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The Coltons of Wyoming #6
Colton Christmas Rescue
Join the Coltons of Wyoming for a holiday showdown at Dead River Ranch
Deep undercover, Wyoming special agent Slade Kent comes to Dead River Ranch with only one thing in mind: justice. Bent on solving a string of recent crimes, as well as his father's long-unsolved murder, he won't let down his guard for anyone. Until beautiful heiress Amanda Colton and her baby are attacked. He'll do anything to protect them…even put his heart on the line.
Amanda's done with deception, but the irresistibly mysterious Slade draws her trust. When danger—and uncontained passion—spark, they must both put aside secrets and agendas for survival…and love?
Deep undercover, Wyoming special agent Slade Kent comes to Dead River Ranch with only one thing in mind: justice. Bent on solving a string of recent crimes, as well as his father's long-unsolved murder, he won't let down his guard for anyone. Until beautiful heiress Amanda Colton and her baby are attacked. He'll do anything to protect them…even put his heart on the line.
Amanda's done with deception, but the irresistibly mysterious Slade draws her trust. When danger—and uncontained passion—spark, they must both put aside secrets and agendas for survival…and love?
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 2013
57 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Beth Cornelison
185 books59 followersBeth Cornelison started writing stories as a child when she penned a tale about the adventures of her cat, Ajax. She received her bachelor's degree in Public Relations from the University of Georgia and after working in public relations for a little more than a year, she moved with her husband from Tennessee to Louisiana, where she decided to pursue her love of writing fiction.
Since that time, she has written many more stories of adventure and romantic suspense and has won numerous honors for her work including the coveted Golden Heart prize for unpublished authors awarded by Romance Writers of America.
Beth is active on the board of directors for the North Louisiana Storytellers and Authors of Romance (NOLA STARS) in Shreveport, LA and stays involved with her sons Boy Scout pack and her church. For fun, she loves reading, traveling, playing Pokeno once a month with friends and spending down-time with her family.
She writes from her home in Louisiana, where she lives with her husband, one son, and three cats who think they are people. Beth loves to hear from her readers. You can write to her at P.O. Box 52505, Shreveport, LA 71135-2505 or visit her website at www.bethcornelison.com"
Since that time, she has written many more stories of adventure and romantic suspense and has won numerous honors for her work including the coveted Golden Heart prize for unpublished authors awarded by Romance Writers of America.
Beth is active on the board of directors for the North Louisiana Storytellers and Authors of Romance (NOLA STARS) in Shreveport, LA and stays involved with her sons Boy Scout pack and her church. For fun, she loves reading, traveling, playing Pokeno once a month with friends and spending down-time with her family.
She writes from her home in Louisiana, where she lives with her husband, one son, and three cats who think they are people. Beth loves to hear from her readers. You can write to her at P.O. Box 52505, Shreveport, LA 71135-2505 or visit her website at www.bethcornelison.com"
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 5, 2016
"Don't," he growled, swinging around to face her and aiming a finger at her face. His nostrils flared as he dragged in a ragged breath. "Don't fall in love with me."
Okay. There were a lot of problems with this book. Where should I start?
Slade is an undercover fed posing as ranch foreman to solve the multiple murders and kidnappings that have been going on at Dead River Ranch. His wife and baby are dead from Also, his father was murdered on this ranch 10 years ago for extra charm.
Amanda Colton is the rich heiress. She, along with her sisters, stand to inherit Jethro Colton's wealth. She is a large animal veterinarian and is raising a daughter - 8-month-old Cheyenne - alone. Cheyenne was fathered by a man Amanda loved but found out that he was married when she fell pregnant.
That about sums up the basic plot. Let's begin:
1.) Slade is basically an asshole. For absolutely no reason and right from the beginning. ???? Usually when authors write asshole heroes, we have a basic reason - or should I say, EXCUSE - for the man to be acting like a jerk. Usually it's a pretty weak excuse, but anyway, at least there is one. Here, nothing. Slade is rude and condescending and mean to Amanda right from the start. For no reason.
This did not endear him to me.
The kind of asshole who says he has more experience with animals than her even though she is a veterinarian and grew up on a ranch, and scoffs at her degree; the kind of asshole who labels her as spoiled, bratty, and bossy even though he doesn't know her; the kind of asshole who lectures a woman on how to mother her own kid, etc. etc. etc.
2.) Besides being an asshole, he is a creeper.
