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.