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This is the start of a new series Brides of Rough Creek Texas.

Dalton Cardwell came home after spending 18 months in prison for confessing to a crime he didn’t commit, only to find that his parents have sold their farm and they are moving away. But he quickly finds his feet when he gets a job as a horse trainer on the Whitcomb Four Star Ranch. Raney has taken over as manager after her father’s death, and she was not very happy with her mother’s decision to hire an ex-convict. She reluctantly allows him to stay on and prove his worth.

Raney was very skittish about starting a relationship with Dalton. She was hurt before, and had no desire to repeat the experience, but Dalton slowly broke through all her defenses. This is a very slow burn, and it was fun to see Raney and Dalton navigate their feelings for each other. Turns out it was Raney who had the bigger chip on her shoulder, despite the fact that Dalton has a notorious past to overcome.

It was interesting to read about the world of their ranch and the horses and training them. There was a competition at the end that Dalton and their prize horse, Roscoe, were to compete in. But it took a long time before we got to that competition, and in the meanwhile it was mentioned a lot and how important it was to the horse, the trainer, and the ranch.

This was a lovely read, with interesting characters and I liked the writing.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was I hooked by this book? I would say yes, it kept my interest.

Genre: Contemporary Romance