The Maverick's Thanksgiving Baby - Brenda Harlen (HSE #2366 - Nov 2014)

Series: Montana Mavericks: 20 Years in the Saddle (Book 5)

A BRIDE -- AND A BABY! -- UNDER HIS TREE!

RUST CREEK RAMBLINGS

Stop the presses! Can you believe there's about to be another wedding in Rust Creek Falls? Yes, local cowboy Jesse Crawford is tying the knot with Maggie Roarke, that Hollywood lawyer who's been flitting in and out of town for the past several months. Rumor has it their hasty nuptials might have something to do with Maggie's brand-new baby bump…

We're all for one big happy family, but we're a little puzzled by this pairing. Maggie and Jesse couldn't be more different if they tried -- are they really ready to saddle up for the long haul? Stay on the trail, faithful readers, and let's see if their baby-to-be can bring this new family together for the holidays -- and ever after!

Very good book about two extremely different people brought together by chemistry and its consequences. Maggie has been in and out of Rust Creek Falls for several months, working on a controversial court case. The first time Jesse saw her, he wanted to get to know her, but he hasn't been able to summon up the courage to ask her out. He's a bit shy and much more comfortable with animals than people. His latest attempt ended in a tongue-tied disaster, so he gave up, only to get another unexpected chance a few moments later. 

Maggie is tired of avoiding the unwelcome attentions of a particular cowboy, and sees Jesse as the perfect rescuer. I loved her first words to him, and the kiss she laid on him was scorching. What happens next is not unexpected. Though she lives in LA, Maggie is not averse to getting to know him a little better. Unfortunately, once she goes home, her busy career interferes with her intention to go back to Rust Creek Falls to see him again. Pretty soon even their phone calls taper off to nothing, and she's afraid that he's forgotten all about her.

Jesse hasn't forgotten a thing, but he's not going to chase after someone who obviously didn't care that much about him to start with. Years ago he'd been engaged to a city woman who ended up leaving him because he and Rust Creek Falls weren't enough for her. He's not going to risk his heart on another woman just like that.

Then a few months later, Maggie is back to deliver some stunning news. She's pregnant and the baby is his. She doesn't expect anything from him, she just felt that he deserved to know. He's shocked, but he's old fashioned enough that he feels the best thing is for them to get married and tells her so. But Maggie is an independent woman and has no desire to be "the right thing". Besides, her life and her job are in LA. Jesse isn't going to give up trying to convince her to stay in Montana. 

The first half of the book is spent with Jesse trying to get Maggie to marry him. I liked the way he tried to show her all the good things about the town. He's determined to keep her in Montana, but Maggie doesn't want to give up the job she's worked so hard for to marry a man who has said nothing about caring about her, not just the baby. Maggie likes her job, but because of her pregnancy she finds her priorities changing, and those changes aren't compatible with her work. I loved how she then makes a decision and follows through quickly.

I loved her return to Rust Creek Falls. While she's pretty sure that she has made the right decision, the changes to her life are pretty drastic. Life in Montana isn't nearly as hectic, and though she goes to work for the other lawyer in town it is a whole different way of doing things. I loved seeing her adjust to the slower lifestyle, the interest of her new town in everything she does, and how much she enjoyed having a life outside of work. She still had to deal with Jesse's determination to marry her, but even there it didn't take long before she was considering the possibility. She has accepted her feelings for him, but worries about marrying a man who doesn't feel the same way.

Jesse succeeds in convincing her to marry him, and is looking forward to all that it entails, until several people at the reception have him making comparisons between Maggie and his former fiancee. That same fiancee appears right before the wedding in an attempt to get him back, and when he turns her down, makes snide comments about Maggie being just like her. Then one of her brothers flat out tells Jesse that he's not so sure that Maggie is cut out for life in small town Montana. Even his parents have been less than welcoming to her. Now he's afraid that she won't stick it out, and in order to protect himself he starts to pull back.

I really wanted to shake him and tell him to stop comparing Maggie to Shaelyn, that he's just making both Maggie and himself miserable. The chemistry between them is still burning hot, but he is afraid to give in to it for fear of how much it will hurt when she leaves him. He does everything he can to keep distance between them, but in doing so misses seeing how quickly she is settling into life in Rust Creek Falls, He has a few instances of being the husband he should be, such as during and after the doctor's appointment and ultrasound. He's so sweet there, and adorable at the toy store, but then shuts down again. Poor Maggie is hurt and confused by his mixed signals, and her hopes for a happy marriage start to fade. It was very satisfying to see him realize what an idiot he was being and admit his fears to her. She may have been able to make him work a little harder for her forgiveness, but the ending was very satisfying.

Destined for the Maverick - Allison Leigh (HSE - June 2014)

Series: Montana Mavericks: 20 Years in the Saddle (Book .5)

Rust Creek Ramblings

Addie McBride might be the most adorable construction worker we've ever seen. But there's something a little suspicious about Rust Creek Falls' newest handyperson. Rumor has it she used to work in a big-city shopping mall -- and that her only building experience is stacking piles of merino wool sweaters. So how in the world did she wind up on Jack Lawson's construction crew? Brace yourself, dear readers, as our Rust Creek cowboy meets his total opposite -- who might just be his perfect match!

