Kathie DeNosky

Fantastic finale to the series as Jaron, the last of the "brothers" from the Last Chance Ranch finds his true love. Jaron and Mariah have known each other for seven years, ever since his "brother" married Mariah's sister. There have always been sparks between them, but Jaron claims to nine year age difference too much and avoids her whenever possible. Mariah has been in love with him all this time, waiting for her chance to show him that she's a grown woman.

She gets that opportunity when car show more trouble brings them together. I loved the scene at the bar when Jaron comes charging to the rescue. His protectiveness toward her really comes out, as does his attraction to her. After a smoking hot kiss, Mariah isn't about to let him pull away, and a passionate night together follows. But the next morning Jaron is back to his usual self, avoiding what is between them.

Jaron had a horrible childhood, losing his mother at six and suffering terrible abuse by his father before ending up in the foster care system at thirteen. The physical and emotional scars run deep, and his actions got him sent to the Last Chance Ranch. Since then, he tries to keep the past in the past, but believes that no woman would want him if she knew about it. Giving in to his desire for Mariah only makes it worse, and he feels guilty about what he did. He knows he needs to stay away from her, but hires her as his housekeeper until she can find another job.

I really liked Mariah. She had been in love with Jaron for years, so when she has the chance to get what she wants, she goes for it. She's hopeful the next morning that things have changed between them, and rightfully angry when he tries to push her away again. I loved her first reaction to his job offer, and then her reasons for reconsidering. There is definitely a method to her madness of taking a job she can't do.

With both of them under one roof, their relationship really begins to grow. Having known each other for so long, the friendship is already there. There are some great conversations, from her lack of cooking skills to their working together on ranch business. When the proximity finally gets to be too much, they finally give in, but Jaron is still fighting against what he really wants. He can't bring himself to tell Mariah about his past because he's so afraid she'll walk away. Mariah knows there's something he's holding back and encourages him to talk to her, but can't break down that wall. I loved her determination to be patient and really understood her frustration. I ached for both as Jaron was suddenly forced to face that past or lose Mariah forever. The resolution was wonderful as he finally faced his demons and was able to go to Mariah with an open heart. His big moment was really sweet, and perfect for the two of them.

I loved the importance of family through the whole series. Each of the brothers was there when help or support was needed. There was also a great deal of fun and laughter, such as when they realized that Jaron had finally fallen. The epilogue was a wonderful wrap up, and a beautiful tribute to the man who had helped them all. There was also a cute twist involving Jaron and Mariah at the end. show less

Good book. City girl Karly and rodeo champion Blake run into each other in Vegas. Blake's quick reflexes keep her from landing on the floor, The sparks between them fly fast and hot, and by that evening they are in bed together. By the end of the week they are in a chapel saying "I do". Blake heads home to get things ready for her arrival, as Karly goes home to Seattle to pack her things and join him. What Blake gets instead is a call from Karly saying it had been a mistake and she'd be show more sending him divorce papers.

Eight months later Karly shows up at the ranch to let him know that the papers had been lost in the mail so that they are still married. She has new ones for him to sign that she will hand deliver, and then it will really be over. But a strike at the airport has her stranded in Wyoming, and Blake talks her into staying on the ranch until she can fly out.

I liked Blake. He had fallen fast and hard for Karly and was heartbroken when she called things off. He's understandably wary about her arrival, not wanting to get hurt again. He soon realizes that the chemistry between them is still strong, and that something must have scared her off. He is determined to find out what it was, and show her that they can be happy together. But he's also got a secret he's been keeping from her. Far from being the ranch foreman, as he has let her believe, he's actually the owner of the ranch and quite wealthy. However, he's been burned by those more interested in what he has than who he is, so he's kept quiet.

I liked Karly too, but she frustrated me at times. She was definitely still in love with him, but her insecurities had her believing that it wouldn't last. She fears that if she quits her job and moves away from the city, she'll grow to regret it and it would ruin their marriage. She saw it happen with her parents and rather than risk it, she won't even try. I was also a little disappointed by her disparaging attitude about the ranch, but as that changed quickly, I chalked it up to city girl ignorance.

