Blurb
Annabelle—Belle to her friends—returns to small town Mercy Ridge feeling like a failure. She’d left with such high hopes―a teaching job, marriage, children and a life in the big city. But here she is, back in Mercy Ridge, living with her folks, jobless, her fiancé long gone, and embarrassed to face her friends after telling them all she’d never be back.
Single parent Gavin Levine and his emotionally troubled young daughter, Gabby, travel from Seattle for a long, end-of-summer weekend visit to the Saddle Up dude ranch. Gabby becomes attached to a horse named Smokey, and the dude ranch owner’s friend, Belle. Could be, Gavin has too. Problem is, when they return home, Belle and the horse are clear across the state.
When the school year begins, Gabby just cries in class, Gavin doesn’t know what to do and Belle still doesn’t have a teaching job. How can she possibly help them from Mercy Ridge?
Review
Belle left her small hometown of Mercy Ridge for the big city of Seattle with big dreams of a great teaching job and starting a family. Instead, she returned home disillusioned to live with her parents after she quit a bad job. She meets Gavin on a dude ranch where she currently works and connects to his distraught daughter, Gabrielle, through their shared love of horses. Gabby experienced a terrible trauma two years ago and Gavin does everything possible to help his little girl. Gavin is on vacation with Gabby and romance blooms between him and Belle, but they live in different places. Can their newfound relationship survive the distance? Will Gabby continue to grow and heal with her beloved horse gone?
Gabby will tug at your heartstrings so have your tissues ready. I so badly wanted to hug the child. The romance and love between Gavin and Belle felt so real and strong. They both had emotional baggage and seemed to find a will to try again with each other. This lovely, sweet story will leave you smiling.
5 Stars
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