Lynnette Kent

Good conclusion to the series. Wyatt is the oldest of the Marshall brothers and the one who runs the ranch. He is currently recovering from a riding injury which broke his back, and is rather testy at having his activities limited. His brothers have stepped in to help run things on top of doing their own jobs. They have also been hosting seven at-risk teens on their ranch for the summer. At the beginning of the book, one of the boys, Nate, has gone missing. He went home to check on his mother and little sister, and found them being abused by his father. When Wyatt's brother Ford ad social worker Caroline arrived, they brought Nate and his mother and sister back to the ranch for safety. Wyatt offers Susannah the job of cooking and running the house, while she and her kids stay on the ranch for the summer.

I really liked Wyatt. He's the quiet one of the family, keeps things running smoothly. When Wyatt was sixteen the boys were orphaned and Wyatt went to work to keep them together. They were all taken in by the previous owner of the Circle M, who then left the ranch to them when he died. They have chosen to honor him by helping the teens. Helping Susannah is just an extension of that calling. I loved at the beginning, when he was grumpy, because it was so realistic of guys when they're sick. I liked his protectiveness and how he watched over everyone. He's also carrying a load of guilt around, because he feels responsible for their father's death.

I also liked Susannah. She is much stronger than she gives herself credit for. She married her husband young, running away with him before she was eighteen. He turned out not to be a good husband, drinking too much, unable to keep a job, and ultimately being abusive. She feels guilty about her poor judgment in men, and that it put her kids in danger. She's grateful to the Marshalls for the sanctuary. She also regrets that her trouble has brought trouble to them.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Wyatt and Susannah. There were sparks of attraction from the beginning, but Susannah is still married, so Wyatt tries to resist. He's also a bit cautious, having been burned once before in a relationship. The first thing that comes out is the protectiveness that Wyatt shows for Susannah and the kids. Besides just giving them a place to stay, he also gives Susannah a purpose, which helps her feel more comfortable staying there. There are also some sweet scenes between Wyatt and Susannah's little girl Amber, who has him wrapped around her fingers. As the summer goes on, Wyatt and Susannah build a good friendship, but the attraction simmers underneath. When it bursts forth, Wyatt tries to pull back, not wanting to keep her from experiencing the freedom she now has. He wants more, but not at the expense of her happiness. Meanwhile, Susannah has grown to love Wyatt and her life there at the ranch. She sees past the gruff exterior to the man who cares so much. But she's afraid that he's just being nice, so she makes her plans to leave the ranch by the end of the summer. I loved seeing how both of them get an added push to go after what they really want. I especially loved the lecture Wyatt got from Susannah's son Nate. I loved seeing how both of them finally found the courage to speak of their feelings. I loved the last chapter, with the December reunion with the teens, and the surprise that Wyatt and Susannah had for the whole group.

There was some added tension in the story provided by Susannah's ex. He was determined to get her back and made a couple unwelcome appearances. The final confrontation with him was a bit intense, and I wondered how it was going to end. I loved that Wyatt was so calm throughout.

There was also a fair amount of time spent with the teens who are staying at the ranch. I enjoyed seeing the changes they'd gone through during the series. During this book there was some boy/girl tension, as one of the girls had turned into a real flirt. Another girl was a bit insecure and had a serious crush on Nate. I really enjoyed seeing the interactions among them all.… (más)

The continuing adventures of the Circle M Ranch and the men who run it. All four of the brothers have committed to helping at-risk teens, as well as running the ranch and doing their regular jobs. Ford is a lawyer, Dylan is an artist, Garrett is a minister, and Wyatt is a rodeo cowboy. This is Garrett's story.

Garrett has been happy with his work as a minister and working with the teens. He's a little lonely sometimes, but knows that eventually he'll find the right woman. Then the new doctor comes to town and he feels as though he's been struck by lightning. He's certain that there is something great in store for them, but convincing Rachel isn't going to be easy.

Rachel has come back to Wyoming to fulfill a dream of providing medical care to an underserved area. When she meets Garrett she is immediately drawn to him, but resists the attraction because of what he does. She feels they are just too different for any relationship to work out.

I loved Garrett. He is the type of preacher who lives his beliefs without forcing them on the people around him. He has incredible patience with the teens that are staying on the ranch. It was really sweet to see the way he worried about Lena when she was diagnosed with diabetes and her father avoided all responsibility. He's also great with his family. I liked the way they treated him as just another brother most of the time, but also understood the importance of his work.

I liked Rachel, too, though I got frustrated with her at times. She had been raised by a single mother who had health problems, one of Rachel's motivations for becoming a doctor. Unfortunately, her mother was also easily led and fell in with a con man "faith healer" and died of her illness because she wouldn't go to a doctor. This soured Rachel on religion and she preferred to depend only on herself and scientific fact. Though she is attracted to Garrett, she thinks their outlooks are incompatible.

I really enjoyed the development of their relationship. Because she is involved in Lena's care, Rachel ends up spending a lot of time at the ranch. She tries really hard to keep Garrett at a distance, but he is equally determined to show her that they have more in common than she believes. There are some really sweet scenes of them together before she gets scared of what might happen and pushes him away. There were times when I thought Garrett was making real progress, and others when I despaired of Rachel ever giving them a chance.

I loved the way that the various townspeople got involved in trying to bring them together. Rachel had never really experienced the kind of care and support that makes up the town of Bison Creek. It was pretty sweet to see the way that they showed her that it was okay to accept help and lean on other people. But it was some very wise advice from one of her patients that made Rachel realize what was really important, along with some straight talk from Garrett. The ending was sweet and romantic, especially the part at Garrett's church.

I also loved seeing more of the teens at the ranch. They were realistically shown, especially with their sometimes oblivious attitudes. Marcos and Thomas were pretty typical teenage boys with their competitiveness with each other. Though they all certainly had their moments of idiocy, they all responded well to the Marshalls' care. I especially liked the scene at Rachel's welcome party. I also liked the realism of Lena's attitude about what had happened to her.… (más)