Meet Me at the Chapel - Joanna Sims (HSE #2501 - Sept 2016)

Read December 11, 2016

Series: Brands of Montana (Book 7)

One Magical Montana Summer

Circumstances took Casey Brand's vacation plans with her sister and new niece on a slight detour. Now she's staying in Brock McCallister's garage apartment in exchange for her help with his daughter with autism. But she still has horses to ride, sunsets to savor and a handsome man to admire…who is proving more friendly than expected.

Getting divorced and dealing with custody issues has pretty much beaten Brock down. Yet how can he stay in a foul mood with Casey's optimistic outlook right next door? Because of her, his daughter is communicating better, his home shining brighter. She's even brought life back to the ranch's old chapel. But is she ready to perform the same dramatic transformation with his tattered heart?

Good book. This story is about Casey Brand, sister of Taylor from High Country Baby, and Brock, Clint's stepbrother from the same book. Casey is a special education teacher who has come to Montana on her summer break to visit with her sister and new niece while Clint is on the road. Her truck breaks down near Brock's ranch just as a big storm is approaching. He rescues her, and they spend the storm in the basement along with Brock's autistic daughter.

Brock is pretty stressed. He's foreman of one ranch while owner of his own. He's been separated from his wife for awhile now and is going through a rough custody battle with her. He just wants what is best for Hannah and is willing to do what he has to in order to get it.

There's a quick connection between Casey and Brock, and also between Casey and Hannah. Brock is impressed with how easily Casey handles Hannah. When Clint is injured and ends up coming home for the summer, Brock offers Casey the apartment over his barn if she will work with Hannah over the summer. She snaps it up, not wanting to intrude on the newlyweds.

Over the next month, the three of them spend a lot of time together. I loved seeing the changes that Casey brought to Hannah's life, and how much it meant to Brock. Casey and he met regularly at the little chapel on the Brand ranch to have lunch together. I loved how they got to know each other, sometimes talking, sometimes just being quiet together.

But technically Brock is still married and Casey is cautious about risking her heart. It was interesting to see Brock's reaction when the divorce became final. I enjoyed seeing Casey see him through it, then give him the kick in the pants he needed to get on with his life. Brock knew exactly what he wanted and had no trouble going after her. Things are looking good for them when Casey gets hit by a health crisis that really shakes her up. I loved Brock's support of her and how he was there with her as much as he could be.

Casey still has some trouble making a final commitment to Brock. I liked how he went to Taylor for advice and then made his plans. His big moment at the end was sweet and romantic and I loved it.

There was a lot made over the last two books about the rift between Brock and Clint. We get an idea of why from something Brock says to Casey. I liked that they were making steps to repair the relationship, but I would have liked a little more detail about how it was going.

High Country Baby - Joanna Sims (HSE #2481 - June 2016)

Read December 10, 2016

Series: Brands of Montana (Book 6)

All Taylor Brand wanted was a baby of her own

But at nearly forty and recently divorced, embarking on a "solo" trek on the Continental Divide Trail, her time was tight and her options slim. Maybe the curt cowboy who'd been charged with watching out for her was her best shot. After all, Clint McAllister was shadowing her on a high-country horseback trip for the money. Would he be up for being hired for something else?

Classy ladies like Taylor didn't normally give a rough rodeo-rider like him a second glance…much less ask him to father a baby. And while Clint didn't need an excuse to take Taylor to bed, he did wonder if this plan was perhaps the wisest. Who knew what would happen once he got to taste the forbidden?

Good book. Taylor is nearly forty and recently divorced. Desperate for a change in her life, she has challenged herself to spend a month on the Continental Divide Trail. Her overprotective uncle won't agree to her going alone and has assigned cowboy Clint to be her trailguide. She's not happy about it, but she doesn't have a choice. Clint isn't any happier than she is, especially when he finds out how long she plans to be out. But he's been off the rodeo circuit for awhile due to injury and he needs the money, so he'll just have to suck it up and do it.

I really enjoyed the development of their relationship. From unwilling companions to friends to lovers, it was a voyage of discovery for both of them. When they first met, Clint thought Taylor was a clueless city woman and she thought he was a slightly scary drunk. But after a couple days of practically ignoring each other, they decided to make the best of things and work together. It wasn't long before Clint saw that Taylor had put a lot more thought into this trek than he'd realized and he grew to respect her determination. Taylor began to see that there was much more to the rough cowboy that she had thought. I loved seeing them get to know each other, with a background of their love of nature. There were times when I felt like I was right there with them.

