I feel as though Brody is the McCloud brother I knew the least about. The McClouds had an abusive father and a mother who abandoned them. Brody is the only sibling that was never hit by their father. The only one who was ever treated kindly in any way. The brothers love each other deeply, they’ve been through hell and back with each other. Rationally they all know it’s not Brody’s fault their father favored him, but Brody carries that invisible scar after watching his brothers be treated badly and even almost killed while he stood alone and untouched.

Elizabeth and Brody met briefly when she was interviewing for the job at the McCloud ranch and both felt prickly about the other. Meaning, of course, that they are unwillingly attracted to each other. This story starts with Elizabeth and her 8-year-old son Benny pulling up to their new home at Four Corners Ranch. Brody is there to greet them and show them around and there is an instant comradery between Benny and Brody that I love. Brody wasn’t in the mindset of having to or wanting to impress Benny since he had no illusions that he would ever have a relationship of any sort with the prim, put-together single mom, so there was no pretense when he dealt with the youngster. He joked with him but also gently corrected him to make sure Benny was respecting Elizabeth as well as the work she did and the land they now lived on. Their friendship was one of my favorite things in this book.

While there is some angst in this story due to the nature of how both Brody and Elizabeth were raised, when it comes to the relationship they build the angst is kept quite low. Even when things come to a head with feelings Elizabeth cannot keep in and Brody doesn’t know how to accept, it doesn’t delve into despair and heartbreak. I enjoyed the maturity Brody had gained throughout the book and how he handled his chaotic feelings. It was a refreshing change.

I’ve mentioned before that this author has gotten a bit wordy for my taste and too in the character’s heads. This story was, thankfully, a nice blend of self-reflection and dialogue so I was able to feel the connection Brody and Elizabeth had. The story is still a bit wordy for my taste, but getting better.

**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

These characters are great. The dynamic between them is really deliciously relaxed in a way that makes for a great holiday read. We literally just watch them date and I love it.

The ending is so rushed it's unbelievable.

Came with a short story with Zane and Shayna. That was a fun smutty read with an ending that felt much more organic.

ARC