Ruth Ryan Langan

Terrific start to the new series. It opens with an introduction to the Merrick family and a tragic event that affects them all. A house fire sweeps through the ranch house that Bo, his wife Leigh, and their three sons had just moved into. The oldest son, Brand, succeeded in getting his two little brothers out of the house, then woke his parents. Unfortunately, his mother didn't make it. Bo and his boys moved back into the family home with his father, mother, sister, and grandfather, making show more four generations living together.

Fast forward twenty years. The Merrick boys, Brand, Casey, and Jonah, have all grown up. All three work the ranch with the family, though Casey and Jonah also have other professions. Brand recently was injured in a fall and still suffers the aftereffects. As stubborn as the other men in his family, he ended his physical therapy early, unconvinced of its effectiveness, and determined to return to work. His grandmother, Meg, takes matters into her own hands and hires a physical therapist to stay at the ranch for six weeks, overriding Brand's protests that he doesn't have time.

Avery is a city girl from Michigan who took the job in Wyoming with an agenda of her own. She looks forward to the different surroundings, but she also wants to escape from an uncomfortable situation at home. She has a stalker who has left several threats, but the local authorities don't take it seriously.

I loved the first meeting between the Merricks and Avery. Brand was blindsided that morning by his grandmother's announcement and isn't at all happy with the thought of someone interfering with his day. Family patriarch, Ham, is also against it, with the view that pain is something ranchers learn to live with. They are all shocked to discover that, rather than the muscular man they expected, the therapist is a slim, attractive woman. Avery is a bit taken aback by the hostility from her patient and his great-grandfather but is determined to change their minds and heal her patient.

I loved the development of the relationship between Brand and Avery. Brand thinks that it won't be hard to send this city girl running. All he has to do is drag her into ranch life and watch her flounder. Avery is tenacious and sees his challenge and raises the stakes. I loved watching her dig right in and embrace everything thrown at her. It doesn't take long for Brand to be impressed and decide to give her a chance. With the time they spend together, Avery sees past the grumpy Brand to the man who loves his family and his land. It was great to see Brand go from trying to chase Avery away to wishing he could find a way to make her stay.

The attraction that was there from the moment Brand and Avery met continued to build. They tried to resist at first. Brand knew she would leave after six weeks, and Avery wanted to keep things professional. However, the connection was too strong to resist. There were some sweet scenes as Brand showed Avery around the land that he loved. There were some funny times, such as their trip to town, where Avery gets a taste of small-town life. Then there were the times that showed the depth of the feelings that were growing between them. I loved seeing Brand share his memories of the night of the fire with Avery, something he hasn't even done with his family. When Avery shared her trouble with Brand, it roused his protectiveness, further cementing his feelings for her. With Avery's departure drawing closer, both ached to be together, but neither was ready to confess their feelings. The end was emotional as each longed for the other to say something that would keep them together before it was too late. Brand's big moment was great, and I loved how he was oblivious to the people around them.

Part of the book also dealt with the reason Avery left Michigan. She thought she left the threats behind her, only to begin receiving creepy and threatening texts after she arrived in Wyoming. Though Avery tried to ignore them, remembering her treatment by the authorities in Michigan, the threats started to weigh on her. I loved Brand's reaction when she told him, with that cowboy code of protectiveness kicking in. I especially liked his insistence on going to the local police chief. The difference in attitude was night and day, which gave Avery a little bit of peace of mind. An unexpected visitor brought along a twist to the situation. There were some very intense moments as Avery found herself in a life-or-death situation. I loved her determination to survive and her ability to think on her feet. The final confrontation was a nail-biter and kept me glued to pages until it was over.

