Barbara L. (Barbllm) reviewed on 5/24/2013 + 241 more book reviews

The book synopsis tells us that big city sheriffs dont belong in tiny Wild Horse, Wyoming. My question is, why not? They have more experience than most small-town sheriffs do, and are perfectly capable of handling every conceivable type of crime that might occur in a small town (vandalism, shoplifting, etc. But you know what? Never mind).

The Granger family ranch is the setting for this small town romance between feisty Autumn Granger, a born cowgirl, and big city sheriff Ford Sherman (an awesome name if I ever heard one; I picture a 1960s era Mustang combined with a Sherman Tank). Youve heard the saying, never assume because U make an ASS out of U and ME? Thats exactly what Autumn does to Ford; after meeting him for the first time and seeing how he deals (or doesnt deal, to be precise) with a herd of lost cows convinces Autumn that Fords deeply out of his element in Wyoming. But lo and behold, Ford is capable of riding a horse. And shooting a rifle while riding a horse. And shooting at a moving target while riding a horse through a snowstorm because cattle rustlers are trying to steal the Grangers cattle. And Ford is capable of all of this because he was raised in Kentucky by family who owned horses and taught him to ride.

Both Ford and Autumn are very self-assured and I liked that about both of them. They dont suffer fools easily and neither of them crumples to the floor like wet tissue when in the others presence. They might stammer or blush or deny the attraction they feel, but they both stand their ground. Theyre also both devoted to their families: Autumns brother Justin is marrying Rori (whose story is told in another of Harts books) and her father is becoming sweet on newcomer Cady, a woman from New York City whos elected to open a B&B in Wild Horse and takes riding lessons from Autumn. Fords brother Shay drops by, mostly to tease Ford about renting a barn to live in.

One trope that seems constant in these books is a lack of trust on the part of the hero or heroine, or both, due to a previous relationship that ended badly. Fords brother Shay notes his continual rejections and Autumns nursing a broken heart because Denny Jones (a homicide cop from Philly who moved to Wild Horse also looking for a change) didnt want to marry a woman whod be more comfortable in the saddle than cooking at home for her family. Autumn is obviously attracted to Ford and is constantly teased by her sisters Addison and Cheyenne because of this, and Fords brother Shay does the same to him.

Just once, though, I would like a couple who realize that simply because theyve suffered broken hearts before is no indication that every relationship will turn out badly. The hero/heroines attitude is generally, My heart was broken once and I cannot ever fall in love again instead of thinking rationally that just because they werent right for this person, theyll never be right for anyone. I could even see younger heroes or heroines thinking that way. But for older heroes and heroines, its like refusing to fly on the Goodyear Blimp because the Hindenburg once exploded.

I do love the characterizations in these novels, though, and the devotion to ones family. I would love to see a crossover with the McKaslins and Grangers together.

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