Sophia's Reviews > Daisies in the Canyon

I didn't really pay attention to the blurb because I saw the book was by an author that I've come to enjoy, but I did notice the cute cover in passing. I've grown used to a certain formula in the author's plots and adjusted to her storytelling style so that I easily sink right into her books. This one followed things to a certain extent, but the premise that brought all the characters together and into contact with each other was something new. I think I pondered the inexplicableness of it for as long as the heroine did and still came up short. I really hope there are more books following that might give me some better answers. Now, while the thing that held it altogether left me scratching my head, the story of three sisters meeting for the first time and forming the bonds of family, working a ranch, and a romance with a cowboy sheriff made me kick back and feel right at home.

The book is pretty easy-going and laid back in its tone and pace mostly relying on the internal struggles caused by an old man's mistakes to give the book tension and excitement. Oh not to say that nothing happens because it does. Cooper and Abby knock boots pretty early on in the story and then retreat, advance, and retreat again. I found their instant attraction thoughts somewhat distracting as that was the primary idee' fixe for them much of the time.
I enjoyed the meeting and growing relationship between the sisters, the action of every day ranch life and the romance between Abby and Cooper, but overshadowing all that for me was the cruel oddities of old Ezra Malloy.

I was flabbergasted when Abby's story came out and then Shiloh and Bonnie had similar stories. Abby's mother came to the area, fell in love with Ezra, they were married about a year and when Abby was born, Ezra divorces her, sends her away with a settlement and tells her not to come back. Then each girl spends the rest of their lives with a single mom knowing their dad rejected his wife and child because the girls weren't boys. And they end up with more questions and surmises for answers once they lived on the ranch. Ezra had a lot to account for because each girl ended up with issues about getting involved with men and being rejected. I just couldn't wrap my head around such a thing. People walk away from relationships and their children all the time, but this was just so calculated. I am intrigued in an appalling way so I hope that each of the remaining sisters get their books and maybe more might come out about this situation.

This was my first time listening to narrator, Natalie Ross. I really enjoyed her Texas Twang for the accents and the ability to deepen her voice and still sound smooth for the men. There were a variety of characters and she made each distinguishable. I would definitely listen in to her work again.

Just as an aside, this one is connected to Long, Hot Texas Summer with shared characters, but can be read standalone.

All in all, it was a cozy Contemporary Western Romance and I would recommend it for those who enjoy spicy cowboy romance in down-home ranch-style setting.