BEST MAN RANCHER – Maisey Yates
The Carsons of Lone Rock, Book 2
Harlequin Desire #2899
ISBN: 978-1-335-58138-9
October 2022
Contemporary Series Romance

Lone Rock, Oregon – Present Day

Rancher Kit Carson has been awarded the dubious (he pulled the shortest straw) honor of being the best man for his brother’s upcoming wedding, which means he must work with the bride’s sister, Shelby Sohappy, who is the bridesmaid. Kit has known Shelby most of his life from afar and watched as she married, then became a widow. The wedding will be held at a remote site where the bachelor and bachelorette parties will also be held the night before. Heading up to the site to get everything ready, he is surprised to see Shelby there. She is stilted around him at first, but after the lights go out in the building where she will be staying, he offers her a room at the other building where he’s staying. While things stay chaste between them, it’s not for the lack of wanting as an ever-growing attraction has the sparks flying.  

Things finally come to a head between Kit and Shelby during the bachelor/bachelorette parties. Both had gone out separately to escape the partying, but they run into each other. One thing leads to another and two hours later, they are sneaking back to their respective parties after several rounds of sex. Shelby and Kit want to pretend it didn’t happen, but the pregnancy test a few weeks later confirms that they are headed to parenthood. Kit offers marriage but Shelby demurs.

With plenty of quirkiness within the pages of BEST MAN RANCHER, readers will enjoy the lively and sexy banter between Kit and Shelby. He’s a confirmed bachelor who has had more one-night stands than days in a year. Shelby had only one man she loved but he ended up dying. This left her heartbroken and unable to believe that she will find love again. The two families have fought and bickered for years, but now that Kit’s brother is marrying Shelby’s sister, the hope is that the rivalry is over, or at least tempered. Of course, no one anticipated an unexpected pregnancy to happen between Kit and Shelby. Once it’s confirmed, he wants to do the right thing by marrying. Shelby resists because she doesn’t want to be married for the baby’s sake. Will Kit convince her otherwise?

While BEST MAN RANCHER has a multitude of minor characters, including the about-to-be-married Juniper and Chance (their story is in RANCHER’S FORGOTTEN RIVAL, out now), this tale focuses mostly on Kit and Shelby. Kit and Shelby have been conditioned that their families are rivals, but secretly they have been attracted to each other. Their romance gets off to a rocky start with the rivalry, the wedding, and the baby, but will it end up bringing our couple together?

A sexy and entertaining read, be sure to not miss BEST MAN RANCHER.

Patti Fischer