Taming Rafe

Sometimes when the first book in a series surprises you and sweeps you into the romance, I wonder if the second book will live up to the first. In this case Susan May Warren has written a sequel that more than stands on its own. Taming Rafe tells the story of two broken people, each searching for something but not really sure what. Katherine Breckenridge wants to break out of the expectations that she's been forced to live with. But she's hesitant to try. And Rafe feels even more like the lesser Noble after his life implodes. The book pulled me into the fictional dream mainly through the deep pain and searching of the characters. Katherine and Rafe each have deep reasons they are suffering their current problems. But the choice to confront those issues and take a less safe path, left me rooting for them. Could they do? Or would they take the easier rode? The book is filled with challenges for the characters...each of those a natural outgrowth of the plot and characters. And the secondary characters added a rich layer to the story through John and Lolly's fight to choose each other or walk away, and Nick's inability to communicate with Rafe. Add in a grandfather who wants to shelter his granddaughter, an almost fiancé who wants to elope and all kinds of other conflict, and this is a rich story it was almost impossible to put down.

Taming Rafe by Susan May Warren is the second book in the Noble family series. Rafe Noble, baby brother and rodeo star, has lost everything in one moment. His best friend is dead, his career is not going well, and he can't shake the guilt he feels. Seized by despair, he crashes his truck into the front of a fancy New York hotel, destroying Katherine Breckenridge's society charity event and putting her life into a tailspin similar to his own. He wants to curl up and die, she decides he owes her something first; they are drawn together by the need for something more than the life they have been living. Susan May Warren's books are like a cold drink on a hot, summer day: they refresh and are deeply satisfying. Rafe and Katherine are driven by different ghosts in their lives, but it's led both of them to be people they aren't. As they fall in love with each other, and the person they are around the other, the story is sweet and moving. But Katherine's almost fiance isn't giving up easily, and he brings malice and suspense to the book. A major subplot involving Lolly and John, along with a book within the book add many layers making this a book to please all readers. Warren always writes terrific novels, and this is another top notch entry in her stable.

Rafe is a cowboy who's a professional bull rider. Katherine is a city girl who is trying to raise money to help out those in poor countries. The two collide when frustrated Rafe drives his car into the hotel where Kat is trying to fund raise for her cause. Sparks fly between the two when Kat tries to get him to donate his money to make up for damages. Soon the city girl visits the ailing cowboy on his own turf as they try to reconcile their differences. While she's at the ranch, Kat also tries to find out her family's past. Meanwhile Lolly, the owner of the diner, tries to hide secrets she's kept hidden for over twenty years as the man who's loved her forever tries to win her heart. Westerns usually aren't my cup of tea, but this series has really grabbed my attention. And I'm not just talking about the covers, even though they are SUPER HOT! This book taught me a lot about bull riding and the dangers that go with this sport. I've never really been a big fan of watching bull riding (and I still don't necessary agree with the sport even after reading the book) but I do have a lot more respect for the riders. It's a sport where you never know what's going to happen because you're not in control of the situation. I really liked Kat as a character. She has enough money to be a rich socialite but her heart is in the right place because she is focused on helping others. Her relationship with Brad adds suspense to the story with twists that the reader doesn't see coming. Rafe is a character that changes throughout the story. It's a interesting ride as the reader watches him grow. I loved the story within a story with the book that John wrote. It was actually quite a good read and I would have loved to have it more fleshed out as a story on its own. The only thing that irked me a bit was Lolly. I just wish she would have told Kat right off the bat who she was instead of clamming up. Of course it would have ruined the story, but I just hate it when things could have been resolved easily if there wasn't unnecessary drawn out drama. Also I didn't like the way she treated John. And women complain that there are never any good guys out there. All in all though, this was a wonderful story that I couldn't stop reading. I'm looking forward to reading the next book to find out more about Stefanie.

If a book has Susan's name on it, I know I'm not going to be able to put it down. Whether she's writing about a missionary in Russia, Annie and Noah in Deep Haven, or the exploits of a Search and Rescue pilot in Alaska, I know I can expect mystery, intrigue, a few plot twists, a lot of romance and, of course, the message of God's redemption and restoration. Reading Taming Rafe (book 2 in her Noble Legacy series) was no different. The story had me in its grip from the first page. Her descriptions of ranch life in Montana had me breathing the fresh air, and I felt every bone-jarring moment with Rafe in the bull-riding arena. Despite knowing that Susan's stories always have satisifying endings, I stayed up until midnight (again) to make sure that Rafe and Kat moved past their wounds and misunderstandings to get to their "happily ever after" ending. I'll be impatiently waiting for the third book -Finding Stephanie - to come out in the fall of 2008.

I enjoyed this book greatly. It was a great sequel to the book about Nick and I look forward to the next one.