John Callister and his brother, Gil, own a ranching empire in Medicine Ridge. His brother has a wife and kids and John feels like the odd man out. He decides to expand their enterprise by purchasing a rundown ranch in Hollister. He goes under an assumed name, not wanting the locals to get wind of his financial status.
At the local feed store, he meets a Sassy Peale, an attractive young woman who carries more weight on her shoulders than one person should. When he comes to her rescue, she views him as her prince. He's attracted to her, but feels there is too much of an age difference between them.
Readers familiar with Diana Palmer, this is the typical older man - younger woman scenario. The female character is poor and wholesome to a fault. The thirty-something John Wayne style hero is rich beyond imagination and feels like falling for a nineteen year old virgin isn't right.
Yes, DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH is predictable, but sometimes I like it that way. Coming off a stressful day, it's nice to plug into something light. And at only 192 pages, I can read it all in one sitting. Diamond in the Rough (Center Point Platinum Romance (Large Print))
I am a diehard fan. I have almost every Diana Palmer book ever written even the ones under Diana Blayne and Susan Kyle and there have been a few in recent times that haven't been up to total Diana's best, but this one was a true disappointment. I was very excited to see it being offered and had it reserved only to be very disappointed with the read. The hero John, although had some more depth that the usual cowboy could have gone so much further with a deeper story. And Sassy, again, without a strong story, just withered and died as a heroine. There was too much that was just left out, not even alluded to... just plain left out...like... the entire wedding night Diana. Her sensual writing has always been such a strong point and her western heroes so delicious but this was a real sad story. And the whole sexual predator angle could have really been a page turner but again, fell flat. And the cancer aspect....come on Diana...in today's time...do you really want us to believe that doctors would have this poor woman suffering needlessly and then it takes a master surgeon to realize that she just needed an operation to recover completely. Oh Diana. Maybe you need to get away for a little while and recharge your batteries. We miss your wonderfully written western heroes with their strong attitudes and sensual natures and their heroines with their sassiness. This wasn't it by a long shot.
Though I tire of Palmer's devotion to the virginal woman/experienced male scenario, I will often overlook it for a good story. Unfortunately, this wasn't. There was so much potential in these characters, but they ended up having no depth. I kept reading, hoping something would develop, but as I neared the end of the book, I realized it was just going to play out as predictably as I feared. Even when I know there will be a happy ending, I enjoy the misunderstandings and conflicts along the way that require resolution, the missteps and questions that require trust and forgiveness. There was no complexity, nothing you could sink your teeth into. Even the revelation to Sassy that the very identity of her hero was a lie resulted in barely a hiccup along the way. My hope for more from Sassy and John kept me reading, but in the end, I felt I had wasted my time.
This book started out great - a good detailed visual of building a cattle ranch and I was fascinated. We've got a single man (John) in his 30's who is heading up this new ranch and using his middle name as a last name so he's not instantly recognized as 'that millionaire'. When he goes into the local feed store he meets 19 year old Sassy who's being harassed by her boss and he steps in to ultimately save her.
Our hero is good natured, has a kind heart, and seems like a great boss too. The heroine is working hard to live at poverty level - supporting her dying (cancer) mother + her little (adopted) sister. She has no thoughts of herself - wanting, longing... she just takes care of her family and counts her blessings. The heroine does not grow during this story. She's just who she is start to finish, and I had a hard time believing we were talking about a 19 year old girl.
There was definitely enough plot line and detail to keep this story going, I just didn't like where it went. I'm ok with stories about innocent young virgins, but I just wasn't buying that this was an all consuming love, felt more like they made each other feel good so they decided to get hitched up.
If you want a super sweet story - this may be your ticket.
3.5 Stars
One word: Sweet
This is a new Medicine Ridge Story, featuring John Callister. The Callisters recently bought a farm in Hollister, and John came down to oversee the renovations. While in town, he meets Sassy Peale, who works at a feed store. Like most millionaires in romances, he changes his last name so he could walk around town as a normal guy. He finds himself attracted to Sassy, but didn't feel comfortable with dating someone so young. Soon, circumstances brought them together, but he still had to tell her who he really is.
This book was a pleasant, straightforward read. Diana Palmer's recent stories had heroes that acted like jerks and going out of their way to abuse, harass and embarrass their heroines. And this story, John is the total opposite. He goes all out to protect and rescue Sassy, no matter the cost. A really great guy. Our girl, Sassy, is still the typical Diana Palmer heroine. Meaning, she's still straight out of high school. In this case, nineteen (I don't know why author can't just add 2-3 more years to their ages). She takes care of her family without complaining, happy to be surrounded by her loving family and friends. The perfect girl. I liked it but didn't love it. Normally, I'm all for smooth sailing romances, but this was maybe a little too smooth, little too predictable. I wished there were more quick witted, humorous conversations or emotional conflicts that I usually enjoy in Palmer's other romances. All in all, a cute story. - Diana Palmer Novels - Long Tall Texans - Western Romance'
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