy and sends a photo. David hits the road and ends up at a high school rodeo on the Blackfoot reservation where he sees his horse. He is beyond happy. Of course, someone else owns him now. Complications ensue.

David is a fabulous character. Nicknamed Dudley Do Right. He always does the right thing, as he sees it. He doesn't worry about the law, which is on his side. He worries about people. He works hard, doesn't drink much, doesn't fight, doesn't cheat on his girlfriend, in fact, has pretty much given up on women. In Montana he runs into Mary Steele, whose name tells it all. She is a petite Native American veteran, currently a Special Ed teacher on the reservation, who brooks no nonsense. She is the guardian of the new owner of his horse, Kylan, who appears to be a little slow; he is certainly not a talented calf roper although he is adequate. He is going to the National High School Rodeo finals, unless David takes his horse, which is the only thing keeping him completing. How can both David and Kylan compete using Muddy? It's a tough story, but David figures out a way. This is a compelling novel, one that should not be missed by fans of cowboy romance. I highly recommend it.

I received a free ARC of Last Chance Rodeo from Netgalley. #netgalley #lastchancerodeo

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This is a charming cowboy romance with a few twists that make it both memorable and relatable. The cowboy elements of this story are enjoyable but fairly predictable. What I loved was the beautiful Blackfeet Nation setting, instantly loveable characters, and the way complicated topics like Foetal Alcohol Syndrome are addressed with great sensitivity.

David is possibly the least interesting thing about the book. What I loved were his observations and reflections as an outsider visiting the Blackfeet Nation. The story is told from David’s perspective and I loved watching him navigate complicated characters, relationships, and situations. I also loved his horse – who seems to have more personality than David himself.

If David is slightly bland, Mary is a complicated, challenging enigma. She’s a survivor and she is passionate about protecting the people she cares for. It took me a while to figure Mary out – it may have taken David even longer but she’s a worthy heroine. The people around Mary are also special and I loved the connection that builds between David and Kylan.

This is a low heat read. It is also a very slow burn romance with more focus on calf-roping, life on a reservation, and parenting than the connection between David and Mary. Even though David and Mary are relatively young characters, they feel older and this reads like a midlife romance. It’s a gentle, thought provoking story and I really enjoyed it.

I love books that take me back to my childhood full of rodeo days and the plains of the north. Last Chance Rodeo takes on that journey and I loved every minute of it.

David finally is reaching the peak of his rodeo career. With a horse that is an extension of himself, he is finally bringing in the wins to shine in the rodeo circuit. But with one small indulgence, he loses his beloved gelding and now four years later he finds himself at rock bottom, having lost everything he held dear.

When he gets a call that his horse has been spotted, David is ready to start his climb back up to the top but what he never expected was to find the bond between his beloved horse and a boy who had already had so much taken from him.

This book was full of emotion and heart. I loved David and what a stand up guy he was. He could have gone in with a blaze and taken his horse back but that's not what he does.

Mary is a strong heroine and provides just the right amount of push that David needs.

I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to more from Kari Lynn Dell.

Kari Lynn Dell is a prime example of a good writer telling a genuinely great story by writing what they know, and what Kari Lynn knows is really different to most of the rest of us. Living on the Blackfeet Nation reservation, steeped in the rodeo business since childhood, she tells stories that feel authentic because she doesn’t need to go away and research the things she doesn’t know. She’s sharing what’s in her heart, her love of horses and the rodeo and the truth of the Blackfeet, and it makes for shining, unique stories that are a genuine joy to read.

David’s a calf roper who’s lost the horse which upgraded him from good to exceptional. Without his treasured Muddy, he’s drifting without an anchor, so when a friend brings him a genuine sighting of the missing horse, David’s willing to do just about anything to get him back. But it’s not gonna be that simple, because Muddy now belongs to Kylan, a Blackfeet teen with special needs, and Kylan’s protective aunt Mary is in full tigress mode.

Kylan was very much a part of this story, just as much as the romantic pairing of David and Mary, and I found Kari Lynn’s portrayal of a teenager born with fetal alcohol syndrome and struggling with finding his path in life to be both sensitive and realistic. His future and happiness became just as much David’s concern as Mary’s, and that was absolutely necessary for their romance to be believable, but to some extent I think we needed more time in Mary’s point of view because almost the whole story was in David’s head, which is pretty unusual for a romance. We never got much insight into what Mary was thinking and feeling, and I do think we needed to see more of her inner narrative, because there came a point in the story where I was absolutely furious about something she’d done and we never got to really hear her reasoning for it. It was pretty late in the book and honestly, I just wanted David to walk away. He’d been totally honest from the beginning and had every right to absolutely lose it.

I really want to give this five stars because there are so many good things about it, but a romance which makes me dislike the heroine for a pretty long-running integrity failure has some serious issues. Four stars, but it’s a genuinely excellent read in every other respect.

