Series: Lone Star Ridge (Book 1)
Their past never faded -- and neither did their passion.
Between running his family ranch and dealing with far too
many needy relatives, Shaw Jameson doesn't have time for more trouble. But when
his first love, former-child-star-turned-businesswoman Sunny Dalton, returns to
Lone Star Ridge, Shaw senses things are about to get a whole lot more
interesting.
Shaw isn't prepared for the memories that come flooding
back now…or the reignited spark between them that turns into a raging inferno.
Still, this gorgeous cowboy will do everything he can not to get burned a second
time. Because Sunny never promised this visit was permanent and Shaw has no
intention of giving up the land he loves. Letting Sunny go again is certain to
leave a Texas-sized mark on his soul -- and a permanent wall around his heart.
Unless he can prove their small town holds the promise of the future they both
always imagined.
Good second chance story with interesting (and sometimes
hilarious) family dynamics. Sunny is on her way back to Lone Star Ridge after
ending another engagement and to recover from a health scare. With her is the
sixteen-year-old son of her ex-fiancé. She looks forward to seeing her
grandmother again, but home holds a mixed bag of memories. The Dalton triplets
were stars of a show called The Little Cowgirls, and not all of her memories
from that time are good ones. She didn't expect to see her teen crush Shaw
before she even made it home.
Shaw Jameson is the oldest of his siblings. He runs the
ranch with the help of his brothers and sister and does his best to keep his
life on track. It isn't easy when he seems to spend his life cleaning up his
father's messes. Most of those messes come from the fact that Marty can keep
his zipper zipped and mostly look a lot like him. Sunny's arrival throws Shaw for a loop,
especially when her arrival coincides with that of another half-sister.
Shaw and Sunny have a history from when they were kids
and teens. They were good friends that developed into something more, but one
major issue kept them apart. Sunny wants kids of her own, and Shaw doesn't. So
they went their separate ways, but the feelings never went away. Sunny's quest
led her into two engagements that didn't work out, while Shaw stuck to his
plans. I enjoyed their first meeting, which gave a good indication of how the rest
of the book would go. It started with Shaw finding some intriguing bits of
Hadley Dalton's costumes along the road, followed by the arrival of Sunny
herself, who was retrieving them. It was clear from that moment that the sparks
between them were still there. Sunny's almost-stepson was also there, which
gave Shaw a bit of a start when he thought of his and Sunny's past. But the
biggest thing was the presence of Marty's latest mess, Kinsley, his previously
unknown daughter. Kinsley just found out about him and wants to meet him.
Knowing his father, Shaw also knows that it won't go well.
Fate finds ways of throwing Sunny and Shaw together, and
it isn't long before they give in to the flames of attraction. Both are certain
there is no future for them as their fundamental differences have not changed,
but they can enjoy their time together for what it is. Of course, Fate has
other plans. I liked watching their friendship grow along with the attraction.
There were some terrific scenes as they worked together to help Kinsley. They
also paired up to support each other when Sunny's greedy mother shows up and
creates all kinds of complications. Though there were times I felt that the
relationship between Shaw and Sunny took a backseat to the family drama, that
same drama helped pull them closer together. Shaw's refusal to have a family of
his own seemed at odds with how wonderful he was with children, from his young
nieces to the teenagers Ryan and Kinsley. I liked the changes that I saw in
both Shaw and Sunny that brought them together in the end.
The family dynamics in both Shaw and Sunny's families
made for some hilarious and some heartbreaking scenes. The stories of Sunny's
times as part of The Little Cowgirls had a significant impact on who she is now,
especially her need to keep some things private. I liked that she had enough
good memories of home, plus her love of her grandmother, that she was able to
go there to recover. I loved her grandmother, Em, who was a feisty old lady.
She especially made me laugh with her appreciation of a good-looking cowboy.
She is also protective of Sunny, even when it comes to her daughter. It was her
actions against Sunshine that created much of the drama in this book. Sunshine
herself is one of those characters that is very easy to detest. There were also
her issues with her ex-fiancé, who was a selfish jerk. He made a total ass of
himself at the end of the book, and I cheered the actions of both Em and the
duck.
On Shaw's side, it is impressive that he and his siblings
turned out as well as they did considering the father they have. Marty's
irresponsibility is horrendous. While I didn't like him much, he does have a
few redeeming moments. I ached for the way Shaw and the others constantly had
to deal with the results. I really liked how they stood together to take care
of Kinsley when she showed up. I hurt for Kinsley, who felt rejected by both parents
and wasn't surprised by how she expressed those feelings. When Marty finally
showed up, my heart broke for her. Things became even more complicated when
Sunshine stuck her vengeful nose into the situation. In the end, I wasn't at
all surprised by the solution to the issue and loved Shaw's comments to Kinsley
about it.
Now I can't wait to read the next book in the series,
about Austin and McCall. There was a teaser at the end of this one, and it
sounds like it will be just as good.
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