Harlequin Romance #3361: Mail-Order Bridegroom

Leah Hampton is a damsel in distress. Despite her best efforts, and those of her feisty grandmother and the variety of hard-luck cases they have taken in, the family ranch is on the verge of going under financially, and being bought out by land-grabbing Lyon Enterprises. On the advice of a family friend, Leah places a newspaper ad announcing her willingness to enter into a marriage of convenience with just about any man who has a flicker of business sense. But the smarmy types who come out of the woodwork in response give the poor girl the chills, so she pins all her hopes on one last mystery applicant, a certain H. P. Smith. Unfortunately for Leah (or so she thinks), the mysterious Mr. Smith turns out to be none other than Hunter Pryde, her erstwhile love interest, who believes that she betrayed him umpteen years ago. (She didn't, really, but you know how these things go.) Leah, who still loves the stone-faced Hunter, reluctantly agrees to marry him (I mean, what choice does she have?) even though she is more than half convinced that he merely wants the ranch and long-delayed revenge. But his autocratic and high-handed ways rapidly begin to grate on her nerves, despite the fact that the sweeping changes he is making consistently turn out to be for the best. Can she really put her faith in this arrogant tycoon who keeps telling her to trust him, especially in the face of mounting evidence that he may be her worst enemy? At this point, you, the astute reader, may think you have everything figured out--right down to the "surprise" twist at the end. But--a word to the wise--I seriously doubt it. The ending is impressive. And though soft-hearted Leah may strike you at times as (let's face it) a little soft-headed as well, Hunter's unexpectedly complex character will make up for it. I LIKED this guy, and when you consider that he's operating with the disadvantage of one of the corniest names in romance history, that is impressive in and of itself.