Review Val’s Rancher by Debra Kayn
Val McDougal knows all about heartbreak. First, the love of her life, Sam Turner, left to join the rodeo circuit two years ago. Now she faces a new kind of pain—her beloved father is dying. The last thing she needs is Sam’s unexpected return to Pike, Montana, to take over his family’s ranch, stirring up desires Val doesn’t think she can handle.
Sam knows he made the biggest mistake of his life when he broke things off with Val. He’s determined to win her back, this time for good. But despite the sizzling heat between them, Val keeps pulling away. He has to convince her to trust him—and her own heart—again, especially as the time draws near when she’ll need him the most…
What could possibly be better than a second chance romance tale, including Cowboys, and horses, and including the impending death of a family member to force two people together? Its awesome, when it works, but when its bad, its not going to pretty, its going to be a train wreck. Luckily Val’s Rancher was pretty sweet, even given some weak moments, and some boring places.
What is the common thread in Val’s Rancher, its second chances. Its Val’s chance to make nice with her father, and its Sam’s chance to reconnect with Val after leaving her for the rodeo. Their romance was cute while it was entirely predictable and boring. The problem I had with it was the fact that there was no chemistry between Val and Sam. As characters, I didn’t connect with either one of them, and I didn’t sense any true connection or affection between either of them. When I can’t connect with the characters, when I can’t find a piece of them to internalize, then I can’t honestly connect to the novel and I end up reading it at a distance, which means I will never enjoy the book as much as I could have.
I felt like Sam was one dimensional and flat. Val was overly emotional and somewhat annoying. They weren’t good together, and frankly I didn’t care whether or not they ended up together either.
Overall Rating: C-
