GRR Reviews Tanner: A Western Cowboy Romance Nov by Sarah Mayberry

Tanner is an interesting "triangle" contemporary western romance featuring alpha cowboy protecting a poor naive foreign girl.

Evie Forrester depleted her savings and flew from Australia up to Texas hoping to surprise the bullrider cowboy sorta-boyfriend she had admired since young and had actually bedded once. Unfortunately, she spotted him fondling a buckle bunny and realized she made a terrible mistake. She also met Tanner, a fellow competing cowboy, who realized she was tricked into staying at a seedy motel with not even a locking door and decided to rescue her, not taking no for an answer, but no intention to bed her. When Tanner is faced with a potentially career-ending injury, Evie stepped in, intending to help Tanner just like he had helped her at her lowest... But she's due to go back soon...

There is some serious angst there, but is Evie's affection gratitude, or love? Is Tanner's rescue true altruism or helping out a fellow cowboy? Can they ever admit they love each other? Nice rounded characters, but this injury/care trope is a trope for a reason.

Category: Contemporary Western

Primary Plot: Cowboy rescued girl who was very much destroyed by revelation that "her" cowboy doesn't love her; can they love instead?

Tropes: jilted, protector, cowboy, triangle, woman in peril, hurt/comfort

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Make-Believe Wedding (The Great Wedding Giveaway) by Sarah Mayberry

Make Believe Wedding is about consequences, secret pining, and a guy that's just too nice to be true.

Andie Bennett had been pining after Heath McGregor for a very long time, but Heath is her brother's best friend, and also her boss. Heath only saw her as the tagalong little sister and an electrician under his employment, not a potential romantic partner. After attending yet another wedding, Andie gotten drunk and apparently filled out a ticket for the great Wedding Giveaway of Marietta (MT) where she put down Heath's name as if they were engaged! She thought she tossed the ticket... Except... She won!?!?! Heath, being the great guy he was, suggested that perhaps he and Andie can get engaged for real, and break up later. Just to save her face. Except... pretend engagement and marriage often ended up turning real indeed...

I have no problem with the secret pining, but NOT getting engaged is going to humiliate Andie, which was why Heath decided to help her out by getting engaged? That really makes no sense. And like SEALs romance, Marietta, MT is apparently the fictional romance capital in the US where people go get hitched or something. The romantic push-pull is fine. I just wish the motivation would make a little more sense! Heath was just "too nice"!

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Guy comes to rescue of woman who needed a fiancee after accidentally winning a dream wedding (she wanted him all along)

Tropes: fake engagement, unrequited love, brother's best friend

Overall Rating:  3/5