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.
