Hill Country Man

By Loralee Lillibridge

Life Is Full Of Choices. The Right Ones Are Never Easy. Divorced after discovering her husband’s affairs had been going on for years, Maggie Oliver returns to Shade Tree, Texas, hoping the peaceful Hill Country ranch life will restore her self-esteem and help tame her rebellious fifteen-year-old daughter. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tell-Tale Publishing Group, LLC
• Release date: Jan 31, 2018
• ISBN: 9781944056001

Loralee Lillibridge

Loralee Lillibridge often receives comments about her name, the most frequent being that she should become a romance writer. Imagine her delight at finally being able to answer, "I am." But it wasn't just her name that prompted her to try her hand at writing romances. Books have always been an important part of her life, and she is grateful to her parents for introducing her to the wonderful world of reading when she was very young. As she grew older, a natural progression from Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden stories led to new favorites such as Gone with the Wind. She was on a flight to Hawaii with her husband when she read The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss. From then on, she was hooked, haunting the bookstores looking for more romances to read. Trying her hand at writing one was to become a lifelong process, interrupted many times by life and its complications. Only sheer stubbornness kept her writing until she sold her first book to the Silhouette Special Edition line in 2004. A native Texan, Loralee met and married her husband when she worked for the military and he was in the air force there. Later, they moved to his home state of Michigan, where she came up close and personal with her very first snowstorm. After thawing out, she bought snow boots and a heavy coat, and decided to stay. Four children, nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild later, she still resides there on a portion of the centennial farm where her husband was born. Loralee enjoys traveling, and has been fortunate to visit many places. One of her most memorable experiences was riding a camel in Tangier and exploring the casbah there. Venezuela, Spain, Hawaii, Mexico and the Caribbean fueled her love for adventure, but she firmly believes the best part of traveling is coming home. She wakes up every day and counts her blessings. You can visit her web site or write to her at P.O. Box 140095, Walker, MI 49514-0095.

Book preview

Hill Country Man

Loralee Lillibridge

Hill Country Man

By Loralee Lillibridge

A picture containing object Description generated with high confidence

Copyright 2013 by Loralee Lillibridge

Cover design by Patricia Lazarus

Tell-Tale Publishing Group, LLC

P.O. Box 90112

Burton, MI 48509

www.tell-talepublishing.com

Tell Tale Publishing

Dahlia Imprint

This one's for Patrish. Thanks for waiting so long for Sam. Love you, girl.

Prologue

June – Sixteen Years Earlier

Sam Banner stood on the verandah of the Hilltop Country Club, looked out at the panoramic view of the vast Texas Hill Country and came to a decision. If he ever got married, he'd make damn sure there'd be barbecued ribs and brisket at his rehearsal dinner, not weird-looking pieces of tired chicken swimming in an unappetizing sauce and decorated with a limp piece of parsley. If the meal he'd been served tonight was an example of fine dining, he'd take Texas-style and chicken-fried every time, thank you very much.

Of course, his chances of ever getting hitched were about as likely as a snowstorm in hell. He knew that as well as he knew his own name. His reasons were nobody's business but his own.

Pretending he was flattered to be his buddy's best man at tomorrow's wedding stretched Sam's acting ability to the max and then some. Ryan Oliver might have been his best friend when they were younger, but not anymore. And the sooner all the hoo-ha surrounding the pretentious affair was over, the sooner Sam could get his life back to normal—or as normal as it would ever be. Thank God, the happy couple would be moving to Chicago right after the wedding. He didn't need a constant reminder of his own stupidity living right under his nose here in Shade Tree.

Thinking he'd head to the bar for a much-needed drink, he turned away from the view, halting in stunned silence when the woman of his heart walked through the French doors and onto the dimly-lit verandah alone, oblivious to his presence. To keep from revealing himself, Sam stepped back into the shadows, holding his breath far longer than he thought possible.

Maggie walked across the flagstone flooring, taking her time to reach the edge of the porch. Placing both hands on the railing, she stared up at the stars for what seemed an eternity to Sam, a nineteen-year old vision in a pale yellow dress with thin straps that showed off her summer tan. Did she know the sheer fabric revealed her long legs and tiny waist?