Eric Plume and I were discussing if heroes noticing the heroines sexually and getting aroused was creepy or not. This was a conversation underneath my review of Colton's Ranch Refuge. ANYWAY, I was like, "No, it's not creepy! It's cute when he's attracted to her and I don't find heroes skeevy when they are checking out the heroine."
Well, witness me eating my words. This guy Slade comes off as a real creeper when he checks Amanda out.
She accepted the coffee and sipped, then hummed her enjoyment, a purr of pleasure that he could easily imagine her making during sex.
For some reason I am going 'ew' reading this.
His gaze dipped briefly to her breasts, plumped by her defiant posture, before returning her glare.
Ew.
She squared her shoulders, a gesture that drew his attention to her chest and the fact that she didn't appear to have on a bra under the long-sleeved sleep shirt she wore with her jeans. His imagination conjured an image of her naked breasts and how it would feel to mold them in his hands.
NO. Now, it's not like I've never heard talk like this before - this frequently happens in romance novels AND I enjoy it. Yeah, I enjoy it! But for some reason, every time Slade was doing it I was creeped out.
This is most likely because he is such an asshole to her. He's a jerk to her and then he's ogling her breasts. What the hell?!?! That feels offensive to me. Unlike cute heroes who love and care for the heroine, this comes off as menacing and unkind.
3.) This isn't Slade's only sexual problem. He also sees fit to start playing sexual games with the heroine and fucking around with her.
"No," he repeated and noticed that his hand on her hip, his proximity, seemed to rattle her. Fluster her. Her cheeks had flushed, and a tremor rippled through her.
INTRIGUING. His touch ruffled Amanda's otherwise self-assured and stubborn feathers. .He could work with that....
"What?"
"Honestly?"
Her eyebrows lifted. "Yes. You promised to be completely honest with me. Remember?"
He pursed his lips and nodded. "I do." Stepping close enough to invade her personal space, he caught the silky strands of her hair between his fingers. "I was thinking how much I like your hair down. It's sexy."
Her breath hitched, and her golden eyes widened in surprise.
"But then that messy ponytail you wear in the stable is kinda hot, too. The mussed and careless thing makes me think about how it might look after sex."
She swallowed hard and gaped at him. "I, uh..."
He tugged his cheek in a grin. "You wanted me to be honest."
"R-right."
CREEPER ALERT. CREEPER ALERT. Instead of thinking this is sexy, like I'm apparently supposed to, I am yearning for Amanda to tell him to shut his filthy mouth, how dare he talk to her this way, and get the fuck out. It was just not working for me at all.
4.) She's vulnerable - a single mother to a baby born out of wedlock fathered by a married man. And her baby is being kidnapped over and over and over again. She's not safe in her own home, and this guy is fucking around with her as if she's a toy.
Her gaze dropped to his mouth and lingered there as her eyes darkened to the color of well-aged brandy. Slade's pulse hammered. Desire flooded his veins, and his skin flashed hot. He leaned toward her, his focus locked on her lips. Around him the room crackled with a kinetic energy, and his body hummed with anticipation. He lifted his hand to her face to cup her cheek. When he stroked her bottom lip with his thumb , she made a small noise between a gasp and a pleasured sigh.
And he stilled.
Flirting with Amanda, to divert her from her crusade to join him on his fact finding trip to California, was one thing. Kissing Jethro Colton's daughter was quite another matter.
His libido cursed his conscience as he dropped his hand and stepped away. "It's late. I think we should say good-night."
Amanda blinked, and Slade thought he detected a degree of disappointment in the dent of her brow. "Oh." She cleared her throat, and her hand fluttered as she fumbled with the neckline of her shirt. "O-okay."
Color suffused her cheeks as she backed toward the door, and a stab of guilt jabbed Slade. He hadn't intended to hurt or embarrass her. He sobered realizing how willingly she'd responded to his advances.
5.) He has sex with her, then she wants to discuss what is going to happen in regards to their future. He tells her to go to sleep, completely ignoring her concerns.
The next day, he's like, "Amanda, we have good chemistry, and we're consenting adults. I'll go back to Jackson when the case here is closed, but until then..."
Her heart dropped to her toes.
Luckily, Amanda is having none of that shit.
"Until then I'm convenient and willing?"...
"I didn't say that."
"But it's what you meant. Right?"
He sighed and looked away. His silence spoke for him. It seemed she was more right about Slade's unavailability than she'd known. Pain lanced her heart. He was leaving soon, and clearly only wanted a fling while he was at the ranch.
