LUCK OF THE DRAW

Author: Julie Lence ISBN: 1934337056 6/2007 HISTORICAL Publisher: ASYLETT BOOKS
Time Period: 1860 Old West

Royce Weston has little use for the opposite sex, until Paige Morgan deals him a hand he can't refuse. Royce Weston knows firsthand women are exceptional liars, especially the one who has wormed her way into his family's good graces by claiming amnesia. Since Paige didn't heed his advice at the poker tables, he reasons a bit of "friendly" persuasion is needed to send her packing from Wooded Acres. But when she matches him trick for trick and has his ranch hands jumping to please her, Royce knows he's met his match. A simpering miss she is not. Sassy and daring; if only she'd give him a reason to trust her... Royce despises her—Paige knows that much is true. But she's convinced he knows something about her past, and until he tells her about her family, she isn't going anywhere. And if in the meantime she happens to tame this rough and tough cowboy, all the better. Any girl will tell you, it's not how you play the cards, it's the Luck of the Draw that counts....

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Paige knew if she was to survive her father's wrath, she had to do what she was told. That is why she went along with robbing poor cowboys at the poker tables in all the saloons of the different towns that they traveled through. That night was different—she found herself not wanting to rob the handsome cowboy that held his cards so close to his chest, but she had to do what she must to survive. Her decision has her paying a very high price.

Royce could not believe that the little liar that cheated him at the saloon had the nerve to show up at his ranch claiming amnesia. His family, though, seem taken in by her act of innocence accompanied by her battered condition. He becomes determined to expose her as the liar and cheat that he knows. As time goes along, he discovers himself falling for the sassy woman that sees beyond his gruffness to the man that has been hurt in the past. When she is kidnapped he will do anything to get her back, including following her from Colorado to Texas and gambling all he has to save the woman he loves.

In this first novel by author by Julie Lence, LUCK OF THE DRAW took me back in time to the Old West in the year 1860. Rough cowboys, wild saloons and covered wagons are just a few of the things that brought the era to life in this story. This is an emotionally stirring story with a rich plot that quickly captured my attention in the first few pages. Wonderful humor and exciting action kept me entertained in this fast-paced story. LUCK OF THE DRAW is a passionate romance between a wealthy rancher with a wounded heart, and the feisty woman known as a liar and cheat who manages to get under his skin.

Royce is a man that has little use for women and hates liars and cheaters. With his rough, good looks and surly attitude, he still seems to attract many females that want him—if for nothing else than his money. Deep inside he is a wounded man with a broken heart that is afraid of being vulnerable. He has a sad history with women that explains the reason he behaves as he does. His actions make him hard to like in the beginning, but he seems to grow on you. As his story is revealed and he begins to show his true self, I found myself really liking him. That is not to say that at times he is not a little overbearing, arrogant and excessively possessive—all the characteristics that make him a true alpha male.

Paige is a young woman that is doing something she does not want to survive. She is a victim that ends up in a very bad situation that lands her right with the very man she last cheated. Although she has no memory of what has occurred, she knows that Royce knows her. Her feisty attitude helps her deal with the surly Royce. She can dish it out as well as she can take it. Hers is a wonderful character. The passion between Royce and Page is expressed at first in them not getting along, but soon that will change. They are two characters that belong together and I could not wait until they discovered that for themselves.

LUCK OF THE DRAW by Julie Lence is a passionate romance with a rich and exciting plot that transports the reader back in time. Wonderfully colorful and compelling characters captivate with their emotionally stirring story. Truly entertaining, this is a story that I find myself wanting to read again and can easily recommend to others.

Anita Hartsell