Series: Coltons of Shadow Creek (Book 9)Coltons (Book 70)
Single, pregnant and nearly bankrupt, Halle Ford makes a deal with a sexy Scottish devil: she'll marry billionaire Alastair Buchanan. Why? For the sake of their baby -- conceived after one night of passion -- and to save her beloved Bluewood Ranch. They plan to divorce after one year, but their burgeoning Lone Star love might just surprise them!
But no sooner do the cowgirl and her Scotsman say, "I do," than their very livelihoods are threatened. Someone begins sabotaging Halle's ranch, while Alastair's family whiskey empire comes under siege. Drawn together by passion and danger, can the newlyweds protect the family they've both come to cherish?
Good book that kept me hooked from beginning to end. The effects of criminal mastermind Livia Colton continue to haunt the town of Shadow Creek. Halle's father was killed in a hit-and-run accident that she blames on Livia Colton. Her father's death brought Halle back to Bluewood Ranch and the family trail tours business sooner than planned and she struggles to keep the business afloat. When a neighbor sets up a four-day trail tour for a friend of his, Halle jumps at the chance to show Scotsman Alastair Buchanan the wild and beautiful side of Texas. Alastair is a billionaire with plans for some investments in Texas. The trail ride is his chance to learn more about the area as well as take some time to relax.
Alastair and Halle strike sparks from each other from the moment they meet. The attraction they feel is mutual, but neither intends to do anything about it. Getting involved with a client is a bad idea, and Halle has enough problems without risking that kind of trouble. Alastair only plans to be in Texas for a short time, and he senses that Halle is not the fling type of woman. I loved the interactions between Halle and Alastair during the ride. Alastair occasionally comes across as an arrogant know-it-all, but that's mostly his natural confidence expressing itself. He is polite and appreciative and has a dry sense of humor that appeals to Halle. He also likes to tease a bit, which gets him into trouble. I liked watching Halle introduce Alastair to the land she loved. Her love of that land shines through in everything she does. I enjoyed seeing her tweak Alastair about his phone habit. When that same phone causes a nearly fatal accident, the subsequent reactions result in a passionate night on the trail. But nothing can come of it, so when the ride is over, they part ways.
However, Fate has something else in mind. Alastair hasn't been able to forget Halle, though his attempts to stay in contact with her are shot down. That is until the stick turns blue, and Halle knows that she has to tell Alastair that he's going to be a father. He's shocked, and not too happy with Halle's stated plan to raise the baby on her own. His inability to forget her runs into his natural protectiveness, and he rushes back to Texas with a plan in place. He'll propose a temporary marriage that will give the baby his name and legitimacy and provide Halle with the funds she needs to keep her ranch going. I enjoyed the back-and-forth as Alastair needed every bit of his negotiating skills to convince Halle to agree to his plans.
I thoroughly enjoyed the development of Alastair and Halle's relationship. Halle is feisty and independent and doesn't like the idea of being indebted to Alastair. Alastair is protective and determined to make things as easy as possible for Halle, a feeling that only increases when strange things begin to happen on the ranch. A trip to Scotland removes Halle from immediate danger and gives the two of them more time together to get to know each other. Alastair's protectiveness leads him to keep his growing business troubles from Halle because he doesn't want to worry her, but Halle can see that he is keeping something from her. As her feelings for him grow stronger, that lack of sharing/trust makes her believe that his feelings are not as strong. After their return to Texas, Alastair compounds the problem with a business deal that goes against everything Halle believes. I ached for her and her feelings of betrayal but also wanted to shake her for not letting him explain. When Halle's temper puts her in a dangerous situation, Alastair finally realizes the strength of his feelings. His feelings of helplessness were hard for him to face, and I loved the way that Halle helped him through it. I loved the scene at the hospital when he saw the baby on the sonogram and the effect it had on him. The final scene at Christmas was fun, with the gender reveal and Alastair's wedding gift to Halle.
The suspense of the story was fantastic. There seemed to be two different issues going on, both of which tied to the hard-to-believe possibility that Livia Colton is still alive. Right after the wedding, there were attacks made that appeared to be intent on making Halle sell her property. I ached for her at the discovery on her front porch and loved her determination not to give in to the threats. The booby trap on the trail was frightening, especially for Alastair who feared for Halle's safety. At the same time, Alastair has been trying to fight off a hostile takeover of one of his businesses. The increasing feeling that it was personal made Alastair even more intent on getting to the bottom of it. The security breach on his estate added another layer of questions to the puzzle. The final confrontation back in Texas was an intense series of events that had me on the edge of my seat wondering how it was all going to be resolved. There were several twists involved as the link between Halle's and Alastair's troubles became clear. I loved Halle's part in bringing the confrontation to a successful end. There is still one element left unresolved, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.
The only problem I had with the book was a minor one, but every time it happened it pulled me a little bit out of the story. In Scotland, they distill and drink whisky, not whiskey. So every time Alastair's company, Clyde Whiskey, was mentioned, it grated on my nerves.
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