Published February 26th 2013 by Avon Impulse
From the moment rancher Jack Turner rescues Jenna Caldwell Merrick, he is determined to help her. Soon, he is doing more than tend her wounds; he is mending her heart. Jenna is a woman on the run—hunted down by her ex-husband, David Merrick, from the day she left him, taking part of his company with her, to the second she finds herself in the safety of Jack's ranch. More than just a haven, Jack's offering the love, family, and home she thought were out of reach.
Jack's support will give Jenna the strength she needs to reclaim her life. The hunted will become the hunter, while David gets what he deserves, when they have an explosive confrontation in the boardroom of Merrick International. But not before Jack and Jenna enter into a fight … for their lives.
My Thoughts
Saved by the Rancher is my first experience with Jennifer Ryan’s romantic suspense novels. After struggling through this book for over two weeks, I’ve concluded that her writing might not be for me. I found the story hard to consume and absolutely unrealistic.
Jenna Caldwell Merrick has been hunted by her ex-husband, David Merrick, for over two years. David is accustomed to getting everything he wants, so when Jenna leaves him after a series of beatings and takes him for half of his wealth, he begins his hunt to reclaim her. Jenna is determined to escape his clutches and remains on the run. However, every time he finds her, he brings her to brink of death through brutal beatings and constant harassment.
After a horrific incident that leaves Jenna beaten and broken, she flees to Stargazer Ranch in Colorado and is tended back to health by Jack Turner who owns the ranch. Immediately, these two character forge a romantic connection, and Jenna begins unfolding her plans to bring her ex-husband’s terror to an end.
The romance between Jenna and Jack felt quite sudden and a bit over the top. I wasn’t convinced Jack fell in love with Jenna after only a few short days of contact where she was unconscious for most of that time. It would have worked better if the author had allowed more time to pass between the two, and possibly slow the romance down a bit.
I also struggled with the domestic abuse that occurred in this novel. How was Jack able to get away with it was beyond me!! Maybe I’ve watched one too many crime shows, but how about using DNA samples from scratches and defense wounds to convict Jack??? Also, there was a glaring mistake in the story that stood out to me. I thought when David remarried her name was Patricia but in the boardroom meeting he referred to her as Meredith. Did I miss something?
On a positive note, I liked the secondary characters Caleb, Summer, Lily, and I enjoyed how Jennifer Ryan worked the ranch animals into the story, including the protective nature of Sally the golden retriever and Blue the volatile stallion.
Overall, the story dragged on for over sixty chapters. I never felt any connection for the main characters, nor was I convinced with the romance between them because it came on too suddenly and overwhelmingly. Not what I hoped for.
2 Suns
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