Brenda Harlen

Good second chance story. Charlotte and Billy were lifelong friends and high school sweethearts twenty years earlier. When she got pregnant, they were told they would marry, and the wedding was scheduled for two days after graduation. But when Charlotte lost the baby, no one would listen when she insisted she wasn't ready to get married. Finally, with the church packed and Billy waiting at the altar, she ran. She has returned to Bronco to meet her newborn niece and spend the holidays with her family. Meeting Billy again was never in her plan.

Billy was heartbroken when Charlotte left him at the altar, but a few years later, he moved on. Now, he is the newly divorced father of three teenagers with no plans to get involved in another relationship. He has accepted that he shares some of the blame for his marriage's failure, but that doesn't make it hurt any less.

Billy and Charlotte encountered each other on the high school career day. I liked how Charlotte made a point of apologizing for the past and that both agreed the past was past. They decide to rekindle their friendship, never expecting to discover that their love for each other has never died. I enjoyed the development of their relationship as they got to know each other as adults. But with Charlotte due to return to Florida after the new year, both are reluctant to allow themselves to have deeper feelings. But the heart wants what it wants and each must decide if the chance of a future together is worth the risk. There are some obstacles - their families' attitudes, his kids' feelings, and Charlotte's job - they need to overcome. I loved the ending, and Billy's big moment in the barn was terrific.… (altro)

Good wrapup to this subset of the Montana Mavericks series. Since the first book in the Brothers and Broncos series, the residents of Bronco have been faced with the question of what happened to Bobby Stone. He was a resident who disappeared while hiking - his backpack was found, along with signs he'd fallen down the side of the mountain, but no body was found. However, in each book, someone thought they saw Bobby - or his ghost. At the end of the previous book, Thankful for the Maverick, a man who looked like Bobby appeared in Sadie's holiday store, startling her into fainting.

Sullivan Grainger spent his whole life believing he was an only child until he learned he was adopted. Devasted by what he saw as his parents' betrayal, he headed for Bronco to find out the truth. Sadie, who was Bobby's sister-in-law, is determined to help him. Neither she nor Sullivan expected the feelings that grew between them.

I ached for Sullivan. In addition to his feelings of betrayal, he no longer feels like he knows who he is. He's spent the last few months on the edges of Bronco life, attempting to learn more about his twin brother. He finally realizes that his best bet is to talk to Sadie, who seems to be the person who knew him best. They got off to a rough start, but Sadie was a very empathetic woman who could understand his turmoil. I liked her willingness to talk to him about Bobby and to help him find out more.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Sullivan and Sadie develop. They begin as friends, despite the sparks that are evident between them. Sadie has been burned before by men who didn't stay around, and Sullivan has not indicated that he'll stick around once his curiosity about Bobby has been satisfied. Sullivan is drawn to Sadie, but his life is in too much turmoil for him to feel comfortable pursuing a relationship.

I loved seeing these two people together. Sadie is sweet, understanding of his confusion, and always willing to listen to his worries or fears. I liked how she helped him resolve his feelings about his adoptive parents by reminding him that they chose him and raised him with all the love they had to give. Sullivan was adorable in how he looked after Sadie, cooking for her and worrying about her during the storm. It wasn't long before each realized they were in love, but their fears and insecurities prevented them from saying anything.

There is potential heartbreak at Christmas when Sullivan and Sadie make a discovery at Bobby's last known location, furthering Sullivan's turmoil. When he disappears to deal with those feelings, Sadie doesn't know if she'll ever see him again. A discussion between Sullivan and his parents gave me hope, furthered when he showed up at Sadie's home. I liked how he showed Sadie how he felt by sharing his plans for the future. The last chapter was terrific. I loved Sullivan's big moment, though there were a few amusingly tense moments and an ending I hoped for, but it still took me by surprise.… (altro)

Good friends to lovers story. Susanna and Dean have been friends for a long time. Unfortunately for Susanna, she has also been in love with him since she was seventeen. Dean, however, is oblivious to her feelings and sees her more like a little sister. That all begins to change the night of the town tree-lighting.

Seeing Susanna with her co-star in the Christmas play she wrote, Dean suddenly realizes she's no longer the high school senior he comforted when her boyfriend dumped her. I laughed at his reactions to other men paying attention to her, including his brothers. He tries hard to convince himself that he's just looking out for her, not that he's interested in her. That gets harder as he sees the interest she draws, and his brothers rub it in. Dean's refusal to see her as a grown woman frustrates Susanna. Instead of her crush on him going away as she got older, her feelings grew stronger thanks to her job as office manager for Abernathy Meats, where she sees him every day.