After a moment, he nudged Zeus and rode closer to her. Touching her face, he narrowed a sorrowful gaze on her. "Amanda, the last thing I want is to hurt you. I'm just not in a place in my life where - "
"No, no... I get it." She forced a smile, determined not to let him see her disappointment. "We made no promises to each other, and there are no hard feelings. But I'm not the type to indulge in a meaningless fling. I need more, so..." She took a breath for courage, gave him a brave smile, and pulled away from his touch "There'll be no next time."
I was so proud of her at this part.
6.) He completely hides his past (dead wife and dead daughter) from her until she almost literally beats it out of him. He should have brought this up earlier. I know it's rough to talk about. But perhaps if you are going to be having sex with a woman whom YOU KNOW is developing feelings for you and also has a huge problem with liars considering who fathered her baby, perhaps you should tell her this hugely important stuff about you. Or, you know, NOT fuck with her and not fuck her and just do your job. Instead of hurting her over and over and over again because you 'just can't deal with feelings' or something.
7.) This book is unrealistic. I know it's rich for me to be complaining about a romance novel being unrealistic, but honestly this is NOT AT ALL how a woman who was under her extremely stressful circumstances would be acting, and ditto for a man who has gone through what Slade went through. It's just not believable to anyone who has a basic working knowledge of psychology.
8.) Amanda's got her problems, too. Right before they have first-time sex, when she is walking towards him and he is waiting naked for her in her bed, she's like:
"What are you doing here?"
"Again... I'd think that was obvious."
"I mean, that face, those eyes, you could have any woman you wanted. Why are you here with someone who smells like horses most of the time, only wears makeup and high heels when she has to, and hasn't seen the inside of a beauty parlor in too many years? You could do better. Or is it just that I'm convenient and willing?"
Oh, yes, this is EXACTLY what you should say to a man who is naked in bed with you, about to have sex with you for the first time. /s
How insulting to him and also to herself. This is so fucked up.
Also, I don't know what on Earth she is going on about. She's rich. She's attractive. And who gives a care whether she wears makeup or not!?!?! I just didn't understand where this insecurity was coming from, it was completely out of left field and incomprehensible.
HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN?
Sigh. Well, first of all, I would like to point out that the heroine has a little trouble thinking about penises. Penii?
Slade wore only his boxer briefs, damp now and clinging to his... Oh, my!
Clinging to his 'oh, my!"?!!?!?
Clinging to his "oh, my!"!?!?!?!!
*Carmen bashes her head into the wall*
His 'oh, my!' o.O Listen... I understand a lot of women don't like the terms 'dick' and 'cock.' That's fine, okay. But can we PLEASE not do this kind of... thing. Like grown-ass women referring to their vulva as their "down-there!" can we not refer to men's penii as their "oh, my!s" Because I just can't deal with this shit. Especially in a romance novel. I would even prefer a torrid euphemism to this. Like 'throbbing member' or 'engorged manhood' or something. Anything! Just not this kind of "I can't even think the word PENIS" idea. It would be like if I was reading a romance novel and they referred to his penis as his pee-pee. Just gross, okay? Stop. She's a mother, for crying out loud. And she's almost 30. Just... no.
What else?
Well, he's kind of rough with her and he's not big on foreplay. This doesn't make a good sex scene in my book. LOL No pun intended. He just pins her wrists down (without asking!) and fucks her. She seems okay with it, but I was like, Nah. Not that I was too interested because I didn't like this guy anyway.
Tl;dr - o.O Not my cup of tea for a plethora of reasons. This series is OVER. Hallelujah! Also, not very Christmas-y. If you are looking for a cute Harlequin Christmas romance, you could do WAY better than this. WAY better.
Okay. There were a lot of problems with this book. Where should I start?
Slade is an undercover fed posing as ranch foreman to solve the multiple murders and kidnappings that have been going on at Dead River Ranch. His wife and baby are dead from Also, his father was murdered on this ranch 10 years ago for extra charm.
Amanda Colton is the rich heiress. She, along with her sisters, stand to inherit Jethro Colton's wealth. She is a large animal veterinarian and is raising a daughter - 8-month-old Cheyenne - alone. Cheyenne was fathered by a man Amanda loved but found out that he was married when she fell pregnant.
