If The Boot Fits

Title: If The Boot Fits

Series: Texas Ever After #2

Author: Karen Witemeyer

Narrator: 

Source: Hoopla

My Review:

If the Boot Fits is the second of Karen Witemeyer's Texas Ever After series. Since the stories are fairy tale retellings, they don't need to be read in any particular order.

So, this is more of a reverse Cinderella tale. Asher is the "cinderfella," and I liked the way the story was written. It only mildly follows a Cinderella story, with more of a unique spin and strong faith elements.

I liked the characters. I was rooting for Samantha and Asher, and enjoyed the side characters as well. I was surprised by some plot twists, and toward the end of the book had figured out who the bad guy was, but I was hoping I was wrong. The story is full of mystery and intrigue, although it starts innocently enough, LOL.  The romance is sweet and slow-growing, with a lot of obstacles. I enjoyed the audio narration by Barbara McCulloh. I also enjoyed this story more than the first one in the series.

★★★★/5

Synopsis (Goodreads):  

Determined to prove that cattle king Eli Dearing has no justification for evicting his stepmother and half brothers, Asher Ellis uses the cover of a fancy ball to break into the Three Cedars ranch house to search for proof of wrongdoing. On the verge of discovery, he flees, but a boy's cry compels him to make a daring rescue.

Spunky and independent, Samantha Dearing balks when she learns the ball her father is hosting in her honor is nothing more than a matrimonial ambush. Taking a break from her unwanted suitors, Samantha spots a thief fleeing her home. When the stranger ends up saving her brother's life, she hides the only clue to his identity left behind--his boot--and resolves to find him herself.

But when Samantha encounters the older brother of a student she tutors, all thoughts of the bootless mystery man vanish. And although Asher tries to keep his distance from Samantha for reasons of his own, a series of suspicious accidents befall her, and his protective instincts flare, no matter the cost to their future.

This Western reimagining of the classic Cinderella fairy tale is an enchanting story of courage, family, and the power of true love.