Challenging the Cowboy

Zach Marvell has been running the family ranch since he was 15 years old. In the last 21 years he may have become a bit autocratic, convinced he's always right, fond of laying down the law. When his younger brother decides to get married he runs into his brother's sister-in-law to-be, Finley James. She's the oil to his water, a horse trainer who has never settled down, she goes as the whim takes her. She wouldn't say she's fond of laying down the law, but she has no trouble telling people the raw truth and she won't hold back. It's a match made in heaven (not). Zach and Finley clash at their siblings' wedding, she tries to teach him about training one of his horses, he tries to warn her to keep her opinions to herself at her new job. A few weeks later Finley has been fired for telling off one of the rich clients and has nowhere to go, her only hope is that Zach is still looking for a horse trainer. Suddenly her much vaunted freedom and lack of ties seems to be a castle built on sand. As circumstances throw them together maybe they can find something in common? I liked this, it was a variation on the traditional romance where the wandering cowboy settles down with the homebody. In this case Zach is the homebody and Finley is the wanderer. As they are forced to work together their mutual attraction overrides their mutual antipathy. I liked Jeannie Watt's books. If you like gruff farmers who can cook (and clean), horses, stables, lots of hot sweaty farm work and snarkiness then I'm sure you'll love this. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I love Marietta and Cowboys! And while this book is not set inside the town of Marietta it is about about one of the Men who grew up on a Ranch there. Zach Marvell has worked the family ranch and raised his siblings since his father passed away when Zach was 15. This made him into the strong authority figure that he is today. Finley James is in town for her sister's wedding to Zach's brother Shane. Finley and Zach are so much fun to watch whether they are in the same room or even close by each other at the corrals...sparks fly like you would not believe. What's so funny is these two don't recognize it for a long time but we the readers get to enjoy the fun as we see them butt heads , pull apart but like magnets life draws them back together again. I think this is my favorite in the Men of Marvell Ranch books.

I enjoyed this book.