Montana Mavericks (Book 133)
This holiday... He'll come face-to-face with his past.
Bah, humbug!
It's the holiday season in Bronco, but for tour operator Evan Cruise, 'tis only the season for making money. Haunted by his past, he refuses to celebrate the festivities around him -- until he meets Daphne Taylor. As the owner of the local animal sanctuary challenges Evan's resistance to yuletide spirit, their attraction grows into something deeper. But when Daphne uncovers Evan's shocking family secret, it threatens to tear them apart. Will a little Christmas magic change everything?
Terrific conclusion to this year's Montana Mavericks series. In addition to the ongoing search for Beatrix, there is also a touch of the paranormal. The title is indicative, too, as there are some definite parallels to A Christmas Carol.
Evan is the owner/operator of Bronco Ghost Tours. He is very business-focused, working long hours to make it more successful. He has a reputation as a difficult boss and, combined with his lack of Christmas spirit, frequently leads to Scrooge-like comparisons. His newest idea for during the slow winter season is Yuletide Ghost Tours, a potential money-maker. When he hears that the local animal sanctuary is haunted, he is determined to add it to the tour.
Daphne is the out-of-step daughter of the area's most prominent rancher. She runs an animal sanctuary and is a vegetarian, both of which irritate her father to no end. Daphne and her animals are popular with the townspeople, and she has plenty of volunteers to help her. She's surprised when Evan contacts her about a "business proposition."
I loved the first meeting between Evan and Daphne. Evan is very focused, with a "time is money" attitude, where Daphne is more laid back - and sometimes a little forgetful. She forgot about her meeting with Evan and was mucking out stalls when he arrived. Evan was not impressed and thought that he could easily charm Daphne into doing what he wanted. He couldn't have been more wrong. I loved watching her bring up her concerns, make sure he addressed them, and then negotiate for a portion of the proceeds. I loved seeing him leave confused about how it happened.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Evan and Daphne. Neither one expected the attraction that arced between them. While Evan did his best to ignore it, Daphne was firmly convinced that she'd met "The One." Though Evan doesn't believe in romantic love, he can't deny that he's drawn to Daphne. I loved watching them spend time together over the next few weeks, slowly getting to know each other. Their connection was a little surprising because of their differences. Daphne believes in love at first sight; Evan doesn't. Evan is all about making money, while Daphne is happy having enough to keep the sanctuary going. Daphne loves everything to do with Christmas and is horrified by Evan's lack of Christmas spirit. I loved watching Daphne slowly chip away at that attitude. I also loved the scene where Evan discovered Daphne is a vegetarian. His reaction was great and very unexpected.
Things look very promising between them until Evan and Daphne face off about a secret he keeps from his grandmother. Evan believes he is protecting her, while Daphne thinks he denies her a possible connection she was unaware of. Some harsh words are exchanged. Fortunately, he quickly realized that he went too far (reinforced by comments by both his sister and his grandmother). But on his way to apologize, he wrecked his car in the snow. While unconscious, his experiences gave the book its title in a very amusing interlude. It did serve to bring Evan and Daphne back together, though their story was not finished.
One of the themes running through the book is the haunting of Happy Hearts Sanctuary. Though Evan claims he doesn't believe in ghosts, that wasn't always so. Though a traumatic event as a child caused him to deny his feelings, Evan is very sensitive to the spirit world. On his first visit to Happy Hearts, he heard Alice's ghost crying and was sure that Daphne heard it. Though she didn't admit it to him, Daphne has been conversing with Alice for six months. I loved the scenes between Daphne and Alice, who was full of all kinds of advice. Evan, too, began to experience some strange dreams that were tied to the sanctuary. I loved following this thread and how Daphne and Evan worked together to help Alice. The end of her story was sweet.
Then there was the story of the missing Beatrix, which was a thread throughout the entire series. In the previous book, Melanie (In Search of the Long-Lost Maverick) put a notice on social media with the information she's learned so far. I loved seeing that post bear fruit. The scene as the missing Beatrix was told of the past was fantastic. Her reunion with her mother was incredibly emotional, and I loved seeing the effects on them all.
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