A big part of the book was the Merrick family's relationships. The love and respect that they had for each other were evident, and I enjoyed getting to know each one. Hammond, the family patriarch, was quite a character. Gruff and obstinate, his opinions were pretty well set in stone. I loved his pride in his family and their land, and how his stories wove a spell around Avery. I also like watching her earn his respect and admiration. Another family member I loved was Aunt Liz. She's a talented photographer, and though she seems cold and aloof at first, that soon changes. There is a fantastic scene between Liz and Avery that changes both their lives. I was also intrigued by Chet, who obviously has a thing for Liz, though she doesn't see it. I hope to see more of them in future books. However, my favorite family members were Casey and Jonah. They are the typical younger brothers who know just what buttons to push when it comes to Brand. They caught on quickly to the attraction building between Brand and Avery and took multiple opportunities to tease and interfere. It was fun to watch the actions and reactions among them. I can't wait to read their stories. show less

Terrific start to the new series and great second chance story. Ash is the oldest son of Bear MacKenzie. The story opens when he is nineteen years old, and shows a young man trying his best to earn his father's respect and approval. Unfortunately, he seems to be fighting a losing battle, and the latest confrontation is the final straw. Ash leaves home after a blowup with his father, determined to make his own way in the world. The story then picks up a decade later. Ash has his own ranch in show more Wyoming, and though he is struggling, he is proud of what he has accomplished. Then he gets word that his father has been murdered and immediately makes plans to go home. The first person he sees when he arrives is Brenna, his former best friend and the girl he'd loved and left behind.

Brenna had grown up with an abusive drunk for a father, living on the ranch next door to the MacKenzies. She met Ash when she was eight years old, and he became the most important thing in her life. She was heartbroken when he left without a word and worked hard to move on with her life. Her father deserted the family when she was young, leaving just her and her mother to keep the ranch going. Her mother died when Brenna was sixteen, leaving her alone to keep the ranch going. Brenna is also a talented sculptor who is slowly making a name for herself. She has recently become engaged to a "city fella."

When Ash is informed of his father's death, he is in shock. He always thought that he had time to reconcile with Bear and show him what he had done with his life. He immediately goes home to be with his family. I loved seeing his realization of how much he had truly missed his family and his home. Though his initial intention is to stay as long as he is needed then return to his own ranch, he begins to realize that his heart belongs in Copper Creek. I loved his reactions to how much things have changed since he's been gone. He's almost shocked that Whit is no longer the kid he left behind, but a grown man. Like the rest of the family, he's stunned by the news that Bear had another son that no one knew about. His reactions are understandable. He also carries a lot of guilt for staying away so long and allowing his pride to keep him from staying in touch with his family. As the days go on, Ash is determined to make amends with them.

I loved seeing the renewal of Ash and Brenna's relationship. He had thought of her often, expecting that she was probably married and had children by now. He's stunned to find out that she's still single (though engaged). I loved their first meeting as he first saves her puppy, then saves her from being hit by a speeding truck. Both of them experience a flare of their old attraction. Knowing that she's engaged to someone else, Ash tries to resist it. Brenna is not happy about the resurgence of her feelings, because of her engagement and because she wouldn't want to risk getting her heart broken again. When they experience another near miss, Ash's protectiveness kicks in, and he is determined to keep her safe. I enjoyed seeing them first renew their friendship as they shared memories from their past and caught up on each other's lives. Brenna has some issues with her fiancé, whose jealousy is pretty blatant. He exhibits some uncomfortably controlling behavior, and a confrontation with him makes Brenna realize the truth about her relationship with him. I loved seeing the differences between her fiancé and Ash and adored Ash for his support of her. I loved seeing them grow closer as they work together to discover who is after her and why. I loved Ash's big moment at the end as he makes a huge decision about his future. His awkwardness and vulnerability show just how much Brenna means to him. The epilogue was sweet and romantic.

The suspense of the story was really good. There were two mysteries going on. The first involves the murder of Bear MacKenzie. There are no witnesses and no clues, leaving his family searching for answers. Is it someone from his past with a grudge against him? Could it be one of their friends and neighbors or someone further back in Bear's past? Then there is the problem of the attacks on Brenna. She isn't the type of person to have enemies, so who could it be and why? Does it have something to do with her father, who recently contacted her, claiming to want a reconciliation? I loved Brenna's compassion for her father and her desire not to hold onto the past. There are several possible suspects, and there are good reasons to suspect each of them. I had an idea of who it was, and I turned out to be right, but the story behind it was unexpected. The final confrontation was intense and had me on the edge of my seat until it was resolved. I loved seeing how everyone pulled together to make it happen.

