Never fall in love with a Carter cowboy…

After the humiliation of getting fired from her job in the city, Fiona Cafferty finds herself back home on the family ranch. Like it or not, she’ll be stuck working there until she can find another job. But she wasn’t prepared to work beside her old high school nemesis, Eli Carter.

Eli sure had changed over the years. For one thing, he’s grown up to become a smoking hot cowboy. He’s also a sweet, caring single dad now, which Fiona finds even sexier. So, when they run into Eli’s snarky ex-wife, Fiona comes to his rescue and claims they’re a couple. Now they’re stuck in a fake relationship. But her attraction is definitely real…

Eli is not a happy cowboy. Not only was he humiliated by his cheating ex, but now he’s worried that everyone will find out he’s got a fake girlfriend. He can’t imagine pretending to love someone like Fiona, who’s so vexing. And beautiful. And irresistible…

The last thing Eli wants to do is fall in love with another woman who won’t stick around. Too bad his heart just won’t listen to reason…

Titles in the Cafferty Ranch series include — Wild Love -♥- Wrangling Love -♥- Rugged Love -♥-

This is an adult 18+ story that may contain language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Title:  Wrangling Love
Series:  Cafferty Ranch #2
Author:  Leslie North
Genre:  Modern Western Romance
Published:  May 26, 2022
Publisher:  Relay
My Rating:  4 stars

Wrangling Love continues the Cafferty Ranch series with Eli’s story – and a complication from his teenage years that he didn’t see coming a country mile away!

Fiona and Eli have always had an off-kilter relationship filled with high school pranks that hid the emotions they were feeling for each other.  Unfortunately, Fiona did something impulsive and, in Eli’s eyes, unforgivable when she didn’t show up for their prom date.  Eli didn’t have all the information, but that betrayal cut deep and he’s not about to start trusting his friend/boss’s sister any time soon.  Except… turns out Fiona’s impulsive, way out there personality could be the answer to a situation he’s been dealing with and like it or not, Fiona makes a strong statement in whatever she does.

Fiona left the ranch shortly after her parents’ deaths to head for Denver hoping the big city could hide the pain she felt when she was home on the ranch.  She’s doing just fine in her chosen career… until she’s not – until her impulsive decisions make some big trouble for a client and she’s quickly fired.  Back on the ranch, she settles into her bantering/pranking attitude with the ranch’s trail boss, Eli… and that’s not something he’s going to take with a smile and do your worst.  Nope, those days are gone, and Eli has a very strong memory of their past.

I enjoyed Eli and Fiona in Wrangling Love although there were times when I wanted to beg Fiona to just tone it down a peg, but she has her personality to live up to, and, of course, she never would have listened to me anyway.  I loved her interactions with Eli’s son, Patrick – and discovering what was going on with the pre-kindergartener.  Watching Eli make his plans and come to realize that they just wouldn’t work, he couldn’t just run away when everything he and his son needed was right here on this ranch.  And, oh, how he groveled for Fiona’s affections was priceless, wait, you’ll see what I mean.  I had fun here and will be starting on Rugged Love soon.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from Booksprout. The opinions expressed in this review are my own – good, bad, or indifferent. I was not financially compensated for this review and no expectation of a positive review was promised.*

**Release date: May 26, 2022

Available for the Kindle (as this title will be in KU)