From the back of the book:
Alexandra Gianni had come to Briarwood with her infant daughter, Isabella, to start over. Determined to rebuild her life and the ramshackle farm she'd purchased with the last of her money, Alex had one goal: independence. She wasn't looking for another relationship or to share the painful revelations about her past. Most of all, she wasn't looking for a man like Christian Atherton, who could lead her dangerously astray. But the handsome, aristocratic English rider won't accept that it's too late for Alex or that she has to keep running . . . from her past and him.
This is my second book by this author. I couldn't decide if I wanted to give it 3 stars which is the way I felt about it until the last 50 pages or so or give it 4 for the ending which is good so I felt generous and gave it a 4. The author builds her stories slowly with alot of dialogue which can be frustrating to read sometimes. There is always the romance: a couple attracted to one another but one is more reluctant than the other to get involved. In this case, it was Alex. She had secrets, a past, something that happened that had changed her and not in a good way. Christian was the typical male who had a string of women in the past that he never cared about. He stayed as far away from commitment as possible - until Alex. It all started as a bet. She was an ice queen or so the men said because she turned each and every one of them down. Not Christian. He knew he could break through so he made the bet - a thousand dollars - and he had a month to do it. Much too much time he thought. The story takes place in Virginia and the backdrop is horse jumping competitions. It's a good read if you have the patience to stick with it until the end.
