Cathy McDavid

I am always down for a good romantic suspense with flawed characters and lots of action and Mountain Storm Survival did not disappoint!

Rand is the manager at Still Water Ranch and is leading this years Youth Wrangler Camp for troubled teens. He knows these kids can be a handful but what he doesn’t expect is one of his enemies to be on the trip as well.

Kate is Rand’s enemy, though she does not want to be. She is a strong woman who is living by faith and it is clear that she truly wants to show more atone for the sins of her past, aka the reason for Rand’s bitterness and unforgiveness towards her. Rand wants nothing to do with her and instead wants to hold onto the bitterness that has built up over the years.

Witnessing how both Rand and Kate handle the youth was amazing. They both are carrying around so much internally but seeing how they can put all of that aside to help these kids, and protect them when danger lurks, is inspiring. Seeing their characters grow was one of my favorite aspects of this story and added much needed depth to the narrative. This is a very character-driven story and that fact paired with the suspense was perfection.

The ending was a happily ever after affair, which is to be expected in a Love Inspired novel, but it was not one that is out of the realm of possibility, something which I greatly appreciated. So many endings of clean romances are so far-fetched that it ruins the rest of the book for me, as it takes the fiction to a whole other level, but this ending was sweet and satisfying. I put the book down with a content smile on my face and hope in my heart, which is the best way to leave a narrative in my opinion. I couldn’t have asked for anything more and am so thankful that I had the opportunity to read this suspenseful and heartfelt novel.

*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher through JustRead Tours. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own. show less

While I really enjoyed most of the book, the final 10% was awash in manipulative secrets masquerading as self-effacement, and I hate that shit. It's a wicked shame, as it was a fairly unique contemporary western until that point. The heroine was a genre-busting athlete and successful businesswoman who helps the rodeo champ hero reclaim his calf roping prowess. Heroine as coach? Hero willing to listen to and learn from a woman? Amazing!

This would've been a 4-star book, easy. I thought it well show more written and tightly plotted. I enjoyed the easy camaraderie and playfulness between the hero and heroine as well as the rich cast of supporting characters. But lying to your man to hide your pregnancy "for his own good?" That's what twats do. I don't like twats. It's a standard Harlequin shortcut, so YMMV. It's a major no-no for me. show less

Good book. Ruby has come to Sweetheart to hide from her stalker. She'd rather lie low, but sister Scarlett wants to take off to visit an old boyfriend. So Ruby pretends to be her sister and fill in for her at work. Scarlett forgot to tell Ruby that she's dating the local sheriff.

Cliff realizes immediately that Ruby is not Scarlett. Her kiss blows him away, making him feel things he never felt for Scarlett. He's wary of Ruby until he confirms her story and agrees to go along with her ruse and show more protect her.

Cliff tries to keep things professional. Earlier in his career in Reno he had fallen for a witness who used him to help the criminal who was being investigated. This ruined the investigation and damaged Cliff's reputation so he doesn't want to take that chance again. But his feelings for Ruby are growing quickly and he's having trouble staying away.

Meanwhile, Ruby is falling hard for Cliff. His protectiveness makes her feel safe and his care for her is something she's never experienced. Ruby worries that by coming to Sweetheart she's put the people she's come to care about in danger. Just as she and Cliff admit their connection their whole relationship is endangered by her stalker.

I really liked both Ruby and Cliff. Ruby is a nice person caught in a bad situation. She takes the opportunity to escape Las Vegas, but she does worry about what could happen. When things go bad at the end she is devastated by Cliff's actions and the attitudes of some of the townspeople. I liked the way that she went out of her way to try to repair some of the damage that had occurred. Cliff was a man caught in a dilemma. He really liked Ruby and the more time he spent with her the more he fell for her. But he was so worried about his reputation that he nearly threw away the best thing that ever happened to him. I wanted to kick him, the mayor, and a bunch of the other people for the way they blamed Ruby for everything. I really enjoyed the ending and seeing how the townspeople tried to make things right. show less

Very good and highly emotional book. It opens with Cara desperately trying to deal with her grief on the anniversary of her son's death. The last thing she wants to do is face Josh, single father and part owner of the ranch that houses her mustang sanctuary. There's been tension between them since he and his brother tried to get her to give up her claim to part of the ranch in Her Holiday Rancher. But she won't give up the one thing that gives purpose to her life as it now is.

Though Josh show more hadn't been happy with the terms of his estranged father's will at the beginning, it has turned out to be a good thing. He needed a stable home to bring his children to after retiring from the rodeo and gaining custody from his drug addicted ex-wife. But now that he has them, he's feeling overwhelmed by everything he doesn't know about parenting. So he offers Cara a bargain: he will help her with her mustang rescue operation if she will help him learn how to care for his kids.

I hurt for Cara as she was so weighed down by the grief and guilt over her son's death. She blames herself for what happened to him rather than seeing it as a tragic accident. It affects her to the point where she isn't sure that she should be trusted around Josh's kids. But his belief in her combined with the time she spends with the kids, the easier it gets.

There is also a definite attraction between the two of them, something that Cara fights just as hard as she can. Josh is far more willing to pursue it and see where it might go. Though his marriage hadn't been a good one, and his parents' had been even worse, he hasn't given up on the idea for himself. I loved his patience in waiting for Cara to be ready, though he certainly had no problem with pushing the limits a little bit here and there.

I also loved his support of her and her mustang sanctuary. She doesn't have an easy time accepting help and tries to keep him at a distance at the beginning. But Josh has more than his fair share of charm and humor to go along with his good looks and he has no trouble using them to get his way. There are some really sweet moments when his care and patience take precedence over his own feelings. And when the strength of her growing feelings cause her to panic and pull away, he overcomes his own hurt to show her the depth of his feelings and what they can have together.

Also running through this book is a continuation of the struggle to bring the ranch back to financial health. More debt is discovered, making their position even more precarious. Cara feels especially bad because of the additional strain of the mustang sanctuary. I loved seeing them all work together to run a successful fundraiser to help it become self-sufficient. I especially loved the big part that Josh played in it and the sweet surprise he and his young helper provided. There was also a fantastic development that came out of that surprise that made things even better. I'm really looking forward to Cole's story and hopefully a happy resolution for the ranch. show less