Book Review A Montana Rivalry

Author Jim Overstreet is a lifelong Montana Cowboy, a former ranch hand, and an experienced rodeo contestant. He has spent much of his life as a rancher raising horses. Overstreet is passionate about sharing his love of Montana, Big Sky Country. “Montana Rivalry” Book One of the Rodeo in Blood Series is his debut novel that highlights life in the contemporary West.

Rusty Blackstone and Warren Weston have spent their whole lives trying their best to one-up one another. The son of wealthy ranch owners, Warren Weston is an only child, torn between the demands of his father and the adulation of his mother. He comes from a privileged home where wealth is highly valued as well as the prestige of owning a large and prosperous ranch. Rusty's father moves his family around a lot looking for work on ranches. He provides little stability to their home life as Rusty's mother is forced to hold two jobs to be able to provide for her three children. Rusty and Warren become bitter rivals with their first encounter at age 7 on the school playground. Warren's large stature overshadows Rusty's small frame each one trying to outfight and outwit one another as the years go by. Despite having grown up on Montana ranches each one sees the world from completely different perspectives. When Warren and Rusty follow their passions joining the rodeo circuit their paths cross again. They take their rivalry to the next level with their competitiveness. Strong women supporting characters add a bit of romance to the story especially Jenny who attracts the attention of Warren and Rusty. 

Overstreet knows how to tell a story, engaging the reader from start to finish, drawing upon his personal experiences, and sharing his love of the land, adding credibility to the storyline. Readers are immersed in cowboy culture and ranch lifestyle. I found his descriptive writing to be one of Overstreet's strengths. Visual images of the Montana landscape capture the beauty of nature and the outdoors of a scenic state. Since the story evolves over a 20-year span the reader will find some surprising developments when Warren and Rusty face a variety of unexpected challenges, which add twists and turns to the plot. Overstreet skillfully fleshes out his characters by developing the positive and negative attributes of the two protagonists. This helps readers understand their passions, thoughts, and motives. Overstreet is on a winning streak with his new series.  

ALL ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jim Overstreet is a lifelong cowboy and author of A Montana Rivalry. Raising horses for most of his life, he earned multiple titles in tie-down roping, from youth rodeo to the senior circuit. As an accomplished writer, his work has been published in national magazines including Reader’s Digest, and Persimmon Hill and numerous equine magazines, including Western Horseman. The American Horse Publications honored him as a winner in their Feature Article category.

Book Two in the series will be available November 28, 2023. Check out his website https://jimoverstreet.com/