His Little Girl'S Laughter (Silhouette Special Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Dad and daughter need lots of TLC
Review: And that's just what they get at the Rocky R ranch. Therapist Shannon Collins and her Equine Assisted Therapy program are what Rafe Pierson feels is the last resort in getting his traumatized daughter to speak again. After exhausting all conventional forms of therapy, he turns to the pretty doctor for help. He doesn't make it easy-he's highly skeptical and harboring a great deal of grief himself. With Shannon's patience and love, and the unconditional love of her gentle menagerie, father and daughter learn to again open their hearts to love and to live (and laugh) again.

I thank the author for giving her readers a story of warm comfort to read at this time. It never fails to amaze me that Ms. Smith turns out great stories time after time. "His Little Girl's Laughter" is no exception. A story that alternately tugs on your heart and steams up the pages, it's just the ticket to curl up with in front of the fireplace on these crisp autumn nights.

Rating:
Summary: Strong story line
Review: Deputy district attorney Rafe Pierson had been single-minded in his pursuit of justice until the brother of man he prosecuted sought retribution. Rafe's wife was gunned down in a fast food restaurant in the presence of his daughter. Just before the murder died, he told police "he wanted to take away someone I loved, the same way I'd taken away his brother." In the aftermath, Rafe's not only lost his wife, but also felt like he'd lost his daughter when she grew entirely silent, absolutely refusing to speak. In a desperate measure to heal his daughter, Rafe signs her up for equestrian therapy.

Dr. Shannon Collins developed a regimen that utilizes patient's interaction with horses as a form of therapy. When Rafe arrives with his daughter Janine, Shannon realizes that to reach the child she will have to reach the parent. Rafe and Janine are guests in her home since they live so far away, lending a domestic element to their interaction. Shannon holds her own scars from the past, having grown up in an alcoholic home where her father beat her mother. Cautious of men, she's not interested in a serious relationship with a man, although she would like to have a child. Until that day, she channels her maternal feelings into her job.

This reviewer faces a bit of a conundrum responding to HIS LITTLE GIRL'S LAUGHTER. On the one hand, author Karen Rose Smith presents a strong storyline with believable characters. On the other hand, I grew impatient with a hero who constantly compares his previous clingy wife to the heroine, rather than just allowing her strengths to shine. I also grew quite cross with a woman who purposefully wants to get pregnant without the knowledge or consent of her partner. Nevertheless, the child of the story gives the novel a unity and beauty that makes it, at times, a very attractive read.