Dylan's Last Dare

Rating:
Summary: He never turned down a challenge
Review: Dylan "The Devil" Gentry had been a champion bullrider with women flocking toward him - until his debilitating accident. Now bound to a wheelchair and believing he'll never walk again, much less ride a bull again, Dylan lives on his brother's ranch and has been chasing away all of his physical therapists. That is, until determined Brenna Farren showed up as his door and refused to be chased away. Dylan found himself very attracted to the pretty red-head, but her only concern seemed to be getting him to walk again. Dylan loves a challenge, and he definitely sees Brenna as one!

Brenna Farren needed this job. A new graduate, she was pregnant and alone. Her worthless boyfriend had been killed in a hang-gliding accident, and now she alone was going to have to care for her baby. She didn't need any more complications, especially Dylan, with his dangerous eyes and warm embrace. She knew it wouldn't be long until everyone found out about her pregnancy, but she was more than surprised when Dylan offered to marry her in order to give her child a name. Shocked into complying, Brenna wonders what she has gotten herself into!

This book was pretty good, but almost seemed antiquated with its theme. Marrying temporarily to give the baby a last name? The threat of a shotgun wedding if the man doesn't do right by someone's daughter? That seems like something I'd read in a historical novel, not a contemporary one. The whole Gentry/Randell clan was more than confusing. I suppose if you've read all of the Texas Brotherhood books, you'd be able to understand it, but I got bogged down in all of the names and all of the characters that were left with little introduction, as if I was supposed to know who they were already.

Dylan was a pretty good guy. Brenna was a bit too co-dependent and whiny for my tastes. She was determined to change Dylan, and I'm of the opinion that a woman should never enter a relationship with the intent of changing her man. The baby's true father was barely mentioned, and for Brenna supposedly loving him, she didn't seem too broken up over his death. Brenna's fury over Dylan chasing his dream of bull riding, however, got on my last nerve. She knew before she even met him that he wanted to go back to bull riding, and yet she acted really surprised and hurt when it happened. Of course, the message of the book was if a man loves a woman enough, he'll give up what he loves, but I just don't think that's healthy.

Despite the cliches and all of the characters that were tossed at the reader, the book was still fairly good. I may read it again. It'd be a lot easier to follow if you've read the rest of the books in the series, however.