I really enjoyed reading this book. I have been reading Diana Palmer books since the 80's and I have always liked them. I really liked this book because it had a lot of characters in it I have read for a long time and it is nice to catch up with some of the Long Tall Texan characters! This is the 46th book in this series.

John Ruiz is a Texas Ranger who lost his wife and is left to raise their son by himself. Tonio Ruiz is his son, a young boy who has had a hard time dealing with his Mother's death, because everything was so good for him and his Dad when she was with them, however now his life has been a series of problems at home and at school as well. His father is never there for him, he is always working and he is called whenever there is an emergency as he is not married. The only time they are together is once in a while at the dinner table, and usually they wind up fighting. Tonio, left to his own devices almost got involved in a gang, and his father does not know his best friend is a gang member.

Sunny Marlowe is a wonderful nurse, and everyone loves her. She is completely alone and at 23 has only gone on one date. Most people do not realize that she is always feeling sad, missing her mother and brother who were murdered right in front of her when they moved into a new apartment. She never walks alone at night to her apartment because she does not want to be targeted by any gang members. The people who moved out of her apartment were having trouble with the local gang and were targeted to be killed. The gang members who were told to do the job did not even know the targets had moved. Sunny works hard t be the best nurse to make her feel good about helping others when she could not even help her mom or brother.

Sunny goes into the cafeteria when she goes to work and she befriends Tonio Ruiz, he is a wonderful boy, who has had to go to school and then be driven home every day by his aunt, as his father John is always working. Sunny is unaware that the Texas Ranger that comes in quite often to check on the criminals brought to the hospital, or the victims is Tonio's Dad.

John and Sunny get into it over a patient, and he does not even realize how much she is protecting his son, until a man he hires tells him of Sunny helping him out when a gang member starts harassing him.

Sunny and John start going out as friends and somehow this casual dating leads to so much more and for once in both their lives they start feeling better and talk about how their pasts have been affecting their everyday life. Is there hope for them in the future? Then there is the problem that Sunny knows his son and talks about Tonio all the time, but she doesn't realize Tonio and John are father and son.

There is a great plot, a lot of emotional angst and a great story that only Diana knows how to write and she brings the plot to a point that had me dying to know how everything was going to turn out. I loved how it ended and I know anyone who reads her series, will love the conclusion as well! If you are new to this author you will love the great way she describes all of her characters, and the dialog is great as well!

I gave this book 5 Stars and can't wait for her next book. I have all of her books and we are talking over 150 books! This author has always been one of my top 5 authors! I would like to thank NetGalley for a chance to read and review this book!

I have loved Diana Palmer for years and she does romance really great. But lately she has been getting into more dramatic books about mobsters and drugs and books center around the bad guys than around the romance and that was my issue with this story.

John is on the hunt for drug dealers and that is what this story centers around drugs and gangs, more gangs as his son has gotten involved with them. Sunny is a nurse and knows John but also meets his son and they become friends. So they both get surprised when they discover the connection.

The writing is very good, a little dryer than I like but its more centered on gangs, drugs and so it was not what I like.

In recent years I have moved away from Diana Palmer books. Until 2 years ago they were my go to and I had read pretty much everything she had released. Reading this book - I cant remember why I stopped reading her. Her books always bring out a range of emotions in me and I often find myself crying part way through and happy again by the end. I look forward to reading the books I have missed in the last 2 years and she will definitely be my go to author when I want a good cry.

Diana Palmer has done it again! Unbridled is a wonderful, amazing, sweet loves story. Sunny and John have been through much heartache, but they have survived it and tried to go on with their lives, they are both lonely and in need of much love, which they find in each other, the hit a rough patch, but with the help of a brave young boy they find their way back to each other. I loved this story and I couldn't not put it down till the very end! The characters were amazing and you can't help, but to cheer for them. I also loved their friends and I hope to read their stories soon!!