RaeAnne Thayne

Very good book. Sarah came to Wyoming to heal. She had been an elementary school teacher in a depressed area of Chicago. Discovering that one of her students was in a dangerous situation she did the right thing and reported. Unfortunately, that made her a target and she ended up raped and nearly beaten to death. She lost her fiance, and could no longer deal with the way everyone treated her, so getting away was her solution. She loves her new job in small town Wyoming, but when she suspects show more one of her students is being abused she feels that her nightmare is happening all over again. Still, she does what she must and takes her suspicions to police chief Jesse Harte.

Jesse spent a good part of his youth raising hell and getting into trouble before he made the decision to turn his life around. Now he's the police chief and it's his job to stop trouble from happening. He's surprised by Sarah's allegations but determined to find out if there is cause for alarm. Their encounter is somewhat contentious as Jesse is doubtful and Sarah insistent.

I loved the development of their relationship. Because of what happened to her in Chicago, Sarah has been rather withdrawn and quiet around other people, especially men. Jesse makes her very nervous, not just because of his size and reputation, but also because of the strange way she feels around him. But she's tired of her new Nervous Nellie personality and sticks to her guns, discovering that he's not so scary after all. Jesse has been intrigued by Sarah ever since she came to town, but feels that with his less than stellar past she would have no interest in him. However, there's something in her eyes that makes him want to protect her.

As they work together to help young Corey, Sarah finds the ability to trust again. Jesse's caring and compassion give her the strength to overcome the effects of the attack on her and renews her sense of who she is. She's understandably scared when she becomes the target of some trouble. She's afraid that telling Jesse about her past will change the way he treats her, and she'll lose the man she's coming to care for. I loved seeing her go after what she wants. Jesse is impressed by her strength and even more so when he finds out about her past. But that only adds to his feeling that she won't want anything to do with a former bad boy like him. He fights his feelings for her hard, convinced that he's the wrong man for her. I loved seeing his sister tear into him, explaining exactly how much of an idiot he is being. Jesse's big moment at the end was really sweet and romantic.

The suspense element of the story was great. Sarah is certain that there is something going on with Corey and overcomes her fears to do something about it. I loved Jesse's realization of the similarities between them and how he wants to steer him the right way. Both of them realize that Corey appears to be in trouble but they have little success in finding out what. The intensity increases with the vandalizing of Sarah's house and the question of who is behind it. When the final confrontation came, it was from a source I didn't expect. The resolution was great and gave both Sarah and Corey the opportunity to show what they were really made of.

I loved the secondary characters in the story. It was great to see Jesse's two nieces from The Valentine Two-Step and how they have him wrapped around their fingers. The chicken pox scene was especially fun. I also liked Jesse's sister Cassidy. She seems to have a good handle on Jesse and his issues, which makes her the perfect person to help him at the end. But my favorite of the secondary characters was Corey. You could see that he was fighting what was happening to him, but that it was too big for him to handle alone. I loved his emerging friendship with Jesse and the way he came through in the end. show less

This was a sweet, small-town Christmas romance with realistic and relatable characters. Holly is a single mother of a five-year-old daughter, Lydia, with special needs. She usually loves the Christmas season, but this year presents some challenges. Though her ex-husband was a less-than-stellar husband and father, Holly is still close to her ex-in-laws, which led to Lydia being recruited as a flower girl at her ex-sister-in-law's wedding. Lydia is beyond excited, but that means Holly will show more need to attend the wedding, where she will undoubtedly encounter her ex-husband and his new family. In a moment of self-preservation, she tells the in-laws that she already has someone to bring as a plus one, even though she doesn't. Now she needs to find someone to bring.

Ryan is a Navy helicopter pilot stationed in San Diego. After a leg injury grounds him, he's looking for peace and distraction during the holidays. What he gets is a plea for help from his sister in Shelter Springs. She's headed to rehab and needs someone to watch her fourteen-year-old daughter, Audrey. He can't say no to Kim, but he's not looking forward to spending time near his estranged father. Holly's sister, Hannah, approaches him about being Holly's date for the wedding, and after meeting Holly and Lydia, he's willing. They make a bargain: he'll take her to the wedding if she will help him decorate his sister's house for the holidays.

