Federal Marshal Alex Flores returns to the reservation where he helped solve a murder investigation last year. He’s never forgotten the mesmerizing woman with the luminous smile and world-weary eyes. Too bad the fugitive on this new case has led him straight to her doorstep. Meadow will never give up Joaquin’s father, not if her wary gaze or her tight set jaw is any indication.
Meadow’s draw to Alex is immediate, but no way she’s going to trade attraction for history, longing for heritage. When the stakes become higher and Alex steps in to protect Meadow and her child from the very man she was willing to defend, he can’t help falling for them both. Who knew something so wrong could feel so right? But as the lines continue to blur, something’s got to give, and Alex isn’t certain he can walk away so easily from love.
Meadow is a single mom, raising her young son Joaquin on her own. She doesn't have an easy life, but she does her best to take care of her son by working at the Casino and selling her handmade jewelry. Her ex and son's father, Sparrow, has a dubious history, and he's married to another woman, Gloria. When Meadow sees Alex Flores, a Federal Marshal, at the reservation, she has a pretty good idea he's there to find out about Sparrow. She forces herself to ignore the physical attraction she feels for Alex, because she doesn't see any way that will work out for her.
Tradition keeps Meadow from giving up what she knows about Sparrow. She doesn't want to be the one responsible for putting him in jail, but when thugs come to her trailer asking questions, she's got to look out for her son.
Alex Flores noticed Meadow when he was at the reservation on a prior case, and now that he's back, he can't ignore how he's drawn to her. The fact he has to question her about Sparrow makes him uneasy, but he does his job and ends up protecting her from the thugs looking for her ex.
The first half of this book is filled with tension over how Meadow might get pulled into danger from her relationship with Sparrow, and the sexual tension between Meadow and Alex is a slow burning flame that just isn't going to be denied. I loved that about this book -- the relationship between these two takes a bit of time to develop.
I loved Meadow's dedication to her son and the fact she was a single mom doing her best for her family. She was average and familiar and that made it easy to relate to her struggles and her joys.
Alex Flores was a terrific hero in this story as well.He's what you might call a stand-up guy. He's had his own challenges, and he's tired of being alone. As much as he talks himself out of pursuing Meadow, he can't resist her, and it was lovely to see these two fill their loneliness with each other.
Sparrow's criminal activity provides the conflict in this story, and things come to a serious conclusion in the second half of the book.
I really enjoyed this love story between these diverse characters. Meadow and Alex were terrific and they made me want to read the first book in this series because I want more from this world.
ARC provided for review.
About the Author
Mother, wife, reader, dreamer. Christina lives in the Midwest with her husband and son–her two favorite guys.
She’s addicted to lip gloss and salted caramel everything. She believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job.
