(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Born and bred on the land, Jordan Windcroft is brave and independent. She's had to be. Her life revolves around running her property almost single-handedly on next to no money, and waiting out her four years of probation — a rap that she took for one of her closest friends for a crime she didn’t commit.
Thankfully there's an end to her problems in sight. Jordan’s probation period is almost up, and if she can just make the cattle sale, there’s a chance she can pull herself out of more than ten years of serious debt and keep her precious farm. The last thing she needs is for Reid Easton to start monitoring her.
Detective Senior Sergeant Reid Easton drives into Whitewater Creek on a mission to wrap up a three-year drug investigation; his only lead, Jordan Windcroft. The attraction between the two is immediate, but Reid is undercover and Jordan has a secret she can’t risk him discovering. Will either jeopardise their cause, for something as transitory as love – or will they keep their secrets to themselves?

It would be very easy to write this book off as "A chick with a hat" rural romance novel - but it is far more than that. It would be easy to classify this as "boy meets girl, they fall in love, HEA" - but, again, it is more than that.

There are a few things to really like about this story. Firstly, the location. Small country towns are known for being hives of family secrets and unexposed scandals. So following this story was very easy - wasn't a stretch at all to believe the way the people who lived in Whitewater Creek behaved.

Secondly, the main characters. Jordan was a fiesty, foul-mouthed independent woman (she was actually more than this but for the sake of brevity, I think that sums her up!) who captivates the reader throughout the story. As we discover her story, we are drawn to her loyalty and determination. Reid, on the other hand, is a bit of an alpha-male but very skilled detective, chasing down the drug syndicate he has been on the case of for three years. He has his reasons for wanting to rid the world of drugs (you have to wait til late in the book though...) He is a great balance with Jordan and the two of them were bound to have some chemistry...

Next, the secondary characters. Wow! What a range of people populate this small town. Some truly despicable, shady characters as well as people (such as Madi and Matt) who just make the thought of living with them as neighbours wouldn't be the worst thing you could ever do.

Finally, the story itself: apart from a few minor issues, this story had be invested all the way through. The "secrets" that the title refers to are worth waiting for and the twists and turns that Reid and Jordan go through are thrilling to say the least. This could have easily just left to be a simple "romantic suspense" novel - with the emphasis on romance - but that just wasn't the case. The mystery aspect of the story was very good and kept me intrigued. The finale was a bit of a letdown but, really, it is a minor thing...

I have no problem whatsoever recommending this book!


Paul
ARH