Proving Herself

Well, I'm happy to say that I've finally found at least 1 book in this series that I truly enjoyed. I really didn't like the first book & wasn't too thrilled with the second book either but I do recommend this book. It can stand-alone & doesn't necessarily need to be read along with the others. This book is about Laurel who is the 2nd oldest of the Garrison girls. At the beginning of this book Laurel has claimed temporary rights to a claim she desperately wants for herself so that she may run a cattle ranch. The problem is that her father has only allowed her to stay there until the first snowfall, which is quickly approaching. He will not allow her to live there by herself during the harsh Wyoming winter. Lord Collier Pembroke has just arrived after being exiled from England. He is a remittance son who needs to invest in something so after briefly meeting Laurel he decides to invest in her ranch & buy her some cattle but she tells him that it will do no good because she won't be able to stay there. After thinking about it Cole comes up with a plan to offer Laurel a marriage in name only so that she may keep her claim & so that he may have an investment. It doesn't take long for the 2 to realize that they are attracted to one another & things get pretty steamy. I recommend this very enjoyable book although I would pass up book #1 Behaving Herself & book #2 Forgetting Herself.

I've read delicious every word of this delightful series, but this book stands out from all the others. The sexual tension between the protagonists left me breathless. Wonderful, wonderful, satisfying historical romance. I can't wait for the next book in this series. Yum!

After allowing his younger brother Collier to run the family estate for the past two years, Lord Edgar Pembroke decides to take over the operation. Even more shocking to the second son is that the agreement they had is eradicated because Edgar plans to marry and have children to protect the name of his family and more important his male lover. A stunned Collier leaves for America. In 1898 Wyoming, Laurel Garrison claims land that she plans to live on and make a living. The local bank refuses to lend money to a mere female and her father Jacob, a very successful rancher, worries about his daughter alone on the mountain during the upcoming winter. Jacob arranges for Collier to meet his obstinate daughter and soon the exiled noble and Laurel agree to a marriage of convenience centering on the ranch. As the two work side by side, they fall in love, but she feels inadequate when she meets his family in Denver, making anything permanent seem remote even if Laurel carries Cole's child. PROVING HERSELF could easily be called "Proving Themselves" as both Laurel and Cole have an urgent need to show to their respective families they can succeed. The story line engages the reader though the arrival of his family but it feels more like an intrusion than a key subplot. The lead couple charms the audience, which is not easy to do when toiling on a mountain. Fans of western romance will enjoy this novel, seek previous "Rancher's Daughters" books, and look forward to the other tales by Yvonne Jocks.Harriet Klausner