GRR Reviews The Christmas Princess by Patricia McLinn

April's fiancee's mother just kicked her out so her spine-less (now ex-) fiancee can take back the woman she approves. While April has a lot of friends, she doesn't want to depend on them, even with Christmas fast approaching. So when State Department Security Agent Hunter approached her with an extraordinary offer, she was in no position to refuse... Spend a month in Washington DC with King Jozef of Bariavak, because April very much resembles his long-lost granddaughter. April very much enjoys spending time with Hunter, but Hunter has his own secrets and links with Bariavak... And King Jozef is happy to do a little royal matchmaking...

Not quite a comedy as advertised, as Hunter is basically your almost-cliche "strong silent type", being basically a bodyguard, but with a bit more depth to him than you'd expect, and April... her pride was ALMOST her downfall. Still, the characters are nicely nuanced and have character arcs, and the mystery about who is the princess... Will continue. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Wedding of the Century by Patricia McLinn

Annette once vowed never to return to her small town, after she ran away from her dream wedding... which is AFTER a very pregnant girl showed up claiming the baby was fathered by her betrothed, Steve, and he didn't refute it. So she left and started her own life. Seven years later, she had to return when her brother broke his wrist and can no longer work as a contractor for weeks. Her ex-betrothed is now a single father, and it's clear there still are feelings that remained. And perhaps, she may even gather enough courage to ask... Why did Steve betray her? And the answer will shock her to her core...

Wow, the twists are shocking, and a bit soap-opera worthy, but everything makes sense. 5/5

GRR Reviews Wyoming Wildflowers: The Beginning by Patricia McLinn

Donna is a dancer with a touring dance company, in competition for a starring role. Ed just wanted to ranch. Yet when her dance company came to town, and they found each other, it was intense. But she's leaving, and he had to stay. How can this relationship ever work?

A relatively short prequel, there's a few "I'll hurt you because I love you" moments that are slightly cringe-y, but the choice between responsibilities, goals, and love, is presented nicely.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Almost a Bride (Wyoming Wildflowers Bo by Patricia McLinn

Almost a Bride is a novel about family tradition, unquestioning friendship, and affection to love, presented in a Wyoming ranch way by using an old trope: a marriage of convenience.

Matty Brennan is back in Wyoming and she's desperately trying to save her family ranch. She will do anything... including asking Dave Currick to marry her, even though he broke her heart six years ago... just so she can get an address change, and use that to apply for a water grant to save her ranch. And yes, it will be a loveless marriage of convenience, including the full prenup. But Dave had never said no to Matty... even though it was Matty that refused help. Dave accepts that this is a loveless marriage, but when "You may kiss the bride" was ordered... He made sure he put his heart into it... now if only Matty will reciprocate...

The problem with this book is a frequent problem with romance... The characters are supposed to be adults, but their thought processes seem to be still be randy teenagers. One look from him and her heart stuttered and her tongue refused to form words. One look from her and his... blood went southward. You get the idea. On the other hand, the other push-pull between the characters, such as teasing banter and the indignation that followed were fun to read. Overall, I guess I liked the book enough.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Girl will do ANYTHING to save her family ranch... Including a marriage of convenience to the guy who broke her heart 6 years ago

Tropes: return, friends to lovers, ranch, marriage of convenience

Overall Rating: 4/5 (rounded up from 3.5/5)

GRR Review A Stranger in the Family (Bardville, Wyo by Patricia McLinn

Patricia McLinn's tale "A Stranger In the Family" is a family drama more than a romance, and that lent it a lot more emotional depth than one may suspect.

Brodie found out he has a 17 year old son he never knew... and the son was adopted by a family in Wyoming. Brodie, now reasonably wealthy, decided to live on the guest ranch and get to know his son... without revealing himself...  And fell in love with his son's adopted big sister, Cambria... Can he reveal the truth and risk losing them both?

By combining "enemies into lovers" with "undercover/hidden identity" and add on top of that a Wyoming ranch and adoption, the author has produced some emotionally complex characters. Brodie, the MMC had to deal with the risk of driving his son away, and his love for Cambria and the entire family, but his attempt to help (with money and time) often have some... side effects. Cambria had to deal with residual anger toward her birth mother, her view of Brodie as a potential troublemaker for the family, small town gossip, and her growing attraction to Brodie. And what happens when the disguise was revealed?


Category:  Contemporary Western

Primary Plot: Man goes in disguise on a guest farm to know the son he didn't know he had... and fall in love with his son's adopted big sister

Tropes: secret baby, sudden family, enemies to lovers, disguise

Overall Rating:  4/5  (rounded up from 3.5/5)

GRR Review: Lost and Found Groom by Patricia McLinn

Lost and Found Groom by Patricia McLinn has an interesting meetcute, but the rest of the romance is quite forced, and the grand gesture wasn't even a grand-gesture, and the final admission was a trope.

Dedicated journalist Kendra Jenner was in search of a story that landed her in Santa Estella looking for an anonymous humanitarian who shipped in food and stuff for the poorest children when a vicious hurricane stranded her away from any help. A stranger who called himself Paolo Ayudor saved her. The danger and fear of survival lead to passion, and only after Paolo delivered her to the embassy and disappeared did she find she was pregnant. She put her reporter career on hold and retired to her home in a small town in Wyoming to raise her son, whom she named Matthew. Three years later, a stranger came into the small town asking for her by name... the man had Paolo's voice, but called himself Daniel Deligetti. He claimed to be working for a certain unnamed agency in Santa Estella at the time under an assumed name. He wanted to be Matthew's father... If Kendra will let him. Kendra, still in shock of the betrayal, tried everything to drive him away, esp. after she learned that his primary skill is piloting which only triggered her own nightmares about her father's plane crash and demise. But Kendra cannot deny that Daniel may be the only one who can heal her broken heart, if she will only give him a chance.

FMC was almost manic in her fears that Daniel will die. Her initial resistance to Daniel makes sense... she had been lied to multiple times. But once she worked her way past that, her fear of Daniel in danger is irrational, even with her own father's death as a reason, because he already performed the grand gesture... He is willing to give up his career to stay in town. So what prompted Kendra to finally give in and admit she's in love? Daniel putting himself in danger on a mission. Emotional, yes. A bit melodramatic? Uh... yeah.  Daniel... seems to have patience of a Buddha, but otherwise, pretty bland guy.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman found the man who got her pregnant is now back after three years with a different name and determined to love her despite all she could to drive him away

Overall rating: 3/5