With four younger brothers to look out for, his adopted mother going through chemo again, and a struggling Wyoming horse ranch to run, Jack has enough on his shoulders. He doesn’t have time for a woman—nor does he trust them after his biological mother abandoned them when he was a boy. But when Everlea falls into his life—literally—he’s captivated by her beauty as much as he is by the woman herself. Behind her kind eyes, he can see her fear, how she’s always looking over her shoulder and ready to run. Everlea can’t risk putting Jack and his family in danger, but neither she nor Jack can deny the pull between them. Among the wide open meadows and breathtaking mountain views of Cade Ranch—and in Jack’s arms—she starts to feel safe. But letting her guard down to both her heart and her safety might just be asking for trouble…

This was an incredibly intense read. I was hooked from the start, and could hardly put it down. The pace was perfect for the story, building steady tension for the romance and the mystery/thriller plot simultaneously. All characters, from FMC Everlea and MMC Jack to secondary characters, were distinct and well developed. I could picture and hear them so clearly, especially the banter in the Cade household. I thought that the style for Jack would annoy me, but once I settled into it after a couple chapters, I actually loved it; I really felt like I was in his head. I felt such a deep connection with both him and Everlea, and got so emotionally involved—a few moments in the final chapters were definitely read through a bit of water.