Hazel left her family, friends and everything she knew behind her (family, friends, the family ranch) in Montana after her father's death she sets up her new life in Colorado and hasn't been back since... Until now when she hears through the grapevine that her aunt is struggling more with a recent injury than she's letting on in her weekly phone calls she doesn't hesitate to come home to help... it's just temporary.
Eli Dawson had been Hazel's best friend since childhood, he's a handsome, steady cowboy and at this point no longer waiting for Hazel to change her mind... he stayed while she left maybe it was bad timing on his part but he's always loved Hazel and the time he decides to just tell her she leaves before he wakes up the next morning... now she's breezing back in town expecting everyone to thank her for coming things have been tough for awhile she just didn't hang out long enough to see that he's been helping hold together the ranch with limited resources.
When Hazel returns to the ranch in many ways she has a lot to catch up on but in others it feels like she never left the closer it gets to having to make a decision as to whether to go back to her life she's been building in Colorado or stay and help in Montana she finds herself torn between two tough choices... but maybe it's just a bit harder this time since Eli has dug his way a bit deeper in her heart.
With the ranch being in a dire financial situation there are big choices to make... and a shady neighbor keeps popping up... go away Cole!
*ARC Read *2026 *State Challenge Montana *slow burn *Second chance romance *cowboy
*Ranch life *Brooding MMC *Grief *Loss of parent (FMC) *long term pining *small town *Indie Author
Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book right away you can see how grief is clouding everything in Hazel's life she loved her dad and the ranch and everything in Montana but couldn't see herself able to stay after his passing how could she go on in her dad's world without him there with her?
Coming back to town after so long there is big tension between Eli and Hazel he's still bitter and upset (reasonably so) after they had a night to remember and then she left him without a word, even with his heart shattered and his girl out of the state he continued to help on his own ranch and help Hazel's Aunt out on her Ranch but he knows the lay of the land and that the financial situation isn't what it used to be, without Hazel's dad there to run the place the extra income opportunities left and word spreads fast in a small town.
Hazel is back but for how long? I liked that Eli didn't let her off the hook immediately after so long he was guarded, grumpy and doesn't let up on harder questions like How long are you staying? He wanted answers and while he gave up waiting around for her to come back he makes it known that her leaving wrecked him.
This has amazing slow burn tension even when he's grumpy and guarded you know that Eli still feels the same way and since she's back Hazel is finally facing that she might feel that way too but what is she supposed to do? Her life is in Colorado now she only has so many weeks out of work to help and she is getting questioned by her boss when is she returning?... But what if she is seeing her future now in Montana?
To be honest Eli had my heart from the beginning... if you ever find someone who loves you as much as Eli loves Hazel... don't run off in the middle of the night to a different state without talking to them you keep them and hold on tight so someone else doesn't grab them up. I did find myself getting irritated with Hazel at times because she was so set on not making any decisions about staying but and I didn't want to see her break Eli's heart again!
This is an emotional read that will have you rooting for both of our leads to find their way back to each other... and for Hazel to finally face and make big decisions.
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