I liked watching Holly and Ryan's relationship develop. Neither one is looking for a relationship, but it's clear that there is something there. Ryan won my heart quickly with the way he interacted with Lydia. He was immediately enchanted with her sunny personality. He's also great with Audrey, just the right mix of adult and friend. Ryan and Holly spend time together in a variety of ways, both with and without the kids, and discover an unexpected attraction. They try reminding themselves that it is all pretend, but it quickly becomes obvious that something real is growing between them. I loved how Ryan was there for Holly when she needed support, especially during that scary situation on Christmas Eve.

Complicating Ryan's stay in Shelter Springs is his strained relationship with his father. He has legitimate reasons for his bitterness and resentment, and his father is well aware of those feelings. It is also clear that Ryan's dad wants to repair the relationship but has difficulty breaking through Ryan's walls. I liked seeing how Holly's influence helped Ryan let go of some of that pain and start on the road to healing.

I loved the ending and seeing Ryan and Holly take a chance on a relationship neither knew they wanted. They still have to face the challenges of a long-distance relationship, but are willing to put in the work to make it happen. I loved the epilogue and seeing how they do it. show less

Very good book about redemption and second chances. Devin is one of Haven Point's doctors and is working in the ER when Cole brings in his very pregnant sister. She has fallen and is in premature labor, so she is ordered to bedrest at the hospital. This leaves Cole, a single father who has recently gained custody of his children, without any help. Devin steps in to give him a hand.

Devin is a woman who is a fixer at heart. She is a cancer survivor who has found meaning in helping other show more people. There is something about Cole and his children that has her getting really involved in their lives. I loved seeing how she mobilized her friends to make meals that she delivered to him, and how she stayed to build snowmen with the kids. She sees that Cole is overwhelmed by everything going on and offers to help him prepare for his first Christmas with the kids. Though he seems rather cold and grumpy at the beginning, she soon discovers that there's a good man underneath, one she'd like to get to know better.

Cole came back to Haven Point to try to put his life back together. When his mother died and his father abandoned him and his sister, Cole reacted by going a bit wild. He became a rodeo cowboy, and lived a life filled with booze and women. He married a buckle bunny who got pregnant, later divorced and had to deal with her erratic behavior. He ended up spending some time in prison for an event he can't even remember. Since getting out, he has worked to get his family ranch back in working order, avoiding most people while he was at it. When his ex-wife is killed in an accident, Cole gets custody of his children, but is at a loss on how to deal with them. Losing his sister's help makes things even more difficult. He's stunned when Devin shows up at his door and doesn't understand why she is so determined to help him.

I loved seeing the relationship develop between them. Devin has found an outlet for all the love and mothering she has in her heart. She is cautious at first, knowing that she could get really attached to the whole family. Her attraction to Cole is strong, and she finds herself unable to resist getting closer. The more time she spends with him, the deeper she falls. Devin has doubts about her ability to win the love of a man because of her inability to have children. Cole is very attracted to Devin, and also drawn to the love she shows his children. But he believes that there is too big a gulf between the beautiful town doctor and himself, as a recovering alcoholic and ex-con. When the strength of his feelings gets to be too much, he tries to drive her away. It was an emotional scene, as Cole does everything he can to make his point. Devin is initially devastated, but I loved seeing her natural optimism and intelligence come through as she realizes the truth of what happened. The ending was sweet as Devin finally gets Cole to accept that he's a much better man than he wants to admit. I'm looking forward to seeing more of them in later books.

