Throwback Thursday: Courting the Enemy by Sherryl Woods

Author: Sherryl Woods
First published in 2001 by Silhouette

Foe...or Fiance?

Karen Hanson's oldest friends, the Calamity Janes, urged her to sell her struggling ranch & pursue her lifelong dreams of travel. But the only bidder for her land was brooding, enigmatic Grady Blackhawk - her late husband's worst enemy. How could she sell the land to him? Then Grady set out to prove that he wasn't the scoundrel Karen thought him. Spending time with her drop-dead handsome adversary might cost Karen a lot more than her ranch. Because Grady was becoming less interested in claiming her land...& more intent on claiming Karen herself!


Courting the Enemy is the second book in the Calamity Janes series.  This is Karen's story.  In the first book, her husband died of a heart attack and she is left with a failing ranch that she tries to keep afloat on her own.  Her neighbor, Grady has been trying to buy the land back for his family, but Caleb (her late husband) has always hated him.  When Grady shows up to try to help her, Karen has to decide if she can trust him, or if he was the one who has been sabotaging her ranch.

I liked this one a lot more than the first book.  I felt like Karen's hesitancy to get involved with Grady came across as genuine.  While she is attracted to Grady, she feel incredible guilt as if she is betraying her late husband.  Grady's patience with her was very sweet .  I loved them together.  The only thing about this book that I wish was better explained was who was really behind all of the sabotage.  There is a solution to who set the fire, but it wasn't clear to me whether or not this person was behind everything.

This is turning out to be a great series.  I look forward to reading the next Calamity Jane's story, To Catch a Thief.