Series: Montana Mavericks: The Lonelyhearts Ranch (Book 5)Montana Mavericks (Book 119)
All She Wants for Christmas is a Cowboy!
Rust Creek Ramblings
A few weeks ago, local wedding planner Caroline Ruth took a tumble off a ladder, and when she came to, she believed Thunder Canyon cowboy Craig Clifton was her boyfriend. Trouble was, they’d never met before. What was an upstanding rancher to do? Now, until Caroline’s memory returns, Craig is acting as reluctant faux fiancé. But with Christmas around the corner, dear readers, we’re hoping for a real-life happy ending for this unexpected couple!
Good book. Caroline is a perky, positive-attitude wedding planner. She has a knack for working with difficult clients. She has been living in Rust Creek Falls for a couple of years and loves the small town life. The only thing that has been a downer has been the lack of romance. After encountering the local psychic, who told her she'd be engaged by her twenty-fourth birthday, she has been hopeful of finding her true love. She was thinking about this prophecy when her next clients arrived, bringing some friends with them. Precariously perched on a chair as she tried to reach something, the last face she saw as she fell was that of Craig Clifton.
Craig was visiting from Thunder Canyon and hanging out with his friends. He was there when Caroline fell and caught her before she hit the floor. Unfortunately, she banged her head on the shelf on the way down. When she came to, she thought Craig was her fiancé. When the doctor at the hospital suggested going along with it until Caroline's memory returned, Craig reluctantly agreed.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Caroline and Craig. There was no doubt about the connection between them from the very start. That connection freaked Craig out a bit, especially when Caroline seemed to know things about him that there was no way she should know. I liked his protectiveness toward this woman he didn't know, and his willingness to go along. He is a good man, and I thoroughly enjoyed the way he took care of her. He didn't expect to develop feelings for her, especially since he has resisted falling in love since the tragic death of his first love.
I loved how Caroline was absolutely convinced of her engagement to Craig. She was a little disturbed that she could remember so much of her life but drew a blank regarding the details of their relationship. She simply chalked it up to her injury and rolled on with her life as she believed it to be. She was shocked when her memory came back and she realized she didn't know the man she was kissing. She also knew she was already falling for Craig and was afraid that if she told him she would lose her chance to make him fall in love with her.
Though I wasn't thrilled with her deception, I was glad to see that she felt some guilt over it. Craig also felt some guilt over not telling Caroline the truth, but he told himself he was following the doctor's orders. There were some really sweet scenes of the two of them together. I especially enjoyed the trip to Thunder Canyon for Thanksgiving and seeing Caroline with Craig's family. The parts with his grandparents were fantastic, and I loved seeing how well Caroline fit in with his family. It was great to see how much Craig grew to like being with her, and that he started to think about a future with her. There's a pretty big obstacle to that dream though, as the truth about their engagement stands between them. When and how that truth comes out is a very emotional scene. I understood Craig's feelings of hurt and betrayal, and Caroline had a few choice things to say, too. I loved how they were finally able to be honest with each other, and that their love was able to overcome the rocky start. The epilogue was terrific, and I loved Craig's big moment at the school play.
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