Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good book, but let me start by correcting some things from the synopsis. Davy is NOT a former rodeo star. When the book opens, he has come home to spend the holidays with his brothers before returning to the rodeo circuit. Nor has he gotten a PI license. It is correct that he never stopped loving his high school sweetheart, Carla.
Ten years earlier, after graduation, Davy told Carla he was going on the rodeo circuit rather than going to college with her. He wanted her to marry him and come along. But Carla didn't want to give up her dreams either and gave Davy an ultimatum: her or the rodeo. Both were broken-hearted but went their separate ways. After college, Carla returned to Lonesome to take care of her mother and took a job at the local bank. After her mother's death, Carla stayed on, choosing her career and stability.
Fast forward to the present day. Carla has never forgotten Davy and her feelings for him. She sometimes wonders what would have happened if she'd gone with him. When she runs into one of his brothers, she asks about Davy, which gets back to him. This motivates him to pay her a visit at the bank, hoping they may try again. Unfortunately for Davy, the meeting doesn't go well, as Carla is still entrenched in place, and he is still a rodeo cowboy. It looks like history repeats itself, as neither one seems interested in compromising. That changes when Carla is injured during a bank robbery, and Davy is determined to protect her.
The story's suspense is a little different than usual, as we know who the bad guys are from the beginning. The villain's motivation is clear, as well as how desperation leads to stupid decisions. The villain's psychotic girlfriend complicates matters. Carla sees something during the bank robbery that puts a target on her back, and Davy is determined to keep her safe. Carla is at a disadvantage because the FBI agents investigating the case believe it was an inside job and fixate on Carla as their prime suspect. Despite the information she provides the agents, they seem uninterested in pursuing any other line of investigation.
While Davy's PI brothers go to work looking into the information Carla knows, Davy and Carla set out to do some investigating of their own. The villain's girlfriend is incredibly determined to stop Carla permanently, and the number and intensity of the attacks on Carla escalate throughout the book. The final confrontation was a nail-biter that kept me glued to the pages until it was over. I admit that I would like to have seen the FBI agents with egg on their faces over their incompetence, but they seem to get off easy.
I liked seeing the rekindling of Carla and Davy's relationship. Davy freely admits to his brothers that he never stopped loving Carla. Unfortunately, Carla fights her feelings from the start. She feels guilty about how she treated him back in the day but is still convinced there is no future for them. Davy won my heart with his tender and determined care for her, while I wanted to shake Carla for being so stubborn. But when it was time for Davy to return to the rodeo, Carla had a decision to make. Does she go with Davy or play it safe? For Davy, is it time to quit the rodeo or stick it out a few more years? Each battles pride and heart before realizing that love is the most important thing they have.
The series mystery involves getting to the truth behind their father's death. They suspect a cover-up by the former sheriff but have no proof. Very little was addressed in this book. The final brother, Willie, joins the sheriff's department at the end here, putting him in a position to investigate further.
Ten years earlier, after graduation, Davy told Carla he was going on the rodeo circuit rather than going to college with her. He wanted her to marry him and come along. But Carla didn't want to give up her dreams either and gave Davy an ultimatum: her or the rodeo. Both were broken-hearted but went their separate ways. After college, Carla returned to Lonesome to take care of her mother and took a job at the local bank. After her mother's death, Carla stayed on, choosing her career and stability.
Fast forward to the present day. Carla has never forgotten Davy and her feelings for him. She sometimes wonders what would have happened if she'd gone with him. When she runs into one of his brothers, she asks about Davy, which gets back to him. This motivates him to pay her a visit at the bank, hoping they may try again. Unfortunately for Davy, the meeting doesn't go well, as Carla is still entrenched in place, and he is still a rodeo cowboy. It looks like history repeats itself, as neither one seems interested in compromising. That changes when Carla is injured during a bank robbery, and Davy is determined to protect her.
The story's suspense is a little different than usual, as we know who the bad guys are from the beginning. The villain's motivation is clear, as well as how desperation leads to stupid decisions. The villain's psychotic girlfriend complicates matters. Carla sees something during the bank robbery that puts a target on her back, and Davy is determined to keep her safe. Carla is at a disadvantage because the FBI agents investigating the case believe it was an inside job and fixate on Carla as their prime suspect. Despite the information she provides the agents, they seem uninterested in pursuing any other line of investigation.
While Davy's PI brothers go to work looking into the information Carla knows, Davy and Carla set out to do some investigating of their own. The villain's girlfriend is incredibly determined to stop Carla permanently, and the number and intensity of the attacks on Carla escalate throughout the book. The final confrontation was a nail-biter that kept me glued to the pages until it was over. I admit that I would like to have seen the FBI agents with egg on their faces over their incompetence, but they seem to get off easy.
I liked seeing the rekindling of Carla and Davy's relationship. Davy freely admits to his brothers that he never stopped loving Carla. Unfortunately, Carla fights her feelings from the start. She feels guilty about how she treated him back in the day but is still convinced there is no future for them. Davy won my heart with his tender and determined care for her, while I wanted to shake Carla for being so stubborn. But when it was time for Davy to return to the rodeo, Carla had a decision to make. Does she go with Davy or play it safe? For Davy, is it time to quit the rodeo or stick it out a few more years? Each battles pride and heart before realizing that love is the most important thing they have.
The series mystery involves getting to the truth behind their father's death. They suspect a cover-up by the former sheriff but have no proof. Very little was addressed in this book. The final brother, Willie, joins the sheriff's department at the end here, putting him in a position to investigate further.
