Catherine Anderson, Sun Kissed

Sun Kissed

Catherine Anderson

Signet, January 2007, $7.99

ISBN: 0451218957

A horse lover all her life, Samantha Harrington attends the rodeo when she sees a drunk abusing his steed. Unable to ignore this blatant cruelty, she intercedes. During the ensuing tussle, veterinarian, Dr. Tucker Coulter gets involved. For their intervention, the duo are arrested, and fear their efforts may have caused harm to the horse.

Though they are freed when the charges are dropped, someone is poisoning Sam's quarter horses. Law enforcement and the insurance company assume Sam is the culprit as the motive is greed; she collects if something happens to her horses. Tucker cannot accept the prevalent theory about this delightful caring female that he met, who was willing to do jail time to rescue an abused horse, would harm any animal, let alone those she raises. He offers to help Sam uncover the identity of who wants to ruin her and why. Reluctantly, because she fears her attraction to him, as she does not trust men like she does horses, she accepts help from her good neighbor.

Sam is a tough intrepid woman when it comes to protecting animals, but a frightened untrusting soul when it comes to men, even after the vet proves he is her equal when it comes to horses etc. The inquiry into who would harm the animals is fun to follow, though the motive does not say much about two legged beasts. Still, readers will enjoy this romantic suspense thriller, in which Sam risks all to keep her beloved horses safe from an insidious villain who has insider information. SUN KISSED is a special and memorable tale.