Cooper Holloway would take nature over people any day --
especially visiting relatives. That's why he's headed for a rustic cabin in
remote Winter Valley, where he'll care for a herd of wild mustangs. But
Cooper's plans are quickly thwarted by the arrival of two unexpected guests:
one, a stranger in desperate need of his help, and the other, a very attractive
young veterinarian.
Elliott is busy trying to keep Maverick Ranch running
smoothly with Cooper gone, which is no easy task with family visiting. And when
a long-lost love suddenly reappears in his life, Elliott knows he'll have more
than just books to balance this season.
With a big, chaotic family Christmas around the corner
and love blooming in surprising ways, the Holloway men will have to make big
choices about the future -- just in time for the holidays.
A three-for-one book, with mature love, new love, and
second chance love. Oldest brother Griffin and his wife are away from the
ranch, visiting her sick father. He's left his two brothers, Elliott and Cooper
in charge.
The book opens as Cooper is preparing to leave in a
hurry, killing two birds with one stone. He needs to head into the hills and
check on the wild mustangs before winter sets in. The local vet is supposed to meet
him up there. He is also desperate to get away before his sister-in-law's
cousins arrive. He's encountered them before and doesn't want to deal with the
giggly, party animals again. Cooper gets quite a surprise when he arrives at
the cabin and finds a nine-year-old runaway boy named Tatum. Cooper is too
soft-hearted to immediately turn the boy into social services, which turns out
to be a good thing when Cooper is badly injured in a fall. It's Tatum who finds
help in the form of Hayley, veterinarian, and granddaughter of the vet Cooper
was expecting.
We also meet Elliott, the middle brother, and ranch
business manager. For the most part, Elliott would prefer to work with the
books than the cows, but he can do both. Elliott had left college early when
his father died, returning to the ranch to help run it. He left behind his fiancée,
Jessica, who refused to come with him, telling him he was a fool to give up his
education. He's never forgotten her and hasn't gotten involved with anyone
since then. He has a lot on his plate with both Cooper and Griffin away, the
cousins visiting, and the end-of-year paperwork for the ranch. Griffin hired an
accountant to come to the ranch and help with the books. To say that Elliott
was surprised to find Jessica sitting at the desk in the study would be putting
it mildly.
Then there's the new ranch hand, Tye. He's older, a
former rodeo rider and a magician with horses. At his previous job, he was
contacted by a Texas Ranger who delivered Tye's "inheritance" from
his grandfather, who died in prison. Tye was puzzled by his grandfather's old
journal and sketchbook, which talked about a "gift" for Tye, but
never comes right out and says where or what it is. He eventually figures out
that it's somewhere around Crossroads, Texas, and takes a job at the ranch
while he tries to decipher the journal. There he meets the ranch cook,
Danielle, a plain-speaking, big-hearted woman that he's immediately drawn to.
I loved the way that the three stories were intertwined
throughout the book. Each chapter alternated among the various couples, giving
a chance to see the relationship develop as the days progressed. I think Cooper
changed the most, from the charming, commitment-free cowboy to a man who was
looking for something more. I loved his relationship with Tatum, taking the boy
home with him and giving him the kind of attention he needed. I also enjoyed
watching his relationship with Hayley grow. Both of them are independent,
neither one taking well to being bossed. It was fun to see a little bit of
protectiveness come out, though Cooper was smart enough not to push it. There's
a great scene at the end between Cooper and the ex-boyfriend who doesn't
realize he's an ex. I enjoyed their interactions, as Hayley has just as fun a
sense of humor as Cooper does.
Elliott had spent years remembering the way that he and
Jess split, still hurt and angry over the way she refused to give even a little
when he had to leave school. He remembers her as the one with all the plans,
each step of the future all mapped out. When she shows up at the ranch, it's
clear that she stuck to those plans and is precisely where she wanted to be. I
have to say that Jessica irritated me a bit at first with the way she went on
and on about her place in her father's firm and her coworker fiancé. She was
cold to Elliott and barely polite to anyone else. But the longer she stayed,
the more she loosened up, especially once she and Elliott cleared the air over
their breakup. It also became evident that the sparks between Jessica and
Elliott were still there. The question was, would Jessica see that sticking to
her plan wasn't making her happy? I liked her "aha" moment and seeing
her go after the future she wanted.
Tye and Danielle's story was the sweetest. Tye's life has
been a transient one with no desire to settle down. He won't even commit to
staying long at the ranch, never sure when the urge to leave will hit. But the
moment he met Dani, something changed. Dani is the single mother of two adult
sons. Her marriage hadn't been a good one and she has no desire ever to marry
again. Her boys are not the brightest bulbs in the box, and she took the job as
a cook at the ranch to get away from enabling their dependency on her. Dani is
surprised to discover that when Tye looks at her, he actually sees her and who
she is. She has been used to blending into the background most of her life. I
loved watching her bloom under his attention and see herself as a desirable
woman. I also liked the way that Dani's attention gave Tye the feeling he could
put down roots. Some interesting moments between Tye and Dani's sons created
some problems, but peace was restored thanks to a little unexpected interference.
I liked the way that Dani helped Tye with his search and loved the surprise
that was waiting for him at the end of it.
I loved the wrap-up of the story at Christmas. The family
meeting among the three brothers produced a surprise for Tatum and an
especially heartwarming moment for Cooper. I loved seeing each couple face the
future in their unique styles. None of the women are slackers in making their
desires known, and their men are smart enough to follow through.
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