Midnight Wrangler

Second in a series. Follows my observation that Romance Novel Covers provide modelling opportunities for body-builders. Somehow I doubt a largely sedentary 44-year-old rancher looks like the cover model on this book. We rejoin the widowed rancher from book one and are introduced to Bonnie Martin, an old flame from his past who has returned to settle her deceased Father's estate. At least in the opening chapters we are left guessing as to what happened to cause his daughter to leave home after graduation never to return. His curmudgeonly behaviour caused his wife to leave and divorce him. The side of him his neighbours reflect is at odds with this insider's view.

So the plot is fully telegraphed from the opening pages. If the characters were not fully developed and the background filled in this book would not be worth reading. As the story continues we bounce back and forth between the present and the summer of 1990 twenty-five years past while Bonnie sorts through the ghosts of her past in her Father's home.

Guilt weighs heavily on someone who feels their sins cannot be forgiven and forgiveness can only come with confession. Even with this hanging between them chapter 18 is devoted to a lengthy description of their love-making. It didn't seem to hinder the Biblical David and Bathsheba either. Even at this point the reader hasn't become privy to the true nature of Bonnie's guilt though by now we have our suspicions.

The climax, pun intended, doesn't come until the closing chapters when all is revealed.