REVIEW: Wyoming Rugged by Diana Palmer

In Wyoming Rugged (Wyoming Men #5) by Diana Palmer, love is the last thing on Blair Coleman’s mind after his divorce is settled, and he learns why his ex-wife married him in the first place. Yet, his best friend’s daughter always seems to brighten his day and whenever he’s around her, he finds it hard to resist temptation.

Niki Ashton has had a crush on Blair for a while now, but with the age difference between them, he sees her as nothing more than a child. Now though, with his divorce settled and his inability to cope with the reasons why his ex-wife married him, Niki seems to be the only one that can help him deal. Yet, just when she thinks he might finally give in to temptation, he instead continues to keep her at arm’s length.

Wyoming Rugged offers a very interesting plot, as it embraces a hero falling in love with his best friend’s daughter. And yet it left me frustrated, as their growing relationship was very he-wants-her-he-wants-her-not. But despite that, I did enjoy the obstacles they faced, and how it started with Blair protecting Niki from a young man she’d been out on a date with.

He managed to stagger over to the desk without falling. He dredged out a small wrapped gift. “But you can’t open it until I’m sober,” he said, putting it in her hands.
“Oh. Well, okay,” she said. She cocked her head. “Are you planning to have to run me down when I open it, then?”
His eyes twinkled. “Who knows?”

The dialogue was a nice mix of intense and emotional. Due to both the characters back stories, and the bad decisions both make in dealing with their feelings. Whether they can make a relationship between them work with such huge obstacles.

I liked Niki. She’s very innocent because of her past, and Blair is good for her in some ways. Teaching her things about herself she never knew, because she never had anyone to have such discussions with when she was growing up. She’s also a daddy’s girl, which is understandable due to her health problems, and I really enjoyed their father-daughter bond. He’s very protective of her, and wants her to be happy by offering subtle advice to Blair.

Most of the time, I did like Blair. He has plenty of obstacles he needs to overcome. Such as their age difference, a manipulative ex-girlfriend that wanted to get back together with him, and confronting his ex-wife to uncover some hard truths he needed to hear, so he could finally move on. Finally find happiness with the one person that has always cared about him. Yet, the moments I didn’t like him were when he was cruel towards Niki, because he thought he was doing what was right for her. Believing she should be with someone her own age, even though he was in love with her.

Considering their really good chemistry, I was frustrated by their growing relationship, and the constant stop and start of it. Just when Blair would give in, he’d do something totally hurtful straight after. I felt sorry for the heroine every time he pushed her away, as one decision she made could have landed her in more serious trouble than she ended up in. But, in saying that, their intimacy was hot as Blair showed Niki how special it could be between a man and a woman.

Overall, I liked Wyoming Rugged by Diana Palmer, and was cheering for this couple in the end, because Blair and Niki deserved the miracle that finally bought them together. I would recommend this book, if you’re interested in a story where the hero falls in love with his best friend’s daughter, yet have to overcome several obstacles to achieve happy ever after.

Book Info:

Publication: November 24th, 2015 | HQN Books | Wyoming Men #5

Billionaire oilman Blair Coleman has always taken care of his business. After having been used and cast aside by a woman he thought he loved, his personal life is far from his first priority. He knows only one has ever truly cared for him—but the irresistible blonde beauty is the daughter of his best friend.

Niki Ashton has seen her father’s friend wounded and she’s seen him fight. Blair is the strongest—and most stubborn—man she’s ever known. That very heart and passion makes him the man of her dreams, but whenever they’ve been in danger of getting close, Blair has always pushed her away.

It takes a possible tragedy to strip away all of Blair’s misgivings. Now it’s all or nothing: marriage, baby, family, forever. But will the choice be too much for Niki…or too late?