Rayne Comes To Town by Dannie Marsden

Rayne Matthews has had enough. She’s not going to sit back and take another beating at the hands of her abusive father. He has arranged for her to marry a man she doesn’t even know. She isn’t going to do that either. In sheer desperation, Rayne grabs the first thing to hand, a brass paper weight and whacks her father with it. When Rayne realizes what she’s done, she does the only thing she can. She packs a bag and changes into her brothers clothes and runs away.

Rayne heads for her aunt and uncles ranch in Wisconsin. Rayne knows she will have a home with them and be welcome. Rayne sets off, constantly looking over her shoulder for the posse she is sure will be out looking for her. When Rayne arrives in Wisconsin, a shock and also a surprise is waiting for her.

Rayne meets Emma, a young woman who has grown up with prostitutes as her carers after the death of her mother. Rayne is immediately taken with Emma, she’s the woman of her dreams. Will Emma return Rayne’s feelings though?

At last! A tale of the wild west. One of my favorite genres in lesfic.

The two main characters Rayne and Emma are so obviously meant to be together. The romance is sweet, slow and sensual and is a delight to read. Both women have had a rough life in way way and another. Their life together doesn’t get off to a very good start either. The rest of the characters play an important part in furthering the story along. All the characters are well formed and interact well together. Even the baddie I detested.

I loved the scenic descriptions of the western landscape. Although I’ve never visited the wild west or Wisconsin, I was totally able to visualize the town, homestead and surroundings.

The story has lots of tension and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I had to keep slowing down to enjoy the story to it’s fullest. Unfortunately, the end of the book came all too soon. I wanted to read more about Rayne and Emma and their way of life. I’m hoping this book will have a sequel. This is a book I would definitely re-read time and again.