Losing your horse is bad enough but David’s luck was beyond bad. When he finally finds his horse that was his better half, he finds a love and a better outlook on life.

Now, for the second book – “Last Chance Rodeo” (A Blackfeet Nation Novel) by Kari Lynn Dell. It was originally published in February of 2015 under the title “The Long Road Home,” and was re-released under this new title on July 30, 2019.

“Last Chance Rodeo” follows rodeo roping champ David Parsons wherein in one thoughtless moment, he lost Muddy, his irreplaceable horse and his rodeo career. For four long years, David was just surviving but thanks to a social media post, he's finally tracked his horse to the Blackfeet Reservation.

But reclaiming his horse was not as easy as he thought. First, David had to deal for a woman that he found very attractive. Never mind that she was the enemy. His heart had a different opinion.

Second, his Muddy’s “new owner” Kylan was a kid who had gotten more raw deals in life than average. Muddy might be his only salvation and path to a normal life.

Third, David is dealing with tribal law, which he did not understand nor have any working knowledge. Though the Elders are trustworthy, it was hard for David to deal with something he did not understand. Any misstep can cost him his horse!

“Last Chance Rodeo” is classified under “Romance” but it is more than just a love story. Kylan’s story will tug at your heartstrings.

Last Chance Rodeo is a stand alone rural romance. It is a engaging and lovely read about good people doing their best every day and still struggling.

I loved David (our hero) he is absolutely what I would call a stand up guy in the tradition of the old Western movies. He does what's right even when it's not easy. The type of man who would never go back on his word. Mary (our heroine) is also a steady and strongly moral character. (I did find her a little bit manipulative at times but it was never on her own behalf, it was always in her pursuit of protecting and helping others.)

The romantic journey of David and Mary had it's bumps, but I always thought they were perfect for each other and would only complement each other's lives. I loved them together and felt like they truly belonged together.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary western romance.

David was at the top of his game when his horse got loose. He reported it missing, but no success in finding him. His roping luck when down hill. Then a call comes in that his horse has been sighted. Will he take his horse away from a challenged you kid or stick around and woo the kids aunt. Great story good topics raised about challenged kids.

Amazing, a book with emotions that run deep and hitting emotional topics...Kari Lynn Dell delivers with this one. Taking a minute to catch my emotions from this book it gives you the journey that David Parsons takes in finding his beloved horse Muddy along with Mary Steele.
You won't want to put this book down.

LAST CHANCE RODEO is the first title in the Blackfeet Nation series. It was originally published in February of 2015 under the title THE LONG ROAD HOME. It is possible that you’ve read this one, so check your shelves.

I originally read this story in 2015, and have fond memories of the characters and the situations they found themselves in. Doing a re-read was no chore as it reminded me of the enjoyment of Muddy being reunited with David but at a cost to the teen who so desperately needed Muddy in his life.

David, Mary, Kylan and especially Muddy (by any name) will capture your emotions in a story that goes beyond a romance into the heart of reservation life for Native Americans. While David believes he lost his luck when Muddy went missing his bargain with Kylan rings true and heartfelt. Mary is a fierce protector of her nephew and watching her fight for his rights to Muddy while falling for David is poignant and believable.

I enjoyed this story no matter the title’s name, and if you love a Romance that goes beyond the love story then I believe you will as well.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Last Chance Rodeo is the first book I remember readying written by Kari Lynn Dell. I was unprepared for what a page-turner this story would be. It has normal everyday people who I simply fell in love with early on in the story. From the description of the book, a horse is at the center of the story, but that little bit of information does not do the horse in question justice. Muddy is really something, especially the way the author brings this horse to life; full of sass and personality.

David Parsons is a genuinely good guy with an upright, hardworking attitude concerning his chosen career in the rodeo. It was wonderful to read about someone who did something besides bull riding. Even when he falls he picks himself up and tries again. Mary Steele is not so different, only now she is working to support others to keep them from falling. Number one on her list is her nephew. Their romance is sweetly done, feeling very real. The story is character driven but I loved the vivid descriptions of the land. The insight into the people of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and the social issues that are addressed will not be forgotten.

I am thrilled to find a new author who writing is so knowledgeable and authentic. I thought of Kathleen Eagle (a favorite author I discovered many years ago) as I was reading this book. Different style but the same realism and genuineness to the characters and the culture. So I can recommend Last Chance Rodeo by Kari Lynn Dell to other fans, along with all those who love to read a great story.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Last Chance Rodeo by Kari Lynn Dell
A Blackfeet Nation Novel #1

David Parsons believes in Karma and it nipped him hard when he put himself first instead of first taking care of his perfect roping horse, Muddy. For four long years he struggled and then one day someone saw Muddy in a rodeo and off he went to claim his horse. Well, that did NOT go as he had expected and again...worried about Karma and how it might nip him again if he didn’t do what was right...he had some tough decisions to make. The young man riding Muddy definitely needed something that David had to offer and over time David figured out how to offer it and in so doing help not only himself but Kylan, too. Throw in a sweet romance between David and Mary, Kylan’s guardian, and you have a story that was well plotted, well written and a delight to read.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Will I read more by this new-to-me author? Yes
Did I enjoy the beginning of this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

I loved this book so much! I rarely give a book 5 stars, but I really felt that this book was deserving of that rating. I recently discovered Kari Lynn Dell and after finishing all the Texas Rodeo books, I was anxious to start another series by her.

