Series: Wrangler's Creek (Book 1)
The Granger siblings thought they'd left their ranching
days behind, until fate sends them home to Wrangler's Creek, Texas -- and into
the passionate arms of those they'd least expect…
It's some run of bad luck when Sophie Granger loses her
business and gets left at the altar all in one day. Desperate to not appear
jilted, Sophie begs Clay McKinnon, Wrangler's Creek's smoking-hot police chief,
to pretend they're having an affair. But Clay refuses, leaving Sophie to
retreat to the family ranch to lick her wounds.
Hoping to leave his disreputable past behind, Clay moved
to Wrangler's Creek for a fresh start. But that looks unlikely when Sophie's
ex-fiancé shows up married to Clay's impulsive kid sister. Overcome, Sophie
resuggests the affair -- but this time for real. Clay is hesitant. City-girl
Sophie isn't usually his type. But he can't deny the desire she elicits -- or
his yearning to have her plant her cowboy roots for good.
Good small town romance filled with quirky characters,
family drama, and a bit of suspense. It starts out with Sophie having a really
bad day. Her fiancé ends their engagement on the day of the wedding, telling
her that he doesn't love her anymore, that he's in love with someone else.
Desperate to avoid dealing with her family, she sneaks out the church window
and walks to the police station. There she tries to talk police chief Clay into
pretending they are having an affair so that she can save face. He turns her
down, but while at the office Sophie gets word that the family business is in
trouble. Their chief financial officer is accused of embezzling and using the
company for money laundering and has disappeared. The FBI is investigating, and
has frozen all company and personal assets until they know whether the Granger
siblings are in on it. This sends Sophie back to the family ranch to try to
pick up the pieces.
Clay turned Sophie down for his own reasons. He came to
Wrangler's Creek for a fresh start and to watch over his younger sister. Life
is pretty quiet for him, except for battling the feral chickens that keep
attacking him. And trying to deal with the incompetent workmen who are doing renovations
on his house. And trying to escape the reminders of what drove him to
Wrangler's Creek in the first place. The last thing he needs is to get involved
with Sophie, even though the sparks between them are pretty hot.
Then life takes a turn for the really crazy. It turns out
that the woman that Sophie's fiancé Brantley fell for is none other than Clay's
little sister April. Not only are they in love, they've already married and are
expecting a baby. Clay and Sophie are frequently thrown together and the sparks
between them just grow hotter. They know that getting involved with each other
is a bad idea. Sophie has her plans, which don't include staying in Wrangler's
Creek. Clay is haunted by something from his past that won't let him be happy
in a relationship. Then there's the fact that so many people are against them
as a couple. Clay's sister April is the most vociferous, and still insecure
about her marriage, also thinks Sophie is trying to get Brantley back. Sophie's
brothers and best friend warn her against a rebound relationship. But the
attraction is too strong, and Clay and Sophie decide that pursuing the
attraction secretly will give them the relief that they need without having to
deal with others.
Of course, in a small town, nothing remains secret for
long. Also typical of small towns, rumors abound, with very little of them
having any basis in truth. It was fun to see Clay and Sophie try to counter the
rumors without giving away what was really going on. At the same time, their
intention of a quick and secret fling is being overcome by the feelings that
are growing between them, though they try hard to resist them. Clay fights
because of the guilt that haunts him and doesn't want Sophie caught up in the
consequences of that guilt. But when she is, Clay finally finds the motivation
to stand up to his tormentor. He wants to protect her from the ugliness, and
ends up being surprised to discover the depth of her trust in him. I loved her
reaction when she had the whole truth. Sophie has her own issues, dealing with
the fallout of her wedding disaster. Trusting her heart to another man comes
hard, and having that man be so closely connected to her ex makes it even
harder. I loved seeing her get over Brantley's betrayal and slowly open her
heart again. It was occasionally frustrating to see them fight it so hard when
it was obvious that they belonged together. I enjoyed the ending and seeing the
two of them admit their feelings while at the same time realizing that their
pasts will always have an influence on their future.
The secondary characters all add their own bits of fun
and frustration to the story. At the top are April and Brantley, whose relationship
was fast and furious and now they are dealing with the realities. April is
flighty and insecure, which leads to some confrontations with Sophie, who she
thinks wants Brantley back. Brantley seems pretty immature for a respected
lawyer, as his actions regarding Sophie and their wedding show. His quick
turnaround to marry April doesn't help the impression. There are times when he
seems to be doing quite well as a husband and stepfather, but others where that
immaturity rears its ugly head. Also present are Sophie's brothers, Garrett and
Roman. Garrett has his problems with the business, what he really wants to be
doing, and a marriage that is crumbling. He's protective of Sophie, but caught between
a rock and a hard place regarding the future of the business. Roman has removed
himself entirely from the family business, owns the ranch but doesn't want it
and can't get rid of it. He has a very strained relationship with their mother
and a son that he adores but is having problems with. There's also Sophie's best friend Mila, who
has a unique way of dating, causing some moments of hilarity for the reader and
dismay for Sophie and Clay. Mila's mother Vita is the local gypsy/witch and her
solution for Clay's chicken problem is fun. She also provides a little hilarity
in her involvement in their romance. There's a gossipy deputy, a pig farmer
named Skunk, and handymen that aren't so handy.
Also included is a bit of suspense involving a missing
CFO and money from the family business. They can't deny that the money is gone,
and that Billy Lee is apparently the guilty party. But Sophie and Garret have a
hard time believing in his guilt. The FBI has gotten involved and the hunt is
on for the missing man. The only one who might have an idea where he is is best
friend Arlo, the best friend and not-so-bright gas station owner. There's a
hilarious scene where Sophie finds Billy Lee in an unexpected place, but loses
him again, though not before getting Billy's side of the story. It does
eventually get resolved, without too much angst.
No comments:
Post a Comment