Linda Lael Miller is the queen of the cowboy genre. Her storytelling is masterful and her characters are complex and engaging. Their relationships are tangled and not always easy. Miller can be counted on for a fine read in both an historical or contemporary setting such as this one.

I have to say that this book took me by surprise and not in a good way. If I didn’t know better I would insist that Linda Lael Miller could not have written this book. Yes, it had a wonderful sense of community and lots of four legged friends with the usual comical characteristics we all love. There are several mysteries that are solved during the book that added suspense but where were the heartfelt scenes between characters that are built when they open their hearts and share their vulnerabilities? I have been a fan of Linda’s writing for 20 plus years and I don’t understand how she could have tossed aside her engaging writing style for this boring and repetitive mess. What a huge disappointment! I read a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley and all opinions expressed in my voluntary review are completely my own.

This had to be the driest Linda Lael Miller story I’ve ever read. I really liked the storyline and the characters separately. Cord was a good guy, Shallie was a sweetheart, and all the guys and gals were great too. But, Cord & Shallie had very little chemistry, and the book read like a laundry list. I had to keep reading to find out how all the pieces fit together with the long lost family members. I’m hoping the next story about Eli will be better.

Great story to start a new series! This is the first in the Painted Pony Creek series. I really enjoyed Cord and Shallie's romance. Highly recommended author and book.

Linda Lael Miller has always been one of my favorite authors. I was very happy to see a new series from her. Unfortunately, this book was boring. It drug and drug. It took me a month to read it because I simply could not get into it. The characters were not interesting nor was the story line. I may or may not read the next two in the series.

This is the first book in a new series about three best friends anticipating news that will change their lives. Cord Hollister is a cowboy that trains horses on his Montana ranch. A young girl arrives in Painted Pony Creek with a shocking secret that will change the lives of Cord and his two best friends.

Shallie Fletcher has had a heartbroken life and is trying to reinvent herself and leave the past behind. An opportunity arises where she can partner with a therapeutic riding programs for kids. She gets the chance to seek out Cord for riding lessons. She gets a second chance at pursuing some unrequited feelings she felt for Cord back when they were teenagers. Will this second chance be what they were both hoping for?

I have read many books by Linda Lael Miller in the past and have thoroughly enjoyed them. I was really excited to see this new one and jumped at the chance to read the ARC.
Unfortunately, I just could not connect with any of these characters and found the writing to be choppy. I found it hard to read and get into.
I did finish the book only because I wanted to find out which one of the 3 men was the father. Which, to be honest, was so obvious from the beginning it was a bit of a let down
I hope others will enjoy it but it just didn't work for me. .

Welcome to Painted Pony Creek where some very interesting characters live. Start with the one who shows up looking to find her three dads. Then there are the dads. Add another blast from the past and you have quite a mix. There was a lot of action in this first book of the series. At times the book seemed a little slow and I would thing everything was solved but then another problem would find its solution. All in all good start to a new series with 2 of the dads left to find an HEA.

I was thrilled when I seen this book on NetGalley for review as I hadn't read a LLM book for many years. This was such a difficult read for me. I was so deeply disappointed in it. For me there was really no point to this story. It was very discombobulated and choppy in it's carry through of situations. Like the characters would be doing something and then it would just veer off onto something else without really finishing what had been going on in the first place. Way too many side characters and it just dragged on and on. It actually took me five days to read this and if I wasn't reviewing it and wanted to give it fair chance I wouldn't have finished it.

Honestly this book read like a debut novel by someone who really doesn't understand how a book should flow and how to draw in their readers. I'm actually shocked that the publisher is willing to put this out there in the book world. I am not saying any of this to be cruel and mean but just to inform possible readers of what you'll get for your money. I really try to put a positive spin on my reviews of books I don't love but in all honesty this one had no redeeming qualities.

**Received ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed**

Cord, Eli and J.P have been best friends since they were children except for that short period of time as teenagers when unknown to each other they were all dating the same girl, Reba. When the truth was revealed Reba left town and after some hard feelings they mended their relationship. Years later Carly, a teenager, shows up in town and claims that Reba is her mother and that one of them is her father.

Shallie was friends with the three men when she was in high school but her feelings for Cord ran deeper which was further complicated by the fact that Reba was her best friend. Her mother disappeared when she was two years old and she was raised by her aunt and uncle so when her relationship with Colt didn’t materialize she left town at her first opportunity.

Almost two decades later she is back to town to learn horsing skills from Colt. This time around both Colt and Shallie have feelings for each other, but they have both been burnt by love in the past. Will this be a case of history repeating itself or is it finally their time?

There were a lot of moving parts in this story maybe too many at times. I was drawn to the characters and am looking forward to Eli and J.P.’s stories.

For anyone who follows my book reviews, you already know that I tend to start at or near the end of a series, so I was eager to get in at the beginning of a new series, Painted Pony Creek, by a talented author I've been reading for years, Linda Lael Miller, and I wish I could say I was absolutely thrilled with this novel, but since it took me what seemed like forever to get through this book, the best I can do is give it 2.5 stars. It was sort of okay but left a lot to be desired, in my opinion.

