The Restless Wrangler

Preston Colter broke Hetty Clark's heart when he disappeared to chase his other love, alcohol and wild living. He also left her pregnant, and now she's raising her son as a single mother. She's doing okay, though - at least until her father is killed saving a stranger from a fire. She inherits the ranch, and she needs help. So when Preston shows up, she is persuaded to hire him, but only if he adheres to her strict "no drinking" requirements. Hetty soon realizes her heart wants what it wants, and what it wants is Preston. Preston realizes he has feelings for her, too. Can Hetty trust the man who's let her down before? Will Preston abide by his resolution to stay sober?

This was a delightful read! Karen Baney plays on the biblical story of the prodigal son with Preston's story. He's the fifth Colter son, and he feels like he's always been a disappointment to his family. That's why he's been drinking and carousing and steering clear of home. He fears his welcome won't be a positive one. Baney did an excellent job of making him a very sympathetic character. He owned up to his shortcomings. He didn't pretend to be better than he was or that he didn't deserve the consequences for his actions, and he tried his best to make amends.

If you like strong female characters, Hetty is a good one. She's running a ranch, raising her son, handling a crew, hiring help when she needs it, and practicing to win a bronc riding competition. But she doesn't cross the line into being a character that has no need of or desire for a good man in her life. She just isn't sure Preston can be that good man. But when a greedy neighbor comes proposing marriage to get his hands on her ranch, Hetty has to figure out how to turn down his advances. Is Preston the answer to that problem?

The secondary characters are also well written. The posse of men that takes Preston in as one of their own is a fantastic group. They support each other and kick each other in the pants when needed, and isn't that what good friends do? They're drawn together by their common interest in staying sober, and they really become family to each other.

It tickled me that both Hetty and Preston were competing in the bronc riding contest. Neither of them was interested in being better than the other. They were both cheering each other on wholeheartedly. I loved that Hetty didn't feel like she had to diminish herself to attract Preston, and Preston wasn't ashamed of rooting for his love to do her very best. That was refreshing!

The thread of faith woven through the story made me happy. This is why I love Christian fiction. The world is hard. Life is hard. Living by my faith is hard. Reading stories of other folks living out their faith makes my day a little brighter and encourages me.

This is the fifth book in the Colter Sons series, but I read it as a standalone with no problem. I want to read the others, though, so I can get to know the brothers Preston felt like he couldn't compete with!

<i>Thanks to JustRead Publicity Tours and the author for a complimentary copy of this book. It was a matchmaker book tour, so the book was a surprise when I opened the envelope. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.</i>