Friday, May 8, 2015

Kissed by a Rancher - Sara Orwig (HD #2373 - May 2015)

Series: Lone Star Legends (Book 4)

When a blizzard strands rancher Josh Calhoun at a tiny Texas inn, it's not boredom that makes him notice innocent Abby Donovan. There's something about the B & B's owner, with her ponytail and sweet smile. Now Josh can't stop wanting her…or kissing her. He refuses to say goodbye…

When the roads clear, Abby lets herself be whisked away -- to New York City, to Josh's vast Texas ranch, to a wealthy world she's never known. Will she stay with the tempting cowboy? Or return to the life she left behind?

Sweet story. When Josh is caught in a freak blizzard he takes refuge in a local B&B. The inn is full, but Abby makes room for him in her own set of rooms. There's something about her that draws him in and he can't figure out what it is. Attraction, yes, but it's more than that. Over the next couple days, Josh hangs with Abby, helping around the inn and just spending time with her. Once the roads are clear, he doesn't want to say goodbye.

Abby is wary of Josh at the beginning. He's wealthy and used to getting what he wants. He's also handsome and charming, which adds to her wariness. Her father had also been a handsome, charming man who traveled a lot for business, and ended up walking out on his family, so she doesn't trust that type of man. 

I loved seeing them get to know each other. Josh is a nice guy at heart. He sees how busy Abby is with the inn overflowing and steps in to help. He shovels, carries wood, washes dishes, all kinds of things that surprise her. She doesn't expect someone so wealthy to know how to do these things, much less actually want to do them. They spend a lot of time together doing things around the inn and talking while they do it. Abby sees the huge differences in their lifestyles and knows that there's no way there would ever be a future between them. She's a homebody, never been out of Texas, devoted to her family. She's a great listener, and hears the longing in Josh's voice when he talks about how his business keeps him from spending the time he wants to on his ranch. She encourages him to not waste his life on doing what he doesn't want to do.

Josh was attracted to Abby, but listened when she told him that she wouldn't sleep with him. The entire time he's at the inn, he can't get enough of being with her, even without the prospect of sex. He doesn't understand why he's so taken with her, as she's nothing like the women he usually dates. He assumes that the fascination will wear off quickly, but it doesn't. When he learns that she's never been out of Texas, he's suddenly determined to take her to New York with him and show her a different side of life.

I loved the trip and the enjoyment they both got from it. I really liked the way that Josh did everything he could to make sure Abby had a good time. He also discovered that the fascination still wasn't fading, which really confused him. Abby was equally determined to enjoy every minute, as she knew that it would be her only time with him. She admitted to herself that she has fallen in love with him, but feels that love isn't enough when the differences are so great. The added days at his ranch show her another side of him that only makes her feelings even stronger.

At the end of the trip, Josh doesn't want it to end, but makes a proposition that angers Abby. She feels it shows that he really doesn't know her after all. She goes back to her life at the inn, determined to try to forget him, but can't. However, she can't go on the way they were, so she avoids his phone calls. Meanwhile, Josh is miserable. He can't stop thinking about Abby. He knows he messed up, but doesn't know what to do about it. It takes dinner out with an old friend, who shows Josh what his problem really is. Now all he has to do is convince Abby that they can have it all. I loved seeing the way that Josh approached figuring out just how to do it, and the solution he came up with was perfect. I also liked that Abby was able, with the help of her mom, to realize that Josh and her dad were two different types of people, let go of her fears and allow herself to be happy.

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