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Carrying The Rancher’s Heir by Charlene Sands
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The Review:


Carrying The Rancher’s Heir by Charlene Sands
Publisher: Harlequin Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (192 pages)
Heat Level: Hot
Rating: 5 Books
Reviewed by Honeysuckle


The passionate, impulsive evening Tagg Worth had spent in the arms of brown-eyed beauty Callie Sullivan was madness. Visions of their tryst still haunted him, but their one-night stand was a mistake the wealthy rancher swore he would not repeat. Hawk Sullivan's daughter was strictly off-limits—especially since Hawk's main goal in life was to put Tagg out of business.


Then, suddenly, there was a baby on the way. His baby. Tagg vowed to do the right thing, no matter what it cost him. But his inconvenient new bride tempted his solitary heart down a path a Worth didn't dare follow….


“She couldn’t possibly have predicted how that night would end.”


That’s the understatement of the year but it didn’t change the facts. Callie Sullivan had fulfilled a longtime fantasy when the opportunity presented itself and now she was pregnant with Taggart Worth’s child. Her dad would have referred to him as Worthless but then again the feud between the Sullivan’s and the Worth’s would rival the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s or more appropriately in this case the Montague’s and Capulet’s. Don’t get me wrong this story isn’t a tragedy in the sense of Romeo and Juliet but the bitter rivalry between the families and the beautiful love story put me in mind of the classic.


I simply love a romance story that doesn’t make me want to growl at the main characters for being stubborn beyond reason. While I do want both the hero and heroine to know their own mind and not be doormats it simply wears me out to deal with the mental gymnastics of an overly stubborn character. This is just one of the reasons I enjoyed Carrying The Rancher’s Heir so much. Ms. Sands brought two people together who both had legitimate reason’s to not pursue a relationship, even after the one night stand, and made them *gasp* reasonable adults. Flawed, yes, but reasonable.


Callie Sullivan is the daughter of Tagg’s neighbor and most ruthless business rival, Hawkins “The Hawk” Sullivan. They grew up in the same town and attended the same school but were never allowed to associate. I respected Callie as a woman because she didn’t give into her father for sake of trying to win his approval. She makes decisions that are rational and best for her and eventually what’s best for the baby on the way. One of those decisions was to seek out Tagg and see if the combustible chemistry they shared in Reno could lead to something more…before she tells him about the baby. Okay, maybe not immediately telling him about the pregnancy wasn't the best idea but I could see myself taking the same path given her circumstances.


Taggart Worth was a terrific leading man. Tagg is a grieving widow that has carried a burden regarding his first wife’s death for over four years. Ms. Sands writing is so vivid and poignant you can feel his guilt and regret weighing him down. It affects his ability to easily embrace love and trust Callie. After all she is the daughter of The Hawk.


This is the type of terrific romance you come to expect from Harlequin with sizzling dose of sexy scenes that Ms. Sands handles very well. Tagg has two brothers that seemed ripe for their own HEA and this reviewer hopes to Ms. Sands is already, if only mentally, penning those blessed events. In the mean time, pick up a copy of Carrying The Rancher’s Heir and enjoy the beautiful beginnings for Callie and Tagg.