A Woman's Touch by Jayne Ann Krentz

A Woman's Touch by Jayne Ann Krentz

When Rebecca Wade inherited the land her boss, Kyle Stockbridge, considered his--land that was the object of a centuries old feud--she absolutely refused to sell out.  Especially after Kyle almost had her believing he loved her.

Rebecca knew she was facing a modern-day gunfighter, a throwback to the lawless time when men made their own rules in the Colorado wilderness.  And despite Kyle's claim that their relationship was independent of the issue between them, she knew that selling the land wouldn't solve all of their problems.  For that to happen, Kyle would have to prove his love.  

Rebecca enjoys her job as executive assistant to Kyle Stockbridge; he is known as having a bit of a temper but Rebecca hasn't seen a lot of evidence to back that up.  Sure he is impatient and tends to micromanage but with her help he has been improving, much to the relief of his other employees.  When Becky's feelings begin to develop into something deeper than admiration for her boss, she worries.  She has never had an office romance and doesn't want to start now.  Unfortunately, Kyle isn't going to take no for an answer and talks Becky into a relationship and then into moving in with him.

This arrangement doesn't last long as Becky finds out why Kyle has been so interested in her...a piece of land that his family has wanted for generations has just been willed to Becky.  She leaves to view her inheritance with Kyle following her to Colorado to try to convince Becky to both give him the land and to continue their relationship.  Becky also meets the other man who has been involved in the feud over the land and determines that it is time for the feud to stop.

Watching Becky take charge of two headstrong men who are feuding mostly (it seems) because it is what is expected of them is a lot of fun.  At no time is the reader unaware that if put to the test Kyle would pick Becky hands down over the land, but Becky isn't as convinced of that as I was.  However, at no point did she veer into TSTL or weak-willed woman territory.  She always acted with her head held high, and while she was hurt a few times emotionally, she never played dirty or resorted to revenge for revenge's sake.   She always acted with EVERYONE's best interests at heart.  A real class act who wasn't afraid to confront the dragon (as Kyle was sometimes known) in his own lair.

I laughed out loud a few times during this story which is always a good sign.  I would recommend this 1989 classic from Jayne Ann Krentz...it shows why she has enjoyed such longevity in the romance writing industry!  

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I purchased this book with own funds.