Colleen Thompson

Good conclusion to this Colton series. Malcolm works on the family ranch and volunteers with the local search and rescue and his K9 companion, Pace. When he hears that the fugitive who terrorized his family is sighted on the mountain, he and Pace go out on their own to find him. However, the first person they found was Giselle, Malcom's almost sister-in-law. Malcolm and Giselle have avoided each other since the tragic death of his fiancée and her sister, Kate.

I enjoyed watching Malcolm and Giselle's relationship develop as they worked together to find the killer. Both are weighed down by their grief and survivor's guilt, determined to ignore the sparks that flare between them. The author did a terrific job of showing their conflicting emotions as attraction battled grief. I could feel both characters' pain when memories overcame them and rooted for them to find healing together. I loved Malcolm's support and encouragement of Giselle as she also battled to regain her confidence after a problematic professional setback. I also liked the resolution of that issue.

The suspense of the book was excellent. Two storylines run throughout the book. The first is Malcolm's ongoing search for those responsible for Kate's death. It has been three and a half years since the accident, but he hasn't given up. Things look up when he gets information that leads to the identity of the boat's driver.

The second storyline runs throughout the series as the Coltons and law enforcement pursue a cult leader and serial killer who has terrorized his family. His "off-the-record" search starts with encountering Giselle and their attempt to warn a neighbor about Markus Acker. The action intensifies throughout the book as Acker's attacks escalate. The occasional section from his point of view shows his growing desperation. The final confrontation was an intense, edge-of-the-seat scene that kept me glued to the pages until it was over.

Two of my favorite characters were Malcolm's dog, Pacer, and the puppy Giselle adopted. Besides being Malcolm's SAR partner, Pacer provides emotional support when Malcolm's grief overwhelms him. Scarlett is an enthusiastic beagle puppy that turns out to be unsuited for service dog training. I loved seeing her and Giselle connect and the effect Scarlett had on Giselle's grieving. There were some amusing scenes involving Scarlett, one of which was one in which she was instrumental in saving the day.

I loved the last chapter and how it wrapped up the series for all of the couples.… (more)

Claire Winslow is shocked when she is told her cop husband is in jail on murder charges and there is evidence he plans to kill her. When Spence skips out on bail she is terrified and when he contacts her and claims his innocence and love for her she is unsure what to believe. Someone is framing him and he asked her to believe him while he tries to prove it. Claire starts to question things from the past and stories that have been told over the years, finding coincidences and holes in some of the stories. Good suspenseful story with a few twists.… (more)

Good combination of suspense and romance. Ryan is the youngest brother who, after the loss of the family ranch, went to work as the foreman on a neighbor's ranch while hitting the rodeo circuit in his spare time. His goal was to earn enough money to buy his own ranch. As the book opens, he discovers that his crusty boss is missing after reportedly suffering a "medical emergency." Preston's mercenary grandson has taken control of the ranch and is throwing his weight around. The confrontation goes south quickly, with Trey firing Ryan and then shooting him in the leg.

Amanda is the local real estate agent who has been looking for the right property for Ryan. She hasn't had an easy life, first growing up in foster care and then marrying a man who became abusive. When her husband disappeared, his family blamed her, even though his death was ruled accidental once his body was found. In the year since his death, Amanda began to find herself and her strength despite her mother-in-law's constant harassment. When her home is vandalized, Amanda must find proof of the vandal's identity to get it stopped.

From the beginning, Ryan has done his best to support Amanda in whatever she needs. Not only is she a good friend of the family, Ryan is deeply attracted to her. I liked how he stepped up to help her deal with the vandalism and investigate who was behind it. At the same time, Amanda helps Ryan uncover the truth of Preston's whereabouts. As much time as they spend together, it is no surprise that their feelings for each other begin to grow. But Amanda's past experiences make trusting any man difficult, and Ryan's reputation with "buckle bunnies" doesn't inspire confidence.

It is evident from the first that Ryan's feelings for Amanda are deep and genuine. I loved his protectiveness when she was in trouble and his kindness, patience, and compassion as she worked through her fears. Amanda is afraid to trust her judgment and tries hard to keep Ryan in the friend zone. Fortunately, the more time she spends with him, the more she realizes he is one of the good guys. But can she let go of her fears enough to let him in? I loved the ending and seeing her finally give in to hope and love. The epilogue was fantastic.

The suspense of the story was good. There were two mysteries to solve: where Preston was, whether he was safe, and who was behind the vandalism of Amanda's house. I could feel Ryan's frustration at being unable to find his friend and mentor. I liked Amanda's willingness to help. The scene where they showed up at the nursing home was fantastic, and I ached for what they found there. An unexpected twist in Ryan's investigation nearly cost him his life, except for a friend's intervention. The resolution was anti-climactic but satisfying.

The other mystery of who was behind the vandalism was mainly one of finding the proof. Amanda had a good idea of who it was. Complicating matters was the ongoing feud with her former mother-in-law. I loved the scene at the businesswoman's luncheon and Amanda standing up to the woman. As Amanda and Ryan began to close in on identifying the vandals, an attempt was made to abduct Amanda. It was a combination of a nail-biter and clown show, as the perpetrators were pretty bad. I wasn't surprised by their identities, but an unexpected revelation came out of it.… (more)