This was cute. It had quite a few rather funny moments...but the ending was a tad rushed. The "I love yous" felt a tad rushed, too. ( )

This was cute. It had quite a few rather funny moments...but the ending was a tad rushed. The "I love yous" felt a tad rushed, too. ( )

Cat's a successful, bestselling author whose family and home are a complete mess. A widow raising five children, her house is overrun with children, animals, toys, and clutter. Her agent sends help her way in the form of Riley, a "time management specialist" who's hired to whip her life into shape so she will be more productive. Unfortunately, Cat wants nothing to do with the handsome cowboy, and he wants nothing to do with family life. Cat and Riley are thrown together by a bet first, and then a viral illness that sweeps through the family and forces Riley to stay put a while longer in the midst of Cat's chaotic world. The longer Riley stays, the more he realizes what's missing from his orderly existence: family.

This novella had its moments, and the premise was interesting enough, but I found the actual romantic storyline between Riley and Cat quite unbelievable. ***SPOILER ALERT: I can't believe that someone who feels so strongly against marriage and family would change his mind and be ready to propose marriage to his complete opposite within a few days. They did not have time to develop any sort of relationship--even friendship--before declaring themselves in love. In fact, during their time "together" in the house, they are constantly separated--taking care of the children, organizing the house, etc. They have precious few moments to talk with each other, and never once have a real heart-to-heart Riley never reveals his lack of family and upbringing to Cat, and Cat never tells him about her ex-husband. (He only finds out about her ex-husband from her children and photo albums.) With 5 small children, any responsible mother would not rush into such an engagement, and it's ridiculous to pretend so for the sake of a silly plot. I enjoyed many parts of the story, until the ending, when it became so outrageous as to ruin any enjoyment whatsoever. ( )