Review: Slow Hand by Victoria Vane

Title: Slow Hand by Victoria Vane
Hot Cowboy Nights Book One
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

In rural Montana…
Wade Knowlton is a hardworking lawyer who’s torn between his small-town Montana law practice and a struggling family ranch. He’s on the brink of exhaustion from trying to save everybody and everything, when gorgeous Nicole Powell walks into his office. She’s a damsel in distress and the breath of fresh air he needs.

Even the lawyers wear boots…
Nicole Powell is a sassy Southern girl who has officially sworn off cowboys after a spate of bad seeds-until her father’s death sends her to Montana and into the arms of a man who seems too good to be true. Her instincts tell her to high tail it out of Montana, but she can’t resist a cowboy with a slow hand…

The Review:

Longtime fans of Victoria Vane will be absolutely delighted with Slow Hand, the first novel in her contemporary romance series, Hot Cowboy Nights. This fast-paced and engaging love story is an excellent beginning to the series and will leave fans very eager for the next installment.

Wade Knowlton wears many hats (primarily lawyer and unwilling cowboy) but he is first and foremost, a gentleman. So when he notices a very sexy woman having a minor meltdown in the airport, he gallantly gives up his seat for the lovely, distraught lady. While Nicole “Nikki” Powell is grateful to get to her next destination, she is more than happy to see the backside of the sexy cowboy. However, unluckily for her (but luckily for him), Wade’s duty as her knight in shining armor continues when she finds herself stranded in Bozeman, Montana.

Wade is a charming, loyal and sincerely nice man. Although he wants nothing more than to leave ranching behind and concentrate fully on his law career, he knows how much his family counts on his help, so he dutifully continues to fill in whenever needed. Wade is also very chivalrous and despite Nikki’s very prickly attitude, he lends her a helping hand when she discovers her wallet is missing in addition to helping her settle her estranged father’s estate.

Nikki is not only a fish out of water, she is also grieving her father’s loss despite their long standing estrangement. Having sworn off cowboys after a string of ill-fated love affairs, she is determined to ignore her attraction to Wade. But when circumstances continue to throw them together, the couple find it impossible to resist their desire for one another.

Nikki and Wade’s romance is a very entertaining blend of sexy banter and sizzling lovemaking. While neither of them is really looking for anything long term, Wade is more open to a lasting relationship. But Nikki is very resistant to pursuing a future with him and this becomes a major stumbling block for the couple. Nikki does eventually have a change of heart where Wade is concerned, but will it prove too late to salvage their relationship?

Slow Hand is a well-written novel with a lovely cast of fully developed characters. Wade is an outgoing, easy love hero whereas it takes longer to completely warm up to Nikki. The plot is fairly straight forward, and while it is sometimes a little predictable, this does not detract from overall story. Victoria Vane does an excellent job setting up the next novel in the Hot Cowboy Nights series with the introduction of Wade’s brother, Dirk and his love interest, Janice.