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Brownfield Family #1
Always a Lady
A Lady by Sharon Sala released on Jul 25, 2000 is available now for purchase .SOMETIMES RUNNING AWAY TAKES YOU RIGHT TO WHERE YOU’RE MEANT TO BE…
Lily Brownfield made the call on a whim. Dumped by her fiancé because she was no longer “perfect” in the wake of an accident, all she wanted was to get away. Leaving LA behind to cook for the cowboys of the Longren Ranch was certainly getting away, and Oklahoma seemed like a perfect place to hide, nursing her sorrows in private.
From her first glimpse of Case Longren, a giant of a man in a black Stetson standing tall beneath the hot prairie sun, Lily realized there would be no hiding from his penetrating blue eyes. Case would see not only the outward scar the accident had left but the deep inner scars she was sure were there to stay. He was a man to be avoided at all costs.
At first Case didn’t understand why such a pretty blonde would leave the city to cook for two dozen dusty ranch hands in the middle of nowhere. Didn’t she know she was gorgeous—especially because of everything she’d overcome? He intended to help her see just how wonderful she was, even if it meant losing the woman he loved to the bright lights of the big city.
Lily Brownfield made the call on a whim. Dumped by her fiancé because she was no longer “perfect” in the wake of an accident, all she wanted was to get away. Leaving LA behind to cook for the cowboys of the Longren Ranch was certainly getting away, and Oklahoma seemed like a perfect place to hide, nursing her sorrows in private.
From her first glimpse of Case Longren, a giant of a man in a black Stetson standing tall beneath the hot prairie sun, Lily realized there would be no hiding from his penetrating blue eyes. Case would see not only the outward scar the accident had left but the deep inner scars she was sure were there to stay. He was a man to be avoided at all costs.
At first Case didn’t understand why such a pretty blonde would leave the city to cook for two dozen dusty ranch hands in the middle of nowhere. Didn’t she know she was gorgeous—especially because of everything she’d overcome? He intended to help her see just how wonderful she was, even if it meant losing the woman he loved to the bright lights of the big city.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
154 people are currently reading
276 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Sala
279 books2,301 followersBiography
Sharon Sala is a Native Oklahoman and still lives within a two hour drive of where she was born.
First published in 1991, she is a New York Times/USA Today, best-selling author with a 135 plus books published in seven different genres, including Romantic suspense, Mystery, Young Adult, Western, Fiction, Women’s Fiction and Non-Fiction.
Industry Awards include:
Eight-time RITA finalist. (Romance Industry award)
The Janet Dailey Award.
Five-time Career Achievement winner from RT Magazine.
Five time winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award.
Five time winner of the Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence.
Heart of Excellence Award.,
Booksellers Best Award.
Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award RITA, presented by RWA.
Centennial Award from RWA for recognition of her 100th published novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
May 7, 2016
I should have checked my own review (below) before rereading this book. Oh gosh, that was just tedious. I love the story, but hate Lily's obsession with the scar on her face. Which is all there really is to Lily. If her issues with her scar were hashed upon less, this would probably be 4 stars for me. As it is, Lily's delusions take away at least 2 stars.
Original review:
The female MC, Lily, is totally delusional and actively undermines herself. She was fucking miserable, man. 75% of the book is about her god damn face. She constantly notices that people are not staring, people are not looking away in disgust, she's not being treated like a leper. But then she turns around and expects the male MC, Case - who has repeatedly expressed his belief that he thinks she's beautiful as-is - to suddenly find her disgusting... at some point, probably? He's done nothing to make her think he finds her disgusting, but maybe he will next Thursday. So she rejects him and herself. It makes no sense.
It was just constant rehashing of the same thing: she's horrifying to look at and the guy just hasn't realized it yet. Chapter after chapter. This girl is shaaallow. Maybe if she actually was horribly disfigured I could get it, but she wasn't, she just had a scar down her cheek. The very same one we find so dreamy on our bad boy hero MCs. The only thing Lily cares about is her face, I dunno how she had any emotion left to fall in love.