That about sums up the basic plot. Let's begin:
1.) Slade is basically an asshole. For absolutely no reason and right from the beginning. ???? Usually when authors write asshole heroes, we have a basic reason - or should I say, EXCUSE - for the man to be acting like a jerk. Usually it's a pretty weak excuse, but anyway, at least there is one. Here, nothing. Slade is rude and condescending and mean to Amanda right from the start. For no reason.
This did not endear him to me.
The kind of asshole who says he has more experience with animals than her even though she is a veterinarian and grew up on a ranch, and scoffs at her degree; the kind of asshole who labels her as spoiled, bratty, and bossy even though he doesn't know her; the kind of asshole who lectures a woman on how to mother her own kid, etc. etc. etc.
2.) Besides being an asshole, he is a creeper.
Eric Plume and I were discussing if heroes noticing the heroines sexually and getting aroused was creepy or not. This was a conversation underneath my review of Colton's Ranch Refuge. ANYWAY, I was like, "No, it's not creepy! It's cute when he's attracted to her and I don't find heroes skeevy when they are checking out the heroine."
Well, witness me eating my words. This guy Slade comes off as a real creeper when he checks Amanda out.
She accepted the coffee and sipped, then hummed her enjoyment, a purr of pleasure that he could easily imagine her making during sex.
For some reason I am going 'ew' reading this.
His gaze dipped briefly to her breasts, plumped by her defiant posture, before returning her glare.
Ew.
She squared her shoulders, a gesture that drew his attention to her chest and the fact that she didn't appear to have on a bra under the long-sleeved sleep shirt she wore with her jeans. His imagination conjured an image of her naked breasts and how it would feel to mold them in his hands.
NO. Now, it's not like I've never heard talk like this before - this frequently happens in romance novels AND I enjoy it. Yeah, I enjoy it! But for some reason, every time Slade was doing it I was creeped out.
This is most likely because he is such an asshole to her. He's a jerk to her and then he's ogling her breasts. What the hell?!?! That feels offensive to me. Unlike cute heroes who love and care for the heroine, this comes off as menacing and unkind.
3.) This isn't Slade's only sexual problem. He also sees fit to start playing sexual games with the heroine and fucking around with her.
"No," he repeated and noticed that his hand on her hip, his proximity, seemed to rattle her. Fluster her. Her cheeks had flushed, and a tremor rippled through her.
INTRIGUING. His touch ruffled Amanda's otherwise self-assured and stubborn feathers. .He could work with that....
"What?"
"Honestly?"
Her eyebrows lifted. "Yes. You promised to be completely honest with me. Remember?"
He pursed his lips and nodded. "I do." Stepping close enough to invade her personal space, he caught the silky strands of her hair between his fingers. "I was thinking how much I like your hair down. It's sexy."
Her breath hitched, and her golden eyes widened in surprise.
"But then that messy ponytail you wear in the stable is kinda hot, too. The mussed and careless thing makes me think about how it might look after sex."
She swallowed hard and gaped at him. "I, uh..."
He tugged his cheek in a grin. "You wanted me to be honest."
"R-right."
CREEPER ALERT. CREEPER ALERT. Instead of thinking this is sexy, like I'm apparently supposed to, I am yearning for Amanda to tell him to shut his filthy mouth, how dare he talk to her this way, and get the fuck out. It was just not working for me at all.
4.) She's vulnerable - a single mother to a baby born out of wedlock fathered by a married man. And her baby is being kidnapped over and over and over again. She's not safe in her own home, and this guy is fucking around with her as if she's a toy.
Her gaze dropped to his mouth and lingered there as her eyes darkened to the color of well-aged brandy. Slade's pulse hammered. Desire flooded his veins, and his skin flashed hot. He leaned toward her, his focus locked on her lips. Around him the room crackled with a kinetic energy, and his body hummed with anticipation. He lifted his hand to her face to cup her cheek. When he stroked her bottom lip with his thumb , she made a small noise between a gasp and a pleasured sigh.
And he stilled.
Flirting with Amanda, to divert her from her crusade to join him on his fact finding trip to California, was one thing. Kissing Jethro Colton's daughter was quite another matter.
His libido cursed his conscience as he dropped his hand and stepped away. "It's late. I think we should say good-night."
Amanda blinked, and Slade thought he detected a degree of disappointment in the dent of her brow. "Oh." She cleared her throat, and her hand fluttered as she fumbled with the neckline of her shirt. "O-okay."
Color suffused her cheeks as she backed toward the door, and a stab of guilt jabbed Slade. He hadn't intended to hurt or embarrass her. He sobered realizing how willingly she'd responded to his advances.
