Showdown

Reviewed by Tammy Petty Conrad for Reader Views (7/06) This novel has it all: horses, cowboys, sex, greed, winners and losers. The good news is that the sex is not between the horses and the cowboys, but it does start on page ten and stays hard at it (no pun intended) up to the end. As long as that and the excessive use of the F word doesn't bother you, you'll enjoy this beach read. Bobby Cameron, an excellent horse trainer, is an American cowboy with looks and money. Milly Lockwood Groves, a jockey with an innate understanding of horses, is the young English rider who stops him in his tracks. The only problem is she's seventeen and he's twenty-three and working for her father. It seems to be the first and only time he has scruples as far as choosing his playmates. The story carries us between California and England and many points between on the international horse racing circuit. Milly has been banned from riding due to an accident. Bobby has his own problems once his father dies and leaves him his debt-ridden estate, Highwood, to manage. Anyone interested in the racing circuit will appreciate the details and horse lovers will weep when tragedy befalls the four-legged characters. Milly is a lovesick teenager, obsessed with horses and Bobby. She ends up in California, where Bobby has agreed to train her in quarter horse racing after two years out of the saddle. Bobby's own obsession for the girl he feels he can't have, turns him into a stern taskmaster as far as Milly's concerned. As the reader, I spent most of the story begging the characters to get over their pride, kiss each other and get on with life. Luckily there are other interesting characters to get to know, from Milly's vain brother, Jasper, and her arch villain, Rachel, to Sean, the Irish trainer, and Amy, the harassed daughter of a big shot in the industry, just to name a few. There is no chance to get bored! Subplots keep us further entertained including a ranch hand who really is an artist, but is afraid to tell his father and an unscrupulous real estate investor who has no qualms about ruining the lives of others to make another million. There's even a scene at the Playboy mansion. Having lived in England, I enjoyed the switch to an English vocabulary during the scenes in the United Kingdom. The English author, Tilly Bagshawe, has lived in both countries and seems equally versed in both languages. My only disappointment was when Milly had a baked potato instead of a jacket potato! There is enough name dropping sprinkled throughout that you might think you're reading People magazine or Hello in England. Even Donald Rumsfield has an entry rooting the story firmly in the contemporary world.

Tilly Bagshawe has returned to the world of glitz, glamour and scandal with her second novel, SHOWDOWN, taking her readers deep inside the exciting world of horseracing. The novel introduces us to Bobby Cameron, one of the most skilled horse trainers in the world. When Cameron takes a job training horses in England, a love interest begins to develop when he encounters the farmers daughter, Milly Lockwood Groves. Milly dreams of making it on her own as a successful rider but her family disapproves of her desires. Her frustrations with her family are only intensified with the increasing competition coming from her neighbor and rival Rachel Delaney, who is making a strong name for herself as a professional rider. When Bobby and Milly team up, winning isn't the only obstacle worth pursuing. Love is defined, battle lines are drawn and no one knows for sure who is going to cross the finish line in this fantastic follow-up to Bagshawe's bestselling debut novel, ADORED. Bagshawe has done more than stake her claim in the world of fiction, she has given her readers a glimpse into provacative worlds with astonishing characters and fast-paced plots. Move over Jackie Collins, Tilly Bagshawe is here to stay.

I loved this book, much like Adored, however I thought it resembled Adored too much. If you haven't read Adored, then you're good to go. If you have, then it is the same plot with horses instead of glam. But I still loved it!

