Keep on Loving You - Christie Ridgway (HQN - Feb 2016)

Series: Cabin Fever (Book 4)

Mackenzie Walker has everything a single girl needs in her California mountain hometown. Family, friends, a thriving business…and memories of Zan Elliott, whose touch -- and betrayal -- she's never forgotten. Now, ten years after he left town, Zan returns to manage his late grandfather's estate…and flip Mac's life upside down.

Documentary filmmaking has taken Zan all over the globe, yet nowhere was far enough away to make him forget Mac. Seeing her reignites their incredible chemistry. Mac's trust won't be easily won, especially when Zan's inheritance jeopardizes her family's hard-earned dreams. But every moment together is challenging Zan to stop living life through a lens and dare to let his guard down for a chance at forever…

A terrific conclusion to the series. Zan has been a background character in all the books, the friend who left town for parts unknown. The only contact has been the occasional postcard sent to Mac, with no message other than the letter Z. After ten years away, Zan has returned to settle his grandfather's estate.

When Zan was a boy, he lost his entire family in an airplane crash. He was sent to live with his grandfather, where he met the Walkers. The lonely boy became a "brother of the heart" to them and as a teen much more to Mac. For two years they were a couple, and then Zan abruptly left town, taking Mac's heart with him.

Mac has spent the last ten years taking care of her family, building her business, and trying to forget Zan. She's very practical, a bit cynical, and very protective of her family. She's happy that her siblings have found love, but a bit sad that she doesn't have someone of her own. Zan's return throws her into a tailspin, as she discovers that the chemistry they had together in the past is stronger than ever. She is determined to keep her distance from him and not risk another heartbreak when he leaves again.

Zan is surprised by how strong his attraction to Mac still is. He would love to pick up where they left off, enjoying the time they have together before he leaves again. He's a bit confused by her chilly attitude.

I really enjoyed the reigniting of their relationship. Both Mac and Zan have been unable to forget each other over the last ten years, but each has some major hurdles to overcome to make a future possible. Mac was devastated by Zan's departure all those years ago and has some huge trust issues now. Zan believes that love always ends in loss because of what happened to him. He pushes people away rather than take a chance on loving and losing. As they work together on Zan's house, the sparks between them burn hotter. Zan wants to give in to them, while Mac is convinced it would be a bad idea. Her brief attempt at believing she can have a fling with him without risking her heart shows her just the opposite, and she pulls away again. Zan wants Mac with every fiber of his being, but he's afraid to believe that it can last. In spite of the fears that each of them has, they can't stay away from each other.

I ached so much for Zan who has spent years running from the ghosts in his heart. His memories of his times with the Walkers are some of the best he has but he's afraid to believe. When he returns to town it takes him a while to adjust to all the changes he finds. He's oblivious to the hurt he's caused by his long absence and lack of communication. It was really sweet to see the way that Shay and Poppy sucked him right back into their lives. The conversation between Zan and Brett, as Brett makes his point that Zan is family brought me to tears. The whole deal with the land made me hurt for him, as he tried to keep his promise to Mac and deal with his guilt at the same time. I wasn't at all surprised at his solution. It was also great to see how many of the people in town were happy to see Zan, and that their pleasure and the memories they shared all began to change the way he looked at the town.

I loved how Mac confronted him at the end, using the postcards to show him how she felt. That scene was really emotional as they started to lay the past to rest. But the best was yet to come at Poppy's wedding. I loved how a chance encounter with an old woman finally showed Zan what he had been doing to himself all those years. His big moment at the end was sweet, romantic and just the type of grand gesture that Mac needed.

I loved the epilogue and the glimpse of the whole family five years later. 

Can't Fight This Feeling - Christie Ridgway (HQN - July 2015)

Series: Cabin Fever (Book 3)

Blue-collar landscaper Brett Walker has no interest in the Hollywood vacationers flocking to his hometown in the California mountains. But the scarred ex-soldier does have a duty to protect Blue Arrow Lake -- and the family ski resort -- from a serial burglar. So when he suspects a break-in, he takes action…and ends up catching sinfully tempting down-on-her-luck heiress Angelica Rodriguez. She reminds him of trouble, but he can't deny her a safe place to stay -- in one of his cabins.

