Hitched for a Dream by Cynthia Terelst

When my husband died, I was saddled with a lifetime of debt.

Enter Curtis, a brooding, no-nonsense American vet with a soft spot for horses. His proposal: marry him so he can stay in Australia and buy the business of his dreams. In return, he’ll make my financial woes disappear.

It seems like a good business transaction to me. It’s only a year of my life.

As we navigate life on the farm—from stubborn mares to nosy neighbours—I find he’s not so surly after all. Beneath his gruff exterior lies a man who knows how to mend more than just animals. He can rescue hearts as well.

The problem? His constant reminders that we’ll be free of each other in twelve months show his heart is not on the same track as mine.

At the end of twelve months my debts will be gone, but my heart may not survive losing the man I never thought I’d fall for.

My Review

I need my residency. I need to get out of this debt. I don’t wanna go back. I can’t move forward. He needs something from me. She needs help. Maybe. This will benefit both of us. He’s/She’s… becoming everything to me. Why can’t I fight this feeling? My best friend. Maybe this is more real than I could have ever imagined. Maybe you can be a part of my dreams.

Hitched for a Dream by Cynthia Terelyst brings you on a heartfelt journey of growth. Our main characters, Rachel and Curtis, enter a fake marriage of convenience. He needs his Australian visa. She needs her husband’s debts paid. Having already been best friends, what could be more convenient? She knows him better than anybody else. He has the money to help her finally live her life again, no longer shackled to the past.  Neither is looking for love, but they can’t deny this burgeoning attraction to each other. Maybe this marriage won’t be so fake after all?

I suspected early on that I would fall in with this story.  Every masterfully crafted word only confirmed that, for me, I was able to read the entire story peacefully. Even better, a giddy anticipation would come over me with every turn of the page. The prose was well-written and clean. I was kept consistently engaged in what was happening at every angle. I couldn’t deny my emotional investment and attachment to the characters, world-building, and even horses!

Rachel and Curtis were just incredibly in-depth. The characters’ traumas were very present in the story. They shaped the way Rachel and Curtis behaved and reacted to situations and each other.  I appreciated how I was shown instead of being told why it mattered. Even the flashbacks contributed greatly to my understanding of the situation.  Rachel was headstrong, only wanting to rely on herself, cutting herself off from those who loved and could help her. Curtis was quiet and efficient, but he had trouble communicating with others. Neither of them believed they were worthy of the love and care others had for them. Until they finally got with each other.

I could tell from the very beginning that those two were going to go the distance. They were already noticing each other’s little personality quirks and small things they liked. The personal character growth that followed was glorious. Rachel starts opening up and allowing someone to share her burdens. It makes her realize that maybe someone can love her after her tragedy. And maybe convince her that it can apply to others in her life as well. Curtis slowly and surely starts connecting with those around him. He realizes his life is worth more than a lie and an inconvenience until he’s useful. I love that they learn to share each other’s burdens, from domestic to emotional, and how it transforms them into happier and fulfilled versions of themselves.

And the fact that they found each other attractive was just icing on the cake. The slow-burning tension was divine. I never felt the annoyance, “Would you hurry up and get together already?”. I only felt the dreamy “I know you will get together now, let’s see when you realize that”. An aura of conspirational giddiness came over me, knowing it was only a matter of time. I felt validated when they finally started living together and actually acted on it.

There was only one real minor complaint I could make in regards to the intimacy scenes. Two of Curtis’s sex scenes contained a bit of an overusuage of the same words to describe Curtis’s use of his genitalia. One of the scenes said it a total of seven times.  And while this initially threw me off, it actually had me laughing by the final page. All I could think of was “Aw, you two are so stupid”. Cue the heart eyes.  A miraculous turn around, I can’t say, happens every day, only contributing to showcase the author’s ability to set a fun and wonderful atmosphere.

After all, there’s something rather exciting about wanting someone so bad you can’t even make it to the bed. Despite the slip in language. The lovemaking scenes showed the spontaneity and heat between the characters. Their desperation for the emotional connection was reflected in how eager to please and hold on to each they were. And hey, at least I know he was very eager for her ;).

On technical execution, the plot was incredibly coherent.  Any loose ends I may have thought would occur were tied up beautifully. All problems ended up being resolved.  The side characters were wonderful. They were complex and had their own fleshed-out goals, problems, and personalities. They were well written and also didn’t overshadow the main couple.

I also appreciated the utilization of horses in the story. The horse knowledge wasn’t hard to understand and was explained well. The interactions with these beautiful animals highlighted major plot elements in the story, along with showcasing positive interactions between characters. The empathy and love radiated. I was always excited to see a foal be born. I cared when any of them got hurt. The authors’ love and command of the subject shone brightly.

Thank you, Cynthia Terelyst, for writing a masterpiece that did not miss, and I’m overjoyed we picked this Arc up, and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review. It was a diabetic sugar rush of a fantastic read from start to finish. I couldn’t be happier! It was so satisfying, I had forgotten that it was actually the second book in the Diamond Firetail Farm Series. The story stood out all on its own and wrapped up so cleanly. I was excited when I found out about the others, not for how they could potentially expand what I just read, but for the standalone stories they could tell. If you want to delve into a wonderful and cozy love story, I couldn’t recommend this enough. And when you’re done, maybe consider downloading the bonus epilogue.  You might just find a lovely flash forward that will make your heart melt.

Until Next Time,

Lynzee

If you want to read Hitched for a Dream by Cynthia Terelst, you can find it on Amazon. As an Amazon Assocaite, I earn on qualifying purchases.

If you like this book, you may also enjoy books with these tags and categoreis: Fake Relationship, Friends to Lovers, and Small Town.