5.) He has sex with her, then she wants to discuss what is going to happen in regards to their future. He tells her to go to sleep, completely ignoring her concerns.
The next day, he's like, "Amanda, we have good chemistry, and we're consenting adults. I'll go back to Jackson when the case here is closed, but until then..."
Her heart dropped to her toes.
Luckily, Amanda is having none of that shit.
"Until then I'm convenient and willing?"...
"I didn't say that."
"But it's what you meant. Right?"
He sighed and looked away. His silence spoke for him. It seemed she was more right about Slade's unavailability than she'd known. Pain lanced her heart. He was leaving soon, and clearly only wanted a fling while he was at the ranch.
After a moment, he nudged Zeus and rode closer to her. Touching her face, he narrowed a sorrowful gaze on her. "Amanda, the last thing I want is to hurt you. I'm just not in a place in my life where - "
"No, no... I get it." She forced a smile, determined not to let him see her disappointment. "We made no promises to each other, and there are no hard feelings. But I'm not the type to indulge in a meaningless fling. I need more, so..." She took a breath for courage, gave him a brave smile, and pulled away from his touch "There'll be no next time."
I was so proud of her at this part.
6.) He completely hides his past (dead wife and dead daughter) from her until she almost literally beats it out of him. He should have brought this up earlier. I know it's rough to talk about. But perhaps if you are going to be having sex with a woman whom YOU KNOW is developing feelings for you and also has a huge problem with liars considering who fathered her baby, perhaps you should tell her this hugely important stuff about you. Or, you know, NOT fuck with her and not fuck her and just do your job. Instead of hurting her over and over and over again because you 'just can't deal with feelings' or something.
7.) This book is unrealistic. I know it's rich for me to be complaining about a romance novel being unrealistic, but honestly this is NOT AT ALL how a woman who was under her extremely stressful circumstances would be acting, and ditto for a man who has gone through what Slade went through. It's just not believable to anyone who has a basic working knowledge of psychology.
8.) Amanda's got her problems, too. Right before they have first-time sex, when she is walking towards him and he is waiting naked for her in her bed, she's like:
"What are you doing here?"
"Again... I'd think that was obvious."
"I mean, that face, those eyes, you could have any woman you wanted. Why are you here with someone who smells like horses most of the time, only wears makeup and high heels when she has to, and hasn't seen the inside of a beauty parlor in too many years? You could do better. Or is it just that I'm convenient and willing?"
Oh, yes, this is EXACTLY what you should say to a man who is naked in bed with you, about to have sex with you for the first time. /s
How insulting to him and also to herself. This is so fucked up.
Also, I don't know what on Earth she is going on about. She's rich. She's attractive. And who gives a care whether she wears makeup or not!?!?! I just didn't understand where this insecurity was coming from, it was completely out of left field and incomprehensible.
HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN?
Sigh. Well, first of all, I would like to point out that the heroine has a little trouble thinking about penises. Penii?
Slade wore only his boxer briefs, damp now and clinging to his... Oh, my!
Clinging to his 'oh, my!"?!!?!?
Clinging to his "oh, my!"!?!?!?!!
*Carmen bashes her head into the wall*
His 'oh, my!' o.O Listen... I understand a lot of women don't like the terms 'dick' and 'cock.' That's fine, okay. But can we PLEASE not do this kind of... thing. Like grown-ass women referring to their vulva as their "down-there!" can we not refer to men's penii as their "oh, my!s" Because I just can't deal with this shit. Especially in a romance novel. I would even prefer a torrid euphemism to this. Like 'throbbing member' or 'engorged manhood' or something. Anything! Just not this kind of "I can't even think the word PENIS" idea. It would be like if I was reading a romance novel and they referred to his penis as his pee-pee. Just gross, okay? Stop. She's a mother, for crying out loud. And she's almost 30. Just... no.
What else?
Well, he's kind of rough with her and he's not big on foreplay. This doesn't make a good sex scene in my book. LOL No pun intended. He just pins her wrists down (without asking!) and fucks her. She seems okay with it, but I was like, Nah. Not that I was too interested because I didn't like this guy anyway.
Tl;dr - o.O Not my cup of tea for a plethora of reasons. This series is OVER. Hallelujah! Also, not very Christmas-y. If you are looking for a cute Harlequin Christmas romance, you could do WAY better than this. WAY better.
