The bachelor auction will save his legacy,
if he can keep his heart out of the deal…
Cowboy restaurateur Rafe Cortez-Williams blames the
wealthy Edmonds family for swindling him and the folks of Royal, Texas, out of
millions. So when Gina Edmonds proposes a fundraiser to recoup the losses, Rafe
is skeptical, until the gorgeous, sheltered heiress proposes a cowboy bachelor
auction -- with Rafe as the main prize. By the time the gavel comes down, he
can't say no to their explosive attraction, which sets off a chain reaction of
secrets this ranching heir never bargained for!
Good conclusion to the series. In the previous books, the
town of Royal and its people got behind the planned Soirée on the Bay cultural
event organized by the Edmonds family. Many businesses contributed money as
sponsors. But when a tornado ripped through the event site a few days before
the event was due to start, the organizers and participants discovered millions
of dollars missing from the event's accounts. The Edmonds found themselves
suspected of the theft and became overnight pariahs.
Many of the contributing businesses find themselves
facing bankruptcy because of the missing funds. One of those business owners is
Rafe Cortez-Williams, owner of the RCW Steakhouse. Though his personal finances
could survive the hit, losing the restaurant means the employees he thinks of
as family would lose their jobs. He holds the Edmonds family responsible and
thinks they should make it right for the people of Royal.
Gina Edmonds and her brothers agree that they need to do
something to help, but the question is, what can they do? Gina comes up with
the idea of auctioning off ranch experiences with bachelor cowboys from those
ranches. The idea gets a lukewarm reception until Rafe steps in to help her
out.
I liked Gina and Rafe. Gina is intelligent and
enthusiastic, though a bit naïve, and as the baby of the family, is treated
like a pampered princess. The ideas she proposes for the family business are
continually shot down because none of the men in her family take her seriously.
While it frustrates her, in the past, she caves in and lives up to their
expectations. Rafe's experiences are much different. Part of a ranching family,
he bucks tradition and goes his own way, fulfilling his dream of owning a
restaurant. I liked his focus on making his dream a reality while maintaining
his family relationships.
I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Gina
and Rafe. They rubbed each other the wrong way during their first meeting, but there
were sparks of attraction under the antagonism. Despite his belief that Gina is
a pampered princess clueless about the real world, he finds himself wanting to
help her. Though she has no idea how to plan such an event, Gina is determined
to succeed and cautiously accepts Rafe's help. I loved the banter between them
as Rafe pushes Gina outside her comfort zone, and Gina calls him out about his
attitude towards her. As they worked together, they brought out the best in
each other, and the attraction between them grew stronger. Both fight against
their feelings for each other but eventually can't deny them. A
misunderstanding nearly puts an end to their relationship, but their love wins
out in the end.
While the auction turned out well, I felt some issues
were still left unresolved. And while most of the characters were members of
the Cattleman's Club, the Club itself didn't play much of a part in this
series.
if he can keep his heart out of the deal…
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