Autumn Blessing has faced many hardships in her life, from the loss of both her parents in tragic circumstances as a child, to being shuffled around the foster care system. Her life only started to improve when she was adopted at ten by the Blessings. She loves her overprotective parents very much, and knows that they love her and her sister just as much in return. For many years, Autumn has striven to become a published author. It has taken her twelve books, many rejections and a ton of put downs by her so-called 'friends' to get to where she is now, but she finally has a published novel and is no longer just a librarian. She is now facing a dream come true: her bestselling novel is being made into a film. What's more, the ranch that won the Location Shoot Contest belongs to the man she has developed a relationship with over the last six months on the internet, Cal Whittaker. She has finally found her dream man. Soon she will experience physical love for the first time and will then, at long last, be able to write her own love scenes in her books. She has her menagerie of animals, and she has found a man to love. Life cannot get any better. Except, upon meeting Cal, he seems different from the man she has been conversing with for half a year. Is he disappointed in her? Or is it something else entirely?

Cal Whittaker has plenty of work on his plate. He is a single father, is in charge of the family farm and owns his own law practice. After having spent a week in Dallas representing a client, he returns home to find that his matchmaking mother has struck again - and this time it's a doozy. Her machinations could land her in jail and the farm with a massive lawsuit. Not only has she forged his and his brothers’ signatures on a contract allowing a movie to be filmed on the farm, she has corresponded with a woman under the pretense of being him. A woman, moreover, who is the author of the book-turned-screen play that is to be filmed at the farm. This is one pickle he cannot seem to work himself out of. What makes his situation worse is that he is attracted to her. Even as he schemes up ways to try to get her to leave, his emotions become ever more engaged. Having kept the truth from her since the beginning, he feels he can no longer confess to the true events that have taken place. Originally it was to protect his mother and the farm. Now it is to protect her. Yet he knows he needs to be wholly truthful if anything is to happen between, his conscience won’t allow otherwise. Autumn cannot abide being lied to. Cal and his family have done little but lie from the beginning. Will Autumn be able to forgive and forget when Cal tells all? Will Cal tell all? Can Cal, who flinches at the very word, compromise?

His Farm, Her Circus is a humor-filled romance that will have you laughing from the first page and wanting more. What Cal and his brothers have been put through in their mother’s attempts to find them wives they don’t want are hilarious, yet you pity the poor things at the same time. However, it is impossible to be entirely sympathetic towards Cal when he is deceiving Autumn, especially since he is plotting to get rid of her as soon as he is able. You will find yourself angered at Autumn’s shabby treatment as a child and hope that she has finally found someone apart from her sister and adopted family who will love her wholly and without limitation for who she is. All of the characters are wonderful; they are loving, caring people you could imagine amongst your own family and friends.

There is sex in this story, but it is not explicitly described and does not include any of the more taboo sexual acts. His Farm, Her Circus is so enjoyable it is not enough to simply request that Ms. Gilbert give us more of this family and town; instead we must demand more. There is a whole host of characters in this tale who you will want to have their own romance; Luke, Garret, the trio of uncles ... even friends of Cal. I cannot express how much I desire this book to develop into a series, for no words are strong enough to convey the depth of this need. Ms. Gilbert, you have done a wonderful job with this story. I hope you loved writing it as much as I loved reading it, and that you have plans to write much more for our future gratification.


Reviewed by: Elizabeth