Colleen Thompson

Good combination of suspense and romance. Ryan is the youngest brother who, after the loss of the family ranch, went to work as the foreman on a neighbor's ranch while hitting the rodeo circuit in his spare time. His goal was to earn enough money to buy his own ranch. As the book opens, he discovers that his crusty boss is missing after reportedly suffering a "medical emergency." Preston's mercenary grandson has taken control of the ranch and is throwing his weight around. The confrontation goes south quickly, with Trey firing Ryan and then shooting him in the leg.

Amanda is the local real estate agent who has been looking for the right property for Ryan. She hasn't had an easy life, first growing up in foster care and then marrying a man who became abusive. When her husband disappeared, his family blamed her, even though his death was ruled accidental once his body was found. In the year since his death, Amanda began to find herself and her strength despite her mother-in-law's constant harassment. When her home is vandalized, Amanda must find proof of the vandal's identity to get it stopped.

From the beginning, Ryan has done his best to support Amanda in whatever she needs. Not only is she a good friend of the family, Ryan is deeply attracted to her. I liked how he stepped up to help her deal with the vandalism and investigate who was behind it. At the same time, Amanda helps Ryan uncover the truth of Preston's whereabouts. As much time as they spend together, it is no surprise that their feelings for each other begin to grow. But Amanda's past experiences make trusting any man difficult, and Ryan's reputation with "buckle bunnies" doesn't inspire confidence.

It is evident from the first that Ryan's feelings for Amanda are deep and genuine. I loved his protectiveness when she was in trouble and his kindness, patience, and compassion as she worked through her fears. Amanda is afraid to trust her judgment and tries hard to keep Ryan in the friend zone. Fortunately, the more time she spends with him, the more she realizes he is one of the good guys. But can she let go of her fears enough to let him in? I loved the ending and seeing her finally give in to hope and love. The epilogue was fantastic.

The suspense of the story was good. There were two mysteries to solve: where Preston was, whether he was safe, and who was behind the vandalism of Amanda's house. I could feel Ryan's frustration at being unable to find his friend and mentor. I liked Amanda's willingness to help. The scene where they showed up at the nursing home was fantastic, and I ached for what they found there. An unexpected twist in Ryan's investigation nearly cost him his life, except for a friend's intervention. The resolution was anti-climactic but satisfying.

The other mystery of who was behind the vandalism was mainly one of finding the proof. Amanda had a good idea of who it was. Complicating matters was the ongoing feud with her former mother-in-law. I loved the scene at the businesswoman's luncheon and Amanda standing up to the woman. As Amanda and Ryan began to close in on identifying the vandals, an attempt was made to abduct Amanda. It was a combination of a nail-biter and clown show, as the perpetrators were pretty bad. I wasn't surprised by their identities, but an unexpected revelation came out of it.… (altro)

Excellent suspense combined with a second-chance love story. When the sheriff is called to the scene of a car crash that rapidly turns into a murder and missing persons scene, he knows he needs expert help. But calling in SAR expert Kate opens a whole raft of complications, as he and Kate have a turbulent personal and professional past. As high school sweethearts, tragedy tore them apart. Years later, they were fellow deputies until competition for the sheriff's job caused their work relationship to implode. Any interactions since then lean on the acrimonious side.

The story's suspense sucked me in from the start, and didn't let go until the end. The search scene had me on the edge of my seat as Hayden and Kate searched for the mother and two little girls, only to discover them in extreme danger. I could feel Hayden and Kate's determination to save the children and injured woman. I liked the realism of this encounter, as Hayden and Kate did not emerge injury-free. The effects of those injuries are also realistically portrayed and influence the rest of the story. Following the investigation kept me glued to the pages as changing information altered perceived suspects and motivations. Several twists led to an exciting ending.

I enjoyed seeing the rekindling of the relationship between Hayden and Kate. Eighteen years have passed since their high school romance, and neither has truly moved on. Memories of their time together and the circumstances that tore them apart are never far from the surface. It is evident that sparks of attraction still burn underneath the animosity they exhibit, but both try to ignore them. However, as they work together on the investigation and have a chance to get to know each other again, those sparks become harder to resist. Each also begins to see how youth and grief contributed to their parting. I ached for Hayden, the first to acknowledge his feelings, because Kate feared risking her heart again. It takes a deeply emotional revisiting of their past for them to be able to look to a future together.… (altro)

Gripping suspense combined with a great romance. The beginning was intense as Callie and Jude are part of a medevac crew called out on a stormy night. Callie experiences a flashback to the flight four years earlier that killed the patient and all the crew except her, including her husband. When they discover the same wealthy family pulled strings for this non-life-threatening case, Callie lambasts the patient's entitled mother. Jude is furious when he finds out it's the same family he holds responsible for destroying his mother's life.

Jude recently moved to Texas from Arizona to take a job with LifeWings and investigate the Kingston family. He's worked with Callie multiple times and has a great deal of respect for her. Though she never talks about the crash that changed her life, Jude suspects she feels the same way he does about the Kingstons. When Jude explains his connection to the family and his desire for justice for his mom, Callie is all-in to help him.

The tension is immediately apparent when Callie learns that Jude sent a letter to Beau Kingston detailing the proof of his claim. She believes that Jude is in danger because Beau won't want the truth to come out. Jude is skeptical but becomes a believer when he is forced off the road and nearly dies later that night. Thanks to a complaint by the woman the previous night, Callie is removed from flight duty pending an investigation. Because of his injuries, Jude is placed on medical leave, so the two of them come up with a plan to get the further proof they need. Complicating matters, Jude's apartment was trashed while he was in the hospital by someone who was clearly searching for something.

I could not put the book down as Callie and Jude fought to stay one step ahead of those determined to keep Jude from revealing the truth. Their deceptive entry into the Kingston home ended badly and sent them on the run. Every time it looked as though they were safe, their pursuers would find them again. A couple of plot twists caused me to rethink my initial suspicions, and I wondered how Jude's quest would turn out. The final confrontation revealed some new information and a change in perspective. There was also one last attempt on Jude's life. I loved the ending and the surprise waiting for Jude and Callie.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Jude and Callie. It began as coworkers only. Callie shut herself off from the people around her, still grieving her husband after four years. She refuses to let herself care for anyone again. Jude breaks through her walls a little when he pulls her out of her flashback and more when he invites her to join his quest for justice. Jude is attracted to Callie but backs off when she insists that she has nothing to give him. As they spend time together, Callie is dismayed to discover that she is no longer frozen with grief and that Jude stirs up feelings buried for four years. I got a little frustrated with her when she'd give in to the attraction then pull away because it was so unfair to Jude. He was aware of his feelings well before Callie was, and I ached for the way he hurt. It didn't stop him from caring or wanting to protect her, even though she didn't want to be protected. There were some harsh words exchanged when Jude's protectiveness took over. The catalyst for Callie's realization of her feelings created a nail-biting situation as she raced after Jude. What happened next was terrifying, and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how it would turn out. The scene at the hospital was deeply emotional, and I loved seeing Callie finally let go of the past.

There was a secondary storyline involving Callie's mother and her abusive husband. I ached for Callie, who'd been trying to help her mom for years. There were some twists in that story as Callie dealt with her mom's issues while she was running for her life. I loved how the similarities between their mothers' lives influenced Jude and Callie's plans.… (altro)