I liked the plot and the series summary, 3 male friends each of whom might just be the father of a teenage girl, who shows up in Painted Pony Creek, Montana one nigh, tin the middle of a rainstorm, breaking in on their poker game. She looks strikingly like Reba, a popular girl who showed up in town during their senior year in high school, and who, unbeknownst to them, had sex with all 3 of the men, Cord Hollister, Eli Garrett, and J.P. McCall, and then a short time later, Reba was suddenly gone. Eventually, the bedraggled young girl gives the men her real name, Charlotte (Carly). She tells them that her mother, Reba, is now deceased, and Carly wants answers. Although Reba wasn't in town very long, she found a best friend in shy, quiet, unobtrusive Shallie, who grew up with these 3 men, and who was aware of what Reba was doing that long ago summer, but never told them that Reba was playing them, nor did she ever know why

Shallie's aunt and uncle owned a motel in Painted Pony Creek, and her mother left her alone in a room there when Shallie was just 2 years old. She was never told the reason why, and never heard another word from the mother who abandoned her. Her aunt and uncle were heavy drinkers, were not good stand-ins for a loving mother, and they are now deceased, leaving the motel to their son, Russ, also a heavy drinker.

Fast forward 18 years and Shallie, a divorcee, now lives and works in Seattle. In addition to her job, she is now also involved with an equine therapy program run by a friend, and when she learns that Cord Hollister has earned quite a reputation training and rehabilitating abused horses as therapy animals, she decides to return to Painted Pony Creek and take the classes in horse training he offers. She hardly surprised when Cord doesn't recognize her, but she sure remembers him. Cord Hollister was also abandoned by his mother, who left her abusive husband, leaving Cord to be raised by him, and to wonder whether or not his abusive dad in fact killed her. Cord also divorced his cheating wife 3 years earlier, and hasn't dated since, but although he doesn't recognize Shallie at first, he is certainly attracted to her, but from the outset, these two main characters are tentative at best, and although they eventually start a relationship, there wasn't really enough character development for this reader, and so their slow-moving romance felt forced, flat and utterly without any chemistry between them.

Ms. Miller gives you a lot of backstory early on in this novel, and then adds so many other characters, everyone from Cord's two best friends, to the gal who runs the local diner, to the man and his wife who've worked at Hollister Ranch for years, the town librarian, Shallie's best friend in Seattle, Emma, Eli's ne'er-do-well son, Eric, the guys who are in the local band, The GateCrashers, to the many volunteers Carly enlists to help care for the pets of the elderly and ailing in town, and on, and on and on, to the point where you feel you need a scorecard to keep them all straight.

The only character in this novel who was fully developed was Carly, who desperately wants to find out which of these three men is her biological father. Although Cord takes her in, Shallie is already occupying his guest suite as a paying client, and so Carly moves in with Tina and Mitch, Cord's elderly cook and her ranch hand husband, who live in a double-wide trailer on the ranch. When Tina is doing Carly's laundry she finds thousands of dollars in Carly's knapsack, but doesn't pry further, she just mentions it to Cord, who also never asks her about it. It turns out that Carly has been writing a popular blog on-line, about her search for her 3 possible dads, something else she's hiding. She responds well to the care she's shown by all concerned, but why on earth Ms. Miller dragged out getting the simple DNA tests to prove who actually fathered Carly for more than 90% of this novel both frustrated and mystified this reader.

While all the mysteries in this novel are solved and there is the expected HEA ending, everyone and everything in this novel lacked depth and emotion. Rather than coming to like, dislike, sympathize with or care about any of the characters in this plodding novel, they all just seemed two-dimensional and lackluster to this reader. I know from having read her novels for years that Ms. Miller is a far better writer than she exhibited in this novel, and I hope the sequels, J.P. and Eli's stories will be more interesting, less crowded with extraneous characters, and more emotionally moving than this novel.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

A good start to a new series by Linda Lael Miller. The focus is on Carly who arrived in town to find out which of 3 men are her father. Her mother Reba slept with all of them and wasn't sure who was the father.

Now Reba's best friend Shallie is also back in town to determine if her feelings from HS for Cord can be revived. A good story of life, redemption, and family.

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.

It's been a while since I've had a new Linda Lael Miller to read. She's one of my favorite authors that I always say is a comfort read for me. I usually read her contemporaries over her historical's but I'm sure historical readers would enjoy them.

I was so happy to see her having a new series out. I couldn't wait to read it. This being a new series we have all new characters to fall in love with.

We are introduced to three childhood friends that will each have a story. Cord, Eli, and J.P. Up first is Cord's story.

I will admit it was a little slow going in the beginning. I always expect bumps for the first book in the series. They have to do the setup and get you to know what the series is about and who the players are. Plus it's been a while since Miller's last book so maybe she needed to find her rhythm.

This happened in about the middle of the book, maybe a little less than that. Once I started to find the Miller I loved the book moved for me. I became engaged with the characters and wanted to know more.

