Fantastic start to a new series about a group of retired SEALs and the ranch they started to help others who also have PTSD. This collaboration between newcomer Josie Jade and veteran author Janie Crouch sucked me in from the first page and didn't let me go until I turned the last one. I've been looking forward to this book since Janie introduced the Resting Warrior Ranch in her latest book, Code Name: Virgo, and I was not disappointed.
Five years earlier, Evelyn was young and in love. She had no idea that the handsome, wealthy, and charming Nathan West was a psychopath until she ran afoul of his obsessive jealousy. After what he did to her, she was fortunate to escape when she did, but she has spent the last four years running. The book opens as Evelyn receives a delivery that shows he's found her again. Once more on the run, Evelyn ends up in Garnet Bend, Montana. When she shows up at the ranch holding a year-old advertisement for a job, Lucas immediately recognizes the fear and desperation in her eyes. He offers her a house on the ranch and finds her a job in town at Deja Brew, all while attempting to harness his protective instincts.
I loved watching the relationship between Lucas and Evelyn develop. They are immediately drawn to each other, but like the horses he gentles for the ranch's therapy use, Lucas realizes that Evelyn needs time, space, and patience to heal and believe in her safety. Those scenes as Evelyn slowly learns to trust Lucas are intensely moving. And when her past comes calling, that trust allows Evelyn to stop running and let Lucas and the others help her.
The twists and turns of this story kept me reading long into the night, unable to put it down until I swiped through the last page. Lucas's caring and support gave Evelyn the strength to stand her ground and trust the guys to stand between her and Nathan. The emotion ramped up as Nathan's actions escalated in intensity. The ending had me on the edge of my seat as Evelyn faced her worst nightmare, Lucas fought to prevent his greatest fear, and the men of Resting Warrior Ranch came together to help one of their own. A final twist provided an intense finale, and Evelyn and Lucas looked toward a brighter future.
The vivid descriptions of everything from Evelyn's injuries to the Montana landscape to the ranch and its activities gave the story an extra layer of realism. I also enjoyed meeting and getting to know Lucas's co-owners and Evelyn's new friends, Lena and Grace. I can't wait to read the next book and learn more about the source of the tension between Harlan and Grace.
Five years earlier, Evelyn was young and in love. She had no idea that the handsome, wealthy, and charming Nathan West was a psychopath until she ran afoul of his obsessive jealousy. After what he did to her, she was fortunate to escape when she did, but she has spent the last four years running. The book opens as Evelyn receives a delivery that shows he's found her again. Once more on the run, Evelyn ends up in Garnet Bend, Montana. When she shows up at the ranch holding a year-old advertisement for a job, Lucas immediately recognizes the fear and desperation in her eyes. He offers her a house on the ranch and finds her a job in town at Deja Brew, all while attempting to harness his protective instincts.
I loved watching the relationship between Lucas and Evelyn develop. They are immediately drawn to each other, but like the horses he gentles for the ranch's therapy use, Lucas realizes that Evelyn needs time, space, and patience to heal and believe in her safety. Those scenes as Evelyn slowly learns to trust Lucas are intensely moving. And when her past comes calling, that trust allows Evelyn to stop running and let Lucas and the others help her.
The twists and turns of this story kept me reading long into the night, unable to put it down until I swiped through the last page. Lucas's caring and support gave Evelyn the strength to stand her ground and trust the guys to stand between her and Nathan. The emotion ramped up as Nathan's actions escalated in intensity. The ending had me on the edge of my seat as Evelyn faced her worst nightmare, Lucas fought to prevent his greatest fear, and the men of Resting Warrior Ranch came together to help one of their own. A final twist provided an intense finale, and Evelyn and Lucas looked toward a brighter future.
The vivid descriptions of everything from Evelyn's injuries to the Montana landscape to the ranch and its activities gave the story an extra layer of realism. I also enjoyed meeting and getting to know Lucas's co-owners and Evelyn's new friends, Lena and Grace. I can't wait to read the next book and learn more about the source of the tension between Harlan and Grace.
