The Rancher's Surprise Baby - Trish Milburn (HWR #1646 - June 2017)

Series: Blue Falls, Texas (Book 11)

NOT A FAMILY MAN…

Mandy Richardson has always wanted a husband and lots of kids. She knows Ben Hartley isn't a forever kind of guy, so she struggles to keep her feelings for him friends only. But she can't help her growing attraction. Then one night their relationship blossoms into more, and soon Mandy discovers she's pregnant.

Ben still bears the scars of a painful past -- a past that has him avoiding love and commitment. When Mandy tells him he's going to be a dad, he worries he won't measure up. After all, his own father was far from a role model. But he's fallen hard for Mandy, and now it's up to him to prove he's a better man -- a stronger man -- than he thought.

Very good book, with a sweet but emotion driven romance and some laugh out loud humor. Ben and Mandy had grown up in the same town and gone to school together, but really only had a nodding acquaintance with each other. That all changed thanks to an encounter with a pigeon. In a hilarious opening scene, Ben crashes his truck into Mandy's parked car when a pigeon ends up flying in his open window and hitting him in the head as he's driving. After stumbling out of his truck, the ensuing moments establish an unexpected connection between Ben and Mandy.

I loved Ben and Mandy. Ben is the second oldest of the Hartley siblings, all adopted from unpleasant home lives. He is good-looking, fun, kind and protective. He is also scarred, mentally and physically from his early childhood with abusive parents. He is determined to avoid commitments, fearing that he could become the same kind of parents his had been. Mandy is the daughter of a single mother, sweet, kind, and has a terrific relationship with her mom. She looks forward to having a family of her own someday, with a husband and lots of kids.

There's a spark of attraction between Ben and Mandy that is obvious from the start. Ben isn't sure what to do about it, because he knows that Mandy is a forever kind of woman, and he generally avoids that type. But he can't stay away from her. At the same time, Mandy has accepted that Ben isn't what she's looking for, but resisting her attraction to him just isn't happening. As they start spending time together, they discover that they share a similar sense of fun (loved the scene with Greg's pickup truck) and admire what each other has made of their lives. The chemistry between them continues to build until they can no longer resist it. The depth of the experience scares Ben because he realizes he wants more, but his fears won't let him believe that it's possible. Mandy realizes that's she's fallen for a man who won't give her what she needs, then discovers that she's pregnant. I ached for them both, as Mandy faces single motherhood, without the man she loves, and Ben is afraid to believe in his own ability to overcome his past. The scene in front of the baby display brought me to tears as I read it. I loved Mandy's strength and determination as she prepared to move ahead without him. Ben's misery was well-earned, and I loved seeing him get advice from his brother Neil and from his mom. Ben's big moment at the end was awesome, especially since he was brave enough to do it in front of an audience. I especially loved that he admitted having help with it so that he didn't mess it up.

Family is a big part of this book. Mandy's family is small, just her and her mom, but their love for each other is huge. I loved seeing how Mandy looks out for her mom and how she tries to get her to slow down. The Hartleys are awesome. I love how the parents adopted five kids who needed to escape troubled homes and made them into such a close family. There's lots of teasing, but the love and support is always there. I especially loved the mom, who has absolutely no problem getting involved in her kids' lives, providing advice whether they want it or not. I can't wait to see who is next to fall in love.

In the Rancher's Arms - Trish Milburn (HWR #1638 - Apr 2017)

Series: Blue Falls Texas (Book 10)

THE ONLY PLACE SHE FEELS SAFE…

After her capture by human traffickers, international reporter Arden Wilkes should have felt safe back in her small hometown. Blue Falls, Texas, feels comfortingly familiar -- and painfully foreign. Disoriented, Arden struggles to regain her sense of self and deal with the aftermath…only to find a sense of safety in the last place she ever expected.

Rancher Neil Hartley knows too well the kind of scars that trauma can bring. However, what started out as warm friendship with Arden is quickly turning into a deepening attraction. But despite Arden's slow recovery -- and the promise of love -- her old life still awaits her return. Now Arden must choose between the woman she used to be…and the safety of her rancher's arms.

Very good book. Arden has spent years traveling the world as an international reporter. Then she was captured by human traffickers while doing a story and held for weeks. After her rescue, she has come home to recover, but she isn't finding the sense of safety she expected. Instead, the only place she feels any peace is with rancher Neil Hartley.

From the very beginning of the book, the effects of the trauma on Arden were very obvious. Far from being the fearless reporter she had been, now she is nervous in crowds or in wide open spaces, and strange noises have her ducking for cover. During an incident at a convenience store, Neil comes to her rescue, easing her out of a panic attack and flashback.

Neil has some experience with trauma of his own. Thanks to his adoptive parents, he's overcome most of the effects, but it has made him very empathetic to what Arden is going through. Fate throws them together a couple times, where Neil can't deny the connection he feels with her.

Arden feels very alone, still caught in the nightmare that happened to her. She's dealing with the memories that still ambush her, night and day. She also feels a boatload of guilt, blaming the heart attack her dad had and the resulting medical bills on herself. She wonders what she's going to do with the rest of her life, because the thought of going back to her old one scares her to death.

I loved the development of their relationship. It starts out simply as friendship, a man who has come back from his own problems wanting to help someone else through theirs. Neil can't deny the attraction he feels, but is sensitive enough not to push. I loved the scene at the rodeo, where he sees her distress and provides a little distraction and buffer against the rest of the world. Arden is relieved by his presence and feels a sense of peace with him that she doesn't feel anywhere else. She also notices how good looking he's become, and feels a spark of something that makes her feel alive again. Over the next few weeks the time they spend together helps Arden begin to feel normal again. And the sparks that both feel are getting brighter and harder to resist. Neil has visions of a future with Arden in it, but fears giving his heart to a woman who will eventually find the courage to resume her old life. I loved seeing how Neil's support helps Arden regain a bit of her old self. There's a terrific scene where her growing feelings for Neil bring out her own protectiveness, combined with her old instincts, as she faces down a threat to his livelihood. That scene also brings her to the question of if she's really ready to give up her old life. I ached for Neil as he realized that he had to let her go if that was what she wanted. I loved Arden's conversation with her Southern friend in a London pub and the truth it made her see. I loved her big moment at the end, it was so romantic and sweet.

I fell completely in love with Neil's family. His parents are awesome with the way that they opened their hearts to the kids they adopted. It was such a loving family, that accepted everyone for who they were. I especially enjoyed how they so quickly made Arden a part of their group. I also loved Neil's brothers and sisters. It was obvious that they all loved and supported each other, but there was also a fair amount of teasing that went on. I hope that they all get their own stories, too.

I liked the attention that was paid to Arden's struggles. We got just enough information about what she'd been through to make it real, without it overpowering the romance. I especially enjoyed the visit with the puppies and hoped that there would be one in her future.