Review: A Cowboy Unmatched by Karen Witemeyer

Book Cover and Synopsis:

Neill isn't sure who hired him to repair Clara's roof--he only knows Clara desperately needs his help. Can he convince this stubborn widow to let down her guard and take another chance on love?

My source for book: Local Library

My Thoughts:

This novella brings back characters from two of the author's previous novels (Short Straw Bride and Stealing the Preacher). Having read those books isn't necessary to enjoy this novella, though I'd say it does add to the experience. For me, it was fun to see all of the Archer brothers again, and in the process I realized just how big their storyline has ultimately become!

Karen Witemeyer generally only writes full length novels, but the shorter novella length of this one is very fitting. The plot doesn't seem rushed and it has a decent amount of time to blossom during its 13 chapters, but there's not really enough content to stretch into a full length novel. The majority of the story has very few characters in it, but I actually liked this as it allowed for a nice amount of character development despite the shorter length.

Neill is a good guy and very easy to like. And as for Clara, it's hard to not sympathize with her difficult situation. I did think the conflict was ultimately solved a bit too easily, especially for the big build-up that it had...though I liked that they ultimately did the "right" thing, rather than taking a path that would be difficult to pass up.

I don't feel the story has quite as much charm or humor as Karen's full length novels, though it's still a good read--especially for those who have previously read the other Archer books. The Archers are a unique clan, and it's nice to see Neill finally have his own story. The sad part is that this likely means we've seen the last of the Archer's...but I have no doubt Karen will come up with something just as good in the future.

My Rating: 3.5 stars