Give me horses any day. Ranches and towns in the middle of the great western landscape. A beautiful, strong woman. And a sexy, gorgeous outsider to fall in love with.

Then have Beverly Jenkins write it.

WILD RAIN is the second in her Women Who Dare Series, but it’s the first one I read. Believe me, I’m heading back for the first book about other characters in Wild Rain that I definitely want to know more about. Spring Rain Lee is a woman on her own, tough, independent, with a troubled past and a future she’s going to make all by herself. Garrett McCray is a reporter from Back East, lost in a blizzard and hurting after he was thrown from his horse. Different as night and day so you know it’s going to be a great love story.

This is a quick read, a good read, delicious in its characterizations, swoon-worthy in its romance. A kiss is just a kiss until Ms. Jenkins writes about it. Then it’s poetry you can feel in your heart.

Beverly Jenkins is a queen of historical romance. As a reader, I just gobble up her words, imagining the scenes as they unfold. As a writer, I study her plot lines, her phrasing, her characterizations. More often than not, I sit up and wonder, How does she do that?

I highly recommend this book. Easy and breezy, strong and powerful, and so much fun all the way to its happy ending. Of course, there’s a happy ending. (Though not quite what I expected….)