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His Holiday Bride (Mills & Boon Love Inspired) (2011)

by Jillian Hart(Favorite Author)

4.17 of 5 Votes: 2

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Mills & Boon Love Inspired

series

Granger Family Ranch

review 1: The book synopsis tells us that “big city sheriffs don’t belong in tiny Wild Horse, Wyoming”. My question is, why not? They have more experience than most small-town sheriffs do, and are perfectly capable of handling every conceivable type of crime that might occur in a small town (vandalism, shoplifting, etc. But you know what? Never mind).The Granger family ranch is the setting for this small town romance between feisty Autumn Granger, a born cowgirl, and big city sheriff Ford Sherman (an awesome name if I ever heard one; I picture a 1960s era Mustang combined with a Sherman Tank). You’ve heard the saying, “never assume because U make an ASS out of U and ME”? That’s exactly what Autumn does to Ford; after meeting him for the first time and seeing how ... morehe deals (or doesn’t deal, to be precise) with a herd of lost cows convinces Autumn that Ford’s deeply out of his element in Wyoming. But lo and behold, Ford is capable of riding a horse. And shooting a rifle while riding a horse. And shooting at a moving target while riding a horse through a snowstorm because cattle rustlers are trying to steal the Grangers’ cattle. And Ford is capable of all of this because he was raised in Kentucky by family who owned horses and taught him to ride.Both Ford and Autumn are very self-assured and I liked that about both of them. They don’t suffer fools easily and neither of them crumples to the floor like wet tissue when in the other’s presence. They might stammer or blush or deny the attraction they feel, but they both stand their ground. They’re also both devoted to their families: Autumn’s brother Justin is marrying Rori (whose story is told in another of Hart’s books) and her father is becoming sweet on newcomer Cady, a woman from New York City who’s elected to open a B&B in Wild Horse and takes riding lessons from Autumn. Ford’s brother Shay drops by, mostly to tease Ford about renting a barn to live in. One trope that seems constant in these books is a lack of trust on the part of the hero or heroine, or both, due to a previous relationship that ended badly. Ford’s brother Shay notes his “continual rejections” and Autumn’s nursing a broken heart because Denny Jones (a homicide cop from Philly who moved to Wild Horse also looking for a change) didn’t want to marry a woman who’d be more comfortable in the saddle than cooking at home for her family. Autumn is obviously attracted to Ford and is constantly teased by her sisters Addison and Cheyenne because of this, and Ford’s brother Shay does the same to him. Just once, though, I would like a couple who realize that simply because they’ve suffered broken hearts before is no indication that every relationship will turn out badly. The hero/heroine’s attitude is generally, “My heart was broken once and I cannot ever fall in love again” instead of thinking rationally that just because they weren’t right for this person, they’ll never be right for anyone. I could even see younger heroes or heroines thinking that way. But for older heroes and heroines, it’s like refusing to fly on the Goodyear Blimp because the Hindenburg once exploded. I do love the characterizations in these novels, though, and the devotion to one’s family. I would love to see a crossover with the McKaslins and Grangers together.
review 2: I just love this new series! I can't wait to read the next one. Every character feels like they could belong in your family. I love how close the grangers are and how you don't just get one character's story, but you get several story lines to follow. The redemption that both Autumn and Sheriff Ford Sherman learn are something that we all can experience. No one's past is the best, but if we allow it to dictate our futures, then we don't let God have it all. Autumn has to learn things the hard way. The new sheriff in town may be charming and cute, but he isn't someone out to charm just any gal and use her. He genuinely comes to care about the people in the town, especially with cattle rustlers on the loose and causing danger for those he is close to. Autumn is a tough gal, who is a daddy's girl at heart and one who loves Ranch life. She has been dealt some blows in the men department, and you can't blame her for not willing to trust guys from her past experience, but sometimes a little Faith in God is all you need to step out on that limb. In the end, both of them learn a valuable lesson. One that opens their eyes to what God really has in store for them. less

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