Thursday, October 1, 2015

High Country Hideout - Elle James (HI #1594 - Oct 2015)

Series: Covert Cowboys Inc. (Book 7)

Last hope or second chance?

Ranching was Angus Ketchum's first love -- until his last tour of duty shattered that dream. The wounded ex-soldier gets his second chance when he's recruited to go undercover to protect a widowed ranch owner. But from the moment he meets Reggie Davis, Angus can tell holding on to her land and keeping her young son safe is taking its toll. Especially when someone threatens her livelihood and her life. As the attacks escalate, Angus must rely on his combat skills to keep Reggie and her boy alive. And he must rely on his commitment to the mission to keep their powerful attraction in check.

Good book with enough suspense and romance to keep me hooked to the end. Angus is a new employee of Covert Cowboys Inc. He had planned to make the military his career, but an IED took part of his leg and it's no longer possible. Now he's been asked to pose as a ranch hand while protecting the owner of Last Chance Ranch. Angus isn't so sure he's the right man for the job because of his disability.

Reggie lost her husband a year ago and she is determined to keep the ranch going so it can be passed down to her son. It's hard work for just her and her foreman, CW. When he hires a ranch hand to help, she isn't too happy, as she feels they can't afford it, but Angus talks her into letting him stay.

There has been a series of strange accidents on the ranch that CW thinks aren't accidents, which is why he asked for help from his friend at CCI. Reggie thinks that they are just random acts of vandalism until the night she is physically attacked. After that she has to admit that there is something going on. Angus's presence makes her feel safer as they try to find out who is behind the attacks. Each incident has Angus more determined to keep Reggie safe. As they investigate, there are several people with motive to harm her. It wasn't until near the end that I settled on one suspect. The final confrontation was intense, and the danger very real. 

Angus and Reggie were attracted to each other from the beginning, but neither wanted to accept it. Reggie is still grieving for her husband, and feels guilty that she could be interested in someone else. Angus feels that his injuries make him unsuitable for someone like her. I loved seeing them get to know each other. Reggie is very independent and very stubborn and hates asking for help or depending on someone else. She fights her attraction to Angus as well as her desire to lean on him, until she can't resist any longer. I liked the way that she didn't pity him about his injuries and instead showed him that he could still do anything he put his mind to. Angus's attraction to Reggie catches him off guard. He had made up his mind that his injuries would make it impossible for him to have the kind of life he had once dreamed of, but being around her makes him wish that he could. I loved seeing him discover that he is actually far more able that he thought, and how his confidence in himself grew. I loved seeing how they brought out the best in each other and by the end realized that they belonged together. 

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