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Contemporary, Romance, Sports
Austin Green would follow Fiona into the deepest depths of hell and back to prove his love for her. For Fiona Harper, he only has to follow her to Montana to find it. The Lazy D Dude Ranch was the source of every nightmare that plagued her and only Austin’s love kept her sane. When Fiona’s doctor proposes an intense therapy to help her manage her trauma and nightmares, Fiona reluctantly agrees to return to Montana and her sister’s dude ranch… but only with Austin.
Deep in the Crazy Mountains of Montana, Austin found a love he never thought possible. Broken and haunted but determined and beautiful, Fiona was his dream to hold and cherish every day. When Austin’s twin, Adam, ends up in the hospital fighting for his life nearly eight hundred miles away, Austin is torn. Does he go home to Washington, abandoning Fiona at the ranch or does he stay in Montana, knowing he could lose the one person he’s always been closest to? As he struggles to be what Fiona needs and worries about his brother, Austin finds himself overwhelmed and withdrawing from those around him, including Fiona.
While Fiona fights to overcome her terror and achieve her goals for the summer, she finds herself fighting to keep Austin from pushing her away completely as he becomes increasingly distant. With Adam’s recovery and each small victory over her past, Fiona finally begins to feel like she and Austin have a future together, until new secrets begin to surface, sending Austin into a panic-laced retreat. Broken-hearted, Fiona returns to Washington, but with her heart at stake, can she get Austin to share his nightmare or will he push her from his life for good?
5 out of 5 (very good)
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This is book two, I strongly suggest you read book one, This Crazy Love, first. You won't get the full picture, how Fiona suffered when first returning to the ranch from this book. This book is the summer after the first one, and Fiona and Austin are getting along just fine. Fiona's therapist suggests some fairly radical therapy to help her over come her fear of the ranch, the bridge and the corrals beyond. It means returning to the ranch for the summer. Austin is with her every step of the way, but when he gets a call to say his twin brother, Adam, was in the ICU with blood poisoning, both Fiona and Austin begin to unravel again. I just need to clear one thing up, from my review of book one. After speaking with the author, I now fully understand the cover picture better! A nekkid man on the front wouldn't have worked here. Fiona wants to be free, free of the pain of that awful day she turned 18. The only place she can do it is at the scene, on the ranch, so she and Austin set off, knowing full well what lays ahead. Fiona is already stronger, physically and emotionally, but even just getting past the gate floors her again. We feel for her, here, how much she wants to be free, to overcome her crippling fear, not only of the ranch, but of Austin leaving her. Austin is with Fiona every step of the way, and together, that T word, they work hard. Adam's illness knocks Austin for six, and he struggles to deal with his own problems, as well as Fiona's issues (again, the book's words, not mine!) I'd like to commend Pratt again on her research into post traumatic stress, and all that it entails. The recovery time of Fiona is long, so very long, and its all laid out for you, you feel every painful step, and huge obstacle overcome, every single time she throws up and blacks out. You also feel Austin, when he starts to unravel, starts to question everything and when he runs. I cried alot in this book, so I suggest you read with a box of tissues. I hope, with all my heart, that book three is a nice, easy read, but knowing these two, its not gonna be. Its gonna be painful, and soul searching, and tearful. We get some Adam too. He will get his own trilogy, but some of that overlaps here. And I can't wait to read it! 5 full stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
I'm a native Montanan living in Washington state and the youngest of seven children. I moved to Washington in 1998 and have lived there since. I'm the mom of three profoundly gifted children who challenge me and frustrate me in equal measure.
I began writing in high school, completing my first novel on a Commodore 64, saved on a whole lot of floppy disks. I stopped writing to pursue my education but quickly realized I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up... I still don't know. In the pursuit of a "real job", I tried everything from a barista, to a restaurant manager, to a purchasing agent, and an administrative assistant to the owner of a fire truck construction company, plus a few things in between. I finally got serious about writing a few years ago. By the time I worked up the nerve to attempt self-publishing, I'd amassed a stack of rejection letters and seven complete manuscripts.
I prefer to write steamy contemporary romance with a heavy emphasis on psychology and the emotional side of my characters. I feel that if my reader can feel what the character feels and can identify with it, I've done my job.