I really enjoyed the development of their relationship. They had a good start in that the love was there. What they needed to do was actually talk to each other about their pasts, their fears, and their dreams for the future. I really liked the way that Blake was determined to show her the beauties of the ranch. I loved her first experience riding. Blake got a lot of amusement out of her nervousness, but he was also really good at teaching her. It was also pretty funny to see him trying to get her to take advantage of the amenities of the ranch house without admitting that the house is his. Karly began to think more and more that she'd made a mistake in asking for the divorce, but she was still afraid to trust in her own feelings. Blake felt that he was finally starting to make some headway when he got her to agree to stay even longer, and even Karly was starting to see possibilities. Then Blake's brother showed up and inadvertently spilled the beans. Devastated by what she sees as Blake's lack of trust, she runs. Blake has to face up to his mistakes and decide if he's going to go after her. I loved his big moment at the end, and his determination and persistence in wanting Karly to hear what he has to say. The epilogue was really sweet. Now I'd like to see Blake's brother get his own story. show less

Very good book. Jessie and Nate have had an on-again, off-again relationship for more than two years. The last time that Nate broke things off, Jessie told him she was done and not to come back. Four and a half months later she shows up at his ranch to tell him she's pregnant, but doesn't expect anything from him.

Nate is one of six foster brothers who spent their teen years on the Last Chance Ranch - their only option other than juvenile detention after getting into serious trouble. He has show more avoided getting serious about anyone because he is afraid of turning out like his worthless father. But no matter how many times he ran from Jessie and his growing feelings for her, he always came back to her. When he finds out she's pregnant, he proposes, determined to do everything he can to take care of her and the baby. He's surprised when she turns him down, but talks her into staying at his ranch for a month so that he can convince her.

Jessie is wary of staying so close to Nate. She appreciates his desire to do the right thing and be there for the baby, but she has to protect her heart. She won't marry for anything less than love, and Nate's track record doesn't give her any confidence that he has the staying power she needs. But she can't deny him his chance to be involved, so she gives in.

Nate was pretty sweet in his attempts to convince her while keeping his promise not to pressure her. It wasn't easy for him to deny himself the closeness he wanted. I loved seeing him read everything he could find so he could try to understand what she was going through. His reaction at the ultrasound was priceless, as the truth about becoming a father hit him hard. Nate and the unicorn toy at the baby store was such a sweet scene. His feelings for Jessie continue to grow, though admitting it is still a problem. He knows he has to tell her about his past, but is deeply afraid that once she knows the truth she will leave him.

The time she spent with Nate was hard for Jessie. It was so hard because she wanted him, and being close was making her ache for him. She was afraid that if she let herself believe in a future together, he would leave again and her heart would never recover. She could see how hard he was trying, and some of the things he did made her love him even more. How much she cared was really brought home to her when she saw him compete in the rodeo and feared for his safety.

But it was a health crisis involving Jessie that made Nate realize that he couldn't lose her. I loved seeing him gather up his courage to tell her everything, in spite of his fear. Of course, he hadn't had the confidence in Jessie that he should have had, and he's blown away by her reaction. In return, his reaction to Jessie's tale about her parents is perfect. He deals with them awesomely. Seeing Nate finally believe that he's capable of being a husband and father was the perfect ending to the book.

One of the great things about the book was the frequent appearances of Nate's foster brothers. I love the relationships they have, with the fun and teasing, but also the immediate support when it's needed. I loved the reaction he got from Jaron when Nate told him the baby was a girl. It made me laugh and think of other men I know who have had the same reaction. It was also very emotional to see the way they all showed up at the hospital to support Nate while Jessie had surgery. The scene where they are all betting on Jaron's downfall was a great lead in to the next book. show less

This was a fun story about two people who loved each other from a distance, becoming vey drunk and ended up being married. I loved it. The story was written in a light-footed style, although there was nothing dainty in the perseverance of Chance. It was a light and simple story about love at first sight, a bit too much alcohol and another love story between two older people. Sometimes it’s right to have a light and simple story, when life happens. So I had a great time reading this love show more story and in the meantime adore and admire the writing style of Kathie DeNosky.
Here’s what the story’s about: Chance Warren wakes up with a hangover next to Kristen Lassiter, whom he always had admired from a distance. Then he discovers that he and Kristen were married, Las Vegas-style. He’d rather eat his Stetson and his boots as desert than being roped into marriage. His cowboy code of honour demanded however he do right by the innocent beauty, especially when the pregnancy stick turned blue.
Kristen couldn’t believe that one night with the sexiest man she’d ever met had left her as an expectant mother. She didn’t like to building a marriage based solely on the fact that she was pregnant. She quickly discovered that Chance was nothing like her only manly example, her father. No, Chance was an honourable man, but also a man who believed in her and supported her through and through. And when he swept her into his arms, Kristen forgot it was only for the baby’s sake, she began to hope that she was the wife he wanted…to love. show less