A cowboy in London
…and a deal at the altar?
When his English business partner dies, Montana rancher
Boone Rawlins becomes guardian of the man's little girl, and heir to their
family property in London. So when a storm destroys the ranch, they cross the
Atlantic to start a new life!
Penniless Lady Ambrin is stunned when a real-life cowboy
arrives on her doorstep. But she quickly comes to her senses when she discovers
her dear brother has left Boone her house -- and that he wants to sell it to
fund a new farm! Ambrin's determined to keep her home and her precious niece.
Will a convenient marriage be the solution…or a whole new predicament?
This was a lovely blend of the author's Western romances
and her more recent Regency/Victorian books. Boone is a rough-and-ready rancher
who partnered with an Englishman on a Montana ranch. When that partner passed
away, Boone became the guardian of the man's orphaned little girl, Marigold,
and inherited the man's London home. When a blizzard destroys the ranch, Boone
and Marigold head to England to start fresh. The last thing Boone expected was
to find the house occupied by his partner's sister - a woman he didn't know
existed!
Ambrin ran the household while her brother, Grant, went
off on his American adventure. He was only supposed to be gone for two years,
and it has now been five, and the money he left for her is stretched thin. Her
only option is to marry a wealthy man. That becomes critical when Boone arrives
and informs her of his ownership.
I ached for both Boone and Ambrin. Both feel betrayed by
Grant's secrecy. Ambrin is about to lose the only home she has ever known and
has nowhere to go. Boone can't sell the house out from under her, but needs the
money to fund his new farm. I liked Boone's protectiveness. He's a good man at
heart and wants to ensure Ambrin's safety and happiness. I enjoyed his efforts
to help her find a husband.
I had a little harder time liking Ambrin. She's so
stubborn about the house, refusing to recognize Boone's rights and trying to
force him to keep it. I did like her immediate connection with Marigold and her
determination to raise her. When Boone proposes they marry, she fights the idea
as long as she can.
I enjoyed watching Boone and Ambrin's relationship
develop. Their initial anger at the circumstances slowly gives way to
acceptance. Sparks flare between them, leading Boone to consider marriage to Ambrin
as a viable option. Convincing her isn't easy, as she stubbornly resists the
path her heart wants to go. I liked their move to the farm and watching them
grow closer. Just as it seems things will work out, a twist awakens Boone's
guilty feelings and leads to a painful decision driven by his growing love for Ambrin.
Her eye-opening self-realization comes almost too late, but culminates in a
fantastic reconciliation scene.
Home and family were underlying themes in this book. Boone
was looking for a new place to make a home and family with young Marigold. He
yearned for the same happiness he'd had back in Montana. Ambrin also wanted a
home, a family, and a man she could love.
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