Rescuing the Rancher

Hatfield’s heartfelt second Summer Creek romance (after Catching the Cowboy) pairs a small-town widow with a big-city lawyer. Attorney Nathaniel Knight leaves Portland for Summer Creek, Ore., to help family friend Emery Brighton, the heroine of book one, with her work at the Summer Creek Historical Society. There he meets and promptly gets on the nerves of Jossy Jansen, Emery’s fiancé’s sister, who distrusts his glossy good looks and flawless self presentation. Still, when Jossy receives a letter from a law firm representing a man claiming to be her abusive late husband’s son, she turns to Nathaniel for legal advice to prevent the claimant from taking her ranch. As the pair spend more time together, their mutual attraction builds and Jossy opens up about her difficult marriage. Though Jossy is wary of marrying again, there’s no denying her connection to Nathaniel, who remains hopeful for a future together. Hatfield keeps her believably imperfect characters at the heart of this novel, showing their evolution as they face life’s trials and discover love. Readers looking for sweet, chaste romance set in a rural idyll will be well satisfied. (Self-published)