Excellent book with terrific romance and a mystery that kept me guessing. Jackson and his son have come to Montana for his brother's wedding. One of the first people he meets is Allie, the wedding planner, who is looking very scared. Being the gentleman that he is, he wants to help her, but is also wary of getting involved.

I loved Jackson. He is a terrific father to his five year old son, if perhaps a little overprotective. He was badly burned by his ex-wife, who turned out to be an extremely selfish piece of work. So he is now pretty cynical about women, and hasn't made up his mind whether his brother is in love or deluded. Fortunately he is won over by Lily pretty quickly, because all his attention ends up on Allie. He is drawn to her beauty immediately, but it's his protective instincts that have him wanting to help her. It's obvious to him that someone has it in for her and he wants to help her figure out who it is. He also knows he only has a few days before he's due to go back to Texas. I loved the fact that he was so clear sighted about what was happening to her. He knew she wasn't imagining things, in spite of what other people tried to tell him. I loved the way that he got his brothers involved in helping him, even though they weren't as sure as he was about what was happening. It didn't take him too long to realize that he was feeling more than protective, but he tried fighting the feelings. He's still dealing with the problems caused by his ex-wife and doesn't feel that he's prepared for a new relationship. Of course, the heart doesn't listen to the head, and it's his heart that has him showing up just in time to save her.

Allie is a widowed mother of a little girl. Her marriage had not been a happy one and she had been planning to leave her husband right before he disappeared. Now she is left to deal with a mother-in-law who blames her and a brother-in-law whose help and protectiveness is starting to feel smothering. Allie has no idea what is going on and fears that she is losing her mind. Since her husband's disappearance and presumed death eight months earlier, she has been having strange things happen to her. She smells his aftershave in her house, his clothing appears and disappears, she has bouts of apparent forgetfulness and strange behavior that she doesn't remember. When her latest meltdown is witnessed by Jackson, and he confirms that he saw what she did, she begins to realize that maybe she isn't going nuts after all. Jackson's support means a lot to her, Having him believe in her makes her feel stronger, and it isn't long before her renewed confidence also has her noticing her growing feelings for him. Having been married to a man whose true nature didn't appear until after they were married, being able to trust Jackson is a huge step for her.

The mystery of what happened to Allie's husband and who is doing these things to her and why was very well done. The things that were happening to her were definitely creepy and I could really understand why she was questioning her sanity. There were so many possibilities on who could be behind it that each time something happened I thought of a different person. The in-laws were definitely at the top of my list, but her sister and best friend were also suspect. I have to admit that the identity of the killer was a surprise. ( )

Contemporary, Suspense, Romance

Big Sky, Montana

Jackson Cardwell isn’t looking for love and most definitely isn’t looking to be anyone’s hero. Being a single father visiting from Texas is enough for him until he meets a beautiful lady in distress. Someone is determined to convince Allie Taylor that she is losing her mind. Jackson is just as determined to unmask the perp behind what is happening. He is also going to guard the widowed wedding planner and her daughter no matter what.

Allie has no idea who would want to take her daughter away or even harm her. Allie’s past is stalking her at the Cardwell Ranch. The sexy cowboy that has awakened a passion in her may not be able to save her from a shocking truth and a killer with a chilling agenda.

This is proving to be a wonderful series with some great characters. The suspense keeps building until the very end with a showdown that is sure to keep readers glued to the pages until the very last clue is revealed. With all the suspects and motives in this book it is sure to keep readers guessing until the final reveal. It is full of action and suspense that keeps twisting and turning until the reader is never sure exactly which way is up. This is proving to be one series that readers are sure to love and enjoy revisiting the different characters again and again. ( )