But Case was a good character. He didn't really back down and I'm always a sucker for a ranching man. I kept reading mainly to find out how long he was going to put up with this stupid woman. I would have dumped her ass like 1/3 of the way through.
Bleh. Not good.
Original review:
The female MC, Lily, is totally delusional and actively undermines herself. She was fucking miserable, man. 75% of the book is about her god damn face. She constantly notices that people are not staring, people are not looking away in disgust, she's not being treated like a leper. But then she turns around and expects the male MC, Case - who has repeatedly expressed his belief that he thinks she's beautiful as-is - to suddenly find her disgusting... at some point, probably? He's done nothing to make her think he finds her disgusting, but maybe he will next Thursday. So she rejects him and herself. It makes no sense.
It was just constant rehashing of the same thing: she's horrifying to look at and the guy just hasn't realized it yet. Chapter after chapter. This girl is shaaallow. Maybe if she actually was horribly disfigured I could get it, but she wasn't, she just had a scar down her cheek. The very same one we find so dreamy on our bad boy hero MCs. The only thing Lily cares about is her face, I dunno how she had any emotion left to fall in love.
But Case was a good character. He didn't really back down and I'm always a sucker for a ranching man. I kept reading mainly to find out how long he was going to put up with this stupid woman. I would have dumped her ass like 1/3 of the way through.
Bleh. Not good.
August 3, 2011
I'm in big trouble. I have so many things to do, so many things to think about but all I can do is read this book and cry and cry and cry. I'm halfway through a 200+ paged-document I've been rewriting for work, and the deadline's on Friday and there's not much time to do anything else, but here I am, reading and crying and turning a page and crying and hiding in the bathroom and reading and crying. And it just feels so good to cry. I've been needing to do that since the breakup. It's been a long time coming. I guess the reason why Sharon Sala has got a special place in my heart is because she recognizes what pain is, and how much it takes to keep it hidden, to put it somewhere deep inside you where even you couldn't see.
Look, I'm crying again. Here's another review where all I do is talk about my feelings which are not related in any way to what I've been reading. Why do I do this? I must be mad.
Look, I'm crying again. Here's another review where all I do is talk about my feelings which are not related in any way to what I've been reading. Why do I do this? I must be mad.
August 16, 2015
Lovely read, really enjoyed it.
January 17, 2022
Lily Catherine Brownfield has suffered so much in her young life. As the book opens, she is in the hospital recovering from a horrible car crash that leaves her disfigured. Her shallow fiance takes one look at her face and immediately turns away in disgust. When she gave him back the ring, I wanted her to stuff it down his arrogant throat. She's recuperating in her beach cottage when a newspaper blows across the pristine sand. She chases it until she retrieves the trash. But then her curiosity is piqued when she sees the newspaper is from Oklahoma, and for the lack of anything better to do, she puts it back together and reads it. But it's a classified ad that draws her attention. A cook is wanted for a three-month round-up on an Oklahoma ranch. Maybe this is exactly what Lily needs, to get away from the awful memories of the car crash and breakup. She makes a call without realizing it's the middle of the night two time zones over. A sleepy male voice answers and she inquires about the job. He hires her sight unseen. Case Longren just needs someone to cook for the cowboys during round-up. He's beyond shocked when beautiful blonde-haired Lily arrives to fill the position. It is inevitable that the two of them get together, but it's a long road. Lily's mistrust of all men keeps him at arm's length. After all, how could anyone look at the horrible scar on her face and not be disgusted? She is every time she looks in the mirror. To say it took some work to break through her icy barriers is an understatement. But with a lot of help from mother nature and near-death close calls, she begins to melt. I loved Lily's father and brothers. They were all such unique characters. This is a fun read and satisfying love story with a great ending.
November 5, 2019
Lily was on her way home from a bridal shower when a drunk driver changed her world
She heard her fiancée out in the hallway talking to her doctor. How can I walk down the aisle with her. That scar on her face is awful, can’t you do something about it,she used to be beautiful now she is ugly.
