Stephanie, a slick young urban woman, and Cade a rugged ranch owner, are an unlikely pair, but when they meet on his ranch when Stephanie shoots a documentary, spark fly and they must prove their loyalty to win each other's trust despite all the obstacles that face them. Stephanie is a young documentary film-maker who is assigned by her TV network to film a documentary on how cattle are raised on modern ranches. Her boss Brian tells her to film on the ranch of a major Texas rancher, Cade, who is well known in the cattle world. A little bit of cowboy glamor sells, her boss insists, so Stephanie goes to Cade's ranch, which is not far from Austin.
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Cade allows the crew to film, but he is suspicious of liberal Californians and how they will behave on his property. On his first meeting with Stephanie, he impresses upon her the standards of conduct he expects, and tells Stephanie that as the woman in charge, he will hold her responsible for any infractions her crew makes. Stephanie is a little overwhelmed by this strong-willed, authoritarian nature, but also by his tall, lean, tanned, rugged beauty and the masterful look in his piercing blue eyes. She is annoyed by his manner but likes the challenge, subconsciously, of dealing with such a powerful man.
The filming begins and it's far less interesting than I thought it would be. Stephanie finds Cade surprisingly thoughtful and balanced when she interviews him, and they speak with vets, butchers, and other tradesmen and professionals involved in the cattle industry. Cade and Stephanie crackle with attraction and sexual tension whenever they speak. When one of the crew, cameraman Tony accidentally leaves the cattle pen door open as he exists and a young cow wanders out, Stephanie panics and risks her safety to guide the cow back inside, wincing as it steps on her foot int he process. Cade is not pleased when he finds out, but says grudgingly that Stephanie isn't the city slicker he thought and invites her to go on a ride with him. She accepts and during the ride, they take a pause to walk and Cade nearly seduces her. Stephanie has never been so tempted in her life but does not think he would cherish her if she slept with him, just use her and discard her. The filming wraps up, and they leave, Stephanie still attached to Cade. Back at the TV network, Stephanie's boss Brian wants to edit the documentary to portray Cade in an unflattering light. Stephanie tries to block it, but he overrides her. Stephanie takes Brian out to dinner and tries her best to persuade him, but Brian takes the chance to hit on her, to her shock - and to her further shock and shame, Cade happens to be at that restaurant that night with a friend, sees it, and smiles sardonically.
The next day she tries to convince him it was not as it appeared, but he mockingly says it means nothing to him. Stephanie is hurt, but Cade realizes the truth when Stephanie sends him a draft of the final cut that Brian put together. By the time Cade has watched it, Stephanie manages to convince her boss to change his mind by telling him that he would gain more by allying himself with the wealthy cattle industry than by alienating it. Cade takes Stephanie out to dinner, apologizes, and admires her skill and gumption and loyalty in saving how he is portrayed in the film. When she is stiff, he melts further and confesses his love to her and that he wanted to punch Brian's lights out for trying to kiss her. She admits she loves him too, and they agree to get married and live happily ever after.
Best part of story, including ending:
I liked the even pacing of the novel a lot.
Best scene in story:
When Cade and Stephanie go riding, it's a fun scene and the author writes horses well.
Opinion about the main character:
I was surprised by Stephanie's level of backbone, it was unusual and I liked it.
