Delores Fossen

Terrific start to the series. Egan is the oldest of four siblings, all choosing to serve in the military rather than remain on the family ranch. When his father suffers a heart attack, Egan takes a month's leave to come home and run the ranch while his dad recovers. Egan doesn't like visiting his hometown because they consider him a hero, and he thinks he's anything but. Egan and his best friend Jack joined the military together. Jack was killed by an IED, and Egan feels responsible.

Jack's show more widow, Alana, has mixed feelings since his death. She is grieving his loss because she loved him, but she's also angry over his infidelity. She also feels guilty because they argued about that infidelity right before his death.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Egan and Alana. With Egan home and Alana caring for his dad at the ranch, they are thrown together often. It doesn't take long for them to realize they are attracted to each other. But there are obstacles to their relationship. Alana's mother-in-law, Tilly, believes that Alana will always be "Jack's wife" and expects Alana to play the part of a grieving widow at the upcoming celebration of Jack's wife. Egan used to be married to Alana's sister, making things a bit awkward. Add the rampant gossip in the small town, and both feel the pressure.

I liked that Egan and Alana were honest with each other about their feelings and reservations. That openness prevented misunderstandings and kept the focus on what they wanted. I ached for both when Tilly's grief and mama bear blindness to Jack's faults caused problems for them. I liked how Alana stood up for Egan against Tilly's vitriol. The emotional storm came to a head with an unexpected revelation. I loved how Alana and Egan faced things together, realizing it gave them greater strength. The only question remained: what would happen when Egan's leave was up?

I liked meeting Egan's siblings and look forward to reading their stories. show less

Good conclusion to the Wrangler's Creek series. Lucian, aka Lucifer, is the last of the unmarried Grangers. No one is surprised by this because Lucian can be a real SOB, in and out of the business world. He's well known for his short relationships - thirty-four days is the record. Women take second place to work and he has no intention of changing that. That is until his life begins to implode.

Karlee is Lucian's assistant and has been for ten years. She keeps his life and business organized, show more often knowing what he needs before he does. She has also been in love with him for years, though he is quite oblivious to it. Karlee has finally realized that nothing will come of it and has decided to move on with her life, giving Lucian her notice and getting ready to start her own business.

I liked both Lucian and Karlee. Though Lucian has been something of an ass in the previous books, it was always because he thinks he's doing what is best for the family. Lucian took over the business, the ranch, and caring for the family at the age of eighteen when his father deserted them. It was his hard work that turned it around from the debt-ridden mess that Jerry left to a multi-million dollar success. Karlee has done the same for her family, ever since her mother ran off with Lucian's father. She took over care of the home and her younger brothers while her father sank into an alcoholic mess. She had to step up even more when he killed himself when she was seventeen.

Lucian's hard-nosed business ways have put him at odds with the town. That becomes a huge problem when Jerry comes back to town and takes back control of the family business. Jerry's actions put the financial future of the businesses and the family in jeopardy, all because of his own bad decisions. Lucian needs help to stop his father from destroying everything he's worked for, and that means he needs to change his reputation. Regina comes up with the idea of Lucian showing that he's a new man by becoming engaged to Karlee, whom everyone likes.

I liked the development of the relationship between Lucian and Karlee. They have been friends for a long time. Lucian has also felt the sparks of attraction for Karlee but has kept them well buried, not wanting to screw up an excellent working relationship and friendship. He has also been oblivious to Karlee's feelings for him. But the fake engagement has opened the door and now he doesn't know how to cope. I loved seeing how he can't keep Karlee out of his mind, which freaks him out quite a bit. He's kept himself away from any long-term relationships because of one failed one when he was younger - a relationship that still has a hold on him. Karlee has tried to protect her heart, but the "engagement" activities remind her of all the things that she wants to be real. One of the things that she wants is the chance to experience what all his other women have enjoyed - time in Lucian's bed. But just when things look like it could happen, Lucian's ex comes back to town. Lucian's emotions are in a turmoil as nothing feels the way he thought it would. I loved seeing Karlee stand up for herself and tell Lucian that he has to figure out his feelings first, then he could find her. Even with that obstacle, the connection between Lucian and Karlee is unmistakable. I loved how well each of them understood the other. I loved Lucian's protectiveness when it came to her new business and his understanding about her father. It took time for him to sort through his feelings, especially with everything else that was going on. I loved his big moment at the end, as he opened himself up in a scene that was both emotional and funny.

