Monday, April 12, 2021

The Marriage He Demands - Brenda Jackson (HD #2797 - Apr 2021)


This ranching heir wants it all, including the woman who stands in his way!
 
Businessman Cash Outlaw has inherited almost all of his late mother's Wyoming ranch…but still needs the fifty acres left to her former caretaker. As negotiations with beautiful, determined Brianna Banks become much more intimate, she reveals she'll only sell him the property…if he gives her a baby! Cash's counteroffer? That the mother of his child must become his wife!

 
Good book. Another Outlaw/Westmoreland bites the dust. Part of the Alaska Outlaw branch of the Westmoreland family, Cash never knew his mother. His father, Bart, a ruthless and manipulative man, refused to allow his wives any custody of his children after they divorced - and they always divorced. He also refused to allow them to have contact with their children. While growing up, Cash believed that his mother abandoned him and never tried to contact him, so he was surprised to be called to hear her will after she died. He certainly didn't expect to inherit her vast dude ranch, minus 100 acres left to her former caretaker, Brianna.
 
Brianna loved Ms. Ellen. She grew up on the ranch where her father had been the foreman and took over when he died. Learning of her inheritance was a relief for her because it meant she had a home that was all hers. After an earlier heartbreak, Brianna doesn't intend to marry, but she wants a baby. Now she can continue her plans.
 
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Cash and Brianna. Brianna intrigued and attracted Cash from the moment he saw her. Brianna had crushed on Cash since she saw his picture years earlier, and meeting him in person increased the feeling. Cash initially intends to sell the ranch as soon as possible, as he neither needs nor wants it. However, Brianna is equally determined to convince him to keep it. Her efforts gain traction when his brother suggests he and their brothers and cousins might want to invest. Cash, who can't stop thinking about Brianna, invites his family members to the ranch to see it. He also plans to spend an extended time on the ranch and get to know Brianna better.
 
I liked Cash a lot. He's confident but not arrogant, and he spends a great deal of time with Brianna. He listens to what she says and gives her the respect she deserves. As they work together, going through his mother's effects, the sparks between them continue to build. When his decision about the ranch requires him to purchase the land closest to the river, Brianna offers him a bargain - she'll sell him the land if he provides the sperm for her artificial insemination. Because of the situation with his mother, Cash insists on marriage and being involved with his child.
 
I liked Brianna, too. She fell hard for Cash. I liked how she wants Cash to understand what happened with his mother but doesn't want to push too hard. I loved that she pushed back on his offer to buy her land with requirements of her own, though his demand for marriage surprised her.
 
I enjoyed watching Cash in the time leading up to the wedding. He threw himself into doing everything possible to make the day perfect for Brianna. He's thoughtful and sweet and gives the impression that it's not just attraction that motivates him. I loved watching the connection between them deepen after the wedding. But trouble rears its head when Bart's interference comes between Cash and Brianna. Cash's fury vibrated off the pages, and Brianna's hurt and anger were right there with it.
 
I loved the ending and seeing Cash fight for Brianna. I also loved the confrontation between Cash and Bart, who still believes he's always right. There is also a reminder that none of the Outlaws knows why Bart refuses to admit their connection to the Westmorelands. I'm looking forward to the answer to that question. The epilogue was a terrific wrap-up for the book.
 
I like the importance of family to the Outlaws and the Westmorelands. Cash counts on his brothers for their honest opinions about the ranch, and they don't let him down. The same goes for the cousins who also came along. I liked the cameo appearances by characters from previous books.


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