Eileen Aberman-Wells
The Rancher's Forgotten Rival is the first book in Maisey Yates's The Carsons of Lone Rock series, which introduces some wonderful characters, hopefully to fall in love with as the series progresses. With two families having a feud that goes back a couple of generations, of course, an attraction was bound to happen. When Chance falls off his horse, Juniper finds him knocked out not knowing who he is, as he’s suffering amnesia, she decides to tell him that he works for her. Spending time working together and the close proximity to Juniper brought out all the sparks, igniting a flame of desire between them. Once his amnesia is gone and Chance returns to his true self, he and Juniper begin arguing; reminiscent of the fine line between hate and love. Before Chance and Juniper can have a future together, there must be a truce between the families; one Chance is really to initiate. As much as I enjoyed this story, I struggled in the beginning to connect with Juniper; feeling that the decisions she made seemed more self-serving and heartless, perpetuating their feud. As the story, and their relationship, progressed, providing background history for Juniper, I understood her and her actions better. Ms. Yates wrote a wonderful, intense, emotional and steamy story that should not be missed. She provided a tale rich with soul-searching, angst, characters whose personal stories will tug at your heartstrings, sizzling chemistry, and an amazing cast of secondary characters as Chance and Juniper find their happily ever after. I highly recommend The Rancher's Forgotten Rival to other readers. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Viper Spaulding
I loved this amazing romance! It's been a long time since I've read an enemies-to-lovers story as hot as this one! Whew! Chance and Juniper lit up this story with their passionate encounters, while underneath all the steam they were both decent, family-focused people who had to prioritize their complicated family history with the current state of affairs. EMT Juniper happens upon an unconscious Chance, and as he comes to she realizes that he doesn't recognize her nor remember his own name. Her motivations for letting him gradually regain his memory without telling him everything she knows about him were a complicated mess of self-serving revenge and benevolent compassion for his recovery. But when he finally remembers, that's when the story really takes off! I loved how the amnesia story wasn't dragged out beyond its usefulness, and how it was used to get them to see a different side of each other. From there, they both had some hard truths to face and I really admired how Chance rose to the challenge and confronted the issues lying between them. A girl really can't help falling in love with a guy who takes such an amazing approach to solving the generational conflict they'd both been raised in. As the first of a new series, we're introduced to (almost) the entire Carson family, with their own history of triumphs and tragedies. I've always loved every book I've read by this author, and I'm looking forward to seeing what she has in mind for this family. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.