Sam couldn't ignore the way his stomach knotted as long-suppressed desire for his buddy's fiancée burned its way through his veins. Regret for what he should have done was a bitter pill to swallow. His damn male pride had cost him this woman—and his heart.

Serious sports rivals all through high school, Ryan Oliver and Sam Banner were as different as Armani suits and Wrangler jeans, except for one thing. They both wanted blue-eyed, golden-haired Maggie Rawlings. Their rivalry continued good-naturedly after Ryan left for college and Sam followed the rodeo.

In spite of—or maybe because of—their totally opposite personalities, Sam and Ryan had been friends all through school. Ryan was a country-club kind of guy with money to burn, while Sam preferred cowboying and cutting loose. Their love of competing with each other was the unusual bond that kept them friends. Sam's money didn't come easy, and the rodeo circuit kept him out of town for weeks at a time. Opportunities for any sort of relationship were scarce, especially the one that mattered the most—the one he wanted with Maggie.

A year later at a mutual classmate's bachelor party, the two decided to resolve their biggest competition once and for all. Full of male ego and macho chest-pounding—not to mention too much free beer—Ryan came up with a solution. Sure, it was a crazy idea, but they made the bet and shook on it with the I'm invincible attitude every young male possessed.

They agreed to start the count-down after Sam returned from his next rodeo. They'd have three weeks to see which one of them could win Maggie's affection.

Piece of cake, Sam thought. His friend might have the heftiest bank account, but Sam's sweet-talk was golden when it came to charming the ladies. Maggie wasn't like the other girls he'd dated, though. She was special, and he'd been waiting for the right opportunity—and a little more cash—before asking her out. This was one bet he knew he could win.

Two weeks later, he returned from an Oklahoma rodeo win with big money in his pocket and his ego firmly in place. He raced out to Maggie's house in his old, beat-up truck, ready to show his brainy, white-collar buddy how to win a girl.

That's when Sam realized the stupid bet was the biggest mistake of his life. Realized how much he truly cared for Maggie and how much he really had to lose.

Ryan stood on the Rawlings' front porch with his arm around Maggie. Her father was shaking Ryan's hand. On Maggie's left hand, a diamond as big as Dallas sparkled in the bright Texas sunlight, announcing Ryan's victory.

So much for waiting until I got back from the rodeo. Betrayed, Sam barely kept from puking as he watched his world fall apart. Broken hearts are hazardous to a guy's health . . . Tonight, standing in the darkness, he heard Maggie's heart-breaking sigh as she turned to go back inside. Curious, and because he couldn't help himself, he stepped out of the shadows, his tight-fisted hands jammed deep in his pockets to keep from doing something stupid—like taking her in his arms.

She was so breathtaking wrapped in moonlight that Sam knew from this night forward his life would never be the same. As he watched the soft, sensual play of shadows across her pensive face, the heart-wrenching sensation of loss nearly brought him to his knees. She was so close, this woman he'd loved from the sidelines but would never have. They might as well be on separate planets.

He swallowed hard, struggled to remain stoic. You're sure looking sad for someone who'll be walking down the aisle tomorrow, Mags. He kept his voice low so as not to startle her. Having trouble deciding whether or not you're marrying the real best man?

He'd meant it to sound like a joke. You know, the kind a smart-aleck cowboy with a saddlebag full of sweet talk would say. But then she'd aimed those tear-filled blue eyes right at him, and the acute longing that hit him damn near tore a hole in his heart.

We'll never know, will we? she murmured softly and hurried back inside, leaving Sam standing there on the empty verandah with only the faint fragrance of honeysuckle for company.

Maggie had made her choice when she accepted Ryan's ring. Sam had made his by waiting too long to tell her he loved her.

Chapter One

July—Present day

Maggie Oliver swung her packed-to-the-max SUV into the driveway of the familiar house just west of Shade Tree, Texas with a Hallelujah! shout of joy, followed immediately by an Oh, no! cry of total shock.

Her gaze still riveted on the house in disbelief, she turned off the ignition and let the car shudder to a halt.

In the seat beside her, wide-eyed fifteen-year-old Dani gasped in horror.