I didn't realize when I started reading the book that the author was actually a member of the Blackfeet Nation. I knew that the things she wrote about were factual (like how county/state law enforcement doesn't have jurisdiction over tribal law enforcement). So that was a welcome surprise. I loved that the author took the time to raise awareness of issues that plague Native Americans, especially those on reservations. I'm a card-carrying Native American myself (my tribe doesn't have a reservation though), so I can confirm that alcoholism, drugs, poverty and lack of education are all things that most Native American communities struggle with. So thank you for bringing this to the attention of others.

Now back to the plot. I wouldn't really classify this book as a romance, as there is actually very little romancing going on until the very end (they don't even have sex in this book). But it's a great story about a man (David) who follows his conscience and helps / encourages a young man (Kylan) who really needs to find where he belongs in the world. And of course, there's the added sparks between Kylan's guardian, Mary, and David, that keep you rooting for them to get their HEA.

Speaking of a HEA, this book has more of a HFN. It ends just a few weeks after David leaves the reservation and is part of Cowboy Christmas (the July rodeo circuit). They promise to try and make things work and that's it. If I had one complaint, it's the ending, or lack thereof. I really wanted more, maybe even an epilogue to give us a glimpse into their lives post-Muddy drama. Regardless, I still loved the book and read it in a matter of hours. I can't wait for more from the series!!!

Note: It appears as though this book was previously released under a different name (The Long Ride Home).

A Journey with so much personality💚💙
All I can say is I was there for the whole emotionally charged ride and loved every minute.
There's heart and soul poured into this, touching on life's realities whether they're good or gritty. The settings and events very well described to easily imagine every scene, right down to Muddy's mannerisms, or him shooting out of the box.
David, an old soul cowboy, thru bizarre circumstances, which some would call fate, meets Mary. They both get put to the tests of trust, love, letting go, and so much more.
In the end, it all comes round and I could do a very happy sigh!
I received an advance reader's copy thru Netgalley and giving my opinions honestly and freely.

Here's a story I'd follow for years to come. I want to see Kylan achieve his heart's desire to win! I'd like to see David win at Nationals and marry Mary. Maybe someday a series?

Each character in this story was well-developed and added to the story-line in a way there was no doubt of where they stood. Fetal alcohol syndrome is a serious problem and while Ms. Dell handled it with care, it was an intrinsic part of the story. Honest cowboys with values is, indeed, something to behold. Good job, Kati Lynn Dell 👍👍

This book was gifted to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.

The story is about a horse, yes and no. The story starts with David Parsons and he seems to have it all, and then his hose goes missing and he loses it all his luck seems to have changed. On a quest to find Muddy he hears that he is a reservation and when he goes to find it he ends finding more than just his horse Muddy. And then the story really begins there is heartbreak, lots of feeling and learning of others and acceptance..The story was not what I thought but it was a lot and goodness..

I liked the characters and their personalities in this book. I thought the storyline was a little drawn out towards the beginning of the book. I was glad to see that all worked out for Mary, David, and Kylan. I wish there was an epilogue to this story to see how things worked out in the near future for the three of them. Overall, I’m glad I read this book and would recommend it to fellow readers.

*I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

David Parsons was on his way to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas when he made a major mistake. He was riding high with his rodeo calf roping success when he neglected to secure his valuable, very talented horse, Muddy at the end of the rodeo in Cody, Wyoming. Muddy broke loose during the fireworks, ran like the devil was on his tail and then disappeared. A few years later David got a tip about seeing Muddy at the Montana State High School Rodeo Finals. Yep! It was Muddy alright but getting him back got complicated. Mary Steele and her nephew Kylan entered the picture. Kylan has been riding Muddy in the calf roping events all the way to state finaals. Mary is very protective of Kylan and she isn't going to let anyone mess with him. Even if she does find herself attracted to David Parsons.

Last Chance Rodeo by Kari Lynn Dell is a Blackfeet Nation Novel. This book is filled with love, community sticking together, family interactions and thrilling rodeo scenes. There are fun moments and some very intense moments. The storyline leads the reader from conflict to resolution flawlessly. The characters are strong and likeable. It took me a while to warm up to Mary Steele but the author brought me around to what a special woman she is. The rodeo scenes are very authentic and exciting. All in all this is a very entertaining story.