Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Terrific blend of suspense and second-chance romance. Leigh and Cullen were high school sweethearts pulled apart by a family feud. They are brought together by a murder on his ranch.
Leigh was recently elected sheriff, replacing her retired father. But Jeb has trouble letting go and constantly sticks his nose into what is no longer his business. She also has problems with one of her deputies, who thinks he should be sheriff. When she's called to Cullen's ranch because of a murder, she faces her biggest challenge so far - solving the murder and resisting her attraction to Cullen.
Despite the presence of an ex-girlfriend's body in his home, Cullen remained outwardly cool and calm. The tension increases when Leigh arrives. He knows it looks suspicious to have Alexa's body there. He can't deny his attraction to Leigh, but he can't do anything about it until the murderer is caught.
The suspense kept me hooked from the beginning. There's a dead body and an injured ranch hand, and Cullen is the most logical suspect. But Leigh doesn't fall for the obvious, and instinct tells her that Cullen is innocent. The action starts immediately when they are attacked on the road back to town, and the assailant gets away. Delving deeper into Alexa's actions before her death leads them to some unexpected suspects. Whenever I thought I had figured out whodunit, something would happen to make me question my decision. I didn't figure it out until right before the final confrontation. It was a nail-biter and kept me glued to the pages until it was over.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Leigh and Cullen develop. They are older and less inclined to be influenced by their fathers' feud. That feud is evident when Cullen's father, Bowen, accuses Leigh of planning to railroad his son for the murder. Then Leigh's father harangues her for not arresting Cullen on the spot. I liked that Leigh stood up to them and made up her own mind. Part of that is her instinct telling her that Cullen is innocent, though she worries slightly that her attraction to him might affect her judgment. Instead, she recruits Cullen to help her get to the truth.
I liked seeing Leigh and Cullen work together. That time allowed them to get to know each other as adults and build the trust they needed to survive. The sparks of attraction are evident, as are their growing feelings. I liked that Cullen respected Leigh's abilities as sheriff, while at the same time, his protectiveness was unmistakable. I liked that because the book spans just a few days, there's no rush to a marriage proposal, just a request for a first (then second, third, and fourth) date. I laughed at the two fathers' comments and their effect on Cullen and Leigh.
I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
#netgalley
Leigh was recently elected sheriff, replacing her retired father. But Jeb has trouble letting go and constantly sticks his nose into what is no longer his business. She also has problems with one of her deputies, who thinks he should be sheriff. When she's called to Cullen's ranch because of a murder, she faces her biggest challenge so far - solving the murder and resisting her attraction to Cullen.
Despite the presence of an ex-girlfriend's body in his home, Cullen remained outwardly cool and calm. The tension increases when Leigh arrives. He knows it looks suspicious to have Alexa's body there. He can't deny his attraction to Leigh, but he can't do anything about it until the murderer is caught.
The suspense kept me hooked from the beginning. There's a dead body and an injured ranch hand, and Cullen is the most logical suspect. But Leigh doesn't fall for the obvious, and instinct tells her that Cullen is innocent. The action starts immediately when they are attacked on the road back to town, and the assailant gets away. Delving deeper into Alexa's actions before her death leads them to some unexpected suspects. Whenever I thought I had figured out whodunit, something would happen to make me question my decision. I didn't figure it out until right before the final confrontation. It was a nail-biter and kept me glued to the pages until it was over.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Leigh and Cullen develop. They are older and less inclined to be influenced by their fathers' feud. That feud is evident when Cullen's father, Bowen, accuses Leigh of planning to railroad his son for the murder. Then Leigh's father harangues her for not arresting Cullen on the spot. I liked that Leigh stood up to them and made up her own mind. Part of that is her instinct telling her that Cullen is innocent, though she worries slightly that her attraction to him might affect her judgment. Instead, she recruits Cullen to help her get to the truth.
I liked seeing Leigh and Cullen work together. That time allowed them to get to know each other as adults and build the trust they needed to survive. The sparks of attraction are evident, as are their growing feelings. I liked that Cullen respected Leigh's abilities as sheriff, while at the same time, his protectiveness was unmistakable. I liked that because the book spans just a few days, there's no rush to a marriage proposal, just a request for a first (then second, third, and fourth) date. I laughed at the two fathers' comments and their effect on Cullen and Leigh.
I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
#netgalley
