#BookReview – “Healing Hearts” by C.B. Clark

Blurb

Reeling from loss and heartbreak, Stella King is desperate to escape painful memories. The position of nanny on an isolated ranch in British Columbia's rugged Chilcotin Plateau seems the answer to her prayers.

Cattle rancher, Dawson Wheeler, has worked hard to overcome grief and build a predictable world for his young daughter. The last thing he needs is the all-too-attractive Stella disrupting the smooth running of his ranch, especially now that disturbing incidents are happening on his property.

Defending his land against those who want to gut it will be a challenge, but the biggest threat of all may be to his heart.

Review


Stella King is leaving behind the bustling city of Vancouver to work as a nanny at a cattle ranch. Though she and her ruggedly handsome new boss are often at odds, she can’t help but feel drawn to him since she, too, is battling pain and demons from her past.
Grieving widower Dawson Wheeler doesn’t want the attractive new nanny on the Circle 5. His men are smitten with her, which is disrupting the business. Then there’s the mining company that’s trespassing on his land, and someone is killing his cattle. Needless to say, he’s stressed and angry, and Stella is the perfect target for him to release that anger. Unfortunately for him, the stubborn woman can give as well as she gets.
I really enjoyed this story. Stella and Dawson are broken people and at times bonded over shared loss, but they dealt with their pain in different ways.
I liked Stella. She was strong, desperate for a new beginning, and open enough to love again. I couldn’t connect with Dawson. He was extremely bitter and closed-off for the majority of the book. They argued a lot, but given their pain and experiences, it was understandable.
The secondary characters were a hoot, especially Alf, Dawson’s mentor and cook. The old man was the glue holding Stella and Dawson together. Deirdre, Dawson’s daughter, was probably the sweetest, most adorable, and realistic kid I’ve read about in a book.
The story flows well. There’s more suspense than romance, in my opinion, but the sexual tension between the H/h nearly set my computer on fire! There’s only one short sex scene, so readers who prefer their books to be light on the sex, this one is for you.
I’ve read a few other books from Ms. Clark and this one certainly won’t be the last.
5 Stars