To say that Fiona Harper hated Montana was an understatement. The state, the town of Big Timber, and more specifically the Lazy D Dude Ranch induced terror, panic and fury. Only a deep and powerful bond of love for her sister, Brianna Rose, could bring Fiona back to Montana. Knowing that Briana needs her, Fiona agrees to return to the Lazy D Ranch in Montana, in spite of her desperate terror that … that her sanity and life hang in the balance.
Austin Green wanted the simple things in life… a quiet life with his horses and a family with the woman he loved. When his fiancée, Cassie, is killed in an accident on Christmas Eve, Austin’s life takes a sharp detour into a special misery where his anger rules him… consumes him. Five months after losing Cassie, Austin’s twin, Adam, finally pushes Austin too far. Fueled by his fury at Cassie, at Adam and at life in general, Austin decides to simply leave it all behind and taking a job as the head wrangler at a dude ranch in Montana seems to be the perfect place to learn to live with his loss and anger.
When Fiona arrives at the Lazy D Dude Ranch, she discovers that not only does she have a roommate, but he’s got his own demons that haunt him. During the day, Fiona and Austin tolerate each other, but at night, when Fiona’s nightmares overwhelm her, Austin becomes the only light in her dark existence. Slowly, their relationship becomes a friendship laced with a passion that Austin craves and Fiona doesn’t understand. But as the summer season nears its end, Fiona’s nightmares crash in on her and Austin can’t reach her. Can Austin and Fiona find their way back to each other before they give up?
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A friend I met through a fb book group recommended this author to me and I am so glad she did. The author is originally from my home state of Montana. This book is based mainly in Montana and I loved that. Reading the towns she mentioned was awesome because I know the area very well. One of the towns Big Timer when it was mentioned I had a memory rush through my mind, its not a town I like to stop in when driving from my town to Billings but next time I might just stop.
Fi and Austin are both great characters both end up at the dude ranch all though for very different reasons. Fi is there to help her sister not that she wants to as the place is full of horrible memories for her, some good ones but the bad out weighs the good. She is not there out of choice as she would rather be anywhere else but she feels she owes her sister big time. Austin took a job on the dude ranch and is hoping to work off his anger after his life fell apart and his brother told him he needed to leave and get a grip on his life.
This story will make you feel so many emotions ranging from Anger to Fear, sadness to happiness. A few of the things I absolutely loved was that photography was in the story line, Montana has some beautiful scenery and I loved that it was described in great detail I could totally view it as if I was sitting there actually looking at it myself.
I do need the next story in this series as I want to see what happens next with these two characters and I want more of the other characters as well. This is this first time I have read this author but I guarantee it won’t be the last.
I love the cover!
Some books give you a feeling that you are home. S.H. Pratt’s This Crazy Love is just that book for me. Set in Montana, I felt a sense of familiarity with the areas S.H. used as the setting for her story. I fashion myself a Wyotana girl since I grew up in both Wyoming and Montana. I could smell the trees and see the land every time I closed my eyes.
And then there was the characters and the story – journey they embark on to find healing after both have been through so much pain. My heart ached for Fiona and Austin, but it grew as they grew as well. I had a difficult time putting this book down and I look forward to reading more.
Real life comes often with scars and complications.
Many of us face life experiences that seem impossabile to overcome. We run, hide build walls, and yet still suffer. The possibility some can truely have love beyond them is miraculous.