Barbara L. (Barbllm) reviewed on 5/17/2013 + 241 more book reviews

Sometimes, Diane Palmer writes books that are character-driven and enjoyable (Renegade); other times, she writes the same book over and over again, employing the same fiction tropes and it gets old after a while (Diamond in the Rough). This book is part of her series, The Men of Medicine Ridge, and focuses on wealthy rancher John Callister and his romance with sweet, naïve Cassandra (Sassy) Peale.

My first objection to this book is the age of the characters; John is 30, Sassy is 19 and innocent. John, at numerous points, feels that hes too old for her. I would agree. Several of her books have heroines that are barely out of high school and are falling in love with men who are much older. Its getting creepy. My second objection is the books length. Her books are generally short, and a lot of details are obscured. Each chapter has a couple of concluding paragraphs that describe what happens to various characters. Why not go into greater detail and show some character development, instead of simply summarizing?

However, John is a good, strong character. He protects Sassy from her lecherous employer, at one point walking into a situation where Sassy is about to be raped. The police are called, and the employer is hauled away. However, a few sentences later, the author describes John looking at Sassys sexy body and pert little breasts. She was almost raped a few paragraphs ago; did the author realize how jarring this transition would be--to go from protecting her to fantasizing about her body? John proves his worth by arranging for Sassys mother to receive lifesaving surgery as well as promoting Sassy to assistant manager.

Sassy is what a perfect 19 year old should be: devoted to her family (her mother is dying of lung cancer and she also cares for her 6 year old stepsister) and hardworking (her salary is their only source of money) and, of course, sexy in a guileless way. Sassy is naïve in some respects, but she still has grit as the author reminds us repeatedly (find another word to use, please). The book isnt her best, but its a sweet Cinderella story.

Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details