Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Western

5*****

Blurb: When prodigal son Chance McCord returns home to the North Star ranch, he faces a tragic past and a family divided. When young widow Casey Girard decides to spend the summer working on the North Star near the Grand Tetons of Wyoming, she doesn’t expect to meet such a man as Chance, nor to fall so completely in love with him. They both must learn to trust in each other. Can Casey’s faith and love truly bring Chance home?

THOUGHTS: I’m usually not a fan of western romance, but this book just made me change my mind. It’s sweet, inspirational, and has a HEA ending that satisfies. The story is set on a ranch near the Teton Mountains in Wyoming. Chance and Casey are both looking for something, even if they don’t know exactly what. Casey is a widow and the mother of a seven-year-old boy. Wanting to get away from her “smothering” family for the summer, she joins her aunt on the North Star Ranch to help with cooking and to assist the owner with writing his memoirs. Chance is the prodigal son returning after ten years away. He lost his wife and son in an accident that he blames his brother for. While away, he ran the rodeo circuit, finally having to quit after a serious accident. The last thing either Chance or Casey has on their minds is romance, but fate has other ideas.

For that reason, it’s not a unique romance story, but the author does an excellent job of allowing us to see the real emotions as Casey watches her young son take to the ranch life and become the happy boy he was before his father died. She also is learning about ranch life–like driving a stick-shift truck and riding a horse. Chance shows her that there’s a lot to love about the land, and him.

I love the characters but the real draw to the story are the descriptions of the land and the beauty of the mountains. Almost makes me want to take a trip out there!

Recommended.