I enjoyed this book! Now that I am a little bit older, I do appreciate it when a book features a more mature couple. Jake and Miranda have been together for thirty years and have been through a lot in those years. Their children are grown with children of their own and the whole family plays a prominent role in this story. This is the third book in the Outlaw Hearts series, which should be read in order if at all possible, and the story picks up shortly after the events of the previous installment.

Jake and Miranda, along with the rest of their family, are now living on their ranch in Colorado wanting a quieter and more peaceful life. Of course, trouble seems to find this family, and Jake is soon forced to protect his land, his cattle, and Miranda. This family has been through a lot and they have proved to be resilient if nothing else. Things look really dire at a couple of points in this story and I was eager to see how things would work out for them. This story had no shortage of exciting scenes which were nicely balanced with the more heartfelt moments.

I would recommend this book to others. This is a really emotional story with characters that feel near and dear to my heart. I love how each member of the family plays a big role in the story, including the grandchildren. My only complaint is that the story felt a little too long. I can’t wait to read the next book in this wonderful series.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca. ( )

Before I tell you why you should read this story, let me ask you couple of questions.

Do you like reading "thick" books? If the answer is "YES", than this book [514 pages] is just perfect for you!

Are you a fan of series that are actually "sagas" of one particular couple/family? If, once more you said "YES", then this book is just the thing!

However, if you've never read this author or this series, then please don't start with this story. You must read the previous two books [Outlaw Hearts (Outlaw Hearts, #1) and Do Not Forsake Me (Outlaw Hearts, #2) ] in this series in order to fully enjoy this story.

Ever since I've read the first book in this series, I've realized that this author goes in big when it comes to writing characters and plots. Every book I've read so far has a feel of an epic. Trust me. I'm not exaggerating.

This is the last installment in this series and it is B.I.G. Just when I thought these two wonderful characters have been through hell and back, the author gives them more heartache and sorrow, and then brings it all around. Jake and Miranda Harkner are a couple who I'll enjoy rereading about as much as I enjoy Outlander's Jamie and Claire Fraser.

This story is not just for western romance lovers. This is a story for everyone that thrives on reading complex and strong characters with plenty of action and danger. I highly recommend it to all of you!

Melanie for b2b

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher
( )

While a part of me enjoyed seeing Jake's and Randy's story continued for so long, ultimately I felt disappointed by this addition to the tale. I don't know if the author intends to write more in the series, but I can't say that I'll be as eager for the next volume as I was for this one.

I did enjoy seeing Jake's and Randy's story continued. It's rare to see historical romances with leads as old as they are. It's pleasant to see that romance continues for so long and stays as vibrant; in this book, it does. Jake's and Randy's emotional pull are just as strong as they have ever been. I loved most of their scenes together, just like in previous books.

There were times where the author harkens back to the same old themes and emotional pitfalls of previous books, though. Jake's continuing thought processes of not being good enough for Randy and Randy's continuing efforts to counteract that do get old. While this feature is a fundamental foundation of Jake's character and personality, constantly exploring, discussing, and mentioning it made me tire of the whole thing. While it didn't kill my regard for their relationship and romance, it was definitely a downer.

I enjoyed the authors continuing effort to keep her historical background as accurate as possible. She continues to show that she is a leading lady in historical romance when it comes to this aspect along with her emotional relationships. I got a real taste for ranch life in the 1890s and the differing societal environment that came about as the Old West got tamed. Seeing Jake's struggles with this new world order as he tries to protect his own was the root of many conflicts in the novel. They added a nice dimension to the overall romantic relationship and family drama.

To me, the biggest downfall to this book is the amount of filler that pads out the impressive page count for a historical romance. Now most of Bittner's work tends to run longer so that's not as much of a surprise. It's just the sheer amount of content that is repetitious.

Big example of this is the sheer amount of sex scenes in the book. Now it’s great to know the folks Jake's and Randy's age can enjoy a healthy sex life; however, when you have sexy times almost every four or five scenes it gets a bit much. This combined with the repetitious exploration of themes, personality traits, and dangers our family faces already done to death make this book a slog through most of the time.

While it's great to have historical romances that explore a relationship as far as this series has and still have a fantastic emotional pull, this particular volume has huge flaws. Repeated themes and filler content cushion this book out to the point of absurdity. If another book is forthcoming in the series, I don't know that I'll be as eager for it as I was with this one. It might be time to retire Jake and Randy and explore other people. Their grandchildren might be an interesting choice given when they'll be coming of age, during World War I and the Roaring 20s. Now that would make for an interesting setting for a historical romance in this family! ( )