Here Comes The Bride

I've had this book in my TBR pit for years, two maybe three years tops. Why did I choose to read? Easily answered: it's a western and it's written by a Canadian author. Ok, in all honesty I picked it up because it was a western. I only found out that Laura Drewry was Canadian at the end of the book.

Here's the blurb for Here Comes The Bride(taken from the author's website):

Gabe Calloway is certain of only two things in his life. The first is he was born to be a rancher. It's bred into him as much as the color of his eyes and the huge stubborn streak he inherited from his father. The second is that ladies have no business whatsoever in a town like Porter Creek, Montana Territory. It is a life of hardship, sorrow and pain, and sooner or later every woman will succumb to the harshness of the land.

So how is it that in a matter of weeks, a tiny whisper of a thing like Tess Kinley - a fancy city girl no less - can turn his whole world upside down and leave him wondering what the hell happened.

Tess insists she is meant to be at El Cielo, his family's ranch, yet her blue blood paints a very different picture for Gabe. She is, without question, the least likely person able to cope with ranch life, yet she dives in with an exuberance that softens even Gabe's own hardened core. Yet, the more he's drawn to her, the more determined he is to put her on the very next stage headed east. Best to do it now, while his heart is still whole, than risk her leaving him and his heart in a million pieces.

If only she'd stop looking at him that way; if only she'd stop letting him kiss her; if only. . . .

I enjoyed reading the book. I found it fast paced and funny. It was a great book to read on a fall afternoon. It was just me, the cat, the book and Earl(Grey).

I thought the main characters were interesting and their dialogue (and banter) was informative and hilarious at times. Gabe has some issues with women leaving him so he basically avoids them at all costs but Tessa who baffles him, was slowly invades his thoughts and his heart. I also found to be bull-headed but it wasn't overdone. I liked Tessa, she's independent, courageous and she knows what she wants. And she wants Gabe. But at times she got on my nerves, and I'm not sure exactly what it was that bothered me about her, but she did. I liked that she took fate in her hands and ran from her family, but how realistic was that. And the chemistry between them was non-existent in my opinion.

I've already placed a hold on another book by the author, Charming Jo.

Here Comes The Bride by Laura Drewry (3.5/5) Historical Romance: Western; Published: Zebra Historical Romance (5/2005); New Author; Canadian Author; 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (131);