A Weaver Vow by Allison Leigh: I will preface my review by mentioning that I had never read any of Ms. Leigh’s Weaver-centric stories. That being said, I am planning to find the books dealing with the Double-C ranch and the Clay family so I can start to make my way through those series’ ASAP!
This book was just lovely. Isabella knows what’s it’s like to be set adrift in the system, so when her late fiancee’s son needs a home, she takes him in without question. The eleven year old isn’t coping well with his father’s death, and causes some trouble in their hometown of NYC, so Iz tracks down her friend from the ballet company with which she worked and follows her to Weaver, Wyoming.Erik experiences Murph’s shenanigans first hand when the boy shatters a stained-glass window he was preparing to donate to the local church. Remembering all the times he’d been talked to by the local sheriff, he makes the decision to let Murphy work off the money he owes for the broken window. When Isabella runs out to see what the commotion is, Erik is instantly smitten. Now he likes his plan for *more* than one reason.
As the story continues, he introduces the painfully alone ‘Izzy’ to his amazingly close and alarmingly huge family – where she starts to feel embraced. He realizes that he wants to spend the rest of his life with this woman and her young ward, but they stumble over a few obstacles. Not the least of which is her tenuous standing with Murphy’s caseworker.
Erik announces his intentions to her, then backs off, while continuing to mentor and help Murphy fit in to their new community. Isabella learns slowly that the town is not only starting to like her, but they’re adopting her – just as she is trying to adopt Murphy – into their hearts.
The only fault I could find with this book was the pacing was a little off. It wasn’t *quite* insta-love, but pretty close. Otherwise, the story and characters were charming, and it’s well worth picking up.
I enjoyed getting to know the people of Weaver, WY, and I’m looking forward to hearing more about their stories. This book can be read as a stand-alone novel, even though it is tied into the ‘Return to Double-C Ranch” series.
Book Info
Publication Date: April 23, 2013 | Series: Harlequin Special Edition (Book 2257)City girl seeks…When Isabella Lockhart leaves New York for Weaver, Wyoming, she’s keeping a vow—to provide a loving home for her late fiancé’s little boy away from the bad influences of the big city. But trouble is this kid’s middle name, and right away his antics put Isabella on a collision course with handsome rancher Erik Clay.…small-town heroNot that that’s a bad thing! The real problem for Erik is the instant attraction he feels for this beautiful Big Apple transplant. The sworn bachelor just doesn’t want to go there. But pretty soon, Erik realizes that he has a vow of his own to keep—to make this wounded woman whole again, starting with her heart….