Temporary Rancher

by Ann Evans

Riley Palmer needs a fresh start, and managing Echo Springs Ranch is the break she's been waiting for. There's only one problem. Her new boss, Quintin Avenaco, thinks he hired a man. Riley's confident she can handle the job. But convincing Quintin? With only three weeks to prove her case, it won't be easy.

Single mom to four-year-old twin daughters, Riley can't afford to risk everything for a flirtation with Quintin. Even if he does make her heart flutter, she has her kids to think of! If only her heart would listen to her head…...

Genres: Romance, Harlequin

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

As a lifelong procrastinator, I spent twenty years polishing up the same story. It took a loving push from friends and family for me to finally walk into a local Romance Writers of America meeting to find out how to submit my work to a publisher.

I almost couldn't do it at all. I'm irrationally intimidated by women in hats, and one of the members was wearing a snazzy little red one that practically shouted 'Professional Writer.' I was afraid they'd laugh me out of the room for daring to think my writing could be taken seriously. Lucky for me, they were a great bunch of people who made me feel right at home. They also helped me to see all the things I was doing wrong, like having no conflict and no plot. With the help of a strong critique group and generous fellow writers, I began to understand just how a book ought to be structured. A year later I won the Golden Heart from Romance Writers of America for Best Short Contemporary of 1989.

Since that time I have sold regularly to the Harlequin Superromance line. I'm not a slow writer, I swear – just a slow typist! I love writing for the Harlequin Superromance series as they publish the kinds of books I like to read, so I don't feel that anything could have been a better match for me! I was born and raised in Florida, but now live in Orlando where I continue the love/hate relationship with my computer. I adore bobbing around in the pool, hot fudge sundaes, collecting antique postcards and finding any excuse to travel.

I still hate hats and refuse to own one.

Reviews

[Roxanne Rustand · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful author...I usually wrote "KEEPER" on her books so I would never give them away. I will miss her so much.

[Ann Keller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riley Palmer was a survivor. Following a disastrous marriage and turbulent divorce, Riley and her twin daughters had moved in with her sister. Their quarters were cramped, although tolerable. Riley didn’t see much chance of climbing out of her circumstances until she accepted a job as ranch manager of Echo Springs horse ranch.

There, she met Quintin Avenaco, a tall, handsome rancher, struggling to turn a dilapidated ranch house and several barns into a working horse ranch for police horses. Quintin has his hands full trying to make a go of things. He’s been expecting a man to help him manage Echo Springs, perhaps a tough as nails partner with buckets of experience and the personality of a rattlesnake.

Unfortunately, what Quintin received was blonde-haired, blue eyed Riley Palmer, a pretty young female who arrived with two young girls in tow and a lot of personal baggage of her own. The divorce had left Riley wounded and wary but Quintin soon discovered that she was a hard worker and a woman determined to make a better life for herself and her children.

Riley forces Quintin to think about the Indian wife and son he lost in a fire years ago. He cannot proceed into the future until he comes to terms with their loss. Can Riley help Quintin see that he has a future with her and her girls? How can she soothe away his pain and give him the hope to embrace their future together? For that, he’d have to be the perfect man.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a unique storyline - not the typical romance novel. The main character, Riley was a recently divorced mother of 6 year old twin girls. She applies for a ranch foreman position, knowing that her name would mislead the ranch owner into believing she was a man. Quintin, the ranch owner, hires her, but only gives her a guarantee of 3 weeks before he'll replace her. She proves very quickly that she might not actually have the credentials to have the position, but she's not afraid of hardwork and she's a fast learner. My only complaint is the how the book ended, not in the result though, but how quickly everything was resolved. I found this to be a very enjoyable read, and a great uplifting, strong heroine story.

[Debra Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

No epilogue!

