Love Is a Fairy Tale

by Zelma Orr

She had always believed love was a fairy tale

Ami Whitelake had surrendered her dreams long ago--or perhaps she'd never really harbored any. Ami took satisfaction in hard work, pleasure in the wonder of nature and love where she found it--rescuing an injured mongrel dog, taking in a homeless boy.

For Ami, Wagner's Ranch in southeastern Arizona became her sole source of joy. It was a place of promise, a chance to practice her veterinary skills in a land of spectacular beauty. She never expected to find love there, until she met Jeff Wagner. But Jeff barely noticed her. Surely he would never return her love....

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1984

Reviews

[Bea Tea · Rating 5 out of 5]

The heroine alone makes this a solid 5 stars. This book is from 1984 and she's such a badass, she's a highly qualified vet working on a ranch, very much a woman in a man's world and flying the flag for feminism. She has a strong moral compas, and strives to be a good human being even when all around her are utter shits. I loved her for bejng mature, calm, brave and principled. I loved her relationship with Rio, and how much she cared about people.

The hero, alas, was a total sleeze who relentlessly chased her down for sex while keeping his posh fiancee on the hook. A man who wants his cake and to eat it too. I just thought he was pathetic, gross and lacking in any moral fiber.

An odd quirk of this book, perhaps it was fashionable in the 80s, was how often we are told that the heroine is suuuuuper thin, so thin people worry about her, that she skips meals constantly, is always pushing food away, or making comments about how by eating a full meal she'll become fat and waddle about like a pig. Her weird relationship with food isn't a plot point, it's just there in the background, constantly reminding the reader how very very very thin she is. I found it kind of distracting and disturbing, and honestly wondered if the author had pro ana leanings because it came over as unchallanged obsession and ideation.

[Naksed · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young veterinarian goes to work at an Arizona ranch and promptly falls in love with its widower rancher. A jealous other woman frames her for cattle rustling and almost succeeds in getting her killed. It’s a plot that’s been done to death but I gave it three stars nonetheless because this author is a compelling story-teller. The extended cast of character from her dog Remus to the widower’s cherubic little daughter made this book enjoyable.