Firelight At Mustang Ridge
Mustang Ridge, Book #4
By Jesse Hayworth
ISBN# 9780451470812
Author’s Website: http://www.jessehayworth.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Jerjen
Danny Traveler is an extreme sports enthusiast who is trying to recover from an accident. When she is invited to spend time at the Mustang Ridge Dude Ranch, she thinks that may be just what she needs to aid in her recovery. Wide open spaces, beautiful nature and plenty of peace and quiet sound really appealing to her. She needs time to heal and decide what she should do with the rest of her life. Her family wants her to return to the dangerous sports world that they are all involved in. But Danny is suffering from panic attacks and claustrophobia and that is not a good for daredevils.
Sam Babcock lives near Mustang Ridge and is friends with the people that run the ranch. He is a very successful prospector and has made a lot of money finding gemstones and has even turned that into a very lucrative business. But as successful as he is in business, he is equally unsuccessful when it comes to relationships. He cannot allow himself to make a lasting commitment with any woman. After he meets Danny, he wishes things were different because he has never met any woman quite like her. But there is no future for the two of them because of his commitment phobia.
One of the things I like the most about this book is the characters. They seem to be very realistic and people you might know in your own life. They are human and flawed and you cannot help but hope they can heal. Both Danny and Sam have issues from their pasts, insecurities and family issues that must be dealt with. I think the strong and realistic characterization made this book so good. The secondary characters add a lot to the story and the friendships that are formed are fun to read about. I read book three, Harvest at Mustang Ridge, and I enjoyed finding out what happened to the characters that I met in that book.
Another thing I really liked about the book is the relationship between Danny and Sam seems very realistic. I was not reading on every other page about how hot they thought the other was. In a lot of romance books, the author rams that down your throat and I get tired of reading it. After the first few times I read it I get the idea that the characters are turned on. In this book, you could tell there was attraction but it seems so much more honest to me. It felt like their feelings were genuine and the relationship takes a slower more true-to-life pace.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very descriptive and it was easy to picture in my mind the scenery or that action that was happening. Much of the time I felt like I was right there, being a part of it all.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-written contemporary romance. The book is more than a romance, it is the story of second chances, self-healing, friendship and family. This is the second book I have read by Jesse Hayworth and I look forward to reading more of her books.