Dean's efforts to keep Susanna in the friend zone take a hit the night a blizzard hits Bronco. Susanna was the last to leave the theater after rehearsal, and when she had car trouble, she returned to the theater to wait out the storm. When Dean shows up to rescue her, he ends up stranded also. The forced proximity to each other heightens their awareness, and they use an age-old technique to stay warm. While Susanna sees this as a possible breakthrough, Dean's reaction shows regret and an intent to pretend it didn't happen.

I ached for Susanna, whose love for Dean was augmented by their night together. His return to friends only hurt and made her question her hopefulness. I wanted to shake Dean because of his stubborn refusal to accept his feelings. I loved how his brothers did what they could to show him the truth in a fun scene that used everything but a baseball bat to beat him with the truth. I understood Susanna's need to put distance between them if she would find a way to move on without him. Dean's "aha" moment was pretty funny, as he realized that he would need to do something special to make up for his idiocy. I loved where he went for advice. He was sweetly awkward when he finally had his big moment, making it even more emotional. I laughed out loud at his family's reactions. The epilogue was terrific, with a fun little twist involving a puppy.… (altro)

Terrific conclusion to this year's Montana Mavericks series. In addition to the ongoing search for Beatrix, there is also a touch of the paranormal. The title is indicative, too, as there are some definite parallels to A Christmas Carol.

Evan is the owner/operator of Bronco Ghost Tours. He is very business-focused, working long hours to make it more successful. He has a reputation as a difficult boss and, combined with his lack of Christmas spirit, frequently leads to Scrooge-like comparisons. His newest idea for during the slow winter season is Yuletide Ghost Tours, a potential money-maker. When he hears that the local animal sanctuary is haunted, he is determined to add it to the tour.

Daphne is the out-of-step daughter of the area's most prominent rancher. She runs an animal sanctuary and is a vegetarian, both of which irritate her father to no end. Daphne and her animals are popular with the townspeople, and she has plenty of volunteers to help her. She's surprised when Evan contacts her about a "business proposition."

I loved the first meeting between Evan and Daphne. Evan is very focused, with a "time is money" attitude, where Daphne is more laid back - and sometimes a little forgetful. She forgot about her meeting with Evan and was mucking out stalls when he arrived. Evan was not impressed and thought that he could easily charm Daphne into doing what he wanted. He couldn't have been more wrong. I loved watching her bring up her concerns, make sure he addressed them, and then negotiate for a portion of the proceeds. I loved seeing him leave confused about how it happened.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Evan and Daphne. Neither one expected the attraction that arced between them. While Evan did his best to ignore it, Daphne was firmly convinced that she'd met "The One." Though Evan doesn't believe in romantic love, he can't deny that he's drawn to Daphne. I loved watching them spend time together over the next few weeks, slowly getting to know each other. Their connection was a little surprising because of their differences. Daphne believes in love at first sight; Evan doesn't. Evan is all about making money, while Daphne is happy having enough to keep the sanctuary going. Daphne loves everything to do with Christmas and is horrified by Evan's lack of Christmas spirit. I loved watching Daphne slowly chip away at that attitude. I also loved the scene where Evan discovered Daphne is a vegetarian. His reaction was great and very unexpected.

Things look very promising between them until Evan and Daphne face off about a secret he keeps from his grandmother. Evan believes he is protecting her, while Daphne thinks he denies her a possible connection she was unaware of. Some harsh words are exchanged. Fortunately, he quickly realized that he went too far (reinforced by comments by both his sister and his grandmother). But on his way to apologize, he wrecked his car in the snow. While unconscious, his experiences gave the book its title in a very amusing interlude. It did serve to bring Evan and Daphne back together, though their story was not finished.

One of the themes running through the book is the haunting of Happy Hearts Sanctuary. Though Evan claims he doesn't believe in ghosts, that wasn't always so. Though a traumatic event as a child caused him to deny his feelings, Evan is very sensitive to the spirit world. On his first visit to Happy Hearts, he heard Alice's ghost crying and was sure that Daphne heard it. Though she didn't admit it to him, Daphne has been conversing with Alice for six months. I loved the scenes between Daphne and Alice, who was full of all kinds of advice. Evan, too, began to experience some strange dreams that were tied to the sanctuary. I loved following this thread and how Daphne and Evan worked together to help Alice. The end of her story was sweet.

Then there was the story of the missing Beatrix, which was a thread throughout the entire series. In the previous book, Melanie (In Search of the Long-Lost Maverick) put a notice on social media with the information she's learned so far. I loved seeing that post bear fruit. The scene as the missing Beatrix was told of the past was fantastic. Her reunion with her mother was incredibly emotional, and I loved seeing the effects on them all.… (altro)