To be completely honest, if it wasn't for hearing the author read an excerpt from this book at the 2014 GRL retreat, I probably would have never read it. The blurb seems to imply GFY and while I don't avoid those stories completely, neither do I seek them out. Fortunately, I attended the reading and it was so good I decided to take a chance, and boy am I glad. This book wasn't perfect, but it came pretty damn close. I hate to rehash the plot in reviews or give away spoilers, so I'll just say that the author resolved all of my initial concerns and made me fall in love with all of the characters, not just Wesley and Travis. This story brought tears to my eyes over and over again, both happy and sad, and I loved every minute. At the end I really wished I could go to El Do and meet everyone in the book, and that's not something I say often. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys an emotional, angsty, family-oriented love story.ETA: I also have to express my appreciation for the gorgeous cover. The characters in this book are not "perfect" physically and I imagine it would be difficult to find stock photos to represent them. There's nothing I hate more than having cover models that don't fit the description in the book, so I'm thrilled that the author and publisher did not try to make a square peg fit into a round hole here and just gave us the very beautiful image. Love it! I really enjoyed this quiet, sweet romance between a somewhat flamboyant vet and the bear of a rancher he meets and falls in love with. Wes, the vet, is a really sweet, gentle guy who moves to this very small town. He meets Travis Bennett, a father of three and a widower, and the story moves on from there. The romance between these two is slow to develop, but it fits the overall feel of the book. There's little to no sex scenes, which was ok since I was so engrossed in their developing relationship and the affect it had on Travis' family and friends. I also really enjoyed the interactions between the townspeople, but I totally loved the kids. They just about stole the show. Overall, I really enjoyed this sweet, romantic story and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
