Series: Circle Eight (Book 2)
A year after their family was brutally torn apart, the
Graham siblings begin to put their lives back together at their ranch in East
Texas. With their parents gone, their bonds will truly be tested. . .
Olivia Graham has worked hard to take care of her younger
brothers and sisters at the Circle Eight Ranch. But their family circle was
broken when their young brother Benjy disappeared. She can't shake the feeling
that he must be out there, somewhere. Brody Armstrong, a handsome but
rough-around-the-edges Texas Ranger, has been working on their case for months,
and now he has a promising lead. As Liv follows him across the rugged Texas
landscape and into Mexico, she'll begin to find the answers she needs--as Brody
finds a passion he didn't know he wanted.
. .
Good book, as much adventure story as romance. The Graham
family is still mourning the deaths of their parents and the kidnapping of
their youngest sibling, five year old Benjy. Olivia has taken charge of caring
for the family, becoming extremely bossy and hardheaded. When Texas Ranger
Brody Armstrong, who has been investigating the kidnapping, arrives with news
for her brother Matt, he's dismayed that Matt is away from home. He doesn't
have time to wait for his return, and gives in to Olivia's insistence that he
tell her what is happening, expecting her to inform Matt when he returns.
Instead, he finds Olivia insisting on accompanying him.
Brody is a loner who doesn't take on anyone as a partner,
least of all a feisty, argumentative female. The events of his past have left
him with his emotions buried deep behind walls, content to live his life
constantly on the move. He's been attracted to Olivia since he met her, but
doing anything about it would be a very bad idea. Olivia had a crush on him
when they first met, but as months have passed with no progress in finding her
brother, she buried that crush under anger at his apparent indifference to her
pain.
I loved their immediate clash when she insisted on going
along, and he was equally insistent that she wasn't. He thought he hadn't
gotten through to her when he left alone, only to find that she had followed
him. It turned out to be a good thing she had when she saved him from two
attackers, without losing her head or going into hysterics. He is unwillingly
impressed by her, and agrees to let her come along for part of the journey,
planning to leave her behind at some point. But Olivia is wise to his plans,
and offers him several supremely logical and practical benefits to her
presence.
I also found it pretty amusing that each of them had the
same effect on the other - neither could think straight when in close
proximity. Brody especially found himself agreeing to all kinds of things when
his mind was distracted by the way his body reacted to her. The chemistry
between them was amazing. Olivia was no inexperienced virgin, and had no
trouble making it clear to Brody that she wanted him. He tried to do the right
thing at first, especially because of his friendship with her oldest brother,
but he was no match for her determination. After their first time together,
they had a really hard time keeping their hands off each other. I admit that I
found it a little disturbing that they would give in to their desires in the
middle of times when their safety was most at risk.
It was interesting to see how their relationship
developed. Not only did they have their smoking hot attraction, they also had a
pretty good respect for each other's abilities. They were also far more alike
than either suspected at the beginning, and as they spent time together those
similarities drew them closer together. Because Olivia had been hurt by another
man, it takes her awhile to trust Brody and what she is beginning to feel for
him. For his part, Brody had never experienced love of any kind, and didn't
recognize what he felt for her. He was constantly trying to fight it, certain
that there was no way to keep her in his life as a Ranger. Once he finally
recognized what he felt, it scared him spitless and sent him running, until he
realized what he was doing. At that point it was almost too late, as she was in
extreme danger. Olivia had recognized her feelings earlier and had the courage
to admit them, but was devastated by his lack of response. I loved the
vulnerability that Brody showed when he finally opened up to her. The ending
was really sweet as Brody finally found what he hadn't even known he was
searching for.
The adventure part of the book was great. From the moment
that Brody and Olivia set off together, it was one dangerous situation after
another. When they were able to stop arguing long enough to work together,
things went well. Unfortunately for them, their own individual issues kept
putting them in danger. Unused to working with anyone, Brody isn't accustomed
to sharing his plans with anyone. Leaving Olivia in the dark causes her to take
things into her own hands, usually putting them into more danger. Olivia isn't
known for her patience, and she has a tendency to rush in without considering
possible consequences. Tracking down Roderigo gets them a little closer to
finding Benjy, but puts them in far more danger than they expected. He is bad
news, but his mother and sister end up being even worse. The final
confrontation was intense, one that kept me riveted until I knew how it was
going to work out.
I liked the theme of the importance of family. It is
Brody's lack of family that has made him the man that he is, and also pinpoints
his vulnerable side. Though he doesn't realize it at first, he is envious of
Olivia's closeness with hers. Olivia may have her moments of frustration with
hers, but she knows that they are there when she needs them. I loved her
brothers' determination to help Brody with her rescue, even as they hold him
responsible for her trouble in the first place. Once the shooting was done, I
liked their acceptance of him as part of the family. The youngest Graham girl
was really sweet, especially at the end. I'm looking forward to reading more of
this series.
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