An enriching story of family ties, broken hearts, and second chances from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst.

When Ethan Bishop returns to the Hudson Valley, his body and spirit are a little worse for wear. As a former Special Forces paratrooper, he saw his fair share of conflict, and he came home with wounds, inside and out. At his sisters’ B & B and farm, he can keep all his pain at a safe distance. But quiet time isn’t easy when a fiery woman explodes into his life…

It’s business—not pleasure—that brings Manhattan PR agent Mia Thrush reluctantly to the farm. Tightly wound and quick tempered, Mia clashes immediately with the brooding Ethan. Everything about him is irritating—from his lean muscles and piercing blue eyes to his scent of sweat and musk.

But as the summer unfolds and temperatures rise, Ethan and Mia discover how much they have in common: their guarded histories, an uncontrollable desire, and a passion for the future that could heal two broken hearts. But will their pasts threaten their fragile chance at a brand-new future?

Truth be told, I started reading Probst back when she wrote the Marriage to a Billionaire series (start with book 1 – The Marriage Bargain). After reading a couple of the books and getting heavily into blogging, my schedule booked up quick and it was just hard to keep up with all of my favorite authors.

This is my first book by Probst to read in a couple of years and while her writing is still on point, I didn’t completely love the story. Though it did end up winning me over in the end.

This is an enemies to lovers type story with a PR city girl with a no-eating-food obsession and our ex-military guy-suffering-from-PTSD country boy. I loved their love/hate relationship from the get-go though when it eventually got to the love aspect, I didn’t completely buy it. Somehow it felt a bit forced to me though I loved their bantering back and forth and how Mia kept Ethan on his toes.

Speaking of Mia, it was hard for me to love her from the beginning because she was soooo stuck up though I loved watching her soften up and getting used to country life and eating… YES experiencing her eat and get past her food issues was wonderful.

I loved Ethan… I felt bad for the guilt he felt and just wanted to hug him. I loved his horse whisperer type strength and his ability to bring Mia down to the real world… meaning to experience life, to eat, to enjoy a true family experience.

I love Probst’s writing and will continue to read this series to see where it will go only because I want to see the sisters find their happily ever afters too. This just wasn’t my favorite by this author though the writing was excellent.

“You think you’re hot with your beard and your sexy body and your fake cowboy drawl, but you’re just mean!”
“Let me ask you this, princess. Have you ever gotten real before?”
She bared her teeth and gave a throaty growl. “I can get real anytime, any place, horse man. I’m not afraid to answer any question with the truth.”
“Any question?”
“Yes, any question,” she snarled back.
He leaned in and gave a slow, mocking smile. Blue eyes simmered with triumph. “You really think I’m sexy, huh?”

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