Near Misses & Cowboy Kisses

Gr 7-10–Two earnest teenagers find love on the Oregon Trail in this gentle contemporary romance. As if moving from California to Nebraska the summer before her senior year in high school isn’t bad enough, Riley’s parents have scheduled a family trip across a portion of the Oregon Trail, covered wagons and all. When she meets Colton Walker, handsome son of the family that owns the tour company (who happens to look great on a horse), she has just said goodbye to her friends and her old life, is frustrated with her parents’ decision, which didn’t seem to take her desires into consideration, and has lost her luggage. Colton quickly labels her a spoiled “prairie princess,” and that would be the end of it if they weren’t so attracted to each other. The sweet, slow-burn romance between Riley and Colton is the main thrust of the narrative, with her attempts to come to terms with her family’s move, and his rivalry with a ladies-man colleague adding conflict and emotional depth. Both teens initially fall back on their own experiences to make snap judgements about the other but learn to look past first impressions while out on the trail.