The Rancher's Forever Family (Texas Cowboys & K-9s, Bk 1) (Harlequin Special Edition, No 2838)
Author:
Genre: Romance
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Author:
Genre: Romance
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Good start to the new series. Hayden is a former military dog trainer who now works to find homes for retired military dogs. As a dog-human matchmaker, he finds the right forever home for his canine charges. When Hayden receives a call from a friend about a candidate for one of his dogs, he thinks he has the right dog, but he isn't quite sure when he meets Lizzie. Hayden also runs the family ranch, and with the help of his mother, cares for his toddler son, Weston.
Lizzie teaches art at the college level and also works with seniors and children. She recently experienced an event that left her with debilitating PTSD. Faced with losing her job if she can't overcome her panic attacks, Lizzie agrees with her therapist that a support dog may help.
The first meeting between Hayden and Lizzie got off to a rough start. Lizzie ran into a violent thunderstorm on her way to pick up Sierra, which left her a shaking mess. Hayden sees that Lizzie needs help but worries that she isn't right for Sierra. Hayden reacts rather gruffly to Lizzie, and her fears and insecurities send her running. However, another series of severe storms traps Lizzie on Hayden's ranch. That's not such a bad thing, as it gives Hayden and Sierra a chance to get to know her.
I liked Lizzie's arrival on the ranch. Despite still suffering from her panic attack, she steps in to help Hayden while his mother recovers from being ill. Lizzie also falls under little Weston's spell, and the interactions between the two are sweet. The frequent storms strand Lizzie on the ranch for several days, where she undergoes some big changes. One of the biggest changes was the growing bond between her and Sierra. From the moment the two met, it seemed that Sierra knew exactly what Lizzie needed. It warmed my heart to see Sierra snuggle up to Lizzie during her toughest moments.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Lizzie and Hayden. It got off to a rough start with Lizzie's panic attack making Hayden wonder if he can help her at all, and Lizzie was sure that he'd turn her down as Sierra's partner. However, despite his concern, Hayden sees Lizzie's struggle and decides to use her time at the ranch to see if she and Sierra suit each other. Neither expects the attraction that flares between them, and both try to ignore it. Lizzie will only be there a few days until the roads clear and she heads home. Hayden remembers his ex-wife accusing him of having a white knight complex, where he's involved with a woman who needs help, then loses interest when the problem is fixed. He fears that is what he feels and doesn't want to hurt Lizzie by getting involved with her.
Despite his fears, Hayden is a sweet and caring man. His joy in being Weston's father is evident and heartwarming. As he has a front-row seat to Lizzie's struggles, he can't deny his need to help her. I loved seeing him give her free rein in the kitchen where she cooked to cope. I liked seeing them get to know each other. Each of them has a caring, nurturing heart, and I loved seeing them focus that caring on each other. The strength of their feelings took both by surprise, and Hayden freaked out a bit when Lizzie confessed her love. I wanted to shake him when he pushed her away. I loved the advice he got that helped open his eyes. His big moment at the end was fantastic.
The main secondary characters were Hayden's mom, Jan, and his son, Weston. We didn't see much of Jan because of her illness, but her parts were significant. I laughed out loud at the first meeting between her and Lizzie. It was awkward, especially for Lizzie, but certainly seemed to improve Jan's mood. I also loved the kick in the seat she tried to give both Lizzie and Hayden with her talk about the newspaper ad. Little Weston was a considerable part of the story with how quickly he took to Lizzie. A big part of Hayden's feelings for Lizzie came from watching her with Weston. He wasn't perfect, though, and his Houdini act could have ended very badly for both him and Lizzie.
This book grabbed my interest from the start and kept me hooked right through the end. I can't wait to read the following two stories about Hayden's brothers.
Lizzie teaches art at the college level and also works with seniors and children. She recently experienced an event that left her with debilitating PTSD. Faced with losing her job if she can't overcome her panic attacks, Lizzie agrees with her therapist that a support dog may help.
The first meeting between Hayden and Lizzie got off to a rough start. Lizzie ran into a violent thunderstorm on her way to pick up Sierra, which left her a shaking mess. Hayden sees that Lizzie needs help but worries that she isn't right for Sierra. Hayden reacts rather gruffly to Lizzie, and her fears and insecurities send her running. However, another series of severe storms traps Lizzie on Hayden's ranch. That's not such a bad thing, as it gives Hayden and Sierra a chance to get to know her.
I liked Lizzie's arrival on the ranch. Despite still suffering from her panic attack, she steps in to help Hayden while his mother recovers from being ill. Lizzie also falls under little Weston's spell, and the interactions between the two are sweet. The frequent storms strand Lizzie on the ranch for several days, where she undergoes some big changes. One of the biggest changes was the growing bond between her and Sierra. From the moment the two met, it seemed that Sierra knew exactly what Lizzie needed. It warmed my heart to see Sierra snuggle up to Lizzie during her toughest moments.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Lizzie and Hayden. It got off to a rough start with Lizzie's panic attack making Hayden wonder if he can help her at all, and Lizzie was sure that he'd turn her down as Sierra's partner. However, despite his concern, Hayden sees Lizzie's struggle and decides to use her time at the ranch to see if she and Sierra suit each other. Neither expects the attraction that flares between them, and both try to ignore it. Lizzie will only be there a few days until the roads clear and she heads home. Hayden remembers his ex-wife accusing him of having a white knight complex, where he's involved with a woman who needs help, then loses interest when the problem is fixed. He fears that is what he feels and doesn't want to hurt Lizzie by getting involved with her.
Despite his fears, Hayden is a sweet and caring man. His joy in being Weston's father is evident and heartwarming. As he has a front-row seat to Lizzie's struggles, he can't deny his need to help her. I loved seeing him give her free rein in the kitchen where she cooked to cope. I liked seeing them get to know each other. Each of them has a caring, nurturing heart, and I loved seeing them focus that caring on each other. The strength of their feelings took both by surprise, and Hayden freaked out a bit when Lizzie confessed her love. I wanted to shake him when he pushed her away. I loved the advice he got that helped open his eyes. His big moment at the end was fantastic.
The main secondary characters were Hayden's mom, Jan, and his son, Weston. We didn't see much of Jan because of her illness, but her parts were significant. I laughed out loud at the first meeting between her and Lizzie. It was awkward, especially for Lizzie, but certainly seemed to improve Jan's mood. I also loved the kick in the seat she tried to give both Lizzie and Hayden with her talk about the newspaper ad. Little Weston was a considerable part of the story with how quickly he took to Lizzie. A big part of Hayden's feelings for Lizzie came from watching her with Weston. He wasn't perfect, though, and his Houdini act could have ended very badly for both him and Lizzie.
This book grabbed my interest from the start and kept me hooked right through the end. I can't wait to read the following two stories about Hayden's brothers.
