Series:
Three Cowboys (Book 3)
Everybody knows a real cowboy doesn't back down from a
challenge—even when that means playing the part of devoted husband to your
wayward estranged wife so she can collect her inheritance…
Cowboy Max Romero is a married man—even if he hasn't seen
his bride since their impulsive Reno wedding. When the seriously sexy Brit
Phoebe Creighton-Smith suddenly shows up in his life again, the last thing he
expects is a request to play man-and-wife in front of her family. But it sounds
like a challenge to the mischievous Max, who offers Phoebe one in return—give
up proper English etiquette for riding the range like a real rancher's woman.
Phoebe is willing to rope a stallion, if it means she can
convince her grandmother to release the trust fund she's entitled to after
marriage. She'll just have to pretend that her deliciously brawny "husband"
isn't tempting her to total abandon every minute of every day—and night. But
just when the heat between them crackles into a blaze, Phoebe's snobby clan
forces Max to make a choice, he knows he'll risk everything to convince her
that with them, true love is a sure thing . . .
Good wrap-up to the series. The story begins with a
prologue, spelling out how Phoebe and Max ended up married. Phoebe, a British
woman trying to wrest her inheritance from her uncooperative family, needs a
husband to fulfill the requirements. Max, a Marine between deployments, draws
her attention in a Reno bar. Something about him leads her to propose a
marriage-of-convenience arrangement, and Max, who is always game for a
challenge, jumps right in. But Max disappeared the next day without leaving
contact information.
Four years later, Phoebe tracks Max down at the
California ranch where he works with his two Marine friends, Luke and Noah. He
never told them about Phoebe, so everyone is shocked that he is married. Phoebe
still needs Max's help, and asks him to continue in the role to convince her
family. Neither expected the sparks of attraction that rekindled from their
wedding night. I loved seeing Max and Phoebe get to know each other as she
settled into her temporary stint as a ranch wife. The more time they spend
together, the deeper their connection and feelings grow. Some wonderful scenes
highlight how good they are together and how happy they can be. But both of
them have emotional baggage that makes it difficult for them to believe the
other would want more than their temporary marriage.
I got frustrated with both because neither communicated
well with the other, leading to misunderstandings and hurt feelings. Matters
became more complicated when Phoebe's brother showed up, trying to convince Phoebe
to return to England. George was manipulative in his attempt to get his way and
zoomed in on Max's insecurities. He also knew which buttons to push to get Phoebe
to react in the way he wanted. Both Max and Phoebe have some self-examination
to do before they can let go of the past. I loved the advice that Max got from
his friends and what he did with it. At the same time, we get to see how Phoebe's
relationship with Max has changed her. There is a terrific scene with George,
and later her grandmother, that shows off the new Phoebe. Max's big moment was
fantastic, and I loved seeing them work things out.
The epilogue was terrific. Seeing all three couples and
catching up on their lives was great.
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