You don't expect us to live here, do you? Exasperated, Dani gave her mother the kind of look most teenagers reserve just for their parents. Nana's house wasn't like this the last time we were here. What happened?

Maggie wondered the same thing. The sick feeling in the pit of her stomach wasn't just from the greasy, fast-food lunch she'd had an hour before.

How had her parents' house deteriorated so badly in only two years' time?

Her first thought was vandalism, but she quickly amended that notion. She'd been sending Norm Canfield a healthy check every month to oversee the regular maintenance of the property. The renters had skipped town two months prior, but nevertheless, Norm still owed Maggie two-and-a-half weeks of work until the end of the month. Obviously his idea of work didn't concur with Maggie's. The sight of her parents' home in such disrepair brought tears to her eyes.

Well, she said to her wide-eyed daughter, Mr. Canfield certainly has a lot of explaining to do.

The summer hiatus in Shade Tree was going to be more work than the rest and relaxation Maggie'd planned. Her main reason for coming had been to get her relationship with Dani back on track while they enjoyed the peacefulness of the Texas Hill Country. How foolish to think life was actually going her way for a change.

Maybe the inside isn't this bad, she said, trying to inject a bit of optimism into her voice for both their sakes. Let's go in and see what we need to do first.

Yeah, that's something to look forward to. Dani rolled her eyes. We leave our nice condo in Chicago, the pool and all my friends, to spend the summer in the backwoods of Texas. Big hoorah! She crossed her arms over her chest and stuck out her chin. "This is going to be the worst vacation ever. I hate it already. Why wouldn't you let me stay with Daddy? He has plenty of room in his apartment. How would I have interfered with his work?"

Oh, let me count the ways, Maggie's sarcastic inner voice butted in as she pictured that unlikely arrangement. Just Dani with Ryan and his latest arm-candy. Buffy, Muffy or whatever her name was. Oh, sure, perfect role models for an impressionable fifteen-year-old. Not.

When Ryan became Maggie's ex, she'd taken every precaution to keep Dani from learning the real reason for the divorce, but there'd been many times when Maggie wanted to shout, It wasn't my fault, to her young, very unhappy, daughter. Right now was one of those times.

Only biting her tongue kept Maggie from revealing the truth. She was becoming a real expert at that lately. Ryan and his secret affairs were the last thing she wanted to discuss with their daughter.

Drawing on her inner strength for the umpteenth time in the past year, Maggie put on her best happy mom face and said, Honey, just think of this as a big adventure. We'll have lots of fun. Come on, grab a suitcase and let's go in.

Now would be a good time for a fairy godmother to appear, Maggie thought as they lugged their suitcases up onto the porch. Like she had so many times in the past, she felt along the door frame for the key and encountered a tangle of dust and cobwebs.

Eeuww! Dani squealed, refusing to get any closer as Maggie pulled the web from her fingers. There're probably snakes inside, too.

Don't be silly. Snakes couldn't get in with the house all closed up. This was just a harmless spider web.

Please don't let there be snakes. Mentally crossing her fingers, Maggie turned the key in the lock and pushed the heavy door open.

The mid-afternoon sun filtered through the drawn shades, its pale light exposing the sad condition of the interior—and, thankfully, no snakes.

Dust, more spider webs and stifling heat assaulted the pair as they stepped into the hallway. With everything in the house shut tight, the hot July weather had turned the rooms into saunas. Musty-smelling, very old saunas, to be precise.

C'mon, let's get the windows open, sweetie. Fresh air will make a big difference. Maggie set two small suitcases next to the living room sofa and went to work.

Why didn't Nana ever get air-conditioning? Dani grumbled her way into the kitchen without waiting for Maggie's answer and began banging on the jammed wooden window frames. She finally managed to get the first one open half-way and had just started on the next when two small dark things scurried across the floor in front of her.

At the sound of Dani's scream, Maggie came running. What is it? What's the matter?

Big bugs! Kill 'em, Mom! Kill 'em! Dani stood on a wobbly, vintage 1950s, chrome-and-red-plastic dinette chair, pointing to the floor and making faces.

Maggie caught sight of the last of the local cockroaches disappearing under the pantry door.

