Kiss the Cowboy!/How the Sheriff Was Won

I bought this book only because I usually like Anne Gracie’s work. I was not wrong although this is more contemporary than her usual. Nevertheless she can write! Her prose is good, her characters engaging. The other story, Cowboy, I struggled to get through. Too formulaic, characters too stereotypical. Glad that one was essentially a freebie!

Anne Gracie has written a sparkling story that had me laughing so hard I actually slapped my knee -- at several points in the book! -- and reaching for the Kleenex at the end. Her heroine is a surprising character who pulls the unexpected at least a half-dozen times. I loved her unique attitude and the fact that she was portrayed as intelligent and professional. How often do you find that in any book any more? I just SO enjoyed this story and the great sparks between hero and heroine. You're going on my list of authors to watch for, Ms. Gracie!Yes, I was captivated by this second novel -- after nearly putting the book down permanently halfway through the "Kiss that Cowboy!" story. Unfortunately, the heroine here is inept at everything except looking good in tight jeans and in bed. The hero is ept at everything she lacks, as well as looking good in jeans, etc., AND running a huge ranch all by himself, no sweat. The heroine's reason for being in Texas is not a convincing one, and the plot goes from cliche to cliche, winding up at the inevitable baby epilogue. The text for the entire thing is written in a telegraphed, short-sentence style (many times just one telegraphed sentence makes an entire paragraph) that was extremely difficult to read. In the future I'd like to ask the author to work on developing a pleasing rhythm for her words and to reach for the unexpected with both characters and plot.I don't like cowboys. Why did I pick this book up in the first place? Because it DIDN'T have a cartoon depicting the glory of anorexia on the cover as had been done on several Duets covers of the recent past, and I wanted to support such a move. Hurrah, Harlequin! Maybe you're getting the message after all. (But I'm so glad I got the book because of Gracie's tale!)

"Kiss That Cowboy" by Gayle Kaye. Magazine writer Candace Porter travels to Texas to prove that cowboys are not any sexier than the general male population, which means duds and zeros. After a few days of nothing to write home to mother let alone a magazine about, Candace meets ranch owner Tanner Carson and she knows she has found her personal cowboy centerfold. This contemporary western romance is an entertaining battle of the sexes starring an adorable hunk. However, the tale lacks humor and Candace is a stereotype of a tenderfoot, making her an ineffective heroine."How the Sheriff Was Won" by Anne Gracie. Jassie McQuilty inherits a small newspaper in Bear Claw, Montana from her great-uncle. However, the will contains a stipulation that Jassie must stay in town and publish the newspaper for one year or lose everything. Jassie expects three hundred and sixty five days of boredom until she meets Sheriff John T. Stone. This contemporary western romance also provides readers with an enjoyable gender battle, but though it has its amusing moments lacks the jocular bite expected of this imprint. John T is a powerful lead male, but Jassie is a split personality. She is adorable when she works the presses, but pitiable when she goes for a short fling. Gayle Kaye and Anne Gracie provide pleasant diversions, but neither tale attains the consistent witty crunch with strong characters the audience expects from Duets.Harriet Klausner

I'm not usually a fan of modern romances but Anne Gracie is one of my favourite authors, she's funny and witty and has a nice ironic touch. Normally she writes historical fiction,but here she lets loose her skills on a modern cowboy romance, and the result is great fun.Ok, so this is a two in one, duet romance. I did try the other author, Gayle Kaye whose story "Kiss that Cowboy" is first. I found it a bit run-of-the-mill and not that funny so I didn't finish it. Anne Gracie's story "How the Sheriff was Won" made up for that disappointment though.In Gracie's story the Heroine is a nice, independent modern kind of woman - Jassie McQuilty. She has inherited a newspaper from a Great Uncle she never knew she had. Trouble is, it is in the backwaters of Montana and Jassie is firmly a city girl. HOwever, she sees the lure of money - if she can build up the paper for a year then she might be able to sell it for loads of dosh to some bloated capitalist organisation and make a bit of a nest egg for herself - and return back to New York (of course).In the meantime, if she is going to be in Bear Claw, Montana for a year then it would be nice to have a bit of male amusement. Enter said amusing male - Sheriff John T. Stone.Gracie has created a very believable story - the characters ring true to type, and the misunderstandings don't try a reader's patience, but rather flow easily with the story. Gracie has such a nice light hand to deal with this sort of thing, and she manages to inject humour into some unlikely but wonderful situations. Like the vegetarian old couple who try to befriend, (and disastorously try to feed) Jassie. Or when Jassie spends all day trying to get the printing press working - or just trying to figure out how the tiny country paper works at all. Its very much a comedy of eros all the way through.