Here she’s talking to Choya about her college plans: After all – she needs a man to take care of her! Her sense of entitlement is baffling, gross, and I was truly horrified. Let’s not even get into the fact that going to live with a total stranger is something she doesn’t hesitate to do. Not just that, but she has no life experience nor does she have any clue what she wants from life.

Spoiled, having never held a job, money coming from either her daddy or now her sort-of boyfriend/boss Choya, she has never been on her own.

If these were real people I would bet that they break up within the year.įor the entire book this heroine acts like a little girl. I really dislike books where I’m told that characters love each other but I see no proof, there is no warm or fuzzies. That’s right – not only are these two circling each other chastity belts firmly in place, but they are also not kind to each other, have nothing in common, and do nothing together. Their entire relationship seems to be Choya seeing if Jacquie will stick around and be his ranch wife, or if she’s going to run off (like she should) to find what she really wants from life. This couple (on page or off) never seems to consummate their relationship, nor are we given a great courtship. While I don’t like to spoil books, I feel the need to tell you potential readers that not only is there a total lack of holiday spirit in this book, but the romance was completely lacking as well. Choya feels it’s up to him to help her and so he hires her as a live-in housekeeper. Ah but Jacquie looses her wallet and can’t pay her bills – not only that but when she calls home her father refuses her collect call leaving her well and truly stranded.

He warns her away from his son who takes an instant liking to the girl and is known to form strong attachments. The man she ran into is Choya Barnett – a 33 year old with eyes like a mountain lion who is a rancher and widowed father. Only problem is, she causes an accident in Tombstone, AZ and has to wait for her car to be repaired. Although she has no idea what she wants from life she takes off armed with a debit card (thanks daddy!) and heads west to experience life in Los Angeles. She is very beautiful and she knows it, just like she knows she needs to quit going to college even if her father is very upset that she’s quitting on the education he’s paying for. This is a story about a young woman (just over 21) named Jacquie.

The Master Fiddler by Janet Dailey