A Man of Means

THE WAY TO A CATTLEMAN'S HEART ...From the moment powerfully seductive Rey Hart first set eyes on Meredith Johns, he became mesmerized by the lovely young woman. For not only did Meredith stir his jaded soul with her tempting innocence, he discovered she was a top-notch biscuit maker! However, installing the beleaguered Meredith on the Hart ranch as his coveted cook was a cinch compared to breaking the enchanting spell she had cost over this Long, Tall Texan's heart. Now, the hot-tempered cattleman's plan to preserve his bachelorhood was on the verge of backfiring--big time--because one intoxicating kiss would never be enough to satisfy Rey's intense craving for his mysterious housemate. Against all odds, could their tenuous union survive his stubborn pride--and her perilous past?

The above publisher's teaser, did nothing to give me a glimpse of the story within. (honestly didn't intrigue me very much either!) I read it anyway, because I have a sick addiction to Diana Palmer's Long Tall Texans. I like this book, better than the last couple. the heroine was out of her teens, (almost 24) had a career (certified nurse practitioner) and was not crippled with insecurity because of ______(fill in the blank!) Her vulnerability came from a recent tragedy, that could really happen, not some monster mother/father/uncle/again fill in the blank , who raises her without love.....

The hero is of course older and more experienced. (this is Diana Palmer after all..)He sees the Heroine in a prostitute type costume, and "believes the worst" and of course treating her accordingly. (Really?! Do all men, feel entitled to be abrasive with "working girls"?! Seriously?! ) Aaaaaany way! Yadda yadda yadda, she goes to live on his expansive Jacobsville ranch where the chemistry "sizzles" and she hides her true profession from him.. and her recent tragedy...

It doesn't look like I liked this much, but I did. The Heroine, doesn't hide her stuff out of shame, she is letting the Hero "dig his own grave" so to speak, and waiting to drop the bomb that he grossly misjudged her, and acted like a macho moron to boot. (get it? boot, cuz he's texan...? )

The hero, rather than punish her and try to make her insecure,(for her own good. as if?!) just sucks it up, and admits he was an idiot. (Yay! Everyone give it up for DP for finally writing some real-ish characters.) (Whoop Whoop!!)

So, I give this one a 3.75.

Bitsy's Bait and BBQ

While Emma Collins wonders who in their right mind would use her hard-won divorce settlement to purchase a bed-and-breakfast down in the Ozarks, her free-spirited sister Katy fantasizes dreamily about how this move to a small town will be just the thing for her six-year old son, Josh.

And, as usual, Emma is right. But it is not until they drive to Warbler Lake, Missouri, to take over Bitsy's B & B that they realize just how right she's been. In this part of the country, B &B stands for Bait and BBQ! The firls know little enough about running a bed-and-breakfast, but a bait-and-BBQ?

With their money and futures sunk into a run-down, roadside rattletrap, the girls have no choice but to roll up their sleeves and get to work. But as they settle in and get to know the difference between fatheads, night crawler, mealworms, and shiners, no one is more surprised than they are when they actually get the place up and running.

But trouble is brewing. Katy's ex-husband is having second thoughts about the custody arrangements for Josh, and he fully intends to get him back. With the prospect of losing the little boy, the sisters face another challenge, only this time it's Katy who proves that she, too, can solve a problem.

I liked this book fairly well. It was a slow start for me, and took me 2/3 in, to get invested in the story and characters. However, once I was finally invested, I was Hooked! (Pun intended! I crack me up!) I loved all the secondary characters. There is a strong religious tone to this story, which I liked. It was not, a standard romance! The characters where real, they had fun and were warm and had flaws too. Noone was perfect, and their imperfections weren't cute, they were real. Kinda makes you want to spend some time fishing at the lake.