At the Rancher's Request

By Sara Orwig

She’s pregnant and snowbound with a hot Texan in this tale from USA TODAY bestseller Sara Orwig!

Pregnant, abandoned and stranded in a Texas blizzard, nurse Savannah Grayson is grateful when billionaire rancher Mike Calhoun rescues her. The widowed father offers shelter—and only shelter—at his vast ranch.

Determined to never love another woman again, Mike tries to do the right thing and resist his attraction to his vulnerable guest. As they spend cold days building snowmen with his son and long nights talking and kissing by the fire, Mike fights the thaw of his heart . . . a battle he just might lose.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Mar 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781474002974

Sara Orwig

Sara Orwig lives in Oklahoma and has a deep love of Texas. With a master’s degree in English, Sara taught high school English, was Writer-in-Residence at the University of Central Oklahoma and was one of the first inductees into the Oklahoma Professional Writers Hall of Fame. Sara has written mainstream fiction, historical and contemporary romance. Books are beloved treasures that take Sara to magical worlds. She loves both reading and writing them.

Reviews for At the Rancher's Request

[scoutmomskf · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good book about two people whose past hurts keep them from wanting to risk their hearts again. Mike is the widowed father of a three year old boy. The death of his wife hit him hard and he doesn't want to go through anything like that again. Savannah was engaged to a man who didn't bother to tell her he doesn't want kids until she gets pregnant. Devastated by the realization that she hadn't really known the man she thought she loved, she breaks their engagement and leaves home to go visit her aunt in California.

Mike and Savannah meet during a rainstorm where Mike and his son Scotty have pulled into a gas station to wait out the downpour. Savannah pulls in because her car is making noises and just as she stops the engine erupts into flames. Mike puts the fire out and invites Savannah to stay at his ranch until her car is fixed. He even tells her she can call the local sheriff for a reference if she needs one. She accepts his offer, hoping it will just be for a couple days.

Neither of them expected the strength of the attraction between them. Savannah insists that they do not give in to it, as she is still healing from her previous relationship and doesn't want to make another mistake. Mike doesn't want another relationship either, but feels that they can enjoy each other without making an emotional commitment.

Because it will take time for her car repair, Savannah ends up staying longer than she expected. She started getting really attached to Scotty and liked taking care of him when Mike had to be out on the ranch. She also began developing feelings for Mike as she got to know him better, realizing that he's nothing at all like her ex. She has to keep reminding herself that she isn't staying and that she's not ready to risk her heart again. But she also finds it very easy to give in to his kisses and doesn't trust herself to be able to keep her heart protected.

Mike bugged me a little bit. He knows he doesn't want a commitment and that Savannah is still hurting from her previous relationship. She has told him repeatedly that giving in to their attraction would be a bad idea. But he keeps finding excuses to kiss her and every time he pushes for more, trying to convince her that they can keep their emotions out of it. However, even though he can't deny that his actions may cause her more hurt, he keeps doing it. It does come back to bite him though, as he discovers that being with Savannah has begun to change him more than he expected.

A medical crisis with her pregnancy delays Savannah's departure, and also brings Mike to the conclusion that he has lost his heart to her after all. Both he and Savannah have to find a way to let go of their past hurts if they want to have a chance to have a future together. I liked the way it worked out for them.

Scotty was an adorable little boy and had a big part in bringing Mike and Savannah together. My biggest issue with him was that he did not talk or act like a child just turning three. He was way too articulate and able to be reasoned with. I thought he was more like a five year old.