Series: Coltons of Texas (Book 9)Coltons (Book 58)
What's a cowboy to do when he falls for the woman he's investigating? Find out in the latest Coltons of Texas romance!
Soul-scarred Texas Ranger Jake McCord is no stranger to hardship and heartache. Assigned to solve a kidnapping case, Jake enters Colton Valley Ranch as a horse whisperer…and watcher. His primary suspect? The victim's daughter, Alanna Colton.
Alluring Alanna is the picture of competence and compassion as she trains horses and helps troubled teens work the ranch. Jake is immediately drawn to her, and their mutual attraction only intensifies as he struggles to keep a clear head on the case. But his troubles are just beginning, as others on the ranch arouse suspicion and threaten all Jake and Alanna hold dear.
The search for the missing Eldridge Colton goes on. Jake McCord is a Texas Ranger who has been sent undercover to the Colton ranch as a horse whisperer. His assignment is to keep an eye on Alanna Colton, daughter of the missing man and possible suspect.
Alanna runs the horse training section of the ranch and has started a program to help troubled teens. She butts heads constantly with her older brother Fowler, who has purchased a horse that Alanna believes is dangerous. She is skeptical of anyone who claims to be a "horse whisperer" and isn't happy that Fowler has hired Jake.
There are sparks between Jake and Alanna from the moment they met. First up is the fact that Alanna doesn't want Jake there and doesn't believe in what he does. She is bluntly honest and has no trouble telling him so from the beginning. Jake is equally honest when he tells her that she's wrong and that she will soon see it. There are also the sparks of attraction that fly between them. Jake takes advantage of those sparks and lays the cowboy charm on thick, flirting with Alanna. He has no trouble using those sparks to get closer to her. Alanna feels the sparks also, but she has no intention of getting involved with a footloose charmer. She has enough on her plate.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship. I liked the banter between Jake and Alanna as they got to know each other. Though his flirtation had started as part of the job, Jake quickly found it turning real. I liked the way that he paid attention to what was going on around her and saw how she was treated. It was sweet to see how he tried to be there for her, giving her a shoulder to lean on if she wanted to and encouraging her to believe in her dreams. It doesn't take long before he believes in her innocence, though he needs evidence to satisfy his superiors. He also feels increasingly guilty about his deception. Alanna is intelligent and determined to make her programs work. I liked her dedication to her teen program and the compassion and kindness she shows them. She is wary of Jake, but can't deny the attraction she feels to him. She is also surprised at how easy it is to open up about her dreams and frustrations when she talks to him. The heat between them is intense, and when they are together their problems fade into the background. I ached for them both when the truth came out. Alanna felt betrayed and used. Jake believed that what they had together had been destroyed by his deception. I loved Alanna's big moment at the end as she went after what she wanted most. Her surprise for Jake was awesome.
The suspense of the story was very good. Jake has his work cut out for him as he watches the various members of the Colton family, especially Alanna. His suspicions are aroused when someone accuses Alanna of having threatened her father, and he has to weigh the evidence against his personal feelings. After witnessing several confrontations among assorted Coltons, Jake realizes that most of them have the motivation and capability of being involved in Eldridge's disappearance. One character, in particular, seems especially motivated to deflect suspicion onto Alanna, which rings my alarm bells. But nothing is resolved, leaving everyone still wondering what happened to Eldridge.
There is a second issue giving Jake fits. There is a ranch hand there who Jake believes was involved in the death of his partner. Though told to focus on his assignment, Jake still keeps an eye on this man. Problems with him escalate as he involves Alanna's teens in whatever is going on. The final confrontation was intense, and I was glued to the pages until it was all resolved.
There are some deeply emotional parts to the book also. Jake is dealing with the death of his younger brother and his partner, which have had him tied up in knots for months, to the point where it affected his work. He is drowning in guilt over both. I ached for him as he finally confronted those issues and put them to rest. His conversation with his father was especially emotional for both of them. Alanna has tried burying her pain in her work with the horses. It is difficult when she is constantly undercut by her obnoxiously controlling brother. I liked how Jake helped her face the things that were holding her back, giving her the strength to go after what she wanted. I ached for her the day that she thought she saw her father in a crowd and chased after him.
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