THE COWBOY’S NEW BRIDE
(The Wild J Divorce Ranch #1)
by Angelina Vance
Book 1 of the Wild J Divorce Ranch series is a standalone historical western romance novel with a steamy ending! Trail romances almost never last, they’re told. Read on to see if Clara and Jesse’s love will beat the odds…
At the Wild J, six weeks is just enough time to lose your heart…
Clara is trying to escape a loveless marriage, and where better to go in the early 1900s than out west? At the Wild J Divorce Ranch in Reno, six weeks’ residence and a handful of bills will take care of the divorce proceedings. Then she’ll be free to go back home and start a new life. When she arrives, she steps off the train… and into the arms of a strong cowboy named Jesse. She’s not here for a trail romance, though – heck, she’s not even divorced yet! How can she even think about falling for one of the ranch cowboys, however handsome?
Jesse has one simple rule: Mind the dude ranch and ignore the dudes. While the women who flock in and out of the Wild J are tempting, he’s not looking for temptation…until Clara. Sweet and hardworking, Clara is everything all of the other women aren’t. But when a Hollywood star invites him to be in the movies, he has to go – the money is all he needs to save his Ma’s ranch!
Will Hollywood corrupt Jesse before he can get out? And will Clara even be waiting for him when he comes home?
Purchase your copy from Amazon today!
~My Review~
THE COWBOY’S NEW BRIDE was a delight to read. A sweet love story told in the smooth and, often humorous, voice of the author. Angelina Vance deftly welcomes her readers in, introduces the characters as if they are old friends, and allows you to get to know them well as the story unfolds. If your looking for a couple of hours of enjoyable reading of a romantic and heartwarming love story without a lot of drama and angst, then this book is for you.
The story is essentially one of love at first sight. Clara is a betrayed young woman who comes to Reno for a quick divorce after the required six weeks of residency. She’ll be staying at the Wild J Resort Ranch owned by “Ma” Caldwell and her handsome son, Jesse. The minute Jesse and Clara meet when he picks her up from the train station there is an instant and mutual connection. Jesse is determined not to take advantage of or push his feelings on Clara while she is vulnerable and behaves as a gentleman, even though he is extremely attracted to Clara. He also worries a simple cowboy may not have enough to offer a woman from New York Society. Clara is still reeling from her first dreadful choice in husbands and doesn’t quite trust her judgment in men or feel certain her feelings are returned. But shy as they both are on acting on it, they are perfect for each other.
The other women who are also staying at the ranch awaiting their divorce court dates, the wranglers who work at the ranch, and a few townsfolk are all written with very distinctive and well-developed personalities which really make Vance’s story so much more delightful. There is a bit of a mystery, a little deception, some manipulative characters, more than a hint of danger, and some comical scenes. The dialogue is real and often witty. Mary, another soon to be divorced woman, is a hoot and has quite the background. The romance is mostly old-fashioned and sweet, rather than overtly sexual, but that seems fitting with the time and setting of the book. The story is not long, but is written well enough to draw you in, have you laughing, have you shaking your head, have you worrying, and in other words, have you really caught up in the story and caring about the characters before giving Clara and Jesse their HEA ending. It also leaves plenty of room for future romances to unfold at the Wild J Divorce Ranch in Reno. 4.5 stars
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