Susan F. (scoutmomskf) - , reviewed on 6/24/2020 + 2617 more book reviews

An oldie but goodie, this was Nora Roberts' first book published. I loved the story as much as I did the first time I read it. I was also reminded of how much romance writing has changed in forty years.

Dee grew up in Ireland on a small farm. After her parents' deaths when she was ten, she was raised by her aunt, who never quite understood her. Dee was twenty-three when her aunt Lettie died, leaving her alone again, except for her Uncle Paddy, who lives in America. When she contacts him to let him know about Lettie's death, Paddy immediately invites her to come to live with him.

Dee is the stereotypical Irishwoman, red-headed, with a kind heart and a fierce temper (think a young Maureen O'Hara). She has a way with animals and makes her mark almost as soon as she arrives when she calms a feisty horse. Not one to sit around doing nothing, she convinces her uncle to hire her as a groom. While visiting the horse late that first night, Dee meets the farm's owner, Travis Grant, and the sparks fly.

I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Dee and Travis. Travis seems to get a kick out of riling her up, just to hear her lay into him with her Irish accent and Gaelic curses. He can't deny how good she is with their up and coming racehorse Majesty, and Dee soon finds herself accompanying Travis to races around the country. This opens a whole new world for the country girl from Ireland. The sparks continue to fly between them, and passion flares. It takes a while for Dee to identify what she feels for Travis, which she keeps to herself. After all, a poor groom and a rich horse farm owner would be an unlikely match. But when her Uncle Paddy has a heart attack, he pleads with Travis to make sure Dee is looked after. Rather than just keeping an eye on her, Travis decides to propose a marriage of convenience, at least until Paddy is healthy again. I ached for Dee, who wanted nothing more than for Travis to love her the way she loves him. I enjoyed seeing Dee tackle the job of being the wife to a man like Travis. I loved watching her win over Travis's friends and business contacts with her charm. I also loved seeing her stand up to an ex-girlfriend of his. Then an overheard conversation sent her running. The ending was wild as they faced off in a passionate argument.

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