River Bluff, Texas – Present Day

Brady Carrick, his father, Marshall, and head trainer, Dobbs, attend a horse auction hoping to buy Amber Mac, a young thoroughbred. Brady wants to take over the head training job on his father’s horse ranch, but Marshall wants to make sure Brady is knowledgeable enough to do the job. After a career with the Dallas Cowboys and working in Las Vegas for two years, Brady returned home over a year ago and has been working with the horses. After purchasing Amber Mac, Brady is determined to be the one to train him, but his father isn’t sure his son is ready. Stopping at Cliff’s Diner on the way back to the ranch for lunch, Brady is introduced to Molly, the waitress. Molly worked at Cliff’s Diner years ago, married and left town, but now she is single with a seven-year-old son. She lives with her preacher father who has always held her down, and who spouts forgiveness to his congregation but not to his own family.

Brady is a good poker player and is involved in a weekly Texas Hold ‘Em game with a few of his friends. He believes that anyone with skill can win at poker. He makes a deal with his father and Dobbs: they can choose any person, and if the person he teaches winds up as a finalist at the Texas Hold ‘Em tournament in Las Vegas, Marshall will allow Brady to train Amber Mac. Much to Brady’s dismay, Marshall and Dobbs choose Molly, who knows nothing about the game.

Brady is unaware of Molly’s antipathy toward him, not knowing that Molly blames him for the death of her rodeo husband who met Brady in Las Vegas. Molly plans on revenge and to make enough money for a fresh start for her and her son. She arrives at the ranch -- Brady has five weeks to prepare her for the poker competition. As Molly learns the intricacies of poker, she becomes more attracted to Brady, and she has to remind herself what Brady did to her ex-husband to keep from thinking about him. Will she win the competition? And can she keep her distance from the charming Brady?

DEAL ME IN is the story of a woman trying to get back on her feet after the death of her husband, and a man feeling guilty about what happened in Las Vegas. They are both likeable characters -- Molly wants to make a good life for her son; Brady hopes to have a new career training horses, while Molly’s son, a timid child, begins to gain confidence without the stifling influence of his grandfather. Molly never had much of a home life until she came to live on the ranch. Secondary characters enhance the tale. Brady’s mother and father have some of their own problems but learn to deal with them, and Brady’s poker buddies are great guys from the other books in the Texas Hold‘Em series.

DEAL ME IN is a captivating family tale, well written, with good pacing. It is a heart warming and romantic story that will entertain all contemporary romance fans.

Marilyn Heyman