The Wrangler, by Lindsay McKenna

My rating:  4 stars, Warm
Publication date: 6/19/2012
 Location: Jackson Hole WY

 Cast of Characters: Hero: Griff McPherson, out of work Wall Street banker, fraternal twin to Slade. The boys were separated at age 5 when parents killed in a car accident, one raised in Jackson Hole and Griff in the East Coast.
 Heroine: Val Hunter, retired Air Force Lieutenant
Gus (Augusta) – Val’s grandmother
 Curt Downing – Nefarious neighboring rancher, always up to no good
 Buck Hunter – Val’s abusive father 

Val gets a call from Grandmother Gus to come and help out with the Bar H Ranch, as she has sustained an injury and needs help. Val left Jackson Hole and never looked back, after her father abused both her and her mother. Griff has recently returned to the area, after the loss of his job in the Wall Street collapse, and is picking up work at the Horse Emporium. His brother Slade (see The Last Cowboy) is none too happy to welcome Griff home. A few years back, Slade asked Griff for a loan, back in the days that Griff had plenty of money, and Griff declined.

Griff works hard to prove that he has what it takes to leave the East Coast, and live the life of a rancher in Wyoming. No one makes this transition easy for him, and he goes above and beyond when it comes to helping others out. In my opinion, everyone in the book makes it difficult for Griff to prove himself, and at times I found that a bit hard to swallow. Grandma Gus really puts her faith in him, which in turn makes it a bit easier for Val to trust him.

An FBI agent working in the area has asked Griff to help keep an eye on the nefarious Curt Downing, ever the wheeler and dealer. This proves to be an easy assignment, since Downing is forever trying to buy the Bar H ranch from Gus. When Gus turns him down again, Downing heads  to his realtor, trying to get him to help put together an offer Gus can’t refuse. Little does he know………that isn’t about to happen!

Strange happenings continue in the area, including a fire at the cabins Val was building on the lake. There seem to be bad guys everywhere, and the question is who really is behind everything bad that keeps happening? During this time, Griff is there for Val every step of the way. Slow but sure, their relationship builds. Griff is very considerate of Val’s background, and a most patient man.  

This story line progresses very nicely, picking up where The Last Cowboy left off. We still have some surprises to come in the next book, and I will be looking forward to that a lot. Maybe even a wedding!!

 Book provided by NetGalley for an honest review.