TRUE LOVE AT SILVER CREEK RANCH – Emma Cane
A Valentine Valley Novel
Avon
ISBN: 978-0-06-210229-4
January 2013
Contemporary Romance

Valentine Valley, Colorado – Present Day

Bad boy Adam Desantis is back in town to check on his grandmother and soon catches the eye of cowgirl Brooke Thalberg when he helps rescue her family's horses from a fire in the barn. She remembers him from their teenage years together and how wild he was, finally leaving town as soon as he could to join the military. Her father offers Adam a temporary job on the ranch, which he reluctantly accepts. He's a greenhorn, and Brooke is the one assigned to help show him the ropes. Brooke notices that Adam seems quieter and more somber than before and senses that serving in the military has left deep scars. As the two work closely together, it doesn't take long for a simmering attraction to bubble to the surface. But are they asking for trouble…and heartbreak…by getting involved?

Since his grandmother is the only relative who ever cared about him, Adam is making sure she's okay and then he'll move on, though he isn't sure what his career plans are now that he's left military life behind. Brooke is like an unattainable goal, but fears that if he gets involved with her, then he won't want to leave. Add in that they have a boss-employee relationship, it makes the idea of getting involved difficult. Brooke doesn't ask too many questions, and she's sexy as hell in Adam's book. Life growing up and his service in the military have left their mark on Adam, and he still suffers nightmares for incidents he perceives as his mistakes. Brooke might be a tough cowgirl but deep down she has the gentle touch that forces Adam to slowly open up to her. Yet both know that once his grandmother's health is stabilized he's moving on. In the meantime, the emotional connection Brooke and Adam have makes it hard from them to stay apart.

Brooke's world has been the ranch, but with the entrance of Adam into her life, she is suddenly attracted to a man who makes her feel beautiful. She wants to keep their affair secret, yet folks around them soon let on they know the truth. And speaking of the other characters in TRUE LOVE AT SILVER CREEK RANCH, readers are reintroduced to many from the first book in the series, A TOWN CALLED VALENTINE, including the now engaged Emily and Nate (Brooke's brother).The widowed ladies, including both Brooke's and Adam's grandmothers, are a hoot a minute as they prove being old doesn't mean not being active. Right now the widows are up in arms over the town's opposition to a sexy lingerie store's plans to open a branch in Valentine Valley.

TRUE LOVE AT SILVER CREEK RANCH is a fun, engaging romance readers will surely enjoy. Brooke and Adam clearly have the hots for each other and, as much as they resist, it's nearly impossible for them to ignore. If you haven't read the first book in the series, the aforementioned A TOWN CALL VALENTINE, be aware that while you can read TRUE LOVE AT SILVER CREEK RANCH as a standalone, they're best read in order.

Emma Cane's TRUE LOVE AT SILVER CREEK RANCH will tug at your heartstrings and have you rooting for Brooke and Adam to move heaven and earth to stay together. It's a tender—yet sexy—romance that I highly recommend.

Patti Fischer