Review: I love the concept
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 2, 2013
When I first heard about His Reluctant Rancher, I was really excited. The concept sounded amazing.  Now that I've read the entire book, I can say I still like the concept.I loved the character of Zach. The only thing better than a good hearted cowboy, is a cowboy who's had his heart broken, and who's dealing with a great deal of guilt. The author did a fabulous job crafting this character. The way he handles the things life has thrown his way is very believable. Zach's  the perfect romance novel hero.The female lead is Des. I was less enamored with her.  She's a determined young woman who's obviously had a rough life.  My issue with her is that she makes some really odd choices which made her hard to believe.The author proved she has a remarkable knack for internal conflict.The plot is a bit of a twist on the old country and city mouse story. Zach is the son of a rancher who's determined to save the family ranch after horrible car accident killed his brother and severely injured his father. Des is the physical therapist hired to rehab the ranch patriarch.There's also a situation where the ranch has a company that wants to turn the ranch (which is also a mustang refuge) into (from what I was able to tell) a more commercial operation. If Des can't help heal Zach's father, the ranch will change hands.Although there were several points when  I found  myself questioning the plausibility of the plot, it was consistent throughout the entire novel and maintained a nice forward motion.The author's writing style failed to grab me. She did a wonderful job with the narrative, which is fluid and engaging, however her dialogue was a completely different story. It didn't sound organic. On more than one occasion I found myself rolling my eyes while the two characters exchanged words.I do want to give the author props for including hippotherapy (the use of horses for physical/cognitive therapy) in the story. I've been involved in a therapeutic riding program for years and know exactly how much it can help people.Although the book failed to enchant me, I'm sure it will appeal to readers who want a nice cozy book that reads quickly and starts a sweet cowboy.