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Hitched to the Gunslinger by Michelle McLean
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gray “Quick Shot” Woodson and Mercy supply more laughs per minutes than any book I have read lately. Gray just wants to retire which is hard for a gunslinger. Mercy just wants keep her home and she is in danger of that. When Gray turns up in front of her house the fun begins. Read to see how this plays out and get read to laugh, laugh, laugh.

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NIce Tension

Courage Under Fire by Lindsay McKenna
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I like Linsay McKenna's books but always wish for a little less force in the focus. This time it is women's rights; a very timely topic. Carissa Taylor needs to hide and Chase is just the one to hire her. His ranch is perfect until the unthinkable happens. Nice action and tension to keep the story going. I want to see what else happens in this valley.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 338 - Cowboy Wolf Trouble by Kat Ballenger, Arkad's World by James L. Cambias

Cowboy Wolf Trouble by Kait Ballenger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wes and Naomi are good characters and the play off of each other in an interesting way. This is book one in the Seven Range Shifters and while the world building and back story were good I kept feeling like I was missing something. I wonder if part of both were handled in a previous series. There was a lot of action and tension. The rules for the pack were written in stone and Wes just could not follow them. That was part of the tension. I did find that there was too much of the passive voice and not enough of the active for me. More dialog less internal thinking.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.


Arkad's World by James L. Cambias
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I felt that I kept going around and around in this and then ended up where I started. Certainly Arkad had many adventures, kept getting into danger and was surprised when he found out who and what he was. The world building and the back story were complex and interesting. I enjoyed meeting the different aliens who populated Arkad's World. They added a different element to the story. As entertaining as all of that was the ending left a lot to be discovered. I was left wanting more as Arkad woke remembering only the need to find one person who he barely remembers.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 333 - Marry Me by Sundown by Johanna Lindsey, Kill the Queen byJennifer Estep

Marry Me by Sundown by Johanna Lindsey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Part of the Callahan-Warren series Marry Me by Sundown pits Morgan Callahan against Violet Mitchell. The set up is both interesting and fun. We have the city girl against the western man. Add-on a missing amount of money, a loan coming due, and a kidnapping and you have the making of a interesting story. A nice addition to the series.

Pilar Witherspoon does a nice job on the voices in the audio book.


Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jennifer Estep has come up with a new winner in Kill the Queen. Lady Everleigh becomes Evie when she escapes a great danger. I loved the characters and the action. Evie has to accept that she is much stronger than she thinks. That journey takes her to new places with new supportive friends. The story starts as she watches as someone kill the queen, she then has to kill the new queen and knows that there will always be someone who wants to kill the queen. Everything comes in a circle as the book comes to a nice conclusion and is set up for the next book in the series.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews #52 - Cowboy Unwrapped by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Ghost Maker by Robin D.Owens, The High Ground by Melinda Snodgrass

Cowboy Unwrapped by Vicki Lewis Thompson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It is Christmas and Jake Ramsey has come home to Thunder Mountain Ranch. For Jake home is where the heart is and he realizes that his heart is here where he grew up. Meeting up with his old high school flame, Amethyst Ferguson, turns out to be the start of a hot relationship. He would like more but Amethyst is determined to go off the LA to pursue her singing career. This is another heartwarming story. There is more than just romance involved. Part is following your heart and deciding what makes you feel successful and brings you joy in your life. Since it is Christmas some of the previous men of Thunder Mountain play an important part in the story.


Ghost Maker by Robin D. Owens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clair and Zack are off on another dangerous assignment. This starts off with Zack looking for a missing street kid and Clair looking for a good ghost to heal her spirt wound. Then the two quests collide and become intertwined. Clair and Zack are still working on accepting the changes in their lives and the new love they feel for each other. This quest adds to the tension between the two as they come to terms with those changes. Part of the problem is how short a time they have been together; just a little over a month. There is a very lovely ghost and a very bad ghost that drive this story line that is different from the previous books. Both are part of the both the problem and the solution for our two new lovers. Great addition to the Ghost Seer story line. This can stand-alone but is best if you start with book one.


