Kate Palmer

Possible Spoilers included:

This novel has underpinings of the Cinderella fairy tale put into a contemporary ranch setting. Ella has the requisite evil stepmother and a stepsister.

My guess is the "glass slipper" is inheriting the family ranch, something Ella can only do if she completes her master's degree. And of course, with any fairy tale, you expect a "happily ever after".

There are many things that don't make sense to me in this novel, though. If the ranch is in trust, how can Lucinda Fairfax be making all these decisions about the ranch, including offering to sell it? There does seem to be a male trustee--so is he not doing his job to protect Ella's trust? That question is never answered or addressed. Was Lucinda hoping that she'd get money for the ranch from the Dukes and then leave them to find they'd been swindled? Or was she counting on being able to thwart Ella's degree and void the terms of the will?

Also never addressed is whether Anita knew what her mother was doing. Even if she didn't, shouldn't she have suspected that all of her fathers/step-fathers died within a few months of taking out insurance policies from her with Lucinda as the beneficiary? If the intent was that Anita wasn't part of the scam, I'm not sure I buy it. Especially since Lucinda was trying to set Anita up with Jonas/Stone.

I loved the characters of Hank and Susie. I'm glad Susie was willing to speak truth to Stone about Lucinda and Ella. I'm also glad Stone's own family was willing to see Ella's side and not just condemn her for lying to him. Instead, they encouraged Stone to go talk to her.

I wasn't prepared for what Lucinda had done. I knew she didn't like Ella and was working against her inheritance, but I didn't recognize a bigger conspiracy until it was revealed to Ella.

The novel also reminded me a bit of O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" in that Ella was wiling to give up the ranch to Stone and his family because she loved him and felt bad that he thought she'd misled him just to be able to inherit it, and in that Stone was willing to give up the ranch Lucinda had promised him because it belonged to the woman he loves.

But the reason I gave it 3 stars instead of more is that their relationship started with deceit on both sides of it. Neither was telling the other who they really were. Stone was somewhat honest in why he was there even though he didn't reveal his full name. Ella was only partially honest in why she was there. She lied by omission in not saying her final project for her master's was so that she could inherit the very land they were on. Now, I could excuse them not using their real names had they not been pursuing a romantic relationship with each other, but having so much deceit starting out is a bad way to start a romantic relationship that will last in my opinion.… (lisätietoja)

Jayne is a small town girl with a big idea. She wants to turn her parnet's ranch into a restaurant and lodge. So after college, that is her plan. But along the the way she hits a big bump in her road that she has planned out. Now her road has a fork in it. Which lane will she choose?

Forrest has big dreams. He want to travel the world and help out other countries that are in need before he settles down. Then he meets the woman of his dreams. Now he is second guessing all of the plans he has made before he met her. Will he put his dreams on hold for the woman of his dreams? Will he continue with them and hope that she will understand and wait for him?

This is my first time reading anything by this author. It was good. The flow of the story was good. The characters blend well together. Even though his book is not one that would normally read, it was still good. I recommend this book to others who are into clean and wholesome type of books.… (lisätietoja)

STORY-LINE A WOLFISH DILEMMA BY KATE PALMER:

Ruby Riding meets a handsome strong man, Rolf Lowell, on the way to her granny. Ruby Riding's attracted and feels a tingle. What is it about this man? Is there more to him than meets the eye? As Ruby Riding's granny lay dying, she warned Ruby not to sell her land to the stranger; he's a wolf in sheep's clothing. When Cliff Duke, representing Duke Agricultural Land Trust comes calling, Ruby gives him short riff; stating her grandmother had changed her mind about selling the land. Cliff tries to explain the Trust is not buying the land, but Ruby can only hear her granny saying: don't sell to the stranger, he's a wolf in sheep's clothing.

However, Cliff has her grandmother's signature on the dotted line and he's going to shadow her for three months. Cliff tries to figure out Ruby's book-keeping system of sales, producers, and buyers. However, like Ruby, her systems very different and imaginative. Ruby's a free spirit, full of life and happiness; no time schedules, no restrictions, playing games with the employees at work. Cliff's determined to take Ruby in hand and change her ways. Cliff's a buttoned down, hard-working, organized person, who likes schedules and organization. Ruby thinks he needs to relax and enjoy life.

A different take on Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, Kate Palmer created a wonderful romance. However, Cliff and Ruby are bound to butt heads. What will be the outcome between Cliff, Ruby, and Rolf? Who's foe and who's friend? My romance book reviews of A Wolfish Dilemma follows.

CHARACTERS, PLOTTING, DEVELOPMENT:

What a sweet clean romance in A Wolfish Dilemma; with Ruby Riding, Rolf Lowell, and Cliff Duke having starring roles. I'll let you guess which man portrays the wolf's characteristics, or better yet, read this sweet book. Palmer's characterization of Ruby's endearing. A woman who's different; she believes in taking life has it comes, fairness, goodness, and happiness. Although at times I became a little frustrated with Ruby; especially when she refused to see the Big Bad Wolf's intentions and character clearly. I loved her personality; she's the backbone spirit of her granny's farm and this community. Artistic and talented in singing, writing songs, bringing people together, and caring for everyone, Ruby seems to romp through the day. However, there's much more to Ruby.

Adding in Preston, Cliff's son, was a wonderful touch. Preston added depth and another dimension to the story line. One man's a wolf in sheep's clothing; sly, crooked, mean, and a con man. The other's rock solid, loving, and doing his best to protect Ruby and the farm. Without giving spoilers, I will not identify who is who, but let you read the book for yourself. Ruby has two men vying for her attention; one creates sparks and dazzle, the other seems natural and comfortable. Who will Ruby choose?

With several plots lines, Palmer brought them all together to create a solid sweet clean romance. She also added in humor to A Wolfish Dilemma; I laughed at Cliff; he's amazed by Ruby's antics and work ethic. Ruby, in turn, calls him Mr. Clipboard; he always has a clipboard and he's uptight, on a schedule, no chaos for him. I found Palmer's writing easy to read and her characters well-developed. Palmer's scenes transitioned smoothly and her writing flows well. You also get to see characters from book 1; I love stories with continuing characters. With a story line's which is heart warming and entertaining, this book's perfect for a lazy afternoon reading session. I loved this book. Suitable for anyone who loves a light clean sweet romance, I would not hesitate to buy this book for myself or a friend.

A WOLFISH DILEMMA RECOMMENDATION: STARS

FINALLY, PLEASE NOTE

Additionally, I received this book from the author and chose to voluntarily review the book with honest romance western book reviews. Lastly, book reviews of any novel are dependent on the book review author’s opinion. Consequently, all book reviews on-line and on my blog, are my opinions. In addition, the ARC did not affect my voluntary romance bookl reviews.… (lisätietoja)