Sarah Barndollar, deputy sheriff of Teton County, has her hands full with a string of disappearances in Wyoming.  As if that is not enough, this single mom is trying to raise her child and two stepchildren alone following her husband’s disappearance.  He said he was planning to leave and then kept his word—leaving without so much as a note.

When another girl, Kate Greyhawke, vanishes, Sarah races to find her.  This time the stakes are higher than ever.  The missing girl is the illegitimate daughter of Clay Blackthorne, a politician and Jackson Hole royalty; the girl’s mother is King Greyhawke, rival to the Blackthorne family.  Both families want the girl found immediately.

Drew Dewitt, Clay’s cousin, shares a special bond with Kate.  Not one to sit back, he takes a special interest in Kate’s disappearance and insists on helping Sarah every step of the way.  Soon passions between Drew and this sexy sheriff are flaring.  The clock is ticking, and they know little time is left to find Kate alive.

Joan Johnston has garnered a huge following of fans with her gripping western romances.  THE RIVALS continues the Bitter Creek series in which readers have fallen in love with the Blackthorne family.

 The romance is fast-paced; at times, I felt it moved too quickly.  The book opens with Kate’s mother, Libby, racing to get to the Wyoming ranch where she lives to find out why her daughter isn’t at her private school in Virginia.  Kate left Libby a cryptic message, and Libby is very concerned.  Libby’s car slides on ice and nearly hits Drew’s truck.  Drew ends up in the river and needs a tow truck.  Sarah happens to fill-in for her brother-in-law, who drives a tow truck.  Following me so far?

Well, after she gets her truck out of the river, Sarah drives Drew home and opts to go inside and have sex with him.  I felt this encounter happened far too quickly, especially for a woman who is not sure if her husband is alive or dead.

The subject of condom discussion in romance has been debated on boards for ages.  I find I like the inclusion of condoms; face it sex with a virtual stranger is scary and can be life-threatening. In this book, Sarah and Drew have unprotected sex.  Now this won't bother everyone, but it does me.  I expect more from an intelligent woman, especially a single mom with teenagers.  These complaints granted are brief and barely detract from the story, but they did make it harder for me to enjoy Sarah’s character.

THE RIVALS is an intriguing look into the Blackthorne family, and I will certainly keep reading this series.  But, some readers will have to be willing to overlook what I feel are Sarah’s weak traits.