January 3, 2014
Fantastic wrap up of the series. Everyone is on edge as the kidnapping attempts continue. Slade has been sent to work undercover to solve the mystery. He also wants to discover who was behind his father's murder ten years ago. He doesn't want to get involved with Amanda. Meanwhile, Amanda will do everything she can to protect her daughter. Slade's secretiveness worries her until she discovers who he is. Then she has to try to fight her attraction to him to concentrate on helping Slade solve the mystery.
I really liked both Amanda and Slade. As the oldest of the three Colton girls, she is the one everyone looks to while her father is ill. She is also a single mother and a veterinarian which adds more pressure to her. She is very independent and doesn't like to rely on anyone else for something she feels she can do. I loved the first meeting between her and Slade. He acted like she wasn't up to taking care of the sick horse and really treated her like a spoiled brat. I loved seeing her show him just what she could do and how he pretty much had to eat his words. There were definitely a lot of sparks between them from the beginning. Amanda also has trust issues because of her baby's father and she senses that Slade is hiding something. I liked the way they cleared that issue early on and promised to be honest with each other. I loved seeing them work together to solve the mystery. There were some great moments with Amanda making sure that Slade knew that she would be involved in every step. Her appearance at the airport was so much fun to read. Amanda also realized she was falling for Slade and had no idea if he would ever return her feelings because of his own past.
Slade was determined to solve the crimes and the mystery of his father's death. He's certain that the Coltons have been covering up the truth all these years. He initially views Amanda with a great deal of suspicion. When he saves her daughter from an attempted kidnapping he starts to realize that his suspicions were unfounded. I liked the way that he did tell her who he was and why he was there. His attraction to her bothered him because he doesn't want to have feelings for another woman and child. He hasn't recovered from the deaths of his wife and daughter and doesn't want anyone relying on him because he doesn't believe he's deserving of it. Being around the baby brings back his pain and he tries to stay away from her. I loved the way Amanda just stuck him with her and how Slade and Cheyenne ended up playing together. Besides showing Amanda what a nice guy he was underneath the grouchiness, it also started healing Slade's heart. Even though he was resisting it as hard as he could, Slade's feelings for her were just as strong.
As the concluding book in the series, everything got tied up very well. I suspect that pulling it all together while keeping it believable was not an easy task. There were some interesting twists. The Mastermind was who I suspected, but the reasons were a complete surprise. The person who kidnapped Cole was also a surprise, though we never got a reason, which I would have liked. The death of Slade's father was also explained. One of my favorite things was seeing Darla and crew get what was coming to them. I liked the final catch up on the couples, and loved the decisions made about inheritances. I loved this series and hope to see more Colton stories.
I really liked both Amanda and Slade. As the oldest of the three Colton girls, she is the one everyone looks to while her father is ill. She is also a single mother and a veterinarian which adds more pressure to her. She is very independent and doesn't like to rely on anyone else for something she feels she can do. I loved the first meeting between her and Slade. He acted like she wasn't up to taking care of the sick horse and really treated her like a spoiled brat. I loved seeing her show him just what she could do and how he pretty much had to eat his words. There were definitely a lot of sparks between them from the beginning. Amanda also has trust issues because of her baby's father and she senses that Slade is hiding something. I liked the way they cleared that issue early on and promised to be honest with each other. I loved seeing them work together to solve the mystery. There were some great moments with Amanda making sure that Slade knew that she would be involved in every step. Her appearance at the airport was so much fun to read. Amanda also realized she was falling for Slade and had no idea if he would ever return her feelings because of his own past.
Slade was determined to solve the crimes and the mystery of his father's death. He's certain that the Coltons have been covering up the truth all these years. He initially views Amanda with a great deal of suspicion. When he saves her daughter from an attempted kidnapping he starts to realize that his suspicions were unfounded. I liked the way that he did tell her who he was and why he was there. His attraction to her bothered him because he doesn't want to have feelings for another woman and child. He hasn't recovered from the deaths of his wife and daughter and doesn't want anyone relying on him because he doesn't believe he's deserving of it. Being around the baby brings back his pain and he tries to stay away from her. I loved the way Amanda just stuck him with her and how Slade and Cheyenne ended up playing together. Besides showing Amanda what a nice guy he was underneath the grouchiness, it also started healing Slade's heart. Even though he was resisting it as hard as he could, Slade's feelings for her were just as strong.