Lily was devastated, she thought that Cole loved her, she realized that all he wanted was a trophy, someone to show off to his colleagues, to show them what they didn’t have..
She thrust her engagement ring into his hands when he came in the room, and told him that he had to cancel the wedding and all of the plans, he didn’t argue, he just said that it was for the best and walked out..
Weeks later she saw the help wanted ad for a cook on a cattle ranch in Oklahoma!
She heard her fiancée out in the hallway talking to her doctor. How can I walk down the aisle with her. That scar on her face is awful, can’t you do something about it,she used to be beautiful now she is ugly.
Lily was devastated, she thought that Cole loved her, she realized that all he wanted was a trophy, someone to show off to his colleagues, to show them what they didn’t have..
She thrust her engagement ring into his hands when he came in the room, and told him that he had to cancel the wedding and all of the plans, he didn’t argue, he just said that it was for the best and walked out..
Weeks later she saw the help wanted ad for a cook on a cattle ranch in Oklahoma!
August 23, 2018
A little strained here and there, mainly because of the "lady" in question. She has been badly scarred, both physically and emotionally, and fears having it happen again. The big cowboy who hires her takes one look and falls deeply.
She rebuffs him, knowing that the feelings he evokes are anything but ladylike. It takes a few disasters, both human and man-made, for the pair to be on the same page. Not a bad story.
She rebuffs him, knowing that the feelings he evokes are anything but ladylike. It takes a few disasters, both human and man-made, for the pair to be on the same page. Not a bad story.
October 29, 2022
Don't bother
The main character is whining and feels sorry for herself all the time because she has a scar on her face and gets dumped by her boyfriend. Boo hoo! She isn't beautiful anymore! Boo hoo! I got so tired of her feeling sorry for herself. Not everyone is beautiful and and still lead happy productive lives. This book was a waste of time.
The main character is whining and feels sorry for herself all the time because she has a scar on her face and gets dumped by her boyfriend. Boo hoo! She isn't beautiful anymore! Boo hoo! I got so tired of her feeling sorry for herself. Not everyone is beautiful and and still lead happy productive lives. This book was a waste of time.
October 4, 2019
Lily Brownfield was facially scarred in a can accident in L.A. On a lark, she answers an ad to cook on an Oklahoma ranch. Case Longren runs the ranch but doesn't understand why Lily is so shy around people. The two fall in love and marry.
December 21, 2021
Always a Lady
I thought it was a wonderful book! About a woman who had been hit by a drunk driver. Her fiance broke up their engagement but was done by the woman who had been hit by the drunk!
I thought it was a wonderful book! About a woman who had been hit by a drunk driver. Her fiance broke up their engagement but was done by the woman who had been hit by the drunk!
October 31, 2023
The sequel is better. The book is slow paced and somewhat repetitive. The scar on her face to me was representative of the scars we all carry, whether visible or not and how we defeat ourselves if the scar becomes more important that the person.
July 1, 2018
What happens when your fiancee doesn't want you if your not perfect.
Hit the road to a ranch in Oklahoma as a cool and find yourself the man who will always love you perfect or not.
Hit the road to a ranch in Oklahoma as a cool and find yourself the man who will always love you perfect or not.
December 23, 2018
Sweet
I have always loved this book. Her family is a stitch. Case is the kind of man any girl would wish for.
I have always loved this book. Her family is a stitch. Case is the kind of man any girl would wish for.
May 18, 2020
Pretty good
Not as good as some of the other Sharon Sala books I read, but still entertaining enough. Pretty good book overall.
Not as good as some of the other Sharon Sala books I read, but still entertaining enough. Pretty good book overall.
January 15, 2021
Loved it ,really good ,build of characters , i also loved how the writer change the voice between characters smoothly.
August 16, 2021
This is a great summer read, the kind of feel good fiction I really like.
December 12, 2021
It's ok
After reading 5 Sharon Sala books in a row this one was just not as good. Felt like a bit of a let down.
