"Planning and life doesn't always agree."
Reviewed by Sandra Wurman
Posted January 5, 2019
Romance Western | Romance Holiday
Allison Leigh pairs up special characters in her Double C
Ranch series, and THE RANCHER'S CHRISTMAS PROMISE follows
that formula. THE RANCHER'S CHRISTMAS PROMISE is not really
a seasonal holiday story. It is about choices we make and as
Allison Leigh deftly illustrates these are immensely
personal. All choices have a consequence, and the reader
hopes for a happy ending although the path will certainly be
rocky. Talk about a surprise package at your doorstep. Well, Ryder
Wilson truly never expected this one. He was still getting
adjusted to his new home in Wyoming. It seems as if an
infant girl had been abandoned three months ago and the
local police had determined she was his. Impossible, until
they can somewhat trace this baby to his wife who left over
a year ago. Daisy had left after a mere two weeks of wedded
bliss. The name of this baby's mother was Karen. Nope, wrong
woman, wrong husband, not my kid. Think again. But here's where things so get a little murky. Karen and
Daisy are the same woman, and now she's dead. Ryder's is
still reeling from his short relationship with a woman who
had lied to him. But one of the people at his doorstep is
this woman's brother, and Grant is definitely not happy with
this entire situation. The facts are truly meager. They need
proof about the parentage of the baby, both mother and
father since there is no birth certificate before any
adoption can proceed. The only thing they know is the baby
girl's name is Layla. Boom. Still doesn't really prove much but Layla was Ryder's
mother's name. Coincidence, he doesn't think so. And the
story picks up five months later. Ryder and Layla are
getting along really well with one ongoing problem, that of
a nanny. It seems they are going through them as quickly as
diapers. Ryder's ranch is rather secluded, and most
candidates couldn't adapt. Greer Templeton is one of three identical triplets and part
of the family that had taken care of Layla. Add to that one
of the triplets is married to Grant, Layla's uncle. They had
all become attached to Layla while in their care and haven't
seen her now that Layla was living with Ryder. You may ask why Ryder accepted responsibility for a child
that hadn't legally been proven to be his, no DNA testing as
per his instructions. He didn't need them. Ryder accepted
the fact that Daisy was probably Layla's mother and Daisy
had been his wife. Case closed for Ryder. In his mind and
heart, it was the right thing to do. And he always did the
right thing. Greer somehow gets involved in helping Ryder find a reliable
nanny with staying power. Until then she found herself
helping out which wasn't a chore for her. Greer had really
missed Layla and any time spent with this baby was a joy. It
was the father that ruffled her usually staid feathers. And
needless to say, watching Layla meant spending time with
Ryder who actually had the audacity to come up with an
alternate plan of sorts. If he couldn't find a woman willing
to live far out in the country as a nanny, well then he
would start looking for a wife instead. This would be a
business agreement for sure given his history with love and
such. Sounds really good on paper. But both Ryder and Greer have
deep seeded feelings about following this second choice.
There is no shortage of attraction between these two
intelligent adults, but their decision will not be based on
that fact. Any arrangement will be a pre-arranged legal
proposition with a distinct expiration date. Choices and
plans just have a way of messing things up. So in THE RANCHER'S CHRISTMAS PROMISE we are faced with what
Allison Leigh treats as an inconvenience that can be solved
with little or no commitment. The author certainly wore a
smile while divining up this treasure. THE RANCHER'S
CHRISTMAS PROMISE is a lovely tale of making the right
choices with unexpected consequences.
SUMMARY
“We believe the infant girl under our protection
is your daughter.” With that, rancher Ryder Wilson’s world turns upside down.
But he’s determined to make a home for the baby his late
estranged wife left on a stranger’s doorstep. Local lawyer
Greer Templeton is there to help, after growing attached to
little Layla during the search for her daddy. It’s enough to
make Ryder propose a marriage of convenience. But does love
factor into his Christmas promise?
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