The High Ground by Melinda M. Snodgrass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There is a lot that is familiar in The High Ground. The setting is a military academy named The High Ground.. Trace, one main character, is there on a charity scholarship. Mercedes, the other main character, is the daughter of the Emperor. The first meeting between the two is accidental and neither knows who the other is. That changes as the two arrive on the first day. The Emperor has no sons and has made his daughter his heir. She is the first woman to go to the High Ground. Trace dislikes the upper class and did not want to take the scholarship. Both are a little off balance and find that they have more in common than you would suppose.

The action is predictable but very well done. Everything in the story helps set the stage for the next book in the series. In Evil Time, book 2, in The Imperials Saga will come out in July of 2017. I look forward to seeing both Trace and Mercedes again. After how the book ended it will be interesting to see how the two interact after they leave The High Ground.



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Texas on My Mind (Spring Hill #1) by Delores Fossen

Contemporary Western Romance

From Goodreads:

The McCord Brothers are the most eligible bachelors in Spring 

Hill, Texas. But these cowboys are about to get wrangled by the love of some very special women—the kind who can melt hearts and lay it all on the line.

Air force Captain Riley McCord has come home on medical leave to find one heck of a welcome reception. Every unattached woman in Spring Hill, Texas, wants to nurse him back to health. That includes his childhood friend Claire Davidson—the only person who understands how damaged he really feels. In high school, she chose his best friend over him. According to Riley's rules, that should make her off-limits forever. But when Claire suggests a no-strings fling, he can't refuse.

Claire always wanted Riley—but she also craved the safety and stability he couldn't offer. So she chose another path, only to end up crazier about him than ever. She's even convinced herself that this time she won't be devastated when he leaves. Yet once Riley realizes the depth of Claire's feelings—and his own—he'll have to make the ultimate choice: return to the job he loves or stay home for the woman who's always lived in his heart.

The start of the Spring Hill series contains some familiar tropes but they are familiar because they work well in romance stories.  They start with three brothers whose parents were killed before they were all adults.  The oldest came home and ran the business.  The other two left after they were grown. Riley McCord, the hero in this book, is home recovering after being wounded.  He is one of the two who left and this is his story.

One of the unusual twists to the story are the man rules.  Rule one is do not take someone who belongs to another.  Claire is the someone and Daniel is the one everyone except Clair thinks belongs to him.  Daniel expects Riley to keep hands off of Claire.  This is a great set up to the story.  Riley and Claire have been attracted to each other for years but because of the rules nothing has every happened.  Add in Claire’s cute son, Ethan, who looks just like Riley and you have another twist.  Everyone thinks he is Riley’s but he is not.  Oh and of course there is the fact that Riley does not plan to stay.

The plot thickens from there.  I enjoyed meeting all three of the McCord’s.  While Riley is the main male character both Lucky and Logan make appearances in Texas on My Mind.  Both are interesting and will make great main characters in the next two books in the series.  I also loved Riley's take on potty training a 2 year old.  Very unique.

Fossen is an accomplished writer and Texas on My Mind highlights that fact.  The story is fun, tension filled, full of romance and has a great plot.  Everything flows together making this a fun western romance.  Like most Harlequin books it tells a complete story in a easy to read length.

A great start to a new series.  Pick it up for a fun romantic read.

Harlequin published Texas on My Mind by Delores Fossen in 2016.

I received an ARC of Texas on My Mind from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Winter’s Camp by Jodi Thomas

Historical Western Romance

From Goodreads:

New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas has captivated readers around the world with her sweeping, heartfelt family sagas. To introduce her brand-new series, Jodi tells the story behind the unforgiving Texas landscape and how one man claims Ransom Canyon—and a timid beauty—for his legacy…

A wanderer’s life was all James Randall Kirkland had known since he was an orphaned boy in San Antonio. And while years of adventure had satisfied his younger self, now he’s longing to put down roots of his own and is prepared to go it alone. But when he sees the Apache slave woman with the startling blue eyes, the course of his journey is changed forever.