Angelica has plenty of reasons to distrust -- losing her money to her father's legal woes being one of them. Getting up close and naughty with rough, tough and sexy Brett tempts her out of her comfort zone and into the arms of a man who's not from her wealthy world. She's after safety and he's chasing justice, but the fire between them might reveal that all they want is each other.

Good book. Brett is the oldest of the Walker siblings. He came back to Blue Arrow Lake after his time in the military and started his landscaping business. He takes care of the lawns of the rich tourists who come to the lake each summer. He's also been keeping an eye open for a burglar who has been hitting those summer houses. When he spots an intruder at one of the houses, he's surprised to find Angelica - who lived in that house - behaving in a suspicious manner.

Angelica is the daughter of a wealthy financier who has been arrested for fraud. His accounts have been frozen and she's no longer able to stay in the house. To top it off, her father had helped himself to her money also, so now she's broke and homeless. She sneaked into the house  to get some of her clothes and other things while she still could. Being discovered by Brett, the man she'd been crushing on all summer, was not her idea of cosmic justice.

I really liked Angelica. She isn't one to feel sorry for herself, she just picks herself up and carries on. She has found a part time job working with her friend Glory at the hardware store and is living in the local cheap motel, until it shuts down for the season. She also has more than her share of pride, and spends two nights sleeping in her car rather than ask for help. I loved the way that she took to living in the mountain town, where she quickly made a place for herself among people who are slow to accept strangers.

I liked Brett too, though he was a little harder to warm up to. He has a reputation as a serial dater and confirmed bachelor. He doesn't allow any woman to get too close, having been burned before. He feels that he has lost the ability to love or be loved, at least in his own eyes. But his caring relationship with his family shows otherwise, and that same protectiveness comes out when he's around Angelica.

I liked the development of their relationship. First up is the obvious chemistry between them, but both try to resist it. That doesn't work for long, as the attraction is just too strong. Though he tries to tell himself that he doesn't trust her, Brett can't help but watch out for her. I especially loved his reaction to her sleeping in her car, and what he did about it. There's still a lot of antagonism between them, as Brett's mistrust is obvious and she refuses to put up with it. I really liked seeing her blow his expectations every time. Every time they start to get a little closer, Brett gets spooked and does something to put distance between them. He's not very good at thinking before he speaks, and manages to say some rather cruel things while trying to protect himself. He always apologizes, in his own rather bumbling way, which comes across as a bit sweet and vulnerable. I ached a bit for Angelica, because she knew her feelings and what she wanted, but couldn't get Brett to let go of his own issues to see what they could have together. He almost left it too long, but in the end got it right. He did have a rather unusual "big moment" in how and when he confessed his feelings.

There was a secondary love story involving Glory and a newcomer named Kyle. There's definitely attraction between them. But Glory has spent most of her life working the family hardware store and doesn't see that changing anytime soon. Kyle is very interested in her and unceasing in his pursuit of her. But there's something about him that she doesn't know and it would put a whole different outlook on what she's starting to feel. I really liked Kyle's patience, though he should have told her the truth sooner. He could also see that she wasn't as happy with her future as she thought she was. It was interesting to see how hard she was fighting against what her heart wanted. I loved the scene at the hardware store at the end when she made her decision.

I liked seeing more of Brett's sisters and their lives. It was neat to see how Poppy (Take My Breath Away) and Sage (Make Me LoseControl) were doing after they found their HEAs. It was fun to see how close they all are and the support that is always there if needed. I also enjoyed seeing them all weigh in on Brett's life and relationship with Angelica. I liked getting to know Mac a little better and can't wait to read the story of her and Zan.

There was also a little bit of suspense running through the book. There had been a rash of burglaries around the town, and everyone was on edge wondering who it could be. I had a suspicion of who it was fairly early on and just had to wait to see if I was right. The motivation was also important, and was a little bit of a lead in to the next book.