This book took a different turn from what I expected from a series set in Montana after the first book. For one thing, there were a lot fewer cowboys and horses.
This book focuses on the second family of the three that have a stake in Crooked Tree Ranch. Ethan, the older brother who is a cop, has spent the last decade looking for his brother, Justin, and his brother’s best friend, Adam, who went missing when they were younger. He’s never given up hope and all of a sudden he’s called to Chicago and finds Adam who has no memories of him or anyone else the only words he said were “Ethan” and “Crooked Tree Ranch.”
From there it gets darker and darker. We learn a little bit about the time Adam was missing during painful flashbacks and he even thinks Justin is dead, burned in a fire, and he finally tells Ethan that at the end of the novel and it’s heartbreaking for everyone. There are murders and death that are uncovered along with corrupt federal officials that we learn more about in later novels. We also get to experience the pain Ethan and his Dad have at Justin’s loss and Adam’s sudden return and the rent in their relationship. Scott did a good job of this without overwhelming or detracting too much from the main storyline.
The main aspect of the story though is Ethan and Adam growing close again. Adam had the biggest crush on Ethan growing up and they’d just realized there was more to the crush the same day Adam and Justin went missing. Ethan’s carried the torch for Adam ever since childhood and Adam rediscovers that he does love Ethan and probably always has.
I enjoyed the glimpses we got of the characters from book one and their relationships progressing and the various characters that I’m pretty sure will make appearances again in future novels (the sheriff maybe? the chef who flirts with EVERYONE).
Recommendation: The series takes a bit of a u-turn here. The ranch plays an important role in Adam’s healing and Ethan’s eventual reconciliation with his father, but I felt like more time was spent away from the ranch than on the ranch. That’s not a negative, just an observation. I enjoyed this one, but not as much as the series opener Crooked Tree Ranch.
Opening Line: “Ethan received the call a few minutes before ten, right in the middle of drinking possibly the worst cold coffee he had ever tasted.”
Closing Line: “If we’re going to live here, we should actually buy some furniture.” (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)
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