Jenny Dalton was a paid companion to Don Rafael's aunt. She knew her place at El Rancho Simi and had reined in her overwhelming attraction to Rafael because he was engaged to the daughter of a neighboring ranch owner. Jenny suspected that Rafael felt the spark between them, but jobs were hard to come by and she was not going to jeopardize her job based on a whim.

When we first meet Jenny, she's been told that a stampede has happened and Rafael is missing. Chaos abounded with every hand busy trying to save the animals on the ranch, Jenny knew Rafael's only chance of being found was her. Our Jenny was one tough cookie; she was very resourceful and overcame some tough situations to reach the man she loved. She convinced herself that she needed to save him for the sake of the ranch. Jenny battled on until she found Rafael and got him to safety. What ensued after Rafael woke up made for some hot reading. A misunderstanding between Jenny and Rafael that night, as well as the situation of an unchaperoned woman staying all night with a man, caused rumors to abound. After a number of confrontations regarding said rumors, Jenny decided she had to leave El Rancho Simi, but someone had other plans for her.

Rafael made it quite clear to Jenny that he was just as attracted to her as she to him. Jenny hadn't given him any signs, though, that she would be open to him pursuing her. He was unhappily engaged because of family obligations, and he would end that sham of an arrangement if he got but one word of encouragement from Jenny. He was confused and didn't understand why she rejected any attempt on his part to try and take their relationship from employer to employee--to something more.

DARK STRANGER is an enjoyable tale of a woman who finally finds love and feels it's out of her reach. The sexual tension between Jenny and Rafael is palatable. What a loving man Rafael is, and any man who is able to dance the flamenco like him is the man for me. Ms. Valdez has written a fantastic book and I eagerly await her next read.

Reviewed by: SexiVixen

July 2004