Ever since the Comanche raided her village and took her for their own, Millie hasn’t known any kind of freedom. After years of being outcast, beaten and traded from tribe to tribe, she’s unprepared for James’s patient tone and gentle ways. Still, as her handsome savior slowly earns her trust, Millie struggles between desire and fear, sure it’s just a matter of time before James tires of her and her burgeoning feelings are nothing but another wasted memory.

Winter’s Camp is a prequel to Thomas’ new Ransom Canyon series.  In the story we meet the two families who first settled near Ransom Canyon. 

James Randall Kirkland is a survivor but he has tunnel vision.  He has always wanted his own spread and now that it is coming true all he cannot think about anything thing else.

He rescued Millie O’Grady from the Indian tribe who held her.  She gradually comes to love James but knows that she cannot stay unless her feelings are returned. 

Of course there is an HEA for the two but only after a lot of tension and danger. 

Millie has a brother that James also rescues but not without a lot of trouble.  Andy O’Grady loves his sister Millie.  He marries and stays making the O'Grady's the other family in Ransom Canyon.

A nice story that gives the background for the modern stories set in the Ransom Canyon series.  I enjoyed meeting James, Millie and Andy hearing their story and seeing the ties to the present. 

HQN published Winter’s Camp by Jodi Thomas in 2015.

I received an ARC of Winter’s Camp from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

The Deputy’s Redemption (Sweetwater Ranch #5) by Delores Fossen

Western Contemporary Romance and Mystery

From Goodreads:

The woman fleeing a cold-blooded killer is no stranger to Deputy Colt McKinnon. Fourteen years ago, Elise Nichols was the love of his life. Now she's back in Sweetwater Springs—to be the star witness in an upcoming murder trial that could tear the Texas lawman's family apart.

With her explosive revelations certain to rock the town, Elise didn't expect to be welcomed home with open arms. Certainly not by the cowboy with the badge who once meant everything to her. But after being run off the road and shot at, she has no choice but to trust him. Even more dangerous is the desire that's reigniting, making Elise yearn for something she may not live to see.

Ok Delores Fossen!! Would you quite teasing us and finally solve the 20 year old murder!!  I know we got closer this time.  Elise did remember enough to clear one person but had nothing that pointed to the real killer.  I do have one person I think might have done it now.  Only time will tell if I am right.

Enough of my rant.  I did like the story and two main characters.  Colt McKinnon and Elise Nichols have a history.  When they are thrown together romance rears it head again.  Someone is trying to kill Elise and it is not hard to find more than one suspect.  Colt is the one protecting her.  That means they are together 24 seven.  In addition to romance there is a lot of tension and danger throughout the story.

The plot is interesting, the two main characters keep setting off sparks and the story arc for the series is still developing.  The Deputy’s Redemption can stand-alone but is much better if you start with book one.  All of the books are quick reads so it would not take you long to catch up.

Harlequin published The Deputy’s Redemption by Delores Fossen in 2015.

I received an ARC of The Deputy’s Redemption from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

The Cowboy’s Valentine by Donna Alward

Contemporary Western Romance

From Goodreads:

HEART OF A COWBOY

Coming home is hard enough without ranch manager Quinn Solomon making Lacey Duggan feel like an unwanted guest. She's only here until she figures out what to do with her one-third ownership of Crooked Valley. But Quinn's irresistible daughter is giving Lacey ideas about being part of a family. And though they don't even like each other, Lacey's having crazier notions about the widowed single dad.

Does Lacey think she can waltz in and turn Quinn's life upside down only to leave again? The pretty accountant knows nothing about running a ranch, yet she's making the Montana homestead feel like a home. Quinn isn't looking for love again. Until a woman who's all heart and a determined little girl help one lovestruck cowboy see the light.

From the minute Lacey met Amber, Quinn Solomon’s daughter, I knew that she was not going to leave Crooked Valley. Of course there was a journey she and Quinn had to make to get to their HEA.

