Stranded With the Rancher - Janice Maynard (HD #2329 - Oct 2014)

Series: Texas Cattleman's Club: After the Storm (Book 1)

For billionaire horse breeder Drew Farrell, the day starts with the usual argument with ornery neighbor Beth Andrews. But within minutes, he and the irritating beauty are huddled together in a storm cellar praying for their lives. They call a truce…and seal it with an unexpected kiss.

They emerge to a scene of utter devastation. Their passion to rebuild is only rivaled by the very personal passion they've just discovered…until Beth's past catches up with her, and a very different type of storm erupts….

Very good book with an incredibly intense start. Beth and Drew have lived next door to each other for almost two years. Drew is constantly angry with her because he had wanted the land she bought for her farm. Now the traffic coming to her farmstand is stressing his high priced horses and he really wants her to sell out to him, or at least move her stand. As he confronts her yet again, a huge tornado appears in the distance. They get trapped in her storm cellar for twenty-four hours while they await rescue. And in that twenty-four hours things between them start to change.

The intensity of the storm is described with heart pounding detail. I could feel the tension as first they raced for shelter and then as the storm passed directly overhead. Once the storm passed and they discovered they were trapped, Beth's fears were easy to understand. I really liked the way that they put their animosity aside in order to support each other. With that on the back burner I liked seeing them get along with each other. It then became clear that much of their animosity had hidden an underlying attraction. 

The devastation to the town of Royal was heartbreaking. I know it is a fictional town, but I've been reading TCC books for so long that it feels real. I loved seeing how everyone bands together to start the recovery process. Beth's property was heavily damaged, but with their new truce, Drew offers to let Beth stay at his home. As they work together to help the town, they grow closer and their attraction becomes too hard to resist. 

I loved their attraction and seeing them try to deal with it. I liked Drew and how he made sure Beth was taken care of. He's rich and handsome and used to getting what he wants, and he wants Beth. He doesn't think anything about the differences in their backgrounds, just that he is starting to care for her very much. I got a little frustrated with Beth. She fully admits her attraction to Drew, and even that she is also starting to care for him. But she can't stop thinking about their differences. She considers herself a plowhorse next to his thoroughbred. She is always sure that whatever they have will be over as soon as he realizes that she's just not good enough for him. I liked the fact that Drew didn't give up on her until he had her convinced that they could make it work.

I enjoyed seeing Drew's brother Jed from The Untameable Texan. We get to see Jed break the news to Drew about Kimberly and the baby, and then the fun of planning their wedding. I loved the idea they came up with for the wedding and the way it all came together. I'm really looking forward to the rest of this series and seeing how Royal works together for its recovery.