As the concluding book in the series, everything got tied up very well. I suspect that pulling it all together while keeping it believable was not an easy task. There were some interesting twists. The Mastermind was who I suspected, but the reasons were a complete surprise. The person who kidnapped Cole was also a surprise, though we never got a reason, which I would have liked. The death of Slade's father was also explained. One of my favorite things was seeing Darla and crew get what was coming to them. I liked the final catch up on the couples, and loved the decisions made about inheritances. I loved this series and hope to see more Colton stories.
May 15, 2014
Books in series, is The Colton Ransom, Colton by blood, the missing Colton, The Colton bride, Tri[le Exposure, Colton Christmas Rescue.
This is a really good book, but you will feel lost if you read this book first. I missed reading a book or two in the series. I felt like I was missing key information, but was still able to enjoy this book.
Amanda made a wonderful heroine, and pulled me right into the story. This story did have a lot of characters, that only added to the story in a good way. Slade, what can I say? I love a hero that has scars, but learns how to let his heart love once again.
The suspense of this story was fantastic. It had twist that left me shocked. Amanda's baby was almost kidnapped a few times. She hired a body guard to protect her. Accidents happened on the ranch, but someone was covering up the truth. Slade was working undercover to find answers. He was a detective, posing as the new ranch foreman. He was dealing with grief of losing his wife, and baby. He didn't want to fall for Amanda or her baby. little baby Cheyenne melted his heart, and he vowed to protect her, and her mom. I love how protective he was. This book had a few emotional moments that choked me up. I didn't shed tears, but it was close. This was a great book. I was glad all the mystery's were solved by the end of the book.
This is a really good book, but you will feel lost if you read this book first. I missed reading a book or two in the series. I felt like I was missing key information, but was still able to enjoy this book.
Amanda made a wonderful heroine, and pulled me right into the story. This story did have a lot of characters, that only added to the story in a good way. Slade, what can I say? I love a hero that has scars, but learns how to let his heart love once again.
The suspense of this story was fantastic. It had twist that left me shocked. Amanda's baby was almost kidnapped a few times. She hired a body guard to protect her. Accidents happened on the ranch, but someone was covering up the truth. Slade was working undercover to find answers. He was a detective, posing as the new ranch foreman. He was dealing with grief of losing his wife, and baby. He didn't want to fall for Amanda or her baby. little baby Cheyenne melted his heart, and he vowed to protect her, and her mom. I love how protective he was. This book had a few emotional moments that choked me up. I didn't shed tears, but it was close. This was a great book. I was glad all the mystery's were solved by the end of the book.
January 10, 2014
I would have given this book one star but the scene 2 minutes in where Amandas hand is up a horses butt while a man checks her out bumps it up. Also imagining Powers Boothe as Jethro helped.
May 20, 2018
A story that once was a Fairy Tale now becomes a nightmare for those who live on Dead River Ranch. When kidnapping, murder, isn't going to work then taking the Granddaughter of Jethro Colton to get revenge will open up the whole can of worms that will shatter everyone who lives on the ranch; and shatter the hearts of three daughters of Jethro Colton.
January 7, 2019
Need to read previous books for this one to make more sense and its a Christmas book I read after Christmas.
April 18, 2024
Satisfying ending to this series. It does not need to be read in order, but is helpful.
July 15, 2025
Great windup of the books but stand alone quality as well.
November 21, 2013
Slade’s presence, Jethro’s imminent demise, and overwhelming greed proved to be the Mastermind’s final undoing. There are some significant twists in this book that I did not see coming. Though I had my own suspicions, the reveal of the Mastermind truly caught me by surprise. Additionally, the revelation of Cole’s kidnapper wasn’t who I expected. Along the way we also learned who murdered Slade’s father. The last wasn’t quite such a surprise.
Through this all, we grow to love Amanda and Slade. As the eldest Colton sibling still on the ranch, she is the heir apparent to take over as the family matriarch. This mantle of responsibility coupled with the pressures of being a single mother make Amanda a little prickly to start. She’s comfortable in her skin and doesn’t want to rely on anyone else. Slade, on the other hand, doesn’t want anyone to rely on him. The recent loss of his wife and baby daughter caused him to believe he wasn’t cut out to be a good guy. Watching these two overcome their fears and learn to trust each other is what makes good romance.
Tying everything up into a neat bow is hard. Cornelison did an amazing job keeping up with everything that was outstanding. She provided the final reveals for the kidnapping story and the Mastermind, a status update for all of our HEAs that happened along the way, and crafted a new story. To add to it, I have a feeling that Slade and Amanda were not easy to wrangle. I’m sad to see the Colton’s of Wyoming end. But I’m thrilled that I was along for the ride.