Donna Alward added just the right amount of tension, romance, and problems to the story to keep everything moving.  Quinn, Lacey and Amber are all great characters that grow and change as the story progresses.  The side characters give an added charm to the story.

Heart of a Cowboy is just right for Western Romance lovers.  It is also a great introduction for those new to Western Romances.

Harlequin released Heart of aCowboy by Donna Alward in 2015.

A Place Called Harmony (A Harmony Novel) by Jodi Thomas

Western Romance

From Goodreads:

New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas has captivated America with her novels set in the small town of Harmony, Texas. Now she tells the story of the three hard-luck men who first settled the town, a place where last chances and long-awaited dreams collide…

Desperate to escape his overbearing father, Patrick McAllen disappears with his bride, heading north to build a new town—discovering strength, honor and true love along the way.

After drinking away the grief from his family’s death, Clint Truman avoids jail by taking a job in North Texas and settling down with a woman he vows to protect but never love—until her quiet compassion slowly breaks his hardened heart wide open…

All Gillian Matheson has ever known is Army life, leaving his true love to be a part-time spouse. But when a wounded Gillian returns home to find her desperately fighting to save their marriage, he’s determined to become the husband she deserves.

Amidst storms, outlaws, and unwelcome relatives, the three couples band together to build a town—and form a bond that breathes life into the place that will forever be called Harmony.

This is a must read for fans of the Harmony series and a great place to start the series for new readers.  We all know the McAllen’s. Truman’s and Matheson’s.  They were all around from the first contemporary romance book about Harmony.  Now we get to see how it all began.  In addition we meet the first Wright who arrived in town saying he would undertake any job and so he named his profession.

Like all of Jodi Thomas’ books A Place Called Harmony has great characters and plot presented in a very well-written heart warming story.  Fans you don’t want to miss this story.

Berkley published A Place Called Harmony by Jodi Thomas in 2014.

Maverick for Hire (Montana Mavericks: 20 Years in the Saddle #3) by Leanne Banks

Contemporary Western Romance

What Goodreads says:

A MAVERICK MAKEOVER

RUST CREEK RAMBLINGS

Nick Pritchett, that hunky blond carpenter from Thunder Canyon, has been doing his share to put the town back together after the Great Flood. He's great with a hammer and popular with the ladies. Maybe a bit too popular, if you ask his best bud, Cecelia Clifton!

Cecelia's come to town looking for L.O.V.E., but according to Nick, she's been going about it all wrong. He's convinced he can help Cecelia meet her match if she follows his instructions to a T. Trouble is, the only man he finds good enough for his childhood pal is himself! Dear reader, I always knew romance was brewing underneath their outward bickering. The question is, can Nick convince sexy Cecelia 2.0 that he's the best man for her?

Maverick for Hire is another good addition to the Rush Creek collection.  This time we have life long friends who have come to Rush Creek to work and in the case of Cecelia Clifton to find love.  Her friend Nick Pritchett wants nothing to do with commitment but decided to help Cecelia find what she is looking for.  Of course we all can see that they are made for each other. This has been used many times but it is still a great set up for a love story. 

Leanne Banks takes the concept and runs with it. She adds another couple as secondary characters and uses them to help Nick realize what he is about to lose.  I loved seeing how Nick reacted when Cecelia followed his advice.  There is romance and a touch of humor in the interaction between Nick and Cecelia.  All in all a nice but predictable love story.

Harlequin published Maverick for Hire by Leanne Banks in 2014.

I received an ARC of Maverick for Hire from Negalley in return for an honest review.

The Texan’s Baby (Texas Rodeo Barons #1) by Donna Alward

Western Contemporary Romance

From Goodreads - As a powerful Dallas oil executive, planning is what Lizzie Baron does best. But she certainly didn't plan on getting pregnant following one memorable night after a rodeo in Fort Worth. Now she needs to figure out how she's going to raise a baby with a man she barely knows.

