Terrific start to the new Montana Mavericks series. Vanessa was born and raised in Bronco. She went to college in Billings and moved there after graduation, vowing that she would never live in Bronco again. After her high school boyfriend betrayed her twice, and the school mean girls made her life miserable, Van looked forward to happier times far from those memories. Unfortunately, her love life didn't improve, leaving her gun-shy when it came to relationships. On New Year's Eve, while in Bronco visiting her family, she indulged in a one-night-stand with Jameson, with the understanding it would never be repeated or spoken of again.

Jameson was also born and raised in Bronco. He and his family have a successful ranch, and he has no plans to leave Bronco. One of the popular kids during high school and after, Jameson had a reputation as a player for a long time. After a failed marriage, Jameson put his player days behind him. On New Year's Eve, he felt a little lonely with no one to kiss the New Year in with. Then he met Vanessa, and the night improved immensely. Though he accepted her conditions, he came to regret it because he couldn't forget her.

Fast forward to the summer. Van finds herself back in Bronco, teaching science to young teens at a summer program. She spends a lot of time looking over her shoulder, worrying about seeing Jameson again. When she does, he makes it clear that he'd like to see her again. Van shuts him down hard because she refuses to risk her heart on anyone again. Finally, after thinking about it, she agrees to a summer fling, IF and ONLY IF they keep it secret. Van doesn't want to deal with her family getting their hopes up about marrying a local boy and moving home. Initially reluctant to accept her conditions, Jameson eventually agrees, hoping to use the time to convince her that he's worth the risk.

I liked both Jameson and Vanessa. Jameson is an all-around nice guy who gave up his player ways long ago. He has a great relationship with his family, especially with his little sister, Charity, and hers with him. I loved that Vanessa was an unusual heroine for a romance. She is a glasses-wearing, curvy, slightly geeky science teacher. Van has a fantastic relationship with her Young Adventurers, and their love and respect for her are evident. I loved how she encouraged them to work for changes in the Miss Bronco contest and how they repaid her by secretly writing her in as a contestant. Her shock when she was named the winner was hilarious. Her issues made her feel that she wasn't up to the task, but the support she received from Jameson and Charity proved otherwise.

I loved seeing the relationship develop between Jameson and Vanessa. Jameson was all in from the beginning. He wanted to see where the attraction between them would go because he felt she was special. Van thoroughly enjoyed their time together but flat-out refused to consider taking it public or continuing past the end of summer. Van frustrated me on several occasions because she allowed the events from high school to run her life a decade later. I felt that Jameson showed extraordinary patience as he tried to show Van that she could trust him not to hurt her. Van panicked when she realized she was falling for him anyway and pulled away, desperate to protect herself. I ached for both of them, as Jameson saw his hope for the future disappear and Van want what she was too scared to reach for. I loved seeing Jameson go to Winona for advice. Meanwhile, Van's friend Callie has some advice for her that opens Van's eyes. I loved the ending, with Van stepping way out of her comfort zone to show Jameson how she feels. ( )