It's been years since Lauren has seen Chase, years since her parents died and left her to raise her sisters and run the ranch, years since Chase stepped in and helped her hang on to the one thing that seemed to keep what was left of her family together. But now Chase is back, not to call in her debt but to work at his dad's veterinary practice — and work on making a place for himself in Lauren's life.
But... Upon the deaths of her parents, Lauren learned that her father had taken a rather large loan from two good friends, with the stipulation that if it wasn't paid back, they were to take over managing the ranch. Rather than lose the ranch, Lauren agreed to let Chase give her the money, but in exchange, he insisted they get married. Part of me can understand that a young guy looking to hang onto the girl he loved might manipulate things that way, and it's not like he didn't let her continue to lead her own life without him. But I can't really understand why Lauren didn't eventually seek to get the marriage annulled. They weren't tied together in any way except on paper, and it just didn't make sense that she (a) let herself get roped into a marriage that was just a big secret, and (b) let that hang over her forever.
The Verdict: I grabbed Loving Lauren as part of a Kindle freebie sale, and it's clearly the start to an incredible series. For as much as I didn't understand the marriage for money bit, especially since Chase simply left for college and never spoke of it again, Lauren's story was very interesting.
She's stubborn and self-reliant, giving up everything to care for her younger sisters, maintain the family ranch, and hang on to what she can of her pride. Her determination to pay Chase back, even though that was never part of the deal, has her scrimping and saving money she could really use on the aging house she can barely maintain. Her relationship with her sisters is sometimes rocky, but in that sense it's real. She does the best she can to keep her family from falling apart.
Chase's reemergence in her life is a shock, and she does her best not to face it. But she can't deny her attraction to him, and he's certainly not doing anything to stay away from her. Before she knows it, she's falling into something of a relationship with him, even when she won't really admit that she needs him, and for his part, Chase is amazingly patient and understanding. Lauren's life has been all about the family, the ranch, and the finances, all at the expense of any semblance of a personal life, so Chase's slow approach to moving forward with her was exactly what she needed. Granted, he still had to push a little, if for no other reason than to counter her stubbornness, but it made him the perfect romantic hero.
I'd love to say I'm going to stick with this series, but we all know how limited my book budget is, and I'm not sure I can swing the other six books to finish it off. Then again, if they show up on Kindle Unlimited, I might be set. But it sounds like until I can convince the Austin Public Library to buy them (of course I've already submitted the requests!) I'll have to find another country-themed romance to tide me over…
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Top reviews from other countries
Doubledoodles
A great entertaining read - Jill Sanders just got better!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 16, 2014
