THE WEDDING RANCH - Nancy Naigle
St. Martin's Griffin
ISBN: 9781250794130
December 2022
Fiction

North Carolina - Present Day

Lorri Walker has been through a lot lately. Despite her husband's gift of a puppy for Valentine's Day, plus his promise to be more attentive, he soon announced that he's in love with someone else and wants out of their marriage of fifteen years. With the divorce finalizing, Lorri sells their house, and buys one in the new settlement of Dalton Mill. The house is big enough, and with enough land, for her to work from home for the graphic design business she is employed by. And it's perfect for her huge puppy that her ex-husband gave her. Mister is a mastiff and a crucial part of Lorri's life now.

Despite her heartbreak, and growing up in the big city of Raleigh, Lorri fits right into the small-town community of Dalton Mill. She loves the atmosphere, and friendliness of the locals, and the peace and quiet of her neighborhood. When she's invited to the county fair, she looks forward to getting to know the area better. What she doesn't expect is being tackled by a local man when a 4-H bull gets loose and nearly runs her down. The concern shown by the man, as well as others, endears the community even more to Lorri. Plus, the guy who saved her isn't too bad to look at.

Ryder Bolt, life-long resident of Dalton Mill, has never forgiven his father for selling much of their land to a developer who built five-acre plots with what Ryder calls, "McMansions". And now he's just saved a resident of that development. But she seems pretty normal for a big city girl. Ryder isn't interested in dating or anything relating to commitment after the loss of his wife and son in a car accident seven years ago. Lorri, however, isn't interested in dating either, so maybe they can be friends. 

Ryder has been helping his niece and nephew, twins Reece and Ross, with their new venture, The Wedding Ranch. It's on a piece of Ryder's land that he's leasing to them, and their hard work has become so popular that a well-known country singer wants to hold his wedding there. Agreeing to keep the news quiet, he does let it slip to Lorri one day, unaware that she is a high school friend of the singer. Not only that, but Lorri has done some of the graphic design for The Wedding Ranch. It seems there are a few things that Ryder and Lorri have been keeping from each other. Neither knows of either's past.

THE WEDDING RANCH is a story of recovery for two people who have emotional scars. The title is a bit misleading as the premise revolves around Lorri and Ryder, and very little to do with the wedding facility. It's a sweet tale but with a shocking revelation that some readers may pick up on early in the book. Don't be surprised if this novel doesn't end up on the Hallmark series of movies! It's a perfect fit.

Jani Brooks