This is the third book in a series set in Alaska. It has all the heart of a small town romance set against the beauty of Alaska. Zane is a loner who is more at home in the wilderness but feels honor bound to help his friends sister Morgan. Morgan is the town police officer and doesn’t feel she needs help watching out for herself. The romance is heartfelt and it’s a journey to see how Zane and Morgan let each other into their hearts. Often you need to face your past demons in order to move forward. To truly find love you must have the courage to fight for that love. Zane and Morgan fight for their love and it’s an entertaining heartwarming story.

Throughout the series we've been hearing about Zeke but not much is known about him until he shows up in Deep River. He's definitely the proverbial mountain man, living off the grid with a crusty exterior. Here in Deep River to fulfill a promise before disappearing forever into the wilderness readers along with the town are going to fall in love with the deeply tender and sensitive man Zeke really is. 
Morgan West has a lot of pressure as the sole surviving West in the town of Deep River. She has spent her entire life holding on to her biological family only to lose them one at a time. Now she fulfills her duty as a police officer and a West keeping the peace and ensuring the well being of the people in the town.
When Zeke Calhoun shows up at her door determined to fix up her house to fulfill his promise to her dead brother she sees him as a deeply wounded bear with his paw caught in a trap. He in turn finds himself trying to heal Morgan's heart.  His tender gesture in finding an old iron bathtub, placing it in Morgan's favorite spot, setting up a hot luxurious bath with candles, bon bons and champagne will get all the red blooded women oohing and aahing. 
What a tender, sweet man. Of course Zeke has secrets of his own and can't wait to disappear into the Alaskan wilderness. Can Morgan who's lost everyone who's ever mattered to her hold on to him? This is a sweet tender romance and a wonderful ending to the trilogy.

Well the finale to the Alaska Homecoming series is here and it does not disappoint! We met Morgan in the first book. She is Deep River's police officer and the loss of her brother has changed the trajectory of not only her life but so many others. Zeke was one of his best friends and in a letter left to him by Morgan's brother, he is asked to help her out. Zeke and Morgan are both complex characters and not only are they trying to come to terms with their mutual loss of Caleb but they're trying to come to terms with their mutual attraction. I loved their story! It was emotionally charged and just all around a great wrap up to the trilogy. Even though each story stood on its own, I highly recommend reading them in order to get the most out of this wonderful series. Jackie Ashenden did an excellent job of taking me away to small town Alaska and all of its quirky characters. That Deep River Feeling was told from dual POV and should not be missed!

This was the first book I've read in the series, so I'm going backwards. I loved the characters and the storyline. If she were to continue the series - I'd read it. There were some things I didn't like but it didn't take away from the story. Overall, it was a good book.

That Deep River Feeling is a wonderful third addition to the Alaska Homecoming trilogy by Jackie Ashenden. This has been my favorite series written by her. I wasn’t sure what kind of secret Zeke had but I found it to be quite a surprise. There was a lot written about his lack of social skills but really that didn’t make him defective. I found him just as refreshing as Morgan did. It was not a surprise to see that they both had family struggles that had affect both emotionally adversely.

The underlying theme of the town’s future was the perfect backdrop for this couple. Alaska is the place to go to be yourself, find your own kind of different and to find a place to belong. I was proud of the town’s choice for the future, as well as Zeke and Morgan finding each other. Not every action or person needs to be labeled but does need to be accepted. So while it was great to see Zeke’s friends and co-owners of Deep River again, this was my favorite of the three books. Loved the ending, under the fall night sky and loved what Zeke decided to do with his share. Loved this couple too. Perfect together.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Back to Alaska.

Jackie Ashenden has created a nice little world for her in Alaska (except, you can't just sleep outside on the ground anywhere or ride a bike without being properly prepared for wildlife and the weather). Zeke is one of the three military guys who inherit the town and he's there to look out for Morgan after her brother Caleb's death. Morgan can look out for herself, as she;'is the equivalent to a state trooper. Morgan is small but mighty. Zeke is large and a bit on the spectrum. I liked the friction between the two. They are opposites but in some ways very much alike.

4.5

I really enjoyed this super sweet, romantic, and sometimes very steamy book about two seemingly loners finding solace together. Morgan West was the last West still living in the town of Deep River. She is kind of a badass, serving as the town’s VPSO (the equivalent of the police). You can tell she has a huge heart and takes care of everyone in the town and really doesn’t need anyone ever. Enter Zeke Montgomery, her brother’s best friend… He’s honoring her brother’s memory by taking care of her whether she wants him to or not.

Their story starts with some fun antagonistic banter that turns into a reluctant friendship and then heats up into a smoldering fire. Much of the story centers around the town and it’s future since apparently it is privately owned and there is oil and there is a whole to do about well what to do. Zeke has to step out of his comfort zone and Morgan has to put herself out there.

