Susan F. (scoutmomskf) - , reviewed on 5/26/2019 + 2617 more book reviews

Good book. In previous books, Rhett has been the laid-back, fun-loving bull rider who flits happily from rodeo to rodeo and buckle bunny to buckle bunny. Commitment is not a word in his vocabulary except when it comes to his bid for the bull riding championship. He gets the shock of his life when he finds out that one of his one-night stands resulted in a baby girl who has been abandoned by her mother. He fell hard for little Julie, and though uncertain of his abilities, he was determined to be a good father to her. A potential obstacle to his plans is the baby's foster mother, Tara. Tara is the NICU nurse who cared for Julie while she was in the hospital and became the baby's foster mother. Tara wants to adopt Julie herself and isn't so sure that Rhett is up to the task.

I loved Rhett, even in the earlier books. There was no meanness in his avoidance of commitment - he always made sure the women he was with knew the score. He could have given up his rights and just walked away, but he didn't. My heart melted during the scene when he first held Julie, and you could see her grab his heart in her tiny fingers. I also liked that he wasn't too proud to admit that he needed Tara's help.

I had a little harder time liking Tara, especially at the beginning. She came across as very judgmental of Rhett and his life, even though he wasn't hurting anyone. She seemed far more interested in doing what she could to keep Julie for herself instead of being with her father. I wasn't sure if she was going to help Rhett or try to sabotage him, so I was happy to see her do the right thing. I did ache for her and the reasons she wanted Julie so much.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Rhett and Tara. Because of their long history, they knew each other pretty well already. Once they came to grips with Rhett's intention to raise Julie himself, they formed an excellent working relationship. Neither of them expected the attraction that flared between them. When obstacles are placed in Rhett's way during his attempt to gain permanent custody of Julie, Tara proposes a marriage of convenience. This will keep her in Julie's life and allow Rhett to continue to follow his dreams. I had to laugh at the way the marriage of convenience part didn't last past the wedding night. The attraction between them was too strong for a platonic relationship to have a chance at succeeding. I loved seeing them settle into happy family life, though both of them tried to deny the feelings that were growing between them. I ached for them both when their custody of Julie was unexpectedly threatened, and they believed that she was all that held them together. It took being apart for them to realize what their feelings for each other were. I loved Rhett's self-reflection and look at his future without Tara and decide that wasn't what he wanted. I loved the shock of the people around him as he took the only action he could. Tara had already accepted her feelings for Rhett but thought she was doing the right thing by letting him go. I loved seeing her best friend read her the riot act and give Tara the push she needed. Their reunion was awesome, and it was followed by an unexpected and very welcome surprise. The epilogue was great.

I enjoyed most of the secondary characters. It was great to see characters from previous books, especially with the way that the two families have intermarried. I loved Granny, and her stories of the humming heard when you kissed The One. Like her sisters before her, Tara didn't believe until it happened to her. My least favorite character was the judge. I couldn't believe her attitude about Rhett's career of bull riding. Would she do the same to a father who was a cop, soldier, firefighter, etc.? And then her actions regarding Julie's mother made it even worse. Someone needed to bring her into the 21st century.

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