Series: Happily Inc (Book 2.5)
When Princess Bethany’s father, the king, sells one of his best stallions, she insists the animal get the royal treatment. Disguised as Beth Archer, a mere stable hand, she takes him to Happily Inc, California, a quaint wedding destination that’s especially sparkly over the holidays.
Rich women have no place on Cade Saunders’s ranch. He wants a down-to-earth girl-next-door type—like Beth Archer. After a few cocoa-flavored kisses by the Christmas tree, Bethany begins to fall for her irresistibly handsome host. But will Cade still want her when he discovers she’s more familiar with a crown than a cowboy hat?
Short, sweet novella with a bit of heat. Beth is the adopted daughter of a Middle Eastern king and a princess because of it. She was first introduced in Mallery's The Sheik's Secret Bride (June 2000) and was horse crazy even then. When her father sells her favorite stallion to an American, Beth convinces her parents to let her accompany the horse and supervise his settling in. But she wants to go as plain Beth Smith, not the royal princess. She'd been burned in the past by people who used her for their own purposes and longs to be treated as a normal person.
Cade was introduced in the first Happily Inc. book, as Pallas's twin brother. He has wanted to be a rancher for his whole life, and after working at ranches in Kentucky and Texas, he now works for his grandfather on the family ranch. He is in the process of buying the ranch and has dreams of expanding the ranch's horse breeding business. He met King Malik in Texas and was thrilled when that connection enabled him to purchase the stallion, Rida. Cade spends most of his time working the ranch, with very little dating. He was burned by a wealthy woman in Kentucky, who considered him good enough to play with but too far beneath her to marry.
I enjoyed the enthusiasm both characters had for their work. Beth's love of the horse and determination to ensure that he was well cared for was obvious, as was her connection with the horse himself. Cade's excitement over Rida's arrival was clear. I loved Pallas's visit and her amusement over his child-like exuberance.
Cade and Beth connected as soon as she and Rida arrived, bonding first over the care of the horse. There were also sparks of attraction that flared between them. Beth tried to fight the attraction, knowing that she was there a) under false pretenses, and b) she would be leaving soon. But the happiness of being treated like a regular person, coupled with Cade's charm and down-to-earth attitude, made it a losing battle. Cade was attracted to Beth from the moment he met her. Her devotion to the horse was a big draw, as was the way she dove right into life on the ranch. I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other and open up about some of their past problems. I loved Cade's reaction when Beth shared (carefully edited) parts of her past. On the other hand, finding out about Cade's past made Beth realize that he would not be happy when he found out the truth about who she is. When an unexpected visitor blows her cover, Beth discovers that she was right to be afraid of his reaction. I ached for her when Cade wouldn't even listen to her explanation. While I understood Cade's reaction, I also wanted to shake him for being so pig-headed.
The ending was terrific. Pallas takes her role as sister seriously and provides evidence to Cade of what an idiot he has been. I loved how Cade realizes that the only thing to do is go after Beth. His confrontation with King Malik was fantastic. I especially loved Malik's portrayal of the outraged and protective father, and Cade's understanding but also determination to make his case to Beth herself. The end of that confrontation was startling, but not entirely unexpected. There was another comment made later by Malik that showed that his choice of a buyer for Rida might not have been all business related.
I loved the secondary characters in this story. Seeing Liana and Malik again, and catching up on their lives was an unexpected bonus. It's clear that their love and support of Beth is just as strong as it was in their book. Beth's inclusion in Pallas's "Girl's Night" showed how easily Beth fit in with the people of Happily Inc. But the best part was the Thanksgiving dinner with Cade's family. His mother, Libby, is just as much of a snob as she was in the first book, but the rest of the family get together was great. I loved Cade's worry that Beth would be hurt by Libby's attitude and Beth's obvious enjoyment of the other members of the family. I'm looking forward to seeing more of Cade and Beth in later books.
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