The Rancher's Wager

September 14, 2020
A professional rivalry turns to passion in the steamy but simplistic second Gold Valley Vineyards romance from Yates (after Rancher’s Wild Secret). Though snooty Wren Maxfield of Maxfield Vineyards and cocky Creed Cooper of Cowboy Wines share a blistering attraction, they can’t be in the same room without arguing. But if they want to turn Logan County into a wine trail destination, they’ll have to collaborate—and their first planning session devolves into scorching hot hate-sex. Wren is struggling with the recent revelation that her controlling father is a sexual predator and trying to understand who she might be outside of his influence. Meanwhile, Creed is haunted by a trauma from his teen years: he got a girl pregnant and she completely shut him out of the child’s life. So when Wren discovers she’s pregnant, Creed is determined to make good and demands that they get married. It’s a classic setup, and though Yates gestures at updating the premise’s outmoded sexual politics, it still feels dated. While Wren worries about going from her father’s house to her husband’s house without ever striving for independence, this concern is glossed over in the rote happy ending. The palpable desire between the characters will satisfy series fans, but many readers will long for more substance.

November 1, 2020
Yates' fun holiday romance hits the right trope notes with a sexy enemies-to-lovers story. Wren argues often with Creed when they're thrown together, but when their competing wineries partner for some large events, she can't stop thinking about him. She also begins to wonder what choices she would have made for her life had her domineering father not chosen her career. Creed is struggling emotionally over becoming a father in his teens, but not being able to be a part of his son's life, even though he sees him in town. When Wren becomes pregnant after a steamy encounter with Creed, he insists on marriage. Once Wren learns about his past, she becomes determined to make things work for the man she has fallen in love with as well as for their child. The anguish of birth fathers is not often featured in fiction, let alone romance, and rarely with Yates' thoughtfulness and skill. Both Wren and Creed shine, and readers may want to start with Rancher's Wild Secret (2019), the first in the Gold Valley Vineyards series.

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