A large part of the story is the family drama that takes place with Jerry's return. He has wrenched back control of the family business for reasons of his own, which takes some time for Lucian to uncover. In the meantime, Jerry's ongoing feud with his ex-wife (Regina) creates some ridiculously funny moments (the taping off of the house into his and hers is hysterically described). There are also some very emotional scenes, as Karlee's mom returns, knowing that it was the affair between her and Jerry that caused so much trouble. I ached for Lucian as he watched everything he had worked so hard for fall apart under his father. An abundance of twists and turns makes the business troubles a convoluted problem to solve. I loved the solution that Lucian came up with, as once again, he is the one the family relies on when there's trouble.

The secondary characters were great, too. Jerry was the biggest presence. Mostly, he was the one I loved to hate for what he did, but there were a couple of times I felt a little sorry for him. Regina was a trip with her snarky comments to Jerry and his fiancée Candy. Candy was a bit of a surprise. She definitely gave off the clueless bimbo vibes for a good part of the story but showed herself to be a little more savvy than expected at the end. Karlee's mom, Glenda's return was unexpectedly complex. I liked her acceptance of the harm she did to her kids, and that she didn't try to give any excuses for it. Her other reasons for returning were quite a surprise. One of my favorite characters was the family cook, Abe. I was intrigued by his mysterious paper bag deliveries to Lucian and truly moved when Lucian told Karlee about them. show less

Good second chance romance combined with intense suspense. The story started with a rush as Eli awoke to the sounds of footsteps on his porch. He investigates and discovers a baby left there. While processing that sight, a car comes tearing up to his house, discharging a very irate ex-girlfriend. Ashlyn accuses Eli of kidnapping her baby girl. Before they can fully resolve the situation, someone starts shooting at them. It quickly becomes apparent that they've been set up, and they need to show more find out who is out to get them.

Eli and Ashlyn have a history together. They were a couple in high school but drifted apart. Then Ashlyn got caught up in a police operation that ended up with her friend Marta dead and Ashlyn badly injured. Ashlyn blames Eli for Marta's death, which ended his hope for them getting back together.

I liked the rekindling of the feelings between Eli and Ashlyn. Eli has a protective streak a mile wide and won't let Ashlyn out of his sight. Though there isn't much relationship building described, Eli and Ashlyn are together 24/7, so it isn't hard to believe in their reawakening emotions. They try to resist the occasional flare of attraction, realizing that the timing is bad, but it soon becomes too strong to ignore. I ached for Eli, who is still haunted by the events of that night, especially what happened to Ashlyn. I liked that in the time they spent together, Ashlyn realized that Eli wasn't to blame for those events. I liked the ending and seeing them both let go of the past and admit their love.

The suspense of the story was fantastic. It began in the first few pages and didn't let up until the end. The antagonism between Eli and Ashlyn dissipated quickly once they realized they'd been set up. The investigation into who is behind the attacks turns up several suspects with motive and opportunity. As the attacks escalate, each new piece of information raises more questions than it answers. The final confrontation had me on the edge of my seat as it all went down. A twist at the end took Eli and Ashlyn by surprise and confirmed one of my suspicions. show less

Good combination of suspense and romance. The action began immediately as Owen arrived home to find an intruder in his home and his daughter missing. I could feel his fear for his daughter and his relief when he found her with his ranch manager, Laney. The relief doesn't last long as the intruder begins shooting, and things get very tense before help arrives. In the aftermath, Owen has a lot of questions for Laney, who turns out to be much more than a ranch manager.

Laney Martin is a private show more investigator who is looking for the truth behind her half-sister's murder. She is convinced that Emerson Keaton had an affair with Hadley and then killed her to cover it up. Laney took the job as Owen's ranch manager to get closer to Emerson, who is Owen's brother-in-law.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Laney and Owen. It had a rough start, with Laney's concealment of who she was and why she was there, and her suspicion that Owen was involved in covering up Emerson's crime. Owen was reluctant to trust Laney because of those reasons. Complicating matters was the attraction that flared between them. I liked seeing the trust between them build as they worked together to find the truth. One of the things that brought them together was the protectiveness that both felt toward Owen's daughter Addie. There were some sweet scenes with the three of them. However, it took the thought of losing Laney for Owen to realize his feelings for her. I did like their big moment at the end.

The suspense of the story was intense all the way through the book. Laney and Owen's search for the truth behind Hadley's murder and the attacks on them were complicated by the appearance of a man who had gone to jail because of his assaults on Laney. There were several twists and turns as the investigation into Hadley's death progressed and the attacks on Owen and Laney intensified. There were several suspects in those attacks, and all of them had ample opportunity and motive. The final confrontation was a nail-biter with all three suspects present and bullets flying. I was glad to see that my instincts were right about the identity of the murderer.

The murder of the elder Sheriff Slater was briefly mentioned, though no further information was revealed about who was responsible. I hope the next book includes some progress there. show less