Singles week at a Wyoming dude ranch sounds like fun for the happy-go-lucky visitors. For Shelby and her young daughter Lizzie from Boston however, Mustang Ridge ranch is a place to stay and work for the summer. Taking over as temporary cook is something Shelby can cope with, but pushy dudes, a horse-hungry little girl and quietly competent wranglers could add up to a complicated few months ahead of her.

In SUMMER AT MUSTANG RIDGE the ranch staff concur that if the dudes are being shown the family-friendly version of cattle ranching, that's what it takes to bring in cash. Young Lizzie has difficulty communicating, and Shelby hopes that their new life will help her. Foster, the head wrangler, offers Shelby, who's done English-style riding, a quiet horse to ride too, and over a bonfire she gets to know the guests and staff. With a newborn foal to watch, Lizzie starts to improve. Shelby feels a growing attraction to Foster, but doesn't dare to think of romance. They'll only be here for the summer....

From the start it's clear that the author knows horses, and I liked the attention to detail and the modern touches. These wranglers have to microchip the cattle, use the internet and adhere to health codes with the chuck wagon. The scenery is beautiful in the images Jesse Hayworth paints for us, the horses are so real you can stroke them and the ranch folks are down-home practical.

I enjoyed the story and gentle romance, but the fact that there was no real element of conflict may make it too quiet for some readers. For anyone thinking of visiting a dude ranch however, SUMMER AT MUSTANG RIDGE is a great advertisement. There will be a follow-up, 'Winter at Mustang Ridge', released next year.

Book Summary

Recovering from a difficult divorce and having problems with her daughter, Shelby accepts a summer job cooking at a family–run dude ranch. She hopes the animals will be just what her daughter, Lizzie, needs. Little does she know that ranch life will work some healing magic on her too.

When Shelby meets the head wrangler, Foster, she is put off by his brusque nature, but Lizzie takes an instant liking to the cowboy and his horses. While both Foster and Shelby have been scarred by love, it's not long before Shelby is drawn to the rugged cowboy and his thoughtful ways.

But with summer nights in short supply and Foster wary of falling for a city girl, a simple summer romance soon grows complicated. As the days dwindle, Shelby will have to decide not only what is best for her daughter, but also where her future—and her happiness—will be found.

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