May Contain Spoilers

Review:

Montana is a popular setting for romances lately.  While I would love to visit in summer, a winter in the state, with the snow and the cold and the wind, holds no appeal for me.  Therefore, I choose to complete my travels to the 41st state through books.  Sorry, large, northern state, but Michigan winters are far too long for my liking; I hate to think what a Montana winter would be like!

I typically pick up a romance set in Montana for cowboys.  While Ryker wasn’t a cowboy, he was still an engaging hero.  He’s a prize winning photographer who has lost his way since the death of his fiancée and his unborn child.  Needing some solitude, he’s pitched a tent on the 10 acres that his father left to Ryker and his brother.  The piece of land is the brightest spot of his childhood, the place where he and his father and his brother spent their summers camping, fishing, and hanging out.  After his father’s fatal heart attack when he was a senior in high school, a rift between Ryker and his mother drove him away from home, and he’s been globetrotting since.  Until the accident that robbed his fiancée, he had been blissfully happy.  Now, a year later, he’s still mourning and not ready to deal with people yet.

Imagine his surprise when Mia turns up outside his tent, accusing him of squatting on her land.  She and her ex-husband purchased the property, and after moving back home from Cheyenne, she wants to pour the foundation for  her new house as soon as possible, but Ryker is holding up the show.  Mia is also grieving; her husband cheated on her, she had a battle with cancer that left her scarred and broken, and she just wants to start over with her two kids.  Ryker’s claim that the land belongs to him has put a wrench in her plans, and she’s not going to go down without a fight.

I really liked this story.  Both Ryker and Mia are hurting and they need each other to heal and become whole again.  After undergoing invasive surgeries and chemo, Mia is understandably struggling with her sense of self.  The thought of being intimate with  anyone is a no-go, and she can’t believe that Ryker would really be attracted to an older woman.  Ryker, on the other hand, is easy going, but he never wants to be hurt again, so he’s vowed to never put himself in that position again.  So, no falling in love.  Of course, both Ryker and Mia break every one of their rules and rediscover the power and strength of love.

I enjoyed the author’s writing style, and am thrilled that she has a large back list.  I liked the supporting cast of her Big Sky Mavericks series, and would like to get to know the characters better.  All in all, Montana Darling is a sweet romance with two likable protagonists.

Grade:  B

Review copy provided by publisher

From Amazon:

Mia Zabrinski’s lost enough– her marriage. Her job. Her body image. Mia is ready to rebuild her life in her hometown of Marietta,Montana, and she’s damned if she’ll let some stranger camp on her land and claim squatter’s rights.

Ryker Bensen doesn’t have much– and that suits him fine. Less than a year ago, he had everything: a beautiful girlfriend, a baby on the way, a career that earned him fame and a very comfortable living…until he didn’t. When beautiful Mia shows up and orders him off what she says is her land, Ryker realizes she might be the spark he needed to jumpstart his interest in living again.

The Big Sky Mavericks series
Book 1: Montana Cowgirl
Book 2: Montana Cowboy
Book 3: Montana Darling

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