Series:
Cowboy Brothers in Arms (Book 1)
He's Emerald Creek's hottest cowboy -- and the one man
she shouldn't want
On the surface, Egan Donnelly is hometown hero material
-- top gun, commanding an elite fighter training squadron and ranching royalty.
Inside, he feels like a fraud, convinced he's responsible for his best friend's
death. At least he won't let himself succumb to the heat between him and Jack's
widow, Alana. But now that she's making regular trips to his ranch to care for
his dad, that vow is getting harder to keep.
Alana Davidson isn't just grieving her husband's loss,
she's feeling betrayed over his secret infidelity. Wanting Egan makes things
even more complicated. As a nutritionist, she can help Egan's dad recover from
his health scare, but it's not so easy to get her own heart back on track.
Because despite shared guilt and family pressure, she's falling fast, and Egan
is right there with her…
Terrific start to the series. Egan is the oldest of four
siblings, all choosing to serve in the military rather than remain on the
family ranch. When his father suffers a heart attack, Egan takes a month's
leave to come home and run the ranch while his dad recovers. Egan doesn't like
visiting his hometown because they consider him a hero, and he thinks he's
anything but. Egan and his best friend Jack joined the military together. Jack
was killed by an IED, and Egan feels responsible.
Jack's widow, Alana, has mixed feelings since his death.
She is grieving his loss because she loved him, but she's also angry over his
infidelity. She also feels guilty because they argued about that infidelity
right before his death.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Egan
and Alana. With Egan home and Alana caring for his dad at the ranch, they are
thrown together often. It doesn't take long for them to realize they are
attracted to each other. But there are obstacles to their relationship. Alana's
mother-in-law, Tilly, believes that Alana will always be "Jack's
wife" and expects Alana to play the part of a grieving widow at the
upcoming celebration of Jack's wife. Egan used to be married to Alana's sister,
making things a bit awkward. Add the rampant gossip in the small town, and both
feel the pressure.
I liked that Egan and Alana were honest with each other
about their feelings and reservations. That openness prevented misunderstandings
and kept the focus on what they wanted. I ached for both when Tilly's grief and
mama bear blindness to Jack's faults caused problems for them. I liked how
Alana stood up for Egan against Tilly's vitriol. The emotional storm came to a
head with an unexpected revelation. I loved how Alana and Egan faced things
together, realizing it gave them greater strength. The only question remained:
what would happen when Egan's leave was up?
I liked meeting Egan's siblings and look forward to
reading their stories.
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