“I can’t do this without you”Chase Williamson was never meant to be a dad. Like it or not, though, he’s now the sole guardian of five-year-old Lyla and terrified of messing it up. He needs help, but who wants to rescue a high school dropout? Certainly not the gorgeous newcomer in town, even if he is an ex-Marine.Hunter Duke is looking forward to a small-town life to drive away his demons. Maybe … drive away his demons. Maybe meet a nice girl? Adopting a puppy begins to fill the hole in his heart, but it’s an unlikely friendship with Chase and his daughter that really starts to make Hidden Creek feel like home.
When social services threaten to take Lyla away, Hunter knows he’ll do anything to prove that this town is wrong about Chase. Could it be that this is the family he was searching for all along?
Welcome to Hidden Creek, Texas, where the heart knows what it wants, and where true love lives happily ever after. Every Men of Hidden Creek novel can be read on its own, but keep an eye out for familiar faces around town! This book contains a three-legged puppy with attitude, a long-awaited comeuppance, and enough kisses to mend any broken heart.more
I was gifted my copy of this book, that I write a review was not required.
OH!!! Warm and fuzzies, AND too stinking cute! Seriously, not had a book like this for some time and after a run of much heavier, emotionally devastating books, this landed in the queue at the very right time!
Chase gets a call and his life turns upside down and inside out. A visit to the doctor’s introduces Chase to Hunter, and then Hunter’s life is turned upside down and inside out. Spending more time with Chase and his daughter, Lyla, Hunter begins to really question what he wants, or more specifically, WHO. And when Hunter makes his mind up, there really is no stopping him.
Enter a few bigoted individuals in a position of power, and a few more who really surprise you, a three legged dog called Trooper, and you have an amazing little read! Took me couple hours, I lost the whole morning, but I really did love this!
It’s very well written, from both Chase and Hunter’s point of view, so we get all that internal wrangling that Hunter does, because let’s face it, he does have a lot of wrangling to do. Or at least, he DID. But like I said, once he makes his mind up, Hunter is very clear about how he feels for Chase and Lyla and how he wants them both in his life.
This is part of the Men of Hidden Creek series. There were a couple of characters that popped up along the way who have an interesting story to tell and I do hope I get the chance to read them!
Excellent addition to Ms Welch’s library!
5 full and shiny, warm and fuzzies, too stinking cute stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Chase, for all that he tries, seems to have the ire of everyone he meets. Or so he thinks. His upbringing was more than rough and he grew up believing that he was wrong, dirty, less than, unworthy. When his biggest mistake turns into his greatest joy, those awful feelings follow him causing him to maintain a distance from that joy, thus prolongs his suffering. Until tragedy forces him to bring his daughter home with him. Still carrying around that baggage but trying his best Chase worked his way into my heart very quickly. I did think that the downer attitude lasted a little longer than necessary but I couldn’t help yearning for him, for something good to happen to him. And along came Hunter.
Hunter was everything that Chase needed as a partner, a support, and a friend. But only if Hunter could realize what’s right in front of his face. I liked Hunter and his care of Chase. The immediate way he brought Trooper into his life was definitely foreshadowing the way he’d bring Chase home too and I didn’t see anything wrong with that. Sometimes it’s the care and concern that deepens the feelings until you can’t help but open yourself to the romantic ones. Their relationship was slow-growing and even once they were on the same page it continued the same way. But that ending…so many happy feels that also showed just how far Chase had risen in his own eyes, the ones that really mattered. Hunter and Lyla already saw him, loved him, and now Chase could finally see what they saw all along. Just in time for the best backyard barbecue ever.
I liked this book and the entire series but, while all the “Men of Hidden Creek” series were written by different authors, unfortunately they all had the same issues. Mostly they fell flat where the build up to the crises and during the crises. The bedroom scenes where only ok, overly long. Sometime a couple of chapters long. The crises part…zip. I think build up and execution could have been better. Also better use of an editor would have helped.