Taylor Shepherd is out of her normal habitat, organising a
wedding in a cowboy town. Her black cashmere sweater is a
contrast with plaid shirts and jeans, and the men aren't
what she's used to either. Not to mention the bitter cold,
the pot roasts and timewarp decor. Rural Alberta is a long
way from Vancouver in more ways than one. However, this
wedding is for family, not strangers, so she'll put her
best efforts into it, and then relax and stay on for A
CADENCE CREEK CHRISTMAS.
The first couple of chapters are quiet, introducing
characters and settings, with a lot of detail - a company
has shipped the wrong colour tulle and forgotten the
candles, for instance. I did wonder whether this wedding
was a celebration of two people's love or of one-off decor.
Taylor is determined that everything must be perfect,
though country people seem more relaxed. Rhys Bullock, a
member of the groom's party who handles horses, is politely
keen to follow the city lady around, being helpful. At
first she finds this annoying, but he is related to the
best cook in town, and he's not all that bad-looking
either....
Taylor still feels overlooked by her family, and her father
asks her when she's going to put that business degree to
good use. Her business is actually thriving, each party
bringing in what she terms a boatload of cash, and she
shouldn't have to justify her choices. Perhaps this is
what drives her so hard to be a success, a perfectionist.
Rhys is competent and hard-working, and he tells Taylor
that some men feel intimidated by smart women. He just
isn't one of them. But after Christmas their paths will
separate again, so is there any point in pursuing a closer
acquaintance?
Donna Alward has written a restful story, which may suit
those wanting an interlude between suspense books, with
amusing contrasts and larger-than-life characters for us to
enjoy. I did find the start a little slow, with several
pages of chatter in a men's outfitters before moving on to
internal debates about wedding decorations. However in a
Canadian winter people are not going to go out for trail
rides. Taylor is a lady who embarked on self-discovery when
she left Cadence Creek, and who comes home to find herself
all over again during A CADENCE CREEK CHRISTMAS.
It's Christmas in Donna Alward's Cadence Creek… Taylor Shepard has come to Cadence Creek to organize her brother's Christmas wedding. Organizing such a special event might be a little bit stressful—but she can't deny she's swept away by the town's holiday charm…and by brooding rancher Rhys Bullock. Loner Rhys has been burned far too many times in the past. He's sure he has city girl Taylor all figured out—she'll be hightailing it straight back to the city in a few days! But as the snow starts to fall, Rhys and Taylor embark on a tentative winter romance. Could Taylor be the Christmas present Rhys never even knew he wanted?`