This RITA® Reader Challenge 2017 review was written by Iby. This story was nominated for the RITA® in the Mid-Length Contemporary category.

Here is Iby's review:

I selected this book to expand my literary repertoire – I am admittedly not the target audience for a contemporary set on a ranch in Texas. However, the premise seemed interesting, and it stands alone, even as part of a series. But I had so many issues with this book that, despite the interesting set-up, I spent most of my time with this story shaking my head and muttering in irritation.

The premise:

First we are introduced to a high-powered workaholic heroine, Jubilee Hamilton, who has recently been dumped by her boyfriend of three years, and who has now lost three campaigns as a political campaign manager in Washington, D.C. I normally love a motivated and ambitious heroine, but she loses major points in the first chapter when she discloses that she is giving up her career and that she was not remotely kind while working, forgetting the date of her boyfriend’s birthday after three years together and skipping her sister’s wedding to work.

Her ex-boyfriend, who also lived with her, had taken care of everything around the house, and so she is sitting in her apartment with the electricity cut off because she didn’t remember to pay the bills after her boyfriend left. When she opens her mail, she learns that she has inherited property in Texas. She moves and meets our hero, Charley Collins. He is a part-time bartender/farm worker, hustling to provide a good life for his five-year-old daughter. He has made some mistakes, including getting disowned by his father for sleeping with his stepmother, but he is trying to make it work. They meet, Jubilee gets good vibes, and she decides to put all of her inheritance and savings into Charley’s hands by hiring him to make her ranch a success.

We also get two other secondary characters who share their views throughout the story – Thatcher Jones, a precocious 14 year old boy with an oh-shucks attitude who is abandoned by his mother and is raising himself, and Lauren Brigman, the sheriff’s daughter who, the reader is to understand, is ‘not like those other girls.’ There is a murder mystery, a mission to make the ranch profitable, a slow-burning romance between the two main characters, and lots of other things going on with this plot.

Despite the somewhat interesting plot and larger-than-life character backstories (is there no Child Protective Services in Texas? Does no one in town care that a 14 year old boy is fending for himself, not attending school and illegally driving a car?), there are issues that I just could not set aside.

1. Jubilee’s character change: does losing three elections in a row really mean that you are unable to work in D.C. politics anymore? Some of these elections must be local and not highly publicized, as she is in her late 20s. Do you restart your career and give up your dreams because of a few losses? Then, Jubilee arrives at this dilapidated ranch and flails, while simultaneously throwing herself a pity party. She impulsively hires the hero because she thinks he might be a good person, and does not once ask if he is qualified.

Later, her sister, Destiny, moves in uninvited with her twin babies and is a complete brat, threatening to sue if Jubilee does not give her half of the ranch – and Jubilee just lets it happen. I wanted Jubilee to show some sign of her formidable career-oriented self, and was sorely disappointed.

2. How other women are depicted: Charley’s stepmother is a seducer. Jubilee’s sister, Destiny, is a terrible stereotype of a reality show wife, and is looked down on because her husband does everything for her. Jubilee’s mother is a nag. Lauren’s roommate is self-absorbed and dates the wrong men, who sometimes beat her or cheat on her. Charley’s ex trapped him with marriage and pregnancy, then deserted him and her child. There are two women in the town who are viewed as feeble-minded and nosy. The sheriff’s ex-wife is an unfeeling, terrible mother.

Why is there not a single great female character in this book outside of the two primary characters????

And then, there is just the casual hatred and shaming of the “wrong kind” of women (articulated below with this quote from a minor character):

“Morning, Lauren. Good to see you’re home for spring break and not running around in a bikini down on the coast. There is no telling what college girls pick up in the sand.”

I’ve been to the beach before as a college student – I will spoil it for the Smart Bitches reading this review. If you are sitting on a sandy beach in a bikini, you will probably get sand in your bikini, not an STI.

Here is another WTF example of gross thoughts about women. Charley thinks this of Jubilee’s sister, Destiny:

“Charley wondered why he ever thought Destiny was pretty without her makeup. From what he could tell by the clinging silk robe, a few pounds had joined the wrinkles crawling up on her while she slept.”

I don’t know about you all, but I cannot handle these inner thoughts from my “hero.”

3. The romance: somehow, Charley becomes the unofficial boss, making all decisions, overruling and dismissing Jubilee, even though she owns the ranch. Jubilee is relegated to helping out, planting her small, unprofitable garden and running errands, while Charley, as the man, solves problems and makes profits. Usually, there is character growth in a romance – however, Charley develops into a dictatorial, conniving prick.

Does no one acknowledge that he is an employee, and is earning a salary from his boss, Jubilee, which means he should listen to her about her own property and business? Apparently not, as Charley continues his misogynistic, overbearing downward spiral.

After Jubilee helps Charley with the birth of a new pony, he dismisses her ideas:

“Charley had called the horse Last Chance and she called the tiny colt Baby, which Charley swore she’d have to change.”

At one point, Charley calls Destiny’s (Jubilee’s sister’s) husband to get him to come collect his wife. He tells the husband that he is sending a shipment of cattle, because:

“…if I have to take care of your wife and sons, I figured it only fair that you take care of my cattle.”

When the husband protests and threatens to sue, Charley says:

“I didn’t sue you or call the police when you sent me Destiny and the twins.”

This is a whole new level of WTF. You were not sent women to take care of. A woman visits her sister, on the property that her sister owns, that has been in her family for at least several generations. She is not livestock. You cannot call her husband and demand that he come and collect his property, like she is some kind of runaway pet. Additionally, Charley – you are the hired help.

And then? NO ONE CHECKS HIM. The sister leaves, Jubilee is grateful… I was just done.

Between Jubilee’s disappointing character development, the awful depiction of all other women in this book and the creepy relationship between the hero and heroine, I cannot recommend this book to anyone.