To Love and to Cherish

In Greenwood’s sketchy second Cactus Creek historical western (after To Have and to Hold), inexplicably virginal widow Laurie Spencer is thrilled at the death of her husband of four years. Her parents forced her to marry Mr. Spencer when she was 17 years old, and now she wants independence. But the will says her brother-in-law, a stingy banker, must manage Laurie’s inheritance money, and he barely gives her enough to live on. Jared Smith, an Army vet and rancher, came to Arizona Territory looking for his brothers, who were adopted by different families after their parents were killed. He’s refused a loan from the banker and doesn’t know where he’ll get the money to buy a herd of cattle. Laurie seizes the opportunity to trade some secret funds and cooking and cleaning services for half ownership of Jared’s ranch. The attraction between Laurie and Jared is immediate. Laurie has vowed that she’ll never wed again, but Jared’s happy to seduce her while he contemplates marrying another. Unbelievable situations and behavior make this book an easy one to put down. [em]Agent: Natasha Kern, Natasha Kern Literary Agency. (Nov.) [/em]