The Pretender - Kathleen Creighton (HRS #1693 - Feb 2012)

Series: Scandals of Sierra Malone (Book 2) 

Struggling actress Abigail Lindgren feels it's her duty to notify her roommate's family of Sunny's murder. Problem is, a tangled web including lies, a reclusive grandfather and an inheritance makes things more than complicated. Impersonating Sunny in the mountains of California -- just for a while -- is part of the plan. Getting tangled up with sexy rancher Sage Rivera is not.

Sage stands to lose it all. He doesn't need an attachment to Sunny or her well-kept secrets. He can't shake the feeling she's hiding something big. But she needs a protector, a friend, a lover to give her the passion she's been missing...and he decides he's the only man for the job.

"Oh what a tangled web we weave..."  Abby didn't feel right telling Sunny's family over the phone about her murder, so she went to California.  But she went pretending to be Sunny, expecting to be able to tell Sam right away -- but he wasn't there.  So she was stuck pretending to be Sunny, while wishing that Sunny's family was her own.  I loved the way that she was so comfortable on the ranch, and willing to try new things, even when they made her nervous.  I really liked Sage.  Besides being a really good-looking man, he was flat out nice.  He took care of Abby, teaching her things about the ranch, helping with her cat.  He was also very attracted to her, but refused to do anything about it until he could talk to Sam (who was still hiding out).  When his mother dropped her bombshell on him, he was afraid his love for Abby was doomed.  I really liked the ending, and the way it all worked out.  I sure hope the next book comes out quicker than this one did.