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All My Hopes and Dreams is a fascinating western romance that provides readers with a sweet love story about a couple who must learn to trust and love one another.
When her father insists on marriage to a man she doesn’t care for, Cynthia Harrington runs away only to be followed by Ricardo Romero, a wealthy ranch owner. Ricardo is intrigued by the beautiful Cynthia and when her father asked for his assistance, he agrees to bring her back. A series of mishaps lead to the two spending the evening alone on the trail. When word gets out about their overnight stay, Cynthia faces the wrath of her father and would-be fiancé. In order to salvage her reputation, Ricardo steps in and asks Cynthia to marry him. Eager to be free of her fiancé and have a home of her own Cynthia agrees and the two journey west to his family’s ranch.
Once there, Cynthia is shocked by the size of her new home and by the hatred she faces from her disappointed mother-in-law. As Cynthia struggles to find her place on the ranch, she also must battle a scheming mother-in-law as well Ricardo’s angry former lover. Cynthia is determined to make the best of the situation and soon finds herself falling for her new husband as well as finding her role on the large ranch. But her doubts and fears about their relationship and Ricardo’s motives for marrying her could ruin her new marriage.
Somewhat spoiled, Cynthia is used to getting her way with her father and must learn to adjust to a new way of life at the ranch. While at first I found Cynthia hard to like, throughout the story she grows and changes into a strong and caring woman worthy of respect and admiration. I truly enjoyed watching this amazing transformation and grew to care about Cynthia as she faced many complications in her new life. At times I wished she had stood up for herself a bit more, demonstrating her newfound strength. However, while her tendency to walk away from some situations rather than discuss them or defend herself didn’t seem consistent with the changes in her, in a way it did demonstrate her vulnerability and insecurity in her new life and relationship with Ricardo.
Ricardo was an interesting hero who faces struggles of his own. He goes against his parents in marrying Cynthia and must face their disappointment while trying to convince his new bride that she is needed and wanted. Ricardo seemed unsure of himself every so often as he tried to please everyone. His uncertainty gave his character a realness and softness.
In addition to the characters, the setting of the story, a large working ranch in the middle of nowhere, was truly fascinating. I enjoyed the glimpse of everyday life on a large ranch. The author brought the little community that lived on the ranch to life and it really added to the story, as did the twists-and-turns of the plot. Cynthia and Ricardo face many difficulties and obstacles throughout the story including an injured mother and threats from an outlaw. It was enjoyable to see how everything was handled and I could hardly wait to see what would happen next.
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