ASIN: B01ERP4HVG
Publisher: Harlequin Western Romance (July 1, 2016)
Blurb:
Leah Murphy just wants to feel safe again after a violent break-in. Moving to Blue Falls, Texas, is the first step. Renting the bunkhouse from rancher Tyler Lowe is the second. But Leah is uneasy around the handsome cowboy, despite his kindness.
Tyler knows all too well how difficult it is to rebuild trust. He’s trying to help his young niece heal from her own dark memories. When he sees how Maddie responds to Leah, he can’t help feeling grateful—and attracted to the beautiful woman. He knows he has to move slowly to win Leah’s heart, but he also knows she’s worth the wait.
Review:
Leah is trying to get over the terrible attack she experienced at her Houston apartment. Feeling like a change of scenery would be therapeutic and aid in her recovery, she moves to Blue Falls. She used to visit her cousin Conner and his family there when she was younger, and she’s always liked the town.
To say Tyler’s sister is a bad mother would be a compliment. He’s tackling the new role as single father to his niece like a pro. In an effort to increase his income, he rents the bunkhouse on his family’s ranch to Leah. Although he doesn’t know the details, he can tell by her skittish behavior that she’s running from something or someone, so he tries to keep his attraction to her reined in. However, the more he gets to know her, and the more she shows signs that she reciprocates his feelings, the harder it becomes for Tyler to keep his distance.
There were some slow moments at the beginning of the book. I have extreme empathy for any victim of a crime; but after a while, the constant mentioning of the crime that plagued Leah wore on my nerves. I felt the constant reminder was evidence of the author’s lack of faith that readers would remember the obstacle Leah was trying to overcome. My sympathy for her eventually turned into frustration, and I almost put the book down.
However, I’m glad I didn’t… at least I was for awhile.
The pace picked up and then I got further into the story. I adored Tyler and Maddie from the beginning, and I started liking Leah. My fondness for her morphed into antipathy when she tried to use Tyler’s protection of niece as a reason to “rethink” the relationship (read the book to get the full understanding of this). It was total overreaction on her part, and the only thing that revived me was Reina’s (her best friend) straightforwardness. The story itself is good, however, the heroine’s constant need to be a damsel-in-distress despite her claims of trying to prevent that very title damaged the story a little for me. My feelings towards her ran hot and cold, and that kept taking me out of the story.
The love seemed to come quickly in comparison to the slow beginning. The story needed to be longer with a better turning point.
Rating system: Cups of Coffee (the less the better)
0: You won’t need any coffee to stay up for this one. It’s intriguing enough all on its own.
1: You’ll stay up late, but not all night. Brew one cup.
2: You’ll read as long as you’re not tired. If you are, two cups should do the trick.
3: I hope you got plenty of rest; you’ll need it, or at least 3 cups.
4: If the cable goes out, read the book. It’s better than nothing, I guess. Oh, don’t forget your brew!
5: Find anything else to do- it doesn’t matter what it is. Don’t waste your coffee. Too much caffeine is bad for you.
My rating: 3 cups of coffee