Another great visit to Silver Creek. Dana came to Silver Creek looking for peace after the brutal murders of her parents. The daughter of Oregon farmers, Dana researched growing conditions in communities around the west before choosing to buy Wildflower Ranch. After sinking almost every penny into the purchase, she needs a job to make ends meet until her first crops come in. The story opens as Dana prepares for an interview with Mary Bishop, the local organic market owner and force of nature within the community. One of Mary's projects is to encourage and help newcomers to the valley, and Dana is the latest to benefit. I loved the interview where Mary offered Dana unexpected levels of help, from equipment to a guaranteed market for her produce to the services of a wrangler. One of the things I've loved about this series is the idea of a community working together for the common good.

Colin works for Mary's son Chase on his ranch. A former Army Ranger, Colin has severe PTSD and wants a position where he can avoid being around many people. Chase, former military himself, has done his best to accommodate Colin's needs and happily loans Colin to Dana to help her out.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Colin and Dana develop. They recognize each other as kindred spirits right away. Both of them struggle with their pasts, feeling broken and empty, but discover unexpected energy between them. Living and working together gives them a chance to build a solid friendship and feelings of trust. I liked how they understood each other's occasional need to be alone to cope with memories without feeling left out or ignored. As the weeks go on and they get to know each other better, their friendship begins to deepen to something more. One of my favorite things is their willingness to communicate openly about their feelings, fears, and interest in seeing where it all goes. Both Dana and Colin hold back a little, wary of confessing their love and scaring the other one away.

When Dana stumbles on bags full of money hidden in her broken-down cabin, both she and Colin sense impending danger. Though Colin has attempted to bury his time as a Ranger, his protectiveness flares up, and his Ranger instincts resurface. After turning the money over to law enforcement, news of its connection to her past stuns Dana. The book takes an intense turn when Dana is abducted by those looking for the bags. I loved Dana's ability to keep her head despite her fear. I felt she held her own quite well when faced with the threat of death. Taking her fate into her own hands took some courage and determination.

At the same time, Colin witnessed the abduction from too far away to do anything about it. His fear for Dana sent him racing after her. I loved that he did so in a controlled manner, drawing on his Ranger experience. I was glued to the pages as he kept on her trail while keeping law enforcement in the loop. There were a couple of twists that changed the dynamics and brought danger closer to Colin and Dana. The final confrontation was terrific. I thought Colin showed amazing restraint, but his reasoning made sense for where he is in his life.

I loved the ending as Colin and Dana open up fully about their feelings. While neither is completely clear of their past hurts, both realize that together there is more light than darkness. I loved Colin's big moment and the evidence of how well he understands and loves Dana, and the profound effect she has had on his life and heart.

I always learn something new when I read a Lindsay McKenna book. I liked the emphasis on organic farming and learning a bit about how it's done. I also liked the parts about using herbs as medicines when possible while not disregarding modern medicine when needed.

The book finished with a teaser for the next Silver Creek story, and I can't wait to read it.

#netgalley ( )