Best Man Rancher: A Western romance

A perfect example of hated attraction Shelby and Kit have known each other forever, their feuding families keeping the lines between them drawn very clearly. Now that her sister is marrying his brother, however, the feud seems to be forgotten and the lines have disappeared just as quickly. Shelby married her childhood sweetheart at age 18 after six years together and they had another eight before he was suddenly killed in an accident. She'd always been attracted to Kit, but for a myriad of reasons, she knew better than to act on any of that attraction. Kit tried to put Shelby - a very married Shelby - in the box labeled "off limits" but that lasted only as long as her marriage did. When his best man duties crosses paths with her maid of honor responsibilities, one explosive night was supposed to satisfy everyone's curiosity so they both could move on. Until the unthinkable happens. Realizing that their lives are going to be forever joined regardless, Kit and Shelby have opposing ideas about how to move forward. I really loved the careful exposition of their thoughts and feelings, making it easy to understand both her hesitation and his insistence. I also loved how they eventually worked out a resolution. Even if it still left a lot unsaid, it allowed them to spend the necessary time working through all their emotional hurdles and paving the way to their HEA. Both Kit and Shelby have suffered tremendous losses, which gives them an avenue to understand each other that becomes a very solid foundation for their relationship. I really enjoy the thoughtful, introspective writing from this author, and this short but packed story is an excellent example of her skill with words. If you love contemporary cowboy romances, you don't want to miss this. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Good