Through this all, we grow to love Amanda and Slade. As the eldest Colton sibling still on the ranch, she is the heir apparent to take over as the family matriarch. This mantle of responsibility coupled with the pressures of being a single mother make Amanda a little prickly to start. She’s comfortable in her skin and doesn’t want to rely on anyone else. Slade, on the other hand, doesn’t want anyone to rely on him. The recent loss of his wife and baby daughter caused him to believe he wasn’t cut out to be a good guy. Watching these two overcome their fears and learn to trust each other is what makes good romance.
Tying everything up into a neat bow is hard. Cornelison did an amazing job keeping up with everything that was outstanding. She provided the final reveals for the kidnapping story and the Mastermind, a status update for all of our HEAs that happened along the way, and crafted a new story. To add to it, I have a feeling that Slade and Amanda were not easy to wrangle. I’m sad to see the Colton’s of Wyoming end. But I’m thrilled that I was along for the ride.
November 28, 2015
Slade is a federal agent ,working undercover.He comes to the Dead River Ranch as a new foreman.In reality he investigates his father's murder and the latest trouble at the ranch.
Amanda is afraid of losing her baby, Cheyenne. She is a single mother, dumped by her married lover.Another baby , Avery, was lately kidnapped instead of Amanda's daughter.So Amanda hires Tom as a bodyguard for Cheyenne.
her father, Jethro, is dying from leukaemia. His illegitimate son, Levy, a doctor, takes care of him.Jethro's eldest son, Cole, was kidnapped as a baby.Lately it was discovered that Cole is..Dylan, who grew up on the ranch and now is in Witness Protection program with his fiancee.Jethro's ex-wife, Darla, and her two children still live there.Amanda suspects they need money and thus could hurt her child.
Someone shoots at Amanda and Cheyenne.Later the baby is kidnapped and a ransom is demanded.Slade learns from Jethro the truth about his father's death.
A surprise kidnapper gets just reward and many secrets revealed in the sixth book in The Coltons of Wyoming series. This book is by Beth Cornelison.
The story takes place during 3 weeks before Christmas.
"KIdnapped" son and really kidnapped children, dirty money amassed by Jethro, who is blackmailed himself.A bit too many of murders and kidnappings, in my opinion.
Amanda is afraid of losing her baby, Cheyenne. She is a single mother, dumped by her married lover.Another baby , Avery, was lately kidnapped instead of Amanda's daughter.So Amanda hires Tom as a bodyguard for Cheyenne.
her father, Jethro, is dying from leukaemia. His illegitimate son, Levy, a doctor, takes care of him.Jethro's eldest son, Cole, was kidnapped as a baby.Lately it was discovered that Cole is..Dylan, who grew up on the ranch and now is in Witness Protection program with his fiancee.Jethro's ex-wife, Darla, and her two children still live there.Amanda suspects they need money and thus could hurt her child.
Someone shoots at Amanda and Cheyenne.Later the baby is kidnapped and a ransom is demanded.Slade learns from Jethro the truth about his father's death.
A surprise kidnapper gets just reward and many secrets revealed in the sixth book in The Coltons of Wyoming series. This book is by Beth Cornelison.
The story takes place during 3 weeks before Christmas.
"KIdnapped" son and really kidnapped children, dirty money amassed by Jethro, who is blackmailed himself.A bit too many of murders and kidnappings, in my opinion.
January 3, 2016
This was a good book, but the cover never said anything about it being in a series. I was VERY lost. There were plot lines that were mentioned, but not expanded on. You were left hanging, the writer assuming that you have read the previous books. I would have enjoyed it a LOT more if I had been warned to read the previous books.
If I had known it was part of a series, I wouldn't have read it first.
Disappointed. I'm so disappointed, I don't even care about the series now.
If I had known it was part of a series, I wouldn't have read it first.
Disappointed. I'm so disappointed, I don't even care about the series now.
Read
December 29, 2014"The combination of Slade's toughness and Amanda's spunk will draw readers in. Good pacing and a solid mystery, complete with an unexpected twist in the end, cap off a well-crafted story." RT Book Reviews, rated 4 stars
Miniseries: The Coltons of Wyoming
Miniseries: The Coltons of Wyoming
February 10, 2014
Read for Review on FreshFiction.Com
December 6, 2014
Good book
Want to read
December 3, 2013Whodunit? I so want to find out.
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