I received this book in exchange for an honest review: I'm so happy that Janet Scarbrough decided to put a street team together as I had never read any of her books. I have to say I have been missing out on some very talented writing.
Her novel had a female character "Regina Ward" who was strong willed, although broken in many ways emotionally by growing up with a father who was at times; a drunk that gambled often to the misfortune of his family. I could name that tune I grew up like that. She manages to keep the family farm together while living with her Grandmother who died and left her the farm. Reggies father gambles away four of the yearling horses from their Kentucky horse farm in a poker game and Reggie knows it is up to her to save the farm. Months earlier she had been in the company of Parker Stuart, who was in charge of his Fathers racing empire, and after a few days she was involved with Parker and she realized her heart was about to be broken once again by another man and she up and left without a note.
Parker appears at her Grandmothers Farm to pick out the horses that his Father won in a poker game, and he wants to even the score with Reggie. He doesn't have a clue as to why this woman just up and left him without a word, that doesn't usually happen in his world, he usually has to get rid of them. He finds that on the farm she is the one who gets up with the sun and works as a man would all day long, mucking out stalls, working with the horses right aside the one caretaker of the farm that there is, basically when it comes to the help she is it. This isn't anything like Parker is used to. He hasn't seen anyone who has to work so hard every day to make the farm run and to keep the horses in good shape to train them for racing...she certainly wasn't born with the silver spoon in her mouth that he had!
Her character is gritty hard working, full of heart and very believable I love to read books that have strong female characters. The story line is full of drama, struggles between the characters, very real emotions with great depth in the characters. This book was a fast read for me I was so drawn to it I found myself up half the night finishing it on my kindle as i wanted to find out how the story wrapped up. The author had some surprises in the book that I didn't see coming which are always added fun to the reading!
Here is the description of the book as found on Good Reads:
No one crosses Parker Stuart, caretaker to his family’s thoroughbred racing empire. Parker retaliates against anyone who dares slight him or his blue-blooded British family, especially Regina Ward and her poker-playing father. The previous spring, Reggie had had the nerve to walk out on him after a torrid, three-week affair. Now, when Parker arrives in Kentucky to collect his family’s winnings, he’s determined to settle the score with the lovely Ms. Ward.
Regina Ward doesn't consider herself a damsel in distress. After all, this is America, and she’s accustomed to depending upon herself. However, when her father loses four of the yearlings from their central Kentucky horse farm in a poker game, Reggie knows it’s up to her to save what’s left of her family’s homestead and her proud Kentucky heritage. Can she do it when Parker Stuart, the most arrogant and infuriating Brit she’s ever met, shows up in the Bluegrass?