Part of me felt that Cord and Shallie fell into a relationship a little too quickly, and another part of me felt it was always meant to be. I love a story that makes me think about it after I'm done reading it and this is one of those for me.

Even though I wasn't sure about how quickly that got together I really liked them as a couple. They felt like one. I'm so glad they both found their happy ever after.

I wasn't sure what I thought of Carly the girl that claimed that one of the guys was her father. At first, she seemed off but you soon learn it's because she's a scared kid that isn't sure of her place. I was happy that we got to find out who the father was before the end of the book. I'm not sure what I would have thought if it went through all the books.

As a whole, I enjoyed the story and the people of Painted Pony Creek. I can't wait to visit again!

Unless you are happily married to your high school sweetheart, chances are there is someone in your past who "got away". Maybe the timing wasn't right. Probably you weren't right for each other (otherwise you'd still be together), But, when you look back, you still smile, and wonder "what if", and, for most of us, sensibly keep that as part of your PAST, not Facebook stalking or dwelling on that relationship rather than today's relationship.

Cord and Shallie were an item in high school, until Cord fell for Shallie's friend Reba. Shallie left town with a broken heart, leaving behind a dysfunctional family and a man she thought she loved. She decides to head back to town at about the same time Reba's orphaned teenaged daughter shows up, looking for her father. Of course Carly has her own secrets but the overall theme of the book is the search for family. Shallie wonders what happened to her mom that caused her to be abandoned to the care of relatives. Cord wants to know why his mother has never been a part of his life and, as noted above, Carly wants to know her father.

Honestly, the whole resolution (this is a Linda Lael Miller romance, of course the problems are resolved) was just a little too tidy but I liked Shallie, Cord and Carly as well as their friends and family and I look forward to returning to town to see who Cord's friends end up with.

Thanks to the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley. Grade: B

I have been looking forward to starting a new series by LLM. She has been a wonderful author for many years. She does a very good job in this first book of a trilogy setting up the characters and their world. I understand what other reviewers have said and that it might be slower moving than some of her past books but each book has it's own rhythm. Also, I sometimes feel that when there is a trilogy, the first book is not as good because of the setup that the author does getting ready with the overarching story lines and building characters. In this series it will be about who the father is of a girl who comes to town. The girl looks like a woman that three friends had an affair with. I think each of the three books in the trilogy will be a story about each of the potential fathers. The first story is about a woman coming back (not the girl) seeking help from an old crush. She needs him to help her learn to train horses. I did enjoy the book and look forward to finding out who among the three friends is the father.

Shallie Fletcher had a crush on Cord Hollister years ago in high school but he only had eyes for her best friend Reba. Reba had her eyes not only on Cord but on his two best friends Eli and JP as well. When it all came to light she skipped town. Now years later Shallie is back in town at Cord's ranch to learn about training horses. Cord gets a surprise when someone who looks just like Reba but much younger shows up in town too. I have not read a Linda Lael Miller book in a long time. I was excited to try this new series out. Unfortunately it didn't work well for me. This story just did not hold my interest. It felt like someone was just relaying a story to me. There was no connection to the characters. I admit i skimmed a lot of unnecessary dialogue. There were several conflicts that come up in this book and everyone is handles as if it's no big deal so really no conflict at all. I finished the book but only to find out who Carly's dad was. . This is more than likely my last new Linda Lael Miller book.



Find out more about this series and Linda Lael Miller here www.lindalaelmiller.com

Thank you #netgalley and #HARLEQUIN - Romance (U.S. & Canada) for the eARC.

It's been a long while since I read from this author. Got excited to read this book from the blurb. But unfortunetly from the first chapter it was a struggle to read it.

A good premise when a girl, who look so much like the girl that once torn this three men friendship, come in the middle of the rain and claimed one of them is her father.

But then the monologue. It's so long and boring and dragging my feet to skip pages and it's only 20% in the reading!

And the the dialogue. Omg it falls flat and no chemistry between each characters.

I was excited to get this book as I've always enjoyed books by this author in the past. Unfortunately, this one was difficult to read. I hate to write negative reviews, and find it difficult to critique a writer, as I am not one. However, as I promised to give an honest review in exchange for the eARC ... I found the dialogue between the characters to be poorly written, as if written by an amatuer. The writing was choppy and made it difficult to connect with the characters - most specifically Cord and Shallie. The whole relationship felt forced - whether it was the writing or poor character development. This was not a novella but was written as if it was one as quickly as the relationship between the two developed.

I finished the book because I did want to know how Carly's story ended. If not for that, I probably would not have continued past the first couple of chapters.

Thank you #netgalley and #HARLEQUIN - Romance (U.S. & Canada) for the eARC.

I am a big fan of Linda Lael Miller's books but unfortunately I just couldn't get into this one. I liked the premise when I read the blurb but as I was reading it I felt very disconnected from the story. The idea of a girl showing up in town one day trying to find out which of the three boys her mother slept with years ago is her father was a good one. But beyond that I didn't connect with the characters and didn't really care about the outcome. A miss for me.