BOOK REVIEW (74): Snowed in at the Ranch

BOOK REVIEW:

Snowed in at the Ranch

For some odd reason I'm reading a lot of Christmas-themed stories this summer. I mean, a lot being like 2-3 books, but it's way more than I typically read. Especially since I try to avoid any remainders of winter if I can -- though I still love holiday baking and lighting. ^^

So, unlike my previous read here, Cara Colter's Snowed in at the Ranch is set in snowy countryside of Alberta, Canada. (Yay! Canada!) And there's, of course, tons of snow described as being pretty and sparkly, but I'm not fooled: snow sucks and there's no ifs or buts for me about it.

Worse the heroine, Amy Mitchell is stranded in the country with her infant son and a grumpy rancher of a host. Said grumpy rancher, Ty Halliday is reluctant to let Amy and her son, Jamey, stay, but he isn't that frigid socially to leave them out to be ravaged by the snow storm raging outside his ranch house.

No.

Besides, Amy is a great cook and she loves housework -- and the good Lord knows he needs to eat something other than canned food...and though he doesn't readily admit it, Amy and Jamey are growing on him. Ty has had it pretty rough where family is concerned. It comes as a surprise then that he cares for Amy and Jamey as much as he begins to.

Amy, on the other hand, wants to try to be independent. Sorta like Ty whose been a lone wolf most of his life. Sick and tired of having to rely on somebody else -- be that her late husband or his mother and father, or even her own parents -- Amy is determined to not put that sense of trust in Ty as well. But it's hard because she likes him. And it's because she likes him that she wants to stick around, holds out for creating a happy home with the Grinch rancher who makes it clear what he thinks of Christmas and family gatherings in general.

It's a great push-and-pull with these two. Very cute scenes.

What I didn't entirely like, however, was Ty's reasoning to push Amy away during the Black Moment. I could see why he didn't read his mother's letters, but it seemed a bit of a cop-out at the end. Like he could have read the letters again at some point... I can't explain it. I could see why it had to develop that way. His issues with his mother's abandonment shaped his thinking, especially where fostering faith in relationships are concerned. But it still bugged me. Like it came across a bit forced. Particularly since Ty admits that he always knew the letters revealed his mother's uncaring nature, but at aged 17 he couldn't get past the fact that she really had left him on her own volition.

Seriously. You know that and it takes you, what, 20 years to digest that information -- twenty years to take it out on your old man, his new wife and Amy herself... Get your head on straight, Ty!

Other than that I really loved this story.
Check out Ty and Amy here if I interested you in their romance.

My verdict:

☆☆☆☆.5

(4.5 stars)