Partway through the trip, Taylor put a business proposal in front of Clint. She will pay his debts, allowing him to get back to rodeoing, if he will get her pregnant. Both will get what they want with no obligations on either side. Right from the start the connection between them is deeper than either expected, even after they got back to the ranch. When their plan is quickly successful, neither is quite ready to let go. As Clint returned to the road and Taylor's pregnancy progressed, they stayed in touch, growing ever closer.

I loved how Clint returned to support her when problems with the pregnancy arose. His care for her was more important to him that his rodeo career. What was really nice was that their realization of their feelings was a result of how close they'd gotten, not the result of some argument or disaster. I also adored how Clint fell under the spell of baby Penny.

I really liked both Clint and Taylor. Both had issues at the beginning that they had to overcome. Thanks to her divorce and problems that came up during her marriage, her self-confidence was pretty low. Her trip on the Trail, and then her pregnancy and subsequent relationship with Clint went a long way toward fixing that. She especially had poor body image, and Clint had a bit of a battle to show her that she was exactly what he wanted. For his part, Clint knows that he drinks too much and smokes too much. He also feels that without even a high school diploma Taylor is way too good for him. What she quickly came to see was that he was actually very smart, being a man who reads and listens. I loved how he set out to make changes in his lifestyle to better fit the life he wants. I'm looking forward to seeing more of them in future books.

High Country Christmas - Joanna Sims (HSE #2448 - Dec 2015)

Series: Brands of Montana (Book 2)

This cowboy's in a family way!

It was supposed to be a harmless summer fling. Until a night of passion leaves ranching student London Davenport with an unexpected preholiday gift. And although wedlock wasn't in Tyler Brand's immediate plans, the footloose rancher is ready to step up and do the honorable thing by the stunning woman he secretly adores. The only obstacle is the stubborn mother-to-be.

London can't let anything stop her from returning to Virginia at the end of the semester…not even the irresistible father of her unborn child. How can she tell Tyler the truth about why she can never live happily-ever-after on his cattle ranch? But London's about to find out how far one determined cowboy will go to fight for her and the future of their family.

Good book. London is a summer intern on the Brand ranch. She loves the work that she does, especially working with the horses. She's also very attracted to Tyler Brand. One night of giving in to the attraction, and a malfunctioning condom, leaves her pregnant and conflicted. On the one side she wants to stay in Montana, but on the other side is her need to return to her home in Virginia. Tyler has been drawn to London from the beginning. The rules of the ranch are to stay away from the interns, but that hasn't been possible for Tyler. Resisting her that night had been impossible. 

One of the things I really liked about this book was that they handled the whole pregnancy issue in a mature manner. Tyler made sure that London knew that they were in it together. I thought he showed a great deal of sensitivity when they got the tests, and how he knew she needed the privacy to deal with them. I loved the description of where he took her. Tyler wants her to marry him, but London insists that it isn't possible. 

I felt bad for London because of the conflict she was suffering. When she finally gets up the courage to tell him about the son she has back home, she worries that it will change the way he looks at her. She never really got wholehearted support from her family with her first pregnancy. I loved Tyler's complete acceptance of her past and how he handles the details. He continues to tell her that he wants her to marry him, but is also wise to the fact that if he pushes she'll dig in her heels.

It was really sweet to see how Tyler takes care of her when she's sick, and helps her to see that she has to put off finishing school. He's always there when she needs him. London slowly begins to realize how much she cares for him, but needing to get back to her son is always at the back of her mind. If she could convince her son that living in Montana was a good thing, she'd be able to have the life she wants. I loved Tyler's plan to invite JT to the ranch for Christmas, and show him what it would be like.

I loved the whole visit to the ranch. JT is a typical teenager and his attitude at the beginning is less that cooperative. It was great to see how the whole family got involved in the visit. London was worried that Tyler and JT weren't connecting, but Tyler was confident that it would happen. I loved seeing that bonding moment when it came, and the difference it made to London's hope for their future. The ending was sweet and romantic and perfect for Tyler and London. 

My only dissatisfaction was that there were mentions of possible trouble with JT's father, but nothing more was said about it.