The storyline was really good but the book did not flow very well. The author seemed to let her thoughts jump around to much. ( )

I expected to love this novel and I was NOT disappointed. I have come to expect infuriatingly/endearingly real characters and unpredictable story lines written with heart and with wry, understated humour and that is why I will always come back to read the novels of [a:Roxanne Snopek|2962276|Roxanne Snopek|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1347309899p2/2962276.jpg] (and her excellent non-fiction too, truth be told.)

His Reluctant Rancher is a categorical romance and if you read romances, you are going to love this novel. But it's a cross-over because if you don't usually read romances, you are still going to love this novel--there is so much substance to it. Just like the first in the series, Three River Ranch, characters are confronted with agonizingly tough choices and they react in messy, mascara-running, unflatteringly flawed ways. Resolution is deeply satisfying but not at all formulaic. I call it "romance for the intelligent reader."

My favourite feature: the animals. As Temple Grandin so eloquently put it, "Animals Make us Human." And that is certainly true for the residents of both Twinridge and Three River ranches. From the calves on the range to the kittens in the barn, Snopek's novels are populated with four-footed characters every bit as "real" as their human counterparts. Animal-assisted physical and/or psychological therapy (official and otherwise) adds so much to the texture of the narrative in His Reluctant Rancher. ( )

Reviewed for Read Your Writes Book Reviews
by Kim
www.readyourwrites.blogspot.com

I will be the first to admit...in the beginning this book did not grab my attention and keep me captivated. But when I finally got sucked in, it truly became a page turner. If you read the first book in the series, THREE RIVERS RANCH, then you know there was an attraction between Desiree and Zach. This is NOT the story I pictured for them. Roxanne has taken Zach to the brink, just stopping short of pushing him over the edge.

Desiree Burke and Zachary Gamble are the MOST unlikely couple. She’s a city girl with a fancy little sports car, who’s addicted to Starbucks, and considers not wearing her Louboutins pure torture. Zach, on the other hand, is a pickup driving kind of guy. He’s single-handedly taking care of his family’s farm. Zach wears old denim jeans, cowboy boots, and let’s not forget about his chaps.

These two do have something in common...They love their best friends Rory and Carson Granger like crazy. But Des and Zach have more in common than just their friends. Each bares the scars of being orphaned as kids. Des’ mother died when she was eight. Zach was adopted by Marnie and Joe Gamble as an infant, when they thought they couldn’t have children of their own. Des bounced from foster home to foster home. Zach went on to become the older brother of Cale and Celia, the Gamble’s biological children.

Des’ mouth and attitude gets her in trouble at work and she is forced to take some time off. During her “sabbatical”, Des returns to Three Rivers Ranch to help out Zach’s father, who is in desperate need of a physical therapist, after a deadly car accident.

Desiree and Zachary butt heads like no one else. Their battles eventually become love. But in the midst of everything, Des manages to help heal the broken Gamble family, including its beloved son. Zach and the residents of this small town offer Des the one thing she’s wanted her whole life....a family.

I’m going to have to warn you, the book will make you cry, if not pull at your heartstrings. So be prepared!

Source: NetGalley ( )

I enjoyed this book. The characters are realistic and the storyline is original. I enjoyed the other characters in the small community and would like to read the other books in the series. Review based on an ARC from NetGalley. ( )