This is what I'd like to call a comfortable read. It's easy, there isn't too much to get worked up over and it makes you feel good at the end. Mel and Aaron have been having a no-strings-attached relationship. They've even set up how they'll meet and where when they want to get together, because neither can afford for it to get out. But then Mel gets pregnant, throwing their well thought out plans out the window and forcing them to exercise their personal problems faster than they thought they would.

My favorite parts of the novel are when Mel is taking care of the foal. There are so many subplots to this novel that for me this was the only one that stood out, as it was also the only one that seemed to be worked out in its entirety. I'm not sure if this is actually supposed to be part of a series, where her half-sister gets explained more clearly and where her sister's issues are resolved, but there seemed to be so many loose ends.

This being said, I love the easy writing style and how Mel's work plays a large role in the story, even though it isn't necessary for the plot. I'm glad it was in there.

Reviewed by Jen

Review: I’ve been in a western romance kick lately. When I saw that Cathy McDavid was looking for review crew members, I decided that it was a good fit considering my reading habits of late. I got this book about 6 months ago, read it and then totally forgot to review it. I failed in my review crew assignment, but now I’m catching up. After a quick re-read of the book, I’m finally ready to put my thoughts online.

If you’ve ever read my reviews in the past, you’ll know that I’m not a huge fan of the surprise pregnancy / baby story line. As it says in the blurb, “will she think he wants to marry her only because of the baby?” It’s a really hard hurdle to jump and make it believable. So, I went into reading this book with some wariness… is Ms McDavid going to be able to pull it off.

As the blurb tells the reader, Aaron and Melody have been having a no-strings affair. Melody comes from a local family and is the town’s veterinarian. Aaron recently moved to town with his daughter and his late wife’s mother. The two have been seeing each other on the sly, but they’re both starting to have feelings that the other isn’t aware of. Throw in a surprise pregnancy as well as family issues on both sides and it’s obvious they’re going to have a bumpy ride to their happily ever after.

I liked Aaron and Melody, but I certainly didn’t like a lot of their choices. Neither of them wanted to confess feelings and both of them were letting family issues and the past get in the way. While I can’t relate to losing a spouse and what it takes to get past it, I didn’t particularly like how Aaron’s mother-in-law manipulated him and he pretty much let her. I suppose that probably happens, but here it just made me feel that the “hero” of the story wasn’t that alpha male I tend to expect in a romance. That said, I liked Aaron, just questioned some of his choices.

When it came to Melody, I felt that she was a bit of a jerk to a new family member. But I totally understand wanting to keep this person and Aaron at arm’s length, wanting to protect herself from disappointment and heart ache. But just as I said earlier, it was a real reaction… and pretty much if she’s done anything else, I would have been whining that this wasn’t realistic.

Throw in a horse thief mystery as a secondary plot line and I found myself turning the pages wanting to see how everything was going to resolve. If you enjoy westerns and especially if you like the surprise baby trope, this may be the book for you.

Mel and Aaron had a set arrangement. That was until she ended up pregnant and the fact that there seems to be a person stealing local horses. Mel and Aaron have a lot to work through along with family complications but together they'll see if they can set things right.

Overall this was a pretty good book with a interesting set of characters. I enjoyed seeing how different each family dealt with different situations coming their way and how everything was handles. I loved the connection between Aaron and Mel. I really enjoyed this book, it was a pretty quick read for me.

4 1/2 STARS!

Friends to lover to ... parents!

Deputy Aaron Travers has been enjoying a secret, no-string affair with Mel for 8 months now. He enjoys her company, but lately he's been feeling like he wants more. Widowed and raising his young daughter, he thought casual was all that he could handle, but he can't deny he feels a lot for Mel.

Veterinarian Melanie Hartman has been falling for Aaron too, but can't figure out whether to be honest about it or not ... and before she can get around to talking about it, she has something more earth shattering to discuss with him. They're pregnant!

Aaron immediately offers to step up and be there for Mel and their baby, but will she be able to accept less than everything from him?

This is a different kind of romance story, more realistic and modern type, with a secret affair and a baby on the way. There's also added family drama on both sides and horse thefts to be solved, giving definitely enough trouble and apprehension to built a great plot around.
Both of the main characters had depth and maturity, they were likable and easy to relate to. I saw and understood the thought process both of them had with their decisions. Of course, with all their smarts and talents, communication with each other wasn't one, giving frustrated moments while reading the tale.
Aaron Travers was a grieving widow, and a father of a little girl, whose former mother in law lived in his household. Aaron is a straightforward character, you get what you see: a smart, caring, confident, hard-working, loyal, family man with traditional values. He is protective of those he love, he stands up to his responsibility and wants to do the right thing if it is a possibility. Who wouldn't love a man like that?!
Melody Hartman is the town vet. She lost her mother at the young age, but her father stepped up and did his best to his girls. To find out they had a sister no one knew about was a shock, and suddenly Melody's life was mirroring too much of her father's past. Melody is a stubborn, caring, tough woman who can hold her own, yet she has a sensitive and romantic side she is now discovering herself at the age of 30.
The connection between Melody (Mel) and Aaron was obvious, the chemistry tangible, impossible not to notice if around them. And this story was a good step from the norm, as they already knew each other, they already had a relationship of a sort, now everything was just about to change drastically and abundantly.
The story has a lot of scenes and events from the town and happenings around the characters. the supporting cast is large in numbers, and they were helpful to move the plot forward and added a great deal to events of the novel. Overall this was an entertaining tale, a realistic look at a love story at the most anxious time in the relationship when everything is twisting and turning and changing at the same time, when it is a risk to open up your heart as you don't know where you stand with the other, and getting hurt is the option you really don't want to live with.
~ Four Spoons

This had all the cutesy fluff you'd expect from a Harlequin Western romance with a hot sheriff and a cutesy plot moppet on the cover... but there was a great deal more besides to like about this story.

There's a lot going on in this book; complicated family relationships abound. Aaron, the deputy sheriff of the title, lost his first wife to an agonising cancer battle and now lives with his mother-in-law and his Adorable Plot Moppet daughter. He loved his wife deeply, and I really enjoy that the story doesn't seek to minimise that; Aaron is determined to make sure that his daughter knows all about her mother and how much she loved her. Nancy, the mother-in-law, isn't ready to deal with Aaron maybe moving on and finding someone else, and that too is dealt with sensitively, Aaron not wanting to hurt Nancy's feelings.

Mel and Aaron have been hooking up in secret for a while, neither of them in the market for a serious relationship. Mel accidentally getting pregnant makes everything get serious in a hurry, though, and both parties have to deal with some uncomfortable truths, Aaron in his own household and Mel when she discovers an unexpected new family member of her own and has to face up to some difficult truths. The parallels between Mel's current situation and that of the unknown half-sister she suddenly has to deal with aren't lost on anyone and form a great plot device to help drive the story to a satisfying conclusion.

I really enjoyed this book and I'd highly recommend to anyone who has a yen for a sexy sheriff with a sensitive side!