Well, they're gone now, so come on down. Reminder to self, call exterminator.

No way am I sleeping here tonight, Mom. Not with those creepy things crawling all over the place. Dani left the safety of the chair only after giving the floor a thorough visual inspection.

Maggie wasn't about to tell her daughter that the pesky roaches would probably show up regularly until the exterminator could get rid of them. She checked her watch. Still time to get in touch with the local service, unless it closed before five.

She found an old phone book on the counter, hiding under a stack of yellowed newspapers and flipped the pages until she found the name she was looking for and dialed the 800 number. Unfortunately, the receptionist on the other end of the line informed Maggie the company no longer had a branch in Shade Tree. Appointments for out-of-town service calls had to be made at least a week in advance.

Sputtering, Maggie settled on the following Thursday. Dani would just have to get used to the unwelcome visitors until then.

But the more she thought about it, the more she was convinced that moving in before the exterminators fumigated was foolish. Dani was right. The place wasn't fit to stay in. Not for a whole week. She sighed, weariness creeping in as the long journey began to take its toll. Change of plans. Again.

Struggling to put an optimistic tone in her words and a wide smile on her face, Maggie turned to her daughter. Looks like we'll be staying at a hotel for a few days, after all, kiddo. Might as well take the luggage back to the van and find a place to crash.

The grin on Dani's face outshone the sun as she raced back to the car. Maggie closed the windows they'd just opened, locked the front door behind her and pocketed the key before joining her daughter.

Let's get one with a pool, Dani begged as Maggie settled behind the wheel, "so we can have some fun on this adventure"— she encased the word in air-quotations—before we move back to Hillbilly Haven.

With great effort, Maggie bit back the sharp retort poised on the end of her tongue. Instead, she headed in search of the first decent motel she could find. Sometimes it's better to pick your battles.

Sam Banner braked his Silverado at the intersection's four-way stop and waited for the dark blue SUV on his right to go first. He'd just come from a short shift at police headquarters, his thoughts focused on how to keep his ranch running smoothly and still do a decent job as a cop. He hadn't been paying attention to the traffic. The driver made a sharp left turn, nearly clipping his truck's front end.

What the. . . Sam choked back an oath. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck prickled, and his pulse shot into overdrive. But the near-miss wasn't the reason for his reaction. The brief glimpse of the woman behind the wheel momentarily sent him into shock. Maggie? The driver had to be her or his name wasn't Samuel Jefferson Banner.

But, what the hell was she doing back in Shade Tree?

His gut reaction was to follow her, but by the time he found a place to make a U-turn, the SUV had disappeared in the freeway traffic bound for Austin, leaving Sam behind.

Well, not for long, he vowed as he merged effortlessly into the tangle of northbound cars on I-35. If the driver of that SUV was really Maggie Oliver, one way or another, he was fixin' to find out. Damn straight.

He whipped in and out of the five o'clock rush hour, damning the bumper-to-bumper traffic clogging the lanes and cutting off more than a few. That earned him some well-known hand signals from a few of the irate, horn-blowing drivers. He ignored them all.

Frustrated after fighting the knot of north-bound speeders for several miles with no sign of the dark blue vehicle, he gave up. He exited the next off-ramp and headed home, still convinced Maggie Oliver was back in Texas and just as convinced that he would eventually find her.

The hotel just off Ben White Boulevard was fancy enough to satisfy her daughter's demands and moderate enough to fit Maggie's budget. Plus, it was close enough to Shade Tree for Maggie to be able to look into matters there without spending a fortune on gasoline. Not that her finances were in danger, but she was by nature a careful spender. Staying in a hotel for an entire week certainly wouldn't put them in the bread line, but knowing there would obviously be major repairs needed to the old homestead, she had to plan accordingly. The past year as a single mom had given her plenty of experience in that area.

Dani bounded into the room from her dip in the hotel pool, towel-wrapped and laughing. Maggie's spirits rose at the cheerful sound she hadn't heard since they'd left Chicago. She finished hanging the last of their clothes in the closet and turned from the chore to look at her happy child.

Well, I take it you had a good swim?