Short and sweet prequel to the latest Montana Mavericks series. Addie came to Rust Creek Falls to make a new start to her life. She's lived in Cincinnati all her life, but she feels like she's going nowhere fast. Even her dating life is lackluster. So when she hears that Rust Creek Falls is looking for people willing to come help rebuild after the big flood, she signs up. The problem is, she may have exaggerated her construction skills just a bit...

She meets Jack the first day she's there, before she's really had a chance to settle in. She's attracted right away, and he seems to be interested also, until they talk about why she moved there. Suddenly he's putting some distance between them.

Jack was interested, until he found out she'd be working on his construction crew. He refuses to get involved with any woman working for him, as he had seen the disastrous results when his brother did the same. That woman had lied her way to suing his brother for half his business. So Addie has two strikes against her - she's working for him, and he gets the feeling she is hiding something.

I loved Addie's determination to do her absolute best at the construction work. The reactions of Jack and Reg to her efforts were fun to see. I liked that they respected the way she put everything she had into it. The attraction between Jack and Addie stayed strong, even though Jack tried to resist. I really enjoyed the ending - Jack was pretty sweet after all was revealed.

A Very Maverick Christmas - Rachel Lee (HSE #2374 - Dec 2014)

Series: Montana Mavericks: 20 Years in the Saddle (Book 6)

A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER

RUST CREEK RAMBLINGS

Holiday greetings, dear readers! As our cozy little town battens down the hatches for the biggest blizzard Montana has ever seen, everyone is talking about mysterious newcomer Julie Smith. No one knows much about the quiet blonde, least of all herself! A tragic accident left her with no memories of her past -- and no clues to her real identity. And with the Yuletide season bearing down, you've gotta wonder where the poor gal will turn for shelter.

Never let it be said that a Rust Creek rancher leaves a damsel in distress! For the way sexy cowboy Braden Traub has been looking into Julie's blue eyes, could our last living Traub bachelor provide the key to Julie's future -- and her happiness? Snuggle up by the fire and join us as we discover who Julie really is and share a Christmas Rust Creek Falls will never forget!

Very good book. We've seen Julie several times in previous books, always quiet and not saying much about herself. Now we discover that it's because there's not much to say. Four years earlier she had woken up in a hospital with no memories of who she was or where she had come from. She had no identification and the police never found out what happened to her. She was given a new identity and she tried to make a new life for herself.

Over the months since her recovery, she has felt a constant pull toward the state of Montana. After reading of the troubles after the flood in Rust Creek Falls she moved there to help in the recovery. She feels more at home there than anywhere else she's been, but it still doesn't feel quite right. She's haunted by her lack of memory and worried what people would say, so she doesn't tell anyone. It makes her nervous when people ask questions that she can't answer and she's learned to be somewhat evasive. It makes it impossible to have any kind of relationship, especially since she worries that she might not like the person she used to be.

Braden is the last of the unmarried Traub men. He seems like something of a recluse as he is usually very busy running the family ranch. On a rare trip into town he has a chance to meet Julie and is immediately intrigued by her. Besides the beauty that instantly attracts him, he senses a vulnerability to her. There is also that air of mystery, which gets his interest in puzzles focused on her. After a couple of times having coffee together, his interest is well and truly hooked. They are slowly getting to know each other when a freak blizzard traps them together.

It's during this time that Julie, who has remembered that her name is actually Jennifer, takes courage in hand and tells Braden about her amnesia. She worries that it will send him running, just as she's becoming more willing to take a risk with her emotions. I loved Braden's reaction. He was surprised of course, but what really impressed me was his sensitivity. He admitted that he couldn't imagine what it was like, but also made it clear that it didn't matter to the way he was beginning to feel about her. I really liked the way that he listened to her fears and tried to help her through them. He takes a big risk when he makes a phone call that could either help her or ruin what they were beginning to feel for each other.

Julie's fears were completely logical and they were creating some real dilemmas for her. She was getting comfortable in her new life so she wasn't sure if she wanted to keep searching for her past. On the other hand, the lack of a past has left a huge hole in her heart. Getting closer to Braden has made her want to know more, but also afraid of what she might find. The information he discovers makes her wonder if all her fears were well founded and she has to decide what to do with it. The ending wasn't quite what I expected, but it was very good anyway. Braden was especially sweet and awkward as he tells her of his feelings.

I liked the appearances of Braden's family and Julie's friends. It was an easy way to get a feel for her relationships with others and the effect her amnesia had on the way she went about it. I really enjoyed the teasing that Braden got from his brothers, especially Dallas. I wish there had been more about the old guy, Homer. I'd had the feeling that he was going to play a larger part in the story than he did. Hopefully there will be more of him in a future book, because I am interested in what his story is.