After reading 5 Sharon Sala books in a row this one was just not as good. Felt like a bit of a let down.
Read
December 22, 2021It was awful, but it was also written in 1993 and it’s a subject of its time.
March 13, 2022
A beautiful love story.
Read
October 22, 2022Always a Lady
Love Sharon Sala books. This one is funny, scary and an absolute need to read again. I love books that I know I'm going to read again
Love Sharon Sala books. This one is funny, scary and an absolute need to read again. I love books that I know I'm going to read again
November 18, 2022
Readable
February 23, 2023
Not badly written, just very predictable.
April 13, 2023
SWEET
Beautiful story of pain and healing. How Love delivered her from all her hurt and self-doubt. Love gave her acceptance confidence and self-love again.
Beautiful story of pain and healing. How Love delivered her from all her hurt and self-doubt. Love gave her acceptance confidence and self-love again.
May 11, 2023
Another classic and memorable re-read for me from my teen years!
The story held my interest then and now.
A great read with angst and fun, sizzle and love love love!
The story held my interest then and now.
A great read with angst and fun, sizzle and love love love!
June 27, 2023
Find me my own Case Longren. 🥹
September 20, 2023
Always A Lady
Another brilliant story by Sharon Sala. She has never let me down in the 37 plus years I've been reading her books.
Another brilliant story by Sharon Sala. She has never let me down in the 37 plus years I've been reading her books.
November 17, 2023
An enjoyable read, unfortunately my library does not carry the sequel. I hope it is available on kindle.
March 10, 2024
Just a good ole cowboy gets the girl story. I loved it!
April 5, 2025
Sweet
This is a sweet story of love. It moved a bit slow for me, but loved the end and the way family was brought in.
This is a sweet story of love. It moved a bit slow for me, but loved the end and the way family was brought in.
June 5, 2019
You have always been admired; you are attractive and receive constant reassurance of your value and great looks. One day, it all comes to an end with a shattering auto wreck that leaves a large scar on your face.
Suddenly nothing is the same. When your fiancée breaks the engagement two months from the wedding, your confidence is shattered. Aren't you the same person? Were you only admired only because of your youth and good looks?
What is the most logical thing to do? Run and hide! Thus begins the story of Lily Brownfield. She leaves LA behind and takes a job as a temporary cook for a round-up in Oklahoma.
Lily arrives with an Oklahoma-sized chip on her shoulder and her emotions raw with rage. She literally dares anyone to comment on her face or show any interest in her personally. She is surprised when most of the cowboys are more concerned with her cooking skills than her looks.
The owner of the ranch, Case Longren, is attracted to Lily but senses there must be quite a story as to why a lady of quality would agree to come to the hinterlands of Oklahoma to cook for 3 months.
This is a fairly common storyline but Sharon Sala breathes new life into it with her insights and writing style. This is Sala's first published book and is part of a short series.
Brownfield Family
1. Always a Lady (1993)
2. Gentle Persuasion (1993)
Suddenly nothing is the same. When your fiancée breaks the engagement two months from the wedding, your confidence is shattered. Aren't you the same person? Were you only admired only because of your youth and good looks?
What is the most logical thing to do? Run and hide! Thus begins the story of Lily Brownfield. She leaves LA behind and takes a job as a temporary cook for a round-up in Oklahoma.
Lily arrives with an Oklahoma-sized chip on her shoulder and her emotions raw with rage. She literally dares anyone to comment on her face or show any interest in her personally. She is surprised when most of the cowboys are more concerned with her cooking skills than her looks.
The owner of the ranch, Case Longren, is attracted to Lily but senses there must be quite a story as to why a lady of quality would agree to come to the hinterlands of Oklahoma to cook for 3 months.
This is a fairly common storyline but Sharon Sala breathes new life into it with her insights and writing style. This is Sala's first published book and is part of a short series.
Brownfield Family
1. Always a Lady (1993)
2. Gentle Persuasion (1993)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews