Series: Montana Mavericks: What Happened to Beatrix (Book 1)Montana Mavericks (Book 128)
He could hold the keys to the past
“You know you're tempted.”
Men are trouble. And Melanie Driscoll has already had
more than her share of trouble. She has come to Bronco seeking only a fresh
start; what she finds instead is Gabe Abernathy. The blond, blue-eyed cowboy is
temptation enough. The secrets he could be guarding are a whole 'nother level
of irresistible. Peeling the covers back on both might be too much for sweet
Mel to handle…
Terrific start to the new series, Montana Mavericks:
What Happened to Beatrix? Melanie Driscoll had a plan for her life. She had
a great job and a handsome fiancé that she loved. Everything turned upside down
when she came home one day and found him in bed with another woman. Betrayed,
hurt, and angry, she called off the engagement, packed her car and left. During
a brief stopover in her hometown of Rust Creek Falls, Mel attends the wedding
of a friend. She was blindsided by catching the bouquet, something that she
doesn't want, being done with men. Instead, she gives it to the flower girl, who
insists that she take an old diary in exchange. That diary is the beginning of
a puzzle, involving the Abernathy family.
Mel heads for Bronco and her new job managing one of DJ
Traub's restaurants. On the way she stops along the road for a picnic, not
knowing that she is trespassing on the Abernathy ranch. There she meets Gabe
Abernathy and the sparks fly between them. Gabe is immediately smitten and
wants to get to know Mel better. Mel is resistant on two levels. One, she is
done with men for the foreseeable future. Two, she will only be in Bronco until
the first of the year, after which she is going to Austin for a new job and
fresh start.
I loved Gabe. He is a nice guy. He has a loving
relationship with his family, even though he and his dad butt heads frequently
over their visions for the ranch's future. He is also very close to his
great-grandfather who has dementia and visits him frequently.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Mel
and Gabe. He knows that he has his work cut out for him if he wants a
relationship with Mel. I enjoyed his persistence as he showed up at the
restaurant night after night, sitting at the bar until convincing Mel to stop
and talk to him. He wasn't creepy about it, he was just there until Mel
finally gave him a chance. The more time they spent together, the closer they
became, though Mel still insists she is leaving. There were times I wanted to
shake Mel because she knew she was falling for Gabe but was too afraid to take
a chance. Some good advice from her friends helps Mel face her fears and
realize what she has to do. Her scene with Gabe at the creek was fantastic.
Mel also has that mysterious diary. Seventy years
earlier, the writer of the diary, Josiah, and his girlfriend, "W",
were torn apart after she gave birth to his baby. She was told the baby died,
while his parents took the child and gave her to another family to raise. The
question is, what happened to the baby? The only person who might know is the
author of the diary. Is that Josiah Abernathy Gabe's great-grandfather? There
are some heartwrenching scenes as Gabe has to face the idea that his beloved
Gramps had a secret like that. It is also hard to watch his pain at Gramps'
mental decline. There are quite a few twists and turns as Mel and Gabe try to
find the truth, culminating with a surprise on the last page.
I loved seeing characters from earlier books. Winona
plays an important part in this book, and I suspect will continue to do so in
the rest of the series. I liked seeing Homer again and hearing Mel tell the
story of Homer's moonshine in the wedding punch (Montana Mavericks: What
Happened at the Wedding). I had to laugh at Mel naming her new kitten after
him. Mel's job with DJ Traub was a great throwback to the Thunder Canyon books.
I also liked that DJ knew Mel well enough to see that something was bothering
her and give her some advice. He also provided a little extra incentive for
sticking around!
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