Tougher in Texas

Tougher in Texas is a contemporary romance novel written by Kari Lynn Dell.

The novel is the third entry in Dell's Texas Rodeo series. Like its predecessors, the novel is a Western romance featuring characters who are very involved in rodeo. The male protagonist, Cole Jacobs, is a rodeo producer who has Asperger's. The female protagonist, Shawnee Jacobs, is hired to work his rodeos as a pickup man (a rider on horseback who helps protect the rodeo competitors).[1] Dell's son was diagnosed with Asperger's in kindergarten, and she envisioned her hero as an adult version of him who was not diagnosed until adulthood.[2]

Publishers Weekly lauded Dell's character development, finding the hero to be "a most appealing and believable protagonist".[1] BookPage agreed that the characters were well-developed, and noted that "the rodeo setting rings with authenticity and vibrant color".[3]

Tougher in Texas was a finalist for a 2018 Romance Writers of America RITA Award for Best Long Contemporary.[4]

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ a b "Tougher in Texas", Publishers Weekly, retrieved April 3, 2019
2. ^ Dell, Kari Lynn (August 1, 2017), "Tougher In Texas: The gift of Understanding", BookPage, retrieved April 3, 2019
3. ^ Dyer, Lois (August 1, 2017), "Dislike at First Sight", BookPage, retrieved April 3, 2019
4. ^ "Kari Dell's Tougher in Texas is finalist for RITA Award", Cut Bank Pioneer Press, March 28, 2018, retrieved April 3, 2019