Welcome to the small-town of Parable, Montana where a second chance at love can happen when you least expect it from New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller! Sheriff Boone Taylor has two kids he adores, his job, a run-down but decent ranch, two faithful dogs and a good horse. He doesn’t want romance–the widowed Montanan has loved and lost enough for a lifetime. But when a city woman … city woman buys the spread next door, Boone’s peace and quiet are in serious jeopardy.
With a marriage and a career painfully behind her, Tara Kendall is determined to start over in Parable. Reinventing herself and living a girlhood dream are worth the hard work. Sure, she might need help from her handsome, wary neighbor. But life along Big Sky River is full of surprises…like falling for a cowboy-lawman who just might start to believe in second chances.
Previously published.
Read the entire fan-favorite Parable series:
Book 1: Big Sky Country
Book 2: Big Sky Mountain
Book 3: Big Sky River
Book 4: Big Sky Summer
Book 5: Big Sky Wedding
Book 6: Big Sky Secrets
more
I’ve been a longtime fan of Linda Lael Miller and this story didn’t disappoint. It’s the third in her series based in Parable, Montana, but it stands well on it’s own. Like most series, it would be helpful to have read the prior books for a little back ground of the supporting characters. But there is no overarcing theme to where the reader would be lost if they were making their first visit to Parable with this book.
Big Sky River was a pretty fast read. The story is all about the romance between Tara and Boone. There’s no mystery, suspense or even a third party trying to tear them apart. It’s a straight forward tale of two people having to overcome their own hangups to find love. But that said, I was drawn into the story pretty quickly and read it in one sitting because I just had to get to the happily ever after.
Boone’s a widower and still hasn’t gotten over his wife’s death. In his grief, he sent his two young sons to live with their aunt and uncle. But now a family emergency has those boys coming home. He’s not sure how to deal with the kids, especially since he’s the town sheriff. And then there is Tara, his new neighbor. She’s a big city girl who has moved to Parable after leaving her marriage and career. She’s settling into town, making friends and trying not to notice her neighbor, but things get all turned upside down when her step daughters come to visit.
I wasn’t sure how Ms Miller was going to bring together Boone and Tara. Both characters had issues to overcome as the dealt with their attraction. And neither really wanted to fall in love after past heartbreak. They were both very relateable, which made their story so sweet and in the end satisfying.
I am always happy to recommend a Linda Lael Miller book. Although at times her stories can be cookie-cutter (how many times can you base a series on a couple brothers and their friend who all live in a small town?), I still find them to be good, solid reads and each unique in their own way. Ms Miller always seems to touch my heart-strings, which is why I look forward to whatever is coming next.
My review originally posted at Romancing the Book.
A continuing story about Parable. This is #3 in the tales and the story of Boone, the sheriff, and Tara, the chicken rancher who gathers the eggs but doesn’t kill the chickens… she’s from the city and he’s a resident of the rundown trailer on the next property. They dislike each other from the get go but are undoubtedly attracted. A thoroughly enjoyable book with lots of twists and turns.
Miller does it again!
My heroes have always been cowboys!
Good
Great characters and that includes the main characters and those of the supporting cast. There will be plenty of emotion and activity in this community. I liked how no matter what the people of Parable all came together.
It was fun catching up with people whose story I had read in the other books prior to this one. Opal was another one who just seemed to gather everyone under her wings like chicks. It didn’t matter how old or how young they were either. It was even fun to see her finding a love of her own too.
There are children in this story too. Boone’s two young son’s who have been basically farmed out to his sister and her husband for a few years. Boone fell apart when his wife died after a long illness. And he’s still trying to pull himself out of that pit. He has done enough when it comes to his job but he’s put little or no effort into much of anything else.
Tara, the uptown city girl is now a chicken rancher. That brought some funny moments. She also loves two of her teenage twin girls that she raised as a step-mother for almost all of their life. That came to a screeching halt when she divorces their father James. He is a jerk of the first order, with the title of Doctor before his name or not. Tara has no rights as their former step-mother but they definitely love her and James resents that too. And he isn’t against hurting Tara by cutting off almost all contact between the girls and her. Of course, it wasn’t about caring about the girls, it was all about image.
There are other things going on as well but not in a way that makes it overwhelming to keep up.
Will someone PLEASE do something about that Deputy McQuillan? He just keep landing on his feet. He has a promotion of sorts. Well at least Boone no longer has to have him on his staff. Ah, well maybe the next book.