Tuesday, June 20, 2023

The Mavericks Surprise Son - Christine Rimmer (HSE #2989 - July 2023)

Series: Montana Mavericks: Lassoing Love (Book 1)
 
After a deathbed promise, a cowboy makes a life-changing decision.
 
Overnight, rancher Jace Abernathy has gone from carefree bachelor to single dad. Frankie isn't really his, but nothing will prevent him from protecting the orphaned newborn he saved from a fire, not even nurse Tamara Hanson. Tamara, who lives her life by the book, is convinced Jace is unprepared for fatherhood. Jace believes rules sometimes need to be broken. What neither of them realizes is that what they need most of all…is each other.

 
Terrific start to the new series.  I sat down to read this and couldn't put it down until I finished it. Jace won my heart from the beginning.
 
Jace is a nice guy - kind, considerate, smart, and good-looking. Part of the wealthy Abernathy ranching family, Jace spends most of his time working on the family ranch. He is also a volunteer firefighter who works regular shifts at the firehouse. Jace is best known around town as a bachelor who tends to go out with women who need help in some way. He's all into the relationship until the problem is fixed, the woman becomes clingy, or he loses interest. His family teases him about his "white knight" tendencies, and he swears to turn over a new leaf.
 
As the story opens, Jace spots a fire in progress while running errands. After calling it in, he enters the apartment to see if any is there. He discovers a young woman in active labor and gets her away from the fire. I ached for Jace as he delivered the baby but realized the mother was in a bad way. She begs him to raise her baby if she doesn't make it, as neither she nor the baby's deceased father had any family. Jace makes that promise, hoping it won't be needed, but when he arrives at the hospital later, he finds out she died. Jace is determined to keep his promise and makes a bit of a scene at the hospital when he tries to see the baby. Nurse Tamara talks him down, lets him see the baby, and sends him on his way.
 
Tamara loves her job as an OB nurse, caring for mothers and babies. Her job gets all her attention after breaking things off with her cheating boyfriend. She doesn't have much patience for men right now, and Jace's insistence that he will foster and adopt baby Frankie strikes her as unrealistic. She knows the rules of the game and that Jace doesn't meet most of the requirements. But she isn't hard-hearted and does her best to let him see the baby when possible.
 
I enjoyed watching this relationship develop. Jace's determination is undeniable, and with the help of his family and most of the town, Jace succeeds in gaining foster parent status for Frankie. He enlists Tamara to help him learn the ins and outs of caring for the baby. Neither is looking for a relationship. Tamara is still wary of getting involved, and Jace wants to concentrate on Frankie. But there is no denying the sparks that flare between them.
 
Jace is especially taken with the knowledge that Tamara doesn't need him. From changing her tire to her job as a nurse, she is an independent and confident woman with no interest in depending on Jace for anything. Though they initially limit themselves to friendship, it isn't long before both realize there is something more between them. I loved seeing them together, both with and without Frankie, as they got to know each other and felt like a family.
 
There are a few bumps along the way to their happy ending. Jace makes up his mind quickly that Tamara is the one for him and has trouble holding back his feelings. Meanwhile, Tamara is wary of the speed of their feelings and worried that she's making a mistake. Help sorting out her feelings comes from an unexpected source, and Tamara can finally see that she and Jace belong together. 


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