*Book source ~ A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Miranda Cortland just wants to leave L.A. and the fame from winning the reality show Gutsy Girl behind. She wants to use the winnings to open her own business, a tearoom in Sonoma. She didn’t count on a stubborn, sexy rancher to put the kibosh on buying her dream site. Well, she’s never been one to let a setback stop her, so she’ll see if she can work on the ranch for a bit while she comes up with Plan B. And Damien Fraser can’t say no to her. Will he let the best thing to walk into his life walk right back out? And will she be able to leave?

I’m not a fan of reality shows or their ‘stars’, but Miranda is a very likeable character. She’s nice, gutsy, focused and yet she’s free-spirited, too. It helps that this book isn’t about the show itself, but about the winner’s life after. Not to mention the hurt she’s endured in the past. Damien is a complex, wonderful and flawed character. He is also extremely focused on building his thoroughbred ranch. Watching these two damaged characters come together is beautiful and delightful.

I’ve been a reader of Harlequins for decades. Yeesh! That makes me sound really old. I started reading them when I was 10 (my mom gave me the really old tame ones from the 50s) and I now have tons of them in my home library. I remember when Harlequin came out with the Blaze line (no age jokes now!) and I was so happy to have something steamier to read. Joanne Rock (among a few others) became my favorite Go To author for deliciousness between the covers. Even though I haven’t read very many Harlequins in about 10 years now, I can say that Joanne Rock is still delighting me. Bravo! ( )