Wyoming Tough, by Diana Palmer

I'm going out on a limb here, and posting the review for this book that releases on 10/25/11.  I see other bloggers posting their galley reviews way ahead of the release date, so in the spirit of getting the word out there, here we go!

Rating:  B warm

Mallory Kirk, along with brothers Cane and Dalton, own a huge working ranch in Wyoming.  The past few years have been financially difficult with the current economy, but they are getting by quite nicely.  Morie Brannt  is the daughter if a wealthy Texas rancher, who won’t allow Morie to have any kind of working relationship  with his ranch.  She is college educated, but wants to prove that she can make it on her own.  So, on to Wyoming she goes to hire on as a hand at Mallory’s ranch.  It quickly becomes obvious that she knows nothing about ranching, but the foreman Darby takes her under his wing and teaches her what she needs to know to get her jobs done.   

Morie is sick of men wanting her as a means to gain access to her father’s wealth, and Mallory has the same issues with women wanting him for his financial worth.  Mal has a socialite girlfriend Gelly,  who is constantly thinking up ways  to get Mal to fire Morie, as she comes to realize that Mal is very fond of Morie.  In addition to the romantic tension going on between Mal and Morie, there is an escaped convict on the loose, providing plenty of drama throughout the book. 

Everyone in this story is very well educated, and there is time spent on rehashing  our more modern era, and the benefits of inventions like the iPhone.  Mallory is very eco-conscious in his ranching.  The brothers have been approached about selling a small portion of their land for fracking, which they refuse to do, so there are discussions about oil drilling and bio fuels.  

One thing I look forward to in a Diana Palmer book is knowing what I am getting, and that’s  a good comfort read.  There were a few scenes in this book that took me back to one of my DP favorites, Once In Paris.    For most of you who are DP fans, you will recognize this when you stumble upon it!  One more thing, there is the usual age difference between the H/h, 36 and 23.  However, the age difference is not apparent at all.  Morie is not a dowdy heroine, and led a pretty well rounded life.

I only have two complaints – Gelly.  Where does she come up with these names?   The girl is a socialite – imagine calling Paris Hilton "Gelly".   I just couldn’t get by that name.  And…..she GASPED, she SOBBED, the SHOCK of it all…..and (saving the best for last) Mal says to his little bride Morie “As you may have guessed, I am better endowed than most men”…….ROTFL!!!!!!   Okay – it’s vintage Diana Palmer, and no book of hers would be complete without this byline. 

Book provided by NetGalley for review.