Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
A terrific blend of suspense and romance in the final book of the Cowboys of Holiday Ranch series. The series follows twelve boys pulled from the streets and courtrooms of Oklahoma City and taken to Big Cass's Holiday Ranch. Her version of hard work and tough love turned those boys into good, honest men. I've loved following this series over the last several years and seeing those same men find love.
The last cowboy left unmarried is Mac McBride. He's a bit envious of his friends and their happiness but has just about accepted that he's unlikely to find love at this stage of his life. As the ranch's horse trainer, he has a reputation as a "horse whisperer" who can gentle almost any horse. He's surprised when he gets a call from local recluse Marisa, asking him to work with the starved and abused horse she rescued and named "Spirit."
Years earlier, Marisa was kidnapped off the streets and held captive for sixty days, kept naked in total darkness, tortured, and abused by her captor. When he tired of the game, he left her tied up and naked in front of the Bitterroot Post Office, but not before telling her that he would kidnap her again when he wanted to have more fun. After years away, many hours of therapy, and every self-defense class she could take, Marisa has been back home for a year. She trusts no one and lives with her guard dog in a cabin on her mother's ranch, seeing no one. When she learns of Mac's reputation with horses, she hires him to work with Spirit.
I loved watching the relationship develop between Mac and Marisa. Abused himself as a child, Mac understands both the horse and the woman. His calmness and patience as he works to earn the horse's trust also work on Marisa. Watching Mac work with Spirit gives her a sense of peace she hasn't felt since her kidnapping. The time they spend together is more than enough for Mac to begin to fall for her. There were some sweet scenes of the two of them together as Marisa slowly relaxed in his company.
But when the threats against her started up again, Marisa tried to push Mac away. She didn't want him to get hurt, but she also didn't want him to interfere with her plans. For many years, she's planned her revenge, which involves letting her tormentor get close enough for her to kill him. She's prepared for the possibility for a year, with weapons stashed around her home and confidence in her self-defense skills. Mac is horrified by her plans and fears the effect that success would have on her. Determined to protect her despite herself, Mac takes his own steps to watch over her. When it's all over, he must find a way to overcome her anger and her belief that she's still too broken for him. I loved seeing his persistence and care for her pay off in the end.
The suspense of the story was intense from the start. The first part of the book had that sense of impending doom as Marisa waited for the threats to begin. Because of where she was found the first time, she's confident that her tormentor is someone who lives in the Bitterroot area. As the threats began, she tried to hide them from Mac and keep him away. I liked how Mac insisted on getting the sheriff involved and how they tried to figure out who it was. There were several possibilities, and I was anxious to see if my suspicions were correct. The intensity increased with the escalation of the threats. I feared for Marisa when all her planning turned out to be worthless. Mac's fear for her was palpable when her captor got away with her again. The final confrontation had me on the edge of my seat until it was all over.
I also loved that the ongoing feud between Holiday Ranch and the ranch next door finally ended. From the very first book, our cowboys fought against constant vandalism, theft, and general nuisance behavior with no way to prove it. I was happy to see that the worst instigators finally got careless enough to get caught.
It was great fun to catch up with couples from previous books in the series and see how life and love have changed them. I can't wait to see what's next from the author.
#netgalley
The last cowboy left unmarried is Mac McBride. He's a bit envious of his friends and their happiness but has just about accepted that he's unlikely to find love at this stage of his life. As the ranch's horse trainer, he has a reputation as a "horse whisperer" who can gentle almost any horse. He's surprised when he gets a call from local recluse Marisa, asking him to work with the starved and abused horse she rescued and named "Spirit."
Years earlier, Marisa was kidnapped off the streets and held captive for sixty days, kept naked in total darkness, tortured, and abused by her captor. When he tired of the game, he left her tied up and naked in front of the Bitterroot Post Office, but not before telling her that he would kidnap her again when he wanted to have more fun. After years away, many hours of therapy, and every self-defense class she could take, Marisa has been back home for a year. She trusts no one and lives with her guard dog in a cabin on her mother's ranch, seeing no one. When she learns of Mac's reputation with horses, she hires him to work with Spirit.
I loved watching the relationship develop between Mac and Marisa. Abused himself as a child, Mac understands both the horse and the woman. His calmness and patience as he works to earn the horse's trust also work on Marisa. Watching Mac work with Spirit gives her a sense of peace she hasn't felt since her kidnapping. The time they spend together is more than enough for Mac to begin to fall for her. There were some sweet scenes of the two of them together as Marisa slowly relaxed in his company.
But when the threats against her started up again, Marisa tried to push Mac away. She didn't want him to get hurt, but she also didn't want him to interfere with her plans. For many years, she's planned her revenge, which involves letting her tormentor get close enough for her to kill him. She's prepared for the possibility for a year, with weapons stashed around her home and confidence in her self-defense skills. Mac is horrified by her plans and fears the effect that success would have on her. Determined to protect her despite herself, Mac takes his own steps to watch over her. When it's all over, he must find a way to overcome her anger and her belief that she's still too broken for him. I loved seeing his persistence and care for her pay off in the end.
The suspense of the story was intense from the start. The first part of the book had that sense of impending doom as Marisa waited for the threats to begin. Because of where she was found the first time, she's confident that her tormentor is someone who lives in the Bitterroot area. As the threats began, she tried to hide them from Mac and keep him away. I liked how Mac insisted on getting the sheriff involved and how they tried to figure out who it was. There were several possibilities, and I was anxious to see if my suspicions were correct. The intensity increased with the escalation of the threats. I feared for Marisa when all her planning turned out to be worthless. Mac's fear for her was palpable when her captor got away with her again. The final confrontation had me on the edge of my seat until it was all over.
I also loved that the ongoing feud between Holiday Ranch and the ranch next door finally ended. From the very first book, our cowboys fought against constant vandalism, theft, and general nuisance behavior with no way to prove it. I was happy to see that the worst instigators finally got careless enough to get caught.
It was great fun to catch up with couples from previous books in the series and see how life and love have changed them. I can't wait to see what's next from the author.
#netgalley
