Broken

Maddie
James
ISBN Number: 
B007Q6R1Q2
Genre: 
Contemporary

At sixteen Amarilla (Rilla) Ray was convinced she was in love with the much older Garth Nash. Having grown up together on the Triple R Ranch, Rilla's father, Brandon was as much Garth's father as hers. Brandon taught Garth all he knows about ranching and rodeo. When Garth left ten years ago to compete on the rodeo circuit, Rilla's heart was broken. When Brandon dies, Garth returns to pay his respects. Though Rilla fears she may be too old to compete in barrel racing, she has signed up for the local circuit. With Garth staying for the reading of Brandon's will, Rilla asks him to coach her so she can get back into rodeo. Will Garth stay and help Rilla? Or go back to the rodeo circuit and leave the woman he's loved for ten years?
Though this is a typical romance in many ways, offering little that is particularly fresh or different, the western setting with the rodeo background lifted it above the average read. Rilla and Garth are both convincing and the slowly evolving relationship and revealing of their mutual feelings was delightful! This is a shorter story than usual and the resolution did seem a tad rushed. The age discrepancy of twelve years between the hero and heroine may be too much for some readers, but Garth comes across as an honorable and responsible man.  A sweet contemporary romance in a western setting that readers of friends-to-lovers and reunited lovers will thoroughly enjoy!
 Jill MacKenzie