Review: Flawed characters, great romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 24, 2012
This book was originally published in 1989, and while it may be dated, I really enjoyed it.  The main characters are hopelessly flawed, which added a bit of realism to an unrealistic predicament.  Tay is hot-headed and insecure, especially around Sharon.  He worries she'll look down on him because she is a successful attorney, while he is a hard-working rancher.  Sharon, on the other hand, denies their mutual feelings for one another, even though they are blatantly obvious.  However, there are many redeeming qualities to this second-chance love story.  It's well-written, and there are many twists and turns for the couple as they seek a happily-ever-after.  The ending is very satisfactory, and I really appreciated the Epilogue.When Sharon's father dies, he leaves her half of his California ranch, provied she marries her stepbrother, Tay (who inherits the other half of the ranch).  If Tay and Sharon do not marry, they will lose the ranch.  Sharon, a successful attorney in Philadelphia, knows the antiquated will cannot hold in court, but challenging it will cost a lot of time and money she doesn't have.  She decides her only choice is to marry him for a few months until the will is probated, then divorce him and continue with her life as planned.  The problem is, she and Tay have a history together, and things are not going to be that easy for her.The story then goes back a decade to the summer when she first met Tay, when her father and his mother were married. He was a soldier who'd survived two years in a Vietnam POW camp, and she was an 18-year-old high school graduate.  Love blossomed for them, but it ended bitterly.  Sharon's humiliated to have to return back to the California ranch that was the scene of so much pain.  When she arrives in California, one look at Tay sends her mind back in time.  He's just as handsome as ever, and she quickly realizes she's not going to be able to let go so easily this time.