This was a great book and could have been a five star read if she had only added an epilogue or another chapter to tie off the loose ends. There was no telling the twins of their engagement which was odd when you factor in how important the twins were to the plot.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Riley Palmer, jeune femme de 30 ans, mère de jumelles de 8 ans, vit chez sa sœur depuis son divorce un an plus tôt. À la recherche d’un emploi comme manager de ranch et sur les conseils d’un ami, elle décide d’envoyer son CV à Quinton Avenaco, nouveau propriétaire d’un ranch au Texas. Impressionné par ce CV, Quinton propose à Riley de venir pour qu’ils trouvent un accord et voir s’ils s’entendent assez bien pour travailler ensemble.

Quinton s’attend donc à voir débarquer un rancher expérimenté qui pourra l’aider pour lancer son affaire d’élevage de chevaux pour la police montée. Quelle surprise quand après son retour d’un court voyage pour acheter un cheval, il se rend compte que Riley n’est pas un homme mais une femme, séduisante en plus et mère de deux enfants. Tout de suite, il décide de la renvoyer d’où elle vient et de déposer une annonce. Mais Riley est déterminée à s’en sortir et lui propose de lui montrer ce qu’elle sait faire jusqu’à ce qu’il trouve un remplaçant. Malgré lui, Quinton lui offre de rester jusqu’à la fin du mois, le temps qu’elle trouve autre chose. Et Riley est bien décidée à lui prouver qu’elle est la femme qu’il lui faut… pour ce job.

Riley est une femme courageuse, déçue après un mariage difficile avec le père des ses filles. Mais elle a décidé de reprendre sa vie en mains et se sent tout à fait capable de gérer le ranch de Quinton. Résister à son charme et à sa virile apparence sera peut-être un peu plus difficile. Quinton de son côté est un homme meurtri par son passé. Sa femme et son fils sont morts il y a plus de 10 ans et depuis ce jour, Quinton a tout fait pour rester à l’écart des autres et ne pas trop s’attacher. Jusqu’à ce qu’une Barbie cow-girl débarque dans sa vie et lui fasse ressentir des sentiments qu’il croyait ne plus jamais éprouver.

Ce deuxième tome de la série A little secret peut se lire sans avoir lu le premier, même si on retrouve Ethan et Cassie, les héros de Le secret d’une passion. L’auteur nous offre ici deux personnages blessés par la vie et qui ont tenté tant bien que mal de continuer à vivre après les épreuves qu’ils ont connues. Mais si Riley a choisi de se battre pour offrir à ses filles un foyer, quitte à s’imposer chez le rancher, Quinton, qui a tout perdu, s’est contenté de continuer à vivre en travaillant durement sans vraiment profiter de la vie. Ces deux êtres se trouvent et se tournent autour de façon involontaire, au début, jusqu’à ce qu’ils comprennent que ce qui les pousse l’un vers l’autre ressemble bien à du désir et peut-être aussi à de l’affection. Peut-être le signe qu’ils sont enfin prêts à goûter de nouveau au bonheur. Nous avons ici une histoire sympathique, qui le temps d’un après-midi, nous permet de nous évader avec Riley et Quinton au ranch d’Echo Springs. On sourit en voyant l'énergie dépensée par Riley pour gérer le ranch, ses filles et ses sentiments pour Quinton. Les femmes super-héros ça existe ! Et face à elles, les hommes comme Quinton (virils, sûr d'eux et de leur grande force à gérer les catastrophes et petits détails de la vie) se demandent comment il se fait que des petits bouts de femme occupent constamment leur esprit. Ça messieurs, c'est l'un de leurs nombreux pouvoirs !

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. I liked the way that Riley was able to use her experience to get the job, even though the way she did it may not have been the best. She did a great job though, and showed Quintin that she was fully able to do the work. Quintin was trying to get his ranch started on a tight deadline, and Riley was a distraction he didn't want. But it didn't take long for her to make him start to feel things he hadn't felt in a long time.

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Home on the Ranch

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Home on the Ranch