Drury - Delores Fossen (HI #1701 - Apr 2017)

Series: Lawmen of Silver Creek Ranch (Book 11)

FBI agent Drury Ryland is no stranger to surprises. But upon returning to his family's cattle ranch in Texas, he's confronted with the ghosts of his past…and a threat to his future. Caitlyn Denson is the beautiful woman who broke his heart and the last person Drury expected to reunite with. But his ex didn't arrive at Silver Creek Ranch alone.

With a killer on her trail and a newborn daughter in her arms, Caitlyn must put aside her tumultuous history with Drury and focus on survival. Drury feels obligated to protect the family he never had, but professional boundaries begin to blur as their enemy shifts into stark focus.

Good suspense and second chance story. Drury and Caitlyn had known each other briefly several years earlier, but their relationship ended abruptly and she married someone else. He hadn't seen her since then, until she suddenly appeared at his home, with trouble close behind.

The book starts with a bang, as Drury is shot at when he arrives home from work one day. The gunman gets away, leaving Drury wondering who is behind the attack and why. That is, until he gets inside his house and finds Caitlyn and a newborn baby hiding there. Caitlyn claims that someone is trying to kill her and take the baby. Hearing her story, Drury realizes that there is a link to the same fertility clinic that had caused problems for them the month before (see Holden). He's not happy about dealing with Caitlyn, but he'll protect them both.

I liked the development of their relationship. Though wary of each other at the beginning, there's no denying that the attraction between them is still strong. Drury still feels the hurt of what he saw as her betrayal and is reluctant to trust her now. Caitlyn is full of guilt over the way she handled things. But as they are forced together, the negative feelings are overcome by a renewal of the passion between them. I liked the way that Caitlyn owned up to the mistakes of the past. Though they don't spend any time rehashing the past, it still has an effect on their current feelings, making them believe that a future isn't possible. It takes the threat to their lives to make them realize their feelings for each other, and some awkward and amusing attempts at matchmaking by his brothers and cousins to finally get them together.

The suspense of the story is good, with nearly nonstop action. Who was behind the attacks? And who stole the embryo that eventually became baby Caroline and why? There are several suspects and twists and turns involving each of them. The tension built with each attack on Drury and Caitlyn. Their frustration was obvious as the suspect list grew. The final confrontation was intense and I wasn't sure how they would get out of it. I loved Caitlyn's big moment as her protective mommy instincts won the day.

As always, the Ryland family is there for support, both professional and personal. Even in the midst of all the chaos, it was fun to see their reactions to Caitlyn's presence. I also liked seeing how opinions changed and acceptance grew. I enjoyed glimpses into the lives of the other Rylands and how their lives are now.

Holden - Delores Fossen (HI #1695 - Mar 2017)

Series: Lawmen of Silver Creek Ranch (Book 10)

When a baby goes missing, a Texas marshal and a woman from his past discover there's a whole lot more behind this kidnapping…

Holden Ryland certainly didn't become a marshal just to end up busting his ex, Nicky Hart, for taking files from Conceptions Fertility Clinic. But only Nicky knows just what was really stolen: a newborn being held for ransom. A newborn who is kin to both her and Holden. The missing boy is only the start of a mystery that snakes through Texas, winding its way through their families. Bad blood may linger between them, but Holden can protect his nephew back at the Silver Creek Ranch. If they can lay their past to rest to rescue this child, is it possible for them to have a future together?

Good addition to the ongoing saga of the Lawmen of Silver Ranch. The action is non-stop from the beginning as Holden and Nicky try to find out who is behind a fertility clinic scam and blackmail scheme. Holden is a US Marshal who has gone to see an ex-girlfriend about her role in an FBI investigation, only to discover that she is in trouble. She is being held by gunmen who want the information she has found. Nicky is an investigative reporter who stumbled across the information while investigating the disappearance of a senator.

Holden and Nicky have a past together. They had just begun a relationship when she made the mistake of holding on to information a little too long during one of her stories. This information nearly got his brother Drury killed. Added to the events surrounding the death of his brother Emmett and her sister Annie (see the previous book Landon) and the relationship ended before it really got started. Now Nicky has information showing that someone used Emmett and Annie's embryos in that scheme and that she and Holden have a nephew that needs to be rescued.

Nicky and Holden try to put the past behind them as they work together to protect their nephew and stop those behind the scheme. The attraction and chemistry between them is just as strong as it was before and they have a hard time resisting it. I liked that Nicky has learned her lesson, and is fully forthcoming with what she has learned. She doesn't know if the Rylands can ever forgive her for her previous actions, but her feelings for Holden are still there. Though Holden is still dealing with the pain of his brother's loss, he can't deny that he still has feelings for Nicky. I loved his protectiveness toward her, with Nicky having the same concerns about his safety. In the end, they realized that their love for each other can overcome the problems that came before.

The suspense of the story was fantastic. Each new clue brought forth another person of interest. Each one had the means and motive, though always proclaiming their innocence. There is Nicky's father Oscar, who is desperate for a grandchild to be his heir. Is he a victim or perpetrator? Beatrice, trophy wife of the missing senator, also claims to be a victim of the blackmailer. Is there another baby out there that is hers? And did she have a part in her husband's disappearance, or is she innocent of it all? And they can't forget about Amanda, the clinic's former office manager, and surrogate mother to one of the embryos. The final confrontation brings everyone together in an intense face-off. The multiple twists and turns leading to this point are finally resolved, though there are still a couple questions left hanging for the next book.

I also enjoyed seeing more of the Ryland men from the previous books. Their teamwork is always terrific as they provide backup and protection. Since they are all family, there is also the personal touch in some of their interactions. Gage especially gets his chance to give Holden a bit of a hard time about his relationship with Nicky. There's a brief scene with Drury, who was the victim of Nicky's mistake, but doesn't seem to hold too much of a grudge. I'm looking forward to his book.