Tilly Bagshawe is back with her latest novel, SHOWDOWN, which is one part HORSE WHISPERER, one part Jackie Collins, and all parts entertaining. Much like her debut novel, last year's ADORED, Bagshawe whisks her readers around the world to some of the wealthiest, most glamorous playgrounds of the rich. But instead of Tinseltown, this time her tale is set in the exciting world of high-stakes horse breeding. Modern-day Marlboro Man Bobby Cameron inherits Highwood, a magnificent ranch nestled in the Santa Ynez Mountains of California's horse country, from his old-school cowboy father, Hank. The only trouble is that his father was a helluva cowboy but no businessman. Wyatt, the ranch's trusty foreman, alerts Bobby that they are in dire financial straits. Apart from being an enviable tract of land, Highwood sits upon untapped oil reserves that many people would kill for. Throughout his lifetime Hank had not wanted to ruin or exploit the land in any way and Bobby would like to keep his legacy alive, at least as long as he is able. Perhaps they can raise and train quarter-horses on the ranch. But they would still need a partner with lots of quick cash who could commit in a flash, before the bank forecloses. Milly Lockwood Groves is a frustrated horsewoman at 17. On her way to becoming one of the most accomplished riders in her corner of the English countryside, a fall off a horse convinces her father that she must never ride again. But since her family lives on a prominent horse-breeding estate in the country village of Newmarket, not thinking about horses is harder than you'd think. Although her father Cecil has banned her from the actual riding of horses, she's desperate to help out with the breeding, and here she proves herself invaluable. Despite her young age, she gives men twice her years a run for their money. To add insult to injury, her wretched brother, Jasper, who fancies himself quite the horseman, has begun dating her nemesis, Rachel Delaney, who has taken over Milly's spot in the lineup of local riders. How will she ever convince her father to lift his ridiculous ban? Sorely in need of funds, Bobby accepts a job working for Sir Michael Delaney --- wealthy landowner, horsebreeder and father of the spoiled Rachel, bane of Milly's existence. Because the Delaneys' estate is going through massive renovations, Bobby is boarding with the Lockwood Groves, where he immediately notices Milly's prowess with the horses, among other things. He quickly finds himself smitten with her, much to his chagrin. He sees how she's suffering and begins training her in secret. With her help, he might be able to turn Highwood into a profitable breeding ranch in no time. Can he train her, be professional and deny his growing feelings for her? Can he save his beloved ranch from the bank and greedy developers? A big, juicy beauty of a beach book, Bagshawe has followed the formula that worked so well in ADORED. Her descriptions of the equine playgrounds of Californ

Bobby Cameron trains horses. He has the magic touch, and owners all over the world pay for his experience. He needs the cash. The ranch where he grew up is bleeding money, and his father's cowboy traditions didn't do it any favors. Bobby is a cowboy as well, but he can see the need for a new direction. Milly Lockwood Groves is a British girl whose father owns a highly respected stud (a horse breeding facility) and some of the best stallions in the business. Forbidden to ride since a horrific accident, Milly is suffocating under her parents' overprotective ways. She wants nothing more than a career in riding racehorses. When Bobby travels to England for a job, he stays with Milly's family. Impressed by the seventeen-year-old's tenacity and astounding ability around horses, he invites her to his ranch in California, where he plans to open a racing stable. Milly's whirlwind career in the States is marked by love, betrayal, and the arrival of a determined enemy. With her innocence and integrity at stake, where will her choices take her? While this book is about many things, it is primarily Milly's coming-of-age story. She begins as a naïve girl and emerges something quite different. Her journey ranges from exciting to outrageous to crushing. Aside from her tale, the reader is introduce to a heady cast of characters, including an unassuming ranch family, a poisonous rival from Milly's childhood, a lecherous investor, and a ruthless billionaire and his quiet daughter. Despite the large cast, it's not difficult to tell the subplots apart. Each is different and stars unique characters, all of whom invariably affect Milly and Bobby. This story is intriguing, although the main characters all have flaws that tarnish their images. From the beginning, Bobby is a cold womanizer, and Milly makes mistakes that rival the best of them. That's the beauty of this book. The reader's journey with the characters shows how consequences can explode in the least expected ways, and how people can move past the worst of it. Although this is a heck of story--one that would make a good movie--the author's confusing point of view shifts can pull the reader out of the story in order to figure out which character is thinking or doing what. It is for this reason that Showdown does not get a perfect score, but it is definitely above average and worth your time. Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer 5-19-2006