There were a couple of secondary stories in the book also. First is the story of Cole's sister Tricia and why she is staying with Cole. They are very protective of each other, as is shown by her concern over what will happen to Cole and the kids while she's in the hospital. Cole is also worried about her and her separation from her husband during her pregnancy. There were times I wanted to shake her and tell her to suck it up and talk to her husband. As the story went on, her reasons and motivations are explained. It all came to a head as she went into labor for real, and the drama was quite riveting. I liked seeing how it worked out. There was also the story of Cole's father, who returned to the ranch a few months earlier. He wants to mend his relationship with Cole, and Cole wants nothing to do with him. Cole harbors a lot of bitterness about his father, and he doesn't believe the man can change. I loved seeing the slow thaw of the ice between them, and how it's the kids who start the process.

I liked the group of seniors that Devin brings to Cole's hot springs. They are a very fun group. Devin's friends "The Helping Hands" were also great. All of them showed the positive aspects of life in a small town, where everyone watched out for everyone else. show less

Good book. This is an enemies to lovers/Cinderella story. Katie has always been the quiet, bookish one in the family, and very intelligent. She runs the research and development section of the family company. Thanks to a witch of a mother and a neglectful father, her teen years were pretty miserable, leading her to feel like an ugly duckling. After years of being overweight, she has turned her life around. A friend gave Katie a makeover just in time for a local charity ball, and she had show more never felt more beautiful. She didn't expect to draw the attention of hot bachelor Peter Logan, her family's archenemy, and her teenage crush. Katie avoids telling him her real name to spend time with him, and the attraction they feel leads to kisses and more. The next morning Katie sneaks off, not realizing that one of their kisses had been caught by a photographer.

Three months later Katie gets a couple of shocks. First, the photographer has finally identified the people in the photograph. Katie dreads what will happen when her family discovers she's been consorting with the enemy. Second, Katie discovers that she is pregnant with Peter's baby. This is the icing on the cake of disasters in her opinion. Needing time away from the firestorm that is sure to erupt, Katie flees to the family ranch for some peace and quiet to decide what to do. The last thing she expects is to have a very angry Peter show up on her doorstep.

Peter has been looking for the mysterious beauty ever since that night. He is horrified and angry to discover that she is a member of the hated Crosby family. Convinced that she seduced him to steal company secrets, he flies to Sweetwater to confront her. But the woman he finds there is very different than what he expected to find.

Their reunion is passionate, but not in a positive way. Peter is angry and spouts off with a lot of unsubstantiated accusations and slurs against Katie's character. She is stunned and equally angry about being accused of something so unlike her. She wants nothing more than to get him to leave her alone, but the weather doesn't cooperate. A spring blizzard strands them together.

I liked Katie a lot. She is super intelligent, but also a bit socially awkward. Though her makeover had given her a boost of confidence the night of the ball, it doesn't roll over into her everyday life. I ached for her and her belief in her undesirability. Though shocked at her unexpected pregnancy, she is determined to give the baby a better childhood than she had.

I liked Peter, too, once I got past his ranting and raving. As his past and insecurities are revealed, I understood his anger over what he believed had happened. In spite of knowing that he is loved by the parents who adopted him, he still feels that he has to earn his place. His fears over his family's reaction cause him to lash out at Katie.

I enjoyed the development of their relationship. Forced into close proximity by the blizzard, Katie and Peter have to call a truce to their battles. With the questions of motivation put on the back burner, Peter quickly realizes that the Katie he thought he knew is far different than the one who is with him now. I loved seeing him get to know the real Katie and discover that he likes her. I loved that he saw her for the beautiful and talented woman that she was. Over the next few days, as they work together, a deeper bond is formed. There are some fun and sweet scenes of them together, and also some places where their fears and tempers get the better of them.

As Peter and Katie discover that their feelings for each other have begun to grow and change they will have to find a way to overcome their fears before they can make a life together. A crisis with Katie's pregnancy shows just how much Peter has come to care for her and he starts to push for a future together. An unexpected appearance by Katie's mom shows Katie the truth of his feelings and enables her to believe in her own desirability. I loved how Peter called out her mom on her attitude toward Katie and the impact his words had on Katie. I liked the epilogue and how it showed the changes to the relationships between the families. show less