A theme that ran throughout the book was the importance of family. The family is stunned to discover the existence of another son, and Ash and Whit's reactions are completely understandable. Bear's wife Willow seems to arrive at acceptance much faster than her sons, thanks to some discussion with her father-in-law. Griff's arrival at the ranch is especially shocking when they see his resemblance to Bear but also makes it easier for them to accept him. I ached for Griff and his feelings of loss and confusion. I really enjoyed seeing the family come together. There are some pretty fun scenes of the three sons together as the work out their relationships. The bar scene was fantastic as they stood together against outsiders. I also loved seeing the way that Brenna had become part of the family since the first time Ash brought her home when they were kids. The MacKenzies were so different from her own experience. I loved the way that they all came together to help Brenna after the attack at her ranch. I also loved how Ash and Griff and the rest learned more about Bear and the person he was and how it changed their perceptions of him.

Though I read the books out of order, it made no difference to my enjoyment of each story. Though I knew the identity of the killer by the time I read this book, I was still able to get involved in the search for the truth. show less

I just couldn't get into this one. It is very slow burn, and although I don't need full on intimacy 10% of the way through the story, I would like a little more between the main characters than what Sam and Penny had. Honestly, I wasn't a fan of Penny. I understand taking care of three brothers your whole life shapes you, but she was more like a 60 year old. I didn't really feel the chemistry between her and Sam either. There is basically no drama until the very end, and to me, that was too show more little too late. I don't need constant drama, but this story needed something more. I didn't read the first one in this series, but it didn't make me feel like I was missing something. Although I didn't love this one, I would read this author again.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. show less

Good book, second in a series about three cousins who come home to Montana to continue their late grandfather's quest for lost gold. This book is about Wyatt, the middle cousin, who also has quite a reputation as a ladies' man. After years of wandering the world, he's happy to be back on the ranch that feels like home. The only thing that can make it better is spending time with beautiful EMT Marilee. Marilee is fairly new to town, having been hired to run the town's only ambulance. She's show more worked long and hard against her upbringing to gain her independence and she's not planning to give it up for anyone.

I really enjoyed the way that Wyatt finally got Marilee to talk to him the first time. There aren't too many people who could time a fall off a bucking bull to land right at a woman's feet. Even though she shuts down his advances quickly, he doesn't give up, and by the end of the evening he's managed to talk his way into having dinner with her. And though he's really attracted to her, he plays the gentleman and behaves himself. Marilee ends up having more fun than she expected. And when one of her emergency calls results in finding a clue about his family's lost gold, she takes it right to him. This puts them both in the sights of someone who doesn't want them looking for that gold.

I loved seeing the relationship develop between Marilee and Wyatt. It was sweet to see them getting to know each other. Wyatt has a pretty wicked sense of humor and brings a lot of laughter into her life. There are a lot of things that they have in common. Both of them are stubborn and independent, which has them butting heads more than once. Marilee especially can carry her independence a bit too far at times. She grew up with a controlling father and a mother that was so dependent that she couldn't make a decision without him. Marilee swore that would never happen to her, but she also sometimes forgets about the art of compromise. Wyatt is a true cowboy, raised to respect and protect women. When Marilee is put in danger, his protectiveness goes a bit overboard, causing Marilee to push him away. It takes some hard times and deep soul-searching for both of them to learn to give a little. The ending was especially sweet and romantic.

The suspense of the story was a real roller coaster ride. The discovery of the pages from Coot's diary began a series of twists and turns that kept me turning the pages. Each "accident" became more suspicious as Wyatt and the others wondered who was behind them. The tension continued to build throughout as the clues started to come together. The final confrontation was intense with a somewhat surprising outcome. I'm looking forward to the next book and hopefully a resolution to the search.

As usual with small town stories, there are some unique and quirky characters. First of all, I loved the boys' Aunt Cora and how happy she was to have them all back on the ranch. She is the heart of it and gives them all the mother-type love they could want. I liked that she's just as independent as the rest of them, and stubborn too. I liked Daffy, the waitress at the saloon, with her gruff, gossipy care about everyone. It was always fun to see what she had to say when they were in the saloon. Delia was a character that grew on me. She was so mean at the beginning, but as the book went on, her attitude was explained. I loved seeing the changes she went through, thanks to the understanding of Wyatt and the others. show less