I have truly enjoyed this three book series and to me this was the perfect ending. Now if Ms Asheden wants to continue writing about this small Alaskan town, I am all for it. However, having read all three books, this one to me was the most satisfying. Zeke Montgomery is one of the three owners of Deep River, after their buddy, Caleb, who’s family had owned the area for years, died and left it to his three best friends from the military. Each of the three come to Deep River and find their HEA. Zeke, though, truly interested me as he seemed to me to be on the autism scale in some ways, but mature enough to be aware of all he could and could not do. Morgan is Caleb’s sister and Zeke had received a note after Caleb’s death to look after his sister. These two made for an interesting romance, but because of their personalities, I really enjoyed the entire series and in particular this story.

Zeke Calhoun made a promise to his old army buddy to take care of his sister, Morgan. That's how Zeke finds himself in Deep River, Alaska. Morgan West takes her position as a police office seriously She sees the the people of the town as hers to personally protect. She isn't at all sure how to feel about the big, burly bear of a man who just showed up at her door.

Zeke stopped believing in himself a long time ago. Once he has fulfilled his promise he intends to return to his solitary life and the wilderness that gives him peace. When his past unexpectedly shows up in Deep River it's Morgan who stands behind him, offers him her support - and her lover if he'll let her.

Zeke first comes across as your basic cocky alpha male. We find he hides vulnerabilities and insecurities behind his gruff, sarcastic attitude. Morgan is the perfect match for Zeke. She has the patience and persistence to break through his barriers and help him start believing in himself again, Despite his loner ways, though, he wants to be the one taking care of Morgan. The romance here never feels forced or phony. The emotions are sweet and understated and I felt them throughout the story. I read the first of the Deep River stories some time ago. After reading Zeke and Morgan's story I think I'll go back the beginning and catch up on what I've missed.

This was the first book I've read in this series and by this author. It is a standalone, but I plan on going back to read the rest of the books in the series. I can't wait to experience the rest of this great town and the rest of the characters. I completely fell in love with this quirky, little town and those wonderful characters. I loved how the hero, Zeke, is a little bit broken. The author did a fantastic job of making him unique, gruff and without a filter. He's extremely memorable and definitely my favorite.. I enjoyed reading Zeke and Morgan's journey. The writing was solid, the conflict on point. I wanted to keep reading this book from the first page until the last. This was a great story. I highly recommend it. Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this story.

Zeke has a secret about the oil that his friends are trying to protect their new town from. He goes away into the wilderness for weeks/months to be okay, so his friends are not too worried about him. He finally shows up and comes right to Morgan as his best friend ask him to look out for his little sister, but she has changed and now not little or helpful - she is the law. I loved this one.
Its another super cute HEA and Zeke has some super cute moments that make you just love him. I really enjoyed this series!

4 stars
3.5 steam

That Deep River Feeling by Jackie Ashendon
3rd book in the the Alaskan Homecoming series. Contemporary romance. Can be read as a stand-alone but better as part of the series since the first two couples are part of the town and background stories.

Morgan is the town police officer. She takes care of the people and the town problems. And the people look after her in return.
Zeke is at home in the wilderness. It’s the only place he felt like he belonged. Being in Deep River to look after Morgan is temporary. Owning a piece of the town is something he needs to figure out.

The heroine is intuitive and nurturing. And alone.
The hero is alone but skittish and trained to run. There were several times I was mad at his decisions but Phil, the self proclaimed hermit, gave him some really good advice.
“You have to accept yourself before you can accept anyone else.”

Because trust was hard. Because people lied.
Love wasn’t a lie. Love was powerful.

“someone told me tonight that it’s not about changing myself, it’s about changing my attitude“
I’ve used this last one many times in my career and life. It’s an unexpected gem to find in a romance novel.

The book was ultimately a huge tug on the heartstrings.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Sourcebooks. Opinions are my own.

A pleasant third book in this series. Zeke Montgomery is a loner, not used to being social with people and prefers the wilderness. Morgan West has lived in Deep River her entire life and is the Village Safety Protection Officer which is comparable to being an Alaska State Trooper. When Zeke arrives in town, it is to honor the request by Morgan’s late brother to take care of her. He does not find a willing and compliant Morgan, but a woman who is used to taking care of herself and the town that she loves. Zeke is endearing in his attempts to be there for Morgan and slowly she appreciates his friendship, but could there be something more between them? When she learns that Zeke kept crucial information about his family from her, will she understand or force him from her life and town? I enjoyed Zeke’s quiet strength as Morgan and the town enable him to accept the man that he has become. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book. It was such a struggle to get through the first chapter and it didn't get better after that. It's a shame, but the characters were so stuck inside their heads that the story dragged way too much to continue on.

I received “That Deep River Feeling” from Netgalley as an ARC and I’m more than happy to give an honest review.

This sweet romance is nicely written and enjoyable read! I thoroughly enjoyed the intriguing characters and the setting, - Alaska - sounds beautiful. Well written novel by a “new” to me author and I’ll read more of her books in the future.

For a light read, sweet and entertaining- I highly recommend this book!

Let me start by stating that I'm a Jackie Ashenden fan and a fan of her Alaska Homecoming novels, and this third book in the series was another excellent read. If you're new to this series, I strongly suggest reading these novels in the order they were written, since so much of what happens in this novel is dependent upon understanding what occurred in the previous ones. It was another 5-star novel for this reader.

