Terrific start to the new series. I was sucked into the story immediately and stayed up way too late finishing it. I laughed in some places, cried in others, and closed the book with the satisfaction I always feel when I read this author's books. I loved Wes and Evy and their romance, but little Lola stole my heart.

Wes has been drawn to Evy since he first saw her a year ago. After being shot down in his first few attempts to ask her out, he backs off but can't get her off his mind. He'd like to get to know her better, but she resists until the night he saves her from a rock thrown through the bar window. He finally talks her into an outing by including Lola on the date.

Evy is the single mother of four-year-old Lola. They live with her dad, and Evy works nights at Doug's Bar while saving to start her own business. Her college boyfriend dumped her when he found out she was pregnant and had no interest in being a father. She noticed Wes's interest but didn't need the distraction. But something changed the night he saved her from a serious injury.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Wes and Evy develop. Wes had been burned in love a decade earlier and has sworn off commitment ever since. Evy has no interest in getting involved with another rich guy with commitment issues. But when he saves her from the thrown rock, there's no denying the sparks between them. When Wes wears her down, and she finally agrees to go out with him, she suspects she will regret it.

I loved watching the two of them together. They agree to keep things casual, but it quickly becomes evident that casual didn't last long. Right from the start, Wes is sucked into Evy's life. Lola enchants him, and I love watching her wrap him around her little fingers, such as when he adopts the puppy, Archie. The more time Evy and Wes spend together, the closer they become, and their attraction grows stronger. Evy admits to herself that she's falling for Wes and hopes he feels the same way.

Meanwhile, Wes's brothers and friends warn him that he risks hurting Evy if he isn't serious about her. He reminds them and himself that they agreed it was casual. I wanted to shake Wes several times because he was clearly lying to himself about his feelings. When Evy tells him how she feels, Wes freaks out and withdraws, leaving Evy with a broken heart and Lola missing her buddy. I wanted to shake Wes for being so stubborn that he refused to see the truth. I loved seeing Wes's friend Maddox's advice, and Wes's conversation with Evy's dad was fantastic. I cheered when Wes finally faced the truth. I was also happy to see that Evy made him work a little to get back in her good graces, while Wes's scene with Lola was sweet.

There is some mystery attached to the empty chair at Doug's Bar. The rock thrown through the window had a cryptic note attached, and at the end of the book, we see the cowboy who threw it. I suspect we'll see more of him throughout the series and discover his connection with the empty chair.

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