Title: Zane
Series: Westmoreland Series
Author: Brenda Jackson
Genre: Romance
Blurb: No woman walks away from Zane Westmoreland. But when Channing Hastings does just that, it leaves the rancher reeling and then she returns to town, engaged! Zane will do whatever it takes to show her that there is no man for her but him.
Thoughts: Zane Westmoreland is known as a bit of a womanizer, and he’s upfront with the women he’s involved with that he has no intention of getting married – now or ever. And Channing Hastings was given the same spiel. While she has been the longest lasting of his girlfriends, he’s surprised when she presses him for more. When she confronts him about where their relationship is going, he flat out tells her he does not love her. He’s stunned when she tells him she is leaving town, but doesn’t really expect her to follow through.
Two years later, Channing comes back to town for your job, but has no intention of seeing Zane. She’s shocked when he wants to see her, and is stunned when he seduces her to prove a point – that she shouldn’t be engaged to another man because she still wants him. For a moment, Channing begins to hope once again that he might love her, and when he shoots her down yet again, she is devastated. Will Zane realize to late that he loves her? And can he convince this heartbroken woman to trust him again?
I was unfamiliar with Brenda Jackson’s works prior to this book, but I must say her style is oddly reminiscent of Diana Palmer and her Long, Tall Texans series. So if you’re a fan of Diana Palmer, this series is a definite must-read! I wish I had come into the series prior to this one, as I wanted to know the back story on all the other family members who had their own book previously. It was also a large amount of characters to be thrown at you at once. With that said, it was still a great story about rekindled love. I loved the sparks flying between the two characters – and I’m a sucker for a guy trying to win back a woman when he knows he’s messed up big-time!
I didn’t really buy Zane’s ‘plan’ to win her back (when she refuses to believe him when he says he loves her, he convinces her that he is “close” – and he needs her to woo him and “push” him that last little bit). While it’s not realistic at all, I could see Channing actually wanting to delude herself that it is true, so she can have an excuse to still be with him. Overall – a really sweet love story. I will definitely be looking up previous books in the series, as well as others by the author.
Rate: B