Aspiring bronc rider Chris Miller always hoped he'd see Lizzie again, though not quite like this. The pregnancy is a surprise--and so is finding out she's a member of the powerful Baron clan--but the more Chris gets to know Lizzie, the more he realizes he wants to be with her. When Lizzie learns Chris works for a rival company, she feels betrayed. Can two perfect strangers trust each other enough to become the perfect family?

The Texan’s Baby is a great start to a new series.  The Barons are a blended oil family with enough children to keep the series going for quite a few books.  The series starts out with Lizzie Baron, the oldest daughter and the one who loves the oil business.  She is smart, driven and has had some bad experiences with men.  Chris Miller has taken a year off to follow the rodeo and decide where he really wants to work.

Their one nightstand leaves Lizzie pregnant.  I loved how they reacted to the pregnancy and how it brought them together.  I also could see what was going to tear them apart.  While the story was predictable it still kept my attention. I loved the other character in the story and  I will be looking  for the next story in the series to see what their stories are.

Harlequin published The Texan’s Baby by Donna Alward in 2014.

Boots Under Her Bed by Jodi Thomas, Jo Goodman, Kaki Warner, and Alison Kent

Western Romance

What Goodreads Says:

"From four acclaimed authors come four all-new novellas featuring the rugged men of the West and the women who want them…

From Jodi Thomas...Callie has done a lot of crazy things, but it’ll take one more to prove she isn’t nuts: find a husband, fast! Her only requirement: he has to be taller than she is and swear not to have her committed during their ruse of a marriage.

From Jo Goodman...Felicity Ravenwood was raised to be independent-minded, but when this runaway bride opposes her father’s choices, it is up to Nat Church to bring her around. But he doesn’t count on springing her from jail, holding her hostage, or falling head over boot-heels in love.

From Kaki Warner...Two strangers on a train have more in common than they know—both have hidden purposes and ties to a Nebraska bank robbery. But when their schemes unravel, they find a bigger surprise awaiting them than either could have imagined.

From Alison Kent...When runaway New York socialite Maeve Daugherty joins her father’s bodyguard Zeb Crow on his personal mission of revenge, what was a slightly scandalous new life as a bookkeeper for an infamous San Antonio brothel becomes downright dangerous. But that’s not stopping Maeve from having the time of her life."

I am a big fan of Jodi Thomas and Jo Goodman so when I saw they both had a novella in Boots Under Her Bed I immediately purchased the book.  I was not disappointed.  Usually in a book like  this there is one novella that is my hands down favorite and the others are just OK.  Not the case here.  I loved all four.  Each author produced a very strong and well written story.

Jodi Thomas wrote a story about a marriage of convience that turned into a love match.  Jo Goodman used Nat Church as her hero.  He is the hero of dime novels in some of her books.  The story was really cute.  This is the first time I had read anything by Kaki Warner and Alison Kent.  Both featured unusual scenes and characters in their novellas.

If you are a fan of Western Romances this is a very good choice.  Pick it up for four fun stories filled with romance and set in the old west.

Berkley published Boots Under HerBed by Jodi Thomas, Jo Goodman, Kaki Warner, and Allison Kent in 2014.

Teaser Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Hunter and the turtle.  Who is teasing who?

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:"

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser today is from The Man from Stone Creek by Linda Lael Miller.  This is a book I got from Amazon Vine Last Choice.  It came yesterday so the teaser is for me as well as all of you.

"Sam assessed his crop of pupils as they filed obediently into the school room the next morning and took their places without a word or a glance in his direction."

"Terran Chancelor's presence surprised him a little; he'd half expected Maddie to undertake the remainder of her brother's education personally, if only to keep him safe from the fiendish new schoolteacher."  

What Goodreads says:


There was trouble in Haven, Arizona, and Ranger Sam O’Ballivan was determined to sort it all out. Badge and gun hidden, he arrived posing as the new schoolteacher, and his first order of business was to bring the rough ranchers’ children under control. To that end, he called on Maddie Chancelor, the local postmistress, whose younger brother was in firm need of discipline. 

