A 2016 publication I actually forgot to do the review of this wonderful story. Jake and Claire have been friends since the third grade and then their senior year in high school Jake took the step further with her and Claire was glad, he did. Only one problem she wanted to leave the town they grew up in and he wanted to stay. Sadly, she left for college and the world while Jake stayed back.
Seven years have gone by and Claire who is an archaeologist, looking for treasuries buried beneath the earth around the world, receives a call that her father is ill and she should come home. Doing so she is hoping that Jake the boy she left and has been in love with forever it seems, will be married by now.
Once home she realizes that Jake is not married and he is not a boy. He is a man that has been working outdoors at the ranch his whole life and it shows extremely well on him. Jake finds he is more attracted to her than he was when she left years ago.
When they begin to get to know each other once again they are also dealing with the past but also with the future. She finds something from his that he was going to give her from years ago, and that makes her think. She also sees a man who is still grieving for the loss of his mother whom he cared for until her death. When he finally reads the letter that she left him he knows he must change but he does not know-how. He does know he will lose her again if he does not. His two brothers come to his aid with ideas personally for him and also help him with the home in changing it out.
The author does a wonderful job of bringing life to the characters and making you feel like you know them. A wonderful story with a good ending in which she does not rush to end the book but still makes you the reader think all the way through. A very good book.

This book is absolutely breathtaking. The prose is done exceptionally well. The imagery really shows the writer's talent. The characters are amazing. Jake and Claire have so much love for each other but sometimes love isn't enough. Real life forces you to see beyond the fairytale and when you don't feel the same about the most basic of life's choices, you have to prepare for it not to work. These MCs are in pain. You suffer right along with them.

Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Damn you Callahan! I was actually crying on the subway reading this! Not just teary eyed...no...full on tears to the point that someone asked if I was okay. ARGH!

Okay, now that that's out of the way, I can get to the story. Jake and Claire were inseparable when they were younger. Jake fell hard and fast, but Claire knew that ranch life was never going to be enough for her. Now, she's back in town for a bit and Jake is going to try everything in his power to make her stay. While I appreciated Jake and Claire and their connection, the shining star in this read for me was the relationship between Jake and his brothers. What was missing in the first one was more than made up for in this one (so much so that I started reading Mitchell's story right after).

I did feel like they were both being so hard-headed. Each wanted the other to give up a key part of who they were and it made me almost want them to not end up together. I think a lot of that had to do with how their relationship at 17 never really had a chance to end. Because of that, they were emotionally stunted or something when it came to one another.

All in all, a good read, but please please please have a tissue ready. And the more I'm reading about these brothers, the more that Derek is intriguing me. Now onto Mitchell.