Dani headed for the bathroom, grabbed another towel and sat on the side of the bed to dry her hair. The pool is awesome. Big slide, too. Maybe we should just stay here instead of going back to Nana's. What difference would it make? You could still get the house fixed and rent it again. It's not like we were planning to live there, right?

Dani's question caused Maggie's guilt to expand into uncomfortable proportions. The chance of moving back to Shade Tree permanently had been an underlying possibility ever since she'd gotten word of the renter's disappearance. But knowing her daughter would vehemently object, she'd kept that thought a secret. Seeing the sad condition of the house today only strengthened her resolve. Could she really make it work? Make a new home for her and Dani? The whole purpose of this trip was to find out if coming home was the answer.

Would moving be a big problem for you, sweetheart? She held her breath and waited for the explosion. This was the first time she'd even considered approaching the subject with her daughter. She didn't have long to wait.

Dani bounded off the bed, waving her arms as she ran to Maggie's side.

Whaaat? Move to that hillbilly town? No way, Mom. I don't want to live there. You can stay there if you want, but I'll call Dad to come and get me. He will, you know.

Maggie's heart ached. She couldn't bring herself to tell Dani that Ryan didn't want her on a permanent basis. He was willing to keep up the child support, but beyond that an occasional visit at his convenience was all he wanted. Maggie had managed to keep that part of the divorce agreement from Dani. How much longer could she hold out?

It was just a question, honey. We'll see how things go this summer. You know, you might like living in ranching country after you try it.

I'll never like anything country, Dani said. I don't like horses, and I'm not wearing those cowboy hats and boots, either. No, Mom, I definitely don't want to live in Texas.

She marched to the bathroom and slammed the door behind her. A few minutes later, Maggie heard the shower running.

Well, so much for that, she muttered, staring at her image in the mirrored closet door. What she saw there only added to her discouragement.

Dark circles under her eyes made her look like she hadn't slept in a week, and her skin lacked the healthy glow that had been the envy of her female friends. Now a pallor—a tiredness—added years to her appearance. When had all this happened? She was only thirty-six, for goodness sakes. Not a hundred and three.

She turned away from the mirror, vowing to spend more time on herself. And that would happen as soon as she and Dani settled their differences and Maggie made a decision about the house. Two major challenges that had her frowning—again.

Driving back and forth from Austin to Shade Tree presented another challenge she hadn't expected. Dani wanted to stay at the hotel to swim and take part in the youth activities offered by the management instead of going out to the house. There was no way under the sun Maggie would leave the fifteen year-old on her own in a hotel, and she made that clear in no uncertain terms.

"You just don't want me to have any fun, Dani pouted the next morning as she climbed into the SUV and jerked the door shut. I wish I had stayed with Daddy."

Secretly, Maggie was beginning to wish that, too, but that feeling only lasted a minute. Leaving Dani behind—whether it was in Chicago or in the hotel—was simply not an option. Mothers took care of their children, with unconditional love and a firm hand. And patience. Lots and lots of patience.

She backed the car out of the parking lot and onto the service road in front of the hotel. Within minutes, they were headed south on I-35. She had chosen not to reply to Dani's accusation, knowing nothing she said this morning would make her daughter happy. The thirty-minute trip was made in silence, though a constant search for something to change Dani's mind continued to absorb Maggie's thoughts.

July heat beat down on mother and daughter as they exited the car and entered the cool interior of the Shade Tree National Bank. Maggie's transactions in the manager's office took less than half an hour, while Dani sat in the outer area and impatiently thumbed through the out-dated issue of a

Reviews for Hill Country Man

[jjmcgaffey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A perfectly reasonable romance, that didn't particularly catch me or interest me in the characters or the situation. I don't really understand why he thought the bet was such a big deal - it didn't even happen, the other guy cheated and jumped the gun. Basically all the obstacles between them felt artificial, author fiat rather than growing from the characters. There's quite a lot of action, but most of it seems, again, artificial - especially the house burning down (and for that matter, the condition of the house to start with. If there was a renter in there until two weeks previous, how did it get so bad?). The magic connection between Dani and the horses is another convenience. Overall, the characters didn't feel real so nothing that happened felt organic - it all feels like the author saying "So now I need them to get physically close. Let's see, how about..." - just pushing cardboard characters around. An odd level of explicit, too - very steamy and fully-described kisses, but when they actually go to bed (ok, to couch) it's very lightly skimmed over - a polite curtain drawn across the specifics. Overall, eh. Not going to reread, and it doesn't inspire me to look for more by this author.

