Series: Coldwater Texas (Book 1)
A family crisis brings him home…
Just in time for Christmas
Cattleman Callen Laramie has no intention of returning to his hometown of Coldwater, Texas, until a Christmas wedding and a family secret convince him he has no choice. And when he’s reunited with his childhood crush, the girl who’d always been off-limits, Callen knows leaving might not be so easy this time.
Shelby McCall is as pretty as a Christmas snowfall, and Callen wants to kiss her under the mistletoe…and the Christmas tree…and the stars. But once Shelby knows the whole truth behind this homecoming, will their holiday fling come to an abrupt end? Or will she accept the gift of his heart?
Terrific start to the new series, with a steamy romance, fun characters, and a quirky small town. There are secrets to deal with, a wedding to attend, and memories to face. Callen hasn't been back in Coldwater since he left at the age of eighteen. There were too many bad memories, and he was determined to leave them as far behind as he could. He has no intention of ever going back to Coldwater, even when he gets the invitation to his foster father's wedding. It doesn't matter that there is a note attached that Buck needs to see him. Then Buck's daughter Shelby shows up at Callen's Dallas office to personally ask Callen to come because she's worried about her father. Callen had had a huge crush on Shelby as a teen, but Buck's threat to castrate any of his foster sons who even looked at her funny kept his feelings well hidden.
Shelby is excited about her father and Rosy's wedding, but she has a bad feeling that there is something seriously wrong with her father. If he wants Callen home for the wedding, she will do whatever it takes to get him there. She also had had a huge crush on Callen when they were younger and looked on this as a chance to have what had been forbidden to her before.
Callen only intended to make a quick visit to see Buck and find out what was on his mind. What he found instead was a man with a big problem and that he was the only one Buck trusted to take care of it. Callen isn't happy about the secrets Buck wants him to keep, but he packs up his office and his assistant and moves to Coldwater temporarily to help Buck out. Seeing Shelby again is a bonus, especially after Buck removes the threat of castration.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Callen and Shelby. The chemistry between them was explosive every time they were near each other. Shelby is well aware of the fact that Callen will not stay in Coldwater for long, but she's willing to take what she can get. Callen is up for a fling but also suffers some pangs of guilt because he's afraid of hurting her. The attraction between them leaped off the pages as they could not keep their hands off each other, but it was also clear that what they had was more than just physical. I loved seeing how tuned they were to each other and the protectiveness it brought out in both of them. There were some terrific scenes of Callen being there for Shelby when she most needs him. There were also a few times when Shelby showed how well she understood Callen and what drives him. There was a fantastic scene near the end where she supports him in a totally unexpected way. I ached for Shelby as her "no strings" promise looked like it would lead to another broken heart for her. I was a little worried about Callen and his plans, but he came through in a big way. I loved his Christmas present to her at the end. It was sweet, romantic, and symbolic of everything he had been fighting against.
The secondary characters and stories were wonderful. I loved Buck and Rosy. Buck's devotion to giving homes to those who most needed it was heartwarming. It was clear just how much he meant to those kids when the responses to the wedding invitations came rolling in. Buck was also stubborn and protective, which is what led to his attempts to keep the truth from Rosy and Shelby. Rosy was a riot. She had a huge heart and a sweet disposition. She was also a wee bit eccentric, as shown by her wedding plans. It was fun to anticipate just what she was going to come up with next, especially when it came to Billy, the stuffed armadillo. I loved Lucy and Mateo. The parallels between them and Callen and his brothers were heartbreaking. They were terrific kids, and I loved the way they looked out for each other, and how much they cared for Buck and Rosy. I was happy for them with the way things worked out at the end.
I also loved Callen's brothers. In spite of the way he had cut them out of his life when he fled Coldwater, they were still there for each other when needed. I ached for them all as the stories of their pasts were revealed. There was a fantastic scene at the end where they confronted a part of their past together, and I couldn't help but laugh as they did it. It was great to see Callen reconnect with them. I am looking forward to reading their stories.
There were plenty of other quirky characters in the small town. There was Gavin, Shelby's ex-fiancé, who had a hard time letting go, and his sister who had issues with Callen. The town flasher was a bit of a scene-stealer. Then there was Ted, the owner of the local junk shop, who ended up having quite an effect of Callen. I loved the scene of Callen in his shop as Callen did his Christmas shopping.
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