Sandy M’s review of A Rancher’s Heart (Stones of Heart Falls, Book 1) by Vivian Arend
Contemporary Romance published by Arend Publishing Inc 17 Nov 17
I’ve read a number of Vivian Arend’s paranormal books and loved the majority of them. So since it’s been a while that I’ve enjoyed one of her stories, I decided to give the first book in this contemporary series a try. Did it work as well for me as all those wolves she writes about?
Unfortunately, not nearly enough. I’m not sure what’s happened in the intervening years since the last time I read her. But this time around, I just couldn’t warm up to the lead characters enough, especially the heroine, Tamara. She’s recently lost her job – she’s impulsive and says what’s on her mind no matter what – so she’s looking for a new start. She takes on the role of nanny for Caleb Stone, a single dad who runs the family ranch and needs assistance with his daughters after his wife’s death. I think it is Tamara’s quick-off-the-cuff attitude that turns me off. She doesn’t back down, despite the issue. As an example, she fights Caleb on the fact the girls don’t have chores on the ranch, only in the home. Tamara argues until Caleb gives in – to a point, he’s still a good father.
Caleb has been in charge of the family ranch since his parents’ deaths years before. Then he loses his wife, leaving him with two daughters, one of whom hasn’t spoken since her mother died. I do like Caleb. Again, to a point. He’s hard working, a great dad, and sexy, of course. He’s a cowboy. What’s not sexy about that? He’s attracted to Tamara right off, but he’s not willing to let her into his heart. He’s done that before and look how that turned out. So he resists for all he’s worth, but it doesn’t work when the heroine is just as determined to stay out of a relationship. All we get for far too long is internal dialogue from each because they find the other sexy and attractive, but they put a stop to those thoughts because they think they can’t go down that path. Maybe it’s because we read that a lot in romance that it just doesn’t fly for me here.
Caleb’s daughters are cute, of course. I enjoyed the few scenes I read between them and Caleb, and Tamara does handle unexpected situations with them okay. But even that isn’t enough to draw me into liking her more. Did I give her enough of a chance to change my mind, before I stopped reading? Maybe not. But I just couldn’t give her anymore time, because I knew she wouldn’t change quickly enough for me.
Thus, I’m not sure I’ll continue with the series. I’ll have to think on that down the road, and hopefully Caleb’s siblings will draw me in and show me a different look at their ranch.
Grade: DNF
Summary:
Caleb Stone is wearing too many hats and it’s making him crankier than usual. He’s a cowboy, a father, and the head of his large family—and has been since tragedy claimed his parents over ten years ago. The ranch is struggling, but it’s the title of single dad that’s got him tangled up in knots. He needs a full-time, live-in nanny at the Silver Stone homestead in Heart Falls, Alberta, to help with his two little girls, but the woman about to arrive on his doorstep? Tantalizing, tempting, and trouble with capital T’s.
Tamara Coleman doesn’t regret the choices that led to losing her job, but she definitely needs a fresh start. When a friend recommends her for a nanny position in a new town, she swears this time it’ll be different. No more acting on impulse—except sexy, gruff Caleb is exactly the kind of man who pushes all her buttons. And what’s more, it’s so much fun to push his in return. Sparks fly between Tamara and her gorgeous boss, but she can’t risk her position, and he doesn’t dare risk his heart.
With two people fighting their true natures, something’s going to give. Luckily, there’s more than one way to capture a rancher’s heart
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
