Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
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.
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.
