Outback Boss, City Bride

City girl Meredith West comes the Australian bush country to find her sister. Hal Granger just doesn't like city girls --- they won't fit into his remote cattle station life or his heart. Or so he thinks! One look at each other spells nothing but trouble but when opposites open their hearts, sometimes love goes beyond attraction. When Hal and Meredith meet, all the mental lists kept for the perfect man or perfect woman just go right out the window. When these two meet Mr. Perfect and Miss Right take on a whole new meaning --- no list can ever describe love from the heart! At the beginning when Meredith and Hal are on the long ride to the cattle station, they talk without the kind of hesitation strangers might experience, forced together in a car with little in common. Jessica Hart's use of dialogue is superb in this romance. The reader actually sees and feels the hero and heroine getting to know each other as their romance builds. Hal is a superb hero, handsome and rugged yet even when he is gruff, Jessica Hart allows the reader to see his lovable, tender heart. Meredith, a frantic organizer in times of stress, certainly shakes up this remote all-male cattle station with her feminine presence. Her intelligence and spunk together with her compassionate heart may just be the perfect combination for her new boss so set in his ways. Despite all the sparring and differences, Meredith and Hal's ability to talk to one another makes their attraction feel so right. Jessica Hart instills enjoyable humor into this romance. The shirt scene was fantastic! Jessica Hart has a gift for stirring the reader's emotions with laughter and tenderness. The reader wants to know the characters and cheer for them. OUTBACK BOSS, CITY BRIDE is a delightful, heart-warming and emotionally satisfying read. A beautifully written romance!

4.5 blue ribbons Meredith West is 100% city girl and harbors no romantic ideals about the Outback of Australia. Yet current circumstances dictate that she retrieve her sister from there in hopes that she'll be able to aid in their friend's recovery after a horrible car accident. Since Richard is so infatuated with Lucy, Merideth hopes that if Lucy returns to England and he hears her voice he'll revive. There is just one little problem with her plan - her sister's boss, Hal Granger. He has no intention of letting Lucy out of the contract she's signed to work at his cattle station for six months of which she's only worked two. In order for Hal to release Lucy from her contract Meredith will have to take her place. Hal Granger is a realist and he has no doubt that Meredith will never be able to hack his isolated lifestyle. He's definitely not pleased to learn that Meredith is there to try to talk her sister into leaving. He's busy taking care of his expansive property, he doesn't have time to take care of his sister's children who are staying with him plus prepare the meals for the rest of the men who work the cattle station too. He needs help and that's the whole reason that he fully intends to hold Lucy to her contract - until Meredith suggests that she'd be willing to take her sister's place as his employee. Meredith may have had no clue what she was getting herself into when she agreed to take on Lucy's job but she quickly learns just how much is expected of her. To complicate matters Hal seems intent on frustrating her with his demanding attitude. She's not afraid to go toe to toe with him but something about him is sparking an attraction in her that she's trying very hard to ignore. She'll be returning to her own life in England as soon as Lucy returns and Hal has no intention of putting his heart at risk by falling in love with her. His own past serves as a potent reminder of why trying to make a relationship with Meredith permanent would never work. She belongs in the city and he belongs in the Outback - trying to change that would only result in heartache . . . or could she learn to love the Outback just as much as he does? Jessica Hart's OUTBACK BOSS, CITY BRIDE is one fast paced story that readers won't be able to put down. I loved the differences between Hal and Meredith and couldn't help but laugh at their many disagreements over everything from housekeeping to meals. The sexual tension is obvious right from the start but they have past issues that give them reason to believe that any sort of permanent relationship between them would never work. I found that I was especially intrigued by the vastly different personalities between Meredith and Lucy. Fortunately Lucy will be getting her own story so hopefully we won't have too long to wait. Beautiful job Ms. Hart! I had a wonderful time reading this book and will definitely be adding it to my keeper shelf. This is the first book in the BRIDEGROOM BOSS duet. If y