Series: Montana Mavericks: Lonelyhearts Ranch (Book 4)Montana Mavericks (Book 118)
Releasing his inner cowboy
Rust Creek Ramblings
Rugged ex-marine Brendan Tanner and his muscles recently took up residence at the Stockton ranch, presumably for a short-term stay. Could Fiona O’Reilly make him rethink his wandering ways? The sparks between those two could light up all of Rust Creek Falls, if only they weren’t so darned wary of falling in love. Bundle up, dear readers, and warm your hearts as Fiona and Brendan try to find their way home -- to each other!
Sweet story with just enough sparks to heat it up. Brendan is a former Marine who has come to Rust Creek Falls to make some decisions about his life. He had a career he loved with the Marines, but he went home to Texas to take care of his dying father. After his father's death, Brendan was at a crossroads - should he re-enlist in the Corps, and go back where he felt a part of something, or stay out and find something else to do? Offered a place at Sunshine Farm, Brendan has found a purpose providing repair services for the town, but is it enough to keep him there?
Fiona is the oldest of her sisters and the only one still not married. She thought she was well on the way to her own happy-ever-after until her boyfriend left town and got another woman pregnant. While her pride was more damaged than her heart, she was resigned to being the spinster aunt. Having grown up in Rust Creek Falls, most of the single men are more like brothers than potential mates.
I liked the development of the relationship between Fiona and Brendan. From the moment they met, there were sparks between them, but they were wary. Brendan was sure he was going back to the Marines as soon as he was back in shape, so getting involved with Fiona would not be fair to her. He's also cynical about the whole idea of love, having seen what happened to his father when Brendan's mother left them. Fiona doesn't want to risk her heart on another man who will leave. In spite of their reasons to avoid each other, neither Brendan nor Fiona can stay away. I liked seeing the two of them get to know each other, first developing a good friendship. It was sweet to see Brendan's reaction when she told him about her ex, and I loved Fiona's efforts to show Brendan that he wasn't responsible for his mother's leaving. I liked seeing them try to keep their growing relationship "under the radar" which was impossible in the small town. As they continued to grow closer, Fiona realized that she had fallen in love with Brendan, and hoped that he would decide to stay, but was afraid to tell him so. I ached for Brendan, who realized that his feelings for Fiona had grown, but panicked because he equated love with pain and loss. I loved how both received advice that helped them face their fears and go after what they wanted. The epilogue was terrific.
One of the things I liked best about the book was Luke Stockton's ideas for Sunshine Farm. It was terrific to see how he found Brendan's strengths and used them to draw him into life in Rust Creek Falls. I especially enjoyed all of Luke's little nudges meant to make Brendan see that he had a place there. I loved seeing the support that all the veterans showed each other, and was especially moved by Brendan's encounter with Vietnam vet JT Halstead. I look forward to seeing more from Luke and Brendan in the future.
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