Dinca’s review of Saved by the Rancher (The Hunted Series, Book 1) by Jennifer Ryan
Contemporary Romance published by Avon Impulse 26 Mar 13
I was enthralled by the story line in this book from page one. If ever there is a villain you love to hate, he is captured here in the character of David, the ex-husband, a self-serving pathetic excuse of a man not worthy of being classified as a human being. All the characters are very well developed and believable, from their thoughts to their actions. Ms. Ryan knows how to write a sex scene with romance. These characters are very captivating and loving with nothing trashy about them.
The hero, Jake Turner, gets an “Aah” status in my book. He is a strong, caring, thoughtful, and generous of heart kind of guy, even if he is tired of being used by women for the size of his wallet. He is an ex-Army Ranger Medic and just what this runaway woman needs. Jake’s old attorney friend rents a cottage for Jenna on his ranch. When he finds out she is being hunted time after time and by her abusive ex-husband, he wants to find a way to put an end to the hunt, only to have Jenna say no. She has as plan of her own that she is not sharing. All he can do is admire her strength and help her heal as he falls helplessly in love with her.
Jenna is fighting for her life throughout the book. I don’t feel there’s a repetitve or a boring moment during any of these scenes. Even while she is healing from her injuries inflicted by her ex, she finds her sense of humor and can share laughter with a child. I like the way she tells Jack she’s filthy stinking rich. I laughed my head off. Being encased in the warmth and love of Jack’s close-knit family shows Jenna the home and family she has always craved. The only problem is staying alive long enough to be able to live it.
This story is so believable from start to finish. The only liberties I find are in the divorce settlement, but, then again, hey, you can do a lot with enough money to muck on someone. After all, who wants to mess up a good story with facts? All of the issues and story lines are resolved, but there are two little loose ends I would have like to see addressed – the snitch of a secretary in Ben’s office and the ditsy blonde at the nurses’ station. How dumb can she be? There are guards in front of Jenna’s room and she lets the bad guy in? I would like to know if they’re fired or are reprimanded in any way. Maybe an apt punishment would be to volunteer at a center for abused women so they can know what damage their actions could contribute too. I do wish Jenna could have let David know some of his money went to buy an apartment building to house abused women.
I will be looking forward to the next book in the Hunted Series by Ms. Ryan, Lucky Like Us, out next month.
Grade: A
Summary:
From the moment rancher Jack Turner rescues Jenna Caldwell Merrick, he is determined to help her. Soon, he is doing more than tend her wounds; he is mending her heart. Jenna is a woman on the run—hunted down by her ex-husband, David Merrick, from the day she left him, taking part of his company with her, to the second she finds herself in the safety of Jack’s ranch. More than just a haven, Jack’s offering the love, family, and home she thought were out of reach.
Jack’s support will give Jenna the strength she needs to reclaim her life. The hunted will become the hunter, while David gets what he deserves, when they have an explosive confrontation in the boardroom of Merrick International. But not before Jack and Jenna enter into a fight … for their lives.
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