Sam wasn’t sure what to expect - but it was definitely not this graceful woman whose prim, proper stance was so at odds with the fire in her eyes. Working undercover to capture a dangerous band of rustlers and train robbers was a job that had always kept him apart from other people. He was a man with his heart firmly in check - until Maddie. Now she was unwittingly tempting him down a path he swore he’d never travel.
 

Big Sky Wedding by Linda Lael Miller

Contemporary Western Romance

What Goodreads Says:

"The "First Lady of the West," #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller, cordially invites you to Parable, Montana-where love awaits. Wedding bells are ringing in Parable, Montana, but Brylee Parrish hasn't enjoyed the sound since being jilted at the altar by Hutch Carmody. She's over Hutch now, and running a multimillion-dollar business is challenging enough for this country gal. So she should avoid falling head-over-boot-heels for A-list actor Zane Sutton. He's come home to his rodeo roots, but Hollywood lured him away once and just might again. Yet everything about him, from his easy charm to his concern for his young half brother, seems too genuine to resist.... 

Zane didn't come to Parable for love-but count on a spirited woman to change a jaded cowboy's mind. Problem is, Brylee's not convinced he's here to stay. Good thing he's determined to prove to her, kiss by kiss, that she's meant to be his bride."

Big Sky Wedding is book five in the Parable, Montana series.  I won the first three books in the series and book five when I entered Linda Lael Miller’s August contest on Writerspace .   It just happened that I had checked out the audio book of Big Sky Summer book four and was listening to it on my way to Texas and World Con.  I have not read the first three yet but wanted to hear Brylee’s story since I had met her and liked her in Big Sky Summer.

It seems that Brylee was ready to let go of the past and just the right person showed up to help her.  I loved the characters.  Zane is just great as the new man in Brylee’s life.  He is down to earth in spite of his fame.  He deals with Nash, his young half brother and Brylee with just the right touch.  Cleo, Zane’s housekeeper, is one of those unforgettable characters.  She provides some of the best humorous dialog in the book.

Most of the tension in the book comes from Brylee’s fear about committing and getting hurt again.  She and Zane moved very fast and I loved the way Zane slowed everything down so that their relationship had a chance to grow and mature.

While some of the main characters from the first 3 books do appear they only have walk on parts.  It looks like the series is moving on to focus on new people.  I saw some hooks for the next book, Big Sky Secrets.  I will just have to wait and see if I am right about who the two main characters will be.

Big Sky Wedding is a good addition to the Parable Series.  Pick it up for an enjoyable read.

Harlequin published Big Sky Wedding by Linda Lael Miller in 2013.

Book Beginnings on Friday, July 26, 2013

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Gilion at Rose City Reader. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading.

My Book Beginning this week is from a book by one of my favorite writers of western romances, Lauri Robinson.  She wrote the Quinter Bride series, a fun series of books that always started with one of the Quinter brothers being forced into a shotgun wedding by their Mother.  Set in Kansas in the 1800's each book has a unique set of circumstances that requires the immediate wedding.  (Use the search feature if you would like to read my take on books in that series.)

The book this week is The Cowboy Who Caught Her Eye, a Harlequin Historical by Lauri Robinson.  Here is the book beginning:

"Dakota Terriotory, August 1884

Carter Buchanan kept the hat pulled low on his face and his feet propped on the seat across from him, waiting for the other to gather their bags and bundles and head for the exit.  He was as ready to get off the rumbling box on wheele as the rest of them, but he never let anything show-feeling or thoughts."

Here is what Amazon says about the book:

"The Shopkeeper's Shame

Pregnant and unmarried, Molly Thorson knows her livelihood is under threat. The last thing she needs is a distracting cowboy swaggering into view. Especially one who knows she has a secret and still looks at her with desire in his eyes.

The Cowboy's Secret

Carter Buchanan knows all about secrets. It's his job to know. And Molly sure has something to hide. But the fear in her eyes touches a place he thought long-ago dead—and now this cowboy can't help but consider exchanging his pistol for a band of gold.…"

If you like to read a good western romance with great characters and a wonderful story this is a good book to choose.