The heroine in this novel is Morgan West, who was born and raised in Deep River, Alaska, a quirky town filled with quirky characters that always reminds me of the TV series, Northern Exposure. Morgan is what passes for the law in Deep River, and her older brother, Caleb (Cal), was killed in the first novel. The West family founded this town, and owned it, leasing the land for a pittance to anyone who wanted to make Deep River their home, and much of the previous novels dealt with the fact that Deep River is sitting on millions of dollars of oil, offers are being made to residents to sell their piece of the town to the oil company, and after Caleb's death, ownership of the town changes hands, not something Morgan West, the last member of the West family still alive, ever wanted. She's happy with her job and role as a caregiver and law officer to the local populace, at least until Zeke Montgomery shows up at her home.

Zeke is one of the most unique and enigmatic characters in Ms. Ashenden's series. He's a great big bear of a man who prefers living and exploring the Alaskan wilderness alone to living in a town, even one as small as Deep River, where he'd have to deal with others, but a letter from his late army buddy, Caleb, asked him to look after Caleb's sister, Morgan, and that's what he intends to do, whether Morgan likes it or not.

Zeke barely speaks, never smiles, and it was not difficult to discern that from his behavior, he most probably suffers from some degree of Asperger's syndrome, making him something of an outsider even within his own family, who viewed him as defective and often called him that, a view he accepted, never comfortable in social settings, and certainly not happy being born into a family of high achievers, great wealth, and high social standing. But all that is about to change when he shows up in Deep River six months after Caleb's death to fulfill his promise to take care of Morgan, and take care of her he does.

It was hard not to fall in love with Zeke, an emotionally wounded man who has never had a close relationship with anyone outside of his military friends, and whose love of the wilderness and wild nature of Alaska, his blunt honesty, his inability to lie, and whose kindness and thoughtfulness have gone unrecognized and unappreciated until he insists on keeping his promise to Caleb--whether Morgan wants it of not. Of the heroes in this series, Zeke grew to become my favorite--I have a penchant for stories about wounded warriors, those who don't quite fit in, the outsiders, and the misunderstood, whether they are physically and/or emotionally wounded, and Zeke's self-isolation, humility, and self-effacing view of himself called to me on every level, just as they called to Morgan.

To tell you more about this novel and what happens in it would spoil it for you, so I'll simply state that of the three novels in this series, That Deep River Feeling appealed to me most, on every level, and I cannot recommend this novel and this series highly enough. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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

The last one of the new owners comes in Deep River to fulfill the last wish from a fallen brother. What Zeke didn't expect was a fast redhead to fall in love. Morgan is a girl who can take care of herself and she doesn't expect Zeke a loner, a guy with few words to fall in love with. For me yet another great story from the series. I like both Zeke and Morgan and how they came to love each other.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley

Stunning, unique, powerful romance!

Having loved the first two books in this series, I was eager to learn about the mysterious Zeke and was thrilled to see him paired up with Caleb's sister. The series starts off with Caleb's death and each book shows how he set things in motion with his will and personal letters to his friends, making the reader believe that he'd been doing a little matchmaking along the way. Each book moves rather quickly, resulting in less than six months from Caleb's death to the epilogue of this third book.

Zeke is a bear of a man, part wild mountain hermit, someone who appears to be happy as a loner. However, as we get to know him throughout the book, it becomes clear (though never directly stated) that he's got all the markers of a man on the autism spectrum. It's nothing short of inspirational to see how he's made such a success of his life in spite of the way the deck was stacked against him - not because of his differences, but due to his parents' treatment of him.

Morgan is a caregiver, someone who has dedicated her life to taking care of the town she belongs to, despite the fact that she has no family left. I love the way the author showed her coming to grips with the reasons behind her drive to take care of people, and what that meant in her relationship with Zeke. That they each found themselves acting out of character for each other was not just exquisitely demonstrated, but it was clear that this was the entire point of their relationship - to make each other whole by filling a role that neither knew they even needed.

This story also brings the situation with the town's oil reserves to a climactic and triumphant conclusion. You'll understand this dilemma more if you've read the previous two books, but this story does stand on its own with enough explanation that you won't be lost if it's the first one you've read. That said, I highly recommend reading all three books as this is a terrific series from start to finish. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Zeke is not a fan of people and has pretty much shut himself off from the world but he made a promise to his buddy Caleb that he would watch over Caleb's sister Morgan. Morgan believes she can take care of herself- she's a law enforcement officer- but she's intrigued by Zeke. Set in a small Alaskan town, this third in a series is a little deeper in some ways that you might expect from an opposites attract scenario. Zeke's got a secret and he's also got some issues which Morgan is able to see past. He's a different sort of hero. Fans of the earlier books will be happy to see returns of various characters but new readers will be perfectly happy with this as a standalone. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A sweet read.

I loved the previous books in this series but found the hero in this one more difficult to relate to. He comes across as socially awkward and gruff but there is obviously something else going on too, although it’s never said. Possibly he’s on the autistic spectrum? The heroine is also a little socially awkward and there isn’t any easy flirting or playful banter between the too to build chemistry. I like the way they finally overcome their issues and find a way to make things work and of course the setting is total escapism!