[rosethorne1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a syrupy sweet and predictable romance. Not to say that it was bad, not at all. But it was a typical middle of the road romance. The past history made the characters more interesting, but I had predicted the ending by the time I was a quarter of the way through the book. It made for a great, fast read during my commute, that could be put down without a thought, and picked back up the same way.

[cinful1121_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like the light and easy style of this Southern romance story. The characters are engaging and I really love the leading male character Sam he is something special and my favorite in the book. You get a little bit of everything in this book at just the right pace.

[rebeccagraf · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Every now and then, I enjoy an easy romance. By easy, I don’t mean that everything flows together perfectly as in a fairy tale. I mean a read that is enjoyable and laid back even if the relationship on the pages gets rocky. Loralee Lillibridge was able to supply that in Hill Country Man.Youthful mistakes not realized until maturity sets in is not an uncommon story. We’ve all experienced. In this story, a young man makes a foolish bet and trusts someone unworthy of it. A young woman thinks money will bring a lifetime of happiness to only find sixteen years later after a bitter divorce that it can’t. She returns home with her rebellious teenage daughter to find herself face to face with feelings long buried for the man who really held her heart. Now, she has to face her own past and deeply buried feelings before she can move forward and consider true love.The story moves along at a good pace. This is not a hundred thousand word novel. It’s not a novella, either. It gets to the point and carries the reader where she needs to go. Flashbacks are common throughout the book. These thoughts of the past are important in understanding story while not drawing it unnecessarily out.Ms. Lillibridge brings in real life experiences as in the relationship between the rebellious teenage daughter and her newly divorced mother. The feelings are raw and the actions of the girl are true to life including the attitude and disrespect. The author does a good job of describing the realistic conflict and the process of growth and forgiveness in such a short about of time.There is one very intimate scene that lasts a few pages. All other scenes are alluded to and not described in detail. The language is very clean. Overall, there is only the one scene that a reader needs to be warned about.I really enjoyed this read. I was able to read it in one day. It is the perfect book for a trip or just to lose yourself in to escape the stress of everyday life.Note: This book was won in a giveaway by the author/publisher with no expectation of a positive review.

[sultrydiva · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I like a good love story. This was a good love story. The small town/ranch setting wasn’t cluttered with unimportant details. The characters, especially 15 year old Dani were believable. (She made me glad that I wasn’t her mother.) The story won’t make you wait long for the action, it’s nonstop almost from the beginning! One thing leads to another, often with Dani right in the thick of things. Every time when things start to get better, something happens. It’s always three steps forward and two steps back. Maggie has to make choices; choices that are never easy. To complicate the problem, she’s constantly reminding herself of a wrong choice she made in the past. Will she make the right choice this time or leave her Hill Country Man to go it alone.

[books007_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Maggie comes back home with her rebelious teenage daughter in tow after her marriage ended. And old crush from her past, Sam, still lives in town and hasn't forgotten regrets of letting her marry his old friend unprotested. Some unfortunate events throw the Maggie & Sam together and back to each other (with a few bumps along the way.)I can't say it was a "I couldn't put it down" type books but was definitely interested in finishing it. Predictable...sure but still a good read for anyone looking for a light, easy read in western romance. Maybe we will get a book two for Hawk & Dani. Feel like their story is definitely not finished...

[prettyinpink120 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hill Country Man was kind of predictable, but I still really enjoyed it. It followed the standard romance story line, fall in love, have a pointless fight, make-up, and they live happily ever after.Maggie and Sam, the main characters had a lot of chemistry and where fun to read about. Because they have past history it made their current relationship more complex.I really liked Dani and wish there was more of her, maybe ever have her point of view in the story, she was just such a complicated teen and had so much going on that it would have be nice to get to know her better.

[lulu150 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I completely enjoyed this book. It was a very nice and easy read. I loved the cowboy/western theme of this book, along with the romance and the interaction of the characters. If you are looking for a good romance book to read then I would pick this one!!

[lhlady_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I currently read a great deal of textbooks, the Bible (for study/class purposes), and do a great deal of writing for these classes. I was concerned that I wouldn't find the time to give this book "Hill Country Man" my full attention. I was so wrong. Once I opened the file and began reading I was drawn into the story instantly. I have lived in central Texas including near Austin so I could imagine exactly the scenes she described. And I've raised 3 children so knew exactly how Maggie felt when her teenage daughter talked to her (as only teenage daughters can). The hurt was real for me. I was pleasantly surprised with the entire novel (I am not much of a romantic novel sort) but thoroughly enjoyed this one and was ever so sad to see it end. I love the Hill Country of Texas (and miss it) and I love the way Loralee can transport me back there. Highly recommend and cannot wait for what is next from this author.

[jo2son · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Maggie, recently divorced, and her teenage daughter Dani move back to rural Texas to the house where Maggie grew up. When the house burns down, Sam, an old friend, offers them a place to live and job for Maggie. Sam supports Maggie through the challenge of moving back home with a reluctant teenager and eventually Sam and Maggie fall in love. This was a light read with a "happily ever after" ending that I thoroughly enjoyed. I would recommend this book to others.

[cookiedemon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

*Full disclosure: the publisher provided me with a copy of this novel in the hope that I would review it*I have to admit that I sometimes approach romance novels with a bit of trepidation. Are they going to be too cliché? Too steamy? Not enough steam? I turn to romance novels when I want a bit of escapism and guaranteed happily ever afters, but just occasionally I find myself rolling my eyes and giving up after being bombarded by too many stereotypes and predictable storylines- then on the other hand I sometimes find myself utterly engrossed and just can’t turn the pages fast enough! So, it was safe to say that with this one, as well as with an author I had never encountered before, I didn’t really know *what* to expect. I actually really enjoyed this book. It was a well-written storyline with characters that I came to care about and a bit of a pacey plot that kept me interested- and of course, the edition of a hunky cowboy was just too much for me to resist!Set in Shade Tree, Texas, the book finds single mother Maggie returning to her childhood home for the summer with daughter Dani in tow, to sort out her late parents former property. She doesn’t expect to encounter Sam Banner, her ex-husbands former best friend, as well as the best man at her wedding. It soon becomes clear that Sam has always held a torch for Maggie and that maybe nineteen years ago, she made the wrong choice- but Sam seems to be hiding a few secrets of his own...As I’ve said, this was well-written. The author does an excellent job in setting up the characters right away- you instantly get a sense that you know Sam and what he stands for, as well as see how caring Maggie can be and what she’s been through in the past and how she is trying to pick herself up again. Though Dani got on my nerves as she was a complete brat, the resentful sulky teenager is well-depicted and she (as well as the other characters) felt realistic. I also liked the secondary characters and how they came into play- it would be nice to read more books set in Shade Tree in future and see if they can be built upon a bit more.If I could offer any criticisms it would perhaps be that I saw what was coming on a lot of occasions- there was a degree of predictability to the narrative, though it didn’t stop me enjoying the novel and I had expected it as it is usually the case with this genre. Also, Sam’s ‘hard chest’ makes an appearance frequently- though he does admittedly sound too hunky for words, and you can’t blame Maggie one iota for constantly tripping against it (good girl)! The notion of ‘equine therapy’ was introduced somewhat towards the end of the storyline and this is something that I found very interesting and would have perhaps liked to have learned more about perhaps earlier on (or maybe in the authors next book?), as it did give a bit of substance to the plot. Overall this was a solid, well-written romance that would make an excellent easy-reading book for a holiday, or even for someone wanting to while away a pleasant few hours. I would read more by this author in future.

[jenniwindsor · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is typical of the kind of books I love. It caught me from the beginning as I have a daughter entering that difficult period of her life. There was not only love and laughter but some good parenting lessons/advice. It was a quick read without having any of the spots I've come across in other books that slow down at a point. Very enjoyable.