Patricia Thayer

Good book. Austin is a champion bull rider who was badly injured during his last ride. After three months he has been released to finish his recovery and rehab on the family ranch. He's determined to get back on the rodeo circuit as soon as possible, and his slow progress has made him grumpy and hard to live with. His brother and sister-in-law hire Erin to provide the physical therapy that he needs.

Erin is a widow who lost her husband eighteen months earlier. He had been a Marine who was injured on his last deployment. She gave up her job to stay home and provide the therapy he needed until his death. Since then, she has been determined to have the family that she hadn't had with Jared. She takes the job with Austin to earn money for her IVF treatments.

I loved the first meeting between Austin and Erin. He makes some slightly suggestive remarks and she shoots him down in a hurry. There's a bit of a power struggle between the two of them and Erin comes out on top. He's used to being in charge and getting his way, but he needs her and her expertise, so he has to give in. Over the next couple weeks they butt heads on a regular basis, but Austin improvement is obvious. Underneath the banter and occasional snark is an undercurrent of attraction. But Austin doesn't do relationships, as they are a distraction, and Erin has no desire to have another man in her life.

I liked the development of Austin and Erin's relationship. They developed a pretty good friendship, to the point where Erin was able to tell him about her baby plans. She was also able to open up to him about her marriage, which helped him understand her. Austin's plans for his return to bull riding took a detour when he found out that he was the father of a three-month-old baby girl. Because he still isn't completely mobile, Austin talks Erin into helping him take care of little Lilly.

It was really sweet to see the three of them together. I loved seeing how quickly Austin took to being a daddy. He's nervous but determined to be everything that Lilly needs. Erin fell just as hard for that sweet little girl and watching Austin with her melted Erin's heart. But Erin had been badly betrayed by her husband and his actions, and getting involved with a man who would be leaving to go back to rodeo was something that she was unwilling to do. It was interesting to see the changes that Austin went through as he began to rethink his future. He knew that he wanted Erin to be part of it, but it took a while for him to realize just why. He has insecurities of his own and wants to have his plans set before he says anything to Erin. Meanwhile, her fears have her pushing him away as she tries to protect her heart. I wanted to shake her when she refused to listen to him. I ached for Austin, who was hurt and angry at her rejection. I loved the surprise that finally got them talking to each other. The epilogue was great, with another surprise, though not unexpected. It was great to see the whole family together.

The secondary characters were good. I loved seeing the relationships between Austin and his brothers, Cullen and Trent. The love and support were obvious, especially when it came to giving advice. I also liked seeing Austin and his father start to overcome their differences. The only one I didn't like was Austin's manager, Jay. He seemed more interested in what was in it for him rather than what was best for Austin. His attitude toward Erin was terrible and could be blamed for at least some of the trouble between her and Austin.… (mere)

Good second chance story. Laurel and Kase had been high school sweethearts, until Kase went away to college. Then he decided that if he was going to make his dream of becoming a big-city lawyer come true, he was going to have to focus on his studies. So he broke things off with Laurel, breaking her heart. He went on to achieve his dream, but it also came with problems. Now he's come home to Hidden Springs, but he isn't alone.

It took Laurel a long time to risk her heart again, only to have it tromped on once more. This time, the man she chose turned out to be much worse. Not only did he leave her at the altar, he also embezzled money from the ranch. Laurel feels responsible, and is determined to pay back every bit of the money, even though her father and his business partner don't want her to. So she concentrates on training her horses, working her part-time job, and avoiding getting involved with another man.

It was obvious from the moment they met again that the sparks between them were still alive. Laurel tries to avoid Kase, not wanting to be hurt again, but finds herself ambushed at every turn by one very determined little girl. Kase has come home to help out his father on the ranch (the same one he couldn't wait to escape from) and to give his daughter a different life after the death of her drug addicted mother. He also wants to get away from his in-laws, who are fighting him for custody of Addy. Kase freely admits that he regrets his actions from before and would really like the chance to try again.

I loved the fact that Kase could acknowledge his own past stupidity. He was a bit hesitant about trying to get involved again because of Laurel's obvious reluctance. But with the way that little Addy took to her, Kase was willing to ask for Laurel's help with his daughter. His obvious love for Addy was really sweet, and I loved his determination to do whatever he had to in order to retain custody. This was especially important the more I learned about his in-laws.

I admit to getting a little frustrated with Laurel at times. I admired her desire to make amends for what had happened with the money, but her stubbornness was getting in the way of her moving on. I loved seeing Addy work her way past Laurel's walls, which then opened the door for Kase to follow her in. But she still isn't sure that she can trust Kase to stay in Hidden Springs and not leave, taking her heart once again. She tries pushing him away when she thinks she's gotten too close, but this time he's determined to do it right. I loved his big moment at the end, as he overcame all her fears.

The story of the custody battle was good, but the reason behind it wasn't really a surprise. With his in-laws' attitudes, and the way they had raised their daughter, Kase's determination was completely understandable. I also understood his worry, since they were "model citizens" and friends with the judge. I loved that it was Laurel that figured out the motivation and brought it to Kase's attention.… (mere)