The Rancher Needs a Wife

THE RANCHER NEEDS A WIFE by Terry McLaughlin February 27, 2007 Rating **** (4 Stars) I enjoyed this book for several reasons, but one was because it was a follow up book that featured two characters that were previously featured in another book. In MAKE-BELIEVE COWBOY, Fitz Kelleran was a movie star who fell in love with a gal in Montana (Ellie Harrison) who didn't seem very impressed with the actor. In THE RANCHER NEEDS A WIFE, we're back in the same small town in Montana. The romance now is focused on Wayne Hammond, who was also featured in the previous book (he was in pursuit of Ellie!) and Maggie Harrison Sinclair, who at one point was Ellie's sister-in-law (Ellie's husband Tom passed away a few years ago). Besides revisiting "old friends", I loved the story (but the characters really made this book fun to read). The book starts out with Fitz having just donated tons of money to be used towards the local school, and the towns-people are fighting over what they should use the money for. Wayne Hammond is one of the men on the board that will make this important decision. Maggie had left town years ago but had returned earlier to visit during her niece's birthday. Rumor had it that she was still recovering from a nasty divorce. This small town was not where she wanted to be. She felt she was destined for the big city, in particular New York. Everyone knew that Wayne was on the lookout for another wife, or at least everyone was hoping he'd find another Mrs. Hammond. He had been warned about his ex-wife, a woman who soon grew tired of living in a small town and left him for bigger and better things. Maggie would definitely be another repeat of his previous wife, and she was the last woman he would pick to marry. However, he can't stop thinking about her. Wayne, who was very shy and quiet and had a hard time even looking people in the eye, was nonetheless not a bad looking man, and Maggie was finding herself attracted to this very shy man. Maggie and Wayne, as is expected, do not get along, but there is an obvious attraction; a love hate relationship seemed to be what they were destined for. THE RANCHER NEEDS A WIFE was filled with fun and charming characters that kept me amused throughout the story line. I also found the budding relationship between Maggie and Wayne irresistibly funny, and was wondering how they were going to resolve this one. Telltale hints about Wayne should have clued me in, and it isn't until the end that the reader will say "aha!" and figure out why the two were meant to be. Loved this one!

Following a divorce, schoolteacher Maggie Harrison Sinclair returns to her hometown of Tucker, Montana with no plans of staying too long in a place the men here know her as "Ms. Hell on Heels". She came home to heal her hurt and pride while working temporarily as a high school teacher. Rancher Wayne Hammond and Maggie were childhood friends who are pleased to see one another. He, like her, is a divorcee too because wife Alicia hated ranching and the Big Sky winter. As they begin to spend time together, they fall in love with one another. However, both know the timing is wrong and besides he needs a rancher's wife who will be a real nurturing mother to his offspring. He rejects her as someone who will, like Alicia gallivant off to Southern California although he admits to himself love makes it difficult, to not find a way to make a relationship work. This is a fun Montana romance as Maggie still recovers from her divorce and Wayne is shy and filled with hesitation. Thus readers will enjoy their rocky courtship as neither is comfortable with the other yet neither can just walk away. THE RANCHER NEEDS A WIFE is a warm Big Sky contemporary romance starring two nice amiable protagonists. Harriet Klausner