1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Uninspired cowboy romance..., February 13, 2011
This review is from: Second Chances (Paperback)
Zan Walters leaves Fort Worth and a failed relationship behind when she moves to tiny Paintbrush, Wyoming. As soon as she arrives in town she stops for a bite at the local diner, where a good-looking but boorish man named Dale Holstrom makes a clumsy pass at her. When Zan rebuffs Dale's advances he becomes enraged and causes a scene. On her way out of the diner Zan passes a handsome cowboy and he piques her interest. Paintbrush being a small town, it's not long before Zan and the cowboy, Jacob Bowman, meet again and a romance gets underway. But wait! Did you forget about Dale, Paintbrush's resident sociopath? Or is it psychopath? (I'm always mixing those up). Anyway, Dale is a certified nut case and will stop at nothing to get even with Zan for embarrassing him. Can Jacob save Zan? Can Zan walk and chew gum at the same time? Do I really care about these idiotic characters?
The answer to that last question is NO. This story just did not work for me on any level, and I'll try to explain why. Might be some spoilers ahead:
*The whole premise is shaky. Zan leaves behind her family and friends to move to an itty bitty little town two hours away from where her aunt lives. But not to worry, in less than two weeks she's found a job that she loves (and has no qualifications for) and made friends with the waitress at the diner.
*These characters have almost cartoon-like reactions to every situation; they are literally walking, talking clichés. For instance, after the first time Zan lays eyes on Jacob he "haunts her dreams". This phrase is used at least three times in the story. When Zan is angry or turned on "her cheeks turn red" - this description is repeated over and over again. Scared? - she shivers. Said something by mistake? - she slaps her hand over her mouth.
*Characters are stereotypes. Now how do we know that Zan's ex-fiancé is a jerk? Why he has a fake tan and has (horrors!) had cosmetic surgery, of course. Jacob's ex? Provocative clothes and too much make-up. You get the picture - woefully underdeveloped characters.
*The first love scene. They say you always remember your first time, but Zan might not since she had a concussion. That's right, the morning after a car wreck has left her with a mild concussion she enjoys a day of hot cowboy lovin' with Jacob. Now if you've ever had the misfortune of experiencing a concussion, you'll know that the only thing you really desire is a couple of aspirin. Not our Zan, though. Nope. No aspirin, no shower, no toothbrush. Atta girl!
*Everything is told rather than shown.
*Finally, the cardinal sin. Jacob believes that he's not good enough for Zan so he decides to push her away by pretending that he never cared for her. He is cruel to her (for her own good, of course). This is the cheesiest plot device in romancelandia and I absolutely hate it.
I could go on (and on), but this review will end up being longer than the book. Top all of the above with a clunky, awkward writing style and some slipshod editing and you've got yourself one tedious read. I'm trying to think of one positive thing to say and all I can come up with is that I did try another book by this author that I really liked and would certainly recommend over this one:
The Cowboy Plan
Occasional strong language and mild/moderate sexual content.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Second Chances, November 4, 2009
Zan Walters wanted a new chance at life. Since she didn't think she could make it happen in Texas smothered by the past, she decided to make her home in Wyoming. She wouldn't be completely alone because her aunt Bonnie also had made her home there. Zan was meeting new people and truly enjoying her new home in Paintbrush until a man in the local diner starting hitting on her and wouldn't take no for an answer. She didn't mean to belittle the man known as Dale Holstrom, but didn't feel she had any alternative. After the confrontation, she tried to make a hasty exit, but ran straight into the sexiest man she had ever seen.
The woman that had literally run into him, intrigued Jacob Bowman. He had never felt such a powerful attraction to a woman before, and was determined to see where it led them. Since being burned by his last relationship, her hold on him made him uncomfortable on many levels, but he couldn't let her go either. He did fear for Zan's safety because he knew what a powerful enemy Dale could be. He knew from personal experience that Dale wouldn't forget being humiliated, and by a woman no less. When Zan started having a string of bad luck, Jacob knew that Dale was behind it, but hoped he could keep his new love safe until he was caught.
Jacob and Zan were just coasting thru life until they met, and then the pieces started falling into place when they came together. Both knew they were meant for each other, but fought against fate. Strong characters in a sweet love story make this a good read.
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