I've been on a spree looking for a good Western romance and finally found one. It's a somewhat predictable story but had just enough variety to make it interesting. Libby Ross came west as a mail-order bride but was duped by the cowboy who brought her there. Stuck through a cold Montana winter, she needs to earn enough to return to Chicago, so she gets a job at the Lodestar Ranch as the new cook. Tyler Hollins, the ranch owner, is not happy to find Libby in his kitchen though her food is a vast improvement over what his men put up with before. He only wants to get rid of her as soon as he can.
It was a good story. Both Libby and Tyler are good for each other, and I enjoyed their gradual path to romance. The details about life on a cattle ranch were interesting and added a lot to the story. ( )

I can safely say this novel accomplishes the best feature of romances: a fantastic emotional journey. I felt every tear, kiss, and event. The connection between Libby and Tyler almost leaps off the page; the reader is sucked into every scene between these two and feels every confrontation, heartache, and gorgeous romantic scene. I also enjoyed how the author concentrated on actually building a relationship first, before the sexy times occur in force. Yeah, there's enough UST to make my Kindle melt, but the author concentrates on building a connection emotionally before she gets her characters horizontal.

I really enjoyed the characters for the most part. Yeah, there were clichés (misunderstands abound, tragic pasts, ect...) In fact, there was more than once I wanted to tell Libby to just keep her suitcase packed, with how often she assumed she was being sacked. However, in all that, I just adored Libby. She was soft and feminine when she needed to be. Yet, she wasn't afraid to tell Tyler where to stick it when she felt he had gone too far, and she's strong emotionally. I don't know if I could have come back from her situation with Ross' death and being alone in a snowbound cabin for months on end.

I think I have to mention the setting, too. I'm a Montana girl, having lived here for 2/3 of my own life. I've personally been to the area mentioned in the novel, on the banks of the Mussellshell and surrounded by all that rugged beauty. I think the author did a fantastic job in bringing her setting to life, in all its remoteness in this time period and in all its beautiful glory.

I really enjoyed this romance. The emotions fairly scorched my Kindle, and the setting was beautiful. Despite some clichés (I don't think any romance, really, can escape them), the characters were fairly strong, and I felt a real connection to them. This is a great example of how a historical romance novel should be written